The Florida Panthers are once again Stanley Cup champions.
Thanks to a historic four-goal night from Sam Reinhart, the Panthers rolled over the Edmonton Oilers and grabbed a dominant 5-1 win in Game 6 on Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena in South Florida. That officially closed out the series 4-2 and gave the Panthers back-to-back titles and their second championship in franchise history.
The Panthers also beat the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final last season in seven games. They are now the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Tampa Bay Lightning did so in 2020 and 2021. The Oilers’ loss also ensured that Canada’s 32-year dry spell — the country hasn’t had a team win a Stanley Cup since 1993 — continues.
Though he didn’t score on Tuesday night, Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe trophy. He had 15 goals throughout the postseason, including five in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Oilers haven’t won a title since the 1989-90 campaign, which marked their fifth championship in seven seasons. This was their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in the past two decades.
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