The last time the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers met in the playoffs, Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals was memorable.
The game went to overtime and Ryan Lomberg’s goal for Florida in the first overtime was disallowed. The Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk scored with 12.7 seconds left in the fourth overtime for a 3-2 victory in the sixth-longest game in NHL history. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 63 saves and Carolina’s Frederik Andersen had 57.
All except Lomberg are back as the defending champion Panthers and Hurricanes meet again in the conference finals. The Panthers are trying for a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes, swept in 2023 in four one-goal losses, will try to end a 12-game losing streak in the conference finals.
Here’s all the highlights from Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers:
There was no more scoring in the second period after A.J. Greer’s goal. Each team got a power play chance in the period but neither converted.
Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has 12 saves on 15 shots (.800 save percentage). The top goalie in the playoffs so far, Andersen gave up just six goals total in five games against Washington.
Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky has stopped 19 of the 20 shots he’s faced.
Florida has its two-goal lead back early in the second period.
A.J. Greer cashed in with a nice shot off a strong Panthers rush at 3:33 of the second.
Some redemption for Sebastian Aho, whose (perhaps unfair) penalty led to Florida’s first goal. The puck deflects off his skate and goes past Sergei Bobrovsky with just 16 seconds to play in the first period.
Carolina has quite a hill to climb now if it’s to avoid a 13th consecutive loss in the conference finals.
The former No. 1 overall pick doubled Florida’s lead with a perfectly-placed shot at 12:29 of the first period.
Carter Verhaeghe gets the defending champs on the board with a power-play goal at 8:30 of the first period, scoring on the backhand from in tight.
A tough roughing call on Sebastian Aho short-circuited a Carolina power play and led to the Florida extra-man chance after 4-on-4 play expired.
Game 1 of the Carolina Hurricanes-Florida Panthers series is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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