Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Ultimate Road Warriors.
No team looked more comfortable from home than the Florida Panthers, passing through three difficult rounds to reach the third straight Stanley Cup final.
After 7-4 on the road on his way to his first Cup in 2024, the defending champions got even better in 2025, scoring an 8-2 record while averaging 4.8 goals per game.
They also sit at 42.9% on power plays and 88.6% on penalty kills.
“We’re against the world, that’s how it feels,” defensive man Gustav said of living on the road.
His mentality remains the same as he heads out for a rematch in the Stanley Cup final.
As the pack finally falls for Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Wednesday, the Panthers are ready to be greeted by the deafening waters of orange jerseys.
“We go to Game 1, win, and then we go from there,” forward Sam Reinhart said.
In last year’s Stanley Cup final, the Panthers were top of one of their three trips to Rogers Place, winning Game 3 with a 4-3 score, but lost in both Game 4 and Game 6 to defend their home ice and prevent elimination.
Eventually, the Panthers won Game 7 at the sunrise and captured Lord Stanley.
This time, Carter Verhaege said he knows what players should expect from Rogers Place.
“When I went there, it was one of the biggest buildings I’ve ever played,” the Panthers Sniper said. “When they’re bustling in their arena, it’s really loud and loud. It’s a really cool environment to play. We’re really excited. Last year has given us some experiences.”
For the Panthers, success on the roads is two ways: a hot start and depth.
Without building up the buzz in conflicting buildings, they lead the playoffs with 13 first term goals on the road. These strong starts have proven to be particularly important as they went 5-0 when leading after the first period.
Contributing from the top and bottom of the lineup, seven of the best scoring players on this postseason road will wear Panthers jerseys, while the other two players (Leon Draysightle (14 points) and Conner McDavid (13 points)) are both suitable for Euler.
Sam Bennett leads the NHL at road goals (12) and is tied with Eetu Luostarinen at the most road point with 12. Florida has five players with double-digit load points.
But while the Panthers dominate the road, the Oilers don’t lean forward at home.
During this year’s playoffs, the Western champions have a 6-1 record.
In Game 1, one of the two teams must bend.
But given what they look like these days, the Panthers should be on the task.
Back in Game 5 of the second round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, they went 5-0 on the road, beating the opposition 27-7.
And while you’re probably struggling to find many larger buildings on the road than Rogers’ location, the Panthers believe that last year’s experience will help you adjust some of the noise.
“There are a few places where experience can be useful,” coach Paul Maurice said. “You’re going to get to the (Stanley Cup) Finals or you’re going to get to the building where they’re passionate about the sport, and I think it’s 32 at some point.
Click here to join the official watch party for games 1 and 2 in South Florida.
