VIDEO ⟩ Panthers score in last seconds to advance to Stanley Cup Finals

In the Eastern Conference finals, the “Panthers” were superior 4-0, reaching the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1996.

Matthew Tkaczak scored the winning goal in Wednesday’s match 4.9 seconds before the end of regular time, realizing the numerical majority.

In the final, “Panthers” will meet with the best team of the Western Conference. In that series, the Vegas “Golden Knights” represented by the Latvian striker Teodoras Bļuger are leading 3-0 against the Dallas “Stars”.

“It was an absolute pleasure,” Panthers head coach Paul Morris said after the win in Game 4.

Already in the 41st second of the game, Antoni Duclair put the Florida team in the lead, but in the 11th minute, Tkačak realized the numerical majority, making it 2:0.

In the 14th minute of the first period, Paul Szczasny recovered one goal for the visitors, but at the beginning of the second period, Taivo Teravainen made it 2:2. By the end of the third period, “Panthers” regained the lead – Ryan Lomberg scored an accurate shot in the tenth minute.

In the 57th minute of the match, Jespers Faast made it 3:3, but the last word belonged to the home team and Tkačak secured the victory of the “Panthers” in the match and in the entire series with less than five seconds before the final whistle.

Sergej Bobrovskis managed 36 of 39 shots in the Panthers’ goal this time, but in the series he saved 174 of 180 shots of the “Hurricanes” players, making 96.6% of saves.

“Panthers” won all four games by one goal.

The “Panthers” have played in the Stanley Cup only once so far, in 1996 when they defeated the Colorado “Avalanche” represented by Sand Ozoliņš.