Oilers Edge Panthers 4-3 in Thrilling Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers took an early lead in the Stanley Cup Final by defeating the Florida Panthers 4-3 in a thrilling Game 1 on Wednesday night. The game saw a dramatic turnaround for the Oilers, who erased a multigoal deficit to secure the victory in overtime.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner, who was part of last year’s finals, reflected on the different mindset this year. “Last year, I was kind of looking at it with googly eyes. This year seeing it, it’s: ‘I was here last year, I saw it. It’s time to get back to work and do my thing,’” he said. His 29 saves proved crucial as the Oilers fought back from a 3-1 deficit.

Leon Draisaitl scored the winning goal on a power play with just 31 seconds left in the overtime period. This marked Draisaitl’s third overtime goal of the playoffs, tying the record for a single postseason. Captain Connor McDavid praised his teammate, saying, “He’s invaluable. He does so many good things: clutch, faceoffs. You name it, he does it.”

Initially, the Oilers looked set to repeat their struggles from last year. Draisaitl opened the scoring just 1:06 into the game, but the Panthers quickly answered. Sam Bennett deflected a shot past Skinner later in the first period, followed by a power play goal from Brad Marchand that put Florida ahead.

Despite the deficit, the Oilers showed resilience. Viktor Arvidsson scored early in the second to energize the home crowd. With 13:27 left in regulation, Mattias Ekholm, back from injury, tied the game off a perfect pass from McDavid.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made several impressive saves, particularly in overtime, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Oilers at bay. The crowd’s chants of “Ser-gei! Ser-gei!” mirrored their frustration as he allowed key goals.

Skinner’s performances drew cheers of “Stuuuu! Stuuuu!” from fans every time he made crucial stops. McDavid acknowledged Skinner’s importance to their success, stating, “He was great again. He gave us a chance.”

Game 2 is set for Friday night in Edmonton before the series shifts to Florida for Games 3 and 4.