Home Team Favored in Game 1's Showdown Against the Panthers in Hurricane Season

The Eastern Conference Finals of the NHL kicks off tonight, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers at 8 PM EST. The Hurricanes, who have yet to lose at home this postseason, are slight favorites with -128 odds.

In the regular season, the Hurricanes were dominant at home, finishing with a 31-9-1 record. Conversely, the Panthers have been shaky on the road, with a 20-19-2 record.

The Hurricanes have the most shots on goal per game of any team to advance past the first round, averaging 33.3 shots on goal per game so far this postseason, the second most of any team in the playoffs. This high shot total is expected to provide Carolina's goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, with sufficient shot attempts to clear 25.5 saves.

Bobrovsky has had a strong postseason so far, allowing just four goals in his last four games. However, he only surpassed 25 saves in two of his seven games in the second round. NHL betting sites have set his line at 25.5 saves for tonight's game, and he has -130 odds to record over 25.5 saves.

The total for Game 1 is set at 5.5, with odds of -130 for under and +110 for over. The Hurricanes' offensive performance has been impressive in the postseason, but specific details about their key saves or high shot attempts are not publicly detailed in standard summaries.

The Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the previous round, while the Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals in five. The Panthers won the season series 2-1, but the Hurricanes have been dominant at home, finishing the regular season with a 31-9-1 record.

Florida has been better on the road during the playoffs, going 5-2, but the Hurricanes' home dominance continues with a 5-0 record in Carolina during these playoffs. This sets the stage for an exciting Eastern Conference Finals series between the two teams.