The Athletic has stay protection of Panthers vs. Oilers Game 5 from the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Anton Lundell is aware of how lucky he’s, contemplating what number of good, younger Florida Panthers of yesteryear didn’t get a sniff of the playoffs. Not to mention go on playoff runs.
Olli Jokinen, Stephen Weiss and Jay Bouwmeester performed seven postseason video games with the Panthers. No less than Jonathan Huberdeau was a part of Florida’s first playoff spherical win in 25 years earlier than he was traded to Calgary in 2022.
However Saturday evening, when the Panthers play Recreation 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton, Lundell is scheduled to play his 76th playoff recreation. And he’s simply 23.
In Lundell’s 4 seasons, the Panthers have made the playoffs yearly and have been to a few Stanley Cup Finals in a row, successful one final yr. He’s gained 11 playoff rounds — or seven greater than the Minnesota Wild have gained of their 24 seasons.
Simply take into account that it took Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov 9 years to win a playoff spherical and Aaron Ekblad eight.
“I do know it’s not regular,” Lundell mentioned. “You attempt to type of soak in every thing round right here. However on the finish of the day, it’s hockey. That’s what I like to do, and that’s what we’re right here to do.”
Reminder: Anton Lundell is simply the 4th participant in NHL historical past to skate in 75 playoff video games earlier than turning 24. pic.twitter.com/rEWCufeBpz
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) June 13, 2025
In Thursday’s 5-4 time beyond regulation loss to the Oilers in Recreation 4, Lundell scored his sixth objective of the playoffs, doubling final yr’s whole. And, frankly, whereas he could also be centering the Panthers’ third line with Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen, a case might be made that the Lundell line has been Florida’s finest throughout Lundell’s try and win one other championship.
“They’ve been unbelievable all yr, and even prior to now, and I feel a number of the occasions, they actually didn’t get the appreciation that they deserve, how onerous they play and the way expert they’re,” mentioned Panthers veteran Carter Verhaeghe. “It’s actually type of gone beneath the radar. They positively may very well be top-six on any given workforce, and I feel taking part in with Marchand has actually been nice. That line has been most likely our greatest line all through the playoffs, to allow them to defend. They’re so good defensively and, clearly, have a very good offensive contact that I feel is absolutely underappreciated. They’re one of many huge the reason why we’re right here.”
Lundell, often called “Child Barkov” due to how his basis is so just like that of his mentor and countryman on Florida’s prime line, has continued to enhance because of the playoff expertise he continues to build up.
“He performs nicely above his video games performed standing, or his age standing,” defenseman Seth Jones mentioned. “He’s an excellent good participant, taking part in unbelievable hockey for us proper now, even garnering among the more durable matchups on that line.”
Coach Paul Maurice has talked typically about how Lundell’s defensive acumen has all the time been there (profession plus-70). However the Panthers felt there had been untapped offensive potential after an 18-goal, 44-point rookie yr as a 20-year-old. He’s had 12, 13 and 17 objectives since and simply hit the 45-point mark this yr. Maurice feels that Marchand’s arrival late within the season has completed wonders for Lundell and Luostarinen by virtually forcing them to suppose extra offensively.
Lundell has assisted on three of Marchand’s objectives within the collection, together with his two breakaway objectives in Recreation 2 and his objective within the opening minute of Recreation 3.
THAT WAS QUICK!! 👀 pic.twitter.com/OUUxV3pHe8
— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 10, 2025
Maurice additionally credit GM Invoice Zito for seeing all of it alongside.
“Earlier than I got here for the primary coaching camp, he mentioned, ‘Wait till you see this child. He’s going to be nice. It simply takes some endurance to let him develop his recreation,’” Maurice mentioned. “Anton Lundell is a Invoice Zito draft (decide), and he was his champion for the final 2 1/2 years, and he was proper.”
Placing Recreation 4 behind them
The Panthers didn’t apply Friday after surrendering a 3-0 lead the evening earlier than and dropping an opportunity to take a 3-1 collection lead because the Oilers stormed again. They as a substitute met on the Fort Lauderdale airport for one more lengthy flight to Edmonton.
Gamers echoed what was mentioned Thursday evening and felt they’ll be capable of flip the web page on such a disappointing defeat.
“I feel our mindset is all the time taking part in for that Recreation 7,” defenseman Gustav Forsling mentioned. “However that’s all the time our mindset, so we’re calm and assured, and if we play our recreation, we all know we’re going to win most video games.
“We clearly didn’t like our second interval. They took some momentum and actually capitalized on it. That’s hockey, although. It’s huge swings, however we did a superb job coming again and took it to time beyond regulation.”
It was the second time within the collection that the Panthers gave away a multiple-goal result in the Oilers in a loss.
Requested if there was something frequent between the 2, Maurice mentioned, “No.”
He doesn’t really feel the Panthers are sitting again: “We’re not sitting on it for 40 minutes pondering that we’re going to go. I feel that the workforce that’s behind’s threat profile modifications a bit of bit. You get 4 up the ice fairly a bit extra. You’re down the wall fairly a bit extra. You’re not as apprehensive about the results of a foul play since you want one. (That’s what) modifications.”
Maurice mentioned he didn’t count on to make any lineup modifications for Recreation 5.
Since 2023, the Florida Panthers are 6-1 when taking part in in a Recreation 5 on the street.
The one recreation they misplaced?
The Vegas Golden Knights Cup-Clinching recreation in 2023.
They’ve gained 4 straight Recreation 5’s on the street.
The Oilers have performed one residence Recreation 5 prior to now two years,…
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) June 13, 2025
Maurice sticks up for the goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed 14 objectives in 4 begins within the collection. Stuart Skinner has allowed 16 and has been pulled in two straight video games — and can doubtless discover himself because the backup to Calvin Pickard in Recreation 5. Pickard improved to 7-0 by successful in reduction Thursday evening.
But, Maurice has gone out of his technique to reward the goaltending on each groups, saying after Thursday’s recreation, “From my viewpoint, there’s been phenomenal goaltending on this collection. The numbers say I’m mendacity, the ultimate rating says I’m mendacity, however the goaltending’s been unbelievable.”
He continued that theme earlier than the Panthers’ flight Friday.
“Sergei made some huge saves final evening. So did Skinner within the video games, and typically it modifications,” Maurice mentioned. “The goaltending has been proper on. And I don’t suppose you take a look at a daily season when it’s a 5-4 recreation, you’re not very joyful. I don’t suppose anyone’s dishonest the sport on the market, proper? There’s no one being lazy on the again examine. They’re simply two actually highly effective offensive groups.
“I don’t do the analytics on the goaltending. It’s all possibilities for and towards. After which the ‘A’ possibilities off one of many reviews final evening are actually excessive. It’s within the teenagers from each groups, about even, however actually excessive. So a bit of bit extra deep. I suppose defending is the important thing to the subsequent one.”
(Photograph: Bruce Bennett / Getty Photographs)
