Florida Panthers Defeat Hurricanes, Advance to Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers secured their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Despite falling behind 2-0 early, the Panthers rallied impressively, with key contributions from captain Aleksandar Barkov, who set up the series-clinching goal. The Panthers' resilience and composure were critical in overcoming Carolina's strong start, highlighted by their goalie Sergei Bobrovsky's solid performance after early errors. This victory continues a recent trend of sun belt teams dominating the Stanley Cup Finals, marking the Panthers as the latest Florida team to reach the title game amid a six-season streak of Florida teams winning the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were eliminated in the conference finals for the second time in three years, prompting questions about their roster and future playoff strategies. The success also adds to South Florida's sports prominence, with the Panthers joining the Miami Dolphins and Miami Heat as professional teams reaching their sport's championship series.