Hurricanes to face Panthers in Eastern Conference Final

Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty ImagesIt’s official, the Carolina Hurricanes will be facing the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final after the Cats knocked off the Toronto Maple Leafs in a Game 5 OT thriller Friday night.

The Hurricanes were the first team to advance to the Conference Finals, beating the New Jersey Devils in five games, and now will be facing off against the Comeback Cats.

The series is one ripe with storylines, as it will feature the first time all three Staal brothers have faced off in a playoff series, the return of Eric Staal and coach Paul Maurice who were each huge parts of Carolina’s history, obviously a Southeast Division showdown, and even the return of some…