5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 4, Hurricanes 3

SUNRISE, Fla. --The Florida Panthers were in a playoff spot for only 28% of the regular season.

Soon, they'll account for 50% of the teams left standing in the NHL.

Advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996, Matthew Tkachuk -- who else? -- scored on the power play with 4.7 seconds left in regulation to lead the Panthers to a wild 4-3 win and complete a stunning sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

Tkachuk's goal came a little over three minutes after the Hurricanes had tied it.

"We know what we have in there," Tkachuk said. "We know how to play. We know the right way to play, we know what makes us successful. And being in it with the guys and seeing the belief and just the calmness to us is really something special. Like, nothing rattles us. They score with three minutes left, you'd think, uh oh, here we go, what's going to happen? But it's the opposite."

Making the playoffs by just one point, the Panthers join the 2020-21 Montreal Canadiens and 2016-17 Nashville Predators as the only teams in the NHL's expansion era (since 1967-68) to advance to the Stanley Cup Final after going into the postseason as the lowest-ranked team in the league.

In the Stanley Cup Final, they'll face either the Vegas Golden Knights or Dallas Stars.

After waiting 27 years to get this far again, waiting to find out their opponent is easy.

"It's hard to explain right now," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. "Everything happened so quick. It means a lot. It definitely does. To get to this point, you know how hard you need to work. You see how many great teams we've beat in the playoffs so far. It hasn't been easy, and no one said it was going to be easy. We're really, really happy for what we just did, but obviously we all know there's another big series coming up soon."

For a quick recap of the game, click HERE.

To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. HE'S THAT GUY

"Who else, right?" Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "Who else?"

Rising to the occasion once again, Tkachuk played the role of hero for the Panthers in Game 4 when he buried the game-winning goal on the power play with 4.7 seconds left in regulation.

Netting the game-winning goal in three of four games in the Eastern Conference Final -- and also assisting on the fourth game-winner -- Tkachuk tied the NHL record for latest series-clinching goal in regulation, a mark set by Nick Metz during Game 6 of the 1942 Semifinals.

"Chucky knows how to score big goals," Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said of Tkachuk, who also scored another goal on the power play earlier in the contest. "His composure and his hockey IQ -- he's such a smart player. It was a big goal. He's been great for us all season long and especially in the playoffs. He knows how to score big goals."

Already a finalist for the Hart Trophy, Tkachuk -- along with Bobrovsky -- has also put his name into contention for the Conn Smythe Trophy should things work out in favor of the Panthers. In 16 playoff games, the superstar winger has already registered 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists).

As it stands now, those 21 points are tied for the fourth-most in franchise history.

Not in a single playoff run, but on the team's all-time playoff scoring list.

"I think Chucky's that guy," Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg said. "No surprise."

2. DUKE'S EARLY STRIKE

When you want to get off to a fast start, it's good to have fast players.

Breaking the ice before the Hurricanes even knew what hit them, Anthony Duclair pounced on a loose puck and fired it into the net to give Florida a 1-0 lead just 41 seconds into the first period.

Making history, the goal was the third-fastest to start a playoff game in franchise history.

Starting to hit his groove after missing most of the regular season after undergoing offseason surgery to repair an Achilles injury, Duclair, a key piece of the top line, finished tied for third on the Panthers in scoring in the Eastern Conference Final with three points (one goal, two assists).

In the series, the line of Barkov, Duclair and Carter Verhaeghe found the most success against Carolina's vaunted defense. Controlling 50.85% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, they outscored the opposition 3-0 over 57:12 of ice time, while also leading 14-13 in high-danger shot attempts.

In15 playoff games, Duclair has posted nine points (three goals, six assists).

3. OUT FOR A SPIN

The fourth line is usually known for bringing energy, blocking shots and throwing hits.

But in Game 4, they teamed up for one of the prettiest goals of the playoffs thus far.

After Eric Staal helped keep the puck in the offensive zone, Lomberg got the rubber and sent it back to Staal, who then dished it over to Colin White, who then passed it right back to Lomberg for a sweet goal from the doorstep to put the Panthers on top 3-2 at 9:49 of the second period.

For the sellout crowd watching on in awe, the tic-tac-toe play left more than a few jaws on the floor.

"Those guys will value it more," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of the team's fourth line coming up in the clutch. "Eric Staal fully understands the importance of such a huge goal. Ryan, injured, comes back.

"There's 100 great stories in that room, but that fourth line is clearly one of them. It's nice that they get an obvious piece to the win. It's not just grinding a few pucks out and blocking a few shots. They get to enjoy the arms up and being on the ice."

In the win, Lomberg also notched two hits and a blocked shot.

4. BOB IS OMG

What's left to say about Bobrovsky?

Stopping 36 of 39 shots against the Hurricanes in Game 4, Bobrovsky finished the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-0 record, 1.12 goals-against average and .966 save percentage.

Over his last 12 starts in the playoffs, he's gone 11-1.

"I'm enjoying this moment," said Bobrovsky, who made 41 high-danger saves in the series. "It feels great. It's a great opportunity, a great spot. I'm proud to be with my teammates in this spot. It's a privilege to compete shoulder to shoulder with them and go through lots of things."

Making 168 total saves against the Hurricanes -- including a franchise-record 63 during Florida's quadruple-overtime win in Game 1 -- Bobrovsky set the record for the most saves in NHL history in a four-game sweep, beating the previous high of 165 set by Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003.

Per MoneyPuck.com, Bobrovsky has saved 19.7 goals above expected in the playoffs.

"Same old Bob, to be honest," Duclair said. "I've seen this version of Bob before. I'm not surprised. He's a hell of a goalie. Every day I tell him that he's my favorite goalie."

5. A WILD RIDE

The ride isn't over yet, but let's take a moment to appreciate a few things.

Embracing their status as underdogs en route to the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers became the third team in NHL history to eliminate three of the NHL's top four regular-season teams in the same postseason, joining the 1968-69 Montreal Canadiens and 1979-80 New York Islanders.

Back in the big dance for the first time since 1996, the Panthers had to wait 27 years between Final appearances, which marked the fourth longest such gap by a franchise in NHL history.

"It's a cool feeling, there's no doubt about it," Ekblad said. "Eastern Conference champions is really cool, no doubt about it. But at the end of the day we have our eyes set on something different. It's a great opportunity, a chance, to do it, right? What a cool feeling."

Bucking superstition, the Panthers didn't shy away from touching the Prince of Wales Trophy after winning the Eastern Conference. In fact, they carried it around seemingly the entire arena.

Of course, that superstition has also been pretty much debunked in recent years. Overall, five of the past seven teams to win the Stanley Cup have touched the trophy. Giving how much they work to put in to winning it, the Panthers didn't want to hold back.

"The last thing that we're going to do is be is superstitious about not touching it," Tkachuk said. "Nobody said we were even going to make the playoffs. I think it's pretty cool to touch it, carry it around and take pictures with it. We earned that thing. Definitely didn't do it the easy way."

Stay tuned to Video: CAR@FLA, Gm4: Tkachuk tallies PPG with 5 seconds left for information on the Stanley Cup Final.