EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — As was the case last year when the Stanley Cup was showcased on the ice prior to the opening match of the finals, the Edmonton Oilers remained entirely focused during this time.
“Last year, I looked at it with wide eyes,” goaltender Stuart Skinner remarked. “This year, seeing it again made me think, ‘I was part of this last year, I’ve seen it. Now it’s time to get back to work and do my part.'” It truly felt completely different this time around.
The Oilers approached the start of the series with a changed mindset, overcoming a multi-goal deficit to defeat the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Wednesday night, with Leon Draisaitl scoring during overtime on a power play. A year after trailing three games, Edmonton leads in this rematch. We’re one step closer to turning the tables.
“It’s massive,” Skinner said. “No matter the situation, whether we were going in twos or not, our perseverance showed our character.”
Draisaitl emerged as a hero, netting the game-winning goal on a power play with only 31 seconds left in the OT, following a penalty for putting the puck into the glass. This marked his third overtime goal this postseason, setting a single playoff record after scoring six during the regular season.
“He’s incredibly valuable,” stated Oilers captain Conor McDavid. “He excels in so many areas. Clutch moments, showdowns—whatever you name it, he’s there.”
Initially, it seemed the Oilers might struggle in Game 1 again this year. Draisaitl’s goal came 1:06 after Florida’s Sam Bennett had deflected a shot past Skinner during the first period while barraging into him.
Edmonton coach Chris Noblauch did not challenge the goaltender, and the NHL situation room determined that Jake Walman of the Oilers had inadvertently caused Bennett to collide with Skinner. This led to a power play goal for Florida’s Brad Marchand.
Bennett scored early in the second period, pushing the Panthers ahead 3-1. Coach Paul Maurice’s team became 31-0 in the last three playoffs once they secured the lead after the first or second period.
“They came at us hard,” said Marchand. “They’re an obviously strong team that doesn’t need many chances to score. So their push wasn’t surprising; they’re a formidable opponent. We just need to keep fighting.”
Viktor Arvidsson, a fourth liner, energized the crowd in the early second period, teaming up with fellow Swede Mattias Ekholm—who returned for the second game after a prolonged absence due to injury—getting an excellent setup from McDavid to tie it at 13:27 remaining in regulations.
On the other end, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky made several staggering saves, including one against Trent Frederic early on, while cheers of “ser-gei! ser-gei!” echoed after each goal he conceded.
Simultaneously, Skinner delivered several critical saves to prevent the Panthers from extending their lead or returning in the third period, earning chants of “stuuu! stuuuu!” each time he made a difficult stop.
“He was fantastic again,” McDavid praised. “He gave us a fighting chance.”
Up Next
Game 2 is set for Friday night in Edmonton, after which the series will shift to Florida for Games 3 and 4.
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AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Source: apnews.com