Panthers vs Hurricanes: How one goalie quietly changed the course of Game 1
The
Florida Panthers
seized control of the
Eastern Conference Final
with a decisive 5-2 victory over the
Carolina Hurricanes
in Game 1 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Despite limited preparation time following their Game 7 triumph over the
Toronto Maple Leafs
, the Panthers outplayed Hurricanes in all three periods of the game.
Additionally, Florida's balanced offense and power play efficiency exposed Carolina's ongoing postseason struggles
The Hurricanes' losing streak now stretches to 13 games, a run that began in 2009 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and continued with sweeps in 2019 and 2023, the latter also by these same Panthers.
Sergei Bobrovsky: The backbone of the Panthers in Game 1
Sergei Bobrovsky, the Florida Panthers' veteran goaltender, delivered a stellar performance in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, making 31 saves in a 5–2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
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In the current postseason, Bobrovsky has an 8–4 record with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage over 13 games. His recent performances have been particularly impressive, allowing only four goals on 92 shots in his last four outings.
He also won the Vezina Trophy twice, in 2013 and 2017, recognizing him as the
NHL
's top goaltender, and his postseason experience is considered extensive, with over 100 playoff games played
All about Game 1: Panthers showed resilience as Hurricanes struggled in the nets
Florida jumped ahead early with Carter Verhaeghe's backhand power-play goal at 8:30 of the first period. The opportunity came after a roughing penalty on Sebastian Aho interrupted Carolina's power play.
Shortly afterward, Aaron Ekblad extended the Panthers' lead at 12:29 with a precise shot that beat Frederik Andersen, who entered the series as one of the top goalies of the postseason.
Sergei Bobrovsky was the standout performer in Game 1 of the 2025 NHL Eastern Conference Final, making 31 saves.
Sebastian Aho responded with 16 seconds left in the first period, trimming the lead to 2–1 after a puck deflected off his skate and into the net. But Florida regained control quickly in the second period when A.J. Greer scored off a clean rush just 3:33 in.
Neither team found the net again in the second period, but early in the third, Sam Bennett capitalized on another power-play opportunity after a delay of game penalty on Scott Morrow. His shot from distance made it 4–1 and seemed to signal the end for Carolina in this game.
Brad Marchand then took center stage for the wrong reasons, and at 8:15 of the third period, he was assessed four minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct after an altercation with Shayne Gostisbehere.
The defenseman had appeared to intentionally shoot the puck at Marchand in retaliation for an earlier hit. Gostisbehere received two minutes, giving Carolina a power play.
Although the Hurricanes scored again at 16:19, thanks to that man advantage, it was too little, too late. Eetu Luostarinen added Florida's final tally at 14:55, sealing the win.
The Carolina Hurricanes entered Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final with history weighing heavily on their shoulders. It has been 19 years since their last conference final victory, and once again, the Florida Panthers made sure that drought continued.
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