HIGHLIGHTS
- The Oilers lost the Stanley Cup to the Panthers on Tuesday
- Connor McDavid had a blunt assessment of the series
- Keep reading to see what the superstar said
Another year, another Stanley Cup Finals loss for the Edmonton Oilers.
For the second straight season, the Western Conference champions fell on the big stage to the Florida Panthers, who beat the Oilers in six games on Tuesday evening. But, compared to last June, this series was far more lopsided.
Kris Knoblauch’s squad needed overtime to notch their two victories and had to overcome deficits to even force OT in both games. Edmonton also fell flat on their faces in Games 5 and 6, losing the clincher 5-1 on the road. This was far from the team we saw in the first few rounds of the playoffs.
Following the heartbreaking defeat, Connor McDavid tipped his cap to the Panthers and resigned to the fact that Florida proved they’re a better team.
Via The Athletic:
“We lost to a really good team,” McDavid said. “Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in, but they’re a heck of a team. They’re back-to-back Stanley Cup champions for a reason.”
Last year, the Oilers were down 3-0 and proceeded to win three straight to force a Game 7, which ended 2-1. Edmonton left everything they had on the ice. While McDavid insists no one threw in the towel during this series, they were simply outclassed.
Calvin Pickard struggled as he got the call in Game 5 before Stuart Skinner returned to the crease in Game 6. He also didn’t play well. The Oilers were outscored 10-3 across the final two contests of the Finals.
Edmonton was in a 2-2 series deadlock heading into Game 5 at home and had every opportunity to finally get revenge on the Cats. But, they didn’t step up.
“Last year, we were playing for it. This year we weren’t,” defenseman Mattias Ekholm said, referring to the fact that the Oilers got to Game 7, via The Athletic. “So, that may give you the answer.”
The last time a Canadian team won a Stanley Cup was in 1993, and that drought continues to live on. The Oilers will be looking to finally get over the hump in 2025-26, but the road to finally lifting Lord Stanley may have the Panthers standing in their way again.
