Carolina On The Brink
The red-hot Florida Panthers attempt to reach the Stanley Cup finals for the second time in their history when they host the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference championship series on Wednesday, which should be interesting for those betting online.
The Panthers took the first two games in overtime at Carolina and Sergei Bobrovsky earned the shutout 1-0 on Monday night in Sunrise, Fla for a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Bobrovsky boasts a .978 save percentage in the series as Florida has been outshot 135-103 Overall
“We’re happy with the win, but the next game is going to be a big game,” Bobrovsky told reporters after making 32 saves on Monday. “They have a great team. They have great players. It’s gonna be another fight. We’re definitely excited for it.”
The Hurricanes have managed just three goals in the series after scoring 24 times in their five-game triumph against the New Jersey Devils during the Eastern semifinals. Florida has won 10 of its last 11 games.
The Panthers are co-favorites in the current odds to win the Stanley Cup at +125 with Vegas while Carolina is +2000.
Hurricanes Must Cash In
Carolina is getting plenty of chances, but can’t seem to find the answers to unlock Bobrovsky, who is 10-2 in the playoffs with a .935 SP.
Seth Jarvis, Stefan Noesen, and Sebastian Aho each have two points in the series for the Hurricanes, who own only one even-strength goal in the first three games.
“It’s there for us,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters. “We’ve got to find a way to put it in. We’ve got to find a way to just break through and give ourselves a chance maybe to get back in this. But it’s tough because we have played really well.”
Frederik Andersen was back in net Monday after sitting out Game 2 and stopped 16-of-17 shots. Andersen is 5-2 in the playoffs with a .937 SP.
The under is 5-0 in the last five Hurricanes’ contests in the Eastern Conference finals and 51-42 on the season at the sportsbook.
Tkachuk Leads Panthers
Left wing Matthew Tkachuk continues to produce for Florida, notching an assist Monday to give him three points in the series and an NHL-best 19 in the playoffs to go along with a +12 rating.
Tkachuk, acquired from Calgary in the offseason, is second behind Bobrovsky (+225) in the live betting to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at +400 with seven goals – three of them game winners.
✔️ @FlaPanthers record for points in a postseason
✔️ One of the best first seasons with a team in NHL history
❓ #StanleyCup Final berthWhat a season so far for Matthew Tkachuk. #NHLStats: https://t.co/uQDRYcGBO4 pic.twitter.com/JHHkz96Fb6
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 23, 2023
The only downer in Game 3 for the Panthers was that center Aleksander Barkov suffered a lower-body injury in the first period and is questionable for Wednesday’s contest. Barkov has 12 points in the playoffs, including two goals and an assist in the first two games of the series.
Thanks in a large part to Bobrovsky, the under is 8-0 in the last eight Florida games according to the NHL odds.
Hurricanes vs Panthers Game Injuries
Hurricanes vs Panthers Head-to-Head
Florida has now won eight of the last 10 meetings and five of those victories have been in overtime.
Nine goals have been scored in the series, four on the power play as both teams are 2-for-10 with the extra man. The Hurricanes are 87.5 percent on the penalty kill in the playoffs and the Panthers just 68.8.
The under is 3-0 in the series and 6-1 in the last seven meetings if you are online gambling. But the over is 10-4-2 in the past 16 matchups at Florida.
Hurricanes vs Panthers Game Information
- Game: Hurricanes (0-3) vs Panthers (3-0)
- Day/Time: Wednesday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET
- Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Fla.
- Hurricanes vs Panthers Live stream: NHL.TV
Hurricanes vs Panthers Betting Lines
Hurricanes vs Panthers Picks and Prediction
These games have been so tight that Carolina could easily be up 3-0 in the series.
That could make your bets swing either way on this one. Florida just may be a team of destiny and reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1996 when it lost to Colorado in four games. Or the Hurricanes will stay alive because they were the better team through the regular season, compiling 21 more points.
Even though Carolina is just 3-3 on the road in the playoffs, it won two very important ones away from home and we expect this to be the third. If Barkov is not available, it will also help the Hurricanes. Check NHL news for the latest on injuries.
Take Carolina and expect a few more goals to find the back of the net.
The Hurricanes are listed at -105 in our Las Vegas hockey odds. This means that if you wager $100 on Carolina, you have a chance to win $95. The Panthers are -115, offering a chance to win $87 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Hurricanes a 51.22% chance to win, with Florida at 53.49%.
