NHL Playoffs: Hurricanes fall 5-2 to Panthers in Eastern Conference Finals opener
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Carolina Hurricanes knew they had a tall order ahead to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
On Tuesday night, the defending champions showed them just how tough it's going to be.
The Florida Panthers jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 5-2 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting first-period goals for the Panthers while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net.
A.J. Greer added a goal by finishing off a perfect 2-on-1 transition chance in the second period for Florida, while Sam Bennett added a third-period score that erased any lingering doubt, only to see Eetu Luostarinen add another one late to make it 5-1 and keep pouring it on.
Bobrovsky held up with 31 saves, including during a stretch in which the Panthers failed to get a shot on goal for more than 15 minutes spanning the second intermission. It came 48 hours after the Panthers had beaten Toronto in a road Game 7 to advance and set up a rematch of the Eastern final from two years ago -- when the Panthers swept the Hurricanes out of the playoffs.
Just as they did in 2023, the Panthers immediately ripped home-ice advantage from a team that was 5-0 at home in these playoffs.
Sebastian Aho tallied Carolina's lone score when the outcome was in doubt, with Seth Jarvis' pass banging off Aho's right skate to slide under Bobrovsky in the dying seconds of the first to make it 2-1. But Florida got Greer's finish off a backhand feed from Niko Mikkola to beat Frederik Andersen to push the margin back to two goals early in the second.
Andersen had been elite in the postseason, but found himself alone with Verhaeghe at the edge of the crease for a quick power-play goal that beat him to the upper right corner. He was later shielded by Brad Marchand on Bennett's score, which fittingly ended the 15-minute stretch without a shot on goal.
Those both came with the man advantage, a glaring stat against Carolina's penalty kill that had been the postseason's best by allowing two goals through two rounds.
Jackson Blake scored a late goal for Carolina in a finish that included Marchand being tossed for a game-misconduct penalty, including being escorted off by an official while shouting back toward center ice, after a fight with Carolina's Shayne Gostisbehere.
The loss marked Carolina's 13th straight in a conference final, going back to being swept in 2009, 2019 and 2023.
The Hurricanes will look to bounce back Thursday night in Raleigh for Game 2.
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The Associated Press contributed.
