What the Rangers can learn from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final

Dynasty vs. destiny delivered from the opening puck drop.

Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final ruled. If you're the New York Rangers, you should've been watching this one like a masterclass. It had chaos and comebacks. It had Corey Perry chirping and Sam Bennett steamrolling. It had the Stanley Cup on the ice. It had Connor McDavid weaving through defenders like a sorcerer. It had La Bamba. It ended with Leon Draisaitl — beaten up and bloodied last spring — reminding us why this might finally, finally be Edmonton's time with the overtime winner, lifting the Edmonton Oilers to an enthralling 4-3 victory over the reigning champion Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, in their first installment of the rematch If that was any indication, we're in for something unforgettable.

One minute and five seconds. That's all it took. Draisaitl, punched home a second rebound past Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Drai was scoreless last year, so this was a statement he wouldn't go dry again. It was the fastest tally to start a Stanley Cup Final in nearly 50 years. His franchise playoff record 14th opening goal sent Rogers Place into delirium, shaking with belief, rage, and hope. 

That was before Florida punched right back. A deflection goal by Sam Bennett tied things up 1-1 — a call that stood despite an Oilers challenge for goalie interference. It turns out Kulak tripped Bennett into Stuart Skinner. Good goal, said the situation room. Bad challenge, resulting in another Edmonton penalty. Brad Marchand made it sting even more, sniping a power play goal to make it 2-1.
Suddenly, the swagger in Rogers Place turned into stunned silence. A 1-0 Oilers lead had morphed into a 2-1 deficit in under two minutes.

Then it got worse. Early in the second, Bennett struck again — his 12th of the postseason (a Panthers record), making it 3-1. You could hear the air go out of the building. Just as Florida threatened to run away with it, Edmonton's fourth line gave the team a jolt. Viktor Arvidsson, off a perfect screen from Vasily Podkolzin, slid one past Bobrovsky. 3-2. The noise was back.

Then, waiver pickup Kasperi Kapanen nearly tied it on a rush and later hit the post in OT. Yet, the breakthrough would come from higher up the lineup. Six minutes into the third, with Edmonton completely dominating zone time, Mattias Ekholm, who was presumed done for the season just two weeks ago, fired a bomb off a McDavid dish to tie it 3-3. It was his first goal of the playoffs and a reward for his rehab grind.

Bobrovsky stood tall after that, denying McDavid on a breakaway with a right-shoulder stop that was so casually elite it deserves its mural. Skinner, on the other end, was quietly brilliant in keeping the Oilers in it when the Panthers pushed. He made 15 saves in the second, another beauty on a Marchand wrister. Here's a stat for you: Since Paul Maurice took over in 2023, the Panthers were 31-0 in the playoffs when leading after one or two periods. Were. Make that 31-1. The Oilers outshot Florida 14-2 in the third and were in complete control. Yet Bobrovsky, who made 43 saves, kept them from sealing it early. So we got what this tilt deserved, overtime.

The bonus frame started tight. Then Kapanen hit iron. Trent Frederic had a net-front chance stopped. Bouchard had a partial break. Then, Florida inexplicably iced the puck about 97 times in one OT frame. You could tell they were feeling the pressure of Edmonton's push.

Then came the moment as Tomas Nosek, in a brain cramp he will see in his nightmares, flung a puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. Jake Walman laughed in his face as Rogers Place erupted. It felt like destiny had flipped jerseys. Bouchard to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Perry to McDavid, and then, of course, to Draisaitl for the winning laser.

Watching that classic, both sides treated us too, showed the hockey world and New York rangers what genuine contenders look like. The Oilers didn't just lean on McDavid and Draisaitl. They got goals from Ekholm and Arvidsson. Your bottom six and third pair can't be passengers or else you'll fall in the pretenders bin. The Blueshirts have the talent at the top, but it's the supporting cast that often disappears in the clutch.

Florida put on a clinic in structure. They owned the neutral zone, suffocated Edmonton's rushes, and looked like a team that plays the same way no matter the score, the period, or the building. The Panthers also buried two power-play goals; the Oilers won it with one. The Blueshirts' man advantage wasn't consistent enough. The penalty kill cracked easily, too. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch made timely tweaks, trusted his depth, and adjusted on the fly. The hope is Mike Sullivan and his new staffdo the same. The quick strike mites showed their physicality, structure, and relentlessness. The Oilers displayed speed and finally learned how to defend with purpose. The Rangers spent the entire year trying to be everything and ended up being nothing when it mattered.

The quick strike mites showed their physicality and relentless grit. The Oilers displayed speed and finally learned how to defend with purpose. The Rangers spent the entire year trying to be everything and ended nothing. You don't need to copy Florida or Edmonton. Yet, you do need to build something real. Game 1 reignited the standard, and Friday's game two should be no exception. The Rangers better be taking notes.