AP

Panthers beat Caps in OT, win series for 1st time since ’96

May 13, 2022, 8:02 AM | Updated: 9:32 pm

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (...

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) react after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)


              Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) react after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau (11) and center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrate after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs against the Washington Capitals, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates the winning goal during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs against the Washington Capitals, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) react after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) react after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau (11) and center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrate after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs against the Washington Capitals, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates the winning goal during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs against the Washington Capitals, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) react after Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd, left, shoots the puck under Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) for a goal during the second period of Game 6 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov (30) blocks a shot by Florida Panthers right wing Patric Hornqvist (70) during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie, second from right, scores a goal with Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, right, defending during the third period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) tries to shoot the puck with Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov (30) defending during the second period of Game 6 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd (26) celebrates his goal past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of Game 6 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen (3) reaches for the puck against Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
            
              Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) celebrates his goal during the third period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs against the Washington Capitals, Friday, May 13, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau couldn’t remember what it was like to be on the smiling side of a handshake line.

The feelings were so strong after he and the Florida Panthers beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 in overtime Friday night to win Game 6 and move on to the second round that Huberdeau wants to replicate it over and over.

“We didn’t know how it felt,” he said. “Now we might as well go all the way.”

That’s a long way off, but getting out of the first round was a strong first step for the Presidents’ Trophy winners who won the franchise’s first playoff series since 1996. Ending that drought at 26 years took bouncing back from the Capitals tying the score with 1:03 left in regulation and getting another big goal from leading scorer Carter Verhaeghe 2:46 into overtime to move on.

Florida will face either the cross-state rival — and back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning — or the Toronto Maple Leafs in the next round. They face off in Game 7 of that series Saturday.

“They’re going to be big-time challenges,” interim coach Andrew Brunette said. “It will be a different kind of series.”

This series included the Panthers rallying from a deficit to win the final three games. After Ryan Lomberg tied it in the second period in his return to the lineup, trade-deadline acquisition Claude Giroux evened things up in the third and captain Aleksander Barkov put them ahead before T.J. Oshie’s power-play goal sent the game to OT.

After a league-high 29 comeback victories in the regular season and a dose of adversity in a tougher series than many anticipated, the Panthers were not shaken by the sudden turn of events.

“We were just confident,” Huberdeau said. “We know we can score some goals. Obviously they tied it up, but that’s hockey. That’s how it happened the way we won here the last time, so that was the same thing. Obviously we stuck with it, and that’s the kind of team we are and we showed it.”

Verheaghe’s OT goal was his team-leading sixth of the series and came after he missed the morning skate and was considered a game-time decision. Brunette said Verhaeghe “dug in deep and found a way to get it done.”

That’s true about the entire team. Dogged by the reputation of losing in the playoffs, Florida’s core of Huberdeau, Barkov and top defenseman Aaron Ekblad that had fallen short three previous times finally got to soak in what it’s like to win a series.

“It means a lot,” Barkov said. “There’s been a lot of talk about this and not winning any rounds, getting knocked out in the first round and stuff like that. Of course you don’t think about that, but it’s there. It’s not there anymore, so we’re happy about that and happy to be a part of it. But there’s still a long way to go to the point where we actually want to be.”

The Capitals got there in 2018, winning the organization’s first Stanley Cup title. They have not won a playoff series since and got knocked out in the first round at home for the third time in that span.

“I think you see how we played against the best team in the regular season,” Washington captain Alex Ovechkin said. “We have it, but we just blow it away. It is on us. “

The Panthers’ most recent series win came June 1, 1996, when they beat Pittsburgh in Game 7 to advance to the final. They got swept by Colorado, starting what would begin a 26-year wait between series victories.

Other than the expansion Seattle Kraken, every other NHL franchise had won at least two series during that span. Detroit won 27, Pittsburgh 24, Tampa Bay 22 and Colorado won 20. Florida kept waiting and waiting for just one, until Friday.

“These things, you’ve got to go through them a few times to really get the feel of it,” Brunette said. “You have to have heartbreaks. You have to have things that don’t go your way and you can find how hard it is and understand it and be resilient and when you see the reward like they saw tonight, it was all worth it.”

NOTES: Lomberg played for the first time since Game 1, replacing Anthony Duclair in Florida’s lineup. Duclair was a healthy scratch after putting just one shot on net in the first five games. … Washington was without right wing Tom Wilson for a fifth consecutive game because of a lower-body injury.

___

Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Panthers beat Caps in OT, win series for 1st time since ’96