Eric Staal had an assist on Thursday night to help lead the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 win and a four-game sweep over younger brother Jordan Staal and the Carolina Panthers to claim the Easter Conference berth in the championship round. It’s the fourth time Eric Staal has made the NHL final, including a Stanley Cup win in 2006 with the Hurricanes. It’s Marc Staal’s second trip to the final. He was with the New York Rangers in 2014, but lost to the Los Angeles Kings. Marc Staal signed as a free agent with Florida last summer, the Panthers agreeing to give Eric a professional tryout offer, eventually signing him to an NHL deal several games into the season. The Panthers, who have one previous final appearance, a 1996 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, will take on either the Vegas Golden Knight or the Dallas Stars. The Golden Knights lead the best-of-seven Western Conference final 3-0.
