Ryan S. Clark
Kristen Shilton
May 22, 2025, 11:10 PM ET
There's an ancient South Florida proverb about numbers: Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four.
Opening the Eastern Conference finals with five goals in Game 1 on Tuesday showed that at least for one game the Florida Panthers could find a breakthrough against the Carolina Hurricanes. Only for Thursday to arrive and the Panthers to once again post five more goals in a 5-0 win to take a 2-0 series lead before heading back to Sunrise for Game 3.
How did both teams perform? Who are the players to watch next game, and what are the big questions facing the Hurricanes and Panthers ahead of Game 3 on Saturday?
Carolina Hurricanes
Grade: D
Say what you will about the offside goal being akin to Charlie Brown getting the football pulled out from under him by Lucy. While it's possible that the disallowed goal could have provided momentum, there were other things that suggested the Hurricanes were going to struggle.
Under Rod Brind'Amour, they've become one of the teams that consistently generates the highest number of shots per game. They entered Game 2 averaging 33.2 shots per game yet they hadn't even cracked double digits until there was 14 minutes remaining in the third period. Natural Stat Trick's metrics showed they had two high-danger scoring chances midway through the third period, and after giving up seven goals throughout the entirety of the second round, they've allowed 10 goals in the first two games.
Or to view it this way? The Panthers had more goals than the Hurricanes had high-danger scoring chances. -- Ryan Clark
Florida Panthers
Grade: A+
What more is there to say about Florida, really? The term "clinic" doesn't seem to cover it. The Panthers have done it all against Carolina in these first two games.
Thursday was another dominant performance by the reigning Stanley Cup champions in an offensive and defensive effort that requires no notes. The Panthers set a tone early with Gustav Forsling's goal just 1:17 into the game and never relented. The Hurricanes were averaging over 33 shots per night in the postseason (second most among playoff teams), and Florida limited their chances to seven shots through the first two periods alone -- while the Panthers pummeled Carolina with 16 shots and four goals in the same span. It was enough to chase Frederik Andersen from the net, when he was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov with a four-goal deficit.
The Hurricanes' top scorers were simply no match for Florida's attack or a locked-in Sergei Bobrovsky, who, while not heavily challenged, was a match for all comers in a 16-save shutout. The way Florida is playing right now, one has to wonder how the Hurricanes can get back in this series as the teams shift down to Florida. -- Kristen Shilton
Three Stars of Game 2
0:52
Panthers go up 3-0 on Sam Bennett's power-play goal
The Panthers threaten to run away with it after Sam Bennett's power-play goal makes it 3-0 in the first period.
1. Sam Bennett
C, Panthers
Two goals and a helper, as the Panthers dominate the Hurricanes in Game 2. This is Bennett's second career 3-plus point playoff game and second career multigoal playoff game.
2. Team defense
The Hurricanes were averaging 33.2 shots per game this postseason, second most all playoffs to the Colorado Avalanche. But the Panthers, with their efficient and suffocating defense, kept Carolina to only five shots in the first half of the game. Near the end of the second period, the fans at Lenovo Center were growing tired of it and started chanting "shoot the puck" at their team. Carolina did have more shot volume in the third, ending with 17, but none got past Sergei Bobrovsky.
3. Offside reviews and coaching tactics
Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of lengthy offside reviews. I wish there was a timer -- if you can't make the call in 90 seconds, then call on the ice stands. But the Florida Panthers executed one to perfection in Game 2 -- up 3-0 in the second period, the Hurricanes get one back, but the Panthers, thinking the play was offside, actually called a timeout to buy them more time to see every angle available, eventually calling for the challenge. It was indeed determined to be offside and the goal was taken away. -- Arda Öcal
Players to watch in Game 3
Andrei Svechnikov
F, Hurricanes
Let's start here with the Hurricanes. There's no shortage of options. Part of the reason why Svechnikov is in this space has to do with the fact he leads the Hurricanes in goals this postseason. The rest of it, however, has more to do with if the Canes can rely on a certain postseason pattern for Svechnikov holding true. After going goalless in Games 2 and 3 against the New Jersey Devils in the first round, he responded with a hat trick. He didn't score in the first two games against the Washington Capitals only to then score a goal in three straight games. Could Svechinkov respond by grabbing at least one goal in Game 3? Or are the Canes in store for more offensive struggles once they arrive in Sunrise?. -- Clark
Matthew Tkachuk
LW, Panthers
The Panthers' instigator had been quiet since Florida's first-round series win over Tampa Bay, recording just five assists in eight games heading into Game 2 against Carolina. But Tkachuk looked more like himself on Thursday, agitating the Hurricanes and making his physical presence felt as much as anything. He also emerged early on the scoresheet, registering an assist on Forsling's game-opening salvo and adding a goal -- Tkachuk's first in 10 games -- in the opening period to extend Florida's lead to 2-0. It was a testament to how commanding Tkachuk's line was with Sam Bennett (two goals and an assist) and Carter Verhaeghe (three assists) that he was able to finally appear as the Tkachuk of old. If this was indeed Tkachuk's re-awakening after a slow stretch then the Hurricanes better be well aware of Tkachuk going forward because he was dangerous as ever at both ends of the ice in Game 2. -- Shilton
0:54
Matthew Tkachuk taps it in to pad the Panthers' lead
Matthew Tkachuk sneaks the puck past the goalie to pad the Panthers' lead against the Hurricanes.
Big questions for Game 3
What's the response to their worst playoff loss this year?
Several questions are going to be asked when it comes to what adjustments can be made between now and Game 3. Could one of them be about what they must do to get off to stronger starts? Allowing two first-period goals in Game 1 already presented the reality that the Panthers were going to remain aggressive. But to then give up the first goal less than two minutes into the first before giving up three in total in an opening frame that saw the Panthers record just five shots on net? That only adds to the degree of difficulty for a team that has now lost two straight playoff games after losing two postseason games in total over the first two rounds. Especially when the last time they were down 0-2 to the Panthers in a playoff series was during the 2023 Eastern Conference finals in which the Hurricanes were swept. -- Clark
Will Sam Reinhart be back at full strength for the Panthers?
Florida saw one of their top skaters exit in the first period after Sebastian Aho delivered a hit on Reinhart that forced Reinhart out for the remainder of the game with a lower-body injury. While Florida had Game 2 well in hand even before Reinhard became unavailable, it's safe to say the Panthers are a better team when he's in the lineup -- and Reinhart's status going forward is significant for Florida overall. Reinhart paced the Panthers with 39 goals and 81 points in the regular season and he notched 11 points in 13 postseason tilts going into Game 2. Florida must hope that Reinhart isn't just available for Game 3 (and beyond) but that he's not too banged up to continue operating at a high level. - Shilton
