Even the only two other South Florida teams that went to three straight championship rounds like the Panthers carry scars of their journeys. Coach Don Shula stood in the Dolphins locker room after losing the 1971 Super Bowl and told his players, “Remember how bad you feel to help win next year.” They won the next two titles.

Dallas Stars' Sam Steel (18) and Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse (25) battle in the corner during the third period in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP) AP

They came slowly, even quietly, off the bench late Wednesday night, easing toward goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with quick nods and half-smiles that spoke of their good night’s work. But there were no hugs,

Bill Zito didn’t do any significant celebrating after the Florida Panthers clinched their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Florida had just punched its ticket once again to the Stanley Cup Final — its third consecutive season making it to the final series, its third consecutive opportunity to win it all — with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final. And yet, everything appeared to be business as usual.

The novelty of winning at this time of year hasn’t worn off. The defending champions simply have become used to it by now.

A day after the Florida Panthers clinched their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup finals, fans were snapping up gear at the official team shop in Fort Lauderdale.

Obviously he played with a lot of different people during that time, but it this fact is absolutely mind-blowing. An improbable hockey streak remains intact for another year A teammate of Jaromír Jágr has made the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last 45 seasons after Aleksander Barkov's Panthers clinched the East Wednesday.

Brad Marchand is back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2019. But this time, it’s as a member of the Florida Panthers. “I definitely didn’t expect to be here in this jersey,” Marchand, who had an assist in the win, told TNT’s Jackie Redmond after Florida’s Game 5 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. “But I’m very happy I am.”

After playing nearly every other day for several weeks, the Panthers finally get a break while they await their Stanley Cup Final opponent.

The entire play took eight seconds, and basically summed up why the Florida Panthers have enormous, nonstop belief in Aleksander Barkov.

The Florida Panthers are the first team to advance to the fourth round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, doing so by way of a 5-3, come-from-behind victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the third round on Wednesday evening.