Overview

• Florida overcame a 2-0 first-period deficit with three second-period goals from Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell.
• Carter Verhaeghe’s 12:21 third-period strike off an Aleksander Barkov feed proved to be the series-clincher in a 5-3 victory.
• Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer returned from injury for Game 5, bolstering the Panthers’ depth.
• The win marks the fourth Stanley Cup Final berth in franchise history.
• The Panthers will now face the Western Conference champion—Edmonton or Dallas—to defend their title.