Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final Odds: The Cardiac Canes Return

Carolina Seeks Revenge for Game 1 Heartbreaker

NHL Odds Double Down on the Home Team for Game 2

It took seven periods to decide Game 1 as the Florida Panthers edged the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Matthew Tkachuk scored late in the fourth overtime to win the Panthers’ seventh straight road game. But despite that, the Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final odds remain bullish on Carolina as the Hurricanes are -150 to even the series this Saturday.

Panthers logo Panthers vs Hurricanes Hurricanes logo

Date, time:
Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC

Bobrovsky Continues to Dominate

Tkachuk may have been the hero of Game 1, but Sergei Bobrovsky was the Panthers’ best player. The netminder stopped 63 of the 65 shots he faced including all 55 on even strength. The 34-year-old improved to 8-2-0 in the playoffs with a 92.7 save percentage.

“He has been lights out,” Florida defenseman Radko Gudas said regarding Bobrovsky. “He is in playoff mode. It is the best time for him to get hot, so I am happy for him. He has been rock-solid for us since he stepped in.”

Bobrovsky, who struggled for most of the regular season, did not enter the playoffs until Game 3 against Boston. After losing his first two games, he then went on his dominant run and has not allowed more than a pair of goals since helping vanquish Boston in Game 7.

With Bobrovsky’s play, the Panthers remain lucrative picks on the Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final odds. The team has now won eight of its last nine games and all as underdogs. Some NHL predictions today may pick this team to finally hit a cold streak. But who can bet against them after their performance in Game 1?

It wasn’t just Bobrovsky or Tkachuk. The Panthers outlasted the Hurricanes after being outplayed for most of regulation. Carolina outshot and outchanced Florida. But in the later overtime periods, the Panthers were the livelier team as they pushed back against the Hurricanes.

Florida has continued to defy the odds. This was a team that was the worst entering the playoffs per the regular season’s NHL scores and standings. But the team plays every game like it’s Game 7 and it has rewarded both their fans and backers.

Hurricanes Left Winded on 5-on-5

Carolina lived up to its moniker, “Cardiac Canes” in more ways than one. Not only did the team put on a show, but the players seemed to be on the verge of a heart attack as it played its longest game in franchise history only to lose. Still, it’s just one loss.

“Listen, it’s the worst way to lose,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti during the post-game press conference. “There’s no way around it. But we’ll regroup and come back at it the next one. It’s just one game.”

Indeed, Carolina is one of the NHL’s youngest teams. Fatigue should not be an issue for most of the Hurricanes’ core. Sebastian Aho, the team’s leading scorer, is still just 25. Seth Jarvis, who is tied at second, is just 20.

It can also be argued that playing that marathon only built more character for the Hurricanes. Carolina dominated the Devils in their last series and won fairly easily. The team got a taste of what it was like to go against a relentless team with an unbreakable goalie.

Frederik Andersen was just one save shy of matching Bobrovsky. And the Hurricanes did outplay the Panthers up until the later overtime periods. It is unlikely the next game goes this long again though Carolina needs to figure out how to better convert scoring chances on 5-on-5.

This has been a constant issue for the team in the regular season. It’s also why 28 of their 48 home games thus far have gone under the total and why four of their last five against Florida has.

If Carolina can find a way to finally bury some scoring chances on 5-on-5, it should prevail. The Panthers vs Hurricanes Conference Final odds favor them to do so.
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