What Happened
Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 1-0 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday in the season opener for both clubs. Carter Verhaeghe carried the puck into the zone and fed Forsling, who beat Brandon Bussi with a one-timer from near the blue line. The loss came on the night Carolina raised its Stanley Cup banner after beating Vegas in June.
Key Details
- Forsling's winner came with 4.3 seconds left in overtime.
- Jacob Markstrom stopped 15 shots for Florida in his Panthers debut.
- Brandon Bussi made 19 saves for Carolina before allowing the overtime goal.
- The teams combined for 13 power plays in regulation.
- Carolina beat Vegas in June for its second Stanley Cup, going 16-3 in the playoffs.
What It Means
The opener matched the last two Stanley Cup winners, with Florida having won in 2024 and 2025 and eliminated Carolina twice in the Eastern Conference Final during that stretch. Carolina's banner ceremony closed a three-month celebration. Florida entered the season with Aleksander Barkov back from injury, Brady Tkachuk added and Markstrom taking over the crease from Sergei Bobrovsky.