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Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final checked all the boxes for thrilling playoff hockey featuring elite execution, high intensity and a cardiac finish as the Oilers overcame a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 in overtime on a power-play goal by Leon Draisaitl.
Will Florida respond in Game 2 to even the series, or will Edmonton hit the road with a 2-0 series lead? Follow along below to find out.
GO FURTHER
The Oilers’ nuclear option: Do they keep Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl together?
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Matthew P.: Almost impossible to imagine Florida coming back from 2-0 against this oilers squad. They need this game.
Andrew L.: I think the only victory that will mean anything between these teams is the fourth. Both teams are unflappable. Though for my comfort I would like an Oiler victory tonight.
Rob H.: The Oilers took Game 1, and the Panthers will respond as they have done all year. And it will go like this until one team wins four. The Oilers aren’t winning both games in Sunrise. That’s why a win tonight is important. But the Oilers did look unbeatable in the third.
Remember, you can send us your thoughts, questions and predictions by emailing us at live@theathletic.com, and if you're a subscriber you can also join the Game 2 discussion page.
The Oilers may have won Game 1, but coach Kris Knoblauch stressed the importance of approaching Game 2 with a clean slate.
"Momentum, streaks or anything like that, I think it's important you reset," he said before tonight's game. "I've said this throughout the run that no matter what happens, whether we won 6-1 or lost 5-0 or win the first game, second game, it's important that we shut it off. We enjoy or learn from that last game, but we know the opponent is going to be playing better or changing their systems or their focus or something. We just have to be prepared to play the best we can.
"We still need to get better. We're still looking for that competitive edge. As well as we know them, I guess we're still searching for answers."
Oilers defenseman Jake Walman may not have played in the Stanley Cup Final last year, having joined the team via trade from the Sharks just three months ago, but that doesn't mean he wasn't watching.
"Every game is going to be a challenge, especially against the team we're playing," he said in the leadup to tonight's game. "I watched a lot last year when these guys were playing. I think we're playing against a better Florida team than they did last year."
After the Panthers took Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers by a score of 3-0, they came right back with another win at home by the same margin in Game 2.
Edmonton made a stronger start in Game 2, scoring first after 11 minutes through Mattias Ekholm. But that would be their lone goal of the night. Florida tied the game midway through the second period through Niko Mikkola, and then took control in the third period. Evan Rodrigues, who had scored in Game 1, added two more goals in the third period of Game 2 before Aaron Ekblad sealed the 4-1 win with an empty netter.
The biggest talking point after the game was Leon Draisaitl's high hit on Aleksander Barkov, which knocked the Panthers captain out of the game.
Over the course of the first three rounds, the Panthers and Oilers both posted 2-1 records in Game 2s. Furthermore, they each scored a total of 10 goals across those Game 2s.
Both followed their sole Game 2 loss with at least three straight wins. And both posted a shutout in Game 2 of the conference finals.
Something's got to give in tonight's crucial Game 2.
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The Oilers overcoming deficits has been a common sight during these Stanley Cup playoffs. They did it in Game 1, trailing the Panthers 3-1 before winning 4-3 in overtime.
Edmonton has seven comeback wins in these playoffs, leading the NHL and one shy of the franchise record of eight set in 1987 and matched in 1991.
Both the Panthers and the Oilers have gotten goals from a huge range of players during this postseason. Edmonton has 20 unique goal scorers in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, tying the most in franchise history. Only two teams in NHL history have had more: the 2019 Bruins and 1987 Flyers, both with 21.
Florida isn't far behind with 19 unique goal scorers this postseason, good for an outright franchise record.
In terms of adding to those totals, both teams have three players that have played this postseason but haven't scored.
Oilers:
Panthers:
Brad Marchand, 37, and Corey Perry, 40, are two of the most experienced players competing in this year's Stanley Cup Final. They both have impressive scoring records at this level.
Marchand, who scored in Game 1, and Perry both enter tonight with eight career goals in the Stanley Cup Final, which is tied with Evgeni Malkin and Ondrej Palat for the most among active players.
Despite losing Game 1, the Florida Panthers have been stellar on the road during these Stanley Cup playoffs. Their record is 8-3 entering Game 2 tonight, tying the franchise record for road wins in one playoff year.
Only seven teams in Stanley Cup Playoffs history have had more, with the record standing at 10.
Coming into this series, one of the key questions was how the Edmonton defense would handle the relentless forecheck of Florida. So far, the Oilers defense has succeeded against the Panthers' top line.
The first line of Sam Reinhart-Aleksander Barkov-Evan Rodrigues scored zero goals and only notched one point between them (an assist from Rodrigues) in Game 1. Per Natural Stat Trick, their expected goals was 0.37, the worst of Florida's top three lines.
Continue limiting the top line of the Panthers and the Oilers will be in solid shape to win this series.
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As Game 1 progressed, Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch made contrasting decisions on how best to utilize their depth. The Panthers shortened their bench much more than the Oilers did. The time on ice for Florida's fourth line ranged from 6:04 to 9:20. In contrast, Edmonton's lowest ice time was Trent Frederic at 13:36.
The Oilers' strategy seemed to pay off, as between the third period and overtime they outscored the Panthers 2-0 and outshot them 24-8.
You never know what you'll find outside of Rogers Place.
Which team is going to win this series and lift the Stanley Cup?
If you're a fan of the Panthers or the Oilers, how are you feeling after a wild Game 1?
Which player will be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs?
We want to hear your answers to these questions and much more! Send us your predictions, thoughts and questions by emailing us at live@theathletic.com.
If you're a subscriber to The Athletic, you can also join the conversation by heading over to our discussion page for Game 2.
Game 1's overtime thriller was a high-scoring affair that saw seven goals (six in regulation).
If tonight is equally as high scoring, we'd be looking at a rare level of offense to start a Stanley Cup Final.
Only two Stanley Cup Finals over the past 42 years have seen teams combine for seven-plus goals in each of the first two games of the series.
Oddly enough, those two occurrences came in the last three postseasons: 2023 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers (seven goals in Game 1 and nine in Game 2) and 2022 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche (seven in both Games 1 and 2).
Entering Game 2, here are the goal leaders for the 2025 NHL playoffs, led by the two players who scored two goals apiece in Game 1.
Skaters playing in the Stanley Cup Final are in bold.
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Hug B.: That saucer pass right on the tape from Connor McDavid was a thing of beauty!
Kris B.: Edmonton absolutely deserved to win. Besides the second period, they were verging on dominant.
Kevin W.: That blown "goal" call was so ridiculous – directly responsible for a two-goal swing. Kudos to the Oilers for staying focused and playing their game. Was very impressed with the Oilers' physical game, did not back down at all to the big bad Panthers. Hoping this goes seven games – great hockey!
Brian L.: Looks like Leon Draisaitl decided to show up this year. He has almost as many points in one game as he did all of last year's Stanley Cup Final. Panthers will be in trouble if they can't contain him again.
Editor's note: Draisaitl was injured during last year's Final, so it might be fair to cut him some slack, Brian …
Remember, you can send us your thoughts, questions and predictions by emailing us at live@theathletic.com, and if you're a subscriber you can also join the Game 2 discussion page.
The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was in 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Jurassic Park was the highest-grossing movie worldwide that year. Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" ended 1993 atop the Billboard Top 100 list.
That's how long it's been since a Canadian team hoisted the Stanley Cup. The Edmonton Oilers are three wins away from changing that.
In a poll by Angus Reid in late April, 71 percent of respondents who were Canadian hockey fans said they would cheer for any Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, not just their own. That marked a 16-point increase since 2016.
Is it possible for Canadians to root for a rival? The debate has surfaced many times over the past three decades, but the question is usually dismissed.
Deep-rooted allegiances require equilibrium: disdain for a rival is a formative element of the passion you hold for your team. Being an Ottawa Senators fan requires contempt for the Toronto Maple Leafs; a Calgary Flames fan can’t wear blue and orange.
But if there’s ever going to be a moment for Canadian hockey fans to coalesce under a single NHL team banner, maybe we’ve found it.
Read more below.
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Amid Canada-U.S. tension, will Canadians cheer for Oilers in Stanley Cup Final?
