Is it finally McDavid's (and Canada's) time to win the Stanley Cup?

This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.

After almost a week of buildup, a highly anticipated Stanley Cup sequel between the Oilers and Panthers finally gets started tonight at 8 p.m. ET in Edmonton.

Last year, these teams delivered the most riveting NHL championship series since the Bruins defeated the Canucks in Game 7 in 2011 — a result that set off a literal riot in Vancouver. Fuelled by a Connor McDavid scoring binge, the Oilers became the first team in 79 years to come back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7 in the Cup final, only to lose the decider in Florida by one goal.

McDavid was named playoff MVP anyway (the first time in 21 years that the award went to someone on the losing team) after he broke Wayne Gretzky's record for most assists in a post-season and finished with the fifth-highest point total ever: 42 in 25 games. But the Oiler captain was so distraught that he refused to return to the ice to accept the Conn Smythe Trophy from commissioner Gary Bettman before the Panthers hoisted the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Coming off that emotionally and physically exhausting series, both Edmonton and Florida limped into this year's playoffs as the third-place team in their respective divisions. But, as great teams seem to do, they raised their game when the stakes increased.

WATCH | Oilers could boast depth advantage in Stanley Cup final with Panthers:

Oilers' biggest advantage is depth, writer says

The Panthers mauled a very good Tampa Bay team in five games in the opening round, then overcame some shaky moments to blow out Toronto 6-1 in Game 7 of their series before dispatching