Panthers’ Third-Period Barrage Leaves Hurricanes Shell-Shocked—and One Loss from Summer Vacation

Let’s be honest: through two periods of hockey in Game 3, it felt like we might finally get a nail-biter in this series. The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes were tied 1-1, both teams grinding it out, throwing hits, and playing smart, structured hockey. It was everything you’d expect from two playoff-seasoned teams with their eyes on the Cup.

And then the third period happened. And it wasn’t close.

The Panthers blew the game wide open with five goals in just over ten minutes—turning what had been a tightly contested battle into a full-blown demolition. Final score: 6-2. Carolina didn’t just lose Game 3. They got steamrolled.

Now, Florida leads the Eastern Conference Final 3-0, and the Hurricanes are staring down the barrel of a sweep. Again.

But don’t expect the Panthers to start popping champagne just yet. If there’s one thing this team has learned from recent playoff runs, it’s that a 3-0 series lead is more dangerous than it looks.

History’s Warning: Don’t Get Comfortable

If anyone in the Florida locker room starts thinking Game 4 is a formality, head coach Paul Maurice will probably remind them of last year’s Cup Final collapse. The Panthers had a 3-0 lead over Edmonton and almost coughed it up—losing three straight before gutting out a Game 7 win. That series left a scar.

And Maurice is more than happy to reopen it.

“We tried to win every shift,” he said, recalling last year’s near-disaster. “We wanted it so bad, we got in our own way.”

He’s been repeating that message throughout this series: don’t chase the outcome. Just play the game.

Veteran forward Brad Marchand—who’s seen just about everything in his career—gets it too.

“We’re not thinking about Game 4 like it’s the end,” he said. “You get ahead of yourself in the playoffs, you lose. Simple as that. We’re preparing like this thing is going seven.”

It might sound like lip service when your team is outscoring the Hurricanes 16-4 in the series. But it’s not. This is a team that’s been through the fire—and knows how quickly the heat can turn on them.

Carolina Had Hope—For About 40 Minutes

To be fair to the Hurricanes, they came out in Game 3 with some serious urgency. For two periods, they finally looked like themselves—tight-checking, poised, and patient. After falling behind 1-0 in the first on a Sam Bennett goal, they clawed back late in the second with a power-play tally from Logan Stankoven.

Tied 1-1 going into the third. Game on, right?

But the Panthers had other plans.

What happened next wasn’t just a scoring outburst—it was a statement. A message. A flex.

Jesper Boqvist Sparks the Fire

Let’s talk about the guy who lit the match: Jesper Boqvist. He wasn’t supposed to be the hero. Hell, heading into Game 3, he had just one goal and one assist in nine playoff games. He was barely averaging nine minutes of ice time.

But with Sam Reinhart (Florida’s regular season scoring leader) out with a lower-body injury, Boqvist was bumped up the lineup and told, basically: “Don’t screw this up.”

He did the opposite.

Just over two minutes into the third, Boqvist danced around Dmitry Orlov like he was standing still and slipped a filthy backhander past Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov. The crowd lost its mind. And the Panthers… well, they never looked back.

“He’s such a talented guy,” Marchand said after the game. “He just hasn’t had a ton of opportunity. But that was a monster goal. Changed everything.”

Boqvist would finish with three points. Talk about showing up.

Then Came the Avalanche

That goal opened the floodgates. Aleksander Barkov, the ever-composed captain, scored twice within minutes. One was off a scramble. The next was a clean shot from the high slot. You blinked, and it was 4-1.

By the time Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling added their names to the scoresheet, it was carnage.

Carolina was stunned. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour looked like a man watching his house collapse in slow motion.

“We were doing everything right… and then we just started turning pucks over,” Brind’Amour said, shaking his head. “Against this team? That’ll kill you.”

And it did.

Bobrovsky: Quietly Dominant

Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky continued doing what he’s done all series: erasing mistakes, bailing out defenders, and making the kind of saves that suck the life out of opponents.

His stat line—23 saves on 25 shots—doesn’t scream “highlight reel,” but make no mistake: Bobrovsky was surgical. His best moment came in the second period, when he lunged across the crease to rob Stankoven with a jaw-dropping blocker save.

He didn’t just protect a lead—he preserved belief.

“He’s been unbelievable,” Maurice said. “We’re lucky to have him. When the game gets chaotic, he calms us down.”

Bobrovsky now has a .947 save percentage and a 1.33 GAA in the series. Translation: good luck beating him four times in a week.

Source: Five-goal flurry in third gives Panthers 3-0 lead in East

Florida’s Depth Passes the Test

What made this Game 3 win even more impressive was who Florida didn’t have.

Reinhart was out. Luostarinen got ejected for boarding Jackson Blake just minutes into the first period. That’s two of their top forwards gone before the second period even started.

Didn’t matter.

The Panthers’ penalty kill, short two regulars, killed off the five-minute major like it was a Tuesday morning drill. The defense held. The goaltender held. And when the floodgates opened, every line chipped in.

“We’ve got guys up and down the lineup who can score, who can defend,” said Barkov. “We believe in each other. We’re built for this.”

It showed.

Now Comes the Hard Part

Game 4 is Monday. It’ll be at home, again, where the Panthers have a chance to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year. That would put them in elite company—joining the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Oilers of the ’80s.

But nobody in that locker room is thinking about silverware yet.

“It’s the toughest one to get,” Marchand said. “You don’t want to let them hang around. But you can’t rush it. Play your game. Play smart. Respect your opponent. That’s the formula.”

If they follow it, this series might be over sooner rather than later.

But if there’s one lesson Florida knows better than anyone—it’s this:

A 3-0 lead means nothing… until it means everything.

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