The Florida Panthers continued their reign of dominance Wednesday night, sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Eastern Conference. To say the Cats have outperformed expectations is an understatement–the same team that barely squeaked into the playoffs will now move on to the Finals for the first time in the 21st century.
Carolina was in the game right down to the wire, managing to tie the game 3-3 with 3:22 left on the clock. But Matthew Tkachuk came in just before the buzzer, scoring perhaps the most important goal of his career with just 4.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
Once the puck went in, the building erupted in cheers. Tkachuk slid on his knees, mouthguard hanging out of his mouth, before teammate Brandon Montour tackled him to the ice. Meanwhile, the rest of the Panthers roster leapt with joy from the bench.
WHO ELSE BUT MATTHEW TKACHUK pic.twitter.com/UgD1K9I7mf
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 25, 2023
MOMENTS WE LIVE FOR ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qEPMXsU1ln
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 25, 2023
For a moment, it looked like the game may go to overtime anyway. Referees announced that Tkachuk’s goal was under for goaltender interference while Florida’s ice crew cleaned plastic rats off the ice. Ultimately, the goal stood, propelling the Panthers to their first Finals since 1996.
The series-clinching tally marked Tkachuk’s second goal of the night and his third game-winner of the series–he earned a primary assist on the only one he didn’t score. He now ranks second in playoff scoring, earning 21 points in 16 games.
Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky has gone on a heater of his own, letting in only six goals in the four-game series. He earned his first playoff shutout in Game Three in a 32-save performance, saving 36 of 39 in Game Four.
Wednesday’s dramatic finale is a fitting to end the high-octane series. All four games were won by a single goal, with Game One taking four overtime periods to decide the sixth-longest game in NHL history.
NHL executive vice president of marketing Brian Jennings presented the team with the Prince of Wales trophy. Bucking superstition, the Panthers touched the trophy, with captain Aleksander Barkov carrying it off the ice.
Sasha & his new friend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/OjaBMGcshe
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 25, 2023
The Panthers have come a long way from their regular-season performance. The team just barely made the eighth seed, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins for a playoff spot by only a single point. They spent less than a third of the regular season in a playoff spot.
Mind-boggling stat from the NHL: The Panthers were in a playoff spot for only 28% of the regular season (54 of 190 days). They are the only team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Final after spending less than 30% of the season in a playoff spot.
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) May 25, 2023
Even after securing a spot, their path forward looked bleak, facing the near-unbeatable Boston Bruins in the first round and going down 3-1.
“When we were playing Boston, the only people that thought we were able to beat them were myself and my teammates and everybody in that locker room,” Tkachuk told TNT Wednesday night.
Against all odds, Tkachuk and his teammates were right: the Cats would win three straight to defeat the Bruins before taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs in five. Now, they’ve bested the Canes and sit just four wins from a championship.
“We’ve been an underdog in every series so far,” Tkachuk said. “We’re going to continue [to be the underdog] in the Stanley Cup Final. God, it feels good to say that. That’s pretty cool.”
Florida will face the winner of the Western Conference Final, taking on one of the Vegas Golden Knights or Dallas Stars for the ultimate prize. With Vegas up 3-0 in the series, the Finals matchup could be decided as soon as Thursday night.
meow
— The Stanley Cup (@StanleyCup) May 25, 2023
Screenshot: @flapanthers/Instagram
