The Panthers completed their sweep of the Hurricanes with Matthew Tkachuk's late heroics sending Florida to their first Stanley Cup Final in decades.
That sound you heard is the growl of the Florida Panthers fans in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and worldwide.
The Panthers emerged victorious with a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday, completing the 4-0 series sweep and securing their place in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996.
Mathew Tkachuk, once again, proved to be the hero for the Panthers, scoring twice. His second tally was the game-winner with 4.3 seconds remaining, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
According to Sportsnet, Tkachuk's game-winner in regulation became the latest series-winning goal in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, matching a record set by Nick Metz of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942.
It wasn't the first time Tkachuk displayed his clutch ability in the series. In Games 1 and 2, he netted the overtime winners, further solidifying his status as a game-changer. With his incredible performances, Tkachuk has amassed nine goals and 12 assists in 16 postseason contests, making him the seventh player in the past decade with 20-plus points in his first postseason with a franchise.
His teammates were in awe of his contributions. Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad couldn't help but express his admiration for Tkachuk's exceptional play, saying, "What he's done is unexplainable," in a postgame interview with The Athletic's Michael Russo.
Hurricanes' efforts fall short
Florida first struck 41 seconds into the contest when Anthony Duclair finished an odd-man rush by pouncing on a loose puck for the quick 1-0 lead.
Then midway through the frame, Tkachuk scored on the power play, beating Fredirk Andresen from the slot.
But despite losing Stefan Noesen due to an upper-body injury sustained in the first period, Jacob Slavin when Sam Bennett bodied him and Martin Necas after a shot from teammate Brett Burnes hit him in the leg, the Hurricanes didn't go away.
They finally snapped Sergei Bobrovsky's shutout streak at 133 minutes and 11 seconds when Paul Stastny beat the goaltender to the rebound.
Then, they tied the score when Teuvo Teravainen picked up the loose change just 2:51 into the second period.
The Panthers restored their advantage when Ryan Lomberg stripped Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the puck and bookended a beautiful tic-tac-toe play with Collin White and Eric Stall.
Still, Carolina responded as a Jesper Fast tally with 3:43 remaining looked to be the one that forced a third overtime game between these two teams until Tkachuk showed he had other ideas.
As a result, Carolina was swept out of the playoffs despite outshooting Florida 122-107, 62-49 in high-danger-chances.
"That's the unfortunate part of this, (people are) going to look back, and everyone's going to say, 'You got swept,'" Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "That's not what happened. I watched the game. I'm there. I'm cutting the game (film). We're in the game. We didn't lose four games. We got beat, but we were right there, and this could have gone the other way. It could have been four games the other way."
The Hurricanes' loss can be attributed to various factors, including Sergei Bobrovsky's strong performance in goal for the Panthers, who made 36 saves on 39 shots, recording a sensational .966 save percentage in the series.
Looking ahead, the Hurricanes will need to address their need for elite finishers, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Max Pacioretty's future as an unrestricted free agent. However, in reflecting on the series, the focus is on the accomplishments and resilience of the team, as they were proud of their efforts and how they battled through adversity.
"To come in and out-chance a team for four games without those guys, and then lose Slavin, and continue to forge ahead, I'm super proud of this group," Brind'Amour said. "It's tough we're not playing, but I can't ask for more than what we got,"
Panthers' resilience pays off, Matthew Tkachuk takes off
The Panthers' journey to the Stanley Cup Final has been extraordinary. As the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, they have defied the odds, winning 11 out of their last 12 games since trailing 3-1 in the opening round against the Presidents Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, who set the record for wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season. Their resilience and determination have propelled them to this historic moment.
Throughout the regular season, they occupied a playoff spot for only 28 percent of the campaign, making them the first team in the NHL's expansion era to reach the final despite spending less than 30 percent of the season in a postseason position.
However, the Panthers have proven that rankings and statistics hold little significance through determination and perseverance.
They're not afraid of anyone, even the Prince of Wales Trophy, which they happily touched even though there's another one to get. Tkachuk explained the team's mindset: "We're not the type of team that's going to be superstitious. We earned that thing. We did it the hard way."
Matthew Tkachuk's takeover
Matthew Tkachuk's competitive drive, skillful hands, and personality can be traced back to his father, Keith Tkachuk. The younger Tkachuk takes pride in being his father's son, but since Keith criticized the Panthers as "soft" on a Toronto radio station in March, he has been banned from discussing his son or the team in public.
"I feel like a teenager getting punished by my parents," Keith Tkachuk, the former NHL star who scored 538 goals, lamented to The Athletic.
Indeed, Keith's son did it once again. He scored the overtime winner in Game 5 against Boston. He scored the quadruple overtime winner in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final and did it again, only needing 1:51 of bonus time in Game 2. In Game 3, he assisted on Sam Reinhart's game-winning goal.
Finally, in the crucial game that sent the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final, Tkachuk scored the game-winner with just five seconds remaining. Aleksander Barkov's clever fake created space. Tkachuk calmly took the puck across the goalmouth, defeating goaltender Fredrick Andersen and igniting the raucous crowd at FLA Live Arena, where fans joyfully threw rats onto the ice.
"Who else, right? Who else? Who else?" exclaimed Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, per The Athletic, who couldn't contain his emotions in the postgame locker room. He realized he was now on the brink of fulfilling his hockey dream.
"It's unexplainable what Matthew's brought to this team throughout the season. His intensity, from his words to his actions on the ice, is amazing."
General manager Bill Zieto, who was announced as a finalist for GM of the year on Wednesday, deserves credit for identifying the right players in trades, waivers, and free agency, including acquiring Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames last offseason.
Tkachuk, in his first year of a lucrative eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per year, has not only led the Panthers to the playoffs through his 128-point regular season but has also witnessed his legend grow to unprecedented heights.
He shows no signs of slowing down, and the opportunity to lift the ultimate prize, something his father never achieved during his illustrious career, is within reach.
The winger also credits his coach Paul Maurice, who inherited a team swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning last season after winning the president's trophy.
"He's made it so much fun for me to come to the rink each and every day, and that's so important," Tkachuk said, per TheHockeyNews.com.
Maurice had done this by being consistent with his message throughout the regular season, even when Florida, who made the playoffs by one point, was struggling. It goes back to what he said at his June 20, 2022, introductory press conference.
"Why would we pull back a team offensively that has that kind of talent with so much offensive talent," the coach with a reputation for being defensive-minded said. "But it has to be smart."
The stats tell the story. Last season, Florida ranked 21st in Dump-Out Rate (23.2 percent), compared to fourth (27.7 percent) in 2023. They were last in Dumping the Puck into the offensive in 2022 (44 percent) compared to 12th (51.8 percent) in 2023. Their success has continued in the playoffs, and the results have finally followed the process.
"We've got a few weeks left of this," Tkachuk said, per Jameson Olive, referring to the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals. "Hopefully, they're going to be the best weeks of our lives."