Ice Hockey | Monday, May 22, 2023 8:47 AM

Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Best Bet: Cats in Full Control Up 2-0

IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

US Sports Expert

Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Best Bet: Monday, May 22nd

The Florida Panthers have jumped out to a 2 – 0 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes who just blew the chance to use home ice to their advantage. Each of the first two games of this series has gone into overtime which is something we have not seen since 1967, so the question now becomes if the Canes can return the favour by going on the road and getting back into the series.

Our resident pucks expert Ej Garr provided the Game 1 overtime call that included an offer with odds of 4.65 so let’s see what has in mind for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Preview

May 23, 01:07 (UK time)

For the first time since the 1967 campaign, the first two games of a semifinal series have needed overtime to decide the winner of the match, and the Florida Panthers have escaped Raleigh with a pair of road wins that has the Cats up 2 games to love in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now only needing two wins to land in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Panthers will host Games 3 and 4 in the Sunshine State with hopes to advance to the next stage of the playoffs.

Vegas and Dallas also needed overtime in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals before the Knights earned a victory as those two teams will do battle on Sunday in Sin City. They also needed a pair of overtime sessions in the first two games of that series in which Vegas has found two home wins to take a 2 – 0 lead over Dallas going back to Texas for Games 3 and 4.,

The Panthers have now won 8 consecutive road games in the post-season which started with the Game 2 win over Boston in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Cats earned 3 road wins against Boston before winning all three of their trips to Toronto, and now they just took a pair of road games against the Canes to open this series.

Game 2 ended less than 2 minutes into the extra frame on Saturday, as the Canes committed a costly penalty that led to a power-play goal for Matthew Tkachuk at the 1:51 mark of overtime. Tkachuk is leading the Cats with 7 goals and 11 assists carrying a +12 ratio into tonight’s Game 3 in Florida.

All Tkachuk did in Game 1 was score the overtime goal on a power-play, although he was held off the board against Toronto without a goal to be found before this series began. I think that is a trade he will take considering he has his team on the brink of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

Sergei Bobrovsky has yet to allow more than 2 goals over his last 7 starts that date back to the beginning of the series against the Leafs. Being hot at the right time of year has Bobrovsky in line to win the MVP of this series and his excellent play could carry his team into the finals.