Carolina Hurricanes Make Blockbuster Trade as Playoff Race Heats Up – What It Means for Fans

Raleigh, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes are still breathing in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs after blanking the Florida Panthers 3-0 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday night, cutting the series deficit to 3-1 and sending the matchup back to PNC Arena for a pivotal Game 5. Relentless forecheck, Kochetkov’s shutout Rookie goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov delivered the biggest performance of his young career, turning aside all 32 Florida shots for his first postseason shutout. Carolina’s aggressive forecheck hemmed the Panthers in their own zone for long stretches, limiting high-danger looks and allowing Kochetkov clear sightlines. The clean sheet snapped Florida’s seven-game playoff winning streak and kept the Hurricanes from suffering their fourth straight conference-final sweep. Aho, Necas ignite the offense Sebastian Aho broke through midway in the first period with a power-play tip-in, his fifth goal of the postseason. Martin Necas doubled the lead early in the second by finishing a two-on-one rush created by Teuvo Teräväinen’s stretch pass. Captain Jordan Staal sealed it with an empty-netter, rewarding a fourth line that had stifled Aleksander Barkov’s unit all evening. Special-teams turnaround After going 0-for-10 on the man advantage through the first three games, Carolina’s power play finally connected, while the penalty kill went a perfect 4-for-4. “We needed one to go in to loosen the group up,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said postgame. The Hurricanes are now 13-6 when scoring first in elimination games since 2019, the best mark in the NHL during that span. What’s at stake in Game 5 History still favors Florida—teams leading 3-1 win a best-of-seven series 91% of the time—but Carolina owns a 6-0 record in its last six home elimination games. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh, where the Hurricanes have averaged 17,200 fans per playoff contest this spring. Another win would shift the pressure squarely onto the Panthers, who have not closed out a series on the road since the 2023 first round. Key numbers for searchers • Carolina Hurricanes playoff record when scoring first (2020-25): 32-7 • Pyotr Kochetkov postseason save percentage in 2025: .927 • Eastern Conference Final series: Panthers lead 3-1 • Next game: Thursday, May 29, PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC Why this matters A victory Thursday would mark the Hurricanes’ first multi-game comeback from a 3-0 hole, echoing the 2014 Kings and 2010 Flyers—teams that rode tidal-wave momentum to the Stanley Cup Final. For a franchise seeking its first title since 2006, the path remains steep, but Monday’s win has reignited belief in Raleigh and injected new intrigue into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs conversation. Fans searching for “Carolina Hurricanes Game 5 tickets,” “Hurricanes Panthers live stream,” or “Kochetkov shutout highlights” can expect a surge in availability and coverage leading up to puck drop. Stay tuned for lineup updates, injury reports, and full Game 5 analysis as the Canes attempt to storm back into the series.