The Florida Panthers appear to be on a path to greatness, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night, thereby securing their place in the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row.
The Hurricanes fought hard in front of their fans, managing to tie the game at 3-3 with time running out in the third period. However, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov made a brilliant move, evading defenders and assisting Carter Verhaeghe for the decisive goal.
Carolina’s captain, Sebastian Aho, had a standout performance, scoring twice to give his team an early 2-0 lead. Yet, that advantage crumbled in just over four minutes during the second period when the Panthers surged with three consecutive goals.
Multiple players from the Panthers made significant contributions, including Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Sam Reinhart, all of whom recorded two points or more in the game. Their experience in high-stakes playoff scenarios was evident on Wednesday night.
As we watch for the Edmonton Oilers who are vying to reach the Final next, the potential for a rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final looms, with the Oilers needing just one more victory to advance.
Western Conference Final
(2) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers
- Game 1: Stars 6, Oilers 3 | Recap
- Game 2: Oilers 3, Stars 0 | Recap
- Game 3: Oilers 6, Stars 1 | Recap
- Game 4: Oilers 4, Stars 1 | Recap
- Game 5: Thursday, May 29 | 8 p.m. | at DAL | ESPN/ESPN+
- Game 6: Saturday, May 31 | 8 p.m. | at EDM | ABC/ESPN+
- Game 7: Monday, June 2 | 8 p.m. | at DAL | ESPN/ESPN+
Eastern Conference Final
(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) Florida Panthers
