It was another storied finish for the Florida Panthers, who took control of the series when they secured a 5-2 win on the road in a crucial Game 5. After that, the momentum was riding on their side, and they didn’t let the chance slip past them as they conquered the series for a promising finish at 4-2, repeating as the Stanley Cup Champions.

They are the first team to pull off the said feat after interstate rivals Tampa Bay Lightning did the same feat in 2020 and 2021. Florida deliberately avoided a repeat of the previous run, where the Oilers managed to force a Game 7. Instead, the Panthers made sure to take control of the game early, and they did not hold back as the barrage of goals came into play.

Florida lifted the Stanley Cup for the second time around, and they made sure that this one would not go the distance as it did last year. Now they will enjoy a promising finish that saw them become champions once more. After all, this is their second in a row – and that remains a rare feat in the NHL, but now there are aspirations of going back-to-back-to-back as well.

Pure Panthers Dominance

Right from the start, it was all Florida. Sam Reinhart opened the scoring gates with a goal just 4:36 into the game with his snap shot, and Matthew Tkachuk followed that up with another wrist shot at 19:13, ending the first quarter with a 2-0 lead for Florida and definitely in a good position to win the game.

Reinhart would then later score the lone goal of the second frame in a shot that was deflected before it went it at 17:31. However, that would not slow down the Panthers star as he went on to score his final two goals in the fourth, giving Florida a 5-0 lead – a very comfortable cushion heading into the final six minutes of the game.

The Oilers tried to make their presence felt, but all they managed was just a lone goal from Vasily Podkolzin. The high-powered Edmonton offense was silenced, and neither Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had good looks for most of the game as they were hounded by the Florida defense.

The Honor Roll for the Panthers

Reinhart became the second player to score four goals in a Stanley Cup clincher, and is also the first player to notch a four-goal hat-trick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in franchise history. Carter Verhaeghe came up with three assists, while Alexander Barkov had two. They are also the second team to beat the same opponent in the Cup Final in two straight seasons after the Canadiens took down the Bruins in 1977 and 1978.

Sam Bennett was named the Stanley Cup Final MVP and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. He led the NHL this postseason with 15 goals in 23 games.

“This is way harder than I thought it would be to win, and to win twice,” Bennett told Sportsnet of the back-to-back titles. “I mean, we put in so much work for this. I’m so proud of this group. It’s incredible the team we have here. I’m so proud of all the guys. It’s the best feeling in the world. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

The Panthers have made history once more, and it seems that they are not slowing down with the way they are playing their best hockey at this point in time.