Florida Panthers open NHL season with narrow win over Carolina Hurricanes

[p]The Swedish defenseman took a pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verhaeghe-carter/hz451Q60/"]Carter Verhaeghe[/a] and fired the puck past the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/carolina-hurricanes/Sx0gl0tm/"]Hurricanes[/a] netminder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/carolina-hurricanes-Sx0gl0tm/florida-panthers-fc1eq8Pp/?mid=087ku8PE"]to end a dramatic contest[/a] dominated by spectacular goaltending and tough defensive displays.[/p][p]Swedish goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/markstrom-jacob/hlLAehBG/"]Jacob Markstrom[/a] made 15 saves for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/florida-panthers/fc1eq8Pp/"]Panthers[/a] to earn the shutout while American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bussi-brandon/YXCZz0JU/"]Bussi[/a] stopped 19 shots in a losing cause.[/p][p]Carolina's 15 shots on goal marked the fewest by a reigning Stanley Cup champion in a season opener since 1955.[/p][p]The Hurricanes won their first crown in 20 seasons last June, defeating Las Vegas four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final, and celebrated before a sellout crowd at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.[/p][p]Hurricanes players took a photo in front of the championship banner before it was raised to the rafters in a pre-game ceremony.[/p][embed guid="c0e816d1-f027-466c-9e80-08cd586d8896" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2105086411460530394?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Then it was down to business as the puck dropped in the opening game of the league's campaign against the 2024 and 2025 champion Panthers.[/p][p]Both teams found only futility on the power play, with Carolina going 0-for-6 with the extra man and Florida 0-for-7 when the 'Canes had a man in the penalty box.[/p][p]The game marked the first contest where two teams battled scoreless through regulation time in their NHL season openers since 1984 when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-maple-leafs/ShE7Z8G3/"]Toronto[/a] beat the Minnesota North Stars 1-0 in overtime.[/p][p]Brothers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tkachuk-brady/dvZapuEC/"]Brady[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tkachuk-matthew/fcgSUij4/"]Matthew Tkachuk[/a] played their first NHL game together after Brady was traded to Florida from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ottawa-senators/noTCHmWM/"]Ottawa[/a] last June. The siblings sparked the United States to 2026 Milan Olympic gold.[/p][p]The Panthers also welcomed back captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barkov-aleksander/KCA1r9X3/"]Aleksander Barkov[/a], who missed last season with a right knee injury.[/p]