"Signs of Life": 2025 Postseason, Eastern Conference Final, Game 4 (FLA leads 3-0): Hurricanes at Florida Panthers

The Hurricanes needed to show some heart with their season on the line. They played two-thirds of a solid game on Saturday night, but a third-period collapse ended in a 6-2 defeat, pushing the Panthers to a 3-0 series lead. With the same lineup going, except for the goalie, it was time to put together 60 minutes of hard work to fight another day. Meanwhile, the Panthers were looking for their third straight Prince of Wales Trophy and another trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

None

2nd Period

CAR (10:45)- Logan Stankoven (5) (Alexander Nikishin (1))

3rd Period

CAR (17:49)- Sebastian Aho (5) EN (Andrei Svechnikov (3) & Seth Jarvis (9))

CAR (18:15)- Jordan Staal (2) EN (Brent Burns (4))

My Thoughts

June 1, 2006, was 6,934 days ago. That's the last time we saw the Hurricanes win a game in the conference finals. It started to feel like we might never see this again. With the Canes falling behind 3-0 in the series, THIS was MY Stanley Cup. All I wanted was one win, and that's exactly what the Canes gave us all. They played their best game of the series by a million light years, keeping the Panthers in check for most of the night while surviving when they needed to. It was a defensive game we've yet to see from the Hurricanes against the Panthers. Admittedly, I was waiting for the dam to break several times tonight. There were plenty of times during the third period when the moment felt imminent. Instead, the Canes held on and survived another day. 

Several areas of the Canes' game were their sharpest on Monday night, but none was more important than the penalty kill. After allowing four goals on five chances in Raleigh, the Hurricanes went 8-for-8 in Sunrise. They were 4-for-4 in both games over Memorial Day weekend. Tonight, the Canes had to kill penalties with a 1-0 lead. Brent Burns took a bad penalty late in the second period. Had they allowed a goal in the final two minutes of the frame, it would've likely signaled the end of the Canes' season. Instead, Jordan Martinook stepped up to block two shots. They also survived a pair of third-period penalties to maintain their one-goal lead. In the end, the Hurricanes nearly had more short-handed shots (3) than Florida had power-play shots (4). 

It has felt like a down year for rookie scoring this postseason. In actuality, it's about on par with what we've seen in recent years. There are a few outliers over the last seven years, but the sweet spot for the best rookie postseason performers is 5-9 points. Do you know who led rookies in postseason scoring last season? It's the same guy who is leading it this year. Logan Stankoven added to his lead by notching his fifth goal and eighth point tonight. He had eight points last season with Dallas in 19 games. Who set up his goal? Another rookie who recorded his first NHL point. Alexander Nikishin made a splendid pass into open ice, allowing Stankoven to skate right into it. The shot was awesome and marks another major moment for the team's rookies this postseason. Stankoven is now one goal and one point away from tying the franchise record in both categories for a rookie.

All of this is likely too little, too late. Genuinely, I don't care. The Hurricanes have a win in the conference finals and ended the streak that has been hanging over their heads for a very long time. Their odds of winning the series remain slim, but they did what they had to do to keep their season going. Now, they get at least one more game in front of their home fans after leaving them with a sour taste in their mouths after a 5-0 loss last Thursday. My expectations remain tempered, given their current situation. The offense still needs to gain more traction. While they scored three times tonight, two goals came with the net empty. I'd love a return trip to Sunrise next Friday. It all starts with a win on home ice on Wednesday.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Jaccob Slavin

I don't know what the franchise's record for TOI in a postseason game that ended in regulation is. It felt like Jaccob Slavin was on the ice all night. In reality, he played just about half of it, playing 28 minutes tonight. Not only was he on the ice a lot, but Slavin was impactful on almost every shift. He ended the night with four blocks, two hits, a big stick play to prevent a goal, and countless other moments that won't show up on the scoresheet.