The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is shaping up to be an exciting rematch. It’s the Florida Panthers going head-to-head with the Edmonton Oilers again, just like that thrilling seven-game series we saw last year. In 2024, the Panthers pulled off an incredible feat by winning their first-ever Stanley Cup, edging out the Oilers 2-1 in a thrilling Game 7. No team has lost back-to-back Cup finals since the Boston Bruins in the 70s. Will Edmonton continue the decades long trend or will they meet an ignominious end? The stats tell it all.

The Panthers wrapped up the season in third place in the Atlantic Division with a solid 47-31-4 record. They faced some tough competition along the way, taking down teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes to clinch the Eastern Conference title. In a similar vein, the Oilers, sitting third in their division with a record of 48-29-5, took down the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars to snag the Western Conference championship.

This back-to-back Finals matchup is pretty rare in NHL history, highlighting how both franchises have shown such consistent excellence and resilience over the years. The consecutive showings really showcase the rise of a heated rivalry, with both teams eager to prove who’s in charge. Game 1 in this series was just awesome! The Edmonton Oilers pulled off a thrilling 4-3 overtime win, shaking things up in the betting scene and putting some pressure on the Florida Panthers as they chase another championship. But, you know, it wasn’t a walk in the park.

Edmonton’s comeback from being down 3-1, ending with Leon Draisaitl’s overtime goal, has really changed how people see things. This win not only put the Oilers ahead 1-0 in the series but also changed the betting scene, boosting confidence in Edmonton’s chances of taking home the championship. Just a few days ago on X, Money Puck shared some stats showing that the Florida Panthers had a 54.8% chance of winning the Stanley Cup Final, while the Edmonton Oilers were sitting at 45.2%.

But after Game 1, everything has shifted dramatically. The Oilers are really in control with 60.3%, while the Panthers are sitting at 39.7%. As the series goes on, the Panthers will have to come together and tweak their game plan to handle the momentum the Oilers have built up.

Game 1’s result has really changed not just the series standings but also how everyone views the rest of the Stanley Cup Final and the betting odds that come with it. So, the mistakes Florida made in this game didn’t go unnoticed—two NHL legends were quick to call them out.

Florida Panthers’ Game 1 flaw in the Stanley Cup Final

“I was really surprised. And we talked about it watching the third period and watching the overtime. I’ve never seen Florida ice the puck so many times and give the puck back to Edmonton, whether it be faceoffs in their own zone or Edmonton setting up and coming back five against their five,” Wayne Gretzky mentioned that he was taken aback by the franchise’s mistake in Game 1.

“I’ve never seen Florida do that. Now, maybe they’re a little bit tired. They traveled yesterday. Game one in the finals. I don’t know. I just I’ve been to a lot of Florida Panther games. And that was the first time I could see that. And it happened continuously throughout the hockey game.” Gretzky mentioned that the Panthers were icing the puck a lot in the third period and overtime, which is a change from how they usually like to control the puck. This strategy resulted in quite a few faceoffs in their defensive zone, which gave the Oilers plenty of opportunities to apply some pressure.

Gretzky thought that factors like travel fatigue or the pressure of the finals might have influenced this unexpected performance. Also, Paul Bissonnette shared a similar thought, saying, “Yeah, and typically we’ve seen them pump the puck a lot these playoffs. That’s one of their go to’s, alleviate pressure. But definitely the icings were adding up, adding up. They kept rolling over shift after shift and really all the momentum in the third period in overtime at Edmonton’s favorite boys.”

The Panthers’ strategy really messed with their offensive flow, giving the Oilers a bunch of chances to regain control and maintain the pressure. Bissonnette mentioned that this pattern really helped Edmonton maintain their momentum because the Panthers’ defense had to stay on the ice without any chance to change lines. The Oilers really kept the pressure on and made the most of a late-game power play. That set up Draisaitl perfectly for the overtime goal that sealed a 4-3 win for Edmonton.