Carolina Hurricanes vs Florida Panthers: Game 3 preview, predictions and odds | Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals, May 24, 2025

The Carolina Hurricanes are on the road to play the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 24 at 8 p.m. ET.

Florida won both games on the road and is coming off a 5-0 win in Game 2 to lead 2-0 in the series.

Hurricanes vs Panthers: Head-to-head & key stats

Florida went 2-1 against Carolina this season, and is 2-0 in the playoffs
Carolina allowed 2.8 goals per game
The Panthers went 27-12-2 at home
The Hurricanes averaged 3.2 goals per game
Florida allowed 2.71 goals per game
The Hurricanes went 16-21-4 on the road
Florida averaged 3 goals per game this season

Carolina Hurricanes vs Florida Panthers: Preview

Carolina struggled in the first two games and is now down 2-0 in the series. In Game 2, Carolina was shut out and has scored just two goals in two games. The only players to score are Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake.

The Hurricanes will start Frederik Andersen who went 13-8-1 with a 2.50 GAA and a .899 SV%. In his career against Florida, he's 12-4-3 with a 2.72 GAA and a .911 SV%. In the playoffs, he's 7-4 with a 2.50 GAA and a .899 SV%.

Florida, meanwhile, looks to be on their way to making the third-straight Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Panthers will start Sergei Bobrovsky, who's coming off a shutout in Game 2. This season, Bobrovsky went 33-19-2 with a 2.44 GAA and a .906 SV%. In his career against Carolina, he's 15-16-1 with a 2.36 GAA and a .924 SV%. In the playoffs, Bobrovsky is 10-4 with a 2.13 GAA and a .910 SV%.

In Game 2, Florida was led by Sam Bennett who had two goals and an assist, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Gustav Forsling all scored. Carter Verhaeghe had three assists, while Aaron Ekblad and Evan Rodrigues had two assists.

Hurricanes vs Panthers: Odds & Prediction

Carolina is a +124 underdog while Florida is a -148 favorite, while the over/under is set at 5.5 goals.

The Hurricanes have struggled to do much against Florida, as they can't compete with the Panthers' physicality. Bobrovsky has also found his form as he has been stellar in the net this season.

Bobrovsky should continue to limit the Hurricanes' offense, while Andersen has struggled, as Florida will take a 3-0 series lead.

Prediction: Panthers 4, Hurricanes 1.

Hurricanes vs Panthers: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Florida ML (-148)

Tip 2: Under 5.5 goals (-125)

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Cole Shelton