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Elliotte Friedman Names X-Factor in Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup Final

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 9:07 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers opened the 2025 Stanley Cup Final with a comeback win over the Florida Panthers, erasing a two-goal deficit to earn a 4–3 overtime victory.

Evander Kane played over 22 minutes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final without recording a point, but his influence in the Oilers' win didn’t go unnoticed.

Kane, who missed the entire regular season recovering from multiple surgeries, returned to Edmonton’s playoff lineup in time for Game 2 of the first-round matchup, and he's racked up 11 points in 16 postseason games.

The veteran forward registered nine hits and finished plus-2 on Wednesday's finals opener as the Oilers beat the Panthers to take a 1–0 series lead.

“This is different for Florida. They’re dealing with a guy and a team that won’t be intimidated by them.”@FriedgeHNIC discusses Evander Kane’s physical impact in Game 1 of the #StanleyCup Final with @mattymar89 & @futamichael. #LetsGoOilers

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— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) June 5, 2025

Appearing on Sportsnet 590 The FAN's "The Fan Hockey Show" on Thursday, Elliotte Friedman said Kane’s presence could be a decisive factor in the series.

"He was one of the biggest X-Factors coming into the series," Friedman said. "Knoblauch said that last year, even though he played a chunk of the series, he wasn’t Evander Kane.

"You can see it. He was excited by that last night. He wanted to be a difference maker, physically."

Friedman pointed to Kane’s edge as something the Panthers aren’t used to seeing.

"Florida hasn't played too many guys like him," Friedman said. "There aren’t a lot of guys like that in the league anymore. This is different for Florida. They’re dealing with a guy and a team that won’t be intimidated by them and will dish it out as much as they take it."

Last season, Kane appeared in 20 postseason games with the Oilers, scoring eight points, a figure he's already topped in four fewer games during Edmonton's playoff run.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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