Miami Heat Season Ends in Denver, Can Panthers Survive in Vegas?

The Miami Heat made one heck of a run to the NBA Final, surviving the play-in round to upsetting the Bucks, Knicks and then the Celtics.

But Miami’s amazing run came to an end in Denver on Monday night, losing Game 5 to the Nuggets 94-89.

Miami ended up losing the final three games of the series — including two at home — after winning Game 2 in Denver.

Now, after almost two months of postseason back-and-forth, the Florida Panthers are left standing.

Question is, for how long?

The Panthers go into tonight’s Game 5 a loss away from elimination in this Stanley Cup Final.

The Heat and Panthers had a lot in common this postseason from both pulling big upsets as No. 8 seeds to having superstar performances from the likes of Jimmy Butler and Matthew Tkachuk.

Butler’s run ended in the NBA Finals.

Will Tkachuk’s Panthers live to fight another day?

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW

It looks like Butler was playing through something in the NBA Finals and it is obvious Tkachuk is hurting.

Will he be able to play tonight? The expectation is he will. The Panthers cannot afford to be without him.

He gave everything he had to the Panthers in the Game 4 loss.

— Has all of the pressure of this series shifted to the Vegas Golden Knights? Yeah, they’re only a win away from hoisting the Cup, but that last hurdle can be the toughest.

— The Vegas Golden Knights say they cannot wait for what is next.

— The Panthers flew back to Vegas on Sunday afternoon in a much different mood than the last time they headed out there.

They vow this series is not over.

— Anton Lundell may have benefited most from this long run through the playoffs. This is an experience he could only get here.

— The Panthers tried to get Game 4 to overtime — where they have been terrific so far this postseason.

— Radko Gudas’ beard is venturing not only into legendary status during this playoff run by the Panthers, but it is almost getting mythological. ”It weighs 103 pounds,’’ Paul Maurice said Friday.

— There is a TON of video up on the FHN YouTube Channel including Game 4 postgame reaction from Paul Maurice, Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brandon Montour.

Monday’s practice day availability included Maurice, Eric Staal, Gus Forsling and Josh Mahura.

Come back later for Game 5 pregame stuff.

To see all the videos, you can click the embedded videos below or head directly to the FHN YouTube Channel RIGHT HERE to see everything all in one place.

If you hit subscribe (it’s free), you will know when new content comes up.

NATIONAL HOCKEY NOW

The Vegas Golden Knights had another packed practice in Summerlin on Monday, with Adin Hill getting the loudest ovation.

— The last 17 seconds of Game 4 ‘felt like 17 minutes’ for the Vegas Golden Knights.

— No suspension for Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo after he came out of the box to give Sasha Barkov a big hug during the melee at the end of Game 4.

— The Calgary Flames have a new coach.

— Could Pierre-Luc Dubois be headed to the Boston Bruins? Do not bet on it.

— Could the Montreal Canadiens move some of their RFAs like Rafael Harvey-Pinard?

— So, former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel apparently did not recognize Charles Barkley.

— Kyle Dubas of the Pittsburgh Penguins is expected to be busy during trade season.

— How about Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings?

FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK

THE 2023 STANLEY CUP FINAL

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 

GAME 5 (Vegas leads 3-1)

• When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
• Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
• TV: TNT
  
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM, WPOW 96.5 FM2, WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Series Schedule — Game 1: @Vegas 5, Florida 2; Game 2: @Vegas 7, Florida 2; Game 3: @Florida 3, Vegas 2 (OT); Game 4: Vegas 3, @Florida 2 ; Game 5: Tuesday at Vegas, 8 (TNT); Game 6*: Friday at Florida, 8 (TNT); Game 7*: Monday June 19 at Vegas, 8 (TNT). * – If Necessary
• 2022-23 Regular Season Series (Even 1-1): @Vegas 4, Florida 2 (Jan. 12); @Florida 2, Vegas 1 (March 7)
• All-time Regular Season Series: Golden Knights lead 6-3-1
• Postseason History: First meeting
• How They Got Here — Vegas: d. Winnipeg in 5, Edmonton in 6, Dallas in 6; Florida: d. Boston in 7, Toronto in 5, Carolina in 4.