Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final lived up to the billing.

There were early goals, a third-period comeback and an overtime winner in the Oilers’ 4-3 win that brought the roof down at Rogers Place. 

It was a frenzied start to the best-of-sevne series, and Edmonton is now just three wins away from its first Stanley Cup since 1990. 

The oddsmakers have made Edmonton a slight -126 favorite for Friday’s Game 2 in Alberta.

We saw a little bit of everything in Game 1.

The Oilers grabbed an early lead and sent the building into a tizzy, but the Panthers showed their poise and got to the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.

The Cats extended that lead, but then it was Edmonton’s turn to show its superpower and come from behind in yet another game this postseason.

All in all, it’s hard to say we learned anything new from Game 1. Rather, the two teams just reinforced what we already knew about them.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the Oilers was that Stuart Skinner was able to lock in after allowing a couple of goals on the first five shots he faced. 

Skinner wasn’t even the best goalie on the ice in Game 1, but he did what he needed to in order to give the Oilers a chance to win. That’s all they need.

Given the long break and familiarity between these two teams, it felt like Game 1 was always going to be frenetic, as both teams wanted to set a tone.

Game 2 should look a lot different, with the Panthers looking to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole.

Both of these teams have proven to be elite defensively throughout this postseason, and I’d imagine they’ll both want to clean a few things up for Friday night.

THE PLAY: Under 6.5 (-125, BetMGM Sportsbook)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.