Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour feels his club deserved a friendlier outcome than the harsh reality of a four-game sweep at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

Despite leading several key statistical categories for the duration of the Eastern Conference Final, Carolina saw its season end Wednesday after Matthew Tkachuk's dramatic series winner with four seconds left on the clock.

"That's the unfortunate part of this, (people are) going to look back and everyone's going to say you got swept," Brind'Amour said, per The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "That's not what happened. I watched the game. I'm there. I'm cutting the game. We're in the game. ... It could have been four games the other way."

He added: "Did we deserve better? I think so."

The Hurricanes controlled 56.15% of shot attempts, 53.28% of scoring chances, and 57.35% of expected goals in the series, according to Natural Stat Trick, but they only solved Sergei Bobrovsky six times in four games.

Each game was separated by a single goal, but the Panthers were the ones to find the back of the net when it counted. Florida secured overtime victories in Games 1 and 2 in Carolina, then grabbed a 3-0 series chokehold Monday with a narrow 1-0 win before an unforgettable series finale.

"It didn't feel like a 4-0 series to me," said Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal.

Sebastian Aho, who tied veteran Jordan Martinook for the team lead with 12 points in 15 games this spring, was incredulous after Carolina's season-ending loss.

"It sucks. It's almost confusing," he said, according to NHL.com's Walt Ruff. "Like, what just happened? It's tough."

Martinook was similarly downtrodden.

"It shouldn't be like this. It's hard. There's been eight, nine of us here for five years," he said, per the News & Observer's Luke DeCock. "This one felt different. It still feels different, and we're done. It hurts. It hurts a lot.

"It feels like you got run over by a bus, emotionally."

The Hurricanes have now lost 12 consecutive conference final games (2009, 2019, 2023) since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.

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The Florida Panthers are off to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996 after Matthew Tkachuk scored the game-winner with 4.3 seconds left in regulation to complete the sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Panthers won the game 4-3. Tkachuk scored twice, while Anthony Duclair and Ryan Lomberg netted one apiece.

Tkachuk's winner is the latest series-winning goal in regulation in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, matching the NHL record set by Nick Metz of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942, per Sportsnet.

It was Tkachuk's third game-winner of the series; he notched the overtime winners in Games 1 and 2. The Hart Trophy finalist is up to nine goals and 12 assists in 16 postseason contests.

"Who else, right?" Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said postgame, per The Athletic's Michael Russo. "What he's done is unexplainable."

The Panthers led 3-2 midway through the second period until Jesper Fast notched the equalizer for the Hurricanes with just over three minutes left in regulation, setting the table for Tkachuk's heroics.

Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar between the pipes for Florida once again, as the Panthers prevailed in Game 4 despite being outshot 39-24. They were outshot in all four games, but Bobrovsky posted a sensational .966 save percentage in the series.

The Eastern Conference's No. 8-seeded Panthers have now reeled off 11 wins in 12 games since trailing their Round 1 series 3-1 against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins.

The Panthers are apparently not overly superstitious, as numerous players touched the Prince of Wales Trophy for winning the Eastern Conference.

The Panthers will make just their second-ever Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Colorado Avalanche swept them in the 1996 final.

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin exited Game 4 against the Florida Panthers in the first period after a huge hit from Sam Bennett behind the net.

Slavin was in clear distress before being helped to the dressing room by Hurricanes staff.

The play wasn't penalized. Slavin was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the contest with an upper-body injury.

Slavin has been an integral piece of Carolina's playoff run. The 29-year-old entered Wednesday's must-win contest with six points in 14 games while leading all Hurricanes blue-liners in ice time and goal differential.

Bennett has been a constant physical presence for Florida this spring, ranking fourth in the playoffs with 58 hits while chipping in four goals and seven assists.

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Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was suspended two games for cross-checking Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in the head in Game 3, the league announced Wednesday.

The Stars trail the Golden Knights 3-0 in the Western Conference Final. If Vegas closes out the series on Thursday, Benn will be suspended for the season opener in 2023-24.

The incident occurred at the 1:53 mark of the first period, so Benn will be punished nearly three full games.

Benn chose not to speak with the media following the Game 3 loss, but he addressed the incident Wednesday and declined to take full responsibility for his actions.

"Just an unfortunate play," he said, per the Las Vegas Sun's Danny Webster. "I just need to be more responsible with my body and stick. I put my team in a tough situation."

He added: "The game happens fast, emotions are high. Obviously, I would have liked to not fall on him and use my stick as a landing point."

Vegas, already leading 1-0 at the time, scored on the ensuing five-minute power play to double its lead. The Golden Knights added another moments later, taking a 3-0 lead in the contest by the 7:10 mark of the first period. They held on for a 4-0 victory.

Stone was able to stay in the game, but he wasn't thrilled about the play.

"I didn't love what transpired, but it got handled the right way," he said Wednesday before the suspension ruling came down. "We stuck together as a team, and now our focus is on Game 4."

This marks the first suspension of Benn's 14-year NHL career.

Fellow Stars forward Evgenii Dadonov is doubtful for Game 4 with a lower-body injury, so Dallas may have to insert two new bodies into the lineup for the do-or-die tilt. Luke Glendening and Fredrik Olofsson are the most likely forward candidates to re-enter the fold, although it's possible the Stars go 11-7 and dress Colin Miller or Nils Lundkvist on defense.

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed captain Kyle Okposo to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, the team announced Wednesday.

The 35-year-old was set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. He signed a seven-year, $42-million deal with the Sabres in 2016 and was named captain of the up-and-coming club this past October.

Okposo recorded 28 points in 75 games this season while averaging 14:40 per contest. In 455 appearances with the Sabres, he's notched 91 goals and 132 assists.

Buffalo finished two spots outside the playoff cutline this spring with 91 points, its highest total since 2010-11.

With Okposo signed, the two most notable UFAs remaining on the Sabres' books are Vinnie Hinostroza and Zemgus Girgensons. Buffalo is projected to have nearly $17 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly.

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The Dallas Stars are one loss away from their season being over, but head coach Peter DeBoer made it clear they'd be sticking with No. 1 netminder Jake Oettinger for Thursday's Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

"Jake Oettinger is playing tomorrow night. So we'll put that to rest," DeBoer told the media Wednesday, according to The Dallas Morning News' Joseph Hoyt.

Oettinger struggled mightily in Game 3. He was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots just 7:10 into the contest in what was the shortest start of his NHL career.

Backup Scott Wedgewood made 10 saves on 11 shots in relief.

Oettinger dazzled during last year's postseason, posting a sterling .954 save percentage and 1.81 goals against average during the Stars' first-round loss to the Calgary Flames, which featured a 64-save outing in Game 7.

It's been a different story for Oettinger this spring. He's started all 16 of the Stars' playoff games and owns an 8-8 record to go along with an .895 save percentage and 3.02 goals against average.

The 24-year-old has allowed 6.97 goals above expected at all strengths, according to Natural Stat Trick, and he's surrendered at least three goals in each start against the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.

Despite Oettinger's uncharacteristically shaky performance, the Stars made sure to have their goalie's back after Tuesday's 4-0 loss.

"He's been the backbone all year," forward Tyler Seguin said. "(We have) so much confidence in him. When goals go in, I mean, there's five of us on the ice that could've helped stop it.

"We'll look at the clips, we'll flush it, and get ready for the next game."

Wedgewood, meanwhile, wasn't sure what Oettinger could have done differently on a few of the Golden Knights' opportunities in Game 3.

"They make some elite shots and some elite plays. ... Their first (goal), it's a heads-up play, and that one-timer got back to (Jonathan Marchessault).

"They're scoring that on all 64 (goalies) in this league. Break it down that way, it happens. ... We have to be a little bit more dialed as a group, but I'm not worried about that kid."

Oettinger was one of seven goalies to make over 60 starts during the regular season. He backstopped the Stars with a .919 save percentage while ranking among the top 10 in goals saved above average (23.59) and goals saved above expected (21.65), per Evolving-Hockey.

Puck drops on Dallas' must-win Game 4 Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

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