RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The Carolina Hurricanes had nearly a week off between series while the Florida Panthers last played just two days ago, but it was the defending champions who came out swinging in the toughest arena to play in so far this season.
The Panthers defeated the Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final Tuesday night in Raleigh to take a 1-0 lead in the series. It was the Canes’ first loss at the Lenovo Center this postseason and their 13th straight defeat in a conference final.
There were a flurry of goals in the first period, with Carter Verhaeghe striking first for the visiting team with just eight and a half minutes elapsed in the game. Then just under four minutes later, Aaron Ekblad scored to give Florida a 2-0 lead.
Just before the period ended, however, the puck found Sebastian Aho’s skate and then the back of the net to put the Canes on the board at the 19:44 mark.
But then it was all Panthers from there. A.J. Greer scored in the second to make it 3-1 Florida going into the final period. In the third, Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen scored for the defending champions to make it 5-1 before Jackson Blake got one back for the Canes with less than four minutes to go.
Sergei Bobrovsky recorded 31 saves for Florida. Frederik Andersen had been elite in the postseason for the Hurricanes, but yielded the five goals. Anderson made 15 saves on the night.
Game 2 is Thursday night at the Lenovo Center.