**Florida Panthers Clinch Playoff Berth with Thrilling Overtime Victory**

Florida panthers

**Sunrise, Fla. - June 11, 2024**

The Florida Panthers clinched a berth in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Islanders at FLA Live Arena on Saturday night.

Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winning goal just 1:41 into overtime, sending the Panthers faithful into a frenzy. The Panthers are now 42-28-12 on the season and have secured their spot in the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

The Panthers fell behind early in the game, as Josh Bailey scored for the Islanders just 3:03 into the first period. However, the Panthers responded with two goals from Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov to take a 2-1 lead.

The Islanders tied the game in the second period on a goal from Brock Nelson, but the Panthers regained the lead in the third period on a goal from Ryan Lomberg. The Islanders once again tied the game with just 2:27 remaining in regulation on a goal from Kyle Palmieri, forcing the game into overtime.

In overtime, the Panthers controlled the puck for much of the period. They finally broke through when Verhaeghe took a pass from Barkov and fired a shot past Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.

The Panthers' victory was a total team effort. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves in goal, while Reinhart, Barkov, and Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist.

"It was a great team win," said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. "We showed a lot of resilience and character tonight. We never gave up, and we found a way to win in overtime."

The Panthers will now await their playoff opponent. The Eastern Conference playoff picture is still very much up in the air, but the Panthers are currently in a good position to make a deep run in the postseason.

**Highlights:**

* Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

* Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, and Ryan Lomberg also scored for the Panthers.

* Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves in goal.

**Next Game:**

The Panthers will wrap up their regular season schedule on Tuesday, April 11, when they host the Boston Bruins at FLA Live Arena.

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