Panthers look to clinch spot in Stanley Cup Final vs. Hurricanes
May 26 - The Florida Panthers are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight season. And though the opportunity to defend their title is within reach, the Panthers aren't looking beyond Monday's Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes in Sunrise, Fla.
Florida took a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, scoring five goals in the third period of a 6-2 win. A victory on Monday would give the Panthers a sweep of the Hurricanes for the second time in the past three years, having also dispatched Carolina in the conference finals in 2023.
"I think the biggest thing for this group is we're really good at just focusing on what we need to do and staying in the moment and not looking ahead," Panthers forward Brad Marchand said. "You can't start looking ahead. That's a dangerous game."
Sunday marked the fourth straight game with at least five goals for Florida -- dating back to Game 7 of the second round -- to become only the fourth team in the past 30 years with a streak of that length.
The Panthers have received contributions from throughout their lineup.
Captain Aleksander Barkov led the way in Game 3 with two goals and an assist to take the team lead in postseason scoring with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 15 games. Saturday's three-point effort also extended Barkov's point streak to four games.
Jesper Boqvist, who filled in for the injured Sam Reinhart on the top line, had a goal and two assists, including the goal-ahead tally early in the third period. Defenseman Niko Mikkola, who entered the playoffs with eight career points (two goals, six assists) in 47 games over the past four postseasons, scored twice and now has a personal-best five points in the playoffs.
"He's been really impressive for his size, he moves so well, he had a good stick, defensive stick, he plays the game the right way all the time," Barkov said. "He's been great for us."
Panthers coach Paul Maurice ruled out Reinhart (lower-body injury) on Monday morning, along with Mikkola and forward A.J. Greer.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, could once again be without defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker as they try to keep their season alive.
Chatfield has missed the past four games with an undisclosed injury, last playing on May 12 in Game 4 of the second round. Walker (undisclosed) was injured in Game 2 against the Panthers.
Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour will be looking for more from his top talent. Taylor Hall was minus-4 with two shots on goal while Sebastian Aho was minus-3 with two shots on goal.
Elsewhere, Andrei Svechnikov had three giveaways and did not record a shot on goal and Seth Jarvis' third-period goal on the power play was his lone shot on goal and came with Carolina trailing 6-1.
"The four rookies in the lineup (defensemen Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow, and forwards Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake) can't be some of your better players," Brind'Amour said. "That can't happen. So there's a couple guys in there that I don't think came to play the way they needed to at this time of year. ... We needed more out of some guys."
--Field Level Media
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