Florida Panthers stun Carolina...

The last time Florida and Carolina met in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Panthers swept the 2023 series - but every game was close.

After Florida's crushing 5-0 defeat of the Panthers for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, another sweep appears imminent especially with the series shifting to Sunrise for Games 3 and 4 during Memorial Day weekend.

However, with the Game 2 blowout added to the Panthers' 5-2 win in Game 1, nothing has been close about this series.

The Panthers - who have outscored their opponents 21-4 on the road in the postseason - scored three goals in the first period, saw the Hurricanes pull goalie Frederik Andersen and then rode that momentum the rest of the night.

Game 3 is May 24 at Amerant Bank Arena.

Hurricanes fans yelled “Shoot the puck!” — loudly — during Game 2 on multiple occasions. But their team could not break through a staunch Florida defense as Sergei Bobrovsky swiftly collected a 17-save shutout and the Panthers are two wins away from returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third straight season.

The first period was a slog. Both teams combined for eight shots on goal, but the Panthers made the most of theirs as they continuously grinded the Hurricanes down on the forecheck.

Gustav Forsling opened the scoring on Florida’s first shot of the game 1:17 into it. He beat Andersen with a quick snap shot off of a feed from Matthew Tkachuk after the second line won two key puck battles on the forecheck to keep the play alive. Tkachuk tacked on a goal just over 10 minutes later, tapping home a feed from Carter Verhaeghe at the front of the net.

There was some troubling news for Florida. Sam Reinhart left the game with a lower-body injury after getting swept off his feet by Sebastian Aho with 5:09 to go in the first period and did not return. No penalty was called on the play, but Sam Bennett struck on a power play a minute later after Andrei Svechnikov threw a punch at Tkachuk that gave him a roughing penalty.

"We've been playing well on the road," said Bennett, who had two goals and an assist. "Our defense has been incredible."

Aho appeared to get Carolina on the board 51 seconds into the second period, but it was called back after a successful offside challenge from the Panthers. Florida continued to hound Carolina in the second period — holding the Canes to four shots — before Bennett tapped home his second goal of the game with 39 seconds to go to make it 4-0.

Aleksander Barkov struck on the power play with 6:11 to go in the third period to pad Florida’s lead.

Here are three takeaways from Florida’s Game 2 victory:

Panthers dominate in every facet of the game

For a Hurricanes team that dominated its way through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Panthers looked like the superior team in every aspect of the game.

Carolina’s penalty kill — which allowed just two goals on 30 penalties taken — allowed multiple goals in back-to-back games to kick off the Conference final. Andersen, who had a .937 save percentage going into the series, allowed at least four goals in both Games 1 and 2.

How did the Panthers do it? By hounding the Hurricanes on the forecheck, keeping their gaps tight and keeping Carolina to the outside in the rare opportunity it got in the offensive zone.

Matthew Tkachuk finally makes his mark

After being held without a goal for the second-round series against Toronto, Tkachuk was finally back to his usual shenanigans.

Tkachuk looked like he was slowed down to start the playoffs after returning from a lower-body injury he sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He looked like he gained a step to kick off Game 2.

The star power forward hounded the Hurricanes on the forecheck in the opening minutes, forcing a turnover to set up Forsling’s goal. He continued to pressure them hard later in the first period and was rewarded again with a goal at the doorstep.

Sam Reinhart leaves game after leg-to-leg hit from Sebastian Aho

The Panthers lost former their 50-goal scorer and 2024-25 Selke Trophy nominee for the game after Aho barreled into Reinhart’s knee with speed in the first period. A penalty was not called on the play, but it may be worth a look from the Department of Player Safety.

As for Reinhart, he creates a big hole on Florida’s top line. He was voted as one of the NHL’s top defensive forwards for a reason — he plays heavy minutes against the opposing team’s top lines and shuts them down. And he has added four goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games in the process.

Florida could turn to Jesper Boqvist — who scored two points in relief for Evan Rodrigues in Game 5 against Toronto — or rookie sniper Mackie Samoskevich if Reinhart misses time.