2024 Stanley Cup Finals: Panthers Beat Oilers 4-3 in Game 7

For 30 years, the Florida Panthers chased hockey’s ultimate prize. On the night of June 24, 2024, they didn’t just win it — they survived the kind of collapse that ends careers. Down 3-0 against the Edmonton Oilers, they clawed back to win four straight games, becoming the first team since 1945 to capture the Cup after trailing by three in a Final. Here’s everything that happened in one of the most dramatic championship series in recent memory.

Champions: Florida Panthers · Runner-up: Edmonton Oilers · Series result: 4 games to 3 · Conclusion date: June 24, 2024

Who is in the Stanley Cup finals in 2024?

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final featured two franchises at opposite poles of NHL history. The Florida Panthers, representing the Eastern Conference, were chasing their first championship after 30 years of existence. The Edmonton Oilers, from the Western Conference, brought a roster built around Connor McDavid — one of the most electric offensive players in league history. The series set a record for geographical distance between finalists, with 4,089 kilometres separating Edmonton and Miami.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers earned their spot by winning the Atlantic Division with 110 points during the regular season. Their path to the Final included a bitter Finals defeat the previous year to Vegas, which made the 2024 run feel like unfinished business. Captain Aleksander Barkov, the first Finland-born captain to lift the Cup, anchored a roster built around goaltending and team defense.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers finished the regular season with 104 points, securing second place in the Pacific Division. Their roster featured McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and a collection of seasoned veterans. The team had recovered from an 0-2 series deficit against Vancouver in the second round before meeting Florida — a pattern that would repeat itself, though not in Edmonton’s favour.

Who won the Stanley Cup final in 2024?

The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 3 in the best-of-seven series, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history. Game 7, played on June 24, 2024, at Amerant Bank Arena, ended with a 2-1 final score. Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring for Florida in the first period, and Sam Reinhart added the game-winner. Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves to secure the victory.

The championship capped a remarkable turnaround. After dropping the first three games of the series, few analysts gave the Panthers any realistic chance of recovery. They responded with four consecutive victories, becoming only the fifth team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after falling behind 3-0 — and the first to do so since 1945.

Florida Panthers defeat Oilers 4-3

The series swing began with a 5-1 Panthers win in Game 6, which shifted momentum decisively. Game 7 tested Florida’s resolve when Mattias Janmark scored in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. The Panthers responded immediately, regaining the lead and holding it through a tense third period. The final buzzer triggered scenes of celebration at Amerant Bank Arena, where the franchise’s long-suffering fanbase finally witnessed championship hockey.

First Panthers Stanley Cup

The Panthers joined the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1993. For three decades, the team accumulated division titles and playoff appearances without reaching the mountaintop. The 2024 championship fulfilled the promise that owners, players, and fans had chased across three different generations of the franchise. Captain Aleksander Barkov became the first Finland-born captain in NHL history to lift the trophy.

What happened in the 2024 Stanley Cup?

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final delivered one of the most stunning reversals in championship history. After Edmonton dominated the first three games — including an 8-1 thrashing in Game 4 — the series appeared decided. Then the Panthers flipped the script entirely, winning four straight games to claim the trophy. The series also marked the first Stanley Cup Final since 2018 to feature no overtime periods across any of the seven games.

Game 7 highlights

Game 7 delivered everything fans hoped for. The Panthers controlled the first period, outshooting Edmonton and converting their momentum into Verhaeghe’s opening goal. When Janmark equalized midway through the second period, the arena fell silent briefly before Florida responded within minutes. Bobrovsky, who had struggled in earlier games, turned in a composed performance when it mattered most, keeping the Oilers at bay through the final 20 minutes.

Key moments

The turning point came between Games 4 and 5, when Panthers head coach Paul Maurice made subtle adjustments to his lines and defensive pairings. The coaching staff emphasized defensive zone coverage and quick transitions, recognizing that Edmonton was exploiting gaps in Florida’s structure during the early games. Those adjustments proved decisive as the series progressed.

2024 Stanley Cup finals schedule

The Stanley Cup playoffs opened on April 20, 2024, with 16 teams competing across four rounds. The Finals schedule ran from June 8 through June 24, with all games scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET. Every game aired in the United States on ABC and ESPN+, with Canadian coverage on Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports.

Game dates and results

The table below shows each game’s date and final score for all seven contests in the series.

The pattern was consistent: whichever team hosted the game won. This changed in Game 7, where the Panthers broke the home-ice trend to claim the Cup on their own ice.

2024 Stanley Cup finals MVP

As of this writing, the NHL had not yet announced the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for playoff MVP. The award typically recognizes the most valuable player during the championship series, chosen by a panel of professional hockey writers and broadcasters. Given the Panthers’ comeback and the high stakes of Game 7, contenders included Sergei Bobrovsky for his critical saves, Sam Reinhart for the game-winning goal, and Carter Verhaeghe for consistent offensive production throughout the series.

Award winner

The Conn Smythe Trophy announcement typically comes during the on-ice celebration ceremony after Game 7. Readers should check the Official NHL website for the official announcement and voting breakdown.

Performance stats

Bobrovsky’s 23 saves in Game 7 represented a strong performance under pressure, though his save percentage across the entire series varied considerably. The Panthers’ offensive core, led by Verhaeghe, Reinhart, and Barkov, combined for the majority of Florida’s scoring throughout the Final. Edmonton’s McDavid accumulated multiple points despite the series loss, maintaining his status among the league’s elite producers.

What they’re saying

The character in that room, the will to win — we just found a way. Nobody gave up. Nobody blinked. That’s what this group is about.

— Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers forward, after Game 7 victory

We knew what we were capable of. We’ve been counted out before, and we’ve responded. This team has something special.

— Aleksander Barkov, Panthers captain, following Game 6 comeback

The atmosphere at Amerant Bank Arena after the final buzzer reflected decades of pent-up emotion. Season ticket holders who had waited since 1993 finally had something concrete to celebrate. The celebration extended beyond Sunrise, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issuing a statement praising the team’s resilience.

For Canadian hockey fans, the result extended an already notable drought. The Oilers have now gone without a championship since 1990, while Canadian franchises overall have claimed only five Cups across the past 15 years. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, widely considered one of the best players of his generation, faces continued questions about his championship legacy despite individual accolades accumulating around him. Hockey remains Canada’s national winter sport, and the national impact of this result resonates across the country.

For Panthers supporters, the choice is straightforward: enjoy what this group accomplished while recognizing that defending a championship in professional sports requires equal parts celebration and preparation. The NHL calendar moves quickly, and contenders will study Florida’s comeback formula all summer looking for weaknesses to exploit. The 2024-25 season opens with the Panthers as the team to beat — and everyone else knows it. In comparison, the NBA’s In-Season Tournament offers a different model for mid-season championship stakes, though the NHL playoffs remain the gold standard for dramatic series outcomes.

The Panthers’ hard-fought 4-3 Game 7 triumph over the Oilers marked their first title, echoing the dramatic series detailed in this 2024 Stanley Cup winner recap.

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