Stanley Cup Notebook: Florida Panthers have flipped NHL script to be here

LAS VEGAS – The Florida Panthers nearly followed the script everyone expected.

They fell behind 3-1 in their first-round series against the Boston Bruins, they were about to be buried by the best regular season team in NHL history. 

But Florida fought back, won Game 5 in overtime and set the state for a historic comeback and ensuing series victories against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes. 

Since being down 3-1, the Panthers have gone 11-1, the only loss coming in Game 4 of their series against the Maple Leafs. 

So what changed? 

According to Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers MVPs stepped up and set the tone. And he wasn’t talking about himself. 

“They made everyone realize what’s gonna make our team successful,” Tkachuck said. “(Aleksander Barkov) has been our player leader, but (Se