Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal has blunt assessment of team’s blowout loss to Panthers

The Florida Panthers dominated Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. 

Jordan Staal, the Hurricanes’ captain, offered a blunt assessment of how the game went. 

“An a– whooping,” Staal told Walt Ruff.

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Staal during the first period against the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center May 22, 2025.  (James Guillor/Imagn Images)

The Hurricanes’ loss was their 14th straight in a conference final, dating back to sweeps in 2009, 2019 and the 2023 round with the Panthers.

“I think we’re all a little bit at a loss,” Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall said.

At one point, fans started chanting, “Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck!” The Hurricanes managed just 17 shots on goal in the loss. 

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The Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov, right, celebrates his goal with Matthew Tkachuk (19) as Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) looks on during the third period of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 22, 2025.  (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

“This game is mental,” Staal said. “I mean, it’s all about the brain and your focus and the thoughts that can creep in. It’s got to be the thoughts we’ve been thinking all year, and that’s playing our game and focusing on our shifts and our battles and doing what we do.

“When you let those thoughts like that come in, it never looks good. I think we’ve got to believe in the group and what we have and what we’ve done all year and go steal one in Game 3.”

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The Florida Panthers’ Brad Marchand (63) takes a loose puck away from the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jack Roslovic (96) during the first period of Game 2 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference final in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 22, 2025.  (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina’s last conference final win was in Game 7 in 2006 against Buffalo during the franchise’s lone Cup title run. Current head coach Rod Brind’Amour was the captain of that team who scored the third-period winner against the Buffalo Sabres. 

Now Brind’Amour will hope to lead a turnaround in Game 3, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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