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NHL / 2025 Stanley Cup Final Game 2: NHL Fans React To Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers Topping Edmonton Oilers In 2OT

2025 Stanley Cup Final Game 2: NHL Fans React To Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers Topping Edmonton Oilers In 2OT

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Updated –
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In back-to-back 2025 Stanley Cup Final outings, the Florida Panthers entered the third period with a one-goal lead. In Game 1, they played defensively and allowed the Edmonton Oilers to score late in regulation before falling in overtime. In Game 2, they again yielded a late goal. 

This time, 40-year-old Edmonton Oilers winger Corey Perry created finals history by scoring with less than 18 seconds remaining. Competing in overtime Games 1 and 2 for just the sixth time in Cup history, the Oilers had an opportunity to go up 2-0 in the seven-game series. Of the previous 55 NHL playoff series, 50 teams advanced after winning the opening two matches. 

The Oilers couldn’t take advantage of the situation as Brad Marchand scored his second goal at 8:04 of double overtime, lifting the defending champion Panthers to a 5-4 victory Friday night at Rogers Place. 

X (Twitter) fans reacted to Marchand delivering in 2OT … 

“Fight the Good Fight” for a pre-game concert reunion of the 1980s Canadian rock group Triumph. to “Lay It On The Line” … 

The Game 2 pre-opening faceoff scene. The Oilers had a chance to take a 2-0 series lead and reverse what the Panthers did to them during the ‘24 final … 

Opening strong, Panthers forward Sam Bennett scored again, establishing an NHL record for the most road goals in a single postseason (12) … 

Oilers forward Evander Kane may have looked slick tying the game at 1-all, but it paled in comparison to his stylish arrival for Game 2 …  

One minute 40 seconds later, Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard scored on consecutive shot attempts, assisted by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl … 

Panthers defenseman Seth Jones, a key trade deadline acquisition, scored his first Stanley Cup Final marker, tying the game at 2-2 with 8:23 left in the first period … 

McDavid’s slick stick work helped provide the Oilers another one-goal lead, ing to Draisaitl for an open-net one-timer at 12:37 of the first period … 

Executing a point- goal, Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov created a 3-3, second period off assists by Carter Verhaeghe and Jones … 

Displaying his proven postseason grit, Marchand connected for the second time in the series, this second-period effort came on a power-play kill … 

“Never Surrender:” Perry rescued the Oilers with a game-tying goal at 19:42 of the third period, spoiling a strong third-period effort by Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Perry became the fifth player at least 40 years old to notch a marker in a Stanley Cup Final game …

Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner got a little help from his friend early in OT … 

Final score: Panthers 5, Oilers 4 (2OT) …

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He ed the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  
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