FHN Today: Heat, Panthers done; How are the Marlins doing?

Although the Florida Panthers got swept in the second round of the playoffs, the Miami Heat found a way to keep its season going.

Until Sunday night.

With the Heat losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Celtics, it’s now time to turn our eyes to the Miami Marlins.

There will be a Game 7 in North Carolina tonight as the Rangers visit the Hurricanes and the NBA Finals start Thursday night.

The Marlins, which lost in Atlanta on Sunday, start a three-game set in Colorado later today.

Miami currently sits in fourth place in the NL East, 11 games back of the Mets.

Hey, everyone’s doin’ the Fish!

Right?

PANTHERLAND

With only about $4 million under the salary cap, Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito has a lot of work to do this offseason.

Sure, some of the kids may be on this team next year — but they’ll move some things around and try to add. Perhaps addition by subtraction.

Regardless, it should not be a slow offseason in Sunrise.

— In the AHL playoffs, the Springfield Thunderbirds (who were the Panthers’ affiliate up until 2020) sweeps the current one as the Charlotte Checkers bowed out of the postseason on Saturday night.

The AHL really ought to rethink that whole higher-seeded team has to play the first two games of the best-of-5 series on the road thing. I know it’s due to finances but still.

— Sergei Bobrovsky had himself one heck of a bounceback year with the Panthers — and it was not limited to the regular season, either.

— With the salary cap issues, think Claude Giroux returns to the Panthers?

— Video from Wednesday’s media sessions are up on the FloridaHockeyNow YouTube channel.

Panthers we spoke to: Zito, Andrew Brunette, Joe Thornton, Sasha Barkov, Bobrovsky, Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell and Giroux.

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And that’s probably going to be a minute — but we will work on something.

CAFECITO CORNER

The Celtics took the first lead in Game 7 on Sunday night and never gave it up — but the Heat kept fighting until the final minute.

Was not enough.

The Heat was unable to tie the score — Jimmy Butler rimmed out the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16 seconds left — and Boston moves on to lose to the Warriors in the Finals.

— The Marlins drop two of three in Atlanta and now move on to Denver.

— The Miami Hurricanes will host an NCAA regional despite a rough end to their regular season and pretty awful showing in the ACC tournament.

AROUND THE NHL

We are going to have a Game 7 tonight as the New York Rangers try to be the first team to win in Raleigh this postseason.

— As the Lightning wait. And wait. It’s better than the alternative.

— Here’s a look at how the Colorado Avalanche are prepping for the Oilers.

— The Panthers aren’t the only team up against the cap as the Pittsburgh Penguins have issues as well.

— Checking in on the HNIC 32 Thoughts including an update on the Barry Trotz situation.

— Jason Spezza retires, joins Leafs’ front office.

— Johnny Hockey certainly sounds like he wants to come back and play for the Calgary Flames.

— What is the future for Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings?

— Finland beats Canada, wins Gold at Worlds.

— Team USA loses to Czechia in the Bronze game.