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 it took advantage of every opportunity it got in a 5-2 win. Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues registered two points for the Cats, and Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 31 of the 33 shots he faced.
It was tough sledding for Hurricanes goaltender Freddie Andersen, who failed to come up with big saves in critical moments. He allowed five goals on just 20 shots, and while some of those were well-placed, Andersen usually stops at least a couple of them.
Despite the lopsided score, Game 1 wasn’t without a little controversy. Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere appeared to shoot the puck at Brad Marchand intentionally, and that prompted 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’ll 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. Then again, they were the more-rested team going into Game 1, and that didn’t matter at all. Still, I have to think that a deep Carolina roster coached by Rod Brind’Amour will show some pushback after an embarrassing loss last time out. Frederik Andersen bounced back, and the Canes level 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.
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