The Florida Panthers are dominating the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers lead the series 3-0 heading into tonight’s Game Four in Sunrise. With the series so one-sided, Toronto Maple Leafs fan and NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette is advocating to keep the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” together for one more season.
The Panthers appear to be on their way to a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Hurricanes in three straight games, with convincing scores of 5-2, 5-0, and 6-2. The lopsided series could come to an end tonight in Florida—unless the Hurricanes manage to turn things around with a win.
Paul Bissonnette on Toronto’s core four
The Panthers’ dominant performance has drawn praise from analysts and fans for both their efficiency and physicality. The Leafs were eliminated by the Panthers in seven games, prompting many to call for a breakup of Toronto’s core four—Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares—in hopes of taking the next step. But after watching the Panthers-Hurricanes series, Paul Bissonnette sees things differently.
”Who’s with me?”
On X (formerly Twitter), Bissonnette suggested that the core four should get another chance, arguing that the Leafs came close to beating the Panthers this year.
“This series makes me want to rerun the Core 4 one more time. Who’s with me?” Paul Bissonnette wrote on X.
Game Four will be played tonight in Florida.
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