THUNDER BAY – STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – The Florida Panthers are once again proving why they’re a postseason juggernaut, opening the Eastern Conference Final with a commanding 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night in Raleigh. For Carolina, it’s a frustrating case of déjà vu—and a painful reminder of their ongoing struggles in this round.
That’s now nine straight Eastern Conference Final losses under coach Rod Brind’Amour and 13 consecutive losses in this round dating back to 2009. The Hurricanes are once again chasing answers instead of series leads.
“They buried their chances, and we didn’t,” said Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal, who committed a costly turnover on Florida’s second goal. “It wasn’t good enough.”
What Went Wrong for Carolina
The Hurricanes created chances early—Grade-A looks, odd-man rushes, a breakaway for Sebastian Aho—but they couldn’t finish. Meanwhile, Florida cashed in quickly and effectively, building a 3-1 lead before the midway point.
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Power Play Breakdown: Carolina gave up two power-play goals on just three Florida opportunities, matching their total goals allowed on the penalty kill through the entire playoffs so far.
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Missed Conversions: Despite firing 33 shots, Carolina was 0-for-3 on the power play until a meaningless late goal with under four minutes to play.
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Goaltending Disparity: Frederik Andersen struggled, allowing five goals on 20 shots, while Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, shutting the door at key moments.
“They had a few bounces, but mostly they executed and we didn’t,” said Seth Jarvis. “We’ll figure it out. But we need to be better. That’s a championship team.”
Scoring Summary: Florida Takes Over Early
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1st Period, 8:30 – Carter Verhaeghe opens scoring on the power play with a laser from the slot
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1st Period, 12:29 – Aaron Ekblad capitalizes on a Staal turnover with a one-timer
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1st Period, 19:44 – Aho redirects the puck in off his skate to give Carolina life
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2nd Period, 3:33 – A.J. Greer finishes off a 2-on-1 to make it 3-1
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3rd Period, 6:08 – Sam Bennett scores through traffic on the power play
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3rd Period, 14:55 – Eetu Luostarinen caps it with a one-timer from the weak side
Missed Opportunities for the Canes
Carolina’s missed chances may haunt them:
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Stankoven missed an open net tip-in
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Aho denied on a breakaway
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Jarvis missed twice from close range
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Roslovic’s quick-release glove-side shot stopped cleanly
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Multiple power-play tip-ins went wide or over the net
“If you go over those chances, I’m sure there’s enough out there for us to win the game,” Staal admitted. “But we gave them too many.”
What’s Next: Game 2 and Growing Urgency
Game 2 is Thursday night in Raleigh. With Florida now holding all the momentum—and with Carolina’s conference final ghosts resurfacing—the pressure is mounting.
“We’ve been here before,” Brind’Amour said. “But we can’t keep saying that. It’s time to respond.”
The Hurricanes will need more composure, sharper execution, and a bounce-back performance from Andersen to avoid going down 0-2 heading back to Sunrise.
Game 2 Puck Drop:
📅 Thursday, May 22
🕗 8:00 PM ET
📺 TNT, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS
