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Hurricanes All-Star Raises Eyebrows With Panthers Comments

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 23, 2025 7:29 PM ET

New year, same old Carolina Hurricanes. At least so far.

After Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Hurricanes find themselves down 2-0 in the series against the Florida Panthers. Carolina has now lost 14 straight games in the Eastern Conference Final, dating back to 2009.

The Hurricanes will now be heading out on the road for Games 3 and 4, as they look to get back into the series. But the Panthers have looked very strong, outscoring Carolina 10-2 over the first two contests.

Despite all the narratives and odds being stacked against them, Carolina isn't backing down. In fact, one forward had some interesting comments on the Panthers themselves.

"Well, I mean, they (the Panthers) just went seven games against the (Toronto Maple) Leafs, right?" forward Taylor Hall said. "They're not a perfect hockey team, and we know that there's areas to exploit like any team. They're exploiting our weaknesses, obviously. We have to play our game and if we lose doing that, then sure.”

The Panthers have found ways to slow down the explosive Carolina offense, and it has frustrated the team. It's clear that the Hurricanes haven't been able to counterpunch what Florida has thrown at them, and it's a big reason why they face the 2-0 series deficit.

But heading into Game 3, the Hurricanes are determined to clean things up.

“You’re going to have a tough time getting back into it,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “That’s a big concern, obviously. The first couple shifts of the game, we weren’t doing anything we needed to do. But it’s old news now. We’ve got to turn the page.”

If they can't grab the road win, Carolina could be in some real trouble. Game 3 will be played on Saturday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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