“Game 7 is always a special one,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “It’s the biggest game in hockey. We’re excited. You have to be excited for this one.” But what is it about Game 7, about the rush and euphoria of the moment that comes with it? Here is what players from both sides had to say ahead of the looming matchup.

The two Game 7s Tkachuk has played in with the Panthers came in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins—when Florida overcame a 3–1 series deficit—and in last season’s Stanley Cup Final, when the Panthers went up 3–0 before the Edmonton Oilers battled back to force a Game 7.

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