The Carolina Hurricanes have not won an Eastern Conference final game in their last 13 tries. Can they snap that streak on Thursday night when they host the Florida Panthers for Game 2 at the Lenovo Center?
The Canes’ latest conference finals loss certainly wasn’t pretty as the Panthers went into Raleigh with a point to prove in Game 1. Florida smothered Carolina defensively, and took advantage of every opportunity it got in a 5-2 win. Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues each registered two points for the Cats, while Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 31 of the 33 shots he faced.
It was tough for Freddie Andersen, the Hurricanes’ goaltender, who allowed five goals on just 20 shots, and usually stops at least a couple of those.
Despite the lopsided score, Game 1 wasn’t without controversy. Shayne Gostisbehere appeared to shoot the puck at Brad Marchand intentionally, which led to an intense scuffle between the two.
Turning attention to Game 2, the Hurricanes lost two games combined through the first two rounds. In this conference finals matchup, they could fall into an 0-2 hole at home. This is the first real adversity the Canes have faced, and it will be interesting to see how they respond against the defending champions.
Eastern Conference Final schedule
All times Eastern, you can stream the entire series on fubo (try for free)
- Game 1: Panthers 5, Hurricanes 2 | Recap
- Game 2: Thursday, May 22 | 8 p.m. | at CAR | TNT, truTV
- Game 3: Saturday, May 24 | 8 p.m. | at FLA | TNT, truTV
- Game 4: Monday, May 26 | 8 p.m. | at FLA | TNT, truTV
- Game 5: Wednesday, May 28 | 8 p.m. | at CAR | TNT, truTV
- Game 6: Friday, May 30 | 8 p.m. | at FLA | TNT, truTV
- Game 7: Sunday, June 1 | 8 p.m. | at CAR | TNT, truTV
Hurricanes vs. Panthers odds
Odds via DraftKings
- Series odds: Panthers -240, Hurricanes +200
- Game 2 odds: Hurricanes -120, Panthers +100
Hurricanes vs. Panthers: Game 2 score prediction
The Hurricanes should be the more desperate team in this one. I predict a close game with Carolina bouncing back to tie the series.
Prediction – Hurricanes 3, Panthers 2
Get picks for every game from the model that enters the conference finals of the 2025 NHL playoffs a combined 80-56 on top-rated NHL puck-line and over/under betting picks.
