Oilers Eliminated, Panthers Win Stanley Cup Again

The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Final after a 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 6, marking Florida's second straight championship and extending Canada's Stanley Cup drought to 32 years. Goaltender Stuart Skinner started for Edmonton after being benched in Game 5, but the Oilers struggled with slow starts and offensive inconsistency. Florida's Sam Reinhart scored a hat trick, including two empty-net goals, to seal the victory. Coach Kris Knoblauch had expressed confidence in Skinner's ability in elimination games, but the team could not force a Game 7. John Klingberg and Kasperi Kapanen returned to the Oilers' lineup in an effort to spark a comeback. The Oilers became just the third team in the NHL's post-expansion era to lose consecutive Cup Final appearances.