Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL Expert Pick and Prediction – May 24, 2023 

HURRICANES VS. PANTHERS NHL EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – May 24, 2023 — On paper, this is not a 3-0 series. The Panthers have won every game by a single goal, even though the Hurricanes have statistically been the better team. The question is whether they can solve Sergei Bobrovsky and whether they can start to build momentum and get back into this series. 

Carolina’s been getting more pucks to the net. It’s been the faster team. It’s controlling the faceoff circle. If ever a team is going to come down from 0-3, this would be the one. The one difference is that Florida has Bobrovsky providing a stone wall, similar to J.S. Giguere for Anaheim in the 2003 playoffs. 

The Panthers’ best ally in this situation is their 3-0 lead. If the Hurricanes panic, this series is going to end Wednesday night. If not, Florida could find itself in a tight spot. Deep down, the Panthers probably know that they’re fortunate to be in this situation, but that doesn’t matter. Florida just needs one more game to bounce its way to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, making this matchup a test of mentalities. 

The Odds 

Puck Drop 

When: Wednesday, May 24th at 8 p.m. EDT 

Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Fla. 

Public Bets: 64% on Florida 

Public Money: 55% on Florida 

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of May 24th, 2023 

Carolina vs. Florida In-Season Trends 

The conference finals continue to be Carolina’s Waterloo. For whatever reason, luck has straight up deserted the Hurricanes in the conference finals, as they’ve gone 3-13 in their past 16 games at the penultimate hurdle. The last time Carolina won a game in the Eastern finals came back in 2006, when they won their only Stanley Cup. Otherwise, they’ve been swept two other times and could make it 12 straight losses in this round tonight. 

Florida has followed the same path since Game 5 of the Boston series: ride Bobrovsky and go from there. The Panthers have played UNDER in eight straight games and haven’t given up more than two goals in a game since allowing three to the Bruins in Game 7. The Panthers make a terrible puckline bet given these trends, as they tend to do just enough to put a W on the board. Out of 11 wins in these playoffs, eight have come by a single goal and six came in overtime. The Panthers have played nothing but close games as of late; nine of their past 11 were decided by one goal. 

Players to Watch 

Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal haven’t done a lot this series, but if Carolina’s going to get back on track, one of them has to do something. Aho got five shots on goal last time out and Staal had seven in Game 2, so both are attacking the Panthers’ net well. Something’s going to go in at some point, and if it does, one of them is likely to be the scorer. 

The Panthers’ power play has come up with the winning goal in back-to-back games, and that means Sam Reinhart. He’s scored 10 points in the postseason, and four have come on the power play. If Carolina gives up a mistake, Reinhart has made them pay in each of the past two games and could do it again.  

The Pick 

This series isn’t over as long as Carolina stays focused. The Hurricanes know they’re the stronger team; they just have to find a way to put the Panthers behind the eight-ball early. Most likely, this will be another defense-heavy game as Florida relies on Bobrovsky and waits for Carolina to give up an opportunity. 

After all of these tight games, the puckline makes the most sense here. 

 Check out more of our Stanley Cup playoff analysis here!