It's an all-Southern showdown for the NHL's Eastern Conference Final, a third straight appearance for the defending champion Florida Panthers.
Florida, just two days removed from a 6-1 closeout victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, heads directly to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes at 8 p.m. on May 20. The Hurricanes enjoyed five days off after dispatching the Washington Capitals in five games.
Paul Maurice (6-0 all-time as head coach) and Brad Marchand (10 points, most among active players) maintained their respective Game 7 mastery. Florida becomes just the sixth team in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) to reach back-to-back-to-back conference finals.