The first game of the Stanley Cup semi-finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers will take place on May 21 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Carolina vs. Florida: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Carolina Hurricanes
Rod Brind'Amour's team defeated Washington in five games in the previous round, reaching the conference final for the second time in the last three years. In the 2022/23 season, the club also faced Florida at this stage, losing to the future finalist without winning a single game. The last time the team reached the Stanley Cup final was in 2006, when they won the trophy, and since then, they have not been able to advance past the semi-finals. Notable players for Carolina in the current playoffs include Seth Jarvis (4+6) and Sebastian Aho (3+7). Additionally, Frederik Andersen leads the goaltending rankings in the current Stanley Cup with a save percentage of 1.36.
Carolina has been one of the most productive teams in the playoffs, scoring 34 goals, while also being the most reliable in terms of goals conceded (18 goals). The club is among the top five in power-play conversion (28.1%) and maintains the lead in penalty killing (93.3%).
- Carolina has not scored more than three goals in regular time in 7 of their last 9 NHL home games.
- The team has won in regulation time in 8 of their last 10 home games in the league.
- No more than four goals have been scored in regular time in 4 of Carolina's last 5 NHL games.
Florida Panthers
Paul Maurice's team reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive time, defeating Toronto 4-3 in the previous round. Notably, the club has not faced difficulties in the semi-finals over the past two years: in the 2022/23 season, they defeated Carolina (4-0), and a year earlier, they won against the New York Rangers in six games. Key players for Florida in the current Stanley Cup include Brad Marchand (3+9) and Eetu Luostarinen (3+9).
Currently, Florida is the most productive team in these playoffs, having scored a total of 45 goals. Additionally, they have the second-best penalty kill percentage (89.5%) after Carolina.
- Florida has not scored more than two goals in regular time in 6 of their last 7 NHL games on Carolina's ice.
- The team has won in regulation time in 5 of their last 7 away games in the league.
- At least seven goals have been scored in regular time in Florida's last five away NHL games.
Carolina vs. Florida: Match Prediction
When they met two years ago at this stage, Florida was not an obvious favorite, and in the end, the series was decided by nuances and a bit of luck. Currently, identifying a leader is also quite difficult. However, it's worth noting that Paul Maurice's team did not have an easy time in the previous round, unlike Carolina, and this might play a crucial role, as they've already faced pressure and played with character, which adds confidence as the playoffs progress. Rod Brind'Amour's team had a calmer situation, so I think Florida, riding high after their series with Toronto, might play at their best.
Florida has won five of their last seven NHL games in regulation time. Additionally, they have won 7 of the last 10 head-to-head meetings in the league (2 in OT). Carolina has been successful in home games, but they had more rest time between rounds, so game concentration, at least in the first game of the series, might play a role. I believe the visitors should look more active, so I choose them.
Prediction: Florida Panthers with a handicap (0)
