Kasperi Kapanen cut through the neutral zone, knifed past a pair of flat-footed defenders, avoided a desperate poke check — and then chimed the puck off Sergei Bobrovsky’s left post.

The Edmonton Oilers winger came within centimetres of penning a dramatic overtime ending to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

His team would secure that victory later in the extra period when Leon Draisaitl finished off a beautiful power-play sequence.

Kapanen was in the middle of the wild celebrations following that 4-3 triumph Wednesday as his team grabbed an early lead against the Florida Panthers in a rematch of the NHL title series.

It was a place he felt fortunate to be after a roller-coaster season that marked the latest chapter of an up-and-down career.

“The best days of my life right now,” Kapan

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