Floodgates: Panthers Score 5 in Third, Rout Hurricanes in Game 3

SUNRISE — The Carolina Hurricanes probably should not have been tied with the Florida Panthers going into the third period, yet, here they were staying right with the defending Stanley Cup champions after 40 minutes on Saturday night.

They would not be for very long after that, however.

The Panthers ended up scoring four goals in the first half of the third and ended with five in the final period to blowout the Hurricanes once more, this one 6-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.

Florida is a win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year; Game 4 is in Sunrise on Monday at 8.

Sasha Barkov and Niko Mikkola each scored twice for the Panthers, who have steamrolled the Hurricanes en route to this commanding 3-0 lead.

Florida has outscored Carolina 16-4 in the first three games.

Mikkola got the scoring going for the Panthers in the first, but Carolina tied it on a power-play goal in the second.

Florida scored four goals in the first 9:31 of the third and five in 10:37 to take control of the game — and the series.

Jesper Boqvist got the period rolling at 1:29. Florida then got goals from Mikkola and Barkov 29 seconds apart to make it 4-1.

Barkov got his second at 9:31 for a 5-1 lead, then Brad Marchand got his fourth of the playoffs to make it 6-1.

GAME 3: HURRICANES @ PANTHERS

• Mikkola’s goal marked the fourth straight playoff game Florida got a goal from a defenseman, matching the longest run in franchise history set in 2023. The Avalanche had six straight games with goals from d-men in 2024.
• The Panthers are the third team in the past 30 years to score five-plus goals in four consecutive postseason games. The Colorado Avalanche did it five times in 2024, four times in 2021, and the Detroit Red Wings did it four times in 1995.

SCORING: HURRICANES @ PANTHERS

• Florida 1, Carolina 0 (12:07 1st): Niko Mikkola’s backhanded shovel from the slot skids off Dmitry Orlov’s skate and past Pyotr Kochetkov.
• Carolina 1, Florida 1 (14:51 2nd PP): Florida killed off a 5-minute power play, but a delay of game on Gus Forsling led to the Hurricanes first goal off a point shot from Brent Burns that Sergei Bobrovsky initially stopped. Only Logan Stankoven was there to clean up the rebound in front of the net.
• Florida 2, Carolina 1 (1:29 3rd): Jesper Boqvist comes in on the rush, and his one-armed backhanded shot goes between the skates of Kochetkov.
• Florida 3, Carolina 1 (6:06 3rd): Mikkola gets his second of the game, scoring off a pass from Sam Bennett.
• Florida 4, Carolina 1 (6:55 3rd): Just 49 seconds later, Matthew Tkachuk grabbed a turnover deep in the offensive zone, with Sasha Barkov scoring from the right circle.
• Florida 5, Carolina 1 (9:31 3rd): Barkov sends a saucer toward the net with it looking like Evan Rodrigues would deflect it on the right post, but the shot goes off Shayne Gostisbehere and in.
• Florida 6, Carolina 1 (10:37 3rd): Brad Marchand gets in on the fun, scoring off the rush from a cross-ice pass from Anton Lundell.
• Florida 6, Carolina 2 (11:01 3rd PP): Seth Jarvis scores to stop the bleeding. A bit.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Niko Mikkola, Florida
• 2. Sasha Barkov, Florida
• 3. Evan Rodrigues, Florida