The Florida Panthers just kept rolling in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. Two days after hammering the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, the Panthers went into Raleigh and dominated the Carolina Hurricanes for a 5-2 win in Game 1.

Sixteen teams in total make the NBA playoffs, eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences. The top six seeds in each conference advance based on the regular season record. The final two seeds in each conference are wild-card spots based on the best remaining records in each conference.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour knows how the Panthers win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and is preparing his team for the rest of the series.

Here are four key questions and answers as the Carolina Hurricanes compete in the “Final Four,” or the Eastern Conference finals of the 2025 National Hockey League playoffs, and battle the Florida Panthers in a best-of-seven clash.

Kaleigh Kurtz, defender for NC Courage, discusses her love for Carolina Hurricanes and their Stanley Cup Playoffs journey. Here’s a clip from the full episode on CBS 17 PLUS.

The Stanley Cup playoffs continue with two elimination games. Washington Capitals host Carolina Hurricanes. Winnipeg Jets will play against Dallas Stars. Both Washington and Winnipeg are down 3-1 in their series.

The four remaining NHL playoff teams seek to make the Stanley Cup Final as the conference finals begin. Here are predictions for both series.