Panthers' Anthony Duclair: Stanley Cup Final Game 3 vs. Golden Knights a 'Must-Win'

The Stanley Cup Final won't be over if the Florida Panthers lose Game 3 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, but that's basically how Panthers forward Anthony Duclair is approaching the situation.

"It's a must-win. We know the situation," he told reporters. "I think even going back to the Boston series, it's just not a position you want to be in, but at the same time, it brings the best out of us. We're just looking forward to the challenge, especially coming in at home."

Teammate Matthew Tkachuk echoed the sentiment and said Florida "can't make it a series" if it falls behind 3-0.

Winning a postseason series after losing the first three games has been done four times before: Toronto Maple Leafs (1942), New York Islanders (1975), Philadelphia Flyers (2010) and Los Angeles Kings (2014).

The Panthers also clawed back in the first round earlier this postseason after falling behind 3-1 to the top-seeded Boston Bruins, so they're no strangers to adversity.

To Duclair and Tkachuk's point, though, it would be hard to see a path forward for Florida if Vegas claims Game 3.

The performance of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is certainly a major concern.

The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has allowed eight goals on 46 total shots through the first two games. His save percentage is .826 in the Stanley Cup Final compared to .935 through the first three rounds. Bobrovsky got pulled after spending just 27:10 on the ice in the Panthers' 7-2 defeat in Game 2.

The NBA nearly saw their first-ever 3-0 comeback this year when the Boston Celtics evened up the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. But by the end, Boston was totally out of gas and lost Game 7 by 19 points. Not to mention, the Celtics needed a buzzer-beater to stay alive in Game 6 as well.

The sense of urgency Duclair and Tkachuk feel is more than warranted.