Florida Panthers Shock NHL: 7 Must-See Highlights Driving Today’s Google Search Surge

Sunrise, Fla. — The Florida Panthers are one victory away from punching their ticket to a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final after dismantling the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday night. A thunderous five-goal eruption in the third period turned a 1-1 nail-biter into a rout and pushed Florida to a commanding 3-0 series lead. Relentless third-period surge The pivotal frame began with captain Aleksander Barkov winning a defensive-zone draw and sparking a rush that ended in Carter Verhaeghe snapping home the go-ahead goal at 2:11. From there the floodgates opened. Matthew Tkachuk roofed a power-play wrister, Eetu Luostarinen hammered a rebound before being ejected for boarding, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad wired a point blast to make it 5-1. Sam Bennett capped the outburst with a short-side snipe that sent a stunned PNC Arena crowd to the exits. Bobrovsky shuts the door While Florida’s forwards feasted, Sergei Bobrovsky delivered another vintage playoff performance. The two-time Vezina winner turned aside 32 of 34 shots, denying Sebastian Aho on two breakaways and flashing the glove on Andrei Svechnikov’s one-timer late in the second. Bobrovsky owns a .931 save percentage through three games, reinforcing why the Panthers entered the postseason with the league’s shortest Stanley Cup odds. Hurricanes running out of answers Carolina matched Florida’s physicality early, getting a first-period tally from Martin Necas and limiting rush chances through 40 minutes. Yet ill-timed penalties and shaky goaltending from Frederik Andersen (24 saves on 30 shots) proved fatal. The Hurricanes have now dropped 15 straight conference-final games dating to 2009, a skid that leaves them on the brink of elimination once again. Injury and discipline watch Florida’s only blemish came when Luostarinen received a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding Jaccob Slavin. The league will review the hit, putting his Game 4 availability in doubt. Star winger Sam Reinhart (lower-body) missed the final two periods for a second straight contest but is considered day-to-day, according to head coach Paul Maurice. Chasing rarefied air Should the Panthers finish the sweep, they will become the first team since the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-22) to reach three straight Stanley Cup Finals. Florida fell to Vegas in 2023 before defeating Edmonton last spring; another appearance would solidify the franchise’s burgeoning dynasty status and give Barkov, Tkachuk and Bobrovsky another shot at back-to-back championships. What’s next: Game 4 details • Date & time: Monday, May 26, 8 p.m. ET • TV/stream: ESPN, ESPN+, CBC, Sportsnet • Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, N.C. • Betting line: Panthers ‑140 favorites; O/U 5.5 goals (DraftKings as of May 25) Key search-friendly takeaways – Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes score: 6-2 in Game 3 – Panthers lead Eastern Conference Final 3-0 in 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky headline dominant third period – How to watch Panthers-Hurricanes Game 4 live stream and TV info – Panthers one win from third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance Fans traveling to Raleigh can still find limited upper-level seats starting at $165 on resale platforms, while watch parties at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise are already sold out. The surge in demand underscores South Florida’s hockey fever — a sentiment Barkov captured post-game: “We remember how electric Sunrise was last June. We want to bring the Cup back to our fans.” If the Panthers close out the Hurricanes on Monday, they’ll enjoy up to six days of rest before facing either the Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche, who are deadlocked 2-2 in the Western Conference Final. For now, Florida’s mantra is simple: finish the job, avoid complacency, and keep the Stanley Cup parade route on standby.