2025 Stanley Cup playoffs: Panthers-Oilers final rematch, who is favored and what to watch for

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2025 Stanley Cup playoffs: Panthers-Oilers final rematch, who is favored and what to watch for

2025-05-30 11:25 Last Updated At：11:41

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are playing for the Stanley Cup once again.

The Cup final is a rematch from last year. The Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference to reach their third consecutive final, while the Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars to win the West.

This is the NHL's first rematch in the final since the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and '09. Those teams split those series, with Detroit hoisting the Cup after their first meeting and Pittsburgh the second.

Florida is looking to become the NHL’s first back-to-back winner since the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ’21. Canada’s hopes of ending the nation’s Cup drought — dating to Montreal’s win in 1993 — rests with the Oilers, who are slight favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook.

All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven, and the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.

Last year, Florida went up 3-0 before Edmonton won the next three in a row to force a deciding Game 7. The Panthers won 2-1 on home ice in Sunrise to take home the first title in franchise history.

This is the fifth rematch in the league's expansion era that began in 1967. Like Detroit and Pittsburgh, the Oilers and New York Islanders also split theirs in 1983 and ‘84, while Montreal took each of the previous two: 1977 and ’78 against Boston and 1968 and '69 against St. Louis.

The last team to win the Cup back to back after full, 82-game seasons was the Penguins in 2016 and '17. Edmonton has not won it all since 1990.

Every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is nationally televised in the U.S on an ABC/ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.

Florida: Matthew Tkachuk. He took the Stanley Cup for a dip in Atlantic Ocean a year ago and became one of the faces of the league when he dropped the gloves and was a star for the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He got injured in that tournament and still might not be 100%, but he is the Panthers' emotional energy and could get them back to hockey's mountaintop.

Edmonton: Connor McDavid. The best hockey player in the world had a down season by his standards and dealt with injury, yet McDavid still finished with 100 points. Maybe he was on cruise control waiting for this moment, and the Stanley Cup is close enough to feel again for the three-time league MVP.

Before the playoffs: Dallas and Florida were listed as co-favorites by BetMGM Sportsbook, followed by Colorado, Carolina, Edmonton and Vegas (tied), and Washington.

After the first round (in order): Florida, Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton, Vegas, Toronto, Winnipeg and Washington.

After the second round (in order): Edmonton, Florida, Dallas, Carolina.

After the third round: (in order): Edmonton, Florida.

The playoffs began April 19 to open three rounds of seven-game series in the East and West before the final starts on June 4. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could be as late as June 23.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.