North6ix Recap: Round 3 - Game 5 - Carolina vs Florida

(Picture via Athlon Sports)

The Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5–3 in Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final on May 28, clinching the series 4–1 and advancing to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Wikipedia

Game Summary

• First Period: Carolina surged ahead with goals from Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, establishing a 2–0 lead. Reuters

• Second Period: Florida responded with a trio of goals from Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues, and Anton Lundell, overturning the deficit to lead 3–2. 

• Third Period: Seth Jarvis netted his second goal for Carolina, tying the game at 3–3. However, Carter Verhaeghe scored the decisive goal for Florida, assisted by captain Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Bennett secured the win with an empty-net goal, finalizing the score at 5–3. 

Notable Moments

• Florida's comeback from a 2–0 deficit showcased their resilience and championship pedigree.

• Coach Paul Maurice abstained from the traditional postgame handshake line, adhering to his belief that this ritual should be reserved for players.

• Carolina's coach, Rod Brind'Amour, expressed pride in his team's effort despite the loss, acknowledging Florida as the current standard in the league

Series Overview

The Panthers dominated the series, winning Games 1 through 3 before the Hurricanes staved off elimination with a Game 4 victory. Florida's Game 5 win sealed the series, marking their second Eastern Conference Final triumph over Carolina in three seasons. NHL

Florida will face the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, a rematch of the previous season's championship series.