Panthers Hockey Heats Up: Florida Panthers’ Playoff Push, Key Game Dates & How to Watch Live

Florida is surging toward a second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance, carrying a 2-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes into Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final tonight in Sunrise. With home-ice energy, a balanced scoring attack and rock-solid defense, the Panthers have a golden chance to seize a stranglehold on the series and keep “Panthers hockey” at the top of every NHL conversation. H2: Panthers pounce early, rule the road Paul Maurice’s club opened the series with back-to-back wins in Raleigh, extending its postseason road record to 6-1. Florida’s forecheck forced 29 takeaways across Games 1 and 2, while Sergei Bobrovsky (.930 SV%) outdueled Carolina’s Frederik Andersen. Matthew Tkachuk (3 G, 2 A in the series) and Aleksander Barkov continue to headline an offense averaging 4.5 goals per game in the conference final. H2: Sam Reinhart sidelined, depth lines step up All-Star winger Sam Reinhart (lower-body) will miss Game 3, placing extra weight on Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell to drive secondary scoring. Florida already owns six multi-goal scorers this postseason, proof that its “next-man-up” mentality can offset Reinhart’s 46-goal regular season. H2: Three keys to Game 3 in Sunrise 1. Neutral-zone denial Carolina relies on pace and stretch passes; if Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour continue clogging lanes, Florida will control tempo. 2. Net-front battles The Panthers have out-muscled the Canes 38-25 in high-danger chances. Look for Tkachuk to live in Pyotr Kochetkov’s crease while Bobrovsky tracks tips at the other end. 3. Special teams swing Florida’s power play is 4-for-9 this series, and its penalty kill has snuffed 8 straight Carolina chances. Winning the whistle war could decide momentum in a pivotal home contest. H2: Why the Panthers’ style wins in May “Panthers hockey” blends relentless forechecking, quick puck retrievals and heavy bodies down low—a blueprint designed for playoff grind. Their 54.3 percent shot-share leads all remaining teams, and their blue line’s exit efficiency (93 percent completed first passes) keeps opponents chasing. H2: Fan checklist: How to watch & join the roar • Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET, FLA Live Arena, Sunrise • TV/stream: ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports • Tickets: Limited single-game seats start at $189 on Ticketmaster as of this morning. • Hashtags to follow: #TimeToHunt, #FlaPanthers, #StanleyCup H2: What’s at stake A victory tonight gives Florida a 3-0 cushion—historically, teams in that position advance 98 percent of the time. With the Western Conference Final deadlocked, wrapping this series quickly would hand the Panthers valuable rest and home-ice preparation. H2: Bottom line Momentum, home ice and a deep bench align in Florida’s favor. If the Panthers maintain their suffocating forecheck and disciplined special teams, Game 3 could become another statement win—and another spike in the “Panthers hockey” Google trend as South Florida rallies around a club intent on lifting the Cup again in 2025.