In this article we will formulate a Hurricanes vs Panthers prediction for this NHL game on Wednesday, May 28th at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this NHL matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carolina Hurricanes Betting Preview
The Carolina Hurricanes are down 3-1 in this series, but they did win game four by a score of 3-0 in Florida. Carolina scored one goal in the second period and they added two empty net goals late in the third to secure the victory. The Hurricanes recorded 28 shots on goal, won 57.4% of the face-offs, and went 0-3 on the power play in the game. Carolina got goals from Aho, Staal, and Stankoven, while Nikishin and Jarvis led the way with five hits. Frederik Andersen stopped all 20 shots that he faced in the shutout win.
Prior to this series, the Hurricanes defeated the Devils in five games in the first round and the Capitals in five games in the second round. Coming into this series, Carolina had won eight of their first ten playoff games, but they were dominated in games one, two, and three, before responding with a win in game four. Carolina has scored 3.24 goals per game and they have allowed 2.81 goals against per game, while also going 18.7% on the power play and 83.6% on the penalty kill this season. Seth Jarvis has led Carolina with five goals, nine assists, and 32 shots on goal, while Sebastian Aho has added five goals, eight assists, and 38 shots on goal. Frederik Andersen is 8-4 with a 1.84 goals against average and a .914 save percentage in the playoffs.
Florida Panthers Betting Preview
The Florida Panthers are up 3-1 in this series after they won the first three games by scores of 5-2, 5-0, and 6-2. In their game four loss, Florida struggled to get many shots through to Andersen and their power play struggled in the shutout loss. The Panthers recorded 20 shots on goal, won 42.6% of the face-offs, and went 0-4 on the power play in the game. Florida was led by Rodrigues, who had three shots on goal, while Ekblad and Kulikov added five hits each. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 out of 26 shots in the game, which was a .962 save percentage.
Prior to this series, the Panthers defeated the Lightning in the first round in five games and the Maple Leafs in the second round in seven games. Florida has won seven of their last nine games and they have scored at least five goals in six of those wins. Florida has scored 3.00 goals per game and they have allowed 2.72 goals against per game, while also going 23.5% on the power play and 80.7% on the penalty kill this season. Aleksander Barkov has led Florida with six goals, nine assists, and 33 shots on goal, while Bennett and Tkachuk have added 14 points each. Sergei Bobrovsky is 11-5 with a 2.05 goals against average and a .914 save percentage this postseason.
Why the Hurricanes will beat the Panthers
- The underdogs have won six of the last seven games between the Panthers and Hurricanes.
- The Panthers have lost four of their last six games as road favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in 13 of the last 15 games between the Panthers and Hurricanes.
- The Panthers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games as road favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Hurricanes have won the third period in each of their last eight home games when leading after the second period.
Total Goals Facts
- Each of the Panthers’ last six games following a loss have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Seven of the last eight night games between the Panthers and Hurricanes at Lenovo Center have gone UNDER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Panthers’ last 13 Wednesday games.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Hurricanes’ last seven games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
Carolina Hurricanes Player Prop Facts
- Andrei Svechnikov has scored a goal in four of his last five appearances in Game 5s of a playoff series.
- Seth Jarvis has recorded at least one assist in four of the Hurricanes’ last five home games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- Seth Jarvis has recorded at least one point in 14 of the Hurricanes’ last 15 night games at Lenovo Center.
- Jackson Blake ranks 2nd amongst rookies for Plus/Minus (+10) this season.
Florida Panthers Player Prop Facts
- Sam Bennett has scored at least one goal in eight of the Panthers’ last 10 road playoff games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Sam Reinhart has recorded at least one point in each of his last nine appearances with the Panthers as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Eetu Luostarinen has recorded at least one assist in five of the Panthers’ last six playoff games as road favorites.
- Sam Reinhart has scored the first goal in four of his last five appearances with the Panthers as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- Aleksander Barkov ranks T1st in the league for shootout goals (4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Carolina Hurricanes rank 1st in the league in penalty kill percentage this season (83.61%).
- The Carolina Hurricanes are one of seven teams to rank in the top 10 for both goals scored and goals conceded per game this season.
- The Florida Panthers rank 7th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.72).
- The Florida Panthers rank 1st in the league in penalty minutes this season (843).
Hurricanes vs Panthers Prediction
Carolina finally showed some life in game four of this series to fight off elimination, but they have a long way to go to get back into this series. The Hurricanes were able to avoid letting in a goal in the first period, which is something they must do in this game. Carolina does play their best hockey at home, but they need to be perfect if they want to send this series to game six. The Panthers dominated the first three games in this series, but they are dealing with some injuries and haven’t been their best on the road for most of the season. This game is a toss up in my opinion, so I will give the edge to Carolina on home ice.