Preview: ECF, Game 3 at FLA

SUNRISE, Fla. - The Carolina Hurricanes will try to take things one shift at a time as they take on the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.

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When: Saturday, May 24

Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. ET

Watch (US; CAN): TNT, truTV, Max; SN, TVAS | Learn More | Road Game HQ

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

Odds at Time of Publishing, via Fanatics Sportsbook: Canes +125

The Playoffs So Far...

• Round 1: Carolina raced out to a 3-1 series lead before taking a thrilling double-overtime victory in Game 5 to oust the New Jersey Devils.
• Round 2: Despite not having home-ice advantage, the Canes again won three of the first four games against Washington before a decisive Game 5, during which a late dagger from Andrei Svechnikov decided the series for Carolina.

The Series So Far...

• Game 1: Carolina "made too many mistakes" in a 5-2 loss.
• Game 2: The Canes were completely dismantled, losing 5-0 on home ice.

It Starts With One...

• With a tough start to the series in the rearview, the Canes' focus is on wiping the slate clean and finding a "greasy road win," as Jordan Staal put it after Game 2. The Hurricanes are 3-2 away from Lenovo Center this postseason, trailing only Florida in postseason road win percentage.
• Carolina has yet to show its best in this series, and on Wednesday, Rod Brind'Amour emphasized the need to get back to "trusting what we do as opposed to worrying so much about what they're doing."
• Teams that trail 2-0 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win the series 58 out of 417 times in NHL history. Carolina has done so twice - against Montreal in 2006 (R1) and against Washington in 2019 (R1) - and holds a 4-7 record in Game 3 of a series in which it trails 2-0, including a 2-1 mark on the road.

In Net...

• Frederik Andersen allowed four goals through 40 minutes on Thursday before ceding the net to Pyotr Kochetkov for the third period.
• Brind'Amour could consider turning to Kochetkov to start Game 3, but the Canes' coach said the Game 2 swap had little to do with Andersen's play: "It wouldn't have mattered who we had in net tonight, it wasn't on him."

On The Other Side...

• After winning a Game 7 on the road in Toronto, then going straight to Raleigh to take Games 1 & 2 of this series, Matthew Tkachuk called it "a hell of a road trip." Including Game 5 against the Leafs, Florida has outscored opponents 22-4 in its last four road games.
• Tkachuk's line with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett combined for eight points on Thursday, and the latter duo leads the Conference Finals in scoring with five and four points, respectively.
• Sergei Bobrovsky has rounded into "Playoff Bob" form after a few hiccups in Round 2. Stopping all 17 Carolina shots in Game 2, Bobrovsky recorded his league-leading third shutout of the playoffs and has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his last six starts.

Injury Updates

• Forward Seth Jarvis briefly left Thursday's game following an open-ice hit but later returned to action. Rod Brind'Amour said on Friday that he thinks the forward "will be fine."
• Defenseman Sean Walker also exited Game 2 following a heavy hit before coming back into the contest. His status for Game 3 was deemed "iffy" by Brind'Amour on Friday, though the Canes' coach said he was "better than I thought he'd be."
• Defenseman Jalen Chatfield missed the team's last three games with an undisclosed injury but was labeled "day-to-day" by Rod Brind'Amour earlier this week. Chatfield took warmups for Game 2 against Florida but was a late scratch.
• Forward Jesper Fast was ruled out for the 2024-25 season in August after having neck surgery.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their white uniforms on the road throughout the postseason.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice in Florida on Sunday ahead of Game 4 at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.
• Next Game: Monday, May 26 | ECF, Game 4 at Florida | 8:00 p.m. ET
• Next Home Game (if necessary): Wednesday, May 28 | ECF, Game 5 vs. Florida | 8:00 p.m. ET | Tickets | Parking