Panthers move on to Cup Final: Grades, takeaways for both teams

Just erstwhile it looked similar the Carolina Hurricanes were going to unit a Game 6 aft scoring a brace of first-period goals, the Florida Panthers scored the 3 successful the second. And erstwhile it looked the Hurricanes were going to astatine slightest unit overtime with a third-period tally from Seth Jarvis? That's erstwhile the defending Stanley Cup champs enactment an extremity to that discussion, with skipper Aleksandar Barkov utilizing his spot to fend disconnected Dmitry Orlov to acceptable up Carter Verhaeghe for the series-clinching extremity successful their 5-3 triumph Wednesday successful Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Returning to the Stanley Cup Final to support their crown is lone the commencement for the Panthers. This is present the 11th clip successful the past 12 years successful which a prima loop squad has played successful the Stanley Cup Final, a favoritism that began successful 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings and was interrupted successful 2019 erstwhile the Boston Bruins faced the St. Louis Blues.

Even though they person a rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a squad from Florida has won the East successful six consecutive seasons, which is besides the aforesaid magnitude of the existent streak of prima loop teams to scope the Cup Final. Furthermore, the Panthers are besides the 3rd South Florida nonrecreational squad to scope the rubric crippled oregon rubric bid successful their respective sport, joining the Miami Dolphins from 1971 done 1973 and the Miami Heat from 2010 done 2014.

Although they avoided being swept, the Hurricanes were eliminated successful the league finals for the 2nd clip successful the past 3 seasons. They'll present participate an offseason successful which they'll look questions astir their roster, and what indispensable beryllium done to get beyond what's been a proverbial hurdle successful the playoffs' penultimate round.

Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton look backmost astatine what happened successful Game 5, on with what lies up for each franchise.

Florida Panthers
Grade: B+

Florida was well-positioned for a triumph here. They had their injured skaters backmost -- Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer had each been interaction players successful immoderate signifier oregon signifier -- and they should person added a spark. It didn't look similar the Panthers were benefiting from their instrumentality early, though, arsenic they didn't look dynamic retired of the gate. Gustav Forsling's turnover sent Sebastian Aho connected a breakaway that helium turned into a 1-0 pb for Carolina.

Florida besides couldn't capitalize connected its power-play tries, which was not large -- particularly considering Aho's 2nd extremity of the play gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 pb done 20 minutes.

But past the Panthers did what they bash champion -- pounce. Matthew Tkachuk's power-play extremity chopped the shortage successful fractional and Evan Rodrigues had Florida tied 30 seconds later. Then it was Anton Lundell giving Florida the lead. That's conscionable however the Panthers rotation -- deep. Rodrigues was the Panthers' 19th extremity scorer successful the postseason.

Even though Sergei Bobrovsky looked shakier than accustomed successful the archetypal period, helium responded with a beardown decorativeness done the last 40 minutes. And Florida's punishment termination stepped up successful a large way, wholly stifling the Hurricanes' powerfulness play (which was 0-for-4 connected the night). The Panthers tightened up and stayed that mode done the 3rd play portion trying to contradict Carolina a accidental to unit Game 6.

Florida whitethorn not person been flawless -- giving up a extremity to Seth Jarvis midway done the 3rd was a atrocious look -- but Carter Verhaeghe captured the game-winner (off a superb assistance from Aleksander Barkov) to marque Florida's just-enough effort capable to snuff retired the Hurricanes' flame. And Sam Bennett's empty-netter ensured it was 3 consecutive Eastern Conference titles for the Panthers. -- Shilton

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Verhaeghe puts Panthers backmost successful front

Carter Verhaeghe fires location a big-time extremity to springiness the Panthers a pb precocious successful the 3rd period.

Carolina Hurricanes
Grade: B-

Everything the Canes did successful the archetypal play was an hold of however they operated successful Game 4. They had a plan, and it was a people of enactment that saw them instrumentality vantage of mistakes specified arsenic the ones that led to Aho scoring the goals that staked his squad to that 2-0 lead. There was thing other too, specifically successful the mode the Hurricanes defended themselves successful the midst of that scrum with astir 5 minutes remaining showed a combat that hadn't ever been disposable successful the series.

A two-goal pb aft 1 play for a squad that was 6-0 this postseason erstwhile they scored first. Their antiaircraft individuality carried implicit from that season-saving Game 4 performance. It was capable to suggest for astatine slightest an intermission that a Game 6 could beryllium successful play. Then came the back-to-back goals from Tkachuk and Rodrigues wrong 30 seconds of 1 another, earlier Anton Lundell scored a small much than 4 minutes later.

Those goals -- coupled with the information the Panthers constricted the Hurricanes to conscionable 2 shots connected extremity successful the archetypal 10 minutes of the last framework -- initially made it look that the bid was over. That's until Seth Jarvis scored the game-tying extremity and reignited the pushback that the Canes hadn't ever shown successful the series. Or rather, it did until Aleksander Barkov showed what makes him 1 of the game's premier players by holding disconnected Dmitry Orlov and creating the abstraction to acceptable up Verhaeghe for the game-winning goal. -- Clark

Big questions

Can the Panthers usage remainder arsenic a weapon?

Florida hasn't had consecutive days disconnected astatine this constituent since aboriginal successful their second-round bid against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And they are ailing to immoderate degree. All those injured skaters intelligibly aren't 100%; Eetu Luostarinen near the crippled connected Wednesday pursuing a cross-check from William Carrier, and you cognize plentifulness of guys who person been successful the lineup each nighttime are craving immoderate downtime.

The Panthers person an accidental to respire and reboot aft a agelong drawstring of games, and that could beryllium invaluable successful however they amusement up to the Cup Final. They could cognize their adjacent hostile arsenic soon arsenic Thursday, but it whitethorn besides beryllium a fewer much days earlier that Western Conference finals is settled.

Florida volition person a flimsy borderline either mode successful the remainder department, and capitalizing connected it could beryllium a game-changer. They retrieve good the toll it takes connected the assemblage to question perchance agelong distances (like from Fort Lauderdale to Edmonton?) successful a Final. It's captious to instrumentality vantage of, well, each advantage. Even if it means being Dallas Stars fans for a spell -- and hoping the 2 imaginable foes tin tyre each different retired present for different fewer games. -- Shilton

How assertive are the Canes going to get this summer, knowing adjacent twelvemonth mightiness beryllium their strongest accidental to strike?

Possessing much than $28 cardinal successful headdress space, per PuckPedia, presents the thought that the Hurricanes could beryllium a large subordinate successful escaped agency. It's a level of flexibility that title contenders covet, due to the fact that it's truthful hard to attain erstwhile they person respective members of their halfway nether semipermanent contracts.

That's a occupation the Hurricanes don't person -- astatine slightest not yet.

They person 7 players signed to deals longer than 3 seasons. It's a radical that includes halfway members specified arsenic Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jaccob Slavin, Andrei Svechnikov, Aho and Jarvis. But determination are considerations to marque fixed that Jackson Blake, Scott Morrow, Alexander Nikishin and Logan Stankoven are each going to beryllium pending restricted escaped agents aft the 2025-26 season, who volition past beryllium successful request of caller deals.

While there's a request for the Hurricanes to triumph now, this is besides a franchise that has made a constituent of gathering ample portions of its roster done the draft. Now, they indispensable equilibrium an attack that has allowed them to beryllium a title contender with 1 that sees them instrumentality the adjacent step, and that volition dictate however their beforehand bureau handles this offseason. -- Clark