Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk speaks after Florida's 5-3 win in Tampa Bay on April 26. The current incarnation of the Florida Panthers are doing a great job to make us forget about the decades of dreariness that long defined the franchise. Florida just eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games on Monday, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third consecutive year. Several Panthers players finished the opening round with standout statistical performances. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Let’s take a look at some of the numbers. We’ll start with Matthew Tkachuk, one of two players to record a point in all five games of the series. Tkachuk has recorded multi-point outings in four of the five games, heading into the second round with three goals and nine points. The other Panthers player riding a playoff point-streak is Carter Verhaeghe. Whatever you want to call him, Swaggy or Mr. Clutch, Verhaeghe has established himself as one of the league’s premiere postseason performers. He finished the Tampa series with five goals and nine points. Third year center Anton Lundell quietly has points in four straight games, but more than just the scoring production was how well he played when called upon to fill in for an injured Sam Bennett on Florida’s second line. Lundell's play kept the line with Tkachuk and Verhaeghe firing on all cylinders despite missing Bennett, whose proven to be a key asset among the Cats' forward group. Panthers captain Sasha Barkov logged five points during the series, but they all came during Game 1 (two assists) and Game 5 (two goals and an assist). That three point effort was the first of Barkov's postseason career [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/panthers-captain-sasha-barkov-has-career-playoff-night-in-series-clincher-against-tampa-bay]. It was also his first playoff multi-goal game. Sam Reinhart had three goals and 18 shots during the series and defenseman Gus Forsling led all Florida blueliners with four points, all assists, in the five games. We’ll see if the Panthers can keep the good times rolling when they begin their second round series. Their opponent has yet to be determined, but we know it will be the winner of the series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, so either way it’ll be a rematch of a series from last season. The Maple Leafs won Game 5 of that matchup in Boston on Tuesday night, forcing the series back to Toronto for at least a sixth game. Whenever the eventual semifinal series takes place, expect a confident Panthers team to be ready when it begins. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers captain Sasha Barkov has career playoff night in series clincher against Tampa Bay [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/panthers-captain-sasha-barkov-has-career-playoff-night-in-series-clincher-against-tampa-bay] The Hockey Show: Quizzing fans outside Amalie Arena on Panthers and Lightning history [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-quizzing-fans-outside-amalie-arena-on-panthers-and-lightning-history] Three takeaways: Panthers leaders show up in big game, Maurice line moves pay off [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-panthers-leaders-show-up-in-big-game-maurice-line-moves-pay-off] Panthers moving on, eliminating Tampa with 6-1 victory in Game 5 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-moving-on-eliminating-tampa-with-6-1-victory-in-game-5] Sergei Bobrovsky named finalist for 2024 Vezina Trophy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/sergei-bobrovsky-named-finalist-for-2024-vezina-trophy] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
