The Edmonton Oilers are one win away from a historic Stanley Cup victory after defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight. The Oilers’ triumph ties the series 3-3 and sets the stage for a decisive Game 7 in Sunrise, Florida, on Monday.
Zach Hyman, continuing his exceptional postseason, scored his playoff-leading 16th goal, while Stuart Skinner delivered a stellar performance in goal with 20 saves. Warren Foegele and Adam Henrique were instrumental in the Oilers’ offensive push, each contributing crucial goals.
The Panthers, who held a commanding 3-0 series lead just days ago, now find themselves scrambling for answers. Aleksander Barkov scored Florida’s lone goal, while Sergei Bobrovsky faced an onslaught, stopping 16 of 21 shots.
Edmonton’s offensive surge began early, with Warren Foegele capitalizing on a turnover just outside the offensive blue line. Leon Draisaitl set up Foegele with a perfect saucer pass, resulting in Foegele’s third goal of the postseason.
The Oilers struck again just 46 seconds into the second period. Mattias Janmark found Henrique, who controlled the puck and ripped a shot past Bobrovsky to double Edmonton’s lead.
Barkov appeared to respond quickly for Florida, but Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch’s challenge for offside was successful, nullifying the goal and maintaining Edmonton’s momentum.
Hyman’s breakaway goal late in the second period, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, pushed the Oilers’ lead to 3-0.
Florida managed to break through early in the third period with Barkov’s eighth goal of the playoffs, weaving in front of the net and sliding the puck past Skinner. However, Edmonton’s defense held strong, with Skinner making crucial saves, including a standout stop on Barkov during a 2-on-1 break.
As the Panthers pressed to close the gap, McLeod and Nurse secured the victory with empty-net goals, the latter assisted by Skinner after a terrific save that sparked wild celebrations inside and outside Rogers Place.
Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice acknowledged the challenge ahead: “We need to regroup and find our game again. The Oilers have played exceptionally well, and we need to match that intensity in Game 7.”
The Oilers are attempting to become only the fifth team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0.
Edmonton was electric before and during Game 6, with fans lining up around Rogers Place and filling bars and patios in the city’s downtown core.
Game 7 is scheduled for Monday night in Sunrise, Florida, with both teams vying for hockey’s ultimate prize. The Oilers, riding a wave of momentum, will look to complete their remarkable comeback, while the Panthers aim to recapture the form that saw them take a 3-0 series lead.
| Game 1 | Oilers | 0 | Jun 8 | FLA leads 1 – 0 |
| Panthers | 3 | |||
| Game 2 | Oilers | 1 | Jun 10 | FLA leads 2 – 0 |
| Panthers | 4 | |||
| Game 3 | Panthers | 4 | Jun 13 | FLA leads 3 – 0 |
| Oilers | 3 | |||
| Game 4 | Panthers | 1 | Jun 15 | FLA leads 3 – 1 |
| Oilers | 8 | |||
| Game 5 | Oilers | 5 | Jun 18 | FLA leads 3 – 2 |
| Panthers | 3 | |||
| Game 6 | Panthers | 1 | Jun 21 | Series tied 3 – 3 |
| Oilers | 5 | |||
| Game 7 | Oilers | Jun 24 | Stanley Cup Final Sunrise, FLAmerant Bank Arena 6:00 PM | |
| Panthers |