Draisaitl crowns Oilers to the final winner - drama in Edmonton!

Draisaitl crowns Oilers to the final winner - drama in Edmonton!

On June 5, 2025, the Edmonton Oilers started with a dramatic 4: 3 victory after extra time to the Stanley Cup final series against the Florida Panthers. Thanks to an outstanding Leon Draisaitl, who scored the decisive goal in overtime, the Oilers were able to win the first game and thus take the lead 1-0 in the best-of-Seven series. Draisaitl showed himself to be a match winner early on by taking the lead for Edmonton after only 66 seconds.

The Florida Panthers, defending champion and after a strong course in the playoffs, initially had difficulty finding into play. In the first third break it was still 1-1 after Sam Bennett had equalized in the 11th minute after Carter Haheghe shot. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch analyzed the hit, which was recognized after a coaches challenge.

The exciting duel

The Panthers were able to get the lead quickly when Nate assisted Nate Schmidt Brad Marchand and he brought the Panthers 2-1 in the 13th minute. In the second third, Bennett then increased to 3: 1 for Florida. But the Oilers did not give up: Viktor Arvidsson reduced to 2: 3 in the 24th minute and Matthias Ekholm finally equalized in the 47th minute, which gave the game an exciting turn.

In the Overtime, the Panthers initially showed a dominant performance, but it was Draisaitl who became a hero when he scored the winning goal and thus secured the first victory for Edmonton. The second game of the final series takes place again in Edmonton on the night of Saturday and could be crucial for the further course of the series.

background to the final series

The encounter between the Oilers and the Panthers is a new edition of last year's final, in which Edmonton narrowly missed the trophy. In the way to the final, the Panthers were dominant by Carolina Hurricanes and successfully survived the first two rounds against Tampa Bay and Toronto. Their outstanding performance in the playoffs is underpinned by the fact that the Panthers have been the fourth team since 1980, which reaches the Stanley Cup final three times in a row.

The Oilers, on the other hand, are striving for their first Stanley Cup since 1990. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in particular stood out in this postseason because they lead the NHL in the scoring statistics, with 26 and 25 points. However, Edmonton fights with the absence of Zach Hyman, who cannot play due to an injury -related downtime.

In the discussion about the series, the comparison between the depth of the Panthers, which ten players have with double -digit points in the playoffs, and the star -occupied Oilers, who have only seven players, are caused. The Hurricane Defense has proven to be very strong so far and could represent the key to defending the title.

The Stanley Cup final remains the top-class last phase of the NHL playoffs and has been held in the best-of-seevent format since 1939. So while the Oilers are concerned for a title, the Panthers are looking for repeating their success.

laola1 to develop in the history of hockey.

CBS Sports emphasizes that ... The signs for Edmonton are particularly exciting.

ESPN offers an overview of the interesting history ... of these prestigious trophy, which is unique in North American professional sports.