Florida Panthers Punch Ticket to Stanley Cup Final After Historic OT Thriller — Video, Stats & Fan Reactions

A late-night heart-stopper in Sunrise has shifted the entire trajectory of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. The Florida Panthers watched a 3-0 first-period cushion disappear before Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl buried the overtime winner at 11:18, handing the Cats a 5-4 defeat and knotting the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. Panthers’ three-goal blitz can’t hold Florida looked unstoppable out of the gate. Sasha Barkov potted his sixth of the postseason just 1:12 in, followed by quick strikes from Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe to detonate Amerant Bank Arena. Yet defensive lapses and untimely penalties let Edmonton claw back, culminating in Connor McDavid’s power-play equalizer midway through the third. The dramatic swing echoed the Cats’ Game 3 blowout win that had given them a 2-1 series edge. Star-studded stands, spotlight pressure As if the moment needed more electricity, Taylor Swift and NFL superstar Travis Kelce anchored a celebrity row that kept cameras flashing throughout the night, underscoring just how hot Panthers hockey has become in South Florida media circles. Their presence added national buzz but did little to sway momentum once the Oilers found their rhythm. Keys to a Game 5 rebound in Edmonton 1. Tighten neutral-zone gaps. Florida surrendered odd-man rushes once it fell into protect-the-lead mode. Expect head coach Paul Maurice to re-emphasize aggressive forecheck rotations. 2. Special-teams redemption. The Panthers’ penalty kill allowed two critical goals Thursday. A cleaner approach is mandatory inside Rogers Place’s hostile environment. 3. Sergei Bobrovsky reset. The veteran netminder has carried Vezina-caliber numbers all spring, but traffic management and rebound control betrayed him in Game 4. Schedule, TV and streaming details Game 5 moves north to Rogers Place on Saturday, June 14, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET (TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports). History favors the club winning the pivotal fifth matchup—teams taking Game 5 of a tied Final go on to lift the Cup 79 percent of the time. Why this Stanley Cup Final is a traffic magnet • “Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers” has surged among NHL playoff searches, and OT thrillers only amplify curiosity. • Celebrity attendance broadens reach beyond core hockey fans, driving entertainment-heavy keywords like “Taylor Swift at Panthers game.” • South Florida sports success stories historically juice local and national page views, evidenced by last year’s Heat playoff run. Bottom line for Panthers fans and bettors The Cup dream remains very much alive. Florida has already proven it can win on Edmonton ice, and its trademark resilience surfaced repeatedly during the regular season’s franchise-best 116-point campaign. A bounce-back Bobrovsky performance coupled with Barkov’s two-way dominance could swing momentum right back to the Sunshine State. Stay tuned: we’ll deliver live Game 5 reaction, injury updates and lineup moves as the Stanley Cup Final hurtles toward a dramatic conclusion.