"I Didn't Hear No Bell": 2025 Postseason, Eastern Conference Final, Game 1: Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers

It's time for the Hurricanes to exercise their conference final demons, trying to avoid being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth straight trip. This season, they're facing a familiar foe. Two years ago, the Florida Panthers won a tight four-game series against the Hurricanes before falling to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Finals. Last season, the Panthers reached the top of the mountain. Now, they're trying to do it again. With a deeper team, they'll be an incredible test for the Hurricanes, who seek their first finals appearance since winning it all in 2006.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

FLA (8:30)- Carter Verhaeghe (5) PP (Aleksander Barkov (8) & Matthew Tkachuk (7))

FLA (12:29)- Aaron Ekblad (3) (Evan Rodrigues (5))

CAR (19:45)- Sebastian Aho (4) (Seth Jarvis (7) & Andrei Svechnikov (2))

2nd Period

FLA (3:33)- AJ Greer (2) (Niko Mikkola (1) & Tomas Nosek (2))

3rd Period

FLA (6:08)- Sam Bennett (7) PP (Evan Rodrigues (6) & Carter Verhaeghe (5))

FLA (14:55)- Eetu Luostarinen (4) (Tomas Nosek (3) & Gustav Forsling (3))

CAR (16:19)- Jackson Blake (3) PP (Seth Jarvis (8) & Shayne Gostisbehere (5))

My Thoughts

Well, that certainly could've gone better. The Florida Panthers showcased exactly why they're the defending champions. They are a team built for the playoffs. Regardless of the venue, the Panthers are going to play their game and frustrate the holy hell out of every team they play. It leaves the fans feeling helpless as they watch their team get dragged up and down the ice. That was the average Caniacs' experience on Thursday night. That was brutal. It opened up wounds from 2023. The Panthers' killers set the tone in the first period, jumping out to a two-goal lead less than 12 and a half minutes in. Even after the Canes got one in the final minute of the first, the Panthers' fourth line got it back early in the second. They refused to allow the Canes to get comfortable. That's why they're up 1-0 in this best-of-seven.

The Hurricanes tried to match Florida's physicality early in the game. While it was an absurdly soft call, Florida's post-whistle antics led Sebastian Aho to take the first penalty before Carter Verhaeghe scored. Slowly, the Panthers wore the Canes out. Tensions began to rise, which only adds fuel to Florida's fire. The Panthers are a dirty team. I don't say that to imply that they go out of their way to hurt their opponents. I mean it to say they'll do everything they can to get under your skin, even if it means taking liberties both during the action and after the whistle. That's their brand of hockey, and all 18 skaters have bought into it. The Hurricanes can't fall for the trap. I'm not saying to let things go without a fight, but the Canes need to do a better job of staying within themselves for the remainder of the series. 

A lot of people were quick to criticize Rod Brind'Amour for playing Scott Morrow in Jalen Chatfield's spot instead of Alexander Nikishin. Hindsight is 20/20, but the decision didn't pay off tonight. Morrow is a great hockey player, but the moment felt like it swallowed him whole. The rookie was a -3 in his playoff debut. I've often said that +/- doesn't always tell the entire story. Tonight, it did for Morrow. He screened Frederik Andersen on Florida's second goal, overplayed a 2-on-1 to allow a seam for Niko Mikkola to find AJ Greer, and was called for DOGPOG before Sam Bennett scored early in the third. He was also on the ice for Florida's fifth goal, though that was on Shayne Gostisbehere. It wasn't an ideal way to have his first playoff game go, especially at this stage of the playoffs. 

The online response from the fan base was a little surprising after tonight's loss. Many are already rolling over and dying after one game. There's a reason these series are best-of-seven and not winner-take-all. Anything can happen from game to game. The Hurricanes will have Wednesday to regroup, sharpen their penalty kill, and create Thursday's game plan. This series is far from over. The Panthers still have to win three more games. If the Canes want to win the Prince of Wales Trophy, they'll need to find a way to win one to ensure the series returns to Raleigh for at least a fifth game. Don't abandon ship yet. We've only just begun.

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Sebastian Aho

It's hard to pick out many positive performances after the first lopsided loss of this year's postseason for the Hurricanes. The team's superstar was one of the few standouts. Along with scoring a big goal late in the first period, Sebastian Aho finished the night with a team-high six shots. Aho also had a trio of blocked shots and four hits while winning over 61% of his draws. It was a positive development for him after a quiet series (by his standards) against the Capitals.