End game for the Stanley Cup
Like 2024: NHL title dream for Draisaitl burst again
18.06.2025 – 07:47 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
As in the past year, the Edmonton Oilers are subject to the Florida Panthers in the final series for the Stanley Cup. Leon Draisaitl’s dream bursts again. The trophy comes to Germany anyway.
Again no happy ending for Leon Draisaitl, but great joy with Nico Sturm: The Florida Panthers have secured the most important trophy in ice hockey for the second time in a row.
With a clear 5: 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, they ended the final series after six games. While Sturm was able to cheer again with the title win, Draisaitl missed the longed -for Stanley Cup – like in 2024 against the same team.
Draisaitl had shone in this year’s playoffs with 11 goals and 22 assists. In the last game in Sunrise, near Miami, he did not make a single shot on goal. Oilers captain Connor McDavid also remained pale. Instead, it was Sam Reinhart who became a match winner for Florida with four goals.
“It is not easy to come back. You know how hard it is. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not. But now we are here and have managed this task,” said Reinhart. Florida had already met Edmonton in the final last year – after a long struggle, the Panthers had prevailed in seven games. This time the decision was made earlier.
After the meantime 2: 2 series compensation, the Panthers took control. The 5: 2 in Edmonton now followed the sovereign home win for winning the title. Already after the first third, the hosts led 2-0 through goals from Reinhart (5th) and Matthew Tkachuk (20th).
A mistake by Oilers goalkeeper Stuart Skinner enabled Reinhart his second goal of the evening. When the guests took their keeper off the ice in the final phase, the Panthers used the situation ice cold again: Reinhart scored into the empty goal and increased to 4: 0, shortly afterwards he scored his fourth goal.
Wassili Podkolsin shortened shortly before the end – it was not more than cosmetic results. Sam Bennett was elected as the most valuable player in the playoffs, who scored 15 goals in the decisive phase of the season and prepared seven more.
“We lost to a really good team,” said McDavid. “Nobody gave up, nobody threw the towel, but that’s just a damn good team. They defended the Stanley Cup for good reason.”