Carter Verhaeghe’s clutch play is a big piece of Panthers’ playoff success

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you need to find players that can step up in key moments to win you games.

One of those clutch players that has risen over the last couple of years has been Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaghe. The former Tampa Bay Lightning has been the Panthers’ go-to weapon when the game is on the line over the past two playoffs, scoring big overtime goals during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, and has been the Panthers’ biggest scoring threat this year.

After scoring Florida’s second goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, Verhaeghe is tied for second in playoff goals (9) and tied for sixth in points (16). His ability to rise to the occasion is why he has quickly developed into one of hockey’s best money players, a key asset if the Panthers want to win Hockey’s Ultimate Prize.

On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk explain why Verhaeghe is one of, if not the most important player on Florida’s roster.

Tyler Yaremchuk: [Verhaeghe] gets talked about a lot in the diehard hockey circles, but he isn’t exactly all that well known. He might be the best playoff performer on the Panthers based on clutch scoring

Frank Seravalli: If you’re not talking about him, you’re missing the boat. This guy has been so good since he’s really got an opportunity to play at the NHL level. The Panthers pounced on their chance to get him and they’re not letting him out of their grasp. He’s been a playoff performer, he’s been a regular-season performer, he’s just a damn good hockey player. Verhaeghe’s got that clutch gene in him. I think he’s a big part of the reason why the Panthers went to the Cup Final last year and why they’re two wins away from doing it again this year.

You can watch the full segment and the entire episode here…