The Florida Panthers lost Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday (June 4), falling to the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 4-3 in overtime. In the 2024 Cup Final, the Panthers built a commanding 3-0 series lead before the Oilers stormed back to force Game 7. However, the Panthers will be the squad playing from behind in 2025 after letting Game 1 get away from them.
Florida has been outstanding on the road during the 2025 Playoffs, winning eight of 11 contests, but Edmonton snapped the Panthers’ five-game road winning streak on Wednesday. The Oilers have won four consecutive home games after rallying from a 3-1 deficit in Game 1 versus the Panthers. Florida had Edmonton on the ropes after a dominant second period, in which the club outshot the Oilers by a 17-8 margin and had 72.73 percent of the scoring chances in all situations. Still, Edmonton bounced back to claim the series opener.
Bobrovsky Superb Despite Some Hiccups
Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves in Game 1, including 13 in each of the first and third periods. However, he would probably want a couple of the pucks that got past him back. He bobbled a point shot by Jake Walman before stopping a rebound by Kasperi Kapanen, but it led to a tap-in goal by Leon Draisaitl only 1:06 into the matchup. Viktor Arvidsson’s slap-shot tally in the second period was also a stoppable puck that got through Bobrovsky, and it was a momentum killer for the Panthers. Arvidsson’s marker gave the Oilers some life just 1:17 after Florida had established a 3-1 lead.
Still, it was an impressive showing for the 36-year-old Bobrovsky. He was outstanding in 2024 en route to hoisting the Stanley Cup, and his numbers have been even better in 2025. He has posted a 2.17 goals-against average while registering a .912 save percentage through 18 starts. The Panthers will need Bobrovsky to be at his absolute best to slow down an Edmonton offense that leads the playoffs with 4.06 goals per game.
Rat Pack Makes Their Presence Felt
Sam Bennett led the way offensively for the Panthers in Game 1. He tied the game at 1-1 in the first period while providing a distraction in front of the net. The Oilers requested a review, believing it was goaltender interference, but Bennett was knocked into Stuart Skinner on the play. After the unsuccessful challenge resulted in a delay of the game penalty, Brad Marchand found the back of the net late on the Panthers’ second power play of the period. He has eight career goals in the Stanley Cup Final, tying him for the most among active players with Corey Perry, Evgeni Malkin, and Ondrej Palat.
Bennett scored again early in the second period, setting a new franchise record for the most goals in a postseason, surpassing Carter Verhaeghe (11 in 2024) and Matthew Tkachuk (11 in 2023). Bennett has a league-leading 12 goals during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and 11 have come on the road, which ties Mark Scheifele (2018) for the most in a single postseason in NHL history.
Rare Lost Lead
Florida was 31-0 when holding a lead at the end of the first or second period in Stanley Cup Playoff games since head coach Paul Maurice was hired in 2023. That remarkable run was halted in Wednesday’s defeat after the Oilers fought back in the third period, outshooting the Panthers by a 14-2 margin and getting the tying goal by Mattias Ekholm.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Hub
Florida pushed back at the beginning of overtime and had the bulk of the scoring chances, but spent most of the extra session on the back foot as Edmonton turned up the pressure again. A point of emphasis going into Game 2 will be playing a full 60 minutes because the Panthers’ disastrous third-period showing squandered what had the makings of another solid road performance.
Panthers Lose Edge in Depth
The decision to shorten the bench in Game 1 didn’t work out as intended and probably contributed to the Panthers looking gassed as the overtime period progressed. Tomas Nosek logged 9:20 of playing time, while Jesper Boqvist saw 7:58, and Jonah Gadjovich finished with 6:04 of ice time. The trio hasn’t been utilized much in the playoffs, but their Game 1 totals were still lower than their usual minutes. Gadjovich also missed some time due to an injury. Nosek’s puck over-the-glass penalty in overtime proved costly, leading to Draisaitl’s last-minute game-winner.
Still, the depth of the Panthers has been a catalyst for the team’s success this postseason, and the Oilers were a step ahead in that regard in the series opener. Trent Frederic and Vasily Podkolzin were the low men on the totem pole for Edmonton in Game 1, seeing 13:36 and 13:43 of action, respectively. Ekholm’s game-tying goal in the third period gave the club 20 different goal-scorers compared to the Panthers’ 19. Florida could spread around the minutes better in Game 2, but the team no longer has a decided edge in depth over the competition that it enjoyed through the first three rounds. The Oilers proved in Game 1 that they can more than hang with the Panthers in that regard.
What Comes Next for the Panthers?
The Panthers will seek a series split on the road in Game 2 on Friday (June 6) before returning home. Florida’s forwards and defensemen made life difficult for Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in the first two periods before easing up more than they should’ve. It is challenging to keep talent like that pinned down, but the Panthers have a blueprint for achieving that end from the last time the two teams faced in the playoffs.
The Panthers lost the first two games of Round 2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in one-goal decisions before clawing back with three straight victories. Still, Florida likely doesn’t want to have to repeat that in the Stanley Cup Final, and the team is more than capable of rebounding with a resilient full-game effort to even the series.
Analytics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
