Daijiworld Media Network – Edmonton
Edmonton, Jun 18: The Florida Panthers dealt a heartbreaking blow to Canadian hockey fans once again, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game Six on Tuesday to clinch the Stanley Cup and stretch Canada’s title drought in the NHL to a painful 32 years.
This marks the eighth time since the Montreal Canadiens' triumph in 1993 that a Canadian team reached the Finals only to fall short. It’s also a second straight Stanley Cup Final loss for the Oilers, who now carry the weight of back-to-back defeats — a feat last seen with the Boston Bruins in 1977-78.
Despite a valiant run and home advantage, Edmonton struggled to find momentum against the dominant Panthers. “Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in,” said a dejected Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “We kept trying the same thing over and over again, banging our heads against the wall... came up just short again.”
Goaltender Stuart Skinner, who started ahead of Calvin Pickard in Game Six, admitted the loss stung. “Letting it happen two times in a row is devastating. We need to learn from this right away, right now,” he said.
The Panthers, now back-to-back champions, showed why they’re the team to beat — winning seven of their last eight games on the road. For the Oilers, the defeat added to Canada's frustration in a sport they once dominated, despite the nation's rich legacy of legends like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Gordie Howe.
Offering a note of hope, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tweeted, “Proud of the Oilers’ grit. Heads high. Next year.”