Eastern Conference Final | There are only two left…

The Carolina Hurricanes have an impressive regenerative ability. Even without two of their best forwards, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen, they were able to defeat the Cinderella team in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Devils, in just five games.

Depth has always served them well, and support players like Jordan Martinook, ten points in five games, and Jesper Fast, six points, have picked up the slack.

Not to mention the awakening of their young second center, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, five points against the Devils, including an assist on the winning goal in overtime in the fifth and final meeting, after having obtained only one in six games in the first round.

Teravainen, recovered from a broken hand, should be back for the first game of this series. His presence will be a big plus.

Goalkeeper Frederik Andersen has been playing with confidence since returning from injury, he still hasn’t lost a game and is averaging just 1.80 goals against per game.

The Panthers have just surprised two of the best clubs in the season (Boston and Toronto). Their offense is no less diverse with Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Anthony Duclair and even the surprising Nick Cousins ​​supporting Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov.

Good old Sergei Bobrovsky, whose monstrous contract has long been cursed, is brilliant in the playoffs. He wasn’t even the starting goalkeeper!

The Hurricanes have a power play success rate of just 18% since the start of the playoffs, compared to 27% for the Panthers. We will have to follow this aspect of the game. On the other hand, Carolina scored four times in numerical inferiority.

Players to follow

Caroline: Sebastian Aho

Sebastian Aho remains the great offensive leader of the Hurricanes, even though he has been shut out in his last two games. Will he find Teravainen? He played with Stefan Noesen and Seth Jarvis at the end of the series.

Florida: Matthew Tkachuk

Although he has only scored one point in his last three games, Matthew Tkachuk remains the best scorer in the playoffs with 16 points in 12 games. He forms a formidable trio with Sam Bennett and Nick Cousins ​​and plays almost as much (21 min 40 s) as center Aleksander Barkov.

Players under the radar

Caroline: Jaccob Slavin

We rarely talk about him, but defender Jaccob Slavin plays an average of 22 minutes per game and he has amassed 6 points in 11 games with a record of + 14. This statistic is outdated, of course, but it positively testifies to a certain efficiency when the next, Brent Burns, displays + 8.

Florida: Nick Cousins

Nick Cousins ​​didn’t last long in Montreal, Marc Bergevin traded him to Vegas for a fourth-round pick at the 2020 trade deadline in a fire sale, but he’s a playoff revelation. He scored the winning goal in overtime to eliminate the Leafs.