The East Final opener between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers was one of the most exciting games in recent memory. After four full overtimes, the Hurricanes finally emerged victorious in the longest game in the history of both teams.
The game began with a scoreless first period, as both teams struggled to gain an advantage. The Hurricanes had the better of the play, but Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was up to the task, making several key saves to keep the game scoreless.
The second period saw the Hurricanes break through with a goal from Jordan Staal, giving them a 1-0 lead. The Panthers responded with a goal of their own from Aleksander Barkov, tying the game at 1-1.
The third period saw more back-and-forth action, with both teams trading chances. The Hurricanes took the lead again on a goal from Teuvo Teravainen, but the Panthers responded quickly with another goal from Barkov to tie the game at 2-2.
The fourth period saw both teams continue to battle, but neither could break through for the go-ahead goal. The game went to overtime, and after three full periods of extra time, the game was still tied at 2-2.
Finally, in the fourth overtime period, Hurricanes forward Brock McGinn scored the game-winning goal, giving the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory and setting a record for the longest game in the history of both teams.
The Hurricanes and Panthers will face off again in Game 2 of the East Final on Thursday night. It will be interesting to see if either team can build off of the excitement of this record-setting game and take a commanding lead in the series.
