The Florida Panthers had been capable of take a commanding 2-0 collection lead within the Japanese Convention Remaining on Thursday after a dominant 5-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Listed below are some key takeaways from their win as they’re now simply two wins away from a 3rd consecutive journey to the Stanley Cup Remaining.
This was medical precision by the Panthers
The Florida Panthers despatched a message of their Recreation 1 win.
They expanded on it in Recreation 2.
Let’s maintain one factor in thoughts right here: The Carolina Hurricanes are an excellent hockey group, they usually have been an excellent hockey group for a number of years. They constantly win a playoff collection or two yearly, they’ll compete with anyone they usually do just about all the things nicely. That is no pushover hockey group. And Florida is totally dominating them. Crushing them. They’re making it look straightforward.
All of that could be a testomony to only how nice this Panthers group is — and the way significantly better it has been than everyone else within the NHL the previous three years.
Not solely did they rating 5 objectives in opposition to one of many NHL’s finest defensive groups, however they restricted the league’s finest volume-shooting group to a season-low 17 photographs on objective. It’s only the fourth time all 12 months (82 common season video games and 12 playoff video games) that Carolina did not register not less than 20 photographs on objective in a sport.
Their stars shined offensively as Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe all recorded three factors, Matthew Tkachuk had three and beginning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky recorded his third shutout of the playoffs.
It is nonetheless arduous to think about any individual beating this group 4 occasions in a seven-game stretch.
Now Carolina has to beat them 4 occasions in a five-game stretch. That simply looks like an impossibly tall job.
Panthers proceed to be street warriors
By taking the primary two video games of the collection on the street, the Panthers continued their street dominance and improved to 7-2 away from south Florida this season.
They’ve additionally received their previous 4 street video games in relatively decisive style, outscoring Toronto and Carolina by a 22-4 margin.
