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The sun has risen on Amerant Bank Arena as the Florida Panthers dominated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, winning 5–1. With that victory, the Panthers clinched back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, both courtesy of the Oilers.
Sam Reinhart, in particular, delivered a phenomenal performance. He scored an astonishing four goals in the clincher. His final tally brought his series total to seven goals. Remarkably, that matches a feat last accomplished by none other than the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky.
In fact, only four players have scored seven goals in a Stanley Cup Final series over the past 100 years. Sam Reinhart has now joined that exclusive club. He follows Jean Béliveau for Montreal in 1956, Mike Bossy for the Islanders in 1982, and Wayne Gretzky for the Oilers in 1985.
Additionally, Reinhart became the first player since 1957 to score four goals in a single Stanley Cup Final game. That feat was last achieved by Maurice “Rocket” Richard in Game 1 of the Final for the Montreal Canadiens against the Boston Bruins.
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From the start, Reinhart rose to the occasion. In the tense atmosphere of Game 6, he broke the ice with an unassisted goal following a steal. Then, just before the end of the first period, he struck again. This time, he finished off a setup that gave Florida a commanding 3–0 lead. After a mostly quiet second period, Reinhart once more found the net with under three minutes left in regulation. He completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal in the third. Moments later, he capped off the night with a stunning fourth goal.
Meanwhile, the Oilers managed to get on the board with a late goal from Vasily Podkolzin. However, closing a four-goal deficit with under five minutes remaining proved impossible. As the final horn sounded, plastic rats poured onto the ice. It was a familiar Florida tradition that marked yet another Stanley Cup triumph.
Ultimately, this win propels the Panthers into elite company. They now become just the fourth team in the last 30 years to claim back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Florida joins the Detroit Red Wings (1997–98), Pittsburgh Penguins (2016–17), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020–21). With this, they have firmly secured their place in modern NHL history.
At the heart of it all was Sam Reinhart. On hockey’s biggest stage, he didn’t just rise to the occasion; he dominated it. With seven goals in the series and a four-goal masterpiece in Game 6, Reinhart etched his name alongside the legends of the game. As rats rained down and confetti flew, one thing became clear: The Panthers aren’t just champions, they’re building a dynasty.
