Coming into Thursday night's Game 2, the Florida Panthers gained a 1-0 series lead in their third straight Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was a dominating performance that saw the Cats blow out the Canes in their barn, 5-2. Many were expecting a pushback from the Hurricanes, as nobody wants to be down 0-2 before heading into another team's building.
That wasn't the case at all in Game 2. Once again, the Panthers blew out the opposition, clearing out another packed arena on the road. Nearly a minute and a half into Game 2, Florida set the tone and gave a message that this would be another long night for Carolina. Blueliner Gustav Forsling scored at the 1:17 mark of the first period.
It was his first goal of the postseason. It was a nice reward for him after being a hound and forcing Andrei Svechnikov to force a turnover in their zone. Later in the period, Florida would strike twice more. Matthew Tkachuk ended a 10-game goalless drought at the 11:41 mark of the second period. It was a greasy goal that gave his team a cushion.
A little more than four minutes later, that cushion expanded even more. Sam Bennett scored the first of his two goals on the night. His first came on the power-play at the 15:50 mark, following a roughing penalty taken by Andrei Svechnikov. It came off the heels of a massive save by Sergei Bobrovsky. The game was blown right open.
The contest felt over after the first 20 minutes as the Panthers seized control. Whenever this team gets a sizable lead, they rarely cough it up. In the second period, Bennett scored his second goal very late, at the 19:21 mark, to be exact. It was now 4-0 in favor of the Panthers. Benny's final tally came off a one-timed snapshot.
The final Panthers goal came at the 13:49 mark of the third frame. Once again, Carolina took a penalty. This time, it was a broken stick infringement committed by Brent Burns. Longtime captain Aleksander Barkov lit the lamp for the fourth time in these playoffs, tipping in a shot that Aaron Ekblad took.
The relentless forechecking by Florida, paired with their tenacious and suffocating defense, made the Hurricanes look invisible for the entire game. It felt as if the Panthers were practicing more than playing in a postseason game this deep into the year. The Hurricanes were only able to record 17 shots on net. Bobrovsky has no issues in recording his third shutout of the playoffs.
It was a clean game played by the team in white, as the Cats only got called for three penalties. One of them was on a bad line change and was penalized for having too many men on the ice. None were taken in the middle frame. They out-hit Carolina and nearly split on draws. It was total domination, from start to finish. Now, the series shifts to Sunrise, where the Panthers can take a commanding 3-0 series lead and be on the verge of their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
How To Watch Panthers vs. Hurricanes, Game 3
Date: Saturday, May 24 Time: 8:00 PM ET Venue: Amerant Bank Arena TV: TNT, Tru TV, MAX
Panthers vs. Hurricanes Odds, Spreads, and Total
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Puck Line
Florida -1.5 (+180), Carolina +1.5 (-218)
Total
5.5 (over +105/ under +105)
Moneyline
Florida -155, Carolina +130
Florida Panthers Injury Report:
Sam Reinhart, C/W: Day-To-Day (Knee)
Carolina Hurricanes Injury Report:
Jalen Chatfield, D: Day-To-Day (undisclosed); Sean Walker, D: Day-To-Day (undisclosed); Jepser Fast, RW: IR-LT (Neck)
Florida Panthers Projected Lines:
- Evan Rodrigues- Aleksander Barkov- Matthew Tkachuk
- Carter Verhaeghe- Sam Bennett- Jesper Boqvist
- Eetu Luostarinen- Anton Lundell- Brad Marchand
- A.J. Greer- Tomas Nosek- Jonah Gadjovich
- Gustav Forsling- Aaron Ekblad
- Niko Mikkola- Seth Jones
- Nate Schmidt- Dmitry Kulikov
- Sergei Bobrovsky
- Vitek Vanacek
Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Nico Sturm
Carolina Hurricanes Projected Lines:
- Andrei Svechnikov- Sebastian Aho- Seth Jarvis
- Taylor Hall- Jack Roslovic- Logan Stankoven
- Jordan Martinook- Jordan Staal- William Carrier
- Eric Robinson- Mark Jankowski- Jackson Blake
- Jaccob Slavin- Brent Burns
- Dmitry Orlov- Sean Walker
- Shayne Gostisbehere- Scott Morrow
- Frederik Andersen
- Pyotr Kochetkov
Scratches: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Alexander Nikishin
Panthers Keys To the Game
One of the biggest reasons why the Panthers have opened up a 2-0 series lead is that they have all chipped in as far as getting the dirty work completed. The team has done everything. This includes being aggressive on the forecheck. They have used their sticks to cause turnovers and break up passes. They have won board battles and have gotten the puck free from the corner. They have worn the opposition down with their physicality.
Several players, especially Niko Mikkola, have denied offensive zone entries for Carolina. Watch the video above and you'll see the impact he's making. The guys have excelled in doing the little things that determine winning and losing, and it's paying off big time. Through the first two games, the players on the other side have shown frustration and irritation. Even Rod Brind'Amour has been seen on the TNT broadcasts expressing dismay. For the Panthers, keep this going in Game 3.
The Panthers have struggled with the penalties all year long. This team hasn't had many consistent problems, but this has been one of them. Fortunately, things have been taking a turn for the better. Let's face it. This team will take their penalties. It is what it is. However, if they can keep that to a minimum, it would pay massive dividends.
It was mentioned earlier that the team played a clean game. Only three penalties were committed by the Panthers, and there was a huge time gap from when the first two occurred. More importantly, other than the too many men on the ice infraction in the first, the team didn't make dumb mistakes. If they are to win the third game of this best-of-7 series, they need to repeat this as best as possible.
The ultimate way to boost a team. Scoring the first goal of a playoff game is not the defining factor that leads to wins. However, it can provide so much energy and confidence for a team like this. Florida has succeeded in getting this task accomplished multiple times in the playoffs. The Cats have scored the first tally in 10 of the 14 postseason games they've played so far.
When scoring the first goal in these 2025 playoffs, Florida has compiled a record of 8-2. Most of those instances have occurred in other teams' buildings, however. It's always great to silence a crowd as early as possible. Repeat the feat at home this time. It's always nice to have the crowd on your side, as the Panthers do for the next two contests. Feed off their energy and get the place rocking.
Notes:
- The second line of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, & Matthew Tkachuk combined for a total of eight points in Game 2.
- Gustav Forsling scored his first goal of the 2025 postseason in Game 2. The Panthers have tied an NHL record by having seven defensemen score at least one goal throughout the playoffs.
- Florida has scored 41 playoff goals on the road this year. That is the most by a team in a single postseason since the 2022 Colorado Avalanche(43). They won the Stanley Cup that year.
- Sergei Bobrovsky has posted numbers of a 2.02 GAA and a .919 save %. He has recorded two of his three playoff shutouts on the road and is 7-2 away from home.
- Sam Reinhart exited Game 2 with an apparent knee injury. It came off a collision with Carolina's Sebastian Aho late in the first period. Head coach Paul Maurice will provide an official update on Saturday morning. Don't be surprised if he has to sit out.
- The Panthers became the first team to earn six consecutive wins against a single opponent in the round before the Stanley Cup Final since the Red Wings against the Blackhawks (6 GP from Game 4 of the 1966 SF to Game 3 of the 1995 CF).
- The Panthers became the second team in NHL history with a four-game road winning streak in three straight postseasons (also 8 GP in 2023 & 4 GP in 2024), following the Islanders (7 GP in 1980, 5 GP in 1981 & 7 GP in 1982).
- The Panthers opened a Conference Finals series with two straight wins on the road for the second time in franchise history (also 2023 CF). They became the fourth franchise to do so in multiple best-of-seven Conference Finals/Semifinals series, following the Bruins (2013 CF, 1977 SF, 1970 SF & 1945 SF), Rangers (2014 CF & 1972 CF), and Maple Leafs (1949 SF & 1945 SF).