May 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (17) celebrates scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Panthers Heading to Third Straight Stanley Cup Final

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated May 28, 2025 11:00 PM ET

With a victory in Game 5 over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Florida Panthers have punched their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. For the third consecutive year, the Panthers will at least be Eastern Conference champion and are a step closer to defending their Stanley Cup championship.

The Panthers found took a demanding 3-0 series lead over the Hurricanes, but dropped Game 4, just missing out on the first sweep of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That would be the only Hurricanes win of the series, however, as the Panthers continue to show no signs of a Cup hangover.

The Cats are back!

The @FlaPanthers became the ninth franchise in NHL history, and second in the past 40 years (TBL: 2020-22), with three consecutive #StanleyCup Final appearances.#NHLStats: https://t.co/NChr9wBpC2 pic.twitter.com/BmbmK9hyTc
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 29, 2025

The Hurricanes held a 2-0 lead in Game 5, but the Panthers didn’t let up, tying the game with a pair of goals in 30 seconds in the second period. The Panthers took a 3-2 lead in the second frame, but saw the Hurricanes come back to tie the game in the third.

With just over seven and a half minutes left, the Panthers scored again to take the lead and didn't look back. With a 5-3 win in Game 5, the Panthers sealed the series.

The Panthers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year and have played just 17 games up to this point.

In the first round, the Panthers handled the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. The second round was a bit tougher, but they took care of the Toronto Maple Leafs, needing all seven games.

In the Eastern Conference Final round, the Panthers continued to show their dominance by outscoring the Hurricanes 21-10 in five games.

The Panthers will not wait to see if they will have a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers in the Cup Final, or if the Dallas Stars can pull off a sizable comeback from down three games to one.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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