The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions once again.
Backed by a clinical defensive performance and a near-flawless outing from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5–1 in Game 6 on Tuesday night, clinching their second consecutive Stanley Cup and sending their home fans into a frenzy.
The Panthers carried a 3–0 lead into the final period and never looked back. Sam Reinhart opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game with a highlight-reel goal and added his second late in the second period. Matthew Tkachuk added another in the final minute of the first period.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Tkachuk had said before the game. “Our fans have given us so much love and support and momentum this year that they deserve this type of game at home.”
They delivered.
Panthers shut down Oilers’ attack
Florida’s defense stifled the high-powered Oilers offense all night, holding Connor McDavid and company to just 20 shots. Bobrovsky turned aside every one of them to post a shutout on hockey’s biggest stage.
The Panthers, who led the series 3–2 heading into Tuesday night, put on a masterclass in team defense reminiscent of their Game 7 win last year to clinch the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Championship mentality from experience
“Experience helps with that kind of stuff, but the most important thing is to stick with your game,” captain Aleksander Barkov said before the puck dropped. “That’s been our whole mindset all playoffs: Every next game, you have to be a little better than the previous game.”
That approach paid off. Florida’s experience from last year’s run showed in their composure and execution throughout the final.
“Whenever you can gain experience and feel like the moment’s not bigger than it is, it helps,” said Evan Rodrigues. “You just go out and play your game.”
With the home crowd roaring and the Oilers stifled, the Panthers played their game and they played it to perfection.
Now, for the second year in a row, the Stanley Cup belongs to South Florida.
