The warranted narrative of this Florida Panthers’ postseason had been the team’s stellar play away from home -- airports and hotels somehow foretelling unlikely magic on ice.

That narrative faced an ill-timed dead-end Wednesday night ... but it lives on.

And the repeat-championship dream moves a big step closer.

Florida overcame a 2-0 Game 5 deficit in Raleigh to beat Carolina, 5-3, win the East finals 4-1, and become only the fourth team since 1980 to reach the Stanley Cup Final a third season in a row -- a Cat trick.

The Prince of Wales trophy was brought onto the ice afterward. No Panthers player touched it.

It isn’t the prize they want.

“It’s an odd feeling,” said Brad Marchand. “Excited to win the East, but our job isn’t done.”

Said Matthew Tkachuk: “We got one more job to do.

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