There was no lack of excitement in the deciding game of this year’s Eastern Conference Final.

The Florida Panthers arrived in Raleigh looking to eliminate the Carolina Hurricanes after failing to do so in Monday’s Game 4, and the Cats did just that.

Sure, Florida fell behind early and appeared to be wilting away as the decibels from the rabid fans inside Lenovo Center got louder and louder, but it didn’t take them long to snap back into the form that saw them win the first three games of the series by a combined score of 16-4.

Now the Panthers will get a decent chunk of time to heal and recuperate before getting back at it at the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Let’s get to the Game 5 takeaways:

HELL OF A CLINCHER

Say what you want about Game 5 but boy was it an entertaining game.

The building, which dubs itself the loudest arena in the NHL, was rocking for most of the night.

Florida was able to withstand a big opening haymaker by the Hurricanes, come back from a two-goal deficit and ultimately take the lead.

There was a lot to like from a Panthers perspective, and certainly some things that were not quite as pleasing, but ultimately, it’s a win that the team should be able to enjoy, at least in the short term.

“We enjoyed that one tonight,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “That was all the elements that make our sport great. They're all over us, like all over us, and we're serving up pizzas, and we don't look like we should have made the playoffs, and then the next thing you know, we look pretty good, right? I think Carolina is an exceptionally well coached team, systematically and identity-wise. So, yeah, I'm going to enjoy this one.”

SPECIAL TEAMS COME UP HUGE

Entering Wednesday’s game, much of the special teams conversation was surrounding Carolina’s strong penalty killing over the past couple outings.

They killed off 10 penalties in a row between Game 3 and the first period of Game 5, but it was a power play goal by Matthew Tkachuk that got Florida rolling in what ended up being a series clinching victory.

But then the Cats’ penalty kill was called into action, and boy did they deliver.

Florida’s PK finished Game 5 a perfect 6-for-6 when down a man, including perhaps the biggest kill of the season, which came during the final minutes with the Panthers up by one.

“It’s been a core strength of our team for the last three years,” Maurice said of the penalty kill. “If you would say there's a piece, Sergei Bobrovsky is the key piece to all of that, and then our penalty kill has probably the deciding piece in us going back to our third Final, because you have a Selkie award winner taking most of those faceoffs. We have people that are built to kill penalties. What happened to us the last two years, even going back two summers ago, but also the trade deadline, our entire focus was bringing in penalty killers, because we when they come in here, they do a great job, and then they go off and get paid a bunch of money, as they should. But Seth Jones can kill penalties. Brad Marchand was part of an elite penalty killing unit. Nico Sturm was a killer, we brought (Tomas) Nosek in this year to kill penalties. That's big part of what we do.”

SUBTLE LINE CHANGE

After Florida fell behind 2-0 and were looking for a spark coming into the second period, Maurice made a move on his forward lines that ended up paying big dividends.

Maurice swapped left wings on his top two lines, moving Carter Verhaeghe up to the top line with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart and sliding Evan Rodrigues down to the line with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.

Rodrigues ended up scoring the game-tying goal less than eight minutes into the second period, and then it was Verhaeghe finishing off a gorgeous play by Barkov during the final frame to put the Panthers up for good.

Leave it to Maurice to downplay his part in making the move that may have proved to be the difference in the game for Florida, explaining that it was more of a matchup thing than anything else.

“It’s not brand new for me,” Maurice said. “I didn't come up with that. For three years during the regular season, I would switch the left winger with Verhaeghe and whoever it was, it was Nick Cousins for a while, and then we had a whole bunch of different guys that it was, and it worked. And this year it never worked, not once, but tonight, it was more of a statement of their matchup. So we understood that Aho came out against (Sam) Bennett for the most part, in the first three (games) and then into (Game) 4, it wasn't great for us. Then it was Aho on Barkov, so that the matchup then was (Jordan) Staal on Bennett, and in which case, it's more of a grinding line, and I needed Verhaeghe to not be on that ice with him. He could do it, but there's no value to it. Evan Rodriguez actually killed a play early after the switch, and we almost got a chance (off of it). And then sometimes it's for Evan too. So both of those guys flipped, but it was more their match to ours. That's all.”

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Florida Panthers have come a long way, now in third straight Stanley Cup Final

Panthers take Game 5 in Carolina, advance to third straight Stanley Cup Final

Charles Barkley Doubting Panthers Ahead Of Game 5

3 Panthers Who Must Shine In Game 5 vs. Hurricanes

Matthew Tkachuk, Sebastian Aho discuss physical play during Eastern Conference Final

Photo caption: May 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostibehere (4) shoots the puck during the second period against the Florida Panthers in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

Although his name has been in the rumor mill for a while, trade talk is beginning to heat up surrounding Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi.

And, according to a new report by James Murphy of RG Media, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the teams interested.

As we've detailed in the past, Rossi, 23, is a pending-restricted free agent who should be intriguing to just about every team. The 5-foot-9 center - although a bit undersized - seems to be getting better year over year, as he registered 24 goals and 60 points in his second full NHL season. 

However, a diminished role for Minnesota in the playoffs - he went from top-six for much of the regular season to fourth-line center - seems to have been a precursor for the young center to be put on the trade block. 

So, it begs the question: Do the Penguins have a realistic shot at landing Rossi?

To be honest, this one is probably going to be tough for Pittsburgh to pull off.

The Wild are in need of center depth - which makes it all the more perplexing that they're trying to deal Rossi - and the Penguins do not have the luxury of young center depth on their NHL roster or in their prospect pool.

If Rossi Is Available, Penguins Should Be CallingIt's safe to say that it will be a very interesting summer for the

Their highest-value center prospect at the moment - and the one closest to NHL-ready - is Tristan Broz, who just finished his AHL rookie season with 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games. Although there's a good chance Broz has an NHL future in front of him, he's certainly not a blue-chip prospect.

Realistically, the Wild are going to command at least a first-round pick and a prospect in return. Sure, maybe packaging a prospect like Broz with that New York Rangers' conditional first-round pick makes sense, but other teams allegedly in the mix - the Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and Seattle Kraken - simply have more to offer and can outmatch that return.

And, because of that, the Penguins may be at risk of an overpay. Sure, Rossi is intriguing, but they will not want to give up too many high-value assets in order to acquire him, especially since there is still some degree of uncertainty surrounding him given his falling out of favor in Minnesota.

So, the only type of package that may make some degree of sense is a package centered on one of their veteran wingers in Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust.

The challenge here is that Minnesota likely will not want to trade Rossi, a 23-year-old center, one-for-one for a winger over the age of 30. Yes, Rakell and Rust are 30-goal scorers with some term - and Minnesota is certainly in win-now mode and needs more offense - but it's rare to see a young center dealt for a veteran winger.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Could The Penguins Pursue Rossi? Noah Cates' Future With The Flyers Uncertain?Speculation about Marco Rossi's future arose following the Minnesota Wild's first-round playoff exit.

So, if there is a package involving Rakell or Rust, there would still likely have to be an asset attached in order to get the deal across the finish line.

All in all, Rossi certainly makes sense for the Penguins, as second-line center Evgeni Malkin is in the final year of his contract and will be 39 next season. Pittsburgh is trying to garner as much young talent as possible, and Rossi is the exact kind of player they should be looking for.

But a trade with the Penguins - more than likely - doesn't make much sense for Minnesota. Never say never, but - because the Penguins lack the "right" assets for a deal - Rossi will likely end up elsewhere if he is moved.

5 RFA Forwards The Penguins Should Pursue This SummerThe

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

It was a fun ride, but the 2024-25 Carolina Hurricanes season has come to an end after a 5-3 loss in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Despite holding a multi-goal lead after the opening frame, a short four minute and 36 second window offered just enough time for the Florida Panthers to storm back and take the lead and eventually the series.

Carolina managed to tie it back up again in the third period even after that initial falter, but Florida's overall talent edge proved too much as Aleksander Barkov single-handedly set up the eventual game-winning back-breaker late in the third period.

At the end of the day, this team exceeded expectations and made the franchise's deepest run since 2006. They fought back from a 3-0 deficit, won a do-or-die Game 4 and still showed a lot of grit in Game 5 when they could have easily packed it in after the initial collapse.

"Our guys battled really hard all series," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour.

"It's a hard working group," said Sebastian Aho. "As a teammate, you appreciate that every single one of your teammates come in and put the work boots on. That's kind of what we've been leaning on the whole year and maybe past years as well. So that's never a question with this group. That's something I'm proud of."

But that's all talk for another day.

Today, it's about the loss.

Because it's understandable for fans to feel frustrated given how this final game, and series, was lost.

'We Didn't Get Near Where We Planned On': Rod Brind'Amour, Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis On Game 5 Loss, EliminationThe Carolina Hurricanes fell 5-3 to the Florida Panthers Wednesday night in Game 5 at Lenovo Center to cap off their 2024-25 season.

Much like the first three games, it was the avoidable, self-inflicted mistakes that cost them in the end.

"I think we essentially lost in the first few games," said Jordan Staal. "You can't start a series like that and expect a better outcome. You hope for it obviously, but the first few games, we were a little hesitant and a little off a little bit. Obviously the group as a whole battled hard the last three games and played some good hockey though."

In this final one, it was Jesperi Kotkaniemi's ill-timed penalty in the second period that turned the game.

The Hurricanes were leading 2-0 thanks to a pair of Sebastian Aho goals off of two Florida neutral-zone turnovers

After a failed power play (we'll come back to that in a bit), the Finnish center got way too aggressive and hauled down Evan Rodrigues in the offensive zone, giving the Panthers'  their third power play of the night.

The Canes' penalty kill had gotten back to its roots after two games of disaster and was looking strong in this game too, but you can only play with fire so many times before you get burned.

And Carolina certainly got burned as a Matthew Tkachuk redirect put Florida on the board.

The Hurricanes were still ahead, but there was blood in the water, and the Panthers tasted it.

Just 30 seconds later, Rodrigues and Sam Bennett connected on a give-and-go to tie the game and then Anton Lundell redirected another off of a faceoff play to give the Panthers the lead.

"The way the game was going, I thought we couldn't do much better," Brind'Amour said. "And then we take an o-zone penalty and they score on that. A little floater, a nice tip and then all of a sudden, it just kind of got them going. Then a couple little errors that we made on coverage. Gave them a little room and they put them in the net.

"It was a back breaker I think when they got that little run and then got another one. You could just feel us... it's natural. The building, everything. Kind of sucked a little bit of life out of us."

The collapse started with Kotkaniemi's penalty, but it also doesn't get there without the power play's failure.

The man advantage had been fine this postseason too. It was way better than in season's past, but it's the inability to get that critical, timely goal that feels so similar.

The Canes had the chance to go up 3-0 on a power play and couldn't.

Then there was a chance to tie it back up twice toward the end of the second period and yet again at the end of the third period, but once again, it came up short.

"We definitely had enough looks," Aho said. "So yeah, it's tough. Would like to see a power play goal tonight there. They got one and we didn't get any. It wasn't... again, I don't think it was bad effort but it doesn't matter at this time of year what the effort is. The score matters. Obviously they won the game."

It's those failures to capitalize at key moments that have haunted the Hurricanes for years and this one is no different.

"That was the killer," Brind'Amour said. "The first one was great, we had a couple good looks, Blaker was all alone in front. Even the last ones, Svech is right there. Those have to find a way to get in the net. That's definitely... when you look back on this game, that'll be a couple of lost moments for sure, but... it's done now.

Maybe one year the Hurricanes will figure it out, but it isn't this one.

While many have said that this group overachieved, the players don't for a second feel like that.

The players in that room believed and so this loss hits them especially hard.

"We didn't get near where we planned on," said Seth Jarvis. "Our goal is always to be the last team standing no matter who we have on the ice. We had that confidence in ourselves all year. That's why it sucks. It's the hardest trophy to win and when you're feeling like this, you just wish you could go back in time, but you can't. You just have to sit on it for the whole summer.

Most of all, you could see all of that emotion in Sebastian Aho as he talked with the media after the game. His frustration, his anger, his disappointment. And you could just tell how much the loss was eating at him.

"To me, you either win or lose a series,' Aho said. "It doesn't feel like right now... what's it matter? If you lose in four or seven, whatever. You lose the series, right? Like I said before, you're proud that the guys showed up to work and never quit. That's a great thing, but at the end of the day, we weren't able to push through. Obviously it's a great hockey team. Only one team has beat them in the past three seasons, right? We knew it was going to be a big task to try and beat him and we truly believed we had what it takes. But obviously we fell short yet again. Just really pissed off."

Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Florida Panthers are doing the thing again!

For the third straight season, the Florida Panthers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons, knocking out the Canes in five games.

It’s beyond amazing that Florida has become this juggernaut of a franchise considering how far they have come in such a relatively short amount of time.

The Panthers now become just the ninth franchise to reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.

From Bill Zito to Paul Maurice, Matthew Tkachuk to Sasha Barkov, Florida has built itself into one of the absolute best franchises in the NHL from top to bottom and one of the most consistent teams in all of professional sports over the past few years.

Who the Cats will face remains to be seen, but a rematch of last year’s Final remains a high possibility as the Edmonton Oilers hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Final.

Either way, take a moment, Panthers fans.

Sit back, take a breath and drink it in.

Your Florida Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final!

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Panthers take Game 5 in Carolina, advance to third straight Stanley Cup Final

Charles Barkley Doubting Panthers Ahead Of Game 5

3 Panthers Who Must Shine In Game 5 vs. Hurricanes

Matthew Tkachuk, Sebastian Aho discuss physical play during Eastern Conference Final

Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer all expected in Panthers lineup for Game 5 in Carolina

Photo caption: May 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) reacts to a goal by Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the third period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Florida Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida came back from a two-goal deficit to shock the Carolina Hurricanes and claim their third straight Eastern Conference crown with a 5-3 victory in Game 5 of the conference final on Wednesday night.

Lenovo Center was rocking early, especially after Carolina scored the game’s first goal.

An extremely uncharacteristic giveaway by Gus Forsling at center ice sprung Sebastian Aho on a breakaway, and he beat Sergei Bobrovsky under the glove to give the home team an early 1-0 lead.

Florida was given a pair of first period power plays but failed to register a shot on either, bringing their drought with the man advantage to 10 straight.

Another giveaway by a Panthers defenseman led to the second goal of the period by Carolina.

This time it was Niko Mikkola fumbling the puck in the neutral zone, handing it to Seth Jarvis who quickly fed Aho streaking into the zone.

His long shot was partially stopped by Bobrovsky, but not enough to keep it from crossing the goal line.

Florida finally got on the scoreboard during the second period thanks to the smooth hands of Matthew Tkachuk.

His deflection of an Aaron Ekblad shot while Florida was on their third power play of the game, cutting Carolina’s lead in half 7:23 into the middle frame.

Just 30 seconds later, Evan Rodrigues finished off a nice passing play from Sam Bennett and Tkachuk to tie the game at two.

The Cats weren’t done there.

Four minutes and six seconds after they tied the game, Brad Marchand made a perfect pass out of the corner to Anton Lundell in front of the net, and his deflection went over Andersen’s glove to give the Panthers their first lead of the game.

Seth Jarvis jumped on a loose puck after a clearing attempt went off a skate and back into the slot, tying the game at three with 11:30 to go.

An incredible play by Sasha Barkov behind Carolina’s net, shaking off Dmitry Orlov and taking the puck to the front of the net, led to a perfect pass to Carter Verhaeghe at the far post.

His shot beat a sprawling Andersen to put the Panthers back in front with 7:39 on the clock.

Bennett added an empty-net goal to seal the deal for Florida.

On to the Stanley Cup Final.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Rodrigues became the 19th different Panthers player to score a goal during this postseason.

Tkachuk has multi-point games in three of his past four outings. He’s up to six points this series and 16 during the playoffs.

Ekblad is averaging a point per game during this series.

The assist by Jones on Tkachuk’s goal was his first point of the series.

Bennett has seven points in the five games against Carolina.

Verhaeghe’s goal was his first point in three games, but he still logged two goals and six point in the series.

Barkov also picked up six points in the series, including three goals.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Charles Barkley Doubting Panthers Ahead Of Game 5

3 Panthers Who Must Shine In Game 5 vs. Hurricanes

Matthew Tkachuk, Sebastian Aho discuss physical play during Eastern Conference Final

Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer all expected in Panthers lineup for Game 5 in Carolina

Panthers look for third straight win in Raleigh, seeking third straight Stanley Cup Final trip

Photo recap: May 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell (15) celebrates scoring with forward Jonah Gadjovich (12) and forward Brad Marchand (63) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)