The Carolina Hurricanes are in trouble, and the frustration is palpable. Down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference final against the defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers, the Canes are staring down a familiar nightmare. Fans at PNC Arena, typically a cauldron of raucous energy, turned their zeal into jeers late in the second period of Game 2, chanting “Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck!” as their team, trailing big, couldn’t muster a single shot on a promising rush. It was a stark departure for a venue known for its chaotic home-ice advantage, and it underscored a deeper issue: the Hurricanes are unraveling.
This isn’t the script Carolina envisioned. Two years ago, the Panthers swept them in four tight, one-goal games in the 2023 conference final. This time was supposed to be different—a chance for redemption. Instead, it’s worse. A 5-2 loss in Game 1 was bad enough, but Game 2’s 5-0 rout exposed cracks in Carolina’s game and psyche. The past six Conference Final game losses? All Florida. The margins have only grown wider this time around, and doubts are creeping in as the series shifts to the Sunrise State for Games 3 and 4. Naturally, the coach, Rod Brind’Amour, had to face some tough questions after the game.
Asked if the issue is mental, he said, “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,” he confessed. “We were just, I didn’t know what I was watching in the first period, and that didn’t go well.” He admitted the team’s intentions were right, but the execution? Not so much. “So, you know, a year ago, I always said the other day, the margin here is tight, like we’re not going to beat this team if we’re not on the same page.” That’s not how you turn up against the Panthers. And, as the coach And it just backfired.” he confessed. Pretty standard response, right? Well, not everyone thought that was enough.
Co-host of The Sick Podcast Jimmy Murphy tweeted, “There’s plenty that needs to improve on the ice for #RaiseUp, but off the ice is the lack of composure from Rod Brind’Amour. When the Canes are playing their game and winning, everyone says it’s a reflection of their coach. The same can be said right now, IMHO.” Brind’Amour, the 2006 Cup-winning captain and Carolina Hurricanes coach, now faces a team grasping for answers.
There’s plenty that needs to improve on the ice for #RaiseUp, but off the ice is the lack of composure from Rod Brind’Amour.
When the Canes are playing their game and winning, everyone says it’s a reflection of their coach. The same can be said right now, IMHO.
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) May 23, 2025
Carolina’s formula—aggressive forechecking, relentless offensive-zone pressure, and a stingy penalty kill—has been dismantled. Florida’s deep, battle-tested lineup has dictated play, jumping to 2-0 and 3-0 first-period leads in Games 1 and 2. The Panthers’ power play, which Carolina’s league-best kill (28 of 30) had stifled all postseason, has erupted for four goals. In Game 2, the Canes managed just three first-period shots and a season-low 17 overall. These numbers don’t seem to be consistent with what Brind’Amour had said about the series being on that would go “back and forth”. He got his fair share of flak for that comment, too, as the broader picture looks even darker.
The Carolina Hurricanes’ conference final losing streak is in the double digits
The Carolina Hurricanes are stuck in a rough patch, and it’s not just a bad week—it’s a 14-game losing streak in the conference finals that’s been haunting them since 2006. Their last victory in this round was a thrilling Game 7 win over the Buffalo Sabres, when Rod Brind’Amour, now their coach, scored the clutch third-period goal to send Carolina to the Stanley Cup Final. That was the year they hoisted the Cup, their only one in franchise history. But since then? It’s been a brutal drought, with Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 1 and a 5-0 rout in Game 2 marking losses 13 and 14.
This isn’t just a slump; it’s the longest active losing streak in a single playoff round in the NHL. Only the Blues’ 13 straight losses in the Stanley Cup Final from 1968-2019 and the Blackhawks’ 18-game quarterfinal skid from 1975-82 compare. The Hurricanes’ woes started in 2009 with a sweep by Pittsburgh, followed by sweeps in 2019 against Boston and 2023 against these same Panthers. Florida’s Gustav Forsling set the tone, scoring 77 seconds in, and the Panthers’ five different goal-scorers, including two on the power play, stole home-ice advantage.
Despite this, the Hurricanes aren’t a fluke team. They’ve made the playoffs seven straight years, winning at least one series each time. But the conference finals have been their kryptonite. Brind’Amour, once the hero of that 2006 run, now paces the bench, searching for answers as his team tries to snap this slide. The Panthers, defending champs, look relentless, but Carolina’s got resilience. Can they regroup and finally break through, or will this streak stretch to 15? Game 3’s looming, and Raleigh’s holding its breath.
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