The Edmonton Oilers are a wagon. A runaway train. They are rolling. Pick any positive, momentum-based sports cliché you want — it applies to them.
For the past six weeks, the Oilers have dominated their opponents.
They are 13-2. They’ve outscored teams 62-36. On average, they are outshooting teams 32.5 to 26.9 per game.
They’ve scored first 10 times. In the five games the opposition scored first, the Oilers won.
They’ve outscored teams 19-13 in the first period, 17-13 in the second, 22-10 in the third and 4-0 in overtime.
They’ve outscored teams 40-21 at 5×5.
They are 7-0 when leading after the first period.
They are 7-1 when leading after the second frame.
They set a franchise record for the most third-period comebacks in a playoff year with four.
Whether they start strong or finish strong, the Oilers have been on an absolute heater for the past six weeks, and they’ll look to extend that tonight in Game 2 vs. Florida. They have won seven games where they trailed at some point in the game. What fuels their ability to overcome deficits?
“I think when we are down, honestly, there’s no panic,” said Mattias Ekholm. “I think the biggest thing is nobody’s really standing up and saying, ‘You know, crap, boys. We’re in a tough spot’ or anything like that. We’re all pretty composed in those moments, and we just know what we have to do to get the job done. What makes us at our best is our composure and our maturity.”
Maturity is a word we’ve heard a lot these playoffs. The experience from last season’s loss in the Final has been instrumental to this year’s success. The Oilers have been better at winning games early in series.
Last year they were 4-8 in the first three games of a series, before going 11-2 in games 4-7. This year they are 6-4 in the first three games and 7-0 in games 4-6. They put teams away when they had a chance and that extra rest has them feeling fresh, both mentally and physically. They know how challenging it can be to overcome a 2-0 series deficit, and they do not want to waste that tonight on home ice.
The Oilers are 7-1 in front of their rambunctious home crowd. “I think it is the best arena in the NHL,” said Adam Henrique. “Every game it seems to get louder and the fans give us a huge boost.” I expect more of the same tonight.
The Oilers are three wins shy of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 35 years. They are close, yet still far from their goal. They are not looking ahead. Ekholm spoke about the team’s maturity and ability to just focus on each game or period.
They aren’t looking past tonight, but you can’t overlook the obvious momentum they have. Every player is playing their role. Kris Knoblauch is comfortable rolling all four lines and his three defense pairs, and when they give up a good scoring chance, Stuart Skinner has been able to stop most of them. Skinner has a .928Sv% and 1.80 GAA over the past six weeks. “I think his numbers reflect not only how well he has played, but how well the defense and forwards have played,” said Ekholm.
It’s been a complete team effort to win 13 of 15 games, and the Panthers will need a fantastic performance to avoid getting run over by another Orange and Blue train tonight.
SNAPSHOTS…
— The Oilers are the ninth team in NHL history with 20 different goal scorers in one playoff year.
SEASON | TEAM | PLAYERS | Playoff Result |
2019 | Boston Bruins | 21 | L Stanley Cup Final |
1987 | Philadelphia Flyers | 21 | L Stanley Cup Final |
2025 | Edmonton Oilers | 20 | ??? |
2019 | St. Louis Blues | 20 | W Stanley Cup Final |
1995 | New Jersey Devils | 20 | W Stanley Cup Final |
1993 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 20 | L Conference Finals |
1991 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 20 | W Stanley Cup Final |
1986 | St. Louis Blues | 20 | L Conference Finals |
1984 | Edmonton Oilers | 20 | W Stanley Cup Final |
The 1984 Oilers were the first team in NHL history to do it. They had 14 forwards, and six defensemen, score a goal, which is the same split as the 2025 Oilers. The 1984 team had 14 players with two goals. The 2025 Oilers have 13 so far, and if one of Mattias Ekholm, John Klingberg, Brett Kulak, Jake Walman, Trent Frederic or Vasily Podkolzin score they will tie the 1984 team.
— In Game 1, Leon Draisaitl became only the third player in NHL history to score a goal in the first two minutes of the game and then score the OT winner in the Stanley Cup Final. Sid Smith did it in 1951 and Fernando Pisani did it in 2006. Quite odd that Oilers fans have witnessed two of these games. Pisani scored 16 seconds into Game 5 in Carolina in 2006 and then scored shorthanded to win the game in OT. Smith scored 15 seconds into Game 1 and then scored at 5:51 into OT as the Maple Leafs won the opening game (and won the series in five).
— In the salary cap era 33 goalies have started 40+ playoff games. Stuart Skinner will tie Craig Anderson and Jimmy Howard for 25th when he makes his 47th start tonight. Unless the Oilers sweep the series, Skinner will make at least 50 starts. Of the 35 goalies with 40+ starts only Chris Osgood (.707 in 41 starts), Andrei Vasilevskiy (.582 in 115 starts), Matt Murray (.580 in 50 starts) have a higher winning% than Skinner (.565 in 46 starts). He has a .275 GAA while Bobrovsky sits at 2.73. Skinner has been good way more often than he’s been bad in his playoff career, and as he gains more experience and avoids the rough starts, his numbers will only improve.
In the past two seasons 25 goalies have started at least four playoff games. Skinner is third with 34 starts, 10th in Sv% at .902 and eighth in GAA at 2.46. He is quieting those who claimed “You can’t win with Skinner.”
— The Oilers are 4-0 in OT this year and 6-1 over the past two seasons. Only two teams in NHL history finished one playoff year with more OT victories without a loss. The 2003 Ducks and 2023 Panthers each went 7-0 in OT, but neither won the Cup. Five other teams finished a playoff year 4-0 in OT including the 2012 Kings, 2003 Senators, 2001 Kings, 1995 Flyers and 1985 Nordiques. Only the 2012 Kings won the Cup.
— Nineteen teams in NHL history have won five OT games in one year. The 1993 Montreal Canadiens won the most games going 10-1. Of those 19 teams, seven won the Cup: the 1993 Canadiens, 2020 Lightning (7-2 in OT), 1980 Islanders (6-1), 2022 Avalanche (5-1), 2014 Kings (5-2), 2013 Blackhawks (5-2) and the 1996 Avalanche (5-2).
— Sam Bennett and Leon Draisaitl could join Mario Lemieux as the only players since 1944 to score multiple goals in each of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.
— Vasily Podkozlin’s younger brother Mikhail watched him live for the first time in his life. Mikhail is 14, and he arrived in Edmonton for Game one with their parents. It was his first live NHL game, and Vasily toured him around the dressing room yesterday. “It was awesome having him and my parents here,” said Podkolzin. “I wish my sister was here too, but it is great having them here. I took my brother around the room yesterday and showed him the workout room and he got to meet the guys. He loved the energy in the building and it is good for him to see how things happen in the NHL.”
I think at times we overlook the sacrifices many European players make being in the NHL. Much of it is moving away from home and not seeing family. Podkolzin was beaming talking about his younger brother. His brother is staying with him, while his parents are staying a few blocks away.
I asked McDavid about meeting teammates’ family and friends, and if those moments can lower the stress of the Final.
“You get to see where everyone (teammates) comes from,” said McDavid. “Parents, siblings, friends, you name it. People are coming from far and wide to watch these games and support us. And Pod’s brother, a young guy first time seeing Pods play, as you said, it was good to meet him. That just makes you feel like you know the guy a little bit better. It kind of forges that bond and that connection.”
— Random trivia: Who owns the Oilers record for fastest overtime goal in the playoffs? (Answer at the bottom.)
LINEUPS…
Oilers
RNH – McDavid – Perry
Kane – Draisaitl – Kapanen
Frederic – Henrique – Brown
Podkolzin – Janmark – Arvidsson
Kane – Draisaitl – Kapanen
Frederic – Henrique – Brown
Podkolzin – Janmark – Arvidsson
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Kulak
Walman – Klingberg
Nurse – Kulak
Walman – Klingberg
Skinner
Kris Knoblauch switched Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins late in the second period when Florida was all over the Oilers. It worked as they were on the ice together for Mattias Ekholm’s tying goal in the third period. The Kane-RNH-Kapanen line played very well after the switch. Knoblauch did mention yesterday that he feels when he starts his two superstars on their own lines it allows them to get in the game more, specifically Draisaitl, because he is able to move and skate more playing centre. It makes sense he will start tonight the same way they started Game 1, and if he needs to switch lines during the game, the team has shown they will adapt.
Panthers
Rodrigues – Barkov – Reinhart
Verhaeghe – Bennett– Tkachuk
Luostarinen – Lundell – Marchand
Boqvist – Nosek – Gadjovich
Verhaeghe – Bennett– Tkachuk
Luostarinen – Lundell – Marchand
Boqvist – Nosek – Gadjovich
Forsling – Ekblad
Mikkola – Jones
Schmidt – Kulikov
Mikkola – Jones
Schmidt – Kulikov
Bobrovsky
AJ Greer isn’t healthy to play and it sounds like the Panthers will stick with the same lineup. They did not like their play in the third period and overtime where they were outshot 24-8 and outscored 2-0. Edmonton ended the Panthers’ perfect 31-0 streak when leading after the first and second period in Game 1. The Panthers dominated the second period, and the first five minutes of OT, but the other 55 minutes were controlled by Edmonton. The Panthers talked about needing to spend more time in the offensive zone tonight. Meanwhile, the Oilers want to breakout smoother than they did in Game 1. We’ll see which team is able to improve in those respective areas tonight.
TONIGHT…
Photoshop by Tom Kostiuk
GAME DAY PREDICTION: The train keeps rolling and Edmonton picks up a 5-2 victory.
OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Oilers’ PP scores for a seventh-consecutive game.
NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Podkozlin scores in front of his brother and parents.
**Trivia answer: Randy Gregg scored 21 seconds into OT in Game 2 of the opening round v. Winnipeg. It is the 10th-fastest OT goal in NHL history. **
