The
Carolina Hurricanes and the
Florida Panthers meet in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (TNT / truTV / Max). Let's analyze
BetMGM Sportsbook's NHL odds around the
Hurricanes vs. Panthers odds and make our expert
NHL picks and predictions . The Hurricanes had home-ice advantage heading into this series, but Carolina laid an egg in both Games 1 and 2 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The Panthers roughed up the Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1 Tuesday, while paddling the Canes 5-0 in Game 2 Thursday. Carolina slipped to an NHL-record 0-14 in the past 14 games in the conference finals round, last winning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Buffalo Sabres in 2002. That includes 6 losses in the ECF against the Panthers since the 2023 playoffs. The Cats got off to a lightning-quick start in Game 2, as D
Gustav Forsling scored just 77 seconds into the game, before LW
Matthew Tkachuk made it 2-0 midway through the opening period. C
Sam Bennett had a power-play goal, too, and it was 3-0 after just 20 minutes. Bennett was back with a late goal in the second period, and that chased G
Frederik Andersen . He was rested for the third period, as G
Pyotr Kochetkov saw his first action of the series. Kochetkov has been confirmed as the starter for Game 3, too. All 4 games in the 2023 series between these teams was decided by a single goal, but this series has been dominated by the Panthers, with Florida outscoring Carolina 10-2 in 2 road games.
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Provided by
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USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:49 p.m. ET.
Hurricanes at Panthers projected goalies
Kochetkov came on for the third period of Game 2, allowing just a single goal on 5 shots. He made 1 start in Game 5 against the New Jersey Devils when Andersen was injured. Kochetkov stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced in a 5-4 win in 2OT, helping the Hurricanes clinch the series. He did not get into a game during the Washington series. Bobrovsky allowed 4 or more goals in the first 3 games of the Toronto series, losing twice. Since, he has allowed a total of just 6 goals in 6 games, going 4-1-0 with a 1.01 GAA and .958 SV% with 2 SO. He lost on home ice in Game 6 against the Leafs, his most recent start at Amerant Bank Arena, but the Panthers also provided no offensive support in the 2-0 setback.
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Prediction
The
PANTHERS (-145) are, shockingly, only moderate favorites on home ice for Game 3. Florida absolutely dismantled Carolina in its own barn, outscoring the Hurricanes 10-2 in 2 lopsided games. Now, coach Rod Brind'Amour is switching streams, going with Kochetkov for Game 3. It is an interesting strategy, as Andersen had a 1.36 GAA and was the only goaltender in the NHL with a sub-2.00 GAA heading into the conference final round.
The
PANTHERS -1.5 (+170) are worth a look on the puck line. Florida has won the first 2 games of the series, both on the road, by a margin of 4.0 goals per game. Now, the Cats return to home ice. Yes, Florida is just 3-2 in 5 home playoff games this season and has managed to win just twice by 2 or more goals. Still, the dominance has been so stark in this series that there is very little reason to trust the Hurricanes right now.
UNDER 5.5 (
-130 ) is the lean, but go with a
half-unit play at most. There is concern with Kochetkov coming on to face a red-hot Florida offense, particularly its amazing power-play unit. But, we haven't seen any evidence of Carolina's offense cracking the code against Bobrovsky, either. Go lightly, and side with the Under. If you want some insurance,
UNDER 6.5 (-225) - ALTERNATE TOTAL is a little pricey, but worth playing if you want to combine into an SGP, especially with a boost or promo.
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