The 2025 Stanley Cup Final ended just like last NHL season for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers: in utter heartbreak. The Florida Panthers have become the public enemy number one in Alberta—at least in Edmonton, not so much in Calgary. Following the gut-wrenching loss in Game 6, McDavid seemingly took a candid shot at Kris Knoblauch’s tactics.
McDavid and the Oilers simply can’t catch a break in the NHL. There might be nothing more painful that coming in second, and Edmonton has now experienced that feeling in consecutive years. As the memories at Amerant Bank Arena will haunt them for a long time, it’s safe to say McDavid and company won’t be traveling to Florida this summer.
The Oilers were simply outplayed by the Panthers. The reigning, back-to-back Stanley Cup champions imposed their will in dominant fashion. Whenever Florida got going, Edmonton had no answers.
That sentiment of impotence was shared around the Oilers’ locker room. The Cats neutralized McDavid, and when the star looked back at the bench for guidance from Knoblauch, he didn’t like the suggestions.
“We kept [expletive] trying the same thing over and over again, banging our heads against the wall,” McDavid said after the game, per NHL.com. “Credit to [the Panthers], they played well. Their forecheck was great, they tilted the rink. They were able to stay on top of us all over the place and we were never really able to generate any momentum up the ice.”
McDavid’s vivid postgame comment might be a product of his discomfort following yet another loss in the Final. It must be taken with a grain of salt, but it could also hint at a rift between the players and the coach. It’s safe to say, an eye must be kept on the Oilers during the NHL offseason.
At some point, they must walk the talk
McDavid and the Oilers voiced several promises throughout the Stanley Cup Final, yet they failed to deliver in most of them. It’s a hard truth Edmonton must accept. However, it isn’t necessarily a knock on the Oilers as much as it is an ode to the Panthers.
Florida knew it would be hosting a desperate version of Edmonton in Game 6. But it was never fazed. McDavid and the Oilers came out of the tunnel swinging, but the Cats stood their ground. And on their opponent’s first misstep, they pounced. Florida scored on its first shot on goal, a sign of the long night ahead for Edmonton. Still, the Panthers’ evening was even longer—extending well into the next day’s noon in Las Olas Blvd.
“We kept on saying we want to try and win a 2-1 game and we never found a way to do that, obviously,” McDavid added. “They have great players. How many guys had 20-plus points in the postseason? They’re as deep as it comes.”
No sugar-coating it
The Oilers are tired of having to feel sympathy for themselves and how long they’ve come in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the end of the day, nobody remembers who lost to legends like Wayne Gretzky in the Final. What is remembered is he had hoisted four Cups before turning McDavid’s age, while the latter has yet to win his first.
Moreover, those who lose in the Stanley Cup Final never forget how much it hurts. And there’s apparently no medication to ease the pain away.
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“There’s no silver lining to this. It’s still heart-wrenching, it’s very difficult to handle right now,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch admitted. “Just because we were maybe the underdogs going into the L.A. series, the underdogs going against Vegas and the Dallas series, it hurts right now and I don’t think it’s going to let up for a while.”