Panthers lineup tonight: Florida’s projected lineup for Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Conference Finals, May 20, 2025

Tonight, the Florida Panthers will kick off their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Carolina Hurricanes after a Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Throughout the second-round series with Toronto, the Panthers came up big when it mattered most.

In Game 3, the team staved off a 3-0 deficit with a big overtime goal. Then, while on the road for Game 5, Florida stole momentum from Toronto, taking a 3-2 lead.

Of course, most notably, in Game 7, while on the road, the reigning champs dominated the Maple Leafs from the opening horn, capturing a 6-1 win to secure their spot in the ECF and keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive.

Now, they'll collide with a Carolina Hurricanes team that's fresh off back-to-back five-game series wins over New Jersey and Washington.

Florida Panthers projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change

Forwards

Evan Rodrigues - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Brad Marchand
AJ Greer - Tomas Nosek - Jonah Gadjovich

Defense

Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola - Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt - Dmitry Kulikov

Goalies

Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek

Powerplay

Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Seth Jones, Aaron Ekblad
Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe, Nate Schmidt

Penalty Kill

Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad
Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones

Odds for tonight's game between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes

Bettors are backing Carolina to get things done, which may be because Carolina posted a 31-9-1 record at home this season, while Florida was 20-19-2 on the road.

Currently, on FanDuel, Carolina is a -125 favorite while Florida is a +104 underdog. Meanwhile, on DraftKings, Carolina is a -125 favorite while Florida is a +105 underdog.

Based on the latest DraftKings lines, it would take a $125 bet on the Hurricanes as the favorites to win $100. On the other hand, a $100 bet on Florida as the underdog could win $105 if the reigning champs come up with a W.

Note: Payout figures only reflect profit and don't include winning back the original bet amount.

Following Game 1 tonight, the two teams will collide in Game 2 on Thursday.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Krutik Jain