RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe broke a tie off a feed from Aleksander Barkov with 7:39 left and the defending champion Florida Panthers advanced to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Wednesday night in Game 5.

The Panthers beat the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final for the second time in three seasons. The Panthers will face the winner of the Western final between Dallas and Edmonton, with the Oilers up 3-1 in that best-of-seven series to put them within a win of a rematch with Florida for the Cup.

kAm$2> q6??6EE 25565 2? 6>AEJ\?6E 8@2= H:E9 dc D64@?5D =67E 3J D<2E:?8 5@H? 2 =@@D6 AF4< DEC2:89E @FE @7 E96 A6?2=EJ 3@I 27E6C u=@C:52 925 96=5 FA 282:?DE 2 4C:E:42= =2E6 A@H6C A=2J 7@C E96 wFCC:42?6D]k^Am

kAm%92E 42AA65 2 H:=5 ?:89E E92E D2H E96 wFCC:42?6D ;F>A E@ 2 a\_ =625[ E96? u=@C:52 2?DH6C H:E9 E9C66 D64@?5\A6C:@5 8@2=D[ @?=J E@ D66 r2C@=:?2VD $6E9 y2CG:D 362E $6C86: q@3C@GD:5H2J E9C@F89 E96 E9:C5 E@ E:6 :E 2E b]k^Am

kAm(96? :E H2D @G6C[ E96 !2?E96CD A@D65 7@C A:4EFC6D @? r2C@=:?2VD 9@>6 :46 5FC:?8 E96 AC6D6?E2E:@? @7 E96 !C:?46 @7 (2=6D %C@A9J 7@C E96 4@?76C6?46 H:??6C] $@>6 wFCC:42?6D 72?D C6>2:?65 567:2?E[ @776C:?8 D42EE6C65 “{6EVD 8@[ ~:=6CDP” 492?ED]k^Am

kAm%96 2?8DE 😀 2AAC@AC:2E6 4@?D:56C:?8 9@H u=@C:52 92D ?@H EH:46 6?565 r2C@=:?2VD AFD9 E@ :ED 7:CDE rFA u:?2= D:?46 H:??:?8 E96 7C2?49:D6VD =@?6 E:E=6 😕 a__e H96? ?@H\4@249 #@5 qC:?5Vp>@FC H2D 42AE2:?]k^Am

kAmu=@C:52 925 H@? E96 7:CDE E9C66 82>6D @7 E9:D D6C:6D 3FE =@DE b\_ 2E 9@>6 |@?52J ?:89E 2D E96 wFCC:42?6D 2G6CE65 2 D64@?5 DEC2:89E DH66A 282:?DE u=@C:52] qFE 3J E96 7:?2= 9@C? (65?6D52J[ E96 !2?E96CD 925 H@? 2== E9C66 82>6D 😕 #2=6:89 😕 E96 D6C:6D[ AFD965 E96:C C@25 H:??:?8 DEC62< 😕 E96D6 A=2J@77D E@ 7:G6 82>6D 2?5 62C?65 2? 6:89E9 A@DED62D@? C@25 H:? @G6C2==]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{ A=2J@77Di k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DE2?=6J\4FAQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DE2?=6J\4FAk^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.