Overview

• The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers face off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EDT in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Carolina enters the series with a dominant 36-9-1 home record this season, while Florida has a 25-21-2 record on the road.
• The Panthers won the regular-season series 2-1, but Carolina claimed the most recent matchup with a 3-1 victory on January 2.
• Both teams boast top-ranked penalty kills, with Carolina at .933 and Florida at .895, underscoring the importance of special teams in the series.
• Key players to watch include Carolina's Sebastian Aho (29 goals, 45 assists) and Florida's Sam Reinhart (39 goals, 42 assists), who anchor their respective offenses.