Panthers lineup tonight: Florida’s projected lineup for Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Conference Finals, May 24, 2025

Tonight, the Florida Panthers will look to defend home ice while extending their series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes to 3-0. Throughout this postseason, the reigning champs have been on a mission to go back-to-back in the Stanley Cup.

Now, with a 2-0 lead over the Hurricanes, and a chance to push it to 3-0, setting the stage for a closeout Game 4 on Monday, Florida will look to build on a big 5-0 shutout win on Thursday. So far this series, the reigning champs have appeared to be a step ahead of the 'Canes at every turn.

In Game 1, the team picked up a big 5-2 win on the road, leading to an incredibly dominant 5-0 win in Game 2 that saw Sergei Bobrovsky log his sixth career playoff shutout, and his second of the 2024-25 playoffs.

Florida Panthers projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change, * indicates player is questionable.

Forwards

Evan Rodrigues - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart*
Carter Verhaeghe - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Brad Marchand
AJ Greer - Tomas Nosek - Jonah Gadjovich

Defense

Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola - Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt - Dmitry Kulikov

Goalies

Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek

Powerplay

Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Seth Jones, Aaron Ekblad
Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe, Nate Schmidt

Penalty Kill

Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad
Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart*, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones

Latest on Sam Reinhart's status ahead of Game 3 between the Panthers and Hurricanes

During Florida's dominant 5-0 shutout win over the Hurricanes in Game 2, veteran forward Sam Reinhart wound up going down with an injury that forced him out of the game.

During the first period, Reinhart was hit by Sebastian Aho and tumbled to the ice. Shortly after, it was announced that Reinhart wouldn't be returning to the game, giving fans concern for his status heading into Game 3 tonight.

Following the game, Panthers coach Paul Maurice discussed the situation while speaking with members of the press. He indicated that Reinhart would be examined on Friday, and the team would provide an update on his status before puck drop on Saturday.

Considering Reinhart was integral to the Panthers' championship run last year, if he winds up sidelined for an extended period of time, the situation could have a big impact on Florida's hopes of going back-to-back as Stanley Cup champs.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by John Maxwell