Rob Issa, FISM News

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The NBA’s Miami Heat aren’t the only No. 8 seed in town making a run toward a championship.

The Florida Panthers won the first two games of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes. They’ll look to take a 3-0 series lead on Monday night.

The Panthers overcame a 3-1 deficit against No. 1 seed Boston in the first round and have won six overtime games in the postseason, including five on the road.

“I don’t really know if it has sunk in or if we’re allowing ourselves to let it sink in,” said Matthew Tkachuk, who has scored overtime goals in the first two games against the Hurricanes. “We’re just kind of riding the wave right now. I guess, it’s just ‘Let good times roll.’ It’s just fun to come to the rink every day and it’s fun to be at the rink every day. We’re still standing.”

Tkachuk scored less than two minutes into overtime to lift the Panthers to a 2-1 victory in Game 2 Saturday night. Tkachuk scored the game-winner with 12.7 seconds left in the fourth overtime early Friday morning in the sixth-longest game in NHL postseason history.

“He’s been everything, and even more, than what we had expected,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said of Tkachuk, who is in his first season with Florida after playing his first six seasons in Calgary.

Tkachuk, who had 109 points in the regular season, has three overtime goals in the postseason and is a finalist for the Hart Trophy that goes to the NHL’s Most Valuable Player.

“He’s an exceptional guy and even over the course of the year, he’s kind of matured,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of Tkachuk.

He wasn’t immature. But he’s just grown into that leadership role and he’s one of those guys that can touch everybody in the room, whether it’s the fourth-line guy or the extra guy. He plays a gritty game. He also plays a very highly skilled game so he can connect with everybody in the room.