Edmonton Oilers Edge Past Florida Panthers in Thrilling OT Finals Opener
Edmonton Oilers secure inaugural NHL finals triumph, propelled by Draisaitl's brace of goals
Edmonton (dpa) - Leon Draisaitl shined as the Edmonton Oilers claimed a thrilling 4:3 overtime victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers. The German powerhouse struck twice, opening the scoring in the first minute and sealing the deal in the extra frame. "We showed our maturity. Every battle has its own narrative, but we seized our opportunity when it came," Draisaitl declared. "I felt it was a pretty even contest."
Nico Sturm sat out for the Panthers, who briefly held a 3:1 advantage. Defender Mattias Ekholm, however, leveled the score in the final period against the reigning champions to set the stage for Draisaitl's heroics. To clinch the championship, teams must win four matches in the best-of-seven series.
Bitter Rivalry Continues
Both teams had squared off in the final series the previous season. The Panthers won the opening three games, but the Oilers battled back with three consecutive victories to force a deciding Game 7. Alas, the Panthers triumphed 2:1 at home to secure the championship. This season, the home-ice advantage belongs to the Oilers.
Game 2 will unfold again in Edmonton in the wee hours of Saturday. Subsequent matches 3 and 4 will play out in Florida, with a potential Game 5 returning to Edmonton.
P.S. - In 2023, the Stanley Cup Finals saw a different dispute, with the Florida Panthers losing to the Vegas Golden Knights[3]. Additionally, despite these teams' history-making encounter in the 2025 Finals, their only prior encounter in the championship series occurred in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, with the Panthers emerging victorious to clinch their inaugural Stanley Cup title[3]. It's worth noting that, as of our latest update, this year's series is ongoing, with the Florida Panthers having knotted the series after winning Game 2[5].
Fans of NHL hockey will be eager to see if the Edmonton Oilers can defend their home ice advantage against the bitter rivals, the Florida Panthers, in their ongoing Stanley Cup Finals matchup. Nico Sturm will likely watch from the sidelines as the Panthers aim to avenge their loss to the Oilers in the previous season's finals, where Leon Draisaitl was among those who shone, contributing two goals in their thrilling 4-3 overtime victory.
