The Florida Panthers are on the brink of their third consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearance after a dominating 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The decisive win featured a stunning five-goal third period, with contributions from team captain Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Niko Mikkola, each scoring twice. The Panthers now lead the best-of-seven series 3-0 and are just one win away from clinching the series at home on May 26.

Carolina’s decision to start backup goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov backfired, as he was pulled after the Panthers' relentless attack in the final period. Despite an aggressive start, the Hurricanes could not keep pace with Florida's offensive firepower, which has now outscored them 16-4 over three games. The absence of Carolina's regular starting goalie Frederik Andersen, due to underperformance, has highlighted the pressure on Kochetkov, who had previously shown promise during the regular season.