The Florida Panthers turned an early deficit into a lead after scoring two first-period goals in quick succession in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday.
The Edmonton Oilers opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, with Leon Draisatl finding the back of the net at a raucous Rogers Place.
Sam Bennett evened the score for Florida midway through the first period, and Brad Marchand followed up with a power-play marker to give the visitors the lead.
Last season ended in heartbreak for the Oilers after they clawed their way back from a seemingly insurmountable three-game deficit against the Florida Panthers, only to drop the final in Miami.
But the Oilers are getting a second kick at the Stanley Cup final this year as they once again face off against the Panthers in a hotly-anticipated rematch.
And unlike last year, Edmonton has home-ice advantage, with the puck drop at Rogers Place for the first two games, before the series shifts to Florida.
The Panthers are in the final for a third consecutive year, having lost to Las Vegas in 2023 before their franchise-first
