Stanley Cup Final Preview – June 6, 2025 – PANTHERS AIM FOR FATE LAST ACHIEVED BY OILERS 40 YEARS AGO

The Panthers’ run of three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances began with a rally from a series deficit – something they have done four times in 11 rounds since 2023 (2025 R2 vs. TOR, 2024 CF vs. NYR, 2024 R2 vs. BOS & 2023 R1 vs. BOS) – and it will have to end with one as well to secure a repeat.

• Florida has evened a best-of-seven series at 1-1 on five occasions, most recently in 2024 against Boston (5-6 all-time in Game 2 after Game 1 loss).
• The last time a reigning champion claimed a repeat by rallying from a series deficit in the Final was in 1985 when the Oilers did so against the Flyers – winning four in a row on the heels of a Game 1 defeat on the road. That was one of only two times in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) that a team secured a repeat by overcoming a series deficit in the Final (also 1979 MTL, 4-1 series win vs. NYR).
• Sam Bennett set and tied franchise and NHL records, respectively, with his two-goal showing in Game 1 and enters Friday with a share of another club record: he owns an active four-game road goal streak, equaling the Panthers benchmark he set across the first two rounds earlier this year.
• Bennett is the only player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with multiple road goal streaks of four-plus games in the same postseason. He is one of four players with multiple four-game road goal streaks in their playoff careers, along with Sidney Crosby (4 GP in 2009 & 2018), Pavel Bure (4 GP in 1994 & 1995) and Brian Propp (7 GP in 1989 & 5 GP in 1987).

OVERTIME MAGIC HAS OILERS THREE WINS FROM FIRST CUP IN 35 YEARS

Edmonton’s win in Game 1 boosted their overtime record to 4-0 in this postseason, the first time the club has ever won each of its first four overtime games of a postseason and tied for the franchise record for overtime wins at any point in one playoff year (4-2 in 1991). The NHL record for consecutive overtime wins to start a playoff year is seven, last achieved by the Panthers in 2023.

• Edmonton has taken a 2-0 series lead in a best-of-seven 16 times, including three times in the Stanley Cup Final (3-1 record in Game 2 of SCF after Game 1 win).
• It has been more than a decade since each of the first two games of the Final required overtime, and something that has been seen only five times in 106 previous championship series (5 GP in 1951, along with 2 GP in 2014, 2013, 2012 and 1946).
• Leon Draisaitl has scored an NHL record-tying three overtime goals this postseason and has factored on all four Oilers goals in extra time (he had the primary assist on Kasperi Kapanen’s series clincher against Vegas). Draisaitl’s collection of 3-1—4 after regulation in 2025 also ties an NHL record for overtime points in one playoff year, equaling a feat last achieved in 2023 by the Panthers tandem of Matthew Tkachuk (3-1—4) and Sam Bennett (0-4—4).
• Draisaitl needs one goal to tie Esa Tikkanen (51) for fifth place in Oilers history. That would also give Draisaitl his third postseason with a double-digit goal total, a feat achieved by only three players born outside North America: Jari Kurri (5x), Evgeni Malkin (3x) and Jaromir Jagr (3x).

MEREDITH GAUDREAU PRESENTS MASTERTON TROPHY TO MONAHAN IN SURPRISE VISIT

Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan is the 2024-25 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Monahan received the award in a special surprise presentation at his home. His close friend Meredith Gaudreau, wife of the late Johnny Gaudreau, surprised him at his door with the trophy.