Panthers Snatch Stanley Cup Again, Draisaitl's Dream Crushed by Reinhart's Rampage
Relentless Reinhart thwarts Draisaitl's Stanley Cup aspirations with brutal ruthlessness.
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Leon Draisaitl's Stanley Cup fantasy hits a roadblock yet again - a harsh repeat of last year's defeat: Much like last year, the Edmonton Oilers succumb to the brutal dominance of the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. This time they're ruthless, with Sam Reinhart mercilessly crushing Draisaitl's dreams.
Once more, Draisaitl's Stanley Cup dream shatters, leaving him short of the prize once again, just like last time against the Florida Panthers. With the Oilers, the German ice hockey champion met his sixth NHL final loss at the hands of the Panthers 1:5, losing the best-of-seven series 2:4. A year ago, Florida clinched the victory 4:3.
Draisaitl's latest loss fueled Nico Sturm's second NHL triumph. The Augsburg-native, who missed the final series, had already claimed the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Reinhart sealed the decisive fourth win in the early hours of Wednesday, with a remarkable four-goal performance (5/38/54/55). "We faced a truly exceptional team," conceded Edmonton's superstar Conor McDavid. "Nobody gave up, no one threw in the towel, but these guys are really good. They've kept the Stanley Cup for a reason."
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After a 2:5 home loss, the Oilers were under immense pressure in Sunrise and needed to secure a win to force a decider in their own arena. But the Panthers seized their first match point, becoming the first team since the Tampa Bay Lightning (2021) to successfully defend their title. The prolonged wait in the NHL for the championship trophy on home soil continues. The last time reigning champions Montreal Canadiens won the trophy was in 1993.
Goalie Skinner Misses the Mark Big Time
Draisaitl, who managed the winning goals for the Oilers against the Panthers in overtime last year, had a goalless outing at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. The Cologne native, who led the league with 52 goals in the regular season and finished second in the MVP voting behind goalie Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), ended the final series with four goals and four assists. Draisaitl set a record as the first player in NHL history to score four overtime goals in the playoffs, but it wasn't enough to finally capture the title.
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Draisaitl himself did not want to equate the two cup defeats. "It always hurts. I don't know. There's no 'more or less'. It feels the same," said the German. When asked about possible lessons from the defeat, he became slightly agitated. "The moral of the story is that we didn't win. That's all that matters. No one is impressed. We'll have to give it another shot next year."
The Panthers seized control early in the sixth game of the series and led 2:0 after the first period. Reinhart opened the scoring in the fifth minute and, just 47 seconds before the buzzer, Matthew Tkachuk made it 2:0. A sloppy play by Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner allowed Reinhart to score his second goal. The Panthers exhibited few discernible flaws and extended their lead when the Oilers pulled their goalie with seven minutes remaining and fielded six players instead: 26 seconds later, Reinhart scored into the empty net to make it 4:0. His fourth goal of the day to make it 5:0 sealed the game, with Vasili Podkolzin's goal only serving as a consolation.
Source: ntv.de, tno/dpa/sid
- NHL
- Leon Draisaitl
- Ice Hockey
Fun Fact:
Did you know that Sam Reinhart's four-goal performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final Game 6 was the first such feat since Maurice Richard's performance in 1957? Furthermore, Reinhart became the first player to score four goals in a Stanley Cup-clinching game since Babe Dye in 1922 - and he joins an exclusive club of Stanley Cup final MVPs and Hockey Hall of Famers in this remarkable accomplishment.
In the world of sports, Leon Draisaitl's aspirations for the Stanley Cup once again faced a setback as the Florida Panthers, reigning champions, dominated the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL's ice hockey finals. Despite Draisaitl's impressive performance throughout the season and the playoffs, including setting a record for four overtime goals, he could not prevent a 1:5 loss, marking his sixth NHL final defeat. Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart, a key player for the Panthers, demonstrated his skills with a remarkable four-goal performance, particularly in Game 6, mirroring Babe Dye's achievement in 1922.
