SUNRISE, Fla. — The Panthers barely reached the postseason, clinching their playoff berth two days before their regular-season finale. The snuck into the bracket as the No. 8 seed and were the heavy underdog against the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round.
Florida shook off all those low expectations, and now the Panthers are four victories away from raising the Stanley Cup for the first time ever following a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, completing a conference-finals sweep at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday and sending Florida to the Final for the first time since 1996.
Matthew Tkachuk scored the game-winning goal with only 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime, sending the Panthers’ fans into delirious applause.
