The Florida Panthers captured their second consecutive Stanley Cup with a dominant 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday.
Sam Reinhart made history with four goals in the Cup-clinching win. He’s only the second player in NHL history to score four goals in a Cup-clinching game, joining Babe Dye of the 1922 Toronto St. Patricks.
Reinhart, who scored last year’s Cup-winning goal, opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game.
He stripped the puck from Evan Bouchard, skated around Mattias Ekholm, then beat Stuart Skinner glove-side with an individual effort. Reinhart added another goal late in the second period when a puck redirected off his skate. Two empty-net goals completed his historic night.
Matthew Tkachuk scored the game-winner this time around. He doubled Florida’s lead in the final minute of the opening period when Edmonton’s defensive coverage broke down, allowing him to walk into the slot alone and fire one past Skinner’s glove.
Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding between the pipes for the Panthers, stopping 28 of 29 shots.
His shutout bid ended late in the third period with a goal by Vasily Podkolzin. Bobrovsky joined elite company, becoming the fifth goalie in NHL history with at least two Stanley Cups, two Vezina Trophies, and 400 career regular-season wins. The others are Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Terry Sawchuk, and Jacques Plante.
The Panthers became the third team in the salary-cap era to win consecutive Stanley Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins (2016-17) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-21) accomplished the same feat.
Dominant Playoff Run
Florida faced little resistance during its march to a second straight championship, going 16-7 while outscoring opponents 94-56 in the postseason.
The Panthers needed just five games to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2 pushed Florida to seven games.
The Panthers led for 255:49 during the Stanley Cup Final – more than any team in league history.
Oilers’ Disappointment Continues
The Oilers became the third team in the expansion era (since 1968) to lose in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. The St. Louis Blues (1968-70) and Boston Bruins (1977-78) previously suffered the same fate.
No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
The Oilers have now lost in the finals three times (2006, 2024, 2025). Other Canadian teams that have fallen short in the finals since Montreal’s 1993 victory include the Canadiens (2021), Vancouver Canucks (1994, 2011), Ottawa Senators (2007), and Calgary Flames (2004).
