RALEIGH, N.C. — The Florida Panthers are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final — again. With a poised and unshakable 5-3 comeback win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night at Lenovo Center, the Panthers clinched the Eastern Conference in five games, capturing their third consecutive Prince of Wales Trophy and continuing a dynasty-in-the-making run that shows no signs of slowing.
The night began with the Panthers on their heels. Carolina stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the first period behind a pair of goals from Sebastian Aho, capitalizing on Florida’s defensive miscues. But as they’ve done all postseason — and all of the past three seasons — the Panthers didn’t flinch. Instead, they settled in, absorbed the pressure, and struck back with lethal efficiency.
Matthew Tkachuk opened the floodgates early in the second period, redirecting an Aaron Ekblad shot to snap a power-play drought and slice Carolina’s lead in half. Just 30 seconds later, Evan Rodrigues pounced on a loose puck in front of Frederik Andersen to tie the game, and by the time Anton Lundell tipped home a Brad Marchand feed minutes later, the Panthers had completed a stunning three-goal barrage in under five minutes.
Seth Jarvis briefly reignited hope for Carolina with a tying goal midway through the third, but that too was fleeting. With 7:39 remaining, Aleksander Barkov danced around two defenders and set up Carter Verhaeghe, who buried the game-winner — his 12th career playoff game-winner, extending his franchise record.
The Panthers still had work to do. A late penalty on Sam Bennett gave the Hurricanes a golden opportunity to tie the game with a power play and an empty net, but Florida’s penalty kill — led by a composed Sergei Bobrovsky — stood tall. As Bennett exited the box, he iced the game with an empty-netter, sealing Florida’s return to hockey’s biggest stage.
Bobrovsky made 20 saves, including several key stops late, and the Panthers’ special teams stepped up, killing all six Carolina power plays. Their composure was unshakable — their mindset, unbreakable.
“We were just calm,” said Marchand. “That’s what this team is. We’re calm.”
What would’ve once sparked euphoric celebration was now met with muted satisfaction. No one touched the Prince of Wales Trophy. There were a few smiles, a few hat tosses, and a two-minute “party” in the locker room, as Barkov described it. But nothing more.
“It’s an accomplishment, yes,” Barkov said. “But we didn’t come here to win the East. We came to win the Stanley Cup.”
Since the beginning of the 2023 postseason, the Panthers have won 10 of their last 11 playoff series and boast a 12-5 record in these playoffs. They opened with a five-game series win over the Lightning, overcame a 2-0 series deficit to oust Toronto in seven, and now dispatched Carolina with veteran resolve.
Florida has scored five or more goals in seven of their last eight playoff wins. They’ve gone 3-0 in road series-clinching games this postseason — and 0-2 at home — a curious trend that underscores their ability to thrive under pressure, no matter the setting.
Who they’ll face next remains to be seen. The Western Conference Final could end Thursday night if the Edmonton Oilers close out the Dallas Stars in Game 5. A rematch of the 2024 Final against Edmonton looms, but Florida isn’t concerned with storylines — only results.
“This year, it’s all business,” Tkachuk said. “We’ve been here before. We know what we want. And we’re not done yet.”
The Panthers have a chance to do what only the most elite teams in NHL history have done: win back-to-back Stanley Cups and cement themselves as a modern dynasty. Four wins stand between them and history.
And judging by their cold-blooded focus, they don’t plan on stopping now.
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