Florida Panthers just a win away from 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup

Stephen Whyno · The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 12:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

The Florida Panthers tin triumph the Stanley Cup for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment by beating the Edmonton Oilers successful Game 6 of the last connected Tuesday night.

Their archetypal accidental to clinch the franchise's 2nd title comes astatine location aft a ascendant show successful Game 5 in Edmonton.

"It's a large opportunity," guardant Matthew Tkachuk said. "Our fans person fixed america truthful overmuch emotion and enactment and momentum this twelvemonth that they merit this benignant of crippled astatine home."

Since opening nighttime of their rubric defence, the Panthers person won 32 of 50 games astatine their arena connected the borderline of the Everglades. Their NHL record-tying occurrence of winning 10 connected the roadworthy during this season's playoffs has allowed them the accidental to adjacent retired the Oilers astatine home.

WATCH | Panthers one win distant from winning the Stanley Cup: 

"We don't truly effort to deliberation wherever we are, wherever we play, but evidently it's amusive to beryllium astatine location — person the location energy, person the location crowd, and beryllium capable to play successful beforehand of them," centre Anton Lundell said.

"I'm definite it's going to beryllium a large building, and we're looking guardant to it."

Last year, they mislaid their archetypal effort connected the road, past fto 2 much gaffe distant earlier finishing it disconnected successful Game 7. Players judge going done that prepared them for what is successful beforehand of them now.

"Everything we've benignant of gone through, we conscionable person much experience, truthful you get a small spot much comfy successful the situation," guardant Evan Rodrigues said.

"Whenever you tin summation acquisition and consciousness similar the moment's not bigger than it is, it helps and it helps the nerves and, yeah, you conscionable spell retired and play your game."

For skipper Aleksander Barkov, it's important for the squad to absorption on the present. 

"Experience helps with that benignant of stuff, but the astir important happening is to instrumentality with your game," Barkov said.

"That's the thing. You don't request to alteration anything. You request to conscionable beryllium arsenic bully arsenic possible. And that's been our full mindset each playoffs: Every adjacent game, you person to beryllium a small amended than the erstwhile game."

Skinner to start

Stuart Skinner is getting the telephone with his team's play connected the line.

The Oilers goaltender volition commencement Tuesday 6 with Edmonton facing elimination. Skinner was pulled successful Game 4 aft allowing 3 goals connected 17 shots successful the archetypal period.

Calvin Pickard took implicit and made 22 saves the remainder of the successful the Oilers' 5-4 overtime victory.

The seasoned journeyman got the nett successful Game 5, surrendering 4 goals connected 18 shots successful Florida's 5-2 triumph that moved the Panthers wrong 1 triumph of the team's 2nd consecutive Cup triumph aft topping Edmonton successful 7 past June.

The Oilers are acceptable to marque 2 different lineup changes, with winger Kasperi Kapanen coming successful for Viktor Arvidsson and John Klingberg suiting up successful spot of Troy Stecher connected defence.

Game 7, if necessary, would beryllium Friday successful Edmonton.