Game 3 has come and gone in this Eastern Conference Final series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, After three games, Florida leads the series, 3-0, after the Cats took down the Canes by a 6-2 score. The first two games saw the Panthers stifle the Hurricanes and look like the better side. However, Carolina hung with them for the most part in Game 3 before a disastrous third period for the visitors. Let’s a look at the Hurricanes vs Panthers series so far.
Hurricanes vs Panthers Mid-Series Recap
A Team Effort for Florida
One thing the Panthers have during this entire Stanley Cup Playoff run is get contributions from multiple sources. Florida has now has 10 players with double-digit points after Game 3. The Panthers have been sharing the wealth when it comes to piling up the points. Sam Bennett, Eetu Luostarinen and Carter Verhaeghe each came into Game 3 on 13 points.
However, it was little-regarded goalscorers that took the spotlight in Game 3. Niko Mikkola registered two goals while Jesper Boqvist scored his second goal of the post-season. Both aren’t highly-touted goalscoreres, but both were critical in guiding the Panthers to the edge of another Cup Final.
Mikkola tied his career-best for goals in game with two. He reached that mark on November 20, 2023 against the Edmonton Oilers. The defender is picking the right time to show out with him hitting free agency on July 1.
Boqvist came into the lineup after Sam Reinhart was declared out for Game 3 with a lower-body injury. It’s not the first time this playoff run that Boqvist has chipped in with an important goal.
Florida also managed this with Luostarinen missing most of the game after getting ejected in the first period for his hit on Jackson Blake. The Panthers are getting contributions from everyone.
Here’s Comes the Story of the Hurricanes in the Eastern Final
Much like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Game 7 exits. The Hurricanes and losing Eastern Conference Final games Carolina has now run its Eastern Conference Final losing streak to 15 games.
Carolina looked like it was actually going to put up some resistance, but a third period that saw goals by Boqvist, Mikkola, Brad Marchand and Aleksander Barkov (two of them) derailed any hope for getting back into this series.
The much-maligned Buffalo Sabres have won more recently in the Eastern Conference Final than Carolina. Buffalo won on May 16, 20027, which is more recent than the June 1, 2006 ECF victory that Carolina had.
The five-goal third period leaves little doubt that the Panthers will be moving onto another Stanley Cup Final. The only question left to answer is if the Canes will finally end their streak.
Playoff Bob is Back
Sergei Bobrovsky had some shaky moments in the second-round series against the Maple Leafs. However, the big game hunter seems to back in form for the Panthers. Bobrovsky is on the edge of making his third consecutive Stanley Cup Final.
Florida gave Bobrovsky plenty of support with 16 goals in the first three games. However, Bobrovsky has only yielded four goals in three games this series. His save on Logan Stankoven in the second was a thing of beauty. Stankoven and Seth Jarvis did get goals, but Bobrovsky is looking like “Playoff Bob” once again.
The Panthers are already a problem with the offence firing on all cylinders. However, a locked in Bobrovsky will make it even more of a tall order for whoever comes out of the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Oilers.
What Now in Goal for Carolina?
Florida has things figured out in goal with Bobrovsky, but things are very uncertain for Carolina going forward. Frederik Andersen had been playing well coming into this series, but a pair of troubling performances had Canes Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour go to Pyotr Kochetkov in between the pipes.
Kochetkov looked solid enough in the first two periods. However, the wheels fell off in the third for Carolina. The Russian netminder absorbed all six goals and even took a tripping penalty in the first period.
Brind’Amour was trying to find a spark that would hopefully ignite his team, but now there are more questions than answer heading into a do-or-die Game 4. It seems that the right play would to give Andersen the crease back in the next game. However, it seems like any goalie the Hurricanes throw out there is going to have a difficult time against a dangerous Panthers club.
Main photo by: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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