Panthers Devour Yet Another Stanley Cup Dream: Reinhart Crushes Draisaitl's once more
Mercyless obliteration of Draisaitl's Stanley Cup aspirations by Reinhart continues.
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Leon Draisaitl's relentless pursuit for the Stanley Cup has met another unfortunate end, falling short for the second consecutive year at the hands of the Florida Panthers. With the Edmonton Oilers, the German star suffered his sixth NHL final defeat, losing the best-of-seven series 2:4, just like last year. The 2023 series ended in a string of three straight defeats for the Oilers.
Once again, Nico Sturm enjoyed the sweet taste of NHL triumph. The Augsburger, who didn't grace the final series, owned the Stanley Cup already in 2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. Sam Reinhart proved unstoppable in the series finale, claiming the decisive fourth win as early as the wee hours of Wednesday, with a quadruple (5/38/54/55). "We lost to one damn good team," said Edmonton's superstar Conor McDavid. "The Panthers defended the Stanley Cup for a good reason."
The Oilers were ambitious to force a game seven in their home arena after suffering a 2:5 home defeat caused by Reinhart's hat-trick in the first period. The Panthers utilized the first match point to secure their neighborhood crown, making the Oilers the first team since the Tampa Bay Lightning (2021) to successfully defend their title. The prolonged wait for an NHL championship in hockey's homeland persists. The last time the coveted trophy was hoisted by a Canadian champion was 1993, by Montreal Canadiens.
Goalie Skinner's Nightmare
Draisaitl, who netted the overtime winners against the Panthers in the regular season, failed to register any points in the series' finale at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. The Cologne-born forward, who ranked first in the regular season with 52 goals and came second in the MVP voting behind goalie Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), concluded the final series with four goals and four assists. In a historic feat, Draisaitl became the first player ever to score four overtime goals in the playoffs. The illustrious title remained elusive.
Upon being questioned about the two Stanley Cup defeats, Draisaitl didn't want to draw comparisons. "It always hurts, I don't know. There's no 'more or less'. It feels the same," he said, sounding a bit miffed. Asked about potential lessons, he was a bit heated. "The lesson is that we didn't win. What does anyone care? We've got to try again next year."
The Panthers seized the early lead in Game 6, with Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk both finding the back of the net, and Stu Stuart Skinner committing an error that led to Reinhart's second goal. The Panthers' exceptional defense and the Oilers' inability to capitalize on a powerplay opportunity resulted in Reinhart scoring his third goal into the empty net, making it 4:0. Vasily Podkolzin managed a consolation goal before the final whistle, but the game was long over by then.
Source: ntv.de, tno/dpa/sid
Insights
- The Panthers secured back-to-back Stanley Cup victories, marking the first time since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 that a team had repeated as champions.
- Sam Reinhart displayed a remarkable performance in Game 6, with a hat-trick and four goals overall. His fourth goal was scored into an empty net, essentially sealing the series for the Panthers.
- Matthew Tkachuk was instrumental in the series, netting the Cup-clinching goal in the final game.
- The Panthers' defense was a force, with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky making 28 saves out of 29 shots, effectively shutting down the Oilers' offense.
- The loss was tough for Draisaitl, who failed to develop the consistency necessary to lead the Oilers to victory – a setback that he would likely aim to correct in the following season.
Sports enthusiasts will be disappointed as the Edmonton Oilers' pursuit for the Stanley Cup once again fell short, losing to the dominant Florida Panthers in the NHL final. Despite Leon Draisaitl's impressive regular season performance, scoring four overtime goals in the playoffs, he could not prevent a series loss, finishing the final with four goals and four assists. In contrast, the unstoppable Sam Reinhart claimed a decisive victory for the Panthers, scoring four goals, including a hat-trick in the series finale.
