The Oilers erased a multi-goal deficit to take Game 1.
Leon Draisaitl scored with 31 seconds left in overtime off a gorgeous feed from Connor McDavid as the Edmonton Oilers edged the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
It was a historic goal for Draisaitl, who tied an NHL record with his third overtime goal of the postseason. It’s also the first time the Oilers have led a Cup Final series since 1990, the year of their most recent championship.
Another streak was also snapped on the ice, but this one pertains to Florida. Prior to Wednesday, the Panthers were 31-0 when leading at the end of the first or second period in playoff games under the tutelage of Paul Maurice. That ended, and it took two of the finest players in the world to get the job done.
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Oilers. After leading the game 1-0 early on, the Panthers scored three unanswered goals, with Sam Bennett converting two of them. However, the Oilers dominated from the third period on, outshooting their opponents 24-8.
McDavid also had an assist on Mattias Ekholm’s game-tying marker, and Viktor Arvidsson scored for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen had two assists in a valiant display.
For the goaltenders, Stuart Skinner made 29 saves for the winning side, including 24 straight after a shaky start. Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves for the Panthers.
First Period
Just 1:06 into the game, Edmonton got on the board first when Draisaitl batted in a loose puck to give his team a 1-0 lead. The play came together when Jake Walman teed up a shot from the point that bounced off Bobrovsky. After two of his two teammates whiffed on the loose puck, Draisaitl, who was on the floor just moments before, got off the deck to punch in the goal.
It was a physical game from the onset. Evander Kane checked Aaron Ekblad from behind against the boards, and Carter Verhaeghe also got in on some of the action early on.
Corey Perry was penalized for high-sticking Gustav Forsling, which put Florida on its first power play of the game. However, the Oilers killed off the penalty and completely neutralized their offense.
Bennett tied the game with 9:09 left in the first when he redirected a shot from Verhaeghe that went by Skinner, who fell to the ice after getting hit by Bennett. The Oilers challenged the goal due to goaltender interference, but they were overruled when the officials determined Jake Walman tripped Bennett into Skinner and ruled it a good goal.
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead on the very next play when Nate Schmidt fed Marchand in the right circle, and the former Stanley Cup champion blasted it by an outstretched Skinner.
Second Period
Bennett scored his second of the night two minutes into the second period when Tkachuk carried the puck past the blue line and shoveled a pass to Bennett, who snapped it over Skinner’s blocker to make it a 3-1 game.
One minute and 17 seconds later, the Oilers responded when Arvidsson took a drop pass from Podkolzkin and blistered a slap shot that snuck just under Bobrovsky’s glove to put them within a goal.
Skinner was locked in from this point forward and made some critical saves to keep the Oilers in the game, including a shot from Verhaeghe that ricocheted off his blocker, and Skinner was able to shovel to his right, and snag the rebound, to boot. Overall, Skinner made 15 saves on 17 shots to end the second.
Evan Rodrigues was sent to the box with 1:13 left in the period when he was whistled for high-sticking Draisaitl. At the end of the second, the Oilers still had 47 seconds remaining on the power play, and the Panthers continued to hold a 3-2 lead.
Third Period
Nearly five minutes into the period, Verhaeghe intercepted the puck and fired on Skinner, but Mattias Ekholm deflected the shot and went up into the netting. It was the second time in the game Verhaeghe had a scoring opportunity but ended up missing the net. He also had a shot that went just over the crossbar in the second period when he caught Skinner just out of position.
Ekholm tied the game at three with 13:27 left in the game when he fired a shot from the left circle through the screen that beat Bobrovsky. Kasperi Kapanen set up the play and found McDavid deep in the offensive zone before driving the puck to the net from the right door and shoveling a backhand pass to Ekholm.
Kane had a massive opportunity to give Edmonton the lead when he tried to backhand a rebound from the slot, but his shot just went wide of the net and Bobrovsky was eventually able to cover up the puck. However, after the whistle, Aaron Ekblad gave Kane a couple of shoves, which were reciprocated. Officials had to separate the two, and Ekblad was escorted to the Panthers bench. However, both men escaped without taking a penalty.
The Oilers were operating with a head of steam in the final period. With five minutes remaining, Edmonton had outshot Florida 11-2.
Overtime
Skinner made a gorgeous save just over five minutes into the overtime frame when he made a glove save as Aleksander Barkov pulled off a driveby screen. However, Skinner’s incredible concentration allowed him to pull off the save anyway.
With 12:51 remaining, Kapanen split three defenders and fired a quick shot that hit the post.
Following Thomas Nosek’s penalty for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass, the Oilers gave their hometown fans a reason to erupt into a frenzy. After the Panthers’ penalty killers got too aggressive, it created a 2-on-1 down low for McDavid and Draisaitl. McDavid fed his wingman a one-timer, which he blasted by Bobrovsky to win the game.
Takeaways
This was one of those games that can dictate an entire series. The Panthers were firing on all cylinders early, and the Oilers clawed and scratched their way back to defeat the reigning champs. We’ll see how Florida responds.
Next Game
Game 2 is Friday night in Edmonton. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. local time.