In the opening game of the Eastern Conference final, the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2, with Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scoring first-period goals and Sergei Bobrovsky making 31 saves. A.J. Greer and Sam Bennett also contributed goals, while Carolina’s Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake scored in response. The loss extended Carolina’s streak to 13 consecutive defeats in conference finals, and Game 2 is set for Thursday night in Carolina.
