Panthers Need Killer Instinct in Game 6

With one more win, the Florida Panthers will claim their second straight Stanley Cup and cement themselves as the envy of the entire NHL for years to come.

However, they know better than anyone that the last win is the hardest to earn.

Last year, the Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, only to drop three straight games and head back to Sunrise for a deciding Game 7. They won that game in a 2-1 nail-biter, but they let that series go on far longer than they wanted it to.

That wasn't just an isolated incident, though. The Panthers are 4-6 in their first chance to close out an opponent over the past three years, and just 2-5 over the past two seasons.

With the Stanley Cup in the building Tuesday for Game 6 against the Oilers, the Panthers know they have to have a killer instinct to bring home another title.

“When you go through a bunch of playoff series like we have and I have, most of the time [the last game] is the toughest one,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, per NHL.com. “Edmonton’s one of, if not the best, team that I’ve played in my career in playoffs, so I’m sure it’s going to be a very tough one."

“I think it’s important when you play a team that their backs are against the wall, it’s important to come out with a good start, both sides. I know everybody says that each and every game, but I think if you can get to your game right away, the team that settles in the quickest, that seems to be the one that has a lot of success.”

Of course, the series isn't over if the Panthers lose this game, and they've handled such a situation expertly before. In the second round, they failed to close out the Toronto Maple Leafs in a home Game 6, only to go back up to Canada and crush them 6-1 in Game 7.

However, they'd definitely prefer to close the series out as soon as possible.

“I think everything we’ve kind of gone through we just have more experience, so you get a little bit more comfortable in the situation,” forward Evan Rodrigues said. “Whenever you can gain experience and feel like the moment’s not bigger than it is, it helps. It helps the nerves.”