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New York Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
What Hurricanes must replicate to win Game 5 against Panthers
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes picked up a win and shed the stigma of the franchise having lost 15 consecutive conference final games with their 3-0 victory over the Panthers on Monday in Sunrise, Fla. While there was a collective sense of relief from the hockey world, Carolina never saw winning Game 4 as a means to move on from an annoying and distracting storyline. Instead, it was step one in the Hurricanes trying to do the improbable: win four straight games and keep their quest for the Stanley Cup alive. Advertisement So what does Carolina need to do to recreate its success in Wednesday's Game 5 in Raleigh? Here's a road map. The past year has been a coming-out party for Jaccob Slavin. Slavin's play at the 4 Nations Face-Off — for my money, he was the best player in the tournament — finally got him the attention he deserved on the national/Canadian stage. He's been equally as good in the NHL playoffs, even in this series when nearly everything that could have gone wrong did in the first three games. Plus/minus is an antiquated stat, but it's hard to ignore when something this alarming jumps off the page: In the first three games against Florida, Slavin had an even plus/minus despite Carolina being outscored 16-4. The Panthers scored a combined four power-play goals in the first two games, but Slavin was on for just one of them. And then in Game 4, Slavin was on the ice for all three of Carolina's goals — Logan Stankoven's game winner and both empty net goals. That's a plus 3 for a player who has been on a team that's been outscored by nine goals through four games. For the postseason, he's plus 10 — tied for fifth best in the playoffs and tops among the Hurricanes. So what can coach Rod Brind'Amour do to maximize Slavin's effectiveness? Well, look back at what he did in Game 4 — specifically, getting No. 74 on the ice as much as possible. Slavin played 28 minutes Monday, nearly four minutes more than he played in any game this postseason that didn't go to overtime. The 28 minutes were the sixth most Slavin has logged in a regulation game in his 830 regular-season and playoff games. How do you keep Florida from scoring? You play Slavin — a lot. Just ask Team USA. As mentioned, the Hurricanes' penalty kill got shelled in the first two games of the series, allowing four goals on five opportunities. Advertisement It's no coincidence that Carolina played Florida evenly for much of Games 3 and 4 and, in those games, has killed off all eight of the Panthers' power plays. 'We had some big ones and at big moments in the game,' Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said after the Game 4 win. 'And Freddy (Andersen) was unreal. … The killers were really good today.' The Hurricanes limited the Panthers to four shots on goal in eight power-play minutes, and four of Carolina's 14 blocked shots came while short-handed. Slavin, unsurprisingly, had two of those penalty kill blocks among his game-high four. 'I just think there was a level of desperation there on the kill,' Brind'Amour said. 'A lot of it, there's breakdowns, all of a sudden, guys are flying in there trying to just get in the way, which is what you have to do.' This season's Hurricanes have a track record of getting white hot on the PK, with three streaks of at least seven straight games without allowing a power-play goal. Carolina also started the postseason with six consecutive games during which they were perfect on the kill. The Hurricanes' penalty kill undoubtedly needs to be more like what it was in the last two games than it was in the first two of the series to have a chance to make this more than a gentleman's sweep. The Hurricanes had four rookies in the lineup in the last two games, and two in particular stepped up in Game 4. Stankoven isn't new to the Stanley Cup playoffs — he played 19 postseason games last season in the Stars' run to the Western Conference final — but he's taken his game to another level with Carolina. In 14 games in these playoffs, he's already matched the eight points he had a year ago. 'The goals and, I guess, points may not come right away, and you've got to stay patient as a player,' Stankoven said after Game 4 of the reason for his success. 'And for me, it's just trying to chip in with some secondary scoring and help these guys out. You never know when things are going to open up and you'll get your chances. So you've got to stay ready and make sure you bear down on them.' Advertisement After scoring Monday, his five goals are the most by a playoff rookie since Dallas had two players (Joel Kiviranta with five goals and Denis Gurianov with nine) score that at least many in a playoff campaign. Only two other players in Whalers/Hurricanes history have scored five goals in one postseason: Warren Foegele, who had five in 2019, and Erik Cole, who scored six times in Carolina's Cinderella run to the Cup final in 2002. On defense, Alexander Nikishin had a breakout performance in Game 4, registering his first career NHL point on a nifty backhand pass that sprung Stankoven for his goal. He logged just a few seconds under 19 minutes in each of the last two games. The only other rookie defensemen to play consecutive games of 18-plus minutes in a conference final in the 2020s were Vegas' Zach Whitecloud in 2020 and Colorado's Bowen Byram in 2022. The Hurricanes will need Stankoven and Nikishin — along with Jackson Blake and Scott Morrow — to contribute positively if they want to send the series back to Florida. Florida fans derisively chanted, 'We want Freddie!' in the third period of Game 3 as the Panthers scored five goals to bury Carolina in what had been a tight game. It turns out the rat-tossing clientele of Amerant Bank Center probably wished they didn't ask for the veteran goalie. Andersen pitched his second shutout of the playoffs, playing behind a stout Hurricanes defense and within his means. Through two rounds, Andersen was certainly in Conn Smythe Trophy consideration after he allowed just 12 goals in his first nine appearances of the playoffs. It came crashing down in Games 1 and 2 against Florida as he allowed nine goals in back-to-back blowout losses. But after Brind'Amour went with Pyotr Kochetkov in Game 3 in Sunrise, he turned back to Andersen in Game 4 and was rewarded. Advertisement Can Andersen get back to that early postseason groove? He's 2-2 with a .905 save percentage in his career in the games after he recorded a shutout, though both of those losses came in overtime. On the flip side, Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been on the wrong end of a shutout loss four times in his career. Twice, those blankings were season-ending losses (one with Columbus, the other with Florida). He also suffered a 1-0 loss in his playoff debut with Philadelphia in 2011. He was shelled in the following game, allowing three goals on seven shots before being relieved by Brian Boucher in a Flyers comeback win. Most recently, the Panthers were shut out 2-0 in Game 6 against the Maple Leafs a week and a half ago, but the defending champs won the series clincher 6-1 by stopping 19 of 20 shots. (Top photo of Jaccob Slavin: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Panthers at Hurricanes Game 5 picks, odds: Can Carolina force Game 6?
The Carolina Hurricanes are back home and hosting the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final. The Canes' season nearly ended earlier in the week, but the underdogs left enough on the ice to bring the action back to Raleigh. Panthers lead series 3-1 Series odds: Panthers -1100, Hurricanes +700 The pressure was mounting for Carolina, who entered Monday night's game down 3-0 in the series against the reigning champions and on a 15-game losing streak in the Eastern Conference final. But with a 3-0 win, the Canes kept their season alive. Alexander Nikishin intercepted the puck in the neutral zone to set up Logan Stankoven's second-period goal, and the Canes were able to protect that lead all night. Two empty-netters helped seal the win late in the third. Advertisement Carolina controlled play through three periods, generating 2.57 expected goals to the Panthers' 0.59 (for an 81 percent expected goal rate) at five-on-five. And the Canes' penalty kill went to work, to keep Florida 0-for-4 on the night. The Panthers were short-handed without Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and AJ Greer, but so were the Hurricanes, who were missing two of their six mainstays on defense in Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker. After starting Pyotr Kochetkov in Game 3, the Canes went back to Frederik Andersen in the starter's crease; he responded by saving 1.28 goals above expected. Sergei Bobrovsky had a strong night too, but the lone goal he allowed from Stankoven was the difference. To force a Game 6, the Canes will have to lean into the momentum from Game 4, and Andersen will need another strong performance. Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Fox News
27-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Hurricanes stave off elimination with shutout win against Panthers in Eastern Conference finals
The Carolina Hurricanes staved off elimination and avoided being swept as they defeated the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Monday night in Amerant Bank Arena. With the win, the Hurricanes now trail the Panthers 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. The Hurricanes had lost their prior 15 Eastern Conference Final games before Monday's win. They were swept in 2009, 2019 and 2023, and they dropped the first three games of this matchup against the Panthers. Logan Stankoven gave the Hurricanes their first lead of the series when he buried a wrist shot past Panthers' goalie Sergei Bobrovsky about midway through the second period. Stankoven gave credit to Alexander Nikishin, who set him up with a cross-ice pass. "It all starts with him," Stankoven said of Nikishin's pass. "Great play by him." Hurricanes goalie Frederik Anderson started Games 1 and 2 and was pulled in favor of Pyotr Kochetkov for Game 3. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour went back to Anderson for Game 4, and the goalie stopped all 20 of the shots he faced. "There were some real tough shots that looked easy tonight," Brind'Amour said of Anderson. "That's when you know he's really on." The Hurricanes sealed their victory with a pair of empty-net goals at the end of the game, as Sebastian Aho and Jordan Stall scored to secure the win in the waning minutes of the third period. "Credit to them ... they were good," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. The Panthers were short-handed in the loss, as Sam Reinhart, Nike Mikkola and AJ Greer all did not play. The Panthers will have another chance to clinch and move on to the Stanley Cup Finals when they take on the Hurricanes in Game 5 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
National Post
27-05-2025
- General
- National Post
Hurricanes prevent series sweep by beating Panthers 3-0
SUNRISE, Fla. — Frederik Andersen returned to the net and stopped 20 shots for his fifth career playoff shutout, Logan Stankoven got the only goal Carolina needed, and the Hurricanes won their first Eastern Conference final game in 20 years by beating the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Monday night to stave off elimination. Article content Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal got empty-netters to seal it for the Hurricanes. They had dropped 15 consecutive East final games, getting swept in 2009, 2019 and 2023, then dropping the first three games of this matchup. Article content No sweep this time, however. Carolina still trails the series 3-1, but that looks a whole lot better than 3-0 does. The Hurricanes kept the Panthers' offence completely bottled up for much of the game, limiting the reigning Stanley Cup champions to 12 shots through two periods. Article content Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots for Florida, which played without the injured Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer. Article content Game 5 is Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. If Game 6 is needed, it'll be back in Sunrise on Friday. Article content Stankoven gave Carolina its first lead of the series midway through the second period when he took a cross-ice diagonal pass from Alexander Nikishin at the blue line and skated in alone on Bobrovsky. He beat the Florida goalie over the right shoulder for the 1-0 lead, ending a drought that — depending on perspective — had lasted for either six games or two years. Article content It was Carolina's first lead in the East final since the second period of Game 2 of the 2023 matchup against Florida. A total of 364 minutes, 53 seconds — the equivalent of more than six regulation games — had elapsed in East final games for the Hurricanes since their last lead. Article content And the win was Carolina's first in an East final game since beating Buffalo in Game 7 in 2006, which came on the Hurricanes' way to the Stanley Cup.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rookie Blueliner Alexander Nikishin Already Playing Vital Role For Carolina Hurricanes
Alexander Nikishin is going to be a special player. Three games into his NHL career and that already feels like a bygone conclusion. Sure, he was one of the most hyped up prospects in a long time, but there's a huge difference between playing in the KHL and the NHL. But honestly, based on what we've seen so far, we should perhaps just throw away the 'going to be' part, because this hasn't just been 'playing in the NHL.' This isn't just some random mid-January game against the Anaheim Ducks, this is the Eastern Conference Final, in do-or-die games, yet Nikishin already like an NHL regular. The rookie defenseman has played north of 18 minutes in back-to-back games, filling in on the team's top four in the absence of Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker. He's looked calm, composed and just unfazed by the whole situation. You'd never guess that he had just three North American games under his belt with no training camp nor preseason experience. The play he made to spring Logan Stankoven for the game-winning goal in Game 4? Just ridiculous. An absolute dart from Logan Stankoven 🎯😮💨(via @NHL) — BarDown (@BarDown) May 27, 2025 And just the all around defensive game he showed against the defending Stanley Cup champs has been more than impressive. "I just like that he's not rattled and that he's just going out there and playing," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "Sometimes these young kids come over and come in, even rookies, they don't realize the moment and how big it is. They're just playing hockey. Sometimes it takes a couple years to realize, 'Oh this is pretty important,' you know? He looks like he's unfazed. I don't know. I can't really tell you, but he's doing a great job for us." It wasn't like it was an immediate fit for Nikishin either, who had to wait several weeks for the chance to make his NHL debut. He was the first guy to jump into the lineup when Chatfield went down with injury, but in that game against the Washington Capitals, he turned the puck over multiple times and was just constantly in the wrong spots. "His first game wasn't very positive," Brind'Amour said. "It was a little rough. But now he looked like he's played more than one game in North America." So what gives? Well, for one, Nikishin has had plenty of time to learn the systems since coming over to North America in April. "[Assistant coach Tim Gleason] has worked with him daily on how we want to play," Brind'Amour said. "He knows how to play even with the language issues. He's picking it up really quickly and it's been a month now. He's been here and everyday he's going through stuff. That's really encouraging for an organization standpoint and for us trusting him." But there's also just the fact that he's had the opportunity to get the butterflies out and now he knows that he's being counted on in an important situation. And at the end of the day, elite players rise to the occasions. "I was really proud of how from one game to the next, it changed," Brind'Amour said. "We have a good one there for sure." Hindsight is 20/20, but with the way Nikishin is playing, it really makes you wonder if he could have made a difference in those first two games. "We went to him and it was a rough first outing, but obviously he's seizing the moment right now," Brind'Amour said. "It's a tough time of the year to come in as a rookie and play minutes like that, so it's huge," said Jaccob Slavin. "The games that they played tonight were awesome and I'd say a big congrats to Niki on his first point. That's awesome and happy for him." Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories! Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
