7 months ago
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Ryan S. ClarkJun 5, 2025, 12:15 AM ET
- Ryan S. Clark is an NHL newsman for ESPN.
Before we spell immoderate further, possibly it's just to found immoderate crushed rules for however to measure this peculiar Stanley Cup final.
Specifically, unless the Edmonton Oilers oregon Florida Panthers summation specified a ample pb to enactment the crippled retired of reach, everything could beryllium decided wrong the last 10 minutes of regularisation oregon whenever the game-winning extremity successful overtime (or adjacent treble overtime) is scored.
OK. Now that we're each connected the aforesaid page, here's a look astatine however the Oilers took Game 1 with a 4-3 overtime win, and what it each means going guardant for some parties up of Game 2.
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: B
Winning the 3rd play successful the mode successful which the Oilers did was crucial. Not lone due to the fact that it led to overtime, but due to the fact that it was arguably their astir accordant framework successful Game 1.
They had the shots successful the archetypal period, but inactive trailed. They struggled to summation possession and make shots successful the second, which played a relation successful wherefore they were down by a goal. Getting a extremity from Mattias Ekholm aboriginal successful the 3rd gave the Oilers their 20th antithetic scorer this postseason. They besides outshot the Panthers 14-2, portion having a 58.3% changeable share, providing them with a consciousness of power they had been lacking to start.
Although they began overtime connected the defensive, their changeless quality to use unit for the last 15 minutes paid disconnected with Leon Draisaitl scoring the game-winner disconnected the powerfulness play with 1:06 remaining. -- Clark
Florida Panthers
Grade: B-
They survived the Kasperi Kapanen mini-breakaway. They survived the point-blank accidental from Trent Frederic astatine the faceoff circle. They survived erstwhile the Oilers had a 5-on-5 series they treated similar a powerfulness play. They survived the Evan Bouchard scoring accidental successful which helium slipped down the defence for different point-blank accidental that Sergei Bobrovsky stopped.
Even Destiny's Child, for those familiar, thought the Panthers survived a spot excessively much.
In the end, they could not past the Oilers going connected a precocious overtime powerfulness play, during which Draisaitl scored the extremity that led to the Panthers falling successful Game 1.
Every crippled comes with an inflection constituent -- particularly if a squad loses. The Panthers had a few. Will it beryllium the 2nd period, which saw them person a 65.2% changeable stock portion breaking done to motorboat 17 shots connected extremity -- lone to travel distant with 1 extremity mostly owed to Stuart Skinner's coagulated play successful net? Is it the 3rd play that saw them get conscionable 2 shots connected goal? Or volition it beryllium however they couldn't marque the astir of their ascendant commencement successful overtime? -- Clark
Three Stars of Game 1
1. Leon Draisaitl
C, Oilers
Draisaitl didn't person a azygous extremity successful the 2024 Cup Final. He scored 66 seconds into Game 1, past scored the overtime game-winner. A sublime commencement to this year's title series. Draisaitl has scored oregon assisted connected 5 of the Oilers' six OT goals implicit the past 2 postseasons.
0:35
Leon Draisaitl scores 66 seconds into Game 1 for Oilers
Leon Draisaitl nets the archetypal extremity of the Stanley Cup Final conscionable implicit a infinitesimal into the crippled for the Oilers vs. the Panthers.
2. Mattias Ekholm
D, Oilers
The seasoned defenseman scored his archetypal extremity of this postseason successful his 2nd crippled backmost from injury. He became the 20th Oiler to people successful these playoffs, which is tied for the 2nd astir successful a azygous postseason successful NHL past (the 1987 Flyers and 2019 Blues some had 21 antithetic extremity scorers).
3. Sam Bennett
C, Panthers
A two-goal effort successful a losing cause. Bennett present has 12 goals this postseason, which is the astir successful a azygous playoffs successful franchise history. Eleven of those goals person been connected the road, which is tied with Mark Scheifele (2018) for astir roadworthy goals successful a azygous postseason successful NHL history. -- Öcal
Players to ticker successful Game 2
Kasperi Kapanen
RW, Oilers
Remember: This antheral was connected waivers successful November. The Oilers' assertion of him was initially viewed arsenic a accidental to adhd extent connected the cheap, lone for it to crook into thing greater. His game-winning extremity successful the series-clinching Game 5 overtime triumph successful the Western Conference finals opened the doorway for much playing time. He astir did it again successful Game 1 successful overtime too, but helium did get an assistance connected the game-winning goal.
He's been portion of the solution for however the Oilers would fare without Zach Hyman, who sustained an wounded successful the Western Conference finals that volition support him retired for the remainder of the postseason. Kapanen did his portion by having 3 assists, portion his 5 hits allowed the Oilers to support the carnal borderline they've utilized arsenic portion of their individuality to scope a consecutive Cup Final. -- Clark
Sam Bennett
C, Panthers
There are 2 ways to look astatine what Bennett did successful Game 1. The archetypal being that his two-point effort erstwhile again reinforced what has made him a superior campaigner to triumph the Conn Smythe Trophy arsenic playoff MVP. Bennett was already atop the leaderboard anterior to the game, arsenic helium has scored a postseason-high 10 goals. Collecting 2 much present gives him 18 points, which is tied with Oilers halfway Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for 4th place.
The 2nd is that he's going to get paid this offseason. Earlier successful the day, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Brock Nelson to a three-year woody worthy $7.5 cardinal annually to debar him hitting the unfastened market. What Bennett did to assistance the Panthers scope 3 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals -- and beryllium successful a presumption to assertion astatine slightest a 2nd rubric -- is lone going to summation what helium could bid travel July 1. -- Clark
0:41
Sam Bennett's 2nd extremity gives Florida a 3-1 lead
Sam Bennett tallies his 2nd extremity of the crippled to springiness the Panthers a 3-1 pb implicit the Oilers.
Big questions for Game 2
Did the 3rd play and overtime springiness the Oilers a antiaircraft roadworthy representation against the Panthers?
The Oilers' way backmost to the Stanley Cup Final was based connected however their antiaircraft operation made beingness hellish for the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, 2 teams that were successful the apical 5 successful goals per crippled successful the regular play -- and which struggled successful the playoffs.
The Oilers had a fewer challenges successful the archetypal period, with Skinner getting partially shielded connected the archetypal 2 goals earlier having a breakdown successful the 2nd play that near their goalie connected an island.
From there, the Oilers gave up a combined 8 shots implicit the last frames, with the largest attraction coming successful the archetypal 5 minutes of overtime.
Of course, the Panthers person recovered breakthroughs against teams with constricting antiaircraft structures, similar the Carolina Hurricanes successful the Eastern Conference finals. Are the Panthers astir to find different successful Game 2? Or could the Oilers beryllium onto thing that could spot them find adjacent much occurrence wrong their antiaircraft identity? -- Clark
What is the large takeaway going forward: Their commencement oregon their finish?
Here's wherever it gets analyzable -- and it goes backmost to the earlier connection astir teams having inflection points. In the 2nd period, the Panthers were assertive successful a mode that hardly anyone has been against the Oilers. That resulted successful 5 high-danger scoring chances, on with an wide consciousness of control.
That's what made coming distant with conscionable 1 extremity -- particularly successful a one-goal crippled -- thing that could airs questions astir however they marque the astir of those opportunities going forward.
But astatine the aforesaid time, the conception they were forced to past successful an overtime that saw them divided the changeable stock with the Oilers, person much high-danger scoring chances but neglect to supply that accordant threat?
That could besides springiness the Panthers adjacent much to deliberation astir successful the coming days ... oregon possibly they won't question the process, fixed the Panthers had won their past 31 playoff games successful which they held a second-period lead. -- Clark
