The 2023-24 NHL season did not get off to a strong start for the Edmonton Oilers. At one point, they were double-digit points out of a playoff spot with a record of 5-12-1. Coach Jay Woodcraft was fired after the team was 3-9-1 out of the gate.
He was replaced by Kris Knoblauch, who oversaw one of the most impressive turnarounds in NHL history. The Edmonton Oilers immediately went on a winning streak, beginning the long climb out of the cellar.
Shortly after the eight-game winning streak ended, they started a 16-game one. After starting the season as one of the worst teams in the NHL, the Oilers became one of the best, punctuated by their performance on Sunday night.
In Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars, Edmonton came away with a 2-1 victory. They will now be facing off against the Florida Panthers, who defeated the New York Rangers also in six games, for the Stanley Cup.
“When the horn went off, that’s the loudest I ever heard it,” Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid told Sportsnet amid the on-ice postgame celebration as Edmonton fans chanted, “We want the Cup” over and over. “Special place to play, honestly. So much history. And these fans, it was great to hear their support.”
The Oilers are the first Canadian team in a non-COVID-19 season to make the Stanley Cup Final since 2011, when the Vancouver Canucks took part. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens were victorious.
The series between the Edmonton Oilers and Panthers is set to begin on Saturday. The Oilers have opened as small underdogs, being listed at +105 to win the series, while Florida is -125.
It is a testament to each team’s fortitude that they were able to advance. Edmonton and Florida both trailed 2-1 in their respective Conference Finals before reeling off three straight wins to move on.
