Are the Florida Panthers rolling it back to 2023? With the Panthers 2-0 up against the Carolina Hurricanes, the signs point to yes. “I thought our guys did a great job with the skating. It was a complete game. We’re happy with the win. It’s important to get the first one,” said Sergei Bobrovsky after making 31 saves for the Panthers during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. That game ended with a 5-2 scoreline, highlighting the Panthers dominance. And as if to do one better, they secured a resounding 5-0 victory in game 2. Home ice advantage? No such thing for the Panthers who’ve been racking up victories on the road all postseason.
But here’s the twist. Just at the start of the playoffs, the Panthers didn’t look like the title favorites. Despite entering as defending champions following their win over the Edmonton Oilers in last year’s final, their odds were never the best even after consecutive wins against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2, according to MoneyPuck. Florida’s cup-winning chances were at 16%, putting them behind the likes of the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars But did that remain the same for a long time? Indeed not! Because the Panthers roared louder.
Now fast forward to a few games; the narrative has shifted. Three back-to-back wins against the Maple Leafs and finally sealing their Conference Final date, the Florida Panthers rallied hard. Same old Panthers, who were once teetering on the edge of elimination, are now the top contender for the Stanley Cup. Who says? Well, the same MoneyPuck that posted the earlier numbers have now posted the latest numbers on Cup chances on X.
“Cup chances after Florida goes up 2-0 in the series,” the post read. The Panthers now stand at a 47.3% chance of winning the Stanley Cup, compared to the Hurricanes with a measly 9.2% chance, the Dallas Stars with a 31% chance, and the Edmonton Oilers with a 12.5% chance. From being just one of the contenders to now topping the charts, the Panthers are turning doubters into believers real quick. And not only this but they have an 83.2% chance of making it to the finals!
Cup chances after Florida goes up 2-0 in the series https://t.co/RbnckCLHNP pic.twitter.com/hw62uAKiTd
— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) May 23, 2025
Head coach, Paul Maurice, highlighted the mindset that has given the Panthers a strong command over the series already. It’s all about adapting and improving. “Game 1 is that first look at what your game looks like against a completely different opponent. We will have to continue to build that game and get better.” And the Panthers did exactly that.
However, hot on Florida’s heels are the Stars, who are leading their series after winning a massive 6–3 game over the Oilers. And this statement victory not only gave them a crucial series lead but also bumped their chances significantly. With a 68.5% chance of qualifying for the finals and a 31% chance of winning the cup, the Stars are proving that they’re no pushovers. Will the Florida Panthers be facing the Stars (or Oilers) soon, or will it be the Canes, rallying to mount a comeback?
The Florida Panthers are trying hard to crush the Canes’ attempt at redemption
Whether the Florida Panthers will face the surging Stars or the Hurricanes, or whether they even will, remains a question. But for the Canes, there’s a lot they need to focus on if they want to complete their revenge.
Because just two years ago, it was the Panthers who swept them in all four games in the 2023 conference final, right? So, wasn’t this time supposed to be different? Well, it does look different, but not on the positive side, after they have witnessed all two losses recently against Florida. And for head coach Rod Brind’Amour it hasn’t been easy.
“I don’t think that I think, you know, obviously we’ve got to just figure out how to win a period… I think we came out with the right intentions, but it was trying to do too much, and then we’re not doing the things that we do as a team that normally helps us. We were just, I didn’t know what I was watching in the first period, and that didn’t go well,” he said after the Canes were out of sync, both mentally and tactically, making their path to the final look steeper than ever.
Nevertheless, it’s the Panthers now riding a wave of dominance while showing no sign of crashing just yet. And for the Canes, as they face the Florida Panthers in Game 3, perhaps it will be their trademark formula of aggressive forechecking, relentless offensive-zone pressure, and a stingy penalty kill that they’ll need to rediscover. Because the Panthers have dismantled it already by taking over every inch of the ice and winning effortlessly.
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