The Eastern Conference Final begins on Thursday night when the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. Both teams are coming off quick second-round series and are just four wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.
After winning the Metro Division, the Hurricanes dispatched the New York Islanders in the first round. Going up against a high-powered New Jersey Devils team in the second round, Carolina's excellent team defense and depth scoring took over. The Canes eliminated the Devils in just five games, outscoring them by a total of 24-13.
The Panthers barely made the playoffs this season, but they quickly made their presence known. Florida overcame a 3-1 deficit against the heavily favored Boston Bruins to win the series in seven games. Once they got past the Bruins, the Panthers extinguished Stanley Cup hopes in Toronto by defeating the Maple Leafs in five games in their second-round matchup.
Tkachuk has been the unquestioned leader of the Panthers throughout their playoff run, and he has turned in some brilliant performances. Tkachuk has 16 points in 12 games, and neither the Bruins nor the Maple Leafs found a way to contain him. If Florida is going to get past a deep Carolina team, the supporting cast must continue to chip in alongside Tkachuk.
Through the first two series, for Carolina, defensemen Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin have been the biggest stars. Carolina has completely dominated games with those two on the ice, earning a plus-10 goal differential. That pairing will face its biggest test of the postseason when it faces a red-hot Matthew Tkachuk in the conference finals.
Follow along with everything you need to know about the Eastern Conference Finals, including the schedule and results, right here.
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