The Florida Panthers use a third-period barrage to beat the Carolina Hurricanes and move inches away from the Stanley Cup Final.

Sam Reinhart did not play for the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against Carolina on Saturday night because of a left knee injury, one that happened Thursday when he was skated into by the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho.

When Nate Schmidt looks around the Florida Panthers' locker room, he sees players who possess something he doesn't have. At least not yet. A Stanley Cup ring. Most of them won a ring last season when the Panthers hoisted the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Reinhart suffered a lower-body injury during Game 2 at the 5:09 mark of the second period when Carolina's Sebastian Aho ran into him.

The rat-throwing tradition dates back to the Panthers’ third season as an NHL franchise. Ahead of Florida’s home opener in 1995-96, forward Scott Mellanby spotted a rat running through the team’s locker room. Mellanby then took his stick and slapped the rat, sending it flying into a wall and killing it.

He certainly is enjoying life, both on and off the ice. The hope is that another Stanley Cup is on the horizon. Lion and Adalee already got to experience it once, with Gadjovich and wife Allison putting both of them inside the Cup as the Panthers celebrated the victory last June.

The Panthers have routed the Hurricanes and Maple Leafs in their last four playoff games, causing opposing fans to boo their own team and leave games early.

Stanley Cup Playoffs have been a resounding success for Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. The 29-year-old winger has been a fixture in the Pan