NHL playoffs Hurricanes Eastern final.

Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov, right, celebrates his goal with Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (19) as Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) looks on during the third period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Hurricanes’ Game 2 loss to Panthers offers an unwelcome repeat of conference-final history from ’23

The Carolina Hurricanes have found themselves in the same dire position in the conference-final rematch against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Carolina lost 5-0 on Thursday night to drop the second straight home game to open this series. It’s a rematch of the 2023 series won by Florida by four one-goal margins. But Carolina is struggling to consistently get to its game against a tested and deep roster. Carolina has lost 14 straight conference-final games going back to sweeps in 2009, 2019 and 2023. The past six have come against the Panthers, who host Game 3 on Saturday.

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