Series Talk: ECF: (M2) Carolina Hurricanes vs (A3) Florida Panthers (FLA Leads 3-1)

[Discipline Daddy]

On the one hand, the Panthers don't have Tkachuk fully healthy and don't have Brandon Montour. In 2023, Canes were also missing Svechnikov, who has been by far our best forward so far in the playoffs.

However, the Canes are also missing our elite second pair of Pesce+Skjei as well as Necas and Teravainen. It looked real bad for the Canes going into this season as we also lost Guentzel and Noesen to free agency.

I think you can argue that the Panthers are a mite weaker than before. Seth Jones is playing better than in Chicago but he's no Montour. Their forward depth is about the same.

On paper, the Hurricanes are probably on par with the 2023 version of the team on paper, but I'd argue they are a deeper and better team for the playoffs. Necas had just one assist in the 2023 series. He hasn't been a good playoff performer for us. The forwards we've added since then in Roslovic, Taylor Hall, Stankoven, Eric Robinson, and William Carrier are play a game tailor-made for Rod's team. They are fiercer, tougher-to-play-against playoff type players.

 

[Beezeral]

Here for the boring hockey (It won't be boring)

 

[Incognito]

You say what is bold/underlined, yet the Tampa Bay Lightning were in the Finals 3 straight years 2020-2022.

I purposely didn’t include Tampa in my statement because while what they did was still incredibly difficult, it’s not quite the same as making the Cup Finals three years in a row under normal circumstances. They had the benefit of playing 70 games instead of 82 and then having a five month long layoff between the regular season and the postseason the first year they made the finals. Then the next year they went to the finals, the season was only 56 games long. The situation that Tampa was in when they went to the Finals three years in a row was obviously unique, and not comparable to the one Florida is currently in.

 

[pelderhostiga]

It's funny to look back at the 2023 series where each game was decided by a one goal margin and half of them in OT. Tkachuk scored three of the four game-winning goals and Bobrovsky played lights out. As I said before, Florida has a very good team on paper, but I don't think they will get the benefit of doubt with goaltending this time around nor is Tkachuk going to be as clutch as back then. If they should win, they will have to find some other advantage this time around.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Florida is the favorite and that's deserved.

If Svechnikov can stay hot, he's something the Canes have lacked in prior years: a goal scorer that can beat a goalie clean.

Uh, am I missing something? Svechnikov has been a Cane for a long time. They haven't "lacked him" since 2017. Last year they had him *and* Guentzel.

 

[Nikishin al Gaib]

Uh, am I missing something? Svechnikov has been a Cane for a long time. They haven't "lacked him" since 2017. Last year they had him *and* Guentzel.

Svech hasn't really shown up in the playoffs until this year. And this year he looks to have significantly elevated his game to the point where he's actively driving play and is a threat anytime the puck is on his stick.

Until this year, we were wondering if he'd ever take that next step to be the kind of alpha player you expect when you draft someone 2nd overall. This year, he's showing he can be that guy.

 

[sooni]

If Florida cant stop series before game 5 they are going to get rekt. Canes are fresher team out there. I think Canes takes it In 6.

 

[Ole Gil]

Honestly if Bobrovsky keeps letting in the occasional softy, this could be Carolina's year.

This is the wildcard. You can't let in softies against Carolina, because there's going to be 40 opportunities to do so a game.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Outside observers indirectly dump on Aho with the harping on Carolina’s talent, but he’s produced above expectation in crunchtime. You’d be surprised at the answer to the question of “who’s produced at a higher rate in the playoffs between Barkov and Aho?”

He’s just been on an island. This year, he’s getting support. Svechnikov is only behind Rantanen is goals. Jarvis is at a point per game.

 

[Tuggy]

Hurricanes in 5 or 6.

 

[Halakitlikethat]

What a gross series

 

[Fatass]

Caps bullied the Habs but couldn’t bully the Canes. Panthers bullied the Leafs but won’t be able to bully the Canes. The series will be decided, therefore, by elite skill and goaltending. Imo the Canes are better in both. Canes in six.

 

[bobholly39]

Panthers win this one in 7 games.

What a boring couple of teams though. Oilers are going to destroy whoever emerges easily.

 

[Beezeral]

Man we are living in bizarro world where Freddie Anderson is being copared favorably to Bobrovsky.

 

[Alexandrov]

Haven’t watched a single Canes game this postseason because Took a quick look at their roster today and I’m genuinely confused. How did they make it this far with a roster like that?

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

The series will be decided, therefore, by elite skill and goaltending.

The team that possess the three I's will win this series. Intensity. Integrity. Intelligence.
The Panthers embody all three attributes. The Canes are nowhere near at the level of the Panthers.

 

[Lainestache]

I'd imagine Carolina has the upper hand for the first game because of the extra rest, but then the series evens up and it's a coin toss. It's going to game 7.. I am fine with both teams but I just think this is the year that Carolina makes it through into the finals. Hopefully it will be enjoyable series with tight games and no nasty business.

 

[Captain Controversy]

Florida gets 1 day off. Lol
This league is hilarious.

 

[Beezeral]

Haven’t watched a single Canes game this postseason because Took a quick look at their roster today and I’m genuinely confused. How did they make it this far with a roster like that?

Carolina is a very good team. But they also had the benefit of playing the 6th and 5th best teams in the conference in rounds one and two

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Game 1 is massive. 29-11 at Lenovo Center in the playoffs under Rod.

Excluding the bubble:

4 home wins in a series: 1 series win (obviously)
3..: 5-1
2…: 3-0 (2 home sweeps)
1…: 0-1
0…: 0-3

 

[Panteras]

Florida gets 1 day off. Lol
This league is hilarious.

Our check must’ve bounced

 

[Nikishin al Gaib]

I'd imagine Carolina has the upper hand for the first game because of the extra rest, but then the series evens up and it's a coin toss. It's going to game 7.. I am fine with both teams but I just think this is the year that Carolina makes it through into the finals. Hopefully it will be enjoyable series with tight games and no nasty business.

Carolina has 5 days of rest going into Game 1. Florida has 1, and last night/this morning was a travel day.

The kicker is, we are every other day from here on out til the end of the series. There is no extended break between any game. So any potentially tired legs Florida has will only get worse over the series.

 

[Summer Rose]

Haven’t watched a single Canes game this postseason because Took a quick look at their roster today and I’m genuinely confused. How did they make it this far with a roster like that?

They play a complete team game with a disciplined style, not relying on elite forwards to carry the offense (or in their case, kind of a lack thereof) and are getting great goaltending out of Andersen. That's a pretty good recipe for success.

I'm not a Canes fan (but I do have a soft spot for them), so that's a very broad generalization and I'm sure I'm missing some finer points and such, but that should be enough to give you a basic idea of how they play.

 

[TotalHomer]

I'd imagine Carolina has the upper hand for the first game because of the extra rest, but then the series evens up and it's a coin toss. It's going to game 7.. I am fine with both teams but I just think this is the year that Carolina makes it through into the finals. Hopefully it will be enjoyable series with tight games and no nasty business.

I think it's the opposite. Florida is coming hot and won't make the same mistake they did with Toronto by spotting them a 2-0 series lead with a lackadaisical effort. I see this as the same as when Florida beat Boston in seven games two years ago and went onto Toronto and won both games on the road.

 

[cvaicunas]

Tkachuk has a bad hip/groin injury with a 4-6 month recovery time just FYI.

Has this been reported?