We’re in the endgame now. After months of enduring a grueling hockey schedule, the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers will once again lock horns: this time with the Stanley Cup on the line. For the second straight year, these two behemoths will cross paths in the Finals, and the Oilers’ coach, Kris Knoblauch, couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming dance on the ice.

“We overcame so many obstacles; so much adversity,” the veteran coach said after the Cats took the best-of-7 series last year. But this year, things won’t be any easier. Both the Oilers and the Panthers finished the regular season in third place in their respective divisions. With an impressive 94-47-10 regular-season record, Knoblauch’s boys had already picked up a lot of miles even before the playoffs. However, the coach thinks the hectic schedule isn’t something that could affect Edmonton’s Stanley Cup dreams.

In a YouTube upload by the official Edmonton Oilers account from June 1, Coach Knoblauch could be heard talking about the squad’s preparation for its second straight Stanley Cup Finals. Talking to reporters at Rogers Place, Kris also shared his thoughts on the busy schedule that the athletes have to work with.

Upon being asked how Knoblauch and the Oilers stars spend their time during travels, the coach said, “Well, I look back and I’m thinking about some of the road trips I used to do when I was in the Western Hockey League, and this is absolutely nothing, just a breeze,” underscoring how flying in a plane is so much easier than clocking miles on a bus.

“…it’s usually watching a lot of video, getting prepared for our next meeting, and doing lineups,” Knoblauch explained how he spends his travel hours strategizing for the team. And when he’s not thinking hockey? He likes to relax with a good book.

However, what’s interesting is that, just a day ago, the Panthers’ coach, Paul Maurice, also similarly dismissed any concerns with travelling. “There’s no more than seven games left of this season, no matter what. So you will see a new energy source from both teams in this series,” Maurice told reporters on Saturday. With much deliberation, it would seem that both coaches are locked into the same mindset ahead of the Stanley Cup Finals. But it will take more than confidence to lift the ultimate hockey trophy.

The Stanley Cup Finals will be highly contested

For the 11th time in League history, teams from previous year’s Stanley Cup Finals will return to the culminating stages to determine the current year’s winners. Defending champions are 7-4 in previous Stanley Cup Finals rematches, which would tilt the scales to the Panthers’ favor. However, the Oilers aren’t looking too shabby themselves, either.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid has been on a roll. With 26 points to his name, McDavid is currently sitting at the top of this year’s NHL postseason points leaderboard. Leon Draisaitl, with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists), has been a wonderful partner for McDavid as well. To make things further interesting, past trends would suggest that the Oilers have never had a better shot at winning the Stanley Cup than this year.

Keeping things entertaining, goalie Stuart Skinner enters the Finals with a 2.53 GAA, a .904 save%, and 3 shutouts in the playoffs. But is all of this going to matter against the reigning champs? After all, the Cats’ captain, Aleksander Barkov (17 points), Brad Marchand (16 points), Matthew Tkachuk, and netminder Sergei Bobrovsky (.912 save%) all are looking at the top of their game right now.

So, which of these two teams are you going to be putting your money on? Tell us who you’re rooting for in a comment!