Niko Mikkola and Aleksander Barkov each scored twice, and the Florida Panthers scored five goals in a nine-minute span of the third period to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday night and move one win from a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Clamping down on defense and erupting on offense in the third period, the Panthers pulled away for a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. The win gave Florida a 3-0 series lead and a chance to clinch a second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance on home ice.

Why the Carolina Hurricanes might well be on their way to the most embarrassing, listless, dismal playoff series in their 28 years in North Carolina.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers scored five goals in the first 10:37 of the third period, pulling away to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.

With his club up 2-0 in the series, Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen was ejected from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the first period, after a boarding major against forward Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Sam Reinhart will 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.

The Florida Panthers were an unstoppable force, and the Carolina Hurricanes were a very movable object. That was the story of Game 2 on Thursday night as the Panthers walloped the Hurricanes, 5-0, to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final.

This series has been all Florida through two games, and our Hurricanes vs. Panthers props expect more of the same in Game 3.