Carolina Hurricanes Suffer Fifth Consecutive Playoff Loss to Florida Panthers in Eastern Conference Finals

The Carolina Hurricanes face the Florida Panthers once again in the Eastern Conference Finals, marking a rematch of the 2023 series where the Panthers swept the Hurricanes in a closely contested set of games. Despite the recent playoff losses and a history of close defeats to the Panthers, the Hurricanes remain committed to their system of relentless forechecking and defense, which has brought them success in prior rounds. This year's Hurricanes team differs from the 2023 squad, with key players like Andrei Svechnikov healthy and leading the offense, and goaltender Frederik Andersen performing at a high level. While the Panthers have added impactful players such as Brad Marchand and Seth Jones, the Hurricanes have shown resilience by maintaining composure and avoiding costly penalties, a lesson learned from previous eliminations. Carolina holds home-ice advantage and has yet to lose a postseason game in Raleigh, offering hope they can break their streak of losses against the Panthers. Both teams acknowledge the challenge ahead, but the Hurricanes emphasize focusing on the present rather than dwelling on past defeats.