The Florida Panthers have solidified their place in hockey history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers to claim the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season. With a commanding 5-1 victory in Game 6, the Panthers clinched the series and became just the third team since 1998 to achieve back-to-back championships, establishing themselves as a significant force in the salary cap era.
This repeat victory caps a remarkable run for the Panthers, who have now appeared in the Stanley Cup Final for three straight years (2023-2025). Their success mirrors the recent “Sunshine State dominance” in the NHL, following the Tampa Bay Lightning’s back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.
Game 6 and Key Performances
The decisive Game 6 saw standout performances from several Panthers. Forward Sam Reinhart was exceptional, scoring four goals to power the offense. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was solid in net, turning away 28 of 29 shots faced. The Panthers’ 5-1 final score in Game 6 reflected their dominance, securing the Cup on home ice.
Bennett Awarded Conn Smythe Trophy
Panthers forward Sam Bennett was named the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the postseason. Bennett led all players in the playoffs with an impressive 15 goals. He also achieved a rare historical feat, becoming one of only two players (alongside Leon Draisaitl in the same postseason) to score a goal in Game 1 of all four playoff rounds this year. Bennett’s scoring wasn’t limited to Game 1s; he finished the Final tied for third on the Panthers with 5 goals, behind Reinhart (7) and Marchand (6). Historically, this marked only the second time in NHL history that three teammates each scored five or more goals in the same Stanley Cup Final.
A Team Built on Bond and Resilience
Head coach Paul Maurice praised his team’s unique chemistry and resilience. “These guys love each other,” Maurice stated, calling this group “different” from any he’d coached before and citing their care for each other as their most powerful “energy source.”
The Panthers battled through significant injuries throughout their playoff run. Captain Aleksander Barkov dealt with a split hand sustained in Game 1 of the Final that required stitches which kept reopening. Sam Reinhart played through a Grade 2 MCL sprain suffered in the Eastern Conference Final. Forward Matthew Tkachuk revealed he played through even more severe injuries – a torn adductor off the bone and a hernia on the same side – injuries so painful he considered giving up at times but persevered thanks to the medical staff and teammates.
Captain Aleksander Barkov also made history off the ice, becoming the first European-born player in NHL history to captain multiple Stanley Cup-winning teams. Veteran forward Carter Verhaeghe lifted the Cup for the third time in his career, adding the two Panthers titles to his 2020 win with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Deadline acquisition Brad Marchand proved instrumental, adding a second Stanley Cup to his career (his first was in 2011). His 20 playoff points were the fourth most all-time for a player acquired at the trade deadline. Marchand also showed offensive flair in the Final, becoming only the second player in the past 59 years (joining Mario Lemieux) to score at least five goals in multiple Stanley Cup Finals and also joining Bennett in a rare feat by scoring a goal in each of the first three games of the series.
The team’s culture was highlighted by actions like returning players who had won the Cup the previous year prioritizing letting newcomers, like Nate Schmidt, lift the trophy first during the on-ice celebration. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s impressive resume now includes two Stanley Cups, two Vezina Trophies, a career .914 save percentage, and Top 10 all-time wins, prompting discussions about his potential Hall of Fame induction.
Adding to their historical dominance, the Panthers led for a total of 255:49 in the Stanley Cup Final, the most time any team has led in the series’ history.
Oilers Fall Short Again, Future Questions Emerge
For the Edmonton Oilers, the loss marked their second consecutive defeat in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers. They are just the third team in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to lose in the Final in back-to-back years, joining the St. Louis Blues (1968-70) and Boston Bruins (1977-78).
Oilers players expressed palpable disappointment. Goaltender Stuart Skinner attributed the loss to consistency, stating Florida played a “consistent game” while Edmonton’s was “up and down.” Forward Leon Draisaitl was blunt, saying, “We leave here as losers… we didn’t win.”
The defeat inevitably raises questions about the future of superstar captain Connor McDavid. McDavid is entering the final year of his eight-year, $100 million contract, with unrestricted free agency looming. While his playmaking was stellar throughout the postseason (7 goals, 26 assists in 22 games), his production dipped in the Final, tallying five points in the first two games but only two more over the remaining four. According to Opta, McDavid is the only player in NHL history with nine straight 90-point seasons without a Stanley Cup win. Despite the loss, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk believes it’s only a matter of time before McDavid lifts the Cup. McDavid himself acknowledged losing to a “really good team” who were back-to-back champions for a reason, adding that his team “came up just short again.”
Coach Kris Knoblauch called the loss “heart-wrenching.” Veteran forward Corey Perry extended an unfortunate personal streak, losing his fifth Stanley Cup Final in the past six years.
A Series to Remember
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final was an epic rematch featuring dramatic moments, including three overtime games and late-game heroics. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky called it “as good of playoff hockey as I can remember watching.”
Looking ahead, the betting market surprisingly lists the Edmonton Oilers as the early favorites (+650) for the 2026 Stanley Cup, narrowly ahead of the repeating champion Florida Panthers (+750), suggesting both teams are expected to remain top contenders next season.
