Oilers Win Stanley Cup Game 1

Zak Drapeau
Jun 5
2 min read

by Zak Drapeau 6/5/2025 FansOnlySportz

By a score of 4-3, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Panthers last night behind Leon Draisaitl's 2 goals including the game-winner. Captain Connor McDavid had an insane game and was all over the ice with over 30:00 of ice time and 2 assists.

The Oilers were the better team for most of the game including a wild and high-energy 1st period that saw 3 goals and many hits from both teams. Truly, this was one of the best starts to a Stanley Cup Game 1 we've ever seen and as much was outright stated by the commentators who were also in awe.

For the Oilers, Draisaitl's 2 goals made him the First Star of the game, with McDavid's dominant skating and assists giving him MY Second Star, (Sam Bennett won the ACTUAL Second Star but who's counting,) and Kasperi Kapanen's 2 assists would net him the Third. Players like Mattias Ekholm (1 goal) and Evander Kane were true difference makers with their presence alone on the ice, but a special shoutout should be given to Goalie Stuart Skinner. Skinner may have started cold, letting in 3 goals in the Panthers first 8 shots. He would finish ON FIRE; not allowing a goal in the final 57 minutes of game play and fend off 24 shot in a row to close out the game.

The Panthers may have been in it until the end but truthfully, they were outplayed for almost 60 of the 80-minute game. There were a few of standouts for Florida including Sam Bennett (2 goals) and Brad Marchand (1 goal) but none were as impressive as Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. With 42 saves out of 46 shots faced, Bobrovsky was the reason this game was so close including the shut down of 3 of the Oilers 4 Power Plays.

The home game for the Oilers definitely gave them an advantage with a raucous crowd in attendance but full credit to the boys, they got the job done with the star players playing like stars. All the momentum will stay in Edmonton for Game 2 on Friday and I have a feeling this series is going to be ELECTRIC.