Two overtime games, one win apiece. The 2025 Stanley Cup Final will head to Sunrise, Florida, with the series knotted after the defending champion Florida Panthers prevailed in double-overtime, 5-4, against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. Veteran pest Brad Marchand tallied twice for the Panthers, including the game-winning goal.
Two night earlier, Edmonton won the series open late in the first overtime, 4-3.
Game Two: An instant classic
In a wild Game Two first period, the teams traded off a combined five goals in the first period. Edmonton took a 3-2 lead to intermission on a power play tally by Leon Draisaitl (PPG, 10th). Earlier, Evander Kane (6th) and Evan Bouchard (7th) answer an opening goal by Florida’s Sam Bennett (PPG, 13th of the playoffs). Draisaitl and Bennett have scored three goals apiece for their respective clubs over the first two games of the Final. Draisaitl’s latest goal restored an Edmonton lead after Seth Jones (4th) found the net to forge a 2-2 tie.
For the second straight game, the Panthers dominated the second period. Peppering Stuart Skinner with 14 shots, the Panthers solved the mercurial Oilers goalie twice. At 8:23, Dmitry Kulikov (2nd) made it a 3-3 game. Later, with Niko Mikkola in the penalty box, Marchand scored shorthanded to springboard Florida into a 4-3 edge.
In the third period, the Panthers nearly closed out a regulation win. They were unable to do so. On their 9th shot of the period, with Skinner pulled for an extra attacker, veteran power forward Corey Perry (8th) sent the game to overtime with Skinner pulled for a 6-on-5 attack. Connor McDavid earned his second assist of the game and 25th of this postseason.
Twenty-eight-plus minutes of sudden death play ensued, with the difference between a 2-0 series lead and a 1-1 dogfight hanging in the balance. Finally, Marchand took a pass from Anton Lundell and went off on a partial breakaway. One-on-one with Skinner, longtime Bruins forward Marchand slipped a backhander through the five-hole. Just like that, Game Two was over and the complexion of the series changed.
Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 42 saves on 46 shots. Skinner made 37 saves on 42 shots. The Panthers went 1-for-4 on the power play. Edmonton was 1-for-6.
