All of the first four games in the NHL conference semifinals have gone to overtime, and in the East, the Panthers have won both of them – on the road. That means that they head home for Game 3 with a commanding 2-0 lead. For the second straight game, Matthew Tkachuk had the overtime winner, although this game just lasted a few minutes into overtime instead of four more periods. He took a feed from Sam Reinhart at 1:51 of overtime to secure the 2-1 lead. The Panthers now have a 6-0 record in overtime in these playoffs. Florida was down, 3-1, to Boston in the first round before coming all the way back to win, and they blew right by Toronto in five games before winning the first two games in this series on the road. Can the Hurricanes right the ship in Game 3? Don’t miss our NHL betting preview.
NHL Betting Preview: Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3: Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers
Panthers lead, 2-0
When: Monday, May 22, 2023, 8:00 pm ET
Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
TV: TNT
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: ESPN+
NHL Odds: Carolina -110 / Florida -110 / O/U 5.5
Why should you bet on the Hurricanes?
The Carolina offense was prolific during the regular season but has largely vanished in the conference finals, with just three goals in two games. Seth Jarvis, Stefan Noesen and Sebastian Aho have combined for two goals and four assists, but other than that, the production is not there.
The defense has been decent, just permitting five goals in the series – five goals in 10 periods of hockey, if you include all that overtime in Game 1 – and Frederik Andersen was outstanding in Game 1, stopping 57 of 60 shots. Antti Raanta played Game 2 after that mammoth Game 1 and stopped 24 of 26 shots, also serviceable numbers. Andersen is expected to return for Game 3, but a bigger question than the starting netminder, at least for now, is where the Hurricanes are going to find offense.
Bet on the Hurricanes!
Why should you put your money on the Panthers?
The Panthers have been riding a fine line in this series, with their offense getting just enough production to win. The top two lines have gotten five goals and two assists from Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk (the hero in overtime in Games 1 and 2).
The defensemen have been magnificent, as Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling have controlled play anchoring the top pairings. Radko Gudas, Aaron Ekblad and Marc Staal have also played well along the blue line, snatching turnovers in all three zones and blocking shots. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has stopped 100 of 103 shots in the two games so far. If Bobrovsky can keep playing on his head, I don’t see the Hurricanes coming back to win this series.
Bet on the Panthers!
Final Score and Prediction
Hockey is a game of momentum, and once a team catches fire, they can be difficult to stop. The good news for Carolina is that they still have a solid defense and two elite goaltenders. They also have the personnel on offense to move the puck and get opportunities. With the Hurricanes’ backs against the wall, I see them getting more puck movement and more goals. I predict a final score of Carolina 3, Florida 2.
Live NHL Betting Odds For Today
Xbet Betting Lines for the Game
NHL Odds
Love betting NHL? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NHL Conference Semifinals lines
