Panthers’ Key Absences Raise Alarms as G4 Loss Exposes Hidden Vulnerabilities

It’s been quite the night in Fort Lauderdale, as the Florida Panthers found themselves limping into Monday’s clash without three key warriors on their roster. The Carolina Hurricanes, ever persistent, seized the moment and forced a decisive Game 5 in this Eastern Conference final showdown. Sam Reinhart, the Panthers’ top-line dynamo, was sidelined yet again, nursing a nagging lower-body injury from that brutal Game 2 collision with Sebastian Aho. Niko Mikkola, the stalwart defenseman, couldn’t shake off a nasty shoulder bash from Game 3, while A.J. Greer, the gritty fourth-line forward, was also held out due to injury concerns. Coach Paul Maurice remains cautiously optimistic, tagging all three as “day-to-day” but betting on his fresh lineup to outshine the injured vets – a gutsy call given what’s at stake. The Panthers were aiming for a clean sweep to march into their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final, but now, everything hinges on Wednesday’s do-or-die battle down in Raleigh. This series just got a whole lot more interesting. LEARN MORE.