Clamping down on defense and erupting on offense in the third period, the Panthers pulled away for a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. The win gave Florida a 3-0 series lead and a chance to clinch a second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance on home ice.

Niko Mikkola and Aleksander Barkov each scored twice, and the Florida Panthers scored five goals in a nine-minute span of the third period to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday night and move one win from a third consecutive trip to the

Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) carries the puck in front of Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad (5) during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) AP

Sebastian Aho and the Carolina Hurricanes look to bounce back against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs East Final on Saturday.