Jacob Markstrom impresses in season-opening win vs. Hurricanes

Florida Panthers goaltender Jacob Markstrom. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Panthers' Jacob Markstrom impresses in season opener, emerging as Sergei Bobrovsky replacement early

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Sep 29, 2026 10:11 PM ET

Sergei who?

The Florida Panthers faced the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, in a clash of the past two Stanley Cup champions. The Hurricanes hoisted the trophy last season, while the Panthers won it the two previous seasons.

Goalie Jacob Markstrom started for the Panthers, replacing longtime standout Sergei Bobrovsky (now with the Toronto Maple Leafs). Bobrovsky, a future Hockey Hall of Famer, starred for the Panthers during their Stanley Cup runs, putting even more pressure on 17-year veteran Markstrom. But if Tuesday's contest is an early sign of what's to come, he'll be more than a suitable replacement.

Jacob Markstrom emerges as Sergei Bobrovsky replacement

Markstrom logged a shutout and 15 saves (1.000 save percentage, stellar) in a 1-0 overtime victory over Carolina. Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling scored in overtime on an assist from center Carter Verhaeghe.

Mark(ed) safe from goals against tonight pic.twitter.com/acFrZFWjxR
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 30, 2026

With Markstrom's shutout, the Panthers became the fifth team in league history to shut out the defending champions in a season opener (via NHL Public Relations). Markstrom is the third goalie in franchise history to register a shutout in a season opener, joining Jose Theodore (Oct. 8, 2011) and Hockey Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo (Oct. 5, 2005).

Jacob Markstrom backstopped the @FlaPanthers to victory and helped Florida become the fifth team in @NHL history to shut out the reigning #StanleyCup champions in their season opener. #NHLStats #NHLFaceoff pic.twitter.com/oxYeQKOC52
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) September 30, 2026

It's a perfect start for Markstrom, who will aim to keep excelling if he starts in Florida's second game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (10 p.m. ET). If the goalie can keep rolling, Florida can take off early, which it must do to rebound from a disappointing 2025-26 season.

Last season, Florida missed the playoffs after going 40-38-4 and finishing seventh in the Atlantic Division. Injuries played a key role. Center Aleksander Barkov — the team's captain — missed the season because of an ACL/MCL tear in his right knee. Eleventh-year left winger Matthew Tkachuk, meanwhile, played in a career-low 31 games after undergoing surgery on a torn adductor and sports hernia in August 2025.

But the goaltending drop-off can't be disregarded. Seventeenth-year veteran Bobrovsky posted a career-worst .877 save percentage in 52 games. The Panthers finished 27th in the league in save percentage (.885).

Markstrom, whom the Panthers acquired in an offseason trade with the New Jersey Devils, wasn't much better last season. He posted an .883 save percentage, the fourth-lowest mark of his career.

This season, however, he's off to a much more promising start. That could be a great omen for the Panthers.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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