4 Takeaways From Panthers’ Game 1 Victory Over the Hurricanes

As was clearly shown in this game, this style of play favors the Panthers. Their combination of size, strength, and depth will make it tough for the Hurricanes to beat them over a seven-game series if this is the style we can expect to see the rest of the way. The game went almost exactly how the Panthers would have drawn it up: they got out to an early lead, and then once it was 3-1 in the second period, they tightened up defensively and held on to it the rest of the way. Don’t let the Hurricanes’ edge in shots or the long stretch in the second half of the game when the Panthers did not have a shot on goal fool you; this was exactly the type of game they wanted to play.

Neither Team Has a Superstar

The Panthers and Hurricanes are both built around depth. For the Panthers, their depth allows them to play the physical, bruising style of play that gradually wears teams down by the end of a playoff series; for the Hurricanes, their depth allows them to push the pace with their speed and control the puck for the vast majority of the games they play.

However, a big part of this is that neither team has a superstar. No player in this series finished in the top 20 in the 2024-25 regular season in points. Neither team has a player that can take over a game with their speed or skill like Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon. It showed in this game, as both teams relied on their depth, and no one particular player was able to take over the game.

Panthers Did Not Look Tired

No one would blame the Panthers if they began to wear down in these playoffs. After a grueling 24-game stretch last year that concluded in a Stanley Cup championship, they entered this Game 1 against the Hurricanes on just one day of rest after beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 on Sunday night. But their depth, experience and tenacity shone through in this game, and the result was that they looked fast, strong and physical. They have proven to be the most difficult in the NHL to wear down over the last several seasons.

Bobrovsky Made the Big Saves and Andersen Did Not

The scoring chances were relatively close in this one, although the Panthers did lock things down once they got their 3-1 lead. Regardless, Sergei Bobrovsky made several big saves, perhaps none bigger than midway through the second period off a slot chance from Jack Roslovic after he had lost his stick. On the other side, while the Panthers’ first and second goals were not necessarily bad goals to give up, they were ones that Frederik Andersen likely wants back. Those goals set the tone for the rest of the game and allowed the Panthers to play with a lead and establish their style of play.

Goaltending will be a critical factor to watch as the series progresses. Bobrovsky has a better track record of playoff success than Andersen, and it showed in this game.

Looking Forward

The Hurricanes need to do a better job of dictating the pace of play. It is all well and good to play physical, but they can’t overpower the Panthers with that type of game. If this is the style of game we can expect, then the Panthers have a huge advantage moving forward in this series.