The Stanley Cup playoffs is one of the most grueling postseason tournaments in sports. So it's no wonder that a team appearing in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years is something of a rarity. It's rarer still that both teams meet up again in consecutive Cup Finals.

But that's exactly what happened in 2025. Following a thrilling, seven-game series in 2024 in which the Florida Panthers went up 3-0, lost the next three to the Edmonton Oilers and won Game 7 for the franchise's first Cup , the two teams are back at it again starting with Game 1 on Wednesday.

How are the teams different than the 2024 editions? How confident should each team be in its goaltender right now? And what are the X factors and big questions for each club heading into the rematch?

Ryan S. Clark and Krist

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