Reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes meet again in Eastern final | Sports

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Florida Panthers were on their way to becoming the NHL’s standard, headed to the Stanley Cup Final two years ago before returning to win the Cup last year.

In many ways, the breakthrough moment came in the exact spot they find themselves now: in the Eastern final, preparing to open a series on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. The Panthers swept that series with four one-goal wins, a grinding advance that began with a four-overtime thriller that went down as the sixth-longest game in NHL history.

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