Panthers Dominate Hurricanes: DQ Blizzards, Plastic Rats Stealing Headlines

The Florida Panthers are about to make history. After defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, the Panthers now have a 3-0 series lead and are only one victory away from making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third consecutive year, something that has only happened to five teams during the salary cap era.

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That should be the headline, but it isn’t. Instead, Brad Marchand, plastic rats, and DQ Blizzards seem more interesting because the Hurricanes haven’t put up much of a fight.

This series hasn’t been close, but the third game made a statement. In the third period, Florida completely dominated a Hurricanes team that appeared outmatched in every area of the ice with five goals in just 9:08 of play. The Panthers’ outshot the Hurricanes 13-8, and then, when the game was out of reach, they went after Sebastian Aho and sent a message that they didn’t forget about the Sam Reinhart hit in Game 2 that took the forward out of action.

Florida’s +12 goal differential through the series’ first three games is now the largest in Conference Final history, surpassing the Edmonton Oilers’ +11 mark from 1985. They’ve outscored Carolina 16-4 overall, with no signs of slowing down.

As an example of how lopsided this series has been to date, the bigger storyline coming out of it is the fact that Brad Marchand is eating Dairy Queen blizzards in the second intermission and his teammates are firing plastic rats at him after wins. The Hurricanes need to give analysts and fans something else to talk about if this is the most entertaining news being covered.

The Hurricanes’ Record in Eastern Conference Finals

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes’ woes in the Eastern Conference Final continue. The Game 3 defeat marked their 15th consecutive loss at this stage, extending a streak that raises serious questions about the team’s playoff ceiling despite consistent regular-season success. Their all-time ECF record now sits at 8-19, per ESPN.

A real worry now for Hurricanes fans is that a four-game sweep could be looming.

Next: DeBoer Plays Biased Treatment Card, Puts Target on McDavid Before Game 3