Stars vs Panthers: Three Things to Watch in Global Series

The Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers continue the NHL's Global Series with a contest in Finland.

Oct 28, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are both legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup this season. The Panthers are hoping to run it back as the champions of the NHL and the Stars are hoping they can build on another Western Conference Finals trip and earn the top prize.

While the Stars and Panthers pursue the Stanley Cup, both organizations stand out as two of the most important franchises in the NHL. The league is giving them another chance to highlight why as they travel to Tampere, Finland for two games at Nokia Arena as part of the NHL Global Series Finland. With these teams set for a back-to-back, let's take a look at the biggest storylines entering this series.

Finnish Connection

Both teams will have lots of hometown love for these games. The Panthers' captain Aleksander Barkov is a Tampere native, and his home country is expected to shower him with praise and encouragement during this set of games.

The Stars, meanwhile, have their own Finnish connection. Three of their players, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Roope Hintz, are all Finland natives. While none of them are the hometown boy that Barkov is, the crowd should also stand behind the Finnish trio wearing Dallas uniforms.

Stanley Cup Preview?

The Stars and Panthers are two excellent picks to make the Stanley Cup Finals, and it's entirely possible that these two games are just a preview of the final series in 2025. The Stars are 7-2 through nine games, good for second in the Central Division. The Panthers are leading the Atlantic Division, sporting a 7-3-1 record through 11 games. It's too early to declare this as fact, but no one should be surprised if this is a preview of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Vezina Trophy Candidates Face-Off

Both of these teams have deep rosters, excellent coaching staffs, and elite goaltending. With the Cats and Stars going at it in Tampere, one of these games is sure to feature Jake Oettinger versus Sergei Bobrovsky as the goalie matchup.

Oettinger is red-hot to start the year, with a goals against average below 2.00, a save percentage of .938%, and a record of 5-1-0. He signed a massive extension as the season began, and he's already backing it up on the ice.

Bobrovsky is enjoying drinking from the fountain of youth as he remains one of the best goalies in the NHL at age 36. He's 5-2-1 through his first eight starts and he's picked up right where he left off during the 2024 postseason. While the Finnish crowd is hoping for an electric offensive contest, they should buckle in for a tight goalie matchup when Oettinger and Bobrovsky are between the pipes.

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