The Carolina Hurricanes Game 3 loss to the Florida Panthers didn’t just put them on the brink of elimination, it raised serious questions about the team’s spirit and unity. After falling 6-2 in a brutal Eastern Conference Final matchup, the Hurricanes now trail the series 3-0.
Despite the awful loss, the scoreboard wasn’t what had NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette fired up.
No Fight in the Canes After Hit on Sebastian Aho
At one point in the game, Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho was roughed up by Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk. That situation drew criticism from Bissonnette during the NHL on TNT broadcast. Bissonnette crushed Carolina players for not having a response to hit and standing up for their teammate.
Matthew Tkachuk stalking and then jumping Sebastian Aho late in this game. Retribution for Aho’s hit on Reinhart
Leafs shoulda done this to Bennett after the Stolarz injury#LeafsForever #TimeToHunt #RaiseUp pic.twitter.com/Xg7HGrGexZ
— RGF (@rgfray1)
The incident occurred midway through the third period, long after the Panthers had the game in hand. Tkachuk received a roughing penalty and a game misconduct for going after Aho, who hit Sam Reinhart in Game 2.
“You’re telling me if somebody went after McDavid or Draisaitl, that people on the Edmonton Oilers wouldn’t be running over to defend them?” Bissonnette said. “That’s a joke. That’s an issue inside the locker room, in my opinion, for Carolina.”
.@BizNasty2point0 thinks there's a BIG issue amongst the Canes for not sticking up after Aho and Svechnikov take hits 👀 pic.twitter.com/GkoTUciuOa
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT)
Despite Aho being one of their key leaders, none of the Hurricanes visibly stepped up to defend him in the heat of the moment. That spoke volumes for Bissonnette. He questioned the leadership and urgency on Carolina’s bench, even calling out veteran Dmitry Orlov, saying he should have taken a few punches to stand up for a teammate.
Minutes after the Aho incident, Andrei Svechnikov was caught in a scuffle with Sam Bennett. Again, the Canes showed little collective pushback.
Aho at the Center of the Hurricanes’ Locker Room Concerns
Aho was more than just a target in Game 3, he symbolized the Hurricanes’ broader struggles. After his controversial hit on Reinhart in Game 2, which left the Panthers forward day-to-day with a knee injury, the Florida squad seemed determined to send a message.
Aho’s hit may have been questionable, but Tkachuk’s retaliation was clear, and from Bissonnette’s view, predictable.
What frustrated the TNT analyst and fans alike was Carolina’s failure to push back, especially in a high-stakes playoff atmosphere.
“They need to look in the mirror and say, ‘We got to go address these issues’, because this is a component to winning playoff hockey,” Bissonnette argued. “Florida has proved that. Other teams have proved that.”
Former NHL player Kevin Bieksa echoed similar concerns during the Sportsnet broadcast. He noted how all five Panthers players rallied around Tkachuk, while no white jerseys came to Aho’s defense.
"This series has been a beatdown."
The panel reacts to the Panthers' 6–2 win over the Hurricanes in Game 3. pic.twitter.com/Z64LzDIRC3
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet)
“They’re a team. They’ve got each other’s backs,” Bieksa said.
The lack of chemistry isn’t just visible on the ice. Former Hurricane Mikko Rantanen reportedly chose not to extend his stay with Carolina after being traded there midseason. He was later dealt to Dallas, where he signed a long-term deal.
After the Canes’ latest loss, Bissonnette posted on X: “No wonder Rantanen wanted out,” pointing to the alleged disunity in the locker room.
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t deny the criticism either.
“There’s a couple of guys in there that I don’t think came to play the way they needed to,” he admitted.
Now, with Game 4 looming, the Hurricanes are staring down a potential sweep. Their Eastern Conference Final curse continues; they haven’t won a single ECF game since 2006.
Unless something changes, Aho and the rest of the team may find themselves out of the playoffs and answering difficult questions about what went wrong.
