Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers will be played tonight at 8 p.m. ET at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. It will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV and streamed on Max.
Business is picking up in South Florida, and Game 3 could have a significant impact on the outcome of this series. The Panthers left Raleigh with two wins in their back pocket, and now they're two wins away from their third consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
Check out my Hurricanes vs. Panthers predictions and NHL picks for May 24, 2025.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers Odds
| Hurricanes Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -210 | 5.5 110o / -130u | +130 |
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +170 | 5.5 110o / -130u | -155 |
- Hurricanes vs. Panthers puck line: Hurricanes -1.5, Panthers +1.5
- Hurricanes vs. Panthers over/under: 5.5
- Hurricanes vs. Panthers moneyline: Hurricanes +130, Panthers -155
Carolina Hurricanes Preview: Time to Panic?
Carolina’s backs are against the wall in the worst way.
Going on the road down 2-0 is quite possibly the worst way to start a series. Especially when 1) you’re playing the defending Stanley Cup champions and 2) you’ve had a hard time getting to the big dance for the past few years.
The proof? The Hurricanes have lost their last 14 Conference Finals games. It’s just an absurd stat.
In the semifinals against Washington, it seemed like everything was clicking for the Hurricanes. Their 5-on-5 play was exceptional, their special teams were working wonders, and goaltending was on point.
Well, you can throw all of that out the window, because what we’ve seen so far in the Eastern Conference Finals was straight heinous.
The only team worse than Carolina has been the Dallas Stars, and they’ve been fortunate from good goaltending. Freddie Andersen of the Canes entered this series playing like a madman, but is now staring a two-game deficit in the face.
On top of that, his save percentage is horrendous, with a .750 SV%, only stopping 27 out of 36 shots and getting pulled midway in Game 2 for Pyotr Kochetkov.
The big question is, will coach Rod Brind’Amour roll with his veteran netminder, or will he bring in Kochetkov to drive some life into his team? We should know more after morning skate.
Florida Panthers Preview: On Their Third Course
The defending champs are certainly sitting pretty, but there’s a possibility that they enter Game 3 shorthanded.
Sam Reinhart left Game 2 early with a suspected injury, and he was ruled out rather quickly. That’s usually not a great sign, but coach Paul Maurice said he was getting examined Friday and should know more by morning skate.
Missing Reinhart would be huge, and could possibly give the Hurricanes some life, as Florida would need to turn to others to do Reinhart’s job.
Additionally, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman went on his podcast a week ago and talked about how obviously Matthew Tkachuk seemed hampered. We all saw the struggles he went through in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the fact that he’s just under a point per game in the playoffs is remarkable.
One of Florida’s calling cards was its depth. So, even if Reinhart misses Game 3, Carter Verhaeghe has lit up the Canes with five points in the two games played, and Sam Bennett is tied for the playoff lead in goals scored.
Sergei Bobrovsky has also been a stone out there. As the playoffs have gone on, it seems like Bob has only gotten stronger. He started slow, but now he’s stopped 64 out of the last 67 shots he’s faced.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers Prediction, Pick
I want to be careful while making this bet, because Carolina can be unpredictable.
I made the mistake of fading the Hurricanes on the road when they played the Capitals in the semifinals.
They had a sub-.500 record on the road all season, but the second I fade them on the road, they came out like the best road team of all time. Like a typical mush.
Florida is the better team here, but I expect the Hurricanes to come into this game with some jump and a whole lot of urgency. So, I won’t be surprised if the Panthers will have to go shot-for-shot with their counterparts.
The total is set at 5.5 and the over is priced at plus-money. I’m always a sucker for an over 5.5 game and with this value, I think the stars are aligning perfectly. Let’s make some money.
Pick: Over 5.5 (+105)
How to Watch Panthers vs. Hurricanes
- Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
- Date: Saturday, May 24, 2025
- Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
- TV/Streaming: TNT
