- What: NHL Eastern Conference Final Game 2
- When: May 22, 2025
- Who: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- Time: 5:00 p.m. PST
- Where: Lenovo Center (Raleigh, NC)
The Florida Panthers will play the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The puck will drop at 5 p.m. PST.
The Panthers lead the series 1-0.
In the series opener on Tuesday, the Panthers jumped out to a swift 2-0 lead, with first-period goals from Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad within the first 12 minutes.
From there, Florida maintained control, ultimately securing a 5-2 win.
Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, who started the series with a solid 1.36 GAA, experienced a tough outing, allowing 5 goals on 20 shots.
Andersen had been impressive previously, allowing 2 or fewer goals in each of his last 6 starts and 8 out of 9 playoff games before this match.
For Carolina, Sebastian Aho netted a goal in the first period.
At the same time, Jackson Blake added a power-play goal in the third, following an ejection of veteran Brad Marchand due to an altercation with Shayne Gostisbehere.
The Hurricanes have now lost 13 consecutive games in the conference finals, dating back to 2009. Their last victory in this round occurred in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Final against the Buffalo Sabres.
In terms of goaltending, Sergei Bobrovsky (9-4-0, 2.29 GAA, .905 SV%, 2 SO in postseason) will take on Frederik Andersen (7-3-0, 1.74 GAA, .919 SV%, 1 SO in postseason).
Bobrovsky had a rough start in his last series against the Toronto Maple Leafs but rebounded nicely against Carolina, stopping 31 of 33 shots in Game 1 and giving up just 6 goals in his last 5 playoff appearances, winning 4 of those games.
Conversely, Andersen’s performance in Game 1 was uncharacteristic. He surrendered 5 goals on 20 shots after allowing only 7 goals in his previous 5 starts. He had won 5 of his last 6 games before the disappointing Game 1 outing at home.
Given the circumstances, taking the over 5.5 (+105) presents a fantastic value.
The Panthers demonstrated their scoring ability in Game 1, and with Andersen likely to bounce back and a strengthened Hurricanes offense averaging 3.5 goals per game in their last four playoff matches, another high-scoring game is anticipated.
As the series advances, expect a shift towards tougher defense and more physical play.
Best Bet: Over 5.5 Goals at +105 odds
Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
