The Florida Panthers are cementing themselves as the new kings of hockey in Florida.
The Panthers eliminated their state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, with a 6-1 win in Game 5 Monday night.
The win sends the Panthers to the second round for the second-straight year while the Lightning have now bowed out in the opening round in back-to-back seasons.
Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe each scored twice in the win. Evan Rodrigues also scored for Florida.
The Panthers will next face the winner of a series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins lead that series 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night.
