After just one day of rest, the Florida Panthers looked fast and strong in a statement Game 1 victory in Carolina. The Panthers were able to impose their style of play in what was ultimately a very professional and methodical win.
Very Physical and Tight Game
Game 1 looked very much like a typical Panthers playoff game that viewers have gotten accustomed to over the last two seasons. Even-strength chances were few and far between. Both teams were physical, chippy, and stingy in the neutral zone. The Hurricanes finished the game with 49 hits, and the Panthers finished with 48. It was somewhat surprising to see the Hurricanes play this way, as they are a team more known for their speed and puck possession and less for their physicality.
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.
Related: Panthers’ Comeback vs. Maple Leafs Shows the East Still Runs Through Them
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….
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