RALEIGH, N.C. — The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs going through challenges that made it unclear how lengthy both may stick round.
The former Southeast Division friends are nonetheless right here, midway to successful the Cup as they enter the Eastern Conference remaining in what might be a bruising sequence. Game 1 of the best-of-seven sequence begins Thursday at Carolina which is in its second convention remaining in 5 seasons. It is Florida’s first journey this far since 1996.
The Panthers pushed their means into the postseason solely to earn a date with Boston, which had simply posted the best common season in NHL historical past. The Hurricanes have been going through accidents to key forwards that made a weak point uncovered from previous playoff stumbles much more acute.
“It’s amazing, but it’s pretty hard right now to think about accomplishments to this point,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov mentioned. “We want to keep going. We want to keep playing and that’s what we’re thinking about.”
Florida’s run was surprising, with the Panthers utilizing a six-game win streak to in the end declare the final wild-card playoff spot. Yet since falling behind 3-1 to a Boston group with league information of 65 wins and 135 factors, Florida has gained seven of eight video games, together with the Game 7 time beyond regulation clincher towards the Bruins and leaping out to a 3-0 sequence lead in beating Toronto in a five-game, second-round sequence.
As for Carolina, the Hurricanes – who had the league’s second-best file – pushed previous the New York Islanders in six video games after which beat New Jersey in 5. That got here after the final two postseasons led to second-round exits on residence ice.
“Obviously we’ve had really good teams the past five years and to be honest, I think (for) everyone – it’s been a little disappointing getting bumped in the second round for a few years in a row there,” Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce mentioned.
“I remember some of the veteran guys on the 2019 team and (coach Rod Brind’Amour) saying you don’t know when or if you’ll ever even get back to the conference finals. So I kind of learned that hard way.”
The Hurricanes are favored to win this sequence, based on FanDuel Sportsbook, and presently maintain a slight edge over Vegas, Dallas and clearly Florida to win the Stanley Cup as properly. Carolina has gone 5-1 as a favourite thus far in these playoffs, whereas the Panthers have been the betting underdog in each sport thus far – together with Game 1 of this sequence.
CONNECTIONS
There are loads of group ties, beginning with three Staal brothers going through off: Florida’s Marc and Eric – a member of Carolina’s 2006 Cup winner – together with Carolina captain Jordan.
Then there’s Florida coach Paul Maurice, who was coach when the previous Hartford Whalers franchise relocated to North Carolina in 1997. He coached Brind’Amour right here when the Hurricanes made the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 as a franchise nonetheless gaining traction in a nontraditional market, then received Carolina again to the 2009 East remaining throughout a second stint in Raleigh.
“The thing that I notice most when I get there is how big the trees are. Because when we first started there, they were just planting them,” Maurice mentioned of returning to Carolina. “But it’s not nearly as nostalgic as maybe you’d think. All three of my kids were born there, but I’m not driving by the old house.”
NOT HOW YOU START
The Panthers had eight first-period targets within the first two rounds, whereas the Hurricanes had solely six.
After that, it will get wild: Florida had 13 second-period targets and a league-best 15 targets within the third interval. Carolina has 20 targets in second durations of those playoffs, then 11 in third durations.
INJURY REPORT
The Hurricanes might get a lift with top-line ahead Teuvo Teravainen nearing a return from a thumb harm that required surgical procedure and has sidelined him since Game 2 of the first-round sequence towards the New York Islanders. He has returned to observe.
Florida’s Ryan Lomberg (higher physique) is a risk for this sequence.
NEW WORLD
The convention remaining is a brand new world for lots of the Panthers.
Marc Staal has performed in 19 convention remaining video games, Eric Staal has performed in 11 and Brandon Montour has performed in six. Most of the remainder of the Panthers (not counting the injured Patric Hornqvist, who has appeared in eight) haven’t been this far within the postseason.
STAT WATCH
Carolina is averaging 3.64 targets within the playoffs, up from 3.20 within the common season, behind a collective effort that produced a dozen totally different purpose scorers towards New Jersey. That included Jesper Fast, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Martin Necas and Jordan Martinook scoring three targets every.
For Florida, Matthew Tkachuk (5 targets, 11 assists) ranks fifth within the postseason in factors whereas the Panthers are averaging 3.33 targets per sport.
In web, the Panthers have leaned on Sergei Bobrovsky (7-2, 2.82 goals-against, .918 save proportion) whereas the Hurricanes have needed to deviate from a season-long rotation between Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta because of diseases for each. Andersen (1.80 GAA, .931 save proportion) has gained 5 occasions whereas beginning the final six.
• AP sports author Tim Reynolds in Sunrise, Florida, contributed to this story.
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