The Florida Panthers travel to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night. Florida leads the series 1-0 after a 5-2 win in Game 1. The puck drops at 8:00 PM ET from Lenovo Center.
Florida finished third in the Atlantic Division with a 47-31-4 record. Carolina was second in the Metropolitan Division at 47-30-2. These teams also met in the conference final last year, with Florida sweeping the series 4-0. The Panthers have now won five straight playoff games against the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes Preview – Time to Regroup on Home Ice
Carolina dropped Game 1 at home, giving up five goals for the first time in this postseason. The Hurricanes had allowed only one home game with more than two goals against until Tuesday’s loss. They are now looking to end a 13-game conference final losing streak that dates back to 2009.
Carolina has done well this postseason when scoring first. They are 5-0 when netting the opening goal and 3-3 when they don’t. In Game 1, they allowed two quick goals in the second period and couldn’t recover. Coach Rod Brind’Amour said the team gave up too many easy chances and called for more attention to detail in Game 2.
The Hurricanes have strong special teams and outshot Florida 33-23 in Game 1. They finished the game with 78 total shot attempts. Seth Jarvis said they created enough chances, but finishing was the issue. Carolina went 1-for-4 on the power play and allowed two goals on three penalty kills, both of which must improve.
Panthers Preview – Road Warriors Strike Again
The Panthers are now 6-2 on the road in the playoffs after their Game 1 win. They are averaging 4.75 goals per game as visitors this postseason, best in the NHL. Head coach Paul Maurice said the team plays the same home or away because of strong chemistry and energy on the bench.
Florida got goals from multiple players in Game 1 and scored twice on the power play. Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand continue to lead the way, combining for 25 points in the postseason. Eight players have reached double digits in points, showing the team’s offensive depth.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves in Game 1 and has a .952 save percentage over his last five games. His 1.21 goals-against average in that stretch is second-best in the league. The Panthers also have the second-best goals-against average overall in the playoffs, trailing only Carolina.
Betting Prediction
Carolina enters Game 2 as a slight favorite, around -125 on the moneyline, with the total set at 5.5 goals. Florida has shown strong value on the road and continues to convert scoring chances at a high rate. Carolina needs to start faster and clean up mistakes, but they still control shot volume and possession.
The Hurricanes are 5-1 at home this postseason and are due for a better showing in Game 2. However, Florida has been the better team in these matchups, winning five straight. Expect a tighter game this time, but with Bobrovsky’s current form and Florida’s balanced offense, the Panthers could steal another road win.
Pick: Panthers +110
