Schedule and 2024-25 Results
Regular Season Records: Carolina 47-30-5=99pts, Florida 47-31-4=98pts
Game 1 on Tuesday, 20 May: Florida wins at Carolina, 5-goals-2
Game 2 on Thursday, 22 May: Florida wins at Carolina, 5-goals-nil
Game 3 on Saturday, 24 May: Carolina loses at Florida, 6-goals-2
Game 4 on Monday, 26 May: Carolina wins at Florida, 3-goals-nil
Game 5 on Wednesday, 28 May: Florida wins at Carolina, 5-goals-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: The Florida Panthers visited and outscored the Carolina Hurricanes 5-goals-3 to complete a 4-games-1 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1596 victory. With the series 1596 win, the Florida Panthers improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 14-8 (with an active seven-series winning streak befitting a defending NHL champion) overall and 4-0 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1596 loss, the Carolina Hurricanes see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 18-11 overall and 2-4 (with an active four-Semifinals series losing streak) in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Florida Panthers in series 1596 was WWWLW: Series 1596 thus becomes the fifteenth NHL Semifinals-round series, the 57th NHL series (all rounds), and the 110th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The Florida Panthers trailed the visiting Carolina Hurricanes by two goals as late as 7:22 into the second period of their series 1596 Game 5, but won: In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2024, inclusive, home teams down two goals as late as 7:22 into the second period had a game record of only 49-339 (.126) - the Florida Panthers thus achieve a grade-B (.100 - .199) in-game comeback in winning the 2025 NHL Eastern Conference Finals and advancing to the NHL Finals for the third consecutive year.

After Game 4: The Carolina Hurricanes visited and shut out the Florida Panthers 3-goals-nil to reduce the Florida Panthers best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1596 lead to 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Florida Panthers have a series record of 6-0 and a Game 5 record of 4-2. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 0-5 and a Game 5 record of 2-3. Irrespective of round and Games 1-3 outcomes, the Carolina Hurricanes now own a four-Game 4 winning streak in best-of-7 NHL playoff series. The series 1596 Game 4 victory by the Carolina Hurricanes staves off a series 1596 annihilation and sweep, and also breaks a 15-game losing streak by Carolina in best-of-7 NHL Semifinals-round competition.

After Game 3: The Florida Panthers hosted and bested the Carolina Hurricanes 6-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1596 lead of 3-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Florida Panthers have a series record of 5-0 and a Game 4 record of 1-4. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 0-5 and a Game 4 record of 2-3. Leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Florida Panthers achieved their sole Game 4 victory (and thus sole four-game sweep) over the Carolina Hurricanes in series 1530, in the 2023 NHL Semifinals series. In series 1530, the Carolina Hurricanes become the 412th MLB/NBA/NHL team to fall behind 3-games-nil in a best-of-7 playoff series, and now strive to become the sixth team (and fifth NHL team) to surmount that deficit for a 4-games-3 comeback victory. The Carolina Hurricanes through three games of series 1596 have yet to hold a lead: If Carolina loses and fails to ever lead in series 1596 Game 4, then series 1596 will become the first annihilation in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series since the Montreal Canadiens annihilated the Winnipeg Jets (II) in series 1463, in the 2021 NHL Quarterfinals.

After Game 2: The Florida Panthers visited and shut out the Carolina Hurricanes 5-goals-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1596 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Florida Panthers have a series record of 6-0 and a Game 3 record of 5-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 2-6 (with an active four-series losing streak) and a Game 3 record of 3-5. The sole Game 3 loss by the Florida Panthers in the wake of a 2-games-nil lead in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series occurred in the last such series for Florida, in series 1585 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2025 NHL Preliminary round.

After Game 1: The Florida Panthers visited and topped the Carolina Hurricanes 5-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1596 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Florida Panthers have a series record of 9-1 (with an active six-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 6-4. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes have a series record of 6-8 (with an active five-series losing streak) and a Game 2 record of 6-8. The sole best-of-7 NHL playoff series loss sustained by the Florida Panthers in the wake of a 1-game-nil lead occurred in series 726, to the New York Rangers in the 1997 NHL Preliminary round. Trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Carolina Hurricanes last won such a series in series 1388, over the defending NHL champion Washington Capitals in the 2019 NHL Preliminary round.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2024-25 NHL regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes finished one point ahead of the Florida Panthers. From 1939 through the 2025 NHL Quarterfinals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by one regular-season point, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 15-9 (.625) in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1596 is the 29th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Carolina Hurricanes, and the 22nd for the Florida Panthers. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Carolina Hurricanes have an all-rounds series record of 18-10, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-3, and a Game 1 record of 14-14, while the Florida Panthers have an all-rounds series record of 13-8 (with an active six-series winning streak befitting a defending NHL champion), a Semifinals-round series record of 3-0, and a Game 1 record of 10-11. Series 1596 is the second best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers. In their previous best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting, in series 1530, the Florida Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes from their 2023 NHL Semifinals series. In their last seven best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Carolina Hurricanes have seen their Game 1 outcome presage their series outcome (five wins, two losses).