Stanley Cup Final Game 1 takeaways: Oilers stars come up big in OT thriller

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.

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."