Sergei Bobrovsky repeated that phrase over and over again just minutes after the Panthers closed out their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was calm, cool and collected. Just like he was all series long. Just like the team was all series long. And that’s why they’re staring down the opportunity of a lifetime in the Eastern Conference final, defying all expectations.
That’s the beauty of the playoffs. Regular season stats don’t matter. Florida barely even qualified for the postseason, and now many experts are picking them to go to the final, or at least give the Hurricanes a big fight. In a sense, the Panthers are just happy to still be here, but they know they’ve got as good of a chance as the Hurricanes to play for the Cup.
“You get to watch a bunch of guys that you care about a lot and enjoy the hell out of it,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said after Game 5. “Walking into the room after, there’s pure joy in there.” The Panthers will start the series on the road, which might be a good thing. Six of their eight wins have come in enemy territory, the best of any team in the playoffs right now. The Hurricanes have a 5-1 record at PNC Arena, though, so someone’s hot streak is about to fall.