The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes pride themselves on making the simple plays. Nothing fancy. Just get the puck to the right person at the right time and everything else will fall into place.
The Panthers and Hurricanes have mastered this concept in recent years, both in the regular season and during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This postseason has been no exception as Florida and Carolina powered their way through the first two rounds, setting up another collision in the Eastern Conference finals beginning Tuesday night with Game 1 in Raleigh, N.C.
Florida is playing in its third straight conference final, while Carolina has reached two of the past three.
“We know there’s a tremendous amount of work left,” Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said. “It certainly doesn’t get easier against a team like Carolina. We’ve seen them year in, year out, and we’ve had a series against them that was as tight as any, just in the checking style of play. So, get back, recover and get ready to go on Tuesday.”
Florida swept the Hurricanes in the conference final two years ago and then lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers returned to the Stanley Cup Final last season and captured the title in seven games against the Edmonton Oilers.
“We know we’re playing the Stanley Cup champs,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They got better, in my opinion. They went and picked up (Brad Marchand and Seth Jones) that were some of the best players off other teams. It’s going to be a challenge. We know it’s going to be tough, but it’s supposed to be at this time of year.”
Brind’Amour said attention to detail is the most important aspect of his team’s DNA. It might not create the most exciting style of play, but it wins games this time of year.
“It doesn’t get talked about at all, which I’m fine with, but it’s all over the ice,” Brind’Amour said of making the simplest play. “I think we’ve done a real good job with it. What it ends up doing, when we’re detailed, is you see a game that’s hard to play against. That’s the trick.”
Carolina beat the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals in five games each, becoming the first team to win back-to-back seven-game series in five games or fewer since the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins in five games each in 2020.
“They are just relentless with their pressure and their ability to break plays up with their sticks,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said of Carolina. “There is no team in the league like them. You can just tell the experience and the calmness of their group through various points in the series.”
Carolina forward Logan Stankoven said it comes down to players holding each other accountable.
“Sometimes those details and a little bit of the work ethic fades,” Stankoven said “It’s hard to bring it every single night. Guys make sure in a positive way that we’re on each other and hold each other accountable, and Rod does a good job making sure we’re prepared each game.”
Brind’Amour is the first NHL coach to win at least one playoff series in each of his first seven seasons with a team.
Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield, who missed Game 5 against the Capitals with an undisclosed injury, will likely miss Game 1 against Florida, Brind’Amour said.
