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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
SUNRISE, Florida — Matthew Tkachuk scored with 4.3 seconds remaining to finish Florida’s sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday evening and ship the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Closing.
The 4-3 victory gave the Panthers their first playoff sequence sweep in franchise historical past. Florida will now make its second Cup Closing look, and first since 1996. They await the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights–Dallas Stars sequence within the different convention closing.
The Panthers gave themselves an opportunity to shut out Carolina after incomes a 1-0 victory in Monday’s Sport 3, powered by a 32-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky. Florida’s netminder was stellar once more Wednesday with 36 saves. Frederik Andersen stopped 21 photographs on the different finish to offer Carolina an opportunity at extending the sequence. And the Hurricanes overcame adversity with a great likelihood to make that occur.
Florida was in management early in Sport 4, taking a 1-0 lead simply 41 seconds into the primary interval when Anthony Duclair slipped a puck previous Andersen amid a mad scramble in entrance of Carolina’s internet.
That was simply the beginning of a nightmare stretch for the Hurricanes.
Proper after Duclair scored, Panthers ahead Sam Bennett laid a large verify on Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin as he performed the puck behind his internet. Slavin hit his head in opposition to the boards and was dominated out with an upper-body damage.
Tkachuk gave Florida a 2-0 benefit when Sebastian Aho went to the field for interference, the primary time both crew had earned a two-goal lead within the sequence.
The Hurricanes wanted a lift and it got here when Paul Stastny pushed a puck beneath a sprawled-out Bobrovsky. That was the primary even-strength aim a Carolina ahead had scored in opposition to Florida and halted Bobrovsky’s save streak — going again to Sport 2 — at 72.
Florida carried a 2-1 lead into the second interval.
Carolina did not waste time night the rating when Teuvo Teräväinen tallied his first playoff aim minutes into the center body.
The Panthers took the lead again with a aim from Ryan Lomberg off a tic-tac-toe play from fourth-line teammates Marc Staal and Colin White. Florida held a 3-2 benefit within the third interval and defended it in opposition to a determined Carolina crew attempting to maintain its season alive.
Looking for the equalizer, Carolina had a important power-play alternative halfway by way of the third that turned up 4 photographs on Bobrovsky however no aim. It wasn’t till late within the third interval that Jesper Fast solved Bobrovsky once more with a fast strike from in entrance to tie the sport at 3.
A late tripping name on Carolina captain Jordan Staal gave Florida a power-play likelihood with 57 seconds remaining in regulation. Tkachuk beat Andersen with 4.3 seconds on the clock. Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour challenged the play over goaltender interference, however Tkachuk’s aim stood to punch Florida’s ticket to the Cup Closing.