Hurricanes Face Must-Win Challenge Against Panthers in Game 3

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Carolina Hurricanes are in a tough spot heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers. Down 2-0 in the series, the Hurricanes will try to avoid an 0-3 hole when they face off on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena.

The Panthers have dominated the series thus far, outscoring Carolina 10-2. They won Game 2 convincingly with a 5-0 shutout at Lenovo Center on Thursday. Florida’s goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky turned away all 17 shots on goal that came his way.

“You’re going to have a tough time getting back into it,” said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, highlighting the need to improve their starts. The Panthers took control early in Game 2, scoring three goals in the first period. “The first couple shifts of the game, we weren’t doing anything we needed to do,” he added.

Carolina’s forward Andrei Svechnikov emphasized that even if they don’t start strong, it’s crucial to return to their game plan. “We want to get back to what we do and not go off the rails,” he said. The Hurricanes have clinched success through a relentless forecheck but have struggled to implement that against the Panthers so far.

Compounding their issues, Florida’s leading scorer Sam Reinhart is ruled out for Game 3 due to a lower-body injury sustained during Game 2. Reinhart’s absence leaves a significant gap, as he was pivotal to the team’s offense.

In a shift of strategy, Carolina will start goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov instead of Frederik Andersen, who faced nine goals in the first two games. Brind’Amour cited the need for a change and the impact of having a fresh perspective in net.

The Hurricanes’ struggles in previous playoffs add pressure, as they aim to end a 14-game losing streak in conference finals. Previous series have seen them swept by opponents like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins.

“We haven’t done it yet, so we don’t really know,” said Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, speaking to the urgency of the situation. “We just have to go play the right way and see what happens.”

With Game 3 fast approaching, the Hurricanes know they need to ramp up their performance to seize vital momentum in the series.