The Florida Panthers continue to defy expectations with another hard-fought win in Game 2 of their conference final series against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers now have a commanding 2-0 series lead and, with the next two games on their home ice, are in cruise control. Can the Hurricanes get a win on the board in Game 3 Monday to prevent the series from getting out of hand?

Nitrobetting is here to turn your betting slapshots into winning goals with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. This time, let’s break down the upcoming Game 3 Eastern Conference finals showdown between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 3 2023 NHL Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals Information

• When: Monday, May 22, 2023, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
• TV: TNT, CBC, SN, TVAS
• Radio: 99.9 The Fan (Hurricanes) // 99.9 The Fan (Panthers)
• Live Stream: NHL Network
• NHL Betting Odds: Hurricanes (+1.5) / Panthers (-1.5)

READ MORE: Golden Knights vs. Stars 2023 NHL Playoffs Odds and Game 3 Preview – May 23rd

Why Bet on the Carolina Hurricanes?

Antti Raanta stopped 24 of 26 shots in a loss. Raanta turned in a solid effort, but Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s hooking penalty came back to bite the Hurricanes quickly. Raanta is now 3-3 across six playoff appearances, allowing 15 goals on 165 shots. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Frederik Andersen back in goal for Game 3 on Monday after starting Game 1.

“We’ve been through this,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “This is not something new to us. We’ve been kicked in the teeth a lot these last few years and we’ve always responded. So I’m pretty sure that we will in the next game.”

Chatfield had the lone goal for the Canes. He has held a third-pairing role throughout the postseason, and it was his third point in 13 contests. Sebastian Aho posted an assist, two shots on goal and two hits. Aho has an assist in each of the last two games, but he’s gone four contests without a goal for his longest scoring drought since March.

This series has seen the teams contest 201:38 so far through Game 1 and 2 – all of which has been with the Panthers and Hurricanes within a one-goal margin of one another. Only three other series in NHL history have seen the first two contests as closely contested (tied or within one goal). The Panthers are the second team in NHL history to win each of their first six games that required overtime in a single postseason, joining the 2003 Ducks (7 GP).

The Hurricanes have shown through two rounds of the playoffs that their game plan works, whether against a defense-first team with an all-world goalie like the Islanders or an offensive-minded squad like the Devils. The Panthers, however, have proved to be a stiffer challenge.

“The margins are tight,” Brind’Amour said. “We haven’t got a bounce yet. Hopefully we can get one because that’s what we’re probably going to need.”

Why Bet on the Florida Panthers?

Florida followed a 3-2 four-overtime road win in Game 1 with a 2-1 OT win in Game 2 on Saturday. Matthew Tkachuk had the OT winner in both for the Panthers. In Game 2, he finished a feed from Sam Reinhart at the 1:51 mark of overtime. It marked an eighth straight road win in these playoffs and helped Florida improve to 6-0 in overtime in the postseason.

Tkachuk scored his third overtime goal of the 2023 playoffs, tying Corey Perry (3 in 2017), Maurice Richard (3 in 1951) and Mel Hill (3 in 1939) for the most in a single playoff year in NHL history. He also matched Carter Verhaeghe for the most in Panthers history.

“He’s been huge for us,” Aleksander Barkov said of Tkachuk, who leads the team in goals (7) and points (18) in the playoffs. “Not just scoring goals, not just making plays. It’s everything about being a hockey player, being a leader on the team. He’s doing everything as good as possible.”

Barkov had Florida’s regulation goal and it was spectacular: Barkov took a pass at speed from defenseman Josh Mahura, cut across the slot then put the puck between his legs, sending the message to Carolina goalie Antti Raanta that he might try to shoot from there. Instead, Barkov waited, allowed the puck to drift back on his backhand, saw Raanta stretch onto the ice in desperation and then hoisted a backhand shot over the prone goalie.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 37 of 38 shots in the win. Bobrovsky held his own pretty well in a challenging first period, allowing just a goal to Jalen Chatfield. He’s allowed just 13 goals on 277 shots over seven games since the start of the second round. The Panthers are the second team in NHL history to win each of their first six games that required overtime in a single postseason, joining the 2003 Ducks (7 GP).

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Betting Trends

• Carolina is 10-5 SU in the last 15 games.
• Hurricanes are 2-7 SU in its last 9 games against Florida.
• The total went over in 5 of Carolina’s last 6 games on the road.
• Florida is 9-1 SU in the last 10 games.
• Panthers are 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.
• The total went under in 7 of Florida’s last 7 games.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 3 Expert Betting Predictions

When looking at the trends, it’s quite peculiar to see that Carolina is a decent road team while Florida has struggled at home. That being said, though, the Panthers are just playing with much more confidence, and the Hurricanes have regressed. The Canes’ questionable offensive production that put them in hot water in the first round has crept back into their system. In turn, Game 3 will likely see the Panthers take another commanding 3-0 series lead in their magical postseason to remember.

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