Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe. Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe strikes first in Game 5

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 4/29/24

Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe wouldn't be denied on Florida's first goal of Game 5 against the Lightning.

Verhaeghe broke a scoreless tie in the opening minute of the second period when he scored a goal off a rebound from his initial miss.

Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stonewalled Verhaeghe's first shot attempt, but he wasn't able to corral the puck, and it slid back to Florida's four-year center during the 4-on-4, and he connected on his second try.

Carter Verhaeghe buries his own rebound to open the scoring for the @FlaPanthers! #StanleyCup

: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/0AIXITL6SO
— NHL (@NHL) April 30, 2024

Verhaeghe began his NHL career with the Lightning in 2019-20 and signed with the Panthers as a free agent in October 2020.

After scoring 32 goals during the regular season, Verhaeghe now has four in five games in Florida's first-round series.

The two teams traded goals within a minute of each other later in the period, and the Panthers maintained a 2-1 lead entering the third.

With a win, Florida will advance to the second round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Last season, the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Golden Knights in five games.

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