- What: NHL Eastern Conference Final
- When: May 20, 2025
- Who: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- Time: 5:00 p.m. PST
- Where: Lenovo Center (Raleigh, NC)
The Florida Panthers face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, with puck drop at 5 p.m. PST.
During the regular season, the Panthers won the series 2-1. Florida is on a strong path to defend their Stanley Cup title, having eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning and thrashed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7.
Key Panthers players include centers Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen, both with 12 points, and LW Matthew Tkachuk, who leads with 6 power-play points. C Sam Reinhart is also notable, recording 4 goals and a team-high 41 shots on goal.
The Hurricanes advanced by defeating the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. Frederik Andersen, who has a 1.36 GAA and a .937 SV%, provided solid goaltending.
On offense, centers Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each have 10 points, while RW Andrei Svechnikov leads with 8 goals.
Recent trends show Carolina hitting the Under in 4 of their last 5 games, while Florida has gone Over in their playoff road games. In their last five meetings, the winning team has also secured shutouts in 3 games.
These teams met in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, with Florida sweeping the series 4-0, all decided by just one goal. Goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky (2.31 GAA) and Frederik Andersen (1.36 GAA) are expected to play key roles.
Given both teams’ defensive focus and strong goaltending, Under 5.5 is the bet for Game 1, especially if Carolina limits Florida’s power-play chances.
Best Bet: Under 5.5 Goals at -130 odds
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
