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Stanley Cup Final Game 1 takeaways: Oilers stars come up big in OT thriller
On Wednesday night, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Florida Panthers in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.
Last season's series was going to be hard to top. The Panthers beat the Oilers in seven games. However, if Game 1 is an indication, fans should be in store for another thriller. With that in mind, here are five takeaways:
Oilers center Connor McDavid shows his ability to change the game without scoring
McDavid scored no goals in Game 1, but he still may have delivered the two biggest plays.
In the third period with the Oilers trailing 3-2, he skated behind the net and found Edmonton defender Mattias Ekholm, who netted a goal on a snap shot.
Then, in overtime, McDavid found fellow center Leon Draisaitl, who scored on a power play, sealing a 4-3 Oilers win.
MATTIAS EKHOLM HAS HIS FIRST OF THE PLAYOFFS!! pic.twitter.com/v79ye0WyXK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2025
LEON DRAISAITL WINS GAME 1 IN @ENERGIZER OVERTIME FOR THE EDMONTON OILERS‼️ #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/sFdPUR6WcP
— NHL (@NHL) June 5, 2025
McDavid—the 2023-24 Conn Smythe Trophy winner—should start scoring goals later in the series. In Game 1, though, he showcased his passing ability, which could also be a headache for the Panthers.
What was Panthers left winger Tomas Nosek thinking?
Nosek committed the biggest gaffe in Game 1.
Near the end of overtime, the left winger cleared the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. The Oilers made him pay for his mistake. It set up a power play, where Draisaitl scored to win the game.
The Panthers could still rebound from their Game 1 loss. Despite that, Nosek's penalty could be one of the biggest plays in the series.
Panthers center Sam Bennett continues to be one of the league's more polarizing players
Bennett is a player who may divide fans. When he's on their team, they love him. When he isn't, they dislike him.
He showed why in Game 1. The 28-year-old netted two goals for the Panthers, setting a Florida record for goals (12) in the playoffs. Per The Athletic's Michael Dominski, 11 of his postseason goals have been on the road, tying Mark Scheifele's record for visiting goals in the playoffs.
However, it's easy to argue he interfered with Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner when Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe netted a goal early in the first period. Officials ruled he was knocked into Skinner.
TIE GAME IN GAME 1 pic.twitter.com/RUBN3ol5zx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2025
Regardless, he's been a difference-maker for Florida throughout the postseason, and it needs him to stay hot to get back into the series.
Did the Oilers find cracks in Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky's game?
Bobrovsky has been dependable for Florida throughout the playoffs, but he didn't have one of his better games on Wednesday.
He posted an above-average .913 save percentage but allowed four goals. In his first 17 games this postseason, he allowed three or more goals four times.
To cut him slack, the Oilers are one of the most explosive teams in the league. Through their first 16 postseason games, they had the most goals (4.06) and the second-most assists (112).
A future Hall of Famer in Bobrovsky should regather and adjust quickly. But if he doesn't, that could flip the momentum toward Edmonton.
Oilers needed this win to prove they're over last season's loss to the Panthers
Entering the series, it was fair to wonder whether last season's loss to Florida lingered over Edmonton.
Coming back from an early 3-1 deficit shows the Oilers have matured since last postseason and could be evenly matched with the defending champions.
"We've done it all year, especially in the postseason. We stick with it we're never gonna quit," Draisaitl said of the comeback in a postgame interview with Sportsnet's Gene Principe. "It's a good start for us, but we've got to regroup and get ready for Game 2."
More must-reads:
- Top standouts from Game 1 of 2025 Stanley Cup Final
- Penguins make decision on new HC
- The 'NFL Defensive Players of the Year ' quiz
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Leafs’ Proposed Blockbuster Trade Could Jeopardize Future
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'Absolutely' - Browns Are Considering Surprising Quarterback Move
It's the Browns. When the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this April, they had a total of five quarterbacks on their roster between their incoming rookies, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and the injured Deshaun Watson. And despite the kind of confusing nature of their stockpiling so many QBs, it sounds like the team could double-down on the the decision by the time the regular season kicks off. According to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, "the Browns absolutely might keep all four quarterbacks" heading into Cleveland's season opener. While also adding, "No, Shedeur Sanders is not going to start Week 1 for the Browns. But he's put a lot of pressure on his coaches and fellow QBs headed into this week — the biggest week of training camp as the Browns head to Philly." Fans reacted to the reporter's update on X: "At this point it's not even a QB room anymore. It's a pitching rotation now," a user said. "One as a starter, One as a backup, One to hold on field goals, And one listed as a wide receiver for tax purposes," another commented. "[Shedeur Sanders] should be developed and shouldn't be thrown out there week 1 but he should be considered to be put over Gabriel and Pickett," a fan pointed out. "While also finally getting meaningful reps with the 1's." "I'm a Shedeur fan who wants Flacco to start with Shedeur at QB2," another person replied. "Sitting behind a veteran QB can be very valuable, and you know he'd be ready if he had to come off the bench. Just my .02." "This isn't unprecedented," another user posted. "The Patriots kept 4 QBs in the 2000 season. Worked out ok for them. Not saying there's a Brady in their QB room. But if they have 4 guys who they think are NFL worthy (even if none are QB1 right now), they can make it work." The Browns have been bitten by the injury bug thus far in camp with Pickett and Gabriel both dealing with ailments this preseason — opening up a window for Shedeur Sanders to earn his way up the depth chart. Sanders played well in Friday night's debut with a 14-of-23 performance for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 30-10 win over Carolina. But head coach Kevin Stefanski says the team in "evaluation mode" when it comes to their QBs.
Roger Federer Announces Tennis Return For Final Match
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Commanders' signing of former third-round pick shows their opinions on the position group, and might foreshadow a current injury
Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn spoke with the media before practice today and continued to express his displeasure with the team's results in their blowout loss on Friday night. He spoke about the depth he likes on the team, but also hinted at some positions that could use some help. Quinn also said that the team would be working out a handful of players following practice today, and that they are always willing to improve the team where it's possible. Well, the Commanders signed a player today following the workouts that could hint at what Quinn was talking about, and more. Commanders sign former third-round pick The Commanders are signing a former third-round pick in LB Duke Riley, who was actually drafted by the Atlanta Falcons when Dan Quinn was the head coach there. This signing comes after the Commanders worked out 14 players after practice today, which contained seven linebackers and no wide receivers. After the performance we saw in the first preseason game on defense and special teams, these workouts shouldn't be surprising though. Riley was a starting linebacker in Atlanta when he was drafted in 2017, and eventually landed in Miami in 2021, where he has been a rotational linebacker and special-teams defender. That tells me a lot about what they saw on film after watching the first preseason game. Could the writing be on the wall? This immediately raises two flags for me: who would he replace on special teams, and what does this mean for the health of another linebacker? When you go back and watch the film, Dominique Hampton did not look good at all at his new linebacker position, and I don't have him making the active roster. The team also drafted Kain Medrano, who is listed as a linebacker on the depth chart by the team. Other than that, the Commanders have no true depth at linebacker. You have a special-teams ace who can't play linebacker, and a linebacker who can't play special teams. That's not a good combo for roster cuts. Veteran Nick Bellore has been an outstanding special-teams player, but could his lack of ability at linebacker cost the 36-year-old? Hopeful second-round linebacker Jordan Magee has so much potential, but he's already dealing with an undisclosed injury after playing only 16 snaps in his rookie season due to injuries. Signing Riley, who can rotate at linebacker and be a key special-teams piece, means that the team either doesn't like what they saw on film with special teams, or they aren't sure if Magee can stay healthy. Either way, this signing is filling in two major needs right now.
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