Game 2 Panthers vs Hurricanes Prediction, Odds & Props (May 20)

• The Florida Panthers visit the Carolina for Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference Final
• Florida needed four overtimes to claim a 3-2 win in Game 1
• Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Saturday night’s matchup at PNC Arena

The Florida Panthers look to maintain their road warrior ways so far in this year’s NHL playoffs with an eighth straight road victory when they take on the Carolina Panthers on Saturday in Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference Final.

The Panthers outlasted Carolina in a marathon clash to open the series. Matthew Tkachuk scored late in the fourth overtime period to seal a 3-2 win and give Florida a 1-0 series lead. For the Hurricanes, the defeat marked just their second loss in seven home games this spring, and gives them just their third loss in 15 home playoff games since 2021.

Start time is set for 8:00 pm ET at PNC Arena, with all the action televised on TNT and Sportsnet.

Panthers vs Hurricanes Game 2 Odds

The Hurricanes have emerged as -115 favorites in the NHL odds to reclaim home-ice advantage in this series with a victory on Saturday night. The Panthers sport +130 odds while the total is pegged at 5.5, with -120 odds favoring the OVER.

With their Game 1 victory, the Panthers have climbed to -165 chalk in the NHL playoff series prices, while Carolina has tumbled to a +140 underdog.

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Panthers vs Hurricanes Recent History

The Panthers struggled against the Canes during the regular season, losing two of three, but have otherwise dominated in head-to-head action, earning the win in six of eight clashes since April 2021 while limiting Carolina shooters to just 2.75 goals per game over that stretch.

With the Hurricanes struggling to generate offense at times, the UNDER has paid out in four of five meetings between these clubs. However, eight of the past 12 matchups between these teams have been settled by multi-goal margins.

Florida Panthers Betting Outlook

With his overtime winner on Thursday night, Matthew Tkachuk snapped a six-game scoring drought and has now tallied six goals so far in the postseason.

And while Brandon Montour has now gone pointless in five straight games, he has remained a pillar on the Panthers’ blue line. The 29-year-old racked up 57:56 of ice time in Game 1, and has played at least 29 minutes in four straight contests.

Sergei Bobrovsky is the 3rd goalie EVER to have consecutive playoff games with 50+ saves.@FlaPanthers | #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/MLMU6TVEm0

— Hockey Reference (@hockey_ref) May 19, 2023

Sergei Bobrovsky was once again the star for the Panthers in Game 1. The veteran netminder turned aside 63 of 65 shots to seal the win in the series opener and has now made a whopping 113 saves over the past two games. Overall, Bobrovsky has gone 8-1 over his past nine starts and has now allowed more than two goals since Game 7 of the first round.

Carolina Hurricanes Betting Outlook

The Hurricanes face the huge challenge of avoiding both an emotional and physical letdown in the wake of Thursday’s overtime defeat. The loss snapped the team’s seven-game overall win streak in playoff games settled in overtime, and the first time they have lost in overtime on home ice since 2009.

Seth Jarvis is now up to 10 Points in 12 Playoff games this year, and 18 Points in 26 Games in his NHL Playoffs career.

He's LEGIT. pic.twitter.com/urLVYIOHHr

— Nathan "Grav" Murdock (@NathanGraviteh) May 19, 2023

Indeed, if the Hurricanes are to rebound they need more production from their biggest stars. While Seth Jarvis snapped a two-game pointless streak with a goal and an assist on Thursday, Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, and Teuvo Teravainen has been held scoreless over the past two games and have generated just two total goals over their past three outings.

Panthers vs Hurricanes Game 2 Prediction

There remains plenty to like about the Hurricanes, who were so thoroughly dominant while bouncing New Jersey in five games in the second round, and outshot Florida by a 31-20 margin in regulation on Thursday. However, it remains to be seen what impact Thursday’s marathon had on the team’s veteran core, which will need to lean on experience to get past their Game 1 heartbreak.

That said, Florida has clearly seized the momentum and certainly offers value as underdogs to claim a 2-0 lead on Saturday night. And considering the way that Sergei Bobrovsky has played, the Panthers should not be overlooked in the NHL game props, where +340 odds favor them claiming victory and the total going UNDER 5.5.

• Picks: Panthers (+130); UNDER 5.5 (+100); Prop: Panthers to win and UNDER 5.5 (+340)