The horn sounded, and the Florida Panthers casually vaulted over the boards to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, sealing a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The celebration was understated, almost businesslike — a nod to the reigning Cup champions’ laser-focused mission to defend their crown.
The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-3 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night, clinching the series 4-1 and again denying Carolina a long-awaited return to hockey’s grandest stage.
Florida captain Aleksander Barkov delivered a highlight-reel assist on Carter Verhaeghe’s go-ahead goal with 7:39 left in regulation, breaking a 3-3 tie and silencing the home crowd just minutes after Seth Jarvis had pulled the Hurricanes even. Sam Bennett added the finishing touch with an empty-netter in the final minute — skating directly out of the penalty box to bury a loose puck and extinguish any hope of a Carolina rally.
The Panthers‘ second-period eruption had flipped the script after a rocky start. Down 2-0 following a pair of Sebastian Aho goals off neutral-zone giveaways, Florida responded with three goals in a furious stretch, including two within 30 seconds. Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues, and Anton Lundell all scored on consecutive shots to stun the Hurricanes and seize momentum.
Yet Carolina fought back, with Jarvis beating Bobrovsky midway through the third period to make it 3-3. The equalizer only set the stage for Barkov’s brilliance and Verhaeghe’s dagger.
Bobrovsky made 20 saves to improve to 12-5 this postseason. While not as dominant as in earlier rounds, the veteran netminder delivered timely stops and weathered Carolina’s final surge, especially during a critical late penalty kill that preceded Bennett’s empty-net strike.
Florida’s victory marked its second Eastern Conference Final triumph over Carolina in three seasons, extending its road playoff winning streak to five games and improving to 8-1 away from home this postseason. Remarkably, the Panthers swept all three games in Raleigh.
After the final horn, the Panthers gathered at center ice to receive the Prince of Wales Trophy — the same trophy they lifted last spring on their run to a first-ever Stanley Cup title. Photos were taken, sticks were raised, and business resumed. Celebration would wait. One more mountain remains.
Carolina, meanwhile, saw another promising postseason run fall short. The Hurricanes have now reached the Eastern Conference Final three times in the past six seasons but remain without a Stanley Cup Final berth since 2006, when head coach Rod Brind’Amour captained them to their lone title. For the second year in a row, Florida delivered the knockout blow.
Frustrated Hurricanes fans lingered postgame, some mockingly chanting “Let’s go, Oilers!” — referencing the likely Stanley Cup Final opponent, with Edmonton up 3-1 on Dallas in the Western Conference Final.
Aho finished with two goals in the loss, capitalizing on early Florida miscues to stake Carolina to a 2-0 lead. But the Panthers’ relentless response — led by their depth scoring, disciplined structure, and clutch contributions from stars like Barkov and Bobrovsky — ultimately overwhelmed the Hurricanes.
As the Panthers leave Raleigh with another series win and a return trip to hockey’s biggest stage, they do so with the confidence and calm of champions. Whether facing the Oilers in a highly anticipated rematch or the Stars in a new clash, Florida’s quest for back-to-back Cups is just four wins away.
