Honestly, the Stanley Cup Finals 2024 felt like two completely different movies stitched together by some chaotic director who loves stress. You had the Florida Panthers looking like an absolute buzzsaw for three games. Then, suddenly, the Edmonton Oilers decided they weren't ready for summer vacation and staged a comeback that almost broke the hockey world.
It was wild. Truly.
If you’re looking for a simple recap, the Florida Panthers won their first-ever Stanley Cup. But saying it like that is like saying the Titanic had a "minor steering issue." This series was a grueling, emotional rollercoaster that went the full seven games and saw the greatest player on the planet, Connor McDavid, win the MVP trophy while his team watched the other guys celebrate.
The Florida Panthers and the 3-0 "Lead"
Florida started this thing like they were shot out of a cannon. Sergei Bobrovsky—or "Bob" as the fans scream—was a brick wall in Game 1. He made 32 saves for a shutout. Edmonton had looks. They had breakaways. It didn't matter.
By the time Game 3 wrapped up in Edmonton, Florida was up 3-0 in the series. In the history of the NHL, only one team had ever come back from 3-0 down in the Finals: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. Everyone, including the pundits and probably a few nervous folks in South Florida, thought it was over.
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But then, Game 4 happened.
Edmonton didn't just win; they embarrassed Florida with an 8-1 blowout. It was the kind of game where you start wondering if the Panthers forgot how to skate. That momentum shift wasn't a fluke. The Oilers took Game 5 (5-3) and Game 6 (5-1), dragging the series all the way back to Sunrise, Florida, for a winner-take-all Game 7.
Stanley Cup Finals 2024: The Game 7 Heartbreak and Heroics
When June 24, 2024, finally rolled around, the tension at Amerant Bank Arena was thick enough to cut with a skate blade. The Panthers were trying to avoid becoming the biggest "choke" story in modern sports history. The Oilers were trying to complete the greatest comeback since World War II.
Florida's Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring early in the first period, but Mattias Janmark tied it up for Edmonton less than three minutes later. It stayed 1-1 for a long, agonizing stretch. You could see the fatigue. Players were finishing checks like they were moving through molasses.
The game-winner came off the stick of Sam Reinhart late in the second period. A quick wrist shot on the rush. Stuart Skinner couldn't get his glove on it.
The third period was basically 20 minutes of Florida parking the bus and Sergei Bobrovsky standing on his head. Edmonton pushed. They hemmed the Panthers in their own zone for what felt like hours. Connor McDavid had a wide-open look that just... didn't go.
Florida won 2-1.
The McDavid Factor: Winning the Conn Smythe in a Loss
One of the weirdest parts of the Stanley Cup Finals 2024 was the trophy presentation. Usually, the Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP) goes to someone on the winning team. Not this time.
Connor McDavid won it.
He put up 42 points in 25 games. That’s the fourth-highest total in the history of the NHL playoffs. He broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most assists in a single postseason (34). Even though he didn't score in Game 7, the voters basically said, "We can't ignore this guy." He became only the sixth player in history to win the MVP while being on the losing side. He didn't even come out to the ice to collect it. He was in the locker room with his teammates, which, honestly, you've gotta respect.
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Why Florida Finally Got Over the Hump
A lot of people forget that Florida lost in the Finals just a year prior to the Vegas Golden Knights. They were "Finals-hardened."
Coach Paul Maurice—who finally won his first Cup after over 1,800 games behind the bench—built a team that was miserable to play against. They were heavy. They hit everything that moved. While Edmonton had the flashy superstars in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Florida had depth.
- Aleksander Barkov: The first Finnish-born captain to lift the Cup. He was a defensive vacuum, shutting down top lines all playoffs.
- Matthew Tkachuk: He didn't score as much in the Final as people expected, but he was the emotional heartbeat of that locker room.
- Sam Bennett: A total menace on the forecheck who ended up winning the Conn Smythe the following year, but was arguably just as vital in '24.
Misconceptions About the Series
People like to say the Oilers "bottled it" in the first three games or that Florida "choked" the lead away. Both are sorta wrong.
In reality, the Oilers outplayed Florida for long stretches of Game 1 and Game 3, but Bobrovsky was just better. When the luck turned in Game 4, the floodgates opened. It wasn't about a lack of effort; it was about two elite teams having very different styles that took turns being effective.
Also, the narrative that Edmonton was "just a power play team" died in this series. They were actually elite at 5-on-5 during the comeback, and their penalty kill went on a historic run, killing 34 straight penalties at one point.
Actionable Insights for Hockey Fans
If you're looking back at this series to understand where the NHL is heading, here are a few things to keep in mind:
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- Goaltending is the Great Equalizer: You can have the best scorers in the world, but a hot goalie like 2024 Bobrovsky can negate a 100-assist season in a single night.
- The "Loser" Experience Matters: Florida's 2023 loss taught them the discipline they needed for the 2024 win. Watch the teams that lose deep in the playoffs this year; they are usually the favorites for the next one.
- Depth Trumps Stars: Edmonton's top heavy-hitting duo of McDavid and Draisaitl combined for 15 points in the Finals, but they were a combined -14. Florida's ability to roll four lines and three defensive pairs eventually wore the Oilers down in that final Game 7.
The 2024 Finals will be remembered as the year Florida finally became a hockey town. It ended a 30-year wait for the franchise and proved that sometimes, you have to almost lose everything to finally win it all.
To dig deeper into the tactical side of this win, look at the shot heatmaps from Game 7. You’ll see that while Edmonton had the volume, Florida forced almost everything to the perimeter. That defensive structure is exactly what wins championships in the modern era.