East Final NHL Conference Playoffs – Game 4: Florida vs. Carolina, May 24, 2023. Matthew Tkachuk (second from right) of the Florida Panthers scores the game-winning goal. In the middle, goaltender Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes,
Florida – Florida hockey players defeated Carolina 4:3, closed the series 4:0 and made their way to the NHL finals after 27 years. Matt Tkachuk scored the go-ahead goal with 4.9 seconds left in the third period. The Panthers, with Radko Gudas in the lineup, will play for the Stanley Cup with the winner of the Dallas-Vegas series, who leads 3-0 in the games.
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Florida made a strong push for advancement. Anthony Duclair opened the score after 41 seconds from the stop and Tkachuk alone in front of the goal made it 2-0 in the 11th minute. Carolina did not give up and erased the deficit. Paul Stastny scored from the spot in the opening period and Teuvo Teräväinen equalized at the beginning of the middle half.
Florida returned lead midway through Ryan Lomberg, who finished off a quick play into the empty net. The home team kept a tight score until the 57th minute, in which an emphatic Jesper Fast scored from the area in front of the goal. Overtime was denied by Tkachuk when he struck from close range on the power play. The hero of the match scored the third winning goal in the series, the first two games on Carolina's ice were decided in overtime.
NHL Eastern Conference Finals – Game 4:
Florida – Carolina 4: 3 (2:1, 1:1, 1:1)
Goals: 11. and 60. M. Tkachuk, 1. Duclair, 30. Lomberg – 14. Stastny, 23. Teräväinen, 57. Fast. Shots on goal: 24:39. Spectators: 20,065. Stars of the match: 1. M. Tkachuk, 2. Bobrovsky, 3. Lomberg (all Florida). Final state of the series: 4:0.
