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It’s always a special sight when a team wins the Stanley Cup on home ice.
Florida Panthers fans got to experience that on Tuesday night, watching their team beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 to close out the series in six games to take home hockey’s ultimate prize.
The game was never particularly close, with Sam Reinhart scoring at 4:36 on a snap shot before Matthew Tkachuk made it 2-0 in the final minute of the first. The second period was a tight one, but Reinhart would score his second of the night after knocking in a pass from Aleksander Barkov to make it 3-0.
The Oilers did everything they possibly could to get back into the game, and Vasily Podkilzin would go on to score late in the game. But it didn’t matter, as Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall for the most part, while Reinhart would score two more goals to cap off the night.
Here’s a look at the top standouts from Tuesday’s game as the 2024-25 NHL season comes to a close:
Edmonton Oilers
No. 90 Corey Perry, RW: Perry has now lost five Stanley Cups in the past six years, which is downright absurd. But he tried to carry the team at points tonight, especially as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl kept coming up short. He had some good looks in the offensive zone and made some great passes as well, but just couldn’t find a way to get the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky.
Florida Panthers
No. 19 Matthew Tkachuk, RW: Could you imagine just how good Tkachuk would have been if he were fully healthy? He finished with an incredible 23 points in 23 games despite looking like he was skating on one leg half the time. He scored a big goal today, blocked a few shots and was involved physically, too. The Scottsdale, Arizona native is truly an elite playoff threat – so much so that it felt like he was quiet despite producing at a point per game.
No. 16 Aleksander Barkov, C: Barkov saved his best game for last. This was easily his best forechecking effort, fighting all over the ice to win just about every battle. He made an excellent pass on the 3-0 goal, finding Reinhart in close for the tap-in, but it was Barkov who made that play happen. Barkov never looked 100 percent through the final, but he delivered when they needed him to.
No. 13 Sam Reinhart, RW: After scoring the Cup-clincher a year ago, he did the same again today – and then added three more goals for good measure. Reinhart was recently named to Canada’s Olympic team, with some wondering if it made sense to name him to the initial six. Tonight, he showed why they made the right choice – he’s strong, skilled, and can score from anywhere.
No. 72 Sergei Bobrovsky, G: Bobrovsky proved to be a difference-maker tonight. While Skinner struggled in the Oilers’ net, Bobrovsky was never fazed, keeping Edmonton’s top shooters at bay. He rarely gave up a bad rebound and showed yet again just how clutch he can be when he needs to be. Bobrovsky proved once more why he’s one of the best goaltenders of his generation tonight.
More must-reads:
- The 25 most memorable Stanley Cup-clinching moments
- Hurricanes take care of business, sign star winger to lucrative eight-year extension
- The 'Last Stanley Cup Playoff shutout for each NHL franchise' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
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