In a significant departure from past eras, particularly the defensive-focused period often dubbed the “Dead Puck Era,” the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is proving to be a thrilling, high-scoring affair. There was a time when disciplined, well-coached hockey emphasized stifling defense, championed by systems like the left-wing lock and coaches such as Jacques Lemaire and Darryl Sutter, which suppressed offense and limited goal production.
That previous period, roughly between 2000 and 2004, was characterized by larger goalie equipment and a noticeable dip in scoring across the league. During those five seasons, it was common for players to win the Art Ross Trophy for leading scorers without even reaching 100 points.
The current wide-open style of this Stanley Cup Final highlights just how much the game has evolved from those days.
Thinking back to that era feels like acknowledging a different time in the NHL, one where scoring two goals could often secure a win. Goaltenders like Jean-Sebastien Giguere earned Conn Smythe Trophies with exceptional save percentages, his .945 mark in the 2003 playoffs being a prime example. Martin Brodeur`s Cup-winning performance that same spring featured a .934 save percentage, still notably higher than many modern numbers.
Today, Florida`s starting netminder, Sergei Bobrovsky, holds a .912 save percentage across the current playoff run. Just two games into this Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers have already found the back of the net eight times against him.
Oilers center Adam Henrique, who played for the Ducks earlier in his career, reflected on the change, noting, “You think back to Giguere, his playoff run… how good he was. It feels like those days are a little behind (us).”
For many seasoned observers, the initial games of this series have been some of the most action-packed and breathtaking opening contests in Stanley Cup Final history, showcasing a level of offensive intensity rarely seen in the past.
Tristan Blackwood