The Eastern Conference Final (ECF) is officially set. It’s a 2023 ECF rematch between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, with Game 1 being on Tuesday, May 20, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Now that is official, what are the three keys for the Hurricanes to win the ECF and move on to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 2006?
Key #1: Frederik Andersen Continues Conn Smythe Form
As we enter another playoff series, the main question is, can Frederik Andersen keep up his form going into the Eastern Conference Final? In nine starts for the Hurricanes, Andersen has a 7-2 record with a 1.36 goals-against average (GAA) and a .937 save percentage (SV%). During Round 2 against the Washington Capitals, he had a 1.20 GAA and a .936 SV% while having a 4-1 record. His 1.36 GAA in the playoffs so far is a career-best. Also, his .937 SV% is only .010% away from tying his career playoff best (.947 SV%) that he had with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2016 Playoffs. There is no netminder in the playoffs right now who is playing on the level that Andersen is right now. He limited the second-best scoring team in the Capitals to six goals in the five games of the series. Furthermore, he only allowed two power-play goals the whole series, one of them coming from Alexander Ovechkin while the Capitals were on a 5v3 two-man advantage.
Related: Hurricanes Mailbag: Eastern Conference Final, Andersen & Free Agent Targets
Andersen has been the Danish brick wall for the Hurricanes and one of the main reasons this team will move on to the Stanley Cup Final. He has proven big for the Hurricanes, and it will carry on because his cool, calm demeanor has kept the Hurricanes grounded through two rounds of hockey. As long as Andersen keeps this run of play going, there is a solid chance they make the big dance for the first time since 2006.
Hurricanes’ captain Jordan Staal said it best about Andersen following the Round 2, Game 5 win: “When Freddie’s in, he’s a stud. He’s been a stud his whole career. You guys always talk about his calmness. He’s a rock that makes things look easy. Tonight, he made some huge saves. I was on the ice for a few of them, like, ‘thank goodness.’ He was able to give us a chance, and that’s all you ask for. He was great all series long, just steady. He’s obviously a huge part of that series win.”
Key #2: Penalty Kill Stays Killing Penalties
One of the main factors that’s helped the Hurricanes make it to where they are now is their penalty kill, or the power kill as Caniacs call it. The penalty kill for the Hurricanes has been elite this postseason. In 10 games, they’ve killed off 28 of 30 penalties, putting them at 93.3%, which leads all playoff teams. Fun note: the Hurricanes have a net penalty kill percentage of 96.7% because of Jordan Martinook’s shorthanded goal in Round 1 against the Devils. If they can keep locking down like they have been, they have a solid chance to lock down the stars on the Panthers like they’ve done to the Capitals and the New Jersey Devils. The Panthers are 8-for-38 (21.1%) on the power play. If the Hurricanes can limit them like they’ve done in the previous 10 games, it’ll make it tougher for their opponent to beat them on the man-advantage.
What really needs to get rolling again is the Hurricanes’ power play. It is 9-for-32 in the playoffs (28.1%), only behind the Dallas Stars (30.8%) among the remaining teams. If they can score a few more man-advantage goals in the ECF, they will be in good shape to help get over the hump and make the Stanley Cup Final. Either way, just as long as they limit their penalties, then they won’t have to worry about being a man down a ton in this series. However, if they have to go on the penalty kill three or four times a game, there is a ton of confidence in this team to lock in and neutralize the Panthers’ power play.
Key #3: Play Your Game
Just like the series against the Capitals, the Hurricanes have to play their game and not get sucked into extracurricular post-whistle gatherings. In a 2023 ECF rematch, Carolina has to just play their game and not lose every game by one goal. The 2024-25 Hurricanes, especially after the trade deadline on March 7, are a completely different team, and one who have a better chance to beat the Panthers than the 2023 Playoff team. This is the healthiest Hurricanes team in the Rod Brind’amour era, and it shows in how they use their depth for strategies for matchups. They’ve gone to Mark Jankowski or Jack Roslovic for the main switch-ups based on what they need to do in certain games. Furthermore, having Alexander Nikishin as your seventh defenseman in case of injuries goes a long way.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ 3 Stars of Round 2
The Hurricanes play a suffocating two-way north-south, east-west type of hockey. They are puck hounds who are always after the puck if they don’t have it. No matter the zone they’re in, they are all over their opponents and give no space. As long as they stick to their structured defensive scheme that Brind’Amour and assistant coach/defense coach Tim Gleason have created, they should be able to neutralize Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and the rest of the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Hurricanes are a well-structured system team that balances out the scoring and plays a solid defensive game. If they can replicate what they’ve done all playoffs long and stick to their system, they can have a 2023 ECF rematch revenge series and have a chance at Lord Stanley once again for their third time in the big dance.
Eastern Conference Final Set
We now know the series matchup and the schedule for the Eastern Conference Final. Game 1 is set for Tuesday, May 20, starting in Raleigh, North Carolina. All of the games for the seven-game series will start at 8 p.m. Eastern. The games will be exclusively on TNT, truTV, and MAX in the United States. It’ll be on Sportsnet and CBC in Canada. Radio for Hurricanes fans will be on 99.9 The Fan.
