Balanced offense, Bobrovsky help Florida take series lead on road in Eastern Conference Final
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Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, and five players scored for the Florida Panthers, who defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday.
It was Carolina’s first loss in six home games in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The teams are facing each other in the conference final for the second time in three seasons. Florida swept the series in 2023, winning all four games by one goal.
Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-7 series have a series record of 534-250 (.681), including 9-3 during the playoffs this season.
Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, and Evan Rodrigues and Tomas Nosek each had two assists for the Panthers. Aaron Ekblad, A.J. Greer, Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen also scored.
Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake scored for the Hurricanes, the latter on a late power play. Frederik Andersen made 15 saves, and Seth Jarvis had two assists.
What we learned: The Panthers have hit their stride again, winning for the fifth time in six games. Contributions came from everywhere, as they often do when the defending Stanley Cup champions are rolling. Bobrovsky allowed one even-strength goal and has given up six total goals in his past five games. A defenseman scored again, this time Ekblad with his third goal of the postseason. Florida has 12 goals this postseason from defensemen. None of the other three conference finalists has gotten more than eight goals from its defensemen. Eleven Florida players had at least one point. The Panthers got goals from their third and fourth lines. They scored two goals with the man-advantage against a penalty kill that was the most effective through two rounds, having allowed two goals in 30 opportunities (93.3 percent). They scored five goals against Andersen, who had allowed only 12 goals in his first nine playoff games. They played the same relentless brand of hockey that marked their path to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, and the Hurricanes had few answers.
What this means for the Panthers: The Panthers continue to be road warriors. In their past three road games, including Games 5 and 7 at the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, they have outscored the opposition 17-4. The Panthers have scored at least three goals in six straight road games, the second-longest run in franchise history, behind a seven-game stretch in 2023. Florida has 38 road goals, the most by any team this postseason and 18 more than the next closest team (Edmonton Oilers, 20).
What this means for the Hurricanes: They need to find a way to defeat the Panthers and win in the conference final round. They have lost each of their past 13 games in the third round, having been swept in each of the past three series. On Tuesday, the Hurricanes played well for long stretches but broke down at key points, including allowing two power-play goals. The second, by Bennett at 6:08 of the third period, came on Florida’s first shot of the period.
Key moment: With 8:05 left in the first period, Carolina forward Logan Stankoven missed a tip-in that would have tied the game 1-1. Thirty-four seconds later, Ekblad scored from the left face-off circle off a pass from Rodrigues, who had gained possession after a rare defensive-zone miscue by Jordan Staal, and it was 2-0. The Panthers never looked back.
Unsung player of the game: Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola was all over the ice. His most noticeable moment came when he joined the rush and had the primary assist on Greer’s goal in the second period that made it 3-1. Mikkola repeatedly pinched throughout the game and joined the rush when prudent, putting pressure on the Carolina defense. He had three hits and two takeaways.
What’s next: Game 2 will be at Lenovo Center on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC). Carolina will try to even the series before heading to Florida for Games 3 and 4.
FLA vs. CAR | EDM vs. DAL
FLA vs. TOR | CAR vs. WSH | DAL vs. WPG | EDM vs. VGK
OTT vs. TOR | FLA vs. TBL | MTL vs. WSH | NJD vs. CAR
STL vs. WPG | COL vs. DAL | MIN vs. VGK | EDM vs. LAK
