Recap: Cats Blank Canes In Game 2

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes fell behind early and couldn't recover from there, ultimately falling 5-0 to the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final.

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As they were on Tuesday, the Canes were stuck "chasing the game" from the first period onward. A Florida goal just 1:17 into the contest dulled the early buzz in the building, and two more in the back half of the frame put the home club in a three-goal hole through just 20 minutes.

The tough luck continued into period two, as Sebastian Aho's would-be goal 51 seconds in was ruled out upon review due to the play being offside in the build-up. Adding insult to injury, Florida made it 4-0 in the final minute of the frame on Sam Bennett's second of the night, and Aleksander Barkov tacked on another in the third to seal the Panthers' win.

Frederik Andersen turned aside 12 of 16 shots in the first 40 minutes, before Pyotr Kochetkov made three saves on four shots in the third.

Stats & Standouts

• Although he took pre-game warmup, defenseman Jalen Chatfield missed a third consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. Scott Morrow remained in the lineup for a second straight game, skating 10:25 and registering one blocked shot.
• The loss marked Carolina's first consecutive defeats during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canes were 2-0 following a loss entering the night.
• The Hurricanes were shut out in the playoffs for the first time in exactly two years. Their last such showing came in Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, when they fell 1-0 to the Florida Panthers.

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour offering his thoughts on the loss...

“Obviously, we’ve got to just figure out how to win a period. I think we came out with the right intentions, but it was trying to do too much and then we’re not doing the things as a team that normally help us. I didn’t know what I was watching in the period first and that didn’t go well. The margin here is so tight. We’re not going to beat this time if we’re not on the same page. And tonight, for whatever the reason, like I said [we weren’t]. Intentions were good, everyone’s trying, ‘okay, I’m going to do this,' but that’s not how we do it and it just backfired.”

Jordan Staal on if there’s anything to take away from this game…

“No, not really. It was pretty much an ass-whooping, all the way through the lineup. Goaltender to forwards, we’ve just got to be better. I don't know what we were expecting tonight. Especially the start, it just wasn’t good enough. They came at us right away and got a couple quick ones. We got behind and it kind of got worse, to be honest.”

Taylor Hall on what gives the team belief that they can play their game against the Panthers...

“They just went seven games against the Leafs, right? They’re not a perfect hockey team. We know that there’s areas to exploit, like any team. They’re exploiting our weaknesses, obviously. We have to play our game. And if we lose doing that, then sure, but I don’t know the expression, you’ve got to dance with the girl you brought. You’ve got to play your game.”

Andrei Svechnikov on the team's confidence after Game 2...

“[We have] good confidence. It’s 2-0, still, you know? This is nothing. We’ve got to still think positive, go to Florida and go shift-by-shift.”

What's Next?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice and fly to Florida on Friday before squaring off with the Cats at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.
• Next Game: Saturday, May 24 | ECF, Game 3 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