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Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is underway, with the Oilers and Panthers tied at one game apiece as the series shifts to Florida.
After Edmonton took Game 1 in overtime, Florida turned the tables on them and won Game 2 in double overtime, with Brad Marchand scoring the game winner. If Game 3 is anything like the first two, you won't want to miss it! Follow along below for live updates.
P1 16:38 – Oilers 0, Panthers 0
Skinner tested again, this time by Forsling, but he makes the save. Moments later, we get our first penalty of the game as Lundell is called for tripping Draisaitl.
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That's the 11th career SCF goal for Marchand and his his fourth of this series.
Marchand, 37, becomes the oldest player to score in the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final, besting the previous mark held by 35-year-old Frank Mahovlich (3 straight games in 1973 with the Canadiens), per NHL Stats.
P1 19:04 – Oilers 0, Panthers 0
Chaos in front of the Oilers net as Skinner slides out, seemingly unaware where the puck is, but it comes to Marchand who fires it into an open net!
Edmonton was set to be called for a high-sticking penalty, but the goal negates that call.
P1 20:00 – Oilers 0, Panthers 0
We're underway at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise!
DJ Khaled is on hand at Amerant Bank Arena to tee up the PA announcer's introductions of each starting lineup and coach.
It's going about how you'd expect, with several yells of "Another one" and "We the best."
With puck drop just five minutes away now, here are the three things you need to know ahead of tonight's game:
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I’m very jealous of my coworkers who are in Sunrise this evening. Through two games, I don’t recall ever seeing a Cup Final quite like this. Extraordinary stuff we are watching.
I felt like Edmonton dictated play for most of Games 1 and 2. I’m very curious to see if that changes now that the Panthers are playing in their barn.
Should be fascinating!
Confirmation that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is active tonight and will play for the Oilers.
Based on warmups, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins appears set to play after being a game-time decision due to an undisclosed ailment.
The Oilers have shuffled their defensive pairings, though Ekholm and Bouchard stay together despite what we saw earlier at Edmonton's morning skate.
One lineup change for the Panthers as A.J. Greer returns from a lower-body injury, taking the place of Jesper Boqvist.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is a game-time decision for the Oilers due to an undisclosed ailment, is taking line rushes with Connor McDavid and Corey Perry in warmups.
Kris Knoblauch had said that he'd skate in warmups and then a decision on his status would be made.
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When a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series record of 23-7, meaning they go on to win the series 77 percent of the time.
Early goals have been a developing trend so far in this Stanley Cup Final. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring in Game 1 just 1:06 into the contest, and Sam Bennett needed just 2:07 to do the same in Game 2.
This is the first Stanley Cup Final in 36 years – and third in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1968) – to feature a goal in the opening five minutes of both Games 1 and 2.
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 opening two games?
Who are you expecting to win 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 3.
It's hard not to think of this Stanley Cup Final as a coin flip that could go either way, the margins have been that thin. Not only were both of the first two games decided by one goal, but both needed overtime to be settled.
If the winning margin in tonight's game is again limited to one goal, this would be the first SCF since 2016 in which each of the first three games were decided by that slimmest of margins.
We here at The Athletic are committed to providing elite, award-winning coverage across all sports but with the Stanley Cup Final underway, this is the perfect time to highlight our excellent NHL coverage.
In addition to our live coverage, our team of hockey reporters are on the ground providing color, in-depth analysis and revealing stories throughout the series. Whether it be analytical breakdowns, postgame takeaways or features on your favorite players, our NHL staff constantly produces compelling work that you do not want to miss.
Throughout the Stanley Cup Final, reporters Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Michael Russo, Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun are on the ground in Sunrise and Edmonton.
Given all that, there's never been a better time to sign up! You can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here.
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Offense has definitely had the upper hand over defense so far in this Stanley Cup Final, as Games 1 and 2 combined for a total of 16 goals.
If tonight's game sees at least seven goals scored, this would be only the sixth Final in history to see 7+ goals in each of the first three games of the series. The other years in which that has happened: 2022, 1981, 1980, 1932 and 1918.
Wayne Gretzky, pictured above entering Amerant Bank Arena, knows a thing or two about scoring in the SCF.
The Panthers have gotten a franchise-record 17 goals from defensemen this postseason, including two in Game 2 from Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.
The only teams in the past decade with as many goals from defensemen in a single postseason are the 2024 Oilers (18), 2022 Avalanche (18) and 2020 Lightning (17).
We've been treated to an incredible Stanley Cup Final so far, with neither of the first two games decided in regulation time. This is just the sixth time in NHL history that both of the first two games of a Final have needed overtime.
It happened in 1946 and again in 1951, and then remarkably happened in three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014.
If we get another overtime game tonight, 2025 would join 1951 as the only Stanley Cup Finals to need OT in each of the first three games. It's hard to imagine 2025 matching 1951's full streak, however – all five games of the 1951 SCF went to OT.
