The Florida Panthers are charging toward the Stanley Cup Final after a 5-3 Game 5 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on the road. Florida won all three games against the Hurricanes to take the series in five games and win the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season.

However, the wild victory in Game 5 didn't come without a cost. Forward Eetu Luostarinen left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return to the ice. The Panthers quickly ruled him out after his exit in a post on social media.

“Eetu Luostarinen will not return tonight v CAR,” the team wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

While Luostarinen isn't one of the top scorers for this Panthers squad, he is still a quality forward and a good depth piece for Paul Maurice and company. Without him, Florida was playing just 10 forwards by the end of Game 5.

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During the regular season, Luostarinen scored just 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 80 games for Florida. However, he has been one of the top playoff performers for the defending Stanley Cup champs. Entering Game 5, Luostarinen had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 16 games, so he has clearly upped his production on the stat sheet.

Now, Florida will have some time off before they take the ice again in the Stanley Cup Final, just four wins from repeating as champions. In all likelihood, they will be taking on the Edmonton Oilers in the Cup Final once again after beating them in an epic seven-game series last season.

The Oilers are currently up 3-1 as well against the Dallas Stars, so they are just one win away from a shot at revenge. The two have clearly been two of the best teams in hockey all season and through the playoffs, so it should be another classic series.

The time off before the Cup Final gets underway should help Luostarinen get healthy, provided the injury is not serious. That is what Maurice and his staff will be hoping for as they prepare for another epic battle with the Stanley Cup on the line.