Florida Panthers fan wave their towels during the first period of Game 4 of a Stanley Cup playoffs second-round series on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. Alie Skowronski [email protected] The Eastern Conference final has shifted to home ice for the Florida Panthers.

Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand was ejected from the NHL playoff game series opener on Tuesday after fighting with D Shayne Gostisbehere.

The Florida Panthers battled in a seven-game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, but its been shear dominance so far against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad scored a goal in Game 1 and now has seven points (three goals, four assists) in nine games this postseason. The Panthers lead the NHL in goals scored by defensemen ...

Both the Hurricanes and the Panthers have excellent recent playoff records, and both look even more powerful this season.

Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting first-period goals while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net as the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Tuesday night’s opener of their Eastern Conference final series.

The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes meet in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Thursday in Raleigh.

Carter Verhaeghe signed an eight-year extension after leading Florida with 11 goals in the 2024 postseason and 72 points in the regular season, following up that campaign with his fourth consecutive 20-goal season in 2024-25. Verhaeghe logged eight points (4-4-8) through two rounds in the 2025 postseason.