“What I take from it is we won three, but it doesn’t take three to win a series,” Panthers star winger Matthew Tkachuk said. “That’s the simplest answer I’ve got. We need one more, and it’s the hardest one to win.”

The Florida Panthers are getting healthy, including Sam Reinhart, as they try to close out their series vs. the Carolina Hurricanes.

Carter Verhaeghe signed an eight-year extension after leading Florida with 11 goals in the 2024 postseason and 72 points in the regular season, following up that campaign with his fourth consecutive 20-goal season in 2024-25. Verhaeghe logged eight points (4-4-8) through two rounds in the 2025 postseason.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) skates off the ice after suffering an injury during the third period of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, May 24, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com