Brind’Amour’s Gamble Backfires as Panthers Torch Hurricanes, Take 3-0 Series Lead
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The Florida Panthers delivered a crushing blow to Carolina's Stanley Cup aspirations with a 6-2 demolition in Game 3, pushing the Hurricanes to the brink of elimination. Florida's third-period scoring frenzy - five goals in 9 minutes - transformed a tight contest into a rout at Amerant Bank Arena.
Goaltending Gamble Goes Awry
Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour's decision to start Pyotr Kochetkov over struggling veteran Frederik Andersen proved disastrous. The young netminder surrendered six goals on 28 shots, including four in the final frame's opening minutes. "We needed Stability and got chaos instead," analysts noted during the NBC Sports broadcast.
Panthers' Offensive Onslaught
Florida's depth shone through missing stars:
• Aleksander Barkov: 2 goals, 1 assist
• Matthew Tkachuk: 3 assists (8-game point streak)
• Niko Mikkola: 2 third-period goals
Paul Maurice's strategic deployment of 11 forwards and 7 defensemen kept fresh legs against Carolina's crumbling defense.
Historical Implications
The Panthers join elite company as only the sixth team in NHL history to score 5+ goals in three consecutive Conference Final games. Carolina now faces:
• 0-15 record in Conference Final games
• 0-4 all-time when trailing 3-0
• 11-2 home playoff record for Florida since 2023
Path Forward
As the series shifts back to Sunrise for Monday's Game 4, Carolina must solve:
1. Defensive breakdowns in high-pressure situations
2. Lack of secondary scoring beyond Aho/Jarvis
3. Goaltending uncertainty
Florida needs just one more win to secure their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance - a feat last achieved by Edmonton (1983-85).
