Bet on Carolina to score multi-goal win in Game 1 vs. Panthers

The Carolina Hurricanes are an outlier.

While most teams in the NHL play relatively similar systems, the Canes play an all-action, aggressive style that is built to swarm and smother opponents into submission.

The Hurricanes fight for every lose puck, they never stop putting pressure on their opponents and they fire a ton of rubber at the net. It’s almost as if Carolina is just trying to create chaos every minute of every game.

The Florida Panthers done a terrific job of adapting thus far in the postseason. Down 3-1 in Round 1 to the record-setting Boston Bruins, the Cats hung around and were able to rattle off three wins in a row to pull a stunning upset.

Florida carried that momentum into Round 2, where it used physicality, a relentless forecheck and great goaltending to win three one-goal games en route to a gentleman’s sweep of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Can the Panthers keep it going vs. Carolina?

» READ MORE: Hurricanes vs. Panthers series prediction: How we’re betting the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals

Carolina presents a completely new challenge compared to Toronto. The Leafs are a patient team that wants to hold onto possession of the puck and wait you out in order to create quality chances. Florida’s physicality was a great antidote for that philosophy, as the Cats were able to punish Toronto for holding onto the puck for even a second too long. The Panthers knew they’d be the more physical side in their series with the Leafs and they leaned into that. The Hurricanes will fight fire with fire.

Florida did execute a strong gameplan against the Leafs with physical play, quick counterattacks and aggressive forechecking, but the Panthers would have had a lot more trouble if not for the play of Sergei Bobrovsky. He was the best goaltender in Round 2 by a mile. Bobrovsky posted a .941 save percentage and a +9.1 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) in five games against Toronto.

» READ MORE: 2023 Preakness Stakes odds, post positions: Mage the betting favorite at Pimlico

There’s every chance that Bobrovsky stays in great form as we enter Round 3, but it’s hard to imagine that he doesn’t come back to earth a little bit. And there are reasons to be concerned that Bobrovsky will struggle a bit with how Carolina plays. The Canes tallied more shot attempts than any team in the league at 5-on-5, hoping to create as many rebounds and as much chaos around the net as possible.

Bobrovsky was fantastic against the Leafs, but a lot of that was stopping quality 1-on-1 chances or shots from the slot. His rebound control has been an issue in the past and could be in this tilt.

Additionally, it’s fair to question just how well Florida’s defense has actually been playing. The Cats held the Leafs to just 10 goals in five games, but Bobrovsky was the main reason for that. When your goalie is standing on his head like Bob was, it usually means there were some defensive breakdowns.

The Hurricanes have been terrific at home all postseason, but that seems to be baked into the number a bit.

Instead of laying a bit of wood on the Carolina moneyline, back the Canes to win by multiple goals and bet that Bobrovsky’s numbers regress a bit.

» READ MORE: Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favorite to go No. 1 to the Spurs. Who will be the second pick?

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.