Panthers Blow Past Oilers to Win Second Consecutive Stanley Cup
The Edmonton Oilers met the Florida Panthers once again for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Panthers entered this game with a 3-2 series lead, making this a must-win game for the Oilers. This series is a revenge run for Edmonton as Florida beat them in the final round last year to become the Stanley Cup Champions. The Oilers needed a win tonight to force Game Seven and return home for a chance at lifting the Stanley Cup. However, the Oilers were just unable to reach the Panthers, and they fell short of a shot at the Stanley Cup.
Sam Reinhart opened the scoring with a snap-shot goal just four minutes and 36 seconds into the first period. Reinhart’s unassisted goal marked the fifth straight game in which the Panthers scored first. To extend the Panthers’ lead, Matthew Tkachuk earned his eighth point of the playoffs with a goal assisted by Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell, with only 47 seconds remaining in the period. Though Edmonton narrowly outshot Florida 10-9 during the first twenty minutes, the Panthers entered the second period up 2-0.
The second period moved much slower as neither team went on a power play, and the score remained 2-0 until over 17 minutes into the period. Reinhart scored his second of the night with a goal that deflected off the post and into the net, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. Despite once again outshooting the Panthers, the Oilers were unable to get on the board this period. The second period ended 3-0 in Florida’s favor.
Things only got better for Florida in the final period. Despite a relatively slow first half, Sam Reinhart took advantage of the empty net, earning himself a hat trick. With the Panthers up 4-0 with around six and a half minutes to play, things weren’t looking great for the Oilers. To make things worse for Edmonton, Reinhart landed a shot right into the empty net once again, scoring his fourth of the game and extending the Panthers' lead. With just five minutes left to play, there wasn’t much the Oilers could do. In the last few minutes of the period, Vasily Podkolzin fired a shot with an assist from Jake Walman and Leon Draisaitl, finally putting the Oilers on the board.
Despite a tough-fought series, the Oilers were unable to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The series ended 4-2 with the Panthers taking it all. This is the second consecutive cup for the Florida Panthers and only their second of all time. With a final score of 5-1, the 2024-2025 NHL season has officially come to a close, and the Florida Panthers are the 2025 Stanley Cup Champions.
