It’s Game 5, and the ice is sizzling with tension as the Florida Panthers are looking to shut the door on this series and punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final. Again. They were this close to pulling off a repeat of the (in)famous 2023 sweep in Game 4, but the Hurricanes said ‘not today’ as they finally snagged their first conference final win in almost 20 years (yeah, wild), thanks to goals from Stankoven, Aho, and Staal and the 20 saves that Frederik Andersen made to shut out the favorites.

With their season on life support, the Canes pulled out that 3-0 dub and dragged this showdown back home. And now? Game 5 is off and running, and to say the least, it’s already spicy. Hurricanes are flying with a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard, but things aren’t exactly chill. Because now it’s not just goals and saves; Carolina’s bench is fuming over the whistles. Yes, the penalties are piling up, and Canes’ coach is not keeping it quiet.

Spittin’ Chiclets dropped a spicy little clip on X straight from the bench drama in the middle of the Florida Panthers-Carolina Hurricanes battle, and let’s just say, Coach Rod Brind’Amour wasn’t sugarcoating anything. In the heat of Game 5 chaos, a reporter slid in with a pretty loaded question: “On the Hurricanes bench with head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Rod, with the way this game is being managed by the officials so far, what’s the message to the group about how to handle it from here?”

And Rod? Oh, he let it rip with that classic deadpan sass and a side of simmering frustration: “It’s a great question. These aren’t real penalties, the way the series has gone. I would say we’ve got to stop the hitting and then just go play. I don’t know, I’m a little bit frustrated as you can tell.” And yep, the vibes were as tense as a triple-overtime playoff game.

One silver lining for Brind’Amour and his gritty Canes? That penalty kill is finally starting to cook. Florida’s been stuck in a dry spell, going 0-for-their-last-10 on the power play like their skates are made of molasses. After a fiery 20 minutes, the Hurricanes were flying high with a 2-0 lead, throwing every ounce of energy into staying alive in this beast of a series. But plot twist? The scoreboard flipped—Panthers clawed their way back and now lead 3-2 after the second, flipping the script.

It’s interesting how, after the Canes finally got a taste of victory in Game 4, ol’ Brind’Amour’s suddenly got beef with the zebras. Funny how quiet it was when they were drowning in Ls. Back then, the coach wasn’t chirping at refs; he was chewing out his own bench.

Hurricanes’ coach frustrated after back-to-back losses to Florida Panthers

Rod Brind’Amour didn’t sugarcoat a single syllable after Saturday’s meltdown on the ice. “That was really demoralizing,” he admitted. And honestly? Can you blame him? The Hurricanes were spiraling; three straight losses to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals, déjà vu of that painful 2023 sweep. This time around, it was not just history repeating; it was like a haunting. And with the team limping instead of leading, Brind’Amour was clearly done pretending all’s chill in Raleigh.

Down in the ever-loud Amerant Bank Arena, the reigning champs made sure home ice felt like a hurricane shelter, and not in the Canes’ favor. They dropped six on Carolina like it was a casual Tuesday, cruising to a 6-2 win and slamming the door shut on whatever momentum the Hurricanes were still holding onto. Swapping Andersen for Kochetkov? Didn’t hit. Brind’Amour didn’t hold back postgame, either. In a Sportsnet clip posted May 24, he was asked how a veteran team like the Canes could crumble this hard. The man didn’t flinch: “I just said it, this bad decision-making. And, you know, the four rookies in the lineup can’t be some of your better players.” Yes; shots fired.

Brind’Amour didn’t stop there. His tone? A mix of fire and frustration, laced with some truth that probably stung more than a high-stick to the lip. “Like, that can’t happen. So there’s a couple guys in there that, you know, I don’t think came to play the way they needed to in this type of time of year.” Translation? Some of the vets ghosted when it mattered most. With big names like Sean Walker and Jalen Chatfield out, the Canes were clearly scrambling to hold the fort. But hey, maybe all that venting lit a fire, because Carolina finally got one back in Game 4. Now? Game 5’s rolling, tensions are sizzling, and all eyes are on whether the Canes can keep the dream alive… or if the Cats are ready to close the book with claws out.