Following the Florida Panthers` thrilling Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, the stage is now set for the NHL`s final four. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers are poised to clash with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Dallas Stars will face off against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals.
The Eastern matchup features a highly anticipated rematch of the 2023 conference final, a series that saw the Panthers sweep the Hurricanes. A key question heading into this year`s series is whether Carolina can exact revenge and advance, or if Florida will continue its dominant run and reach the Stanley Cup Final for a remarkable third consecutive year.
To provide insights before the series opener on Tuesday, here is a detailed preview, including key information from ESPN Research, wagering details, and more.
The Matchup:
M2 Carolina Hurricanes
vs.
A3 Florida Panthers
Paths to the Conference Finals:
- Hurricanes: Eliminated the Devils in five games, then the Capitals in five games.
- Panthers: Defeated the Lightning in five games, followed by a seven-game series victory over the Maple Leafs.
Leading Playoff Scorers:
- Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis (four goals, six assists), Sebastian Aho (three goals, seven assists).
- Panthers: Brad Marchand (three goals, nine assists), Eetu Luostarinen (three goals, nine assists).
Schedule:
- Game 1: Panthers at Hurricanes | May 20, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Game 2: Panthers at Hurricanes | May 22, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Game 3: Hurricanes at Panthers | May 24, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Game 4: Hurricanes at Panthers | May 26, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Game 5: Panthers at Hurricanes | May 28, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Game 6: Hurricanes at Panthers | May 30, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Game 7: Panthers at Hurricanes | June 1, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Series Odds:
- Panthers: -125
- Hurricanes: +105
Stanley Cup Odds:
- Panthers: +250
- Hurricanes: +300
Matchup Notes and Insights:
Carolina Hurricanes
- This marks the Hurricanes` sixth trip to the conference finals in franchise history and their third appearance in the last six seasons. Carolina`s three conference finals berths since 2019 tie them for the second-most in the NHL with the Oilers, Lightning, and Golden Knights, behind only the Dallas Stars (four).
- Logan Stankoven is expected to participate in his first Eastern Conference Finals, having played in the Western Conference Finals last year with the Stars during his rookie season. He joins Ville Leino (2009 and 2010) as the only players since 1994 to appear in both conference finals in their first two NHL seasons.
- Carolina is currently on a 12-game losing streak in the conference finals round. Their last victory at this stage was Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres in 2006, a game where current coach Rod Brind`Amour scored the eventual winning goal. This streak includes being swept by the Panthers in the 2023 series.
- Under Coach Brind`Amour, the Hurricanes have now won 10 playoff series since 2019, a total surpassed only by the Tampa Bay Lightning (11) during the same period.
- Andrei Svechnikov`s series-clinching goal with 1:59 remaining in the third period of their last series marked the second-latest series-clinching goal in regulation in franchise history, trailing only Eric Staal`s goal at 19:28 of the third in Game 7 against the New Jersey Devils in 2009.
- By eliminating Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, the Hurricanes became the first team since the 1997 Philadelphia Flyers (who defeated Wayne Gretzky and the Rangers) to eliminate the NHL`s all-time leading goal scorer in a playoff series. Rod Brind`Amour, then a player for the Flyers, scored the series-clinching goal in that 1997 series.
Florida Panthers
- The Panthers advanced to their third consecutive conference finals by defeating the Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7 on the road. Florida joins the Dallas Stars (2023-25), Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-22), Chicago Blackhawks (2013-15), Los Angeles Kings (2012-14), and Detroit Red Wings (2007-09) as the only teams in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) to reach three straight conference finals.
- Remarkably, Florida overcame a 2-0 series deficit against Toronto to win 4-3, achieving this feat for the first time in franchise history in a best-of-seven series (they were previously 0-5). The Panthers are now the seventh defending Stanley Cup champion in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to win a best-of-seven playoff round after trailing 2-0.
- The Panthers boast an impressive 4-1 record all-time in Game 7s, including a perfect 3-0 mark on the road. They are just the third franchise to win their first three road Game 7s, alongside the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild.
- Brad Marchand contributed three points (one goal, two assists) in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs, increasing his career Game 7 point total to 10. This moves him past Alex Ovechkin (eight) for the most Game 7 points among active players and ties him for 10th place on the all-time list (with Paul Stastny and Jari Kurri). Marchand`s three points also raise his career playoff total against the Maple Leafs to 37, surpassing Alex Delvecchio (35) for the second-most by any player against Toronto in playoff history, trailing only Gordie Howe (53). Marchand`s career record against the Maple Leafs in Game 7s is now an unprecedented 5-0, making him the first player in NHL history to defeat a single franchise five times in winner-take-all games.
- Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice also maintains a perfect record in Game 7s, improving to 6-0 for his career. He is one of only two head coaches in NHL history to win each of their first six career Game 7s, the other being current Dallas Stars bench boss Peter DeBoer (9-0).
