RALEIGH, N.C. – The significance of winning Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Final is underscored by historical trends for both the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. In their past three appearances in the conference final, the Panthers have won the opening game every time (1996, 2023, 2024) and subsequently clinched the series each time, including a sweep against the Hurricanes in 2023.
Conversely, this marks the Hurricanes’ third conference final in just seven seasons under coach Rod Brind’Amour. Unfortunately for Carolina, they have struggled in previous trips, having been swept in both 2019 and 2023, making them 0-12 in conference finals across three appearances (2009, 2019, 2023).
The next chapter of this championship pursuit unfolds at Lenovo Center on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, broadcasted on MAX, TNT, SN, TVAS, and CBC. Historically, teams taking Game 1 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win 68.1% of the time (534-250), a statistic that climbs to 74.9% when the home team comes out on top.
Carolina’s center Sebastian Aho expressed confidence in their experience as a factor for success in this series. “Those past experiences, I think those will only help us in this case because we’ve had some experience with this group,” he noted.
The Hurricanes aim to transform their fortunes at home, where they are currently undefeated this postseason. They boast a remarkable home record after tying the Los Angeles Kings for the NHL lead with 31 home wins during the regular season (31-9-1). Carolina has shown formidable strength at home, outscoring their rivals 21-8 across five home games this postseason, highlighted by a dominant 9-2 showing in Games 3 and 4 against the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Second Round.
Goalie Frederik Andersen has also played a pivotal role in the Hurricanes’ success at home, boasting a perfect 4-0 record with a mere 1.00 goals-against average and a stellar .957 save percentage.
Team morale appears high, with forward Jordan Martinook describing the electrifying atmosphere and how it fuels their performance, stating, “It helps a lot.”
On the other side, the Florida Panthers come off an impressive 6-1 road victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs and have demonstrated resilience on the road, going 5-2 in the playoffs. Despite early losses in Toronto, they rallied back, securing four of five subsequent games.
Florida center Aleksander Barkov acknowledges the thrill of playing away, stating, “We know the other team will have their moments and push because of the atmosphere… It’s a great challenge for us.”
As both teams gear up for this pivotal matchup, the exciting dynamics of their postseason performances promise a thrilling Game 1 showdown. This series presents an opportunity for the Hurricanes to break their unfavorable trend in the conference finals, while the Panthers seek to continue their momentum and capitalize on their strong playoff performance.