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Oilers' Connor McDavid Enters Wayne Gretzky Territory in Game 1 Win vs. Panthers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan D. Massey | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 1:14 AM ET

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers opened up their Stanley Cup Final series against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Both teams have been red-hot of late and Game 1 did not disappoint the fans who tuned in for it.

After going down 3-1 in the second period, the Oilers were able to battle back to force overtime. In that overtime period, both teams struggled to score. However, with just 31 seconds remaining, McDavid was able to find Leon Draisaitl for a game-winning goal.

When all was said and done, the final score was 4-3 in favor of Edmonton.

It was an incredibly entertaining game. McDavid recorded two assists in the 31:12 he played.

During the win, McDavid also entered the territory of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky. As shared by Real Sports on X, he has become the youngest player to 100 career playoff assists since Gretzky.

Connor McDavid is the youngest player to pass 100 career playoff assists since Wayne Gretzky. pic.twitter.com/HqXDhifR66
— Real Sports (@realapp_) June 5, 2025

Following the win, the Oilers also took to social media for a little bit of trolling. They quoted a post from the Panthers, who had shared that they were 31-0 when holding a lead at the end of the first or second period in the Stanley Cup Final.

Edmonton quickly corrected the record to reflect the one loss that Florida now has.

31-1* ‍♂️ #LetsGoOilers https://t.co/Vmaobd27fh
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 5, 2025

If Game 1 was any hint about how entertaining this series will be, NHL fans are in for a treat. Game 2 will be played on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET in Edmonton.

McDavid and the Oilers will be looking to jump out to a 2-0 lead at home to begin the series. He's off to a great start in his quest for a championship after the overtime win in Game 1.

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

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