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Hurricanes Coach Offers Blunt Review of Embarrassing Loss to Panthers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated May 23, 2025 6:58 AM ET

The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves in a familiar position after a second consecutive blowout loss to the Florida Panthers.

Following a 5-2 defeat in Game 1, Carolina crumbled again in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, falling 5-0 at home.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t hold back when addressing his team’s performance on Thursday.

"I didn’t know what I was watching in the first period, and that didn’t go well," Brind’Amour said.

The Panthers scored three times on just five first-period shots, capitalizing on defensive breakdowns and penalties then and later in the game.

"I didn't know what I was watching in the first period."

Rod Brind'Amour on if their poor play is mental... pic.twitter.com/os4o0xbf8m
— BarDown (@BarDown) May 23, 2025

Gustav Forsling opened the scoring just 1:17 into the game, followed by goals from Matthew Tkachuk at 11:41 and Sam Bennett at 15:50 on a power play. The Hurricanes managed just three shots in the period.

Brind’Amour said the team began with the right mindset even after going down 1-0 barely one minute into Game 2, but quickly unraveled.

"I think we came out with the right intentions, but it was trying to do too much," Brind’Amour said. "And then we’re not doing the things that we do as a team that normally helps us."

The Canes' coach also singled out forward Andrei Svechnikov, who committed multiple costly turnovers and finished with a team-worst minus-3 plus/minus and three giveaways.

"He was on his own page tonight, and it didn’t work," Brind’Amour said. "We know he’s trying, but you’ve got to be on the same page."

Now down 0-2 in the series, Carolina has lost 14 straight Eastern Conference Final games dating back to 2009.

Game 3 is Saturday in Sunrise, Florida, with puck drop set at 8 p.m. ET.

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

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