Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Audio By Carbonatix
It’s the age-old question: Is South Florida a basketball town or a football town? Debate all you want, but the Florida Panthers are one win away from rendering that conversation moot in the present tense.
The Panthers are on the brink of making back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals after a clutch 3-2 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night.
The victory sets up a potential closeout Game 6 on Saturday at 8:00 p.m., when the Panthers can clinch the series on home ice at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
Wow.
Sam Bennett FAKES OUT the Rangers defence and feeds Gustav Forsling for the tying goal 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/nl1qdwIs4s
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 31, 2024
The outcome of Game 5 might look pretty, but how the sausage was made was anything but a breeze. After falling behind 1-0 following some sloppy play early on, Sam Bennett pulled off a Patrick Mahomes-style no-look fake-out pass to the “Gus Bus,” Gus Forsling, who promptly put the Panthers on the board, tying the game up.
Anton Lundell kept the momentum going early in the third period, giving the Panthers the lead for the first time.
🚨 Panthers are on top 2-1 🚨
Lundell gets his first goal of the series!! pic.twitter.com/blQXB1BJ1H
— Hard Rock Bet (@HardRockBet) May 31, 2024
After some tense action that featured the Panthers clinging to their one-goal margin, Bennett scored an empty-netter with 1:52 remaining to seal the deal.
Or so it seemed at the time.
Just over a minute later, the Rangers were able to cut the lead to 3-2, providing Panthers fans with one last bout of hyperventilation before our boys closed out the victory.
The Panthers (-125) take a 3-1 lead in Game 5 👀
Sam Bennett Anytime Goalscorer (+300) ✅
Empty Net Goal: Yes (+175) ✅
pic.twitter.com/XiLEoer4Fl— betway (@betwayusa) May 31, 2024
With the win, the Panthers, the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division, are one more W away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive year.
What a time to be alive, folks! The series can be decided on Saturday night in Sunrise, where the Panthers will look to leverage home-ice advantage.
Is South Florida a hockey town?
If the Panthers can again play for that big silver cup that has never called Sunrise home, it sure will be this weekend and for at least a few more weeks.
