NHL News: Aleksander Barkov issues clear message after Panthers fall short in closeout game vs Hurricanes

The Florida Panthers will need to delay their hopes of clinching a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final after a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. What was expected to be a potential celebration at home instead served as a reminder of Florida’s recurring difficulties in sealing series when the opportunity arises.

It wasn’t just the scoreline that concerned Florida fans—it was the overall performance. The Panthers were outpaced and out-executed by a Carolina team that entered the night facing elimination. Florida lacked energy, cohesion on special teams, and offensive sharpness throughout the game, as the Hurricanes dictated the tempo and capitalized on key mistakes.

“They had their best game of the series and they’re a really good team. So, they played really well. They deserved to win today, but that’s OK. We’ll learn. We’ll recover from this one and move on,” captain Aleksander Barkov said, according to NHL.com, emphasizing the team’s mindset going forward despite another missed chance to close a series.

Panthers again falter in elimination opportunity

This is not unfamiliar territory for the Panthers. Monday’s performance closely resembled previous struggles in closeout scenarios, including Game 3 of the first round against Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 6 versus Toronto Maple Leafs, and last year’s dramatic seven-game series in the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton Oilers after initially going up 3-0.

Head coach Paul Maurice offered a positive spin, calling it “a learning opportunity.” Yet the pattern remains: Panthers have not consistently shown the urgency required to finish playoff series when given the chance. Missing forward Sam Reinhart, a vital cog on the power play, the Panthers went 0-for-4 with the man advantage and looked out of sync offensively.

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Panthers must respond on the road

Despite the setback, Florida holds a 3-1 series lead and will travel to Raleigh for Game 5 on Wednesday with confidence in its road performance, having won seven of nine games away from home this postseason. Still, the pressure is growing.

“Obviously, we put ourselves in a great position, great situation, going on the road, 3-1 lead,” Barkov added. “But we just have to bring our best. We were not at our best today and we’ll learn from this and be better next game.”

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