Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction, 5/18/2023 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes

Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023

Location: PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: Panthers (+115) Hurricanes (-136)

The Carolina Hurricanes will try to defeat the Florida Panthers at PNC Arena on Thursday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The line on this matchup has Florida at +115 while Carolina is at -136. The over/under is 6.

The Florida Panthers were on the right side of the scoreboard with a 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs their last time on the ice. Florida recorded 4 penalty minutes in this matchup. The Panthers were neither impressive or disappointing offensively in the victory. They also had 2 power play chances and were able to net 1 goal. In the game, they finished 3 of the 43 shots they tried.

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When at even strength, the Panthers have surrendered 202 goals while having 225 when they are on offense. Florida Panthers opponents have recorded 291 power play opportunities (3rd in the league) and have earned 70 goals in those chances. In the matter of their goal scoring prowess, the Florida Panthers have earned 288 goals (6th in the National Hockey League) on the campaign and have allowed 272. Florida has taken 3,019 shots and has a shooting percentage of 9.5%. For the current campaign, they have 92 points and their points % is .561. The Panthers thus far have had 2,603 shots taken against them and have a save percentage of .896. Florida has compiled 276 power play chances and they have scored 63 goals out of those attempts, earning them a rate of 22.83%.

The player protecting the goal in this game is Sergei Bobrovsky. The opposition has notched 1,603 goals against Bobrovsky in his NHL career and his goals against average per contest is 2.61. Bobrovsky has played in 642 contests over the course of his pro hockey career. He has a save percentage of .915 during his 36,909 mins on the ice. He has accumulated an overall record of 360-207-51 and he was named the starter in 626 games. Over the course of his time in hockey, Bobrovsky has compiled 359 quality starts and his quality starts percentage is .573. Bobrovsky has had 18,835 shots taken against him and has amassed 17,232 saves.

In their last outing, Carolina squared up with the Devils in a game where the Hurricanes took home the victory by a final of 3-2. They had 2 power play attempts in this outing and netted 1 out of those opportunities. The Hurricanes had 3 goals out of the 39 shots on goal they took.

So far this season, the Carolina Hurricanes are sitting with 262 goals, 113 points, and a points percentage of .689. They have granted a total of 210 goals to be scored by of a combination of 170 goals at even strength and 40 goals while they had less men on the ice. The Hurricanes have earned 212 goals at even strength and 50 goals (18th in the NHL) while having a power play advantage. They have recorded 253 power play chances and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 19.76%. Carolina has taken 2,852 shots (3rd in hockey) and has a shot percentage of 9.19%, while allowing their opponents 2,132 shots. They have accumulated a penalty kill rate of 84.38% on the other teams 256 tries on the power play, and their save percentage is currently 90.2%.

Across the rink you will find Frederik Andersen defending the net. Andersen has compiled a lifetime mark of 282-125-52 and has played in 479 games. Andersen's quality start rate is 56.8% and he has 264 quality starts in his hockey career. He has a tally of 12,861 stops out of the 14,051 shots taken against him, giving him a percentage of .915. Opponents are averaging 2.58 goals per game and he has allowed 1,190 goals in total. He was named a starter in 465 games and has been on the ice for 27,653 minutes.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony's Pick: Take Florida (+115)

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