Edmonton Oilers come back from 2-goal deficit to force OT, defeat Florida Panthers in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final
More from CBS News
Edmonton Oilers come back from 2-goal deficit to force OT, defeat Florida Panthers in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Not Now
Turn On
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Forget about the past': Fans weigh in on criticism of Wayne Gretzky over Trump ties
EDMONTON — It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones. Advertisement "I don't think it matters," said Craig Hiscock, a longtime Oilers fan, as he posed Wednesday for a photo with a statue of Gretzky outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of Game 1. "Let's forget about the past. What he did here was a lot for the city, a lot for hockey." The statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure. An online petition started in February calling for a new name for Wayne Gretzky Drive also has about 14,000 signatures. Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state. Advertisement The Great One was photographed with Trump several times at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In January, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, attended Trump's inauguration in Washington. Frustrations grew after he appeared as honorary captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the United States. Video footage showed him giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice. Gretzky also congratulated Dallas Stars players in their locker room last month, after they advanced to the Western Conference final. The Oilers eliminated the Stars in five games and now have one win against the Florida Panthers in the Cup final. Game 2 is Friday night. Advertisement Brian Foulken, who became a fan during the Gretzky era and collects Oilers merchandise, said Gretzky's accomplishments, including multiple scoring records that stand to this day, still resonate with people. As for the criticism, Foulken said people are going to have their own opinions. "At the end of the day, (Gretzky) played here for a long time. The diehard Oilers (fans), we love him,' he said outside the arena before Game 1. "He's an amazing player." Foulken added that current Oilers captain Connor McDavid is inching closer to Gretzky-level greatness. Darren Rogers, a Gretzky fan since the Oilers' inception into the NHL in 1979, said Gretzky's leadership led the team to win multiple Stanley Cups. Advertisement Politics aside, that accomplishment should matter more to people in the grand scheme of things, Rogers said. Gretzky was in Edmonton for Wednesday's game. And as storied as Gretzky is to the Oilers franchise, he appeared to still be catching up to this new generation's fan base. On an American sports network, he sat side by side with commentators, as they discussed the Oilers' new tradition of playing the pop song "Pink Pony Club." Players have been tight-lipped about the significance of the Chappell Roan hit, typically heard after the team plays "La Bamba" by Los Lobos following a win. Advertisement "Pink Pony — is that a band or is that a song?" the 64-year-old Gretzky asked TNT Sports co-host Paul Bissonnette following the Oilers' 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1. "(Roan) sings a song, 'Pink Pony Club,' and it's famous. It's on the radio," Bissonnette answered. "It's the new generation, Wayne," he added. Gretzky appeared disappointed to learn Roan isn't Canadian, but still seemed eager to check out the song. "I gotta get that (as) my ringtone," Gretzky said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Storylines to follow during June's second huge visit weekend
Nick Lucero/ It's the second massive weekend of official visits and camps across the country. Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney looks at 12 major storylines to watch. MORE: Several elite quarterbacks hitting the road for pivotal official visits RECRUITING RUMOR MILL: Latest buzz on nearly three dozen prospects | June kicks off with a bang | Baltimore | Detroit NEW RIVALS250 RELEASED: Ranking | Top storylines | Ten prospects who could rise with a big June CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info CLOSING TIME FOR BAMA It's a big weekend at Alabama with a handful of top targets that the Crimson Tide should close on in town as well. Advertisement Five-star safety Jireh Edwards was at Auburn last weekend but the chatter is that Alabama is out front in his recruitment. Former USC four-star linebacker commit Xavier Griffin, an Alabama legacy, will also be there. He's coming off a phenomenal Ohio State trip but the Crimson Tide have the edge there, too. Four-star QB Matt Ponatoski, who wants to play baseball and football in college, is visiting as Alabama, Oregon and others are involved. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT CAN AUBURN SHOCK WITH FIVE-STAR QB? Auburn has another big weekend as coach Hugh Freeze has the recruiting train rolling strong on The Plains but the biggest outcome of this entire week could be the Tigers making a serious move with 2027 five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. Advertisement The Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham standout made his first visit to Auburn this week and already said he plans to be back because he loves coach Freeze and position coach Kent Austin. LSU is considered the front-runner and could be tough to beat but Haven has some thinking to do now. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT FLIP WATCH AND MORE AT FLORIDA Auburn defensive end commit Hezekiah Harris is coming to Gainesville as he's more seriously looking at some others. Michigan defensive back pledge Brody Jennings and Florida State receiver commit Darryon Williams will be there, too. On top of some major flip candidates, Florida will also have four-star edge rusher Jake Kreul there and while Oklahoma might have the edge and Ohio State blew him away last weekend, the Gators are making a serious move for him. High three-star offensive lineman Chancellor Campbell is coming, too, as Florida and Georgia are engaged in a major battle. Five-star receiver Cederian Morgan is expected and while Florida is a long shot, it gets its chance this weekend. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA DL WATCH AT GEORGIA Vodney Cleveland. Dre Quinn. Kendall Guervil. PJ Dean. Ebenezer Ewetade. It's a loaded defensive line list coming to Athens this weekend and it wouldn't be a shock at all to see coach Kirby Smart and his staff close on some of those big names down the stretch. There are some others that Georgia has some work on. Four-star running back Savion Hiter is expected as Ohio State, Tennessee and others are involved there. Four-star, long, athletic defensive back Tamarion Watkins is also expected in Athens as South Carolina could have the edge there. Smart is the best recruiter in college football, though, so another big weekend awaits in Athens. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT FAHEY GOES TO BLOOMINGTON One of the last uncommitted quarterbacks in the class is Luke Fahey as Stanford and Indiana are the two front-runners pending a visit to Ohio State later this month. The Mission Viejo, Calif., standout had an excellent visit to Stanford last weekend and it's tough to beat sitting down with general manager Andrew Luck. But there is serious intrigue in the Hoosiers and the opportunity there. Of course, this could all collapse later this month if Ohio State offers but until then it's really a two-team race. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH INDIANA FANS AT THOMALLA BACK AT IOWA STATE Landing a commitment from four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla was a massive recruiting win for Iowa State in April. Keeping him will now be the challenge. The Omaha (Neb.) Millard South standout visited Alabama this weekend and the Crimson Tide want him to return for another trip soon. In between all this, Thomalla will be back in Ames this weekend. Advertisement Alabama is Alabama and the Crimson Tide need a quarterback so that's tempting. But Iowa State recruited Thomalla so well. How this plays out down the stretch will be interesting. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA STATE FANS AT PREMER WATCH IN LAWRENCE There has been a serious influx of tight end talent from small-town Kansas the last two recruiting cycles. Last time, four-star Linkon Cure from Goodland chose Kansas State over Oregon and others. This recruiting class, Ian Premer from Great Bend (population 14,000) has Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Michigan and Notre Dame as his favorites. Advertisement The talk, though, is that Iowa State has a slight edge over Kansas right now. This will be a crucial weekend for the Jayhawks to turn that tide ever-so-slightly in their favor to keep the talented 6-foot-5 225-pound tight end home. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KANSAS FANS AT BENTLEY BACK AT OKLAHOMA A better understanding of where everything stands with four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley should occur after this weekend. The Celina, Texas standout was at LSU last weekend and had a fantastic visit with offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and many others. But the word has been that the Sooners hold the edge in his recruitment so it's a big weekend for new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and others. The feeling is that Arbuckle wants Bentley in this class so it's a big early test for him in Norman this weekend. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA FANS AT MASSIVE WEEKEND IN EUGENE It's been written enough that Oregon has had a tough couple weeks losing quarterback Jonas Williams to USC, five-star quarterback Jared Curtis to Georgia and five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell to Miami. Now is the time for another major recruiting weekend in Eugene where the Ducks could load up. It's a huge list. Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson is coming back. Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley, who was committed to the Ducks but backed off since those close to him didn't sign off, will be back and that could be huge. Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington will be there as Texas A&M and others battle for him. Coach Dan Lanning is one of the best and weekend like this are becoming the norm. DUCKWORTH BACK TO SOUTH CAROLINA Last weekend, four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth went to Auburn and got a massive recruiting pitch from coach Hugh Freeze. That could be compelling and the Jackson, Ala., standout didn't seem fazed by having Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight in the QB room. There appears to be enough NIL money to go around. Advertisement There has been some chatter that South Carolina is once again very much in this recruitment (he was committed to the Gamecocks earlier) but Ole Miss is not going away easily. This is a crucial weekend for coach Shane Beamer and his staff. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA FANS AT BIG DOGS HEAD TO AUSTIN It's not a massive list but an important group is heading to Texas this weekend and even though there are some long shots, coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff know how to take a big swing. No. 1 running back Ezavier Crowell is coming and even though Alabama will be tough to beat and Georgia is pushing, Texas has always been held high by him. Texas A&M and LSU lead for five-star OL/DL Lamar Brown so it's crucial to get him in Austin and see what they can do. Four-star edge rusher Jamarion Carlton is a big visitor along with four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin among others. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT BIG OPPORTUNITY AT TEXAS A&M It's a huge weekend at Texas A&M with a ton of opportunities to woo recruits. Fresh off working out at Ole Miss, five-star LSU receiver commit Tristen Keys will be in College Station. So will four-star nickel Bralan Womack, four-star offensive lineman John Turntine, Tank Jones, Tank King and many others. Some big targets - like five-star Lamar Brown - are visiting elsewhere but the Aggies have a huge opportunity this weekend with so many big names. Coach Mike Elko and his staff appear to be on the verge of really turning this thing around. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT
New York Times
40 minutes ago
- New York Times
How Edmonton Oilers' depth is already a factor in Stanley Cup Final
As the Edmonton Oilers entered the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers this week, one important piece to the team's formidable attack was unavailable. Zach Hyman is the team's top right winger. He's a goal scorer, aggressive checker, owns the high-danger chance column annually and hits anything that moves. It's not hyperbole to suggest Hyman is the best NHL free-agent signing in Oilers team history. How would the organization survive without him? Well, in Game 1 against the Panthers, the right wingers performed well. All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick Kasperi Kapanen was claimed on waivers from the St. Louis Blues in November and did enough to stay on the roster as a part-time solution over the rest of the season. In the first game of the final, coach Kris Knoblauch played Kapanen with centres Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (8:15, Evander Kane on the other wing) and Leon Draisaitl (6:31, again with Kane on left wing and a 1-0 goal edge). Advertisement Kapanen gives Knoblauch a speedy winger with offensive flair. With the game on the line on Wednesday, Kapanen split the seam between Florida defencemen and almost scored. He was also in on two goals (both assists) in Game 1. In the games since Hyman left the lineup, Kapanen has been useful at five-on-five, and is chipping in more offence playing higher in the lineup: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick These are small samples (Hyman played all but the last two Oilers playoff games), but Kapanen has received a significant jump in playing time. His four-minute increase in five-on-five represents about the same increase as Corey Perry, and more of a push than Viktor Arvidsson (about two additional minutes). Connor Brown saw minutes increase from 12:26 to 17:01, although he has played in just one of the two games since Hyman's injury. Arvidsson was signed last summer to play on Draisaitl's line, but did not fit the role. He entered the postseason as a fringe player in need of an opportunity. Arvidsson scored an important goal in Game 1 against the Panthers. Relegated to a part-time role, even when he's in the lineup, the goal may spark opportunity and a move up the depth chart. Both men have been roster afterthoughts at times this season. Their performance in Game 1 of the final reflects a terrific depth chart for the organization this spring. It also shows the kind of depth required to win a championship. As the depth right wingers emerge as solutions to the issue of Hyman's absence, the defensive alignment is returning to normal due to the return of stalwart veteran Mattias Ekholm. The coaching staff relied on, and received, strong work from depth defenders Ty Emberson (nine games), Troy Stecher (six games) and Josh Brown (one game) leading up to the return of Ekholm. In the two games since the Oilers have been running the optimal pairings, results have been mixed: All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick In a small sample (two games), there are no warning signs that are actionable. Overall, Edmonton is winning the five-on-five share 7-4 in the last two games; that's a fantastic result against two elite teams. There is danger here, though, both at home and on the road in Sunrise, Fla. Advertisement The Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak tandem had a difficult night against the Panthers. In 20 minutes together at five-on-five, Florida outshot Edmonton 10-4, won the Corsi (31-14), Fenwick (23-6) and expected goal (87 percent) metrics. Knoblauch was able to feed the Aleksander Barkov line a steady diet of the Evan Bouchard pairing. The Oilers won the day in the head-to-head matchup, scoring 1-0 goals with a 65 percent expected share. On the road, Florida coach Paul Maurice will have the last change, and the Nurse-Kulak tandem could be the target. Both men are veterans, but are left-handed defenders, making outlet passes on the backhand the only option at times. Those backhand passes could result in turnovers and Florida goals. The suffocating Panthers forecheck took some advantage of it in Game 4, but Barkov versus Nurse head-to-head accounted for just 36 percent of the total time on ice. Knoblauch deployed the Bouchard pairing for 54 percent of the Barkov minutes, fading the Nurse and Kulak and Jake Walman and John Klingberg duos. Maurice is likely to alter the playing time his top line sees against Ekholm-Bouchard. The depth player who has enjoyed success with Nurse is Stecher. During the postseason, the two men have combined for 2-0 goals at five-on-five (in 74 minutes) with a 53 percent expected goal share. Nurse is a lefty, Stecher is right-handed and an effective (if undersized) option. For the Oilers, who are facing a team that exacts a physical toll on opponents, the Nurse-Stecher tandem may be necessary due to injury. When the Stanley Cup Final moves to Florida, it's possible the Oilers dress seven defencemen, so the option of inserting Stecher into the lineup is possible in-game. Those quick outlets, tape to tape, are that important. The list of names who have contributed to the Oilers through three rounds (and Game 1 against Florida) is long and has delivered impressive results. The injury to Hyman wasn't anticipated, and the club misses the wide range of skills the veteran delivered all season. Advertisement Since his absence, Edmonton has won both games. Kapanen is the most prominent fringe player on the Oilers today, but there's a good chance another member of the 'healthy scratch' group will emerge as the series moves deeper. Stan Bowman added some valuable pieces after being named general manager last summer. Some of those names stayed in the lineup, while others emerged and became possible options. When Klingberg was signed, and through his early games with the club, no one could have guessed he would be playing a prominent role in the final while Stecher and Emberson were in the press box. The strong play of Klingberg forced the issue, and in doing so, increased overall depth at the position. The Oilers' depth is already a factor in this series. Expect injury, and replacements who can handle the load when placed in the role. Kapanen is proof that this version of the Oilers has learned from past experience when it comes to having enough depth in every position. (Photo of Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm: Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
