FLORIDA PANTHERS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
GAME 6
MAY 13, 2022
Capital One Arena – Washington, D.C.
| FLORIDA PANTHERS | WASHINGTON CAPITALS |
| 4 | 3 |
[OVERTIME]
PANTHERS POSTGAME QUOTES
Forward Ryan Lomberg
On Washington forcing overtime:
“All year we’ve been in a position where we’ve been behind some close games and we’ve been tied right towards the end. We’ve got great leadership in that room, there wasn’t any panic. We were just excited to get back out there and finish the job.
On his style of play in the postseason:
“I just love playoff hockey. It’s hard, you’ve got to earn every inch you get. That’s kind of how I’ve been my whole life, being an undersized guy. I live for moments like this.”
Forward Jonathan Huberdeau
On winning a playoff series:
“It feels good. A lot of years and finally rewarded. They guys played hard all series long and tonight was up-and-down all night…We stuck with it and it was a big goal. Swagu [Carter Verhaeghe] had a hell of a series we owe it to him, two huge OT goals. It’s nice to come up and win the series and we can think about the second round.”
On the play of Claude Giroux:
“He’s good, that line was going all night long. Even last game, they were playing well, they’re good players. G [Giroux] is playing well right now and playing with confidence.”Forward Aleksander Barkov
On if it feels like a weight was lifted after winning a playoff series:
“Yes it does, I’m not going to lie. It feels amazing. During my nine-year career here, I haven’t been to the second round. It feels great but at the same time I know there is a lot of work to do. Right now, [we will] enjoy this and get back to work tomorrow.”
On the mentality of the Panthers heading into overtime:
“We know it’s not easy at all. They’re a really good team, they play the right way. They kept us on our toes every game, every period. We knew we might have to win it this way. They happened to tie the game at the end, it happens. We got ready for overtime and took over in overtime.”
On Florida’s attitude moving forward:
“There’s still a long way to go to the point we actually want to be. All it takes is one game at a time, one shift at a time, one period at a time.”
Forward Claude Giroux
On Winning Series 1:
“I feel like we have a little bit of momentum here. Whoever we play in round two. We just need to focus on ourselves.”
On this Panthers team:
“Our team has a lot of depth. Lomby getting us a big goal there… When you have depth like that and guys step up, that is exactly what you need.”
Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette
On what the team learned in Round 1:
“These things, you’ve got to go through them a few times to really get the feel of it. You have to have heartbreaks and things that don’t go your way. You can find how hard it is and understand it and be resilient. When you see the reward like they saw tonight it’s all worth it.
CATS STATS
- Carter Verhaeghe scored his second overtime goal of the series (Game 4) to send the Florida Panthers to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, their first playoff series win since the 1995-96 Eastern Conference Final vs. PIT. The Panthers will face off against the winner of TBL-TOR in Round 2.
- The Panthers became the ninth team in the past 30 years to earn three or more consecutive comeback wins to close out a series.
- Verhaeghe’s tally marked his third game-winning goal in as many games. His three playoff GWGs are the most in franchise history. Verhaeghe became the 12th player in NHL history and fourth since 2002 to score the game-winning goal in three straight contests. Per NHL PR, the others since 2002: David Krejci (3 GP in 2011, BOS), Brad Richards (3 GP in 2004, TBL) and Martin St. Louis (3 GP in 2003, TBL)
- Verhaeghe amassed a franchise record six goals and 12 points (6-6-12) in the series, including nine (5-4-9) in the past three games.
- Verhaeghe’s goal marked the fifth playoff OT goal in franchise history and the first playoff series-winning OT tally. His second playoff OT goal of the series, only three players in NHL history have scored more in a single playoff year: Mel Hill (3 in 1939, BOS), Maurice Richard (3 in 1951, MTL) and Corey Perry (3 in 2017, ANA).
- Verhaeghe’s performance marked his fourth multi-point game in the series, tied with Jonathan Huberdeau (2020-21 vs. TBL) for the most in one series in franchise history.
- Verhaeghe’s two OT tallies mark the second time FLA has recorded two OT winners in the same series (Game 4 and Game 5, 1996 vs. ECSF vs. PHI).
- Claude Giroux recorded three points (1-2-3), factoring on each of Florida’s final three goals in the game. He produced seven points (3-4-7) over the six-game series, the second-most on FLA.
- Aleksander Barkov tallied a goal for his 20th career playoff point (6-14-20), surpassing Huberdeau for the most in franchise history.
- Florida’s captain logged six points (2-4-6) in the series, the third-most on the team.
- Ryan Lomberg scored his second career playoff goal, his first since scoring the OT winner in Game 3 at TBL in 2020-21.
- Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 of 37 WSH shots (.919 SV%) and improved his personal record in playoff OT to 8-4, including 3-0 with the Panthers.
- Aaron Ekblad, Ben Chiarot and MacKenzie Weegar, Eetu Luostarinen and Patric Hornqvist each notched an assist tonight. Luostarinen’s assist was his first career playoff point, and Weegar led the team with 5 shots on goal.
- Gustav Forsling finished the series with a team-high +10 rating, and led the team with 25:51 TOI tonight.
- All 20of FLA’s goals in the series were scored at even strength.
