Before we go any further, maybe it’s fair to establish some ground rules for how to assess this particular Stanley Cup final.
Specifically, unless the Edmonton Oilers or Florida Panthers gain such a large lead to put the game out of reach, everything could be decided within the final 10 minutes of regulation or whenever the game-winning goal in overtime (or even double overtime) is scored.
OK. Now that we’re all on the same page, here’s a look at how the Oilers took Game 1 with a 4-3 overtime win, and what it all means going forward for both parties ahead of Game 2.
Winning the third period in the manner in which the Oilers did was crucial. Not only because it led to overtime, but because it was arguably their most consistent frame in Game 1.
They had the shots in the first period, but still trailed. They struggled to gain possession and generate shots in the second, which played a role in why they were down by a goal. Getting a goal from Mattias Ekholm early in the third gave the Oilers their 20th different scorer this postseason. They also outshot the Panthers 14-2, while having a 58.3% shot share, providing them with a sense of control they had been lacking to start.
Although they began overtime on the defensive, their constant ability to apply pressure for the final 15 minutes paid off with Leon Draisaitl scoring the game-winner off the power play with 1:06 remaining.
They survived the Kasperi Kapanen mini-breakaway. They survived the point-blank chance from Trent Frederic at the faceoff circle. They survived when the Oilers had a 5-on-5 sequence they treated like a power play. They survived the Evan Bouchard scoring chance in which he slipped behind the defense for another point-blank opportunity that Sergei Bobrovsky stopped.
Even Destiny’s Child, for those familiar, thought the Panthers survived a bit too much.
In the end, they could not survive the Oilers going on a late overtime power play, during which Draisaitl scored the goal that led to the Panthers falling in Game 1.
Every game comes with an inflection point — especially if a team loses. The Panthers had a few. Will it be the second period, which saw them have a 65.2% shot share while breaking through to launch 17 shots on goal — only to come away with one goal largely due to Stuart Skinner‘s solid play in net? Is it the third period that saw them get just two shots on goal? Or will it be how they couldn’t make the most of their dominant start in overtime?
Arda Öcal’s Three Stars of Game 1
Draisaitl didn’t have a single goal in the 2024 Cup Final. He scored 66 seconds into Game 1, then scored the overtime game-winner. A sublime start to this year’s championship series. Draisaitl has scored or assisted on five of the Oilers’ six OT goals over the last two postseasons.
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Leon Draisaitl scores 66 seconds into Game 1 for Oilers
Leon Draisaitl nets the first goal of the Stanley Cup Final just over a minute into the game for the Oilers vs. the Panthers.
The veteran defenseman scored his first goal of this postseason in his second game back from injury. He became the 20th Oiler to score in these playoffs, which is tied for the second most in a single postseason in NHL history (the 1987 Flyers and 2019 Blues both had 21 different goal scorers).
A two-goal effort in a losing cause. Bennett now has 12 goals this postseason, which is the most in a single playoffs in franchise history. Eleven of those goals have been on the road, which is tied with Mark Scheifele (2018) for most road goals in a single postseason in NHL history.
Players to watch in Game 2
Remember: This man was on waivers in November. The Oilers’ claim of him was initially viewed as a chance to add depth on the cheap, only for it to turn into something greater. His game-winning goal in the series-clinching Game 5 overtime victory in the Western Conference finals opened the door for more playing time. He almost did it again in Game 1 in overtime too, but he did get an assist on the game-winning goal.
He’s been part of the solution for how the Oilers would fare without Zach Hyman, who sustained an injury in the Western Conference finals that will keep him out for the rest of the postseason. Kapanen did his part by having three assists, while his five hits allowed the Oilers to maintain the physical edge they’ve used as part of their identity to reach a consecutive Cup Final.
There are two ways to look at what Bennett did in Game 1. The first being that his two-point effort once again reinforced what has made him a serious candidate to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Bennett was already atop the leaderboard prior to the game, as he has scored a postseason-high 10 goals. Collecting two more now gives him 18 points, which is tied with Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for fourth place.
The second is that he’s going to get paid this offseason. Earlier in the day, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed Brock Nelson to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million annually to avoid him hitting the open market. What Bennett did to help the Panthers reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals — and be in a position to claim at least a second title — is only going to increase what he could command come July 1.
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Sam Bennett’s 2nd goal gives Florida a 3-1 lead
Sam Bennett tallies his second goal of the game to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead over the Oilers.
Big questions for Game 2
Did the third period and overtime give the Oilers a defensive road map against the Panthers?
The Oilers’ path back to the Stanley Cup Final was based on how their defensive structure made life hellish for the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, two teams that were in the top five in goals per game in the regular season — and which struggled in the playoffs.
The Oilers had a few challenges in the first period, with Skinner getting partially shielded on the first two goals before having a breakdown in the second period that left their goalie on an island.
From there, the Oilers gave up a combined eight shots over the final frames, with the largest concentration coming in the first five minutes of overtime.
Of course, the Panthers have found breakthroughs against teams with constricting defensive structures, like the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals. Are the Panthers about to find another in Game 2? Or could the Oilers be onto something that could see them find even more success within their defensive identity?
What is the major takeaway going forward: Their start or their finish?
Here’s where it gets complicated — and it goes back to the earlier statement about teams having inflection points. In the second period, the Panthers were aggressive in a way that hardly anyone has been against the Oilers. That resulted in five high-danger scoring chances, along with an overall sense of control.
That’s what made coming away with just one goal — especially in a one-goal game — something that could pose questions about how they make the most of those opportunities going forward.
But at the same time, the notion they were forced to survive in an overtime that saw them split the shot share with the Oilers, have more high-danger scoring chances but fail to provide that consistent threat?
That could also give the Panthers even more to think about in the coming days … or maybe they won’t question the process, given the Panthers had won their last 31 playoff games in which they held a second-period lead.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida has offensive help on the way with a freshman receiver who just might make a difference against No. 9 Texas on Saturday.
Dallas Wilson is practicing for the first time since injuring his left foot in training camp and is scheduled to make his collegiate debut against the Longhorns, coach Billy Napier said Monday.
Napier called Wilson’s availability “a big deal.”
“Three good days of work last week, and I thought he handled the load well,” Napier said. “He feels really good. So far, so good.”
Wilson, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound newcomer from Tampa, was the star of Florida’s spring game in April. He caught 10 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, and all indications in fall practice pointed to it not being a fluke.
But Wilson injured his foot late in camp, spent weeks in a protective boot and watched from afar as the Gators (1-3, 0-1 SEC) struggled to move the ball and find the end zone. Florida scored 16, 10 and 7 points, respectively, in consecutive losses to South Florida, LSU and Miami, raising speculation about Napier’s future in Gainesville.
Quarterback DJ Lagway has been the focus of the team’s offensive woes. The sophomore who went 6-1 as a starter last season missed most of the year dealing with injuries and looked rusty when the season began.
Although Lagway’s mechanics seemed improved in the team’s 26-7 setback at Miami on Sept. 20, his offensive line got manhandled and allowed way too much pressure for anyone to notice. Lagway completed 12 of 23 passes for 61 yards against the Hurricanes.
Napier used the off week to get Lagway more live-action reps in hopes of getting him “caught up.” But he also reiterated the need to “play better around him.”
“Each position group needs to step up,” Napier said. “More detail, eliminate errors, eliminate penalties, whatever the case may be. I just think more detail and better overall play around him. And, obviously, he needs to continue to get back closer to being himself.”
Dallas Wilson has been unable to help — until now. The Gators are confident he will change the narrative against the No. 1 scoring defense in the SEC.
“Just having him out is going to be amazing for us,” Lagway said. “His ability to go deep, his ability to make plays underneath and be able to make miraculous plays with the ball in his hands, it’s going to be great to have him back.”
SEC Network host Paul Finebaum said Monday that he would consider leaving ESPN to run for the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama.
The 70-year-old Finebaum said during a recent interview with Outkick that he’d run as a Republican to fill the seat vacated by former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, who has said he’ll run for Alabama governor in the 2026 elections. Tuberville’s current Senate term ends in 2027.
The qualifying deadline to run for Senate is Jan. 26, 2026. Finebaum said he would likely have to leave his hosting and analyst duties if he decided to run. He told Outkick he’d make a decision within the next 30-45 days.
Finebaum said he hadn’t seriously considered politics, but the assassination of Charlie Kirk was the impetus to give a run at politics further thought. He noted that he had received a “text” from “one or two people in Washington” gauging his interest in politics.
“[It was] something I never thought about before,” Finebaum told Outkick.
Finebaum is currently registered as a Republican in North Carolina, where he works for the SEC Network. He told Outkick he recently moved to Alabama, where he hosted a radio show for years, and would re-register there.
Finebaum hosted radio shows in Alabama for almost 30 years before joining ESPN and the SEC Network. He started his media career as a newspaper writer and columnist.
“Alabama has always been the place I’ve felt the most welcome, that I’ve cared the most about the people,” he said. “I’ve spoken to people from Alabama for 35 years, and I feel there is a connection that is hard to explain.”
Bobby Petrino has fired three defensive assistants just one day after being named interim head coach at Arkansas as part of an overhaul of the Razorbacks’ coaching staff.
Petrino dismissed defensive coordinator Travis Williams, defensive line coach Deke Adams and defensive assistant Marcus Woodson in the latest moves after being appointed interim coach for the rest of the season to replace Sam Pittman, who was fired Sunday following five-plus seasons as Arkansas’ head coach.
“I just felt like how we performed on Saturday gave me an indication that maybe Sam had lost the team a little bit because they generally had played really hard for him throughout his tenure,” Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said of the move, which came on the heels of a 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame.
Petrino, 64, returned to Arkansas in 2023 as offensive coordinator after serving in a number of jobs. In four years as the Razorbacks’ head coach, he went 34-17, including consecutive seasons with double-digit victories in 2010 and 2011.
“Coach Petrino, as we met yesterday, he accepted this opportunity with the understanding that he also wanted an opportunity to formally be a candidate for our head coaching position, and he will have that opportunity, but we’ll also subsequently run a search for our next head coach at the same time,” Yurachek said.
Pittman’s dismissal, Petrino’s temporary promotion and the defensive assistant dismissals weren’t the only changes. Chris Wilson was named the team’s interim defensive coordinator.
Petrino had high praise for Wilson, who was in his first year with the Razorbacks as an assistant defensive line coach.
“My experience [with Wilson] goes way back to having to battle against him when he had all the great defensive linemen at Mississippi State,” Petrino said. “Very, very impressed with what he’s done throughout his career. Guy’s got a Super Bowl ring. He brings a lot of credibility into the room.”
Several defensive players posted cryptic messages on social media following the firing of Williams, who had served as the team’s defensive coordinator since 2023. Yurachek and Petrino encouraged players to welcome change amid a 2-3 start to the season.
“The No. 1 thing is, you have to get used to change. You know, your whole life there’s going to be change. So how we handle that, our attitude on how we handle that, will determine how quickly we improve,” Petrino said.
Petrino was involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in April 2012 that left him with four broken ribs. At first, he said he was riding alone, but a police report revealed a woman was riding with him. The woman turned out to be a former Arkansas athlete who was in a romantic relationship with the married Petrino. The coach had given her a job in the football program and a $20,000 gift.
Petrino was fired by then-athletic director Jeff Long for misleading his bosses about what happened with the accident and his relationship with the football staffer.
Pittman, 63, went 32-34 with the Razorbacks.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.