Draisaitl said it’s all good boys to Lean-On Me: The Edmonton Oilers win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final

One down, three to go! What a way to start Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, thanks to the Edmonton Oilers and the likes of McDrai. When these two gave each other that “look” after Game 1 against the Dallas Stars in the third period, it was showtime and boy has it been. Leon Draisaitl struck first last night and he topped his game off by scoring the game-winning goal, on the power play in OT, with 31 seconds remaining in the frame. The Oilers outscored Dallas 19–5 after the “look” and are starting the Cup Final off on a very strong note.

The Quest for the Cup is now officially underway for both the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, yet again. We all know what happened last season very well and this year, the Oilers will be looking to rewrite history and create their own narratives.

Sam I am, my name is Sam

Who was once a Calgary Flame—seven seasons from 2014–15 to 2020–21–is now playing South of the border in Florida and has been a Cat for five seasons now, 2020–21 to 2024–25. Sam Bennett has been slowly building quite the reputation across the league with his style of play. I will not go into too much detail, but let’s just say that Bennett has gotten away with quite a few plays that should have been called penalties.

Bennett has been absolutely lights out in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and it even dates back to last year and the year prior as well. With 12 goals in 18 games, including two goals last night, he is now up to 18 points and is averaging a point per game pace. In 57 playoff games played over the past three seasons, Bennett has produced 24 goals, 12 combined in 2022–23 and 2023–24, and 23 assists for 47 points. That gives Bennett a point per game pace of 0.825.

Bob has built a wall, with a few holes

Thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sergei Bobrovsky has decided to build a wall and lock it down in his net. With 12 wins in just 17 games, Bob has had a .900 save percentage in 10 of those games and nine when him and the Panthers have won. Bobrovsky has been riding with three shutouts, a goals against average of 2.11 and a save percentage sitting at .912%

With the team that has been playing in front of him, Bobrovsky has faced less than 30 shots 13 times in this postseason run. Allowing two or fewer goals 11 times is very impressive considering the quality of shots and the amount that can be faced per game. Hot goaltenders can always be worn down and it is only a matter of time before the Oilers open the floodgates and find Bobrovsky’s weak points.

We wanted to finish every check

“Let’s get physical, physical!” Who doesn’t love playing this song when the playoffs roll around? Especially more so when it all gets laid on the line in the final matchup. There has been no shortage of hits so far this postseason and the Oilers and Panthers have definitely shown that. Game 1 has started off very strong, with both teams combining for 98 hits: 50 for the Oilers and 48 for the Panthers.

With the Panthers being so well known because of their physicality and level of play, it is no surprise that both of these teams have finished every check and made it all meaningful. The physical style of play can sometimes lead to injuries, but is very important in frustrating an opponent. Tiring a team out and laying your body on the line, is all beneficial in the quest to the Cup, which is waiting on top of the NHL mountaintop.