Forsling OT goal lifts Panthers past Hurricanes in opener — SkimNews
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- Gustav Forsling won it 1-0 with 4.3 seconds left in overtime, one-timing a pass from Carter Verhaeghe near the blue line past Brandon Bussi's glove side after Verhaeghe drove into the zone with under 10 seconds remaining
- The Hurricanes raised their 2025 Stanley Cup banner before the game, with players gathering at the blue line and tapping their sticks as it ascended to the rafters — a three-month celebration capped on the wrong note
- Jacob Markstrom (15 saves) and Brandon Bussi (19 saves) stole the show through a scoreless 60 minutes that featured a combined 13 power plays in regulation and multiple one-on-one scoring chances
- The Panthers had eliminated Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final twice during their three straight Cup Finals appearances, winning championships in 2024 and 2025 before injuries derailed last year's run
- Aleksander Barkov returned from a lengthy injury and Brady Tkachuk joined brother Matthew Tkachuk as an offseason addition, though the brothers did not skate on the same line — Brady played top line with Barkov and Reinhart, while Matthew centered the second line with Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett
- Forsling called the opener "playoff-style hockey," saying "That felt like a playoff game to me. It was awesome. Really fun."
Why it matters: Carolina's championship celebration ended with a shutout loss on home ice, while Florida's retooled roster — Markstrom in net, Brady Tkachuk up front, and a healthy Barkov — showed it can still grind out wins against Eastern Conference elites without their captain dominating. With the Panthers and Hurricanes having met in two of the last three Eastern Conference Finals, a 1-0 overtime result foreshadows another tight postseason collision if both stay healthy.
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