Results from past Stanley Cup Finals prove how crucial it is to win Game 1

The outcome of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night will be a big indicator as to who will win the series between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

Last year, it was the Panthers who won not only the opening game of the series but also the first three to take a stranglehold 3-0 lead. The Oilers were able to battle their way back to force a Game 7, but came up short, allowing Matthew Tkachuk and company to hoist the Cup at the Amerant Bank Arena.

While it’s far from ideal to lose any game, the best-of-seven series gives teams a bit of leeway in the early portion, or at least that’s what many think. Stats from past Stanley Cup Finals, however, indicate just how important the first game is.

Here’s a look at how the past 10 years have played out based on Game 1 victories.

Over the course of the last 10 Stanley Cup Finals, the team that has won the opening game has gone on to win the series eight times (80 per cent). In 2018, the Washington Capitals, who didn’t win their opening game, also didn’t have home-ice advantage, while the 2020 Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars was played on a neutral site in Edmonton due to COVID restrictions.

That puts even more emphasis on just how important tonight’s game is from the Oilers’ perspective. They’ve tended to start out slow in series so far during this run, as they trailed both the LA Kings and Dallas Stars before storming back. Starting out slow as they did in those series would be a recipe for disaster against this incredibly deep Panthers roster.

Both of these teams look different heading into this year’s Stanley Cup Final, with the Panthers making a major splash at the trade deadline by bringing in Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. The Oilers, meanwhile, have vastly improved their blue line with the additions of Jake Walman and John Klingberg.

You might also like:
• Oilers’ Zach Hyman invites Shaq to Edmonton for Stanley Cup Final