Skinner: 'I'm still processing it'

New York Times

5 hours ago

Florida clinches its second straight title on the back of Sam Reinhart's four-goal performance in Game 6 Getty Images Getty Images
Stuart Skinner said that he's still processing the emotions of losing in the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive years. The key difference in the series, according to the Oilers goaltender, was consistency.
"They played a consistent game," Skinner said. "Our game was up and down." Getty Images
The Oilers are just the third team in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to lose in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years: St. Louis Blues (1968-70)
Boston Bruins (1977-78)
Edmonton Oilers (2024-25) Getty Images
Leon Draisaitl praised his team's compete and battle level, but ultimately acknowledged that it wasn't enough.
"We leave here as losers," he said. "The same takeaway is we didn't win." Getty Images
Yesterday, Aleksander Barkov was one of six players named to Team Finland's Milan Cortina Olympic 2026 squad. Tonight, the Panthers captain is a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion.
Barkov is the first European-born player in NHL history to captain multiple Stanley Cup-winning teams. Getty Images
Two Cups. Two Vezinas. Career .914 save percentage. Men's Worlds gold and goalie award. Consistent 55-65 starts per year in an era where there are fewer and fewer of those guys. Top 10 all-time in wins. Going to break 800 games played. Maybe I answered it myself?
Opening championship odds are usually not all that creative, so it's not a surprise to see the two finalists for the last two years open as the favorites for next year's Stanley Cup. Despite the Panthers beating the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row, it's Edmonton that opens as the favorite ahead of Florida to claim the Cup in 2026.
The Oilers are +650 on BetMGM, with the Panthers next at +750. As it was throughout the playoffs, the odds remain tight at the top. The Colorado Avalanche (+800), Dallas Stars (+850) and Carolina Hurricanes (+900) aren't far behind the top two
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2026 Stanley Cup odds: Oilers ahead of Panthers in opening odds Getty Images
Brad Marchand was long expected to be a Boston Bruin for his entire career. But at the trade deadline, he was dealt to the Panthers.
Now, Marchand is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won his first title in 2011. His 20 playoff points this year are the fourth most in NHL history for a player that was acquired on deadline day. The three players ahead of Marchand are Marian Gaborik (2014 Kings), Mikko Rantanen (2025 Stars) and Marian Hossa (2008 Penguins). Getty Images
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has now led his squad to consecutive Stanley Cup titles and he provided insight into what makes this group special postgame.
"I don't know how we got up the mountain," he told TNT. "We were all standing at the bottom at the start of the year, and it looked pretty high. We had a lot of twists and turns. We covered a lot of miles, we had injuries, but these guys love each other. That's the best I can come up with. It's the truth, and it's the way they treat each other. They care about each other, and that's their energy source. It's the most powerful energy source, and it certainly didn't come from the coach. But they love each other.
"I've been really lucky in my career. I've coached in wonderful cities, had great teams. These guys are different. I haven't met people like this before," he said. "It's the collection of them. There's great men on every team. It's just all of them, every guy." Getty Images
Connor McDavid after losing in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year: "Lost to a really good team. Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in. They're a heck of a team. They're back-to-back Stanley Cup champions for a reason.
"Still a lot of confidence and belief. I don't think people thought we were gonna make it this far. We obviously believed. Came up just short again."
Sam Bennett (5) ranked third in goals during the Stanley Cup Final behind Sam Reinhart (7) and Brad Marchand (6). It's the second time in NHL history that three teammates all scored five-plus goals in the same Stanley Cup Final, following Alex Delvecchio (6), Gordie Howe (5) and Ted Lindsay (5) with the 1955 Red Wings.
Bennett and Marchand also became the second set of teammates in NHL history to each score a goal in Games 1 through 3 of the Final. Getty Images
Nate Schmidt tells me that Aleksander Barkov gave him the captain death stare and that's how he learned he was getting the Cup first. He says it says everything about the Panthers that all the returners who had won the Cup last year took a back seat to all the new guys.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch spoke to Sportsnet following his team's second straight loss in the Stanley Cup Final: 'There is no silver lining to this. It's heart-wrenching.
'It hurts right now and it's not going to let up for a while.'
Enjoy the Panthers lifting the Cup in French. Getty Images
Matthew Tkachuk had a lot of gratitude at the forefront of his mind during his postgame interview on the ice.
"This one, this one's more rewarding to me. Just everything personally, what I had to overcome. I didn't know if I was gonna be playing and it just shows how unbelievable our group is, the depth, everything," he said. "They allowed me to get my footing throughout the playoffs. I owe a lot of people a lot of thank yous. Doctors, medical team, our trainers, equipment guys, all the support staff that doesn't get a lot of credit. I would not be here without them and I own this one."
He also shed light on the injury he dealt with following the 4 Nations Face-Off.
"I tore my adductor off the bone and then had some hernia thing all on the same side. Wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times," Tkachuk said. "I just owe the doctors so much. I really didn't think I'd be playing and or at least playing to my capabilities so the longer the playoffs went, the better I felt, and I owe that to the guys for giving me some wiggle room to feel good."
Spare a thought for Corey Perry, who has now lost five Stanley Cup Finals in the past six years. That's an unbelievable streak of getting close before losing at the final hurdle. The good news is that he did win a championship much earlier in his career.
Perry's SCF appearances: 2007: Ducks beat Senators
2020: Stars lose to Lightning
2021: Canadiens lose to Lightning
2022: Lightning lose to Avalanche
2024: Oilers lose to Panthers
2025: Oilers lose to Panthers
After a group photo with the Stanley Cup, family members of the players step onto the ice. The most memorable is Nate Schmidt's baby in a stroller on the ice.
You can't wipe the smiles off the players' faces. Nothing beats the Stanley Cup trophy ceremony. Getty Images
Tonight's hero for the Panthers, Sam Reinhart, discussed the challenge of repeating as Stanley Cup champions postgame.
"It's not easy coming back. You know how hard it is to do. Sometimes that benefits you and sometimes it doesn't. We just stuck with it," he said.
Reinhart also made sure to show love to his teammate Brad Marchand.
"He's just a gamer, he's so competitive. I've seen it ever since I came into the league. I think everyone's seen it. That's why he's got so much respect and people hate him so much," Reinhart said. "He's a competitor, he's a warrior. He was so motivated right from day one when he got here."
The Florida Panthers take a group photo with the Stanley Cup. It includes players, coaches, and members of the training staff.
Many of the players threw up two fingers. Signifying back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
A fun tradition! Getty Images
The Panthers spent more time leading during this Stanley Cup Final than any previous team in history: 255:49