The Edmonton Oilers got off to a roaring start in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final with a big win in Game 1 against the Florida Panthers.
In a riveting rematch of last year's Cup Final, Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning goal in overtime, lifting his team to a thrilling 4-3 victory at Rogers Place. Draisatl got the assist from star teammate Connor McDavid, who also was involved in a crucial moment earlier in the third period.
McDavid helped tie up the game on a play that none other than Wayne Gretzky predicted live during TNT's Stanley Cup coverage.
"[The Panthers are] playing the Rick Tocchet defense, they got that forward in the middle, they're giving them outside," Gretzky said on-air during the second intermission. "Connor's going to have to take it around the net or stop up and hit the late guy, because they are cutting everything off going to the net."
Sure enough, with roughly six minutes left in the third, McDavid skated around the Panthers' net drawing in two defenders before laying off a perfect pass to Mattias Ekholm for the game-tying goal.
Wayne Gretzky straight up predicted McDavid's 3rd period game-tying assist 🤯🐐 pic.twitter.com/DsIKuz5EkZ
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 5, 2025
Just like the Great One drew it up.
Game 2 of the series is Friday night at Rogers Place.
More on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wayne Gretzky Predicted Connor McDavid’s Game-Tying Assist in Oilers’ Game 1 Win.
