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NHL / NHL Fans React To Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers Opening 2025 Stanley Cup Final With OT Win Over Florida Panthers At Rogers Place

NHL Fans React To Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers Opening 2025 Stanley Cup Final With OT Win Over Florida Panthers At Rogers Place

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Updated –
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Setting up near the edge of the face-off circle late in overtime at Rogers Place, Leon Draisaitl one-timed a Connor McDavid , lifting the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. 

Draisaitl’s second goal Wednesday marked his third OT goal this postseason, matching an NHL record. 

The Oilers lead a final series for the first time since their last league title in 1990. The Oilers played from behind against the reigning champion Panthers last year and against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. The Oilers dropped both final series in Game 7s. 

After not scoring in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, a healthier Draisaitl opened Wednesday, notching a franchise playoff record 14 game-opening tallies. At 65 seconds, it marked the quickest goal to start a final series since Philadelphia Flyers’ Reggie Leach scored 21 seconds into the 1976 Stanley Cup Final.

X (Twitter) fans reacted to Draisaitl’s clutch overtime goal … 

This is how things ended when the teams met in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers have other ideas this time around. Winners of Game 1 have captured the league title 77 percent of the time … 

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final truly is an international event … 

 A view from above … 

 One fan’s walk to his seat. What a cool atmosphere, eh? … 

 Draisaitl opened the series’ scoring at 1:06 into the first period … 

 Sam Bennett scored the first of his two goals Wednesday, tying the game at 1-1 at 10:49 of the first period. Bennett has at least one goal in nine of the Panthers’ past 11 road outings … 

About two minutes later, Brad Marchand pushed the Panthers to a 2-1 lead off helpers by Nate Schmidt and Evan Rodrigues. Marchand continues to prove to be a trade deadline win for GM Bill Zito …

Bennett again. Scoring his 12th goal, Bennett gave the Panthers a two-goal advantage two minutes into the second frame. Bennett established a Panthers franchise playoff goal-scoring record off a saucer from Nate Schmidt … 

 The Oilers started fighting back about 1:17 later when Viktor Arvidsson converted, aided by Vasily Podkolzin and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers entered Game 1 unbeaten at home when Arvidsson scored … 

 The Oilers completed their comeback when Mattias Ekholm netted his first of the playoffs, assisted by McDavid and Kasperi Kapanen. The marker … 

How was Tomas Nosek feeling after his puck-over-the-glass penalty in overtime that led to Draisaitl’s game-winning marker? … 

With Game 2 scheduled for Friday, Draisaitl will be gunning for goal-scoing game No. 51 … 

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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