The Carolina Hurricanes opened their title defense with a 1-0 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night in Raleigh, decided by a long shot with 4.3 seconds left in the extra period. Florida defenseman Gustav Forsling scored from near the blue line on the Panthers’ 20th shot, handing Carolina a narrow defeat in the season opener for both teams at Lenovo Center.
A Close Call for the Hurricanes
The night began with a banner-raising ceremony celebrating last season’s Stanley Cup win. Goalie Brandon Bussi, one of the heroes of that run, drew a loud ovation during introductions. He nearly delivered another standout finish, stopping 19 of 20 shots before the decider. Afterward, he acknowledged he should have made the final save and suggested the puck may have changed direction off a defender, contributing to the late breakdown.
Bussi set a high bar as a first-year NHL goalie last season, going 31-6-2. He backed up veteran Frederik Andersen for much of the playoffs but took over in the Stanley Cup Final after Andersen was injured in Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Over the final four games of the series, Bussi played 225:26, allowed six goals on 87 shots, and posted a 1.60 goals-against average with a .931 save percentage. He made 22 saves in a 3-0 win in Game 6 to seal the franchise’s second championship. With Andersen departing in free agency, Bussi enters this season as Carolina’s clear No. 1.
Tuesday’s game quickly settled into a grind between two recently crowned champions. Florida, which won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons before injuries derailed last year’s campaign, leaned on an aggressive forecheck that smothered Carolina’s attack. The Hurricanes managed just three shots in the first period and 15 for the game. Special teams offered no relief: Carolina went 0-for-6 on the power play, while Florida finished 0-for-7.
Despite the frustrating finish, the Hurricanes credited their goaltender for keeping the game level until the final seconds and expect him to anchor their title defense. Carolina will look to bounce back as they host the Washington Capitals on Friday, hoping to capitalize on their home-ice advantage and get their season on track.