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SUNRISE, Fla. — Stanley's stay in South Florida is getting extended.The Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the final on Tuesday night, becoming the NHL’s first back-to-back winners since Tampa Bay in 2020 and ’21 and the third team to do it this century.Sam Reinhart scored four goals, becoming just the sixth player in league history and first since Maurice Richard in 1957 to get that many in a game in the final. His third to complete the hat trick sent rats, along with hats, flying onto the ice. Matthew Tkachuk, one of the faces of the franchise, fittingly scored the Cup clincher.More rats were part of the victory celebration when the clock hit zeroes. Panthers players mobbed in the corner, while the Oilers watched in dismay.“Good evening, South Florida,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said before presenting the trophy to captain Aleksander Barkov. “It feels like we just did this.”Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced, closing the door on a rematch with the same end result. The only goal came from fellow Russian Vasily Podkolzin in garbage time, long after the outcome was decided.That was followed by chants of “We want the Cup!” as time ticked down. The Panthers already had it. Now they get to keep it.“This is as good as the first one," Reinhart said. “We learned some lessons. We stayed on the gas, foot on the pedal, and obviously the result speaks for itself.”Not long after the Lightning made three trips to the final in a row, Florida has done the same and now has the makings of a dynasty. The Panthers have won 11 of 12 playoff series since T kachuk arrived by trade and Paul Maurice took over as coach in the summer of 2022.“We’ve got to be a dynasty now," Tkachuk said. “Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.”The only time they have been on the wrong side of a handshake line was the final in Vegas in 2023, only after several key players were banged up and gutting through significant injuries.From the core of Tkachuk, Reinhart, Barkov and Sam Bennett on down the roster, they were much healthier this time around and were boosted by key trade deadline additions Brad Marchand and Seth Jones. Bennett led all goal-scorers this postseason with 15, and Marchand had six in the final alone.Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Barkov handed the Cup to first-time champion Nate Schmidt, and all the others winning it for the first time got it soon after.“It’s amazing to be able to be here," Schmidt said. "I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”Getting depth contributions from throughout the lineup allowed them to overpower Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers, who struggled with Florida’s ferocious forecheck and switched goaltenders multiple times in the final. Stuart Skinner got the nod in Game 6 and was again done in by mistakes in front of him that ended with the puck in the net behind him and had his own blunder on Reinhart’s second goal.McDavid tried to take over but was again stymied by Barkov, Jones and Bobrovsky. He finished with seven points in his second career trip to the final, again denied his first title.The Panthers spent more time leading during this Stanley Cup Final than any previous team in history, 255:49 minutes in all.“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.”Canada’s Stanley Cup drought reached 31 seasons and 32 years dating to Montreal in 1993. Teams in the U.S. Sun Belt have won it five of the past six times, four of them in Florida.This run through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven, Carolina in five and Edmonton in six showed how clinical the Panthers have become under Maurice, who has coached more NHL games than everyone except Scotty Bowman and is now a two-time champion.So is Marchand, who last hoisted the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins. The 14-year gap is the third-longest in league history, just shy of 16 for Chris Chelios from 1986 to 2002 and 15 for Mark Recchi from ’91 to ’06.“It’s incredible," Marchand said. “It’s a feeling you can’t really describe. Seeing the family and everyone up there and everyone that supported me and helped me get to this point, words can’t put this into reality how great it feels. Such an incredible group.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was taken to the hospital on Tuesday after experiencing an allergic reaction, her spokesperson said.“She is alert and recovering,” said the statement from department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, who said the hospital treatment was out of an “abundance of caution.” Noem, 53, heads a sprawling department with roughly 260,000 employees handling immigration enforcement, airport security, disaster response and other matters.She has been among the more high-profile members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, traveling extensively and maintaining a robust social media presence.She is often the public face of his mass deportation effort, frequently goes out on immigration enforcement operations and has appeared in commercials encouraging immigrants in the country illegally to voluntarily leave the U.S.She held a news conference last week in California where U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, was forcibly removed as he tried to speak to Noem about immigration raids. Padilla recalled the incident during an emotional speech from the Senate floor Tuesday.Homeland Security said the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the secretary, “thought he was an attacker.” They also accused Padilla of creating “disrespectful political theater." Video of the incident shows a Secret Service agent on Noem’s security detail grabbing Padilla by his jacket and shoving him from the room. In the hallway outside he was forced to the ground and handcuffed.Noem told Fox LA afterward that she had a “great” conversation with Padilla after the scuffle, but called his approach “something that I don’t think was appropriate at all.”Before being tapped to head Homeland Security, Noem was a two-term governor of South Dakota, a former member of Congress and a staunch Trump supporter.She has said she specifically asked Trump for the Homeland Security portfolio because she knew it dealt with Trump's top priorities.Earlier this year Noem’s purse was stolen on Easter Sunday while she was out to dinner with her family. The purse reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash, her keys, driver’s license, passport and Homeland Security badge. The Homeland Security Department said Noem had cash in her purse to pay for gifts, dinner and other activities for her family on Easter.A suspect was later arrested in connection with the theft and has been charged in federal court with aggravated identity theft, robbery and fraud.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong gave the fans something to chant about twice in an inning as the Cubs beat the Brewers 5-3 on Tuesday to open a series between National League Central rivals at Wrigley Field.In the top of the eighth, Crow-Armstrong robbed Brice Turang of a double. He cut off a line drive in the gap in left-center field and made a diving catch, holding on to the ball as he somersaulted to his feet.‘‘P-C-A!’’Crow-Armstrong then led off the bottom of the eighth with a home run off the right-field scoreboard on the first pitch he saw.What started as chants of ‘‘P-C-A!’’ morphed into those of ‘‘M-V-P!’’‘‘That’s the best right there,’’ Crow-Armstrong said of the fan support. ‘‘It’s so personable and just feels super-real and cool.’’In the Cubs’ first game since MLB’s All-Star balloting update showed Crow-Armstrong leading NL outfielders in voting, he showed the impact he can make at the plate and in the field.His catch made a perfect inning possible for left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar. His homer gave the Cubs welcomed insurance after four consecutive low-scoring games against the Pirates.‘‘He’s playing at as high a level as I’ve seen a center fielder play,’’ manager Craig Counsell said.That’s three decades of major-league experience as a player, executive and manager talking.‘‘He’ll play so hard, no matter what,’’ said Cubs starting pitcher Ben Brown, who held the Brewers to two runs in five innings. ‘‘As a team, we’re just incredibly blessed to have him out in center field.’’On a humid night with the wind blowing out, the only runs Brown allowed came on a two-run homer by Isaac Collins in the second inning.The Cubs cut the Brewers’ lead to 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning when Nico Hoerner scored from first base on Matt Shaw’s line-drive double into the gap in right-center field.Then they got their big swing from Seiya Suzuki in the fifth.With one out, Ian Happ drew a walk before Kyle Tucker hit a towering fly ball that threatened to leave the ballpark. The ball had a little too much loft, however, and it hit the wall on the way down and kicked out for a double. Suzuki followed with a no-doubt homer to give the Cubs a 4-2 lead.‘‘That was the hit of the game,’’ Crow-Armstrong said.Reflecting the Cubs’ recent string of close games, Suzuki’s homer ended a streak of 36 consecutive innings during which they had finished within one run of their opponent. It was the Cubs’ longest such streak since August 2003, team historian Ed Hartig said.Suzuki briefly pulled even with Crow-Armstrong for the team lead with 18 homers before Crow-Armstrong took back the distinction by himself.After the Brewers pulled to 4-3 on an RBI single by Joey Ortiz in the sixth, Crow-Armstrong sent a cutter over the right-field wall in the eighth to close the scoring.At an estimated 452 feet and with an exit velocity of 111.5 mph, according to Statcast, it was the longest homer and hardest-hit ball of Crow-Armstrong’s career.

When Jeff Pagliocca sent the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft to the Mystics for Ariel Atkins, he had both a need and a vision.He needed a dynamic guard who could create on offense. And his vision was that Atkins, entering her prime at 28, could become a top-10 player in the WNBA.“There’s gonna be times we ask her to go into alpha mode,” Pagliocca said during training camp.The Sky could’ve used an alpha Tuesday against the Mystics at Wintrust Arena. After building a 16-point lead in the first half, they scored just 28 points in the second half and fell 79-72. Turnovers were again a problem, with the Mystics scoring 40 points off them.“We got pretty comfortable,” Angel Reese said. “We got super lax going into that third quarter. We had 20 great minutes and then maybe five more and that was it from us.”Atkins, who played efficiently in the first half when the Sky were dominating the paint, faded late. She took just two shots in the fourth quarter — both desperation heaves with time running out.“I think I’ve been passive for a really long time,” Atkins said before the game. “I think the coaches here are asking me to tap into something that I 100% can do. I’m getting there.”Atkins already has had an impressive career that includes five All-Defensive team selections, three All-Star nods and an Olympic gold medal. But this might be the most she ever has been asked to score.In Washington, she was always a co-star. This season, there was a stretch at the end of May when she looked like she might be trending toward superstar territory, averaging 21.3 points in three games. But in three other games, she scored fewer than 10 points.Few would question Atkins’ excellence. But the trade was controversial because of how much draft capital the Sky gave up to get her — especially for a team still far from contending.What has made it even more controversial is the season that Sonia Citron, the Mystics’ No. 3 pick, is having.Entering Tuesday, Citron was averaging 13.4 points on 47.2% shooting. Atkins was averaging 12.9 points on 42.5%.On Tuesday, their box scores looked strikingly similar. Citron finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Atkins posted 10 points, seven assists and two steals.That there’s debate over who will become the better player is expected in a trade involving a lottery pick. That there’s debate about who’s more productive right now — just a few months into the season — is unusual.Still, Pagliocca believes the value goes beyond the stat sheet.“Our culture means more to us than anything else,” he said. “Obviously winning will trump that, but without a strong locker room, culture and practice habits — like, who are you?”Atkins, a WNBA champion, is already influencing younger teammates with the level of detail she brings to her preparation. Even if Citron is having the better season, Atkins has a more complete body of work. And the Sky believe that experience matters.In the end, the trade might come down to one word: control.Pagliocca has expressed hesitation about building solely through the draft because you can’t control who will be available. But once a player is drafted, you control their rights for four years and can build around them.Citron, according to Mystics coach Sydney Johnson, will be a long-term building block in Washington. Pagliocca will still have to convince Atkins to remain in Chicago beyond this season.And for Atkins to stick around long-term, winning will likely matter most.

A whirlwind month for freshly arrived first baseman Ryan Noda put him through the business-side wringer of baseball, only to see him realize a boyhood dream.Noda grew up a White Sox fan in northwest suburban Fox Lake, graduating from Grant in 2014.The Sox picked him up last week off waivers from Boston, putting him in line for regular playing time at first in the wake of Andrew Vaughn’s trade to the Brewers and Tim Elko’s demotion to Triple-A Charlotte.The glove-first journeyman went hitless in his first two games with the Sox over the weekend in Texas and relished his first home game with his hometown team as a late defensive replacement in the 12-2 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.“It’s a dream,” Noda said. “It’s definitely a sweet moment for me coming back here and being able to put on the pinstripes for the first time and have the family in the stands.”Noda and his Sox-fan dad and brother are outnumbered by Cub fans on his mother’s side of the family.“Now they’re just like, ‘Well, I guess we’ve got to put on the black and white.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you do,’ ” Noda said.Drafted in the 15th round by the Blue Jays in 2017, Noda’s winding major-league road hit a high point with the Athletics in 2023, when he batted .229 with 16 home runs and 54 RBI in 128 games.It has been more downs than ups since then, with the Sox marking his third organizational stop since mid-May.“You never know in this business, and my last couple of months, I’ve seen the business side of the game,” Noda said.He figures to find playing time against right-handed pitchers, as infielders Miguel Vargas and Lenyn Sosa cycle in at first base, according to manager Will Venable.But how long Noda lasts on the rebuilding Sox is anyone’s guess.“He’s just gonna have to hit some balls hard,” Venable said. “This is a situation where offensively we need some help and we’ve highlighted him as somebody with a skill set that we can throw in the mix to give us competitive at-bats.”Tauchin’ All-Star Game?The stat line isn’t screaming “All-Star” for Mike Tauchman — but more than 177,000 fans are.The Sox right fielder was running third in All-Star Game fan voting among American League designated hitters as of Monday, behind the Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn and the Yankees’ Ben Rice.Never mind that Tuesday’s game was only Tauchman’s fifth start of the season at DH, or that a hamstring injury put him on the shelf for a month and a half.The Palatine native is batting a respectable .264 with four home runs and 13 RBI while providing veteran leadership in a young clubhouse that needs it.Tauchman is a known commodity to the vote-heavy fan bases of the Yankees and Cubs, where he has previously played. But don’t tell that to Venable.“Mike Tauchman deserves every one of those votes and the attention on his performance because he’s been awesome,” the manager said.Sosa, who returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing 12 games with a hip injury, was the only other Sox player cracking the top 10 at any position, running in 10th place among AL second basemen. One of the steadiest bats in a dismal offense, Sosa is slashing .274/.291/.383 with four homers and 17 RBI.Voting runs through June 26.Coming and goingStarter Jonathan Cannon, who landed on the injured list earlier this month with a strained lower back, threw a bullpen session Tuesday, has another scheduled Friday and could head to a rehab assignment next week.Utility man Brooks Baldwin’s second stint with the Sox this season lasted only three games as he was shipped back to Charlotte.