Right from this next series’ start, right to Game 1’s end, Carolina had to realize what everyone in hockey is realizing about the Florida Panthers: They’re not the same team that swept the Hurricanes into summer two playoffs ago, four games to zip, or won the Stanley Cup last spring.

These Panthers are better. Stronger. Faster. Tougher. More confident. More dangerous on offense. More physical on defense.

And deeper? Back when this Game 1 was still a game, the Panthers made it 3-1 with a score from no one on the marquee: Nate Schmidt passing to Niko Mikkola, who made a nifty cross-ice pass for A.J. Greer to put in the net.

Carolina hadn’t allowed more than four goals in any playoff game this year.

The Panthers won 5-2 in Game 1.

Carolina was undefeated in five home games these playoffs entering Tuesday.

Make that record 5-1 after the Panthers won their third-consecutive road game (two previously against the Toronto Maple Leafs) by a combined 17-4 score.

Carolina yielded two power play goals in its 10 previous playoff games.

The Panthers scored two such goals in an opening game where goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was the man of the night. That’s what playoff hockey often is about, a goalie stopping an early breakaway, then making another big save without his stick and keeping his team in the night until the goals started — just as Bobrovsky did this night.

“When the game starts, he’s everywhere,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “He gives us a chance every single night.”

Only a late goal kept Carolina from having a playoff-low one goal this postseason.

“I didn’t love our game but I understood it,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Significant style change (from the previous series against Toronto). So, the first game is what your game looks like with a completely different opponent. We’ll build that game and get better.”

So, they drubbed Carolina with their ‘C’ game?

They showed just who they are Tuesday night again, the talent, the toughness, the depth that had goals scored by five different players. Carolina had five days of rest and preparation for this night, too. The Panthers beat flew into Carolina on Monday after beating Toronto in Game 7 Sunday night.

Maybe it will take Game 2 to translate Game 1. Maybe Carolina played worse than it’s ‘C’ game. This was a night of messages being sent and styles being explored, right down to Carolina trying to go into the gutter with a Panthers team that can live there.

You expect some over-the-line shots in the high stakes of an Eastern Conference final. The surprise was how far over the line Carolina went. Andrei Svechnikov collided with Bobrovsky’s head in a manner that made Sam Bennett’s brush on Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz the previous serious look like a personal massage. The refs missed that one.

They also missed Carolina’s Shayne Gostisbehere, a Pembroke Pines native, reacting to Brad Marchand taking a run at him by firing the puck into Marchand. That NHL might review that one Wednesday.

Marchand went after Gostisbehere right then, wrestling him to the ice and getting a 10-minute misconduct for it. Maurice was asked if he had a thought on the play.

“I’ve got one,” he said. “I’ll be keeping it to myself.”

The Panthers are tough and gray-area physical when needed. But they’re disciplined, too. Can Carolina play that way and win? Are we about to find out as this series moves on?

These teams met in this same conference final two years ago and the Panthers won four games by a goal. Two were in overtime. But this series looked different in Game 1, right from the start, in good part because these Panthers are different.

Their leader in ice time, defenseman Seth Jones, wasn’t here then. Nor was Marchand. Their depth is different, too, shown by fourth-liners in Greer scoring in Game 1 and Tomas Nosek having two assists. The other fourth-line player, Jonah Gadjovich, led the game with eight hits.

“Our depth has been incredible all year and especially in the playoffs,” said Bennett, whose goal made it 4-1. “Every line is showing up. All our defense. (Bobrovsky), obviously. It’s really a full-team effort every night.”

Just because they’re a better team doesn’t mean they repeat as champs or even get by Carolina. But Game 1 served notice to Carolina. That was the Panthers ‘C’ game and it was good enough for a rout.

Originally Published: May 21, 2025 at 12:40 AM EDT