Hockey Gods? Be kind, please? Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers is over, and we can finally breathe again. In a match that was way too intense for a series opener (or, was it?), the hosts came out on top with a thunderous clutch performance by Leon Draisaitl in overtime.

At 19:29 of the OT powerplay, Connor McDavid‘s pass found his teammate’s stick from the right side of the Panthers’ net, who managed to send it past Sergei Bobrovsky. And while the Oilers nation revels in the early advantage, the Panthers now lick their wounds after being dealt a serious blow to the gut.

Ever since coach Paul Maurice took the reins of the Panthers, the Cats have built quite a streak for themselves in the postseason. The Miami team, before tonight’s defeat, held a solid 31-0 record “when holding a lead at the end of the first or second period in #StanleyCup Playoffs games,” as per the official NHL Public Relations’ X post. 

Before Mattias Ekholm tied the scores 3-3 in the third period, the Cats had a one-goal lead, which many would have been sure would be enough to keep Edmonton at bay. Considering the beefy roster that the reigning champs boast, the lead could have been sufficient, and was the exact margin that brought Florida several victories throughout both the regular and the postseason. Evidently, it wasn’t adequate enough to subdue the Western Conference Finals winners. With the Edmonton Oilers securing a fashionable comeback win, Coach Maurice’s pristine postseason streak now lies in ruins.

It was undoubtedly a massive feat. For understandable reasons, it called for some celebrations. The official Edmonton Oilers account went on X on Wednesday to mark the occasion with a dig at Maurice to rub the defeat in the coach’s face once again. “31-1*,” read the sly caption of the post as it shared the above-mentioned post by the NHL Public Relations. 

However, if one looks at the previous rounds of this year’s playoffs, it wouldn’t go unnoticed that the Edmonton Oilers have somewhat refined the art of comeback wins. In the Round 1 and 2 series against the LA Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights, Connor McDaid & Co. recorded six comeback victories, etching their names in NHL history. But don’t expect the Panthers to watch the entire show with their hands in their pockets, though.

The Eastern Conference winners have been a force in their own right. Trouncing NHL heavyweights like the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the third straight year, the Panthers are to be taken lightly at your own peril. Naturally, even Lebrun believes that Florida will return to the ice with all guns blazing. “What a long, gripping series this is shaping up to be,” he noted. So, how could it?

The Edmonton Oilers better not get complacent

Both teams have some truly scintillating players in their own rosters. From the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, who scored 100 points in the 2024-25 regular season, to the Panthers’ captain, Aleksander Barkov, who posted a squad-leading 17 points ahead of the Finals, there certainly isn’t any dearth of players who can turn things around in the blink of an eye.

To make things worse for Kris Knoblauch’s boys, the Panthers have one of the most effective offensive lines in the NHL. Ever since the ex-Bruins captain Brad Marchand arrived in Miami in March, the Cats’ attacking prowess has only sharpened. Bagging 8 points against the Maple Leafs in Round 2 of the Eastern Conference, the Canadian winger was the highest point-scorer in the series, solidifying his status as a big game player.

But the Edmonton Oilers didn’t reach the Finals for nothing either. By eliminating the Kings from the playoffs in Round 1, the Oilers have now buried LA’s Stanley Cup dreams for the fourth straight season. In fact, it only took them 16 games this postseason to reach the finals compared to the 18 that they had to play last year. And all of that despite finishing 3rd in the Pacific Division! Quite the feat to boast? You bet!

Both teams return to the Finals after 2024, where the Panthers ultimately triumphed. But would it be a different outcome this time? Could the early lead in the series take the Oilers all the way, like the Cats managed to do in 2024? Tell us your thoughts!