Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final Odds Preview: Panthers Hungry, Hurricanes Vulnerable

Hurricanes Favored Over Upset-Happy Panthers

The Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final odds have moved back and forth as the unpredictable Stanley Cup Playoffs continue this Tuesday. The Carolina Hurricanes, the higher-seeded home team, settle in at -140 to win on the moneyline with the comeback on Florida at +120. However, the Panthers are 8-4 as underdogs in the playoffs. Carolina has been on fire and will look to tame these wild Panthers by any means necessary.

Florida Getting it Done Via Any Means

Simply Put: It has been a wild ride for the Florida Panthers. The fringe playoff contender is now just four wins away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 27 years. The likes of Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky garner the most recognition. But it has been a team effort as cliches go.

“That’s a big one for us and an important one for our franchise,” Tkachuk said following the team’s series-clinching victory over the Maple Leafs. “They scored late, and we stuck with it. God, we’re still playing. That’s awesome.”

Tkachuk was the catalyst for the Panthers in their shocking upset over the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round. And in the second round against Toronto, it was netminder Bobrovsky who was the difference-maker. But overall, Florida’s gotten big contributions from across its team.

Carter Verhaeghe had a few game-winners and is behind Tkachuk in scoring with 12 points. Brandon Montour and Sam Reinhart each have six goals to lead the team. The former is a defenseman who, along with Gustav Forsling, owned the blueline.

With everything going for Florida, it will take a lot for this NHL team to collapse and flame out of the Panthers vs Hurricanes conference final odds. They owe their success to multiple reasons hence why they’ll remain sharp plays on NHL picks and parlays.

Hurricanes Look Unstoppable

The Panthers dispatched the Maple Leafs in just five games. The Hurricanes did the same to the Devils and arguably even made it look more impressive. Other than a blowout loss (in which the team still scored four goals), the Hurricanes looked to be significantly better than their initial NHL odds.

Carolina scored four or more goals in four of these five games. They demolished the Devils to a total of 11-2 in their first two home games. This fiery offense is why bettors have steamed this Game 1’s total of 5.5 to go ‘over’. This is despite Frederik Andersen being largely unbeatable in net. But he’s also got competition by way of Antti Raanta, who has also been solid.

“When they’re both healthy, now I have a good couple of options — we know that,” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “In both series, we didn’t really have that option. It was kind of like: OK, thankfully one guy was healthy so you run them out there.”

But Andersen should get the nod over the Panthers. Other than that bad outing against the Devils, Andersen has not allowed more than a pair of goals in his 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Plenty of the credit also goes to the team playing in front of him.

The Hurricanes have played consistent 5-on-5 hockey and have continually generated more scoring chances. And on special teams, Carolina killed off 90 percent of its penalties. If you count the shorthanded goals it’s scored, the Canes have a whopping 103.3 net penalty kill (PK) percentage.

While that seems unsustainable, Carolina still has the 5-on-5 offense to contend. The team is second in even-strength goals scored and expected even-strength goals scored per 60 minutes. So should Andersen or the team’s PK falter, Carolina still has the offense to keep itself in the game.

These factors are why the Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final odds still favor Carolina despite Florida’s impressive run.

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