Florida Panthers on Brink of Stanley Cup Final Berth as Carolina Hurricanes Fight for Survival
The Florida Panthers are on the verge of reaching their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final, but the Carolina Hurricanes are determined to spoil their plans. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final series 3-1, but the Hurricanes won Game 4 3-0 on Monday to stay alive. According to the NHL, Game 5 will be played at Lenovo Center on Wednesday.
The Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup last season, are expected to have reinforcements in the form of forwards Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer, and defenseman Niko Mikkola, all of whom missed Game 4 due to injuries. Reinhart has missed the past two games, but his return is expected to boost the team’s power play, which has struggled in his absence. As the NHL reports, Reinhart led the Panthers with 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) during the regular season.
"We always have a ton of belief," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said, according to the NHL. "It’s our preparation that allows us to have that belief, but we’ve got to go out there and execute it tonight. We have to be physical. We have to be fast. We can’t be looking to break anything open. We’ll earn our opportunities when they’re there, but just be hard."
The Panthers have dominated the series so far, outscoring the Hurricanes 16-4 in the first three games. They have also won four consecutive road games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and are 7-2 overall away from home this postseason. As the NHL notes, the Panthers won their previous two series-clinching games on the road, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round.
The Hurricanes, on the other hand, are trying to become the sixth team in NHL history to force a Game 6 in the conference finals/semifinals after losing the first three games. They rallied to win Games 4 and 5 against the New York Rangers in the second round last season, but ultimately lost Game 6. As the NHL reports, Carolina forward Seth Jarvis said, "It’s just nice to see a win… To keep the season going, that’s what we all want, and we’re in the same position again. We always have confidence in ourselves, and to go out and execute is huge."
A big difference in Game 4 was Carolina finally scoring first, on forward Logan Stankoven’s goal at 10:45 of the second period. It was the first time the Hurricanes had a lead in the series. Centers Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal added empty-net goals for the 3-0 final. Goaltender Frederik Andersen made 20 saves in his return to the net, and is expected to start Game 5.
Teams that hold a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoff series go on to win the series 91 percent of the time (323-32). Teams with a 3-1 series lead starting on the road, as Florida has, have gone on to win 88.2 percent of the time (112-15). As the NHL notes, Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling said, "We love spending time with each other and we’re having a lot of fun at the hotel and down here (at the arena). It’s great to get the group together, us against the world, that feeling."
In terms of key players to watch, the Hurricanes’ four rookies have been solid in this series, with Stankoven leading the way with two goals. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin had the assist on Stankoven’s goal, his first NHL point in his third game. Forward Jackson Blake also has a goal on six shots in the series, and defenseman Scott Morrow has been steady in 11:11 of ice time. However, Carolina needs more from its top forwards, including Andrei Svechnikov, who has no goals in the series.
For the Panthers, getting Reinhart, Mikkola, and Greer back in the lineup allows Florida to set its lines and defense pairs to its liking. Reinhart’s return also boosts the power play, which was 0-for-8 in the two games without him. Mikkola scored two goals in Game 3 before leaving with an injury, and has been a threat coming up the ice.
The Panthers have outscored their opponents 17-11 in the first period during the playoffs, while the Hurricanes have been outscored 12-6. Special teams, specifically the Hurricanes’ penalty kill, will be crucial in Game 5. The Hurricanes have been better on it in the past two games, but they’ve been in the box more than they’ve liked, putting the Panthers on the power play four times in Game 3 and four more times in Game 4. As the NHL reports, Florida is 23.1 percent with the man advantage this postseason.
