A trip to the Stanley Cup Final is becoming old hat for the Florida Panthers.

After dispatching the Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-3 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday, the Panthers clinched a third straight appearance in the finals and the opportunity to defend their 2023-24 title.

Carter Verhaeghe scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves.