Carolina started Game 5 the way it played in Game 4 . By the end of the first period, the Hurricanes led 2-0, giving fans at the Lenovo Center hope that their team might be capable of an epic comeback after falling behind 3-0 in the best-of-seven series.

The Florida Panthers slammed the door on that, crushing that hope with a three-goal flurry in the second period and a game-winner in the third period. The offensive blizzard put Florida ahead 3-2, and Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winner late in the third period for the Panthers in their 5-3, Eastern Conference clinching effort in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

The Panthers are now headed to their fourth — and third consecutive — Stanley Cup Final, where they will face the winner of the Dallas-Edmonton series. The Oilers

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