Stanley Cup Final Game Six: You Always Remember Your 2nd

On July 24, 2024, the Florida Panthers finally reached the mountaintop and became Stanley Cup Champions in Game Seven of that year's Final. Winning the Stanley Cup is intoxicating. It's a beautiful feeling. After eight months overall, and about 100 games of grueling hockey, a team finally reaches the pinnacle and wins the greatest trophy in sports. And just a week shy of a year later, the Panthers were looking to do it again. As for the Edmonton Oilers, they had their backs to the wall and were facing elimination for the first time all year. Their last visit to Sunrise was a victorious one, but they needed to do it again to bring the series back to Edmonton one more time.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in net again for the Panthers, while Stuart Skinner returned to the net for the Oilers after sitting out Game Five. Oilers were leading in shots; having the first five shots in the game. However, when the Panthers finally got a shot on goal, it went in. Sam Reinhart made it 1-0 at 4:36. We saw matching minors committed by Evander Kane and Sam Bennett, and that was the only time all evening that either team was shorthanded. Bobrovsky was still holding the fort down, and in the final minute of the period, Matthew Tkachuk makes it 2-0, and that's the score after 20 minutes.

Even with one period down, I had a feeling that this was a done deal. The Oilers didn't seem to have it. The shots were there, but nothing was going in. Something went in for Florida in the second period, and it was Reinhart again. Second of the game, 3-0 Panthers, and yeah, it was done. Oilers didn't have anything left. The third period was basically a 20 minute countdown. Skinner was pulled for the extra attacker with six minutes left, because, well, ya gotta try something, right? All it did was allow Reinhart to get the Hat Trick. First playoff Hat Trick in Panthers franchise history. Oilers pulled Skinner again. Another goal happens, and it's Reinhart again. Four goals in this game! Holy cow! It was 5-0, and Reinhart was set to be credited with a Cup-clinching goal for the second straight season. Then, Vasily Podkolzin killed the shutout. All that did was make the score look a little bit better than it was, but the overall end result was the same.

The Florida Panthers won Game Six, 5-1, and they are still the Stanley Cup Champions. Back-to-back Cups for the Panthers. Remember when teams winning back-to-back Cups wasn't a thing? The Panthers are the third team to win B2B in the last decade, and that's four Cups for the Sunshine State in this current stretch they're on. This is the first time that a team's first two Cups come in back-to-back fashion since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.

The Panthers have two Cups, but for the first time in franchise history, they have a Conn Smythe winner; remember, Connor McDavid won the trophy last year. Sam Bennett got the trophy; I guess being carried warrants being MVP nowadays, it used to be that you had to actually earn the trophy. If you're going to give that Conn Smythe to a Sam, give it to one who actually scores goals. Sam Reinhart had goals in Game Six than Bennett did during the entire postseason. Yet ironically, none of Reinhart's goals were the Cup clincher--that nod goes to Tkachuk's goal in the final minute of the first period.

Aleksandar Barkov became the first European-born player to captain two Stanley Cup Championship teams (we know who the second will be next year, don't we, Avs fans?). Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky, and the two Sams also have two Cups. You know who else has two Cups? Brad Marchand. The Bruins dealt Marchand out of mercy, and he ends up with Lord Stanley. An ex-Bruin winning after being mercy traded. Where have I heard that song before? But all of those two-time Cup winners are topped by Carter Verhaeghe, who won his third Stanley Cup in his career.

Now to talk about the Oilers. A funny thing happened during this run. I found myself actually enjoying the Oilers. This was not the same Oilers team from past years. The depth was there. They were getting out of jams instead of digging themselves deeper. Many players showed out. Leon Draisaitl did his thing. Eleven goals, but four of them were OT winners. Everybody came through. Corey Perry, God bless him, had clutch goals, but in the end, this is yet another Final loss, leaving his 2007 Cup alone once again. This team, honestly, was special.

However, despite all of the positives, I have to bring out the shovel. Normally, I take joy in burying the Oilers, but not this time. And it's not the entire team I'm putting on blast. It's one player in particular:

Where the hell were you in this series, #97? I watched everybody come through with goals in this years Final, but you know who was off the goal scoring sheet for the most part? Connor McDavid. Now, let's get one thing straight. No way in hell was he duplicating last year. We were not getting Connor McSmythe again. The Oilers didn't need it. But I spent that hole series begging McDavid to put one in. He only had one goal all Final, and that came in Game Five. Reminded me of Kucherov in 2022, but at least McDavid's goal was even strength; Kucherov needed a two-man advantage. Some people are blaming the goaltending. The goaltending was fine. Others say missing Zach Hyman was a detriment. If this was two years ago, I'd have said they were screwed. They hung on despite that in the Final. Edmonton needed #97 to score, and he couldn't get the shots together.

And here's the thing. I nearly cried when they showed McDavid in the final minutes. Dead serious. Last year, it was a full on burial that I enjoyed. This year? I was feeling for him. Year Ten is done and McDavid is still empty-handed. And this year was different. These were not the same lackadaisical Oilers. This team was good enough to get it done, but it didn't happen for them. And here's an interesting wrinkle: next year could be McDavid's last in Edmonton. Next year is the final year of Connor McDavid's current deal with the team and the rumors are flying. Some have McDavid heading to Toronto. Oh man!

So ends another wild and crazy NHL season, and it ended the same way that last year ended, with the Florida Panthers as Stanley Cup Champions. The word "dynasty" is getting thrown around regarding this team. They're not there yet. There hasn't been a three-peat in the NHL in over 40 years. We all remember who prevented the last three-peat attempt, and that certain team will do it again if needed, just saying.

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