Lightning can strike twice, almost. Much like in the first bout, Florida claimed a win in hostile territory in overtime on Saturday night, only this time it required a lot less time. Matthew Tkachuk played superhero again, scoring just a few minutes into the extra session for a 3-2 victory and 2-0 series lead.

The NHL odds haven’t entirely given up on Carolina. Monday’s third match is a coin toss. Florida sits at -113 to Carolina’s -107 on the moneyline. As for the puckline, the surging Panthers are +228 whereas the Canes are -276.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL Playoffs Betting Odds

As per the series board, things have only gotten worse for Rod Brind’Amour’s ensemble. The Hurricanes were +141 when Game 2 started but now are pegged at +358. By the same token the Panthers are priced at -435 to win the Eastern Conference (-159 heading into Saturday’s second contest).

There are a few things the Hurricanes can take solace in. First, they have not played poorly through two games. It would be foolish to argue they haven’t committed errors that sealed their fates in Games 1 and 2, but they’ve still looked good overall. If they get find some grit – which they’ve admittedly lacked – and find their scoring touch they can work their way back into the series. They’ve suffered two overtime defeats, not two blowouts.

The other element to consider is that Florida hasn’t been the same club at home in these playoffs. They haven’t played nearly as many games in front of their fans at the time of this writing, but the Panthers are only 2-3. Certain teams buckle under the pressure of playing at home in the postseason. We shall see what happens tonight, but the record speaks for itself. Maybe the series shifting locales will tip the balance.

Carolina Hurricanes

At a certain point one wonders if or when the Hurricanes will lose the mind games against Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Two games is a little early to draw conclusions, but one would think that firing 103 times towards net would have translated to more than three goals.

Be that as it may, Carolina needs to keep trying. If we dive into a more detailed analysis, one thing the Canes need to work on is not just asserting themselves in the first period, but sustaining that pressure for a full 60 minutes. Conversely, make the opening stanza so punishing for Florida that they can’t claw their way back. Game 2 started brightly. Jalen Chatfield (first) got the crowd buzzing 1:43 into the contest off a brilliant deflection from a Sebastian Aho pass into the slot. Yes, they were a bit unlucky on a disallowed goal later in the same period, but Florida suffered the same fate as well. They also outshot the visitors by a wide margin. Yet the rest of the match was a rinse and repeat of Game 1. Pardon the pun, but the Panthers are weathering the Hurricanes’ storm through two games.

Florida Panthers

We’ve already waxed poetic about the goalie – in the other team’s section for that matter. Kudos to Florida for absolutely never giving in to the pressure of the moment.

Granted, the second contest’s overtime didn’t last nearly as long as the first. Tkachuk scored nearly at the end of the fourth extra fame in Game 1, but only 111 seconds into overtime of Game 2. Apart from that major difference, Saturday felt a lot like Thursday. The first period was rough, with the opposition flying about, creating tons of quality chances with Bobrovsky having to make huge saves. But when play shifts to the second period, the Panthers seem to find their legs and start dictating a tighter, more methodical pace. Aleksander Barkov’s (fourth) equalizer in the middle frame was a beautiful fake in front of Antti Raanta.

Game 3 Prediction: Who Will Win Hurricanes vs. Panthers?

HURRICANES

Away

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PANTHERS

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