Reinhart’s 4 goals propel Panthers to 2nd straight Stanley Cup

The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 on Tuesday to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

Sam Reinhart scored four goals, two of which were empty-netters. He’s the second player in NHL history with four goals in a Cup-clinching win, joining Babe Dye of the 1922 Toronto St. Patricks.

Reinhart, who scored the Cup-winning goal a year ago, opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game. He stripped Evan Bouchard of the puck, danced around Mattias Ekholm, then beat Stuart Skinner glove-side for a sensational individual effort. Reinhart added another late in the second period when a puck redirected off his skate.

Matthew Tkachuk notched the game-winner this time around. He doubled Florida’s lead in the final minute of the opening period when a break in Edmonton’s defensive coverage allowed him to walk into the slot all alone and fire one past Skinner’s glove.

Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar between the pipes for the Panthers, stopping 28 of 29 shots. He had his shutout broken late in the third period with a goal by Vasily Podkolzin. Bobrovksy is now the fifth goalie in NHL history with at least two Stanley Cups, two Vezina Trophies, and 400 career regular-season wins, joining Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Terry Sawchuk, and Jacques Plante.

The Panthers are the third team in the salary-cap era to win consecutive Stanley Cups. The others are the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016-17) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-21).

Florida faced little resistance during its march to a second consecutive Stanley Cup, going 16-7 while outscoring opponents 94-56 in the postseason. The Panthers needed just five games to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2 were able to take Florida the distance.

The Panthers led for 255:49 during the Stanley Cup Final – more than any team in league history.

The Oilers are the third team in the expansion era (since 1968) to lose in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, joining the St. Louis Blues (1968-70) and Boston Bruins (1977-78).

No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. The Oilers (2006, 2024, 2025), Canadiens (2021), Vancouver Canucks (1994, 2011), Ottawa Senators (2007), and Calgary Flames (2004) have all lost in the finals since then.

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