The Carolina Hurricanes , coached by Rod Brind'Amour and captained by Jordan Staal , are now stuck in a brutal 14-game Eastern Conference Final losing skid following a devastating 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in Game 2. What could have been an opportunity for redemption after last year's sweep has now turned into a crisis of confidence, with the series set to go to Florida and Carolina seeking answers — and their first ECF win since 2006 .
Rod Brind'Amour's Carolina Hurricanes fall apart again in conference final as Panthers overwhelm early
Again, the Carolina Hurricanes are confronted with the unimaginable: a 14-game losing skid in the Eastern Conference Final over four distinct appearances—2009, 2019, 2023, and now 2024. And even as they've been lauded as overachieving playoff regulars, their failure to move past this stage has become a nagging and maddening trend for this generation of Carolina hockey.
Friday evening's defeat by the Florida Panthers was especially cruel, both in terms of its execution and mood. The Hurricanes dropped behind 77 seconds into Game 2 on a Gustav Forsling goal and never got back on track. By the conclusion of the second period, chants of “Shoot the puck!” rang out around PNC Arena, a dismal contrast to the normal ebullient atmosphere in Raleigh.
Carolina forward Taylor Hall captured the mood bluntly: “I think we’re all a little bit at a loss.”
The Hurricanes’ aggressive, forecheck-heavy system — successful through two playoff rounds against the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals — has sputtered against the deeper and more poised Panthers. Florida has scored early and often, capitalized on special teams, and has now outscored Carolina 10-2 through the first two games.
Even Carolina's penalty killing, which had yielded only two goals on 30 chances heading into the series, has been breached. The Panthers have tallied four power-play strikes through the first two games, making what was once a Hurricanes' strength a glaring weakness.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal pointed to the importance of mental toughness ahead of Game 3: “This game is mental. I mean, it's all about the brain and your focus and the thoughts that can creep in. It's got to be the thoughts we've been thinking all year, and that's playing our game and focusing on our shifts and our battles and doing what we do.”
But faith can only take a team so far when execution still fails. Carolina mustered only 17 shots on target in Game 2 — their fewest in a game since 2021 — and could not muster sustained pressure. The Panthers, meanwhile, were in command from the opening puck drop, feeding off Carolina's errors and their growing confidence.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour said, “We're not going to beat this team if we're not on the same page. And tonight for whatever the reason — I think the intentions were good, everyone's trying, ‘OK, I'm going to do this.’ But that's not how we do it. And it just backfired.”
Also read: Key injuries shake Panthers and Hurricanes in Game 2 blowout
The path forward is daunting. The series now moves to Sunrise, Florida, and Games 3 and 4 are played in front of a Panthers team that has dominated Carolina across almost every category to date. If the Hurricanes cannot find answers — and soon — this string of futility can extend to 16, and another season full of promise will be lost in heartbreak.
Rod Brind'Amour's Carolina Hurricanes fall apart again in conference final as Panthers overwhelm early
Again, the Carolina Hurricanes are confronted with the unimaginable: a 14-game losing skid in the Eastern Conference Final over four distinct appearances—2009, 2019, 2023, and now 2024. And even as they've been lauded as overachieving playoff regulars, their failure to move past this stage has become a nagging and maddening trend for this generation of Carolina hockey.
Friday evening's defeat by the Florida Panthers was especially cruel, both in terms of its execution and mood. The Hurricanes dropped behind 77 seconds into Game 2 on a Gustav Forsling goal and never got back on track. By the conclusion of the second period, chants of “Shoot the puck!” rang out around PNC Arena, a dismal contrast to the normal ebullient atmosphere in Raleigh.
Carolina forward Taylor Hall captured the mood bluntly: “I think we’re all a little bit at a loss.”
The Hurricanes’ aggressive, forecheck-heavy system — successful through two playoff rounds against the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals — has sputtered against the deeper and more poised Panthers. Florida has scored early and often, capitalized on special teams, and has now outscored Carolina 10-2 through the first two games.
Even Carolina's penalty killing, which had yielded only two goals on 30 chances heading into the series, has been breached. The Panthers have tallied four power-play strikes through the first two games, making what was once a Hurricanes' strength a glaring weakness.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal pointed to the importance of mental toughness ahead of Game 3: “This game is mental. I mean, it's all about the brain and your focus and the thoughts that can creep in. It's got to be the thoughts we've been thinking all year, and that's playing our game and focusing on our shifts and our battles and doing what we do.”
But faith can only take a team so far when execution still fails. Carolina mustered only 17 shots on target in Game 2 — their fewest in a game since 2021 — and could not muster sustained pressure. The Panthers, meanwhile, were in command from the opening puck drop, feeding off Carolina's errors and their growing confidence.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour said, “We're not going to beat this team if we're not on the same page. And tonight for whatever the reason — I think the intentions were good, everyone's trying, ‘OK, I'm going to do this.’ But that's not how we do it. And it just backfired.”
Also read: Key injuries shake Panthers and Hurricanes in Game 2 blowout
The path forward is daunting. The series now moves to Sunrise, Florida, and Games 3 and 4 are played in front of a Panthers team that has dominated Carolina across almost every category to date. If the Hurricanes cannot find answers — and soon — this string of futility can extend to 16, and another season full of promise will be lost in heartbreak.
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