The Florida Panthers demonstrated their strength in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final with a 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Following a decisive Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Panthers capitalized early, with Carter Verhaeghe scoring first, followed by Aaron Ekblad extending the lead.

Although the Hurricanes’ captain, Sebastian Aho, managed to reduce the deficit to 2-1 late in the first period, the Panthers maintained control for the rest of the game. Five different players contributed to the scoring, while goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made an impressive 31 saves from 33 shots.

The Hurricanes faced their 13th consecutive loss in the Eastern Conference Final, a grim record that dates back to 2009. Their next opportunity to break this trend will be in Game 2, scheduled for Thursday night.

Upcoming matchups:

• Eastern Conference Final

  • (2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) Florida Panthers
    • Game 1: Panthers 5, Hurricanes 2
    • Game 2: Thursday, May 22 | 8 p.m. | at CAR | TNT, truTV, Max
    • Game 3: Saturday, May 24 | 8 p.m. | at FLA | TNT, truTV, Max

• Western Conference Final

  • (2) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers
    • Game 1: Wednesday, May 21 | 8 p.m. | at DAL | ESPN/ESPN+
    • Game 2: Friday, May 23 | 8 p.m. | at DAL | ESPN/ESPN+
    • Game 3: Sunday, May 25 | 3 p.m. | at EDM | ABC/ESPN+