The Edmonton Oilers drew first blood in the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final, as they delivered a big blow in overtime of Wednesday night's series opener against the Florida Panthers.

In what was a topsy-turvy ride for both teams in Game 1, Edmonton came out on top, thanks to Leon Draisaitl's goal in overtime to give the Oilers a 4-3 victory — and the 1-0 series lead.

Unlike in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the same teams, the Oilers got the first win this time around. But that's not the only difference in the series for Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch in the rematch versus the Panthers.

“Last year, he [Leon Draisaitl] was certainly banged up, and not a 100 percent. I think a lot of our team wasn't also just because of the way the series went, Knoblauch told reporters in the postgame press conference (via Sportsnet). “It was a tough one last year, especially that seven-game series against Vancouver [Canucks]. Even in the next one against Dallas [Stars].”

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Knoblauch shared that comment after being asked about the difference in the form of Draisaitl, which led to his take on the Oilers benefiting from longer rests in the 2025 playoffs.

After beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, the Oilers had five days of full rest before taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. Edmonton needed just five games to eliminate the Golden Knights and enjoyed six days of break before taking on the Stars in the Western Conference final, which was another rematch in the same round for the Oilers. Edmonton then rested for five days before facing the Panthers on Wednesday night at Rogers Place.

Draisaitl showed out right away in the 2025 NHL finals, as he kicked off the scoring in the series with an even-strength goal just 66 seconds into Game 1. He also ended that contest with a goal on the man advantage in overtime.

The Oilers, who forced a Game 7 in 2024 against the Panthers despite losing the first three games of the series, will look to put Florida in a 2-0 hole in Game 2 on Friday.