### Draisaitl's OT Heroics Propel Oilers Past Panthers in Game 1 Thriller

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Leon Draisaitl’s power-play goal in overtime delivered a thrilling 4-3 victory for the Edmonton Oilers over the Florida Panthers in the opening clash of the Stanley Cup Final rematch on Wednesday night. Stuart Skinner's 29 saves were instrumental as the Oilers overcame a significant deficit to claim Game 1 against last year's champions.

The decisive moment came when Draisaitl scored at 19:29 into overtime, triggering celebrations from the home crowd. The opportunity arose following Tomas Nosek's penalty for sending the puck over the glass, and the Oilers capitalized to avoid starting the series in the same dismal fashion as the previous year when they trailed 0-3 from the get-go.

"He's invaluable," praised Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who was pivotal in setting up both the tying goal and the game-winner. "He does so many good things: clutch, faceoffs. You name it, he does it."

The game began on a challenging note for the Oilers. Though Draisaitl netted a goal just 66 seconds in, Florida's Sam Bennett equalized shortly after by deflecting a shot past Skinner. Despite Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch's protest that Bennett had interfered with Skinner after being tripped by Jake Walman, the NHL stood by the call. This led to a power play where Florida's Brad Marchand scored, giving the Panthers the lead.

Bennett struck again early in the second period, extending Florida's lead to 3-1. The Panthers had been undefeated in their previous 31 playoff games under coach Paul Maurice when leading at intermission, showing just how tall a task was ahead for the Oilers.

The tide began to turn when Edmonton’s fourth-liner Viktor Arvidsson scored early in the second period, reenergizing the crowd. Later, Mattias Ekholm, in just his second game back from injury, tied the game with 13:27 left in regulation thanks to a precision pass from McDavid.

Skinner made several critical saves to keep the game level, including a clutch stop in the first minute of overtime. On the opposite end, Sergei Bobrovsky also made crucial saves despite facing jeers from the Edmonton fans. He even managed to make a spectacular save against Trent Frederic nine minutes into overtime, but couldn't keep Draisaitl’s third overtime goal of these playoffs from finding the back of the net, tying a postseason record.

"It's a special feeling," Draisaitl admitted. "It's great for right now but we've got to look ahead and get ready for Game 2."

Game 2 of the series is set for Friday night in Edmonton before the competition moves to Florida for Games 3 and 4.