3 most impressive Edmonton Oilers players from 4-3 OT win in Game 1 of SCF against Florida Panthers ft. Leon Draisaitl

The Edmonton Oilers pulled out a heartstopping 4-3 overtime win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final after all the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night at Rogers Place.

The Oilers trailed 3-1 in the third period but stormed back to tie the game. Leon Draisaitl scored twice for Edmonton, getting the game-winner in overtime, with Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm notching the other markers. Meanwhile, Sam Bennett scored twice for the Florida Panthers, with Brad Marchand adding a power play goal.

So, here’s a look at the three most impressive Edmonton Oilers players from their 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

3 most impressive Edmonton Oilers players from Game 1 OT win over Florida Panthers

#3 Kasperi Kapanen

Kasperi Kapanen was an unlikely pick to make this list at the outset of Game 1. Yet, his two assists were crucial in helping the Edmonton Oilers pull out a huge win on Wednesday night.

Kapanen assisted on Mattias Ekholm’s equalizer at the 6:33 mark of the third period.

Here’s a look:

Kapanen moved into the McDavid line in Game 1 and did not look out of place. He got McDavid the puck as the Oilers captain circled around the Panthers’ zone and fed Ekholm who unleashed a rocket to tie the game.

In overtime, Kapanen almost ended the game after making a beautiful play to split the Panthers’ D and beat Sergei Bobrovsky. If not for the post, Kapanen would have been the Game 1 hero.

Here’s a look at the play:

Kapanen ended the night with two assists and the game’s third star.

#2 Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid turned on the jets in the third period to help force the game to overtime - Source: Imagn

The Florida Panthers were unable to keep Connor McDavid under wraps for very long. While the Panthers managed to hold McDavid for the first 40 minutes, the Edmonton Oilers captain went berserk in the third period.

He assisted on the Mattias Ekholm equalizer and Leon Draisaitl’s game-winner in overtime. All told, McDavid ended the night with two assists in 31:12 of ice time across 37 shifts. He had four shots on goal and was the difference-maker for the Oilers.

#1 Leon Draisaitl

There was no other choice for the Oilers’ most impressive player than Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl scored twice for the Oilers, scoring the fastest goal in a Stanley Cup Final game, notching his eighth of the postseason at the 1:06 mark of the first.

Here it is:

Then, Draisaitl struck a second time to end Game 1. The game-winner was a power play tally with about 30 seconds left in the first overtime period.

Check it out:

Draisaitl ended the night as the game’s first star after hitting the ice for 28:13 across 32 shifts, notching four shots and delivering four hits in the game.

The Oilers will be looking to take a 2-0 series lead in Game 2 on Friday night at Rogers Place before the series heads back to Florida for Games 3 and 4.