Jalen Chatfield — who typically works with Dmitry Orlov in Carolina’s second pairing — missed the clinching game of the second-round series against the Capitals with a lower-body injury.

Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series go on to win the series 68.1 percent of the time (534-250). The percentage increases to 74.9 percent (368-123) when the home team wins Game 1, and decreases to 56.7 percent (166-127) when the road team wins Game 1.

The Panthers play against the Hurricanes in game 1 of their NHL Playoff series tonight. Fans can watch the Eastern Conference Finals for free.

The Carolina Hurricanes will be facing off against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. After taking down the Washington Capitals in the second round, the Hurricanes are ready for the challenge of the defending champions.

Coverage for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs has moved to TNT, so here's who will call the Eastern Conference Final between the Panthers and Hurricanes.

Cooper has been a longtime supporter of the Hurricanes, and last December presented Coach Rod Brind'Amour with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, after giving a postgame speech to the team. Puck drop for Game 1 is set for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (MAX, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC) in Raleigh.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers kick off their Eastern Conference Finals series in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is the second time in three season

Panthers and Hurricanes rekindle their 2023 rivalry in a high-stakes Game 1 showdown of Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday