Florida Panthers getting reinforcements for Game 5 of conference final vs Hurricanes
It appears as if the Florida Panthers will be at full strength on Wednesday night as they try to wrap up the Eastern Conference final and once again advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the team's morning skate that wingers Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer as well as defenseman Niko Mikkola are all expected to play in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Florida leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 and needs just one more win to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive year.
Reinhart has missed the past two games since sustaining a lower-body injury following a low hit from Carolina forward Sebastian Aho in the first period of Game 2. Mikkola and Greer left with undisclosed injuries in the third period of Game 3.
'They're all different kind of leaders,' Maurice said. 'Sam in the preparation and the mental part of the game. Niko's got an intensity that he brings to our room and to the bench and to the game that he plays. And A.J.'s a really fast, physical player so he brings that physicality leadership.'
Their presence has been missed.
Reinhart, one of three finalists for the Selke Trophy given annually to the NHL's top defensive forward, is integral in every phase of the Panthers' game.
In addition to being on the top line with Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues and leading the team in goals (39) and points (81) during the regular season, he is on the top power-play unit and plays significant minutes on the penalty kill. He scored 13 power-play goals and five short-handed goals in the regular season.
Florida's power play went 0 for 8 in the past two games with Reinhart out.
'Reinhart is a big part of our power play,' Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. 'He is a great player, and losing him kind of hurts.'
Mikkola has been steady on Florida's second defense pair, primarily with Seth Jones when the team is at full strength.
He set career highs in the regular season in goals (six), assists (16), points (22), plus-minus (plus-12), takeaways (15) and average ice time (20:12) while also laying out 137 hits and blocking 88 shots. He has five points (three goals, two assists) and is a plus-six this postseason.
'He's been great all year for sure, especially in the playoffs,' defenseman Gustav Forsling said. 'He's a huge part for us and he plays big minutes.'
And Greer has been a steady fixture on Florida's fourth line all season.
In addition to laying out a team-high 222 hits, the physical winger set career highs for assists (11) and points (17) while tying his career high in goals (six) during the regular season.
He has three points (two goals, one assist) and 44 hits through 11 playoff games.
With those three back in the lineup, their replacements — forwards Jesper Boqvist and Nico Sturm along with defenseman Uvis Balinskis — will be scratches on Wednesday.
Winter Classic tickets
Tickets to the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic outdoor game, hosted by the Florida Panthers at Miami's loanDepot park, will go on sale to the general public next week.
Tickets will be sold on Ticketmaster starting at 10 a.m. June 4 on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
The Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the home of MLB's Miami Marlins, on Jan. 2, 2026.
They said it
'We always have a ton of belief. It's our preparation that allows us to have that belief, but we've gotta go out there and execute it. We've gotta get back to our game. We have to be physical. We have to be fast. We can't be looking to break anything open. We'll earn our opportunities when they're there, but just be hard. We always prepare for that seventh game like we've said it for years. Tonight's no different, but there's a little extra energy in here tonight, coming on the road with a chance to win the conference championship. This is so as good as it gets.' - Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk on the mindset entering Game 5.
'We want to play the same way at home and on the road, but being on the road, I think things are simpler. We're trying to play a simple game. We know what to expect, that they're going to come out hard. ... The road just kind of simplifies it and let's explain a little bit.' - Verhaeghe on Florida's road success this postseason, with Florida 7-2 on the road in the playoffs entering Wednesday.
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