The Carolina Hurricanes are facing off against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final in what should be an excellent series. Game 1 between the two clubs is on May 20, and the Hurricanes will certainly be looking to start off the series on the right foot with a win.

This series will certainly not be a walk in the park for the Hurricanes, as the Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and have a roster full of stars. However, the Hurricanes have a deep roster of their own and have the potential to emerge victorious against the Cats. Here are three things they need to help their chances of doing just that.

Hurricanes Need Frederik Andersen To Stay Hot

Andersen has been incredible for the Hurricanes this post-season so far. In nine appearances, he has a 7-2 record, a 1.36 goals-against average, a .937 save percentage, and one shutout. With this, he is a major reason why Carolina is back in the Eastern Conference Final.

With the Panthers having so much offensive talent, the Hurricanes will need Andersen to continue to dominate if they hope to get by them. With the way the 2012 third-round pick has been playing, he certainly has the potential to do just that.

Hurricanes Need Top Stars To Continue To Dominate

Hurricanes top forwards Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, and Andrei Svechnikov have all impressed big time so far this post-season. Jarvis and Aho both lead the team in points with 10, while Svechnikov has an impressive eight goals in 10 games.

The Hurricanes' stars have stepped up this playoffs, and they will need to continue to do so against the reigning Stanley Cup champs. This is especially so when noting that the Panthers have high-impact players of their own like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett.

Hurricanes Need Depth Guys To Shine

As great as the Hurricanes' top guns have been, another reason why they have had success this post-season has been their depth guys. Several of their players have made notable contributions, and if they continue to in the Eastern Conference Final, they will have a real shot at knocking out the Panthers.

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