Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL Game 5 Pick: Canes to Reignite Stanley Cup Dreams? (May 28)

There was a growing certainty among NHL fans that a game 5 in this series may not be required.

The Florida Panthers had the perfect opportunity to record the sweep in game four, but they shockingly fell to a 3-0 home defeat.

Despite that loss, they remain one win away from securing their berth in the Stanley Cup finals, and that could be achieved with a third straight victory on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 5 Odds

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 4 Recap

It may be a case of too little, too late in the Eastern Conference Finals for the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes finally delivered on their promise to make this a competitive series, but not before they found themselves 3-0 down in the series.

However, plenty of positives can be taken from their game four success, with Frederik Andersen being one of the star performers on the road after keeping a clean sheet.

It should also be noted that a finals win is a historic feat for the franchise, as they haven’t won at this stage of the NHL season for a staggering 19 years. However, the odds remain against them in terms of progression to the Stanley Cup finals.

Logan Stankoven opened the scoring for the Canes in the second period, before further efforts were added in front of empty goals in the final regulation period through Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho.

Hurricanes vs. Panthers Game 5 Picks

Defeat in game four may yet be a blessing in disguise for the Panthers, as they would have faced a long wait before the start of the Stanley Cup finals.

Meanwhile, it also serves as a reminder that they must be at the top of their game in every game at this stage of the season. While a game four win kicked the can down the line, the end of the line could arrive for the Canes in Carolina on Wednesday.