WASHINGTON — Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner Friday night to send the Panthers to the second round by beating the Washington Capitals 4-3 in Game 6.
It’s the franchise's first playoff series victory since 1996, when Florida reached the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers are still eight wins from getting back to the final. But they will have home-ice advantage for their next series against either the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning or the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Verhaeghe's goal was his sixth of the series.
The Capitals lost in the first round for the fourth consecutive season since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
