Things are already heating up! As expected, the first match between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers got off to a rough start, and even before the match concluded, there were enough controversies to keep us hooked for a fortnight. However, some NHL experts seem to see these as infractions rather than a controversial call by the match officials.
“I think there’s familiarity there. We know what to expect from their game,” the Oilers’ captain, Connor McDavid, said before the Stanley Cup Finals. However, as the match began, it became apparent that the Florida Panthers still had a few tricks up their sleeves that would catch Edmonton off guard. But Martin Biron, a former NHL goalie, wasn’t having any of the bunnies that the Cats brought out of the hat in the first period.
In a post on X from June 4, the ex-Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers netminder shared his frustrated feelings after looking at Sam Bennett’s first-period goal that put the Florida Panthers back on level terms with the hosts at Rogers Place. Sharing the original post by Shayna of The Athletic, Biron noted his displeasure at how Bennett’s goal was allowed to stand by the refs.
“League doesn’t want to call back goals unless in very obvious. I don’t like this being called a good goal,” grumbled Biron in his post, slamming the Florida Panthers for resorting to debatable tricks to stay in Cup contention. Leon Draisaitl gave Edmonton an early lead. However, just minutes later, at 10:49, Bennett evened the odds. Deflecting the puck from Carter Verhaeghe’s shot, the Panthers forward managed to send the Oilers’ goalie, Stuart Skinner, the wrong way.
0-4!!! League doesn’t want to call back goals unless in very obvious. I don’t like this being called a good goal. Bennett knows exactly what he is doing here and will be doing it all night. https://t.co/13dl1PiM2c
— Martin Biron (@martybiron43) June 5, 2025
However, the hosts wouldn’t take the decision without a fight, and challenged the decision, claiming that Bennett made contact with goalie Stuart Skinner as the puck went in. But the challenge was nullified. Instead, the Oilers were handed a minor penalty as the referees ruled that the Florida Panthers’ star had been tripped. With the latest dismissed challenge, “Coaches are now 0-4 on goalie interference challenges this postseason,” as Shayna notes in her original post.
The story is developing…
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