Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final was the sixth-longest game in NHL history

It’s a good thing there was a nice, long layoff before the Eastern Conference Final began.

The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes played Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals Thursday night in Raleigh…well, they started Game 1 on Thursday night.

It wasn’t until Friday morning at approximately 1:53 a.m. ET that the longest game in the history of either franchise would finally come to an end.

Matthew Tkachuk scored with 12.7 seconds left in the fourth overtime to send the Panthers to an equal parts scintillating and exhausting victory in Game 1 of conference final

"Probably my favorite one so far in my life," Tkachuk said of his second overtime winner of the playoffs. 

As exciting as Tkachuk's goal was, as it ended the sixth-longest game in NHL history, the story of the night was the goaltending.

There were 125 shots on goal during Game 1 and only five of them went in.

Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 63 saves while Frederik Andersen stopped 57.

Everyone earned themselves a day of rest on Friday before they all get back at it Saturday night for Game 2.

Enjoy the recap, it’s a bonus…two-plus games in one!

FIRST PERIOD

Florida got couple good opportunities on Andersen on their first two shifts.

First it was the Sam Bennett line, with Nick Cousins getting a look from the side of the crease that was stopped, and then Sam Reinhart used some nice footwork behind the net to generate a chance for himself, and a rebound look for Aaron Ekblad.

Brandon Montour hit the post a couple minutes later after a Tkachuk shot was blocked by Brent Burns and went straight to Florida’s high-scoring defenseman.

A couple big hits came courtesy of the home team, with Jordan Staal knocking Gus Forsling to the ice and then later Brady Skjei popping Reinhart in the neutral zone.

With 7:33 to go in the period, Bennett sent the puck over the glass from Florida’s defensive zone, leading to the game’s first power play.

Bob made three saves while the Cats were down a man, with the highlight coming toward the end of the penalty when he made a sprawling right pad stop on Jack Drury after a great feed by Jesperi Kotkaniemi while sliding on his knees.

Andersen made his best save of the period on Anthony Duclair when a funky bounce off the glass behind the net caused the puck to land right next to the goal crease, where Duclair was posted up.

With about three minutes left, Sebastian Aho gave the home crown a charge when he rung the post behind Bobrovsky’s blocker after coming in on an odd-man rush, but the puck stayed out of the net.

A second penalty was called on the Panthers with 2:16 to go. Marc Staal had a point shot blocked by Martin Necas, and Staal reached out and tripped Necas as he began pushing up the ice on what would’ve been another Hurricanes odd-man rush.

Just 38 seconds into the penalty, Ekblad was called for cross-checking Stefan Noesen in front of the net by referee Steve Kozari, who was in the neutral zone behind the play.

Florida was able to kill off the 5-on-3 thanks to a few great saves by Bobrovsky, but just as Bennett came out of the box, Seth Jarvis was found alone in the slot by Aho and one-timed the puck past a sprawling Bob with just eleven seconds left in the period.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice was livid with Kozari over the call on Ekblad and gave him an earful as the teams left the ice after the first twenty minutes.

SECOND PERIOD

Heavy checking was the name of the game early in the period, with hard hits by Barkov, Mahurs and Gudas coming in quick succession.

Brett Pesce was called for cross-checking Ryan Lomberg at the 3:33 mark, giving Florida its first power play of the series.

Carolina led the league in penalty killing during the regular season and has been just as good in the playoffs. The Panthers registered one quick shot and barely any zone time during the two-minute power play.

Florida didn’t give up a shot on goal to the Canes during the second period until nearly seven and a half minutes into it.

Necas was called for slashing the stick out of Forsling’s hands at the Carolina blue line, giving the Panthers their second straight power play.

The Cats wouldn’t score but it was night and day compared to their first man advantage. They got into the zone and set up several times, a positive sign moving forward.

Florida would finally get on the board and it would be their captain that got the job done, but it was The Duke that started the play.

He stole the puck from Kotkaniemi on a backcheck that started a rush up ice for Florida.

Verhaeghe feed Duclair, who brought the puck into Caorlina’s zone along the boards and stopped on a dime before finding Barkov coming into the zone across the ice.

Barkov took the puck just into the left circle and wired a wrist shot over Andersen’s glove to tie the game at one with 4:32 left in the period.

Just over two minutes later the same line would team up for another Panthers goal.

Duclair got the puck to Verhaeghe from below the goal line, and Verhaeghe curled at the bottom of the right circle before firing a dart past Andersen’s blocker.

Two goals on three shots in just 2:15 gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead that they carried into the final frame.

THIRD PERIOD

Carolina nearly tied the game on the first shift of the third period.

A centering pass by Brent Burns went off Marc Staal’s skate and Bobrovsky had to make a left pad save on a play that half the crowd thought went in.

The fans again got a charge after the puck dribbled behind Florida’s goaltender after he made a save on Jordan Staal. Fortunately for Bobrovsky, Ekbald was there to shovel the puck back under Bob as he sat there frozen.

Bennett was called for boarding Jordan Martinook at the 2:48 mark and Carolina tied the game soon after.

Noesen finished off a nice passing play from Jarvis and Necas, putting the puck over a sprawling Bobrovsky’s glove and into the top of the net.

With just over 16 minutes to go, the game was back to even. After holding Carolina to just five shots during the second period, the Hurricanes fired eight on Bobrovsky after just a few minutes of the third.

Both teams really hunkered down after that.

Necas got behind Florida’s defense on a breakaway with about 7:30 to go but Bobrovsky stretched out with his left pad and kept the puck out before getting his glove on a rebound attempt from Necas.

The Panthers survived a third period that saw them get outshot 14-2 and outscored 1-0.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final was heading to overtime.

FIRST OVERTIME

Florida matched their third period shot total in the first 90 seconds of overtime as the team continued the aggressive overtime mindset they’ve shown previously during the playoffs.

Lomberg thought he scored the game winner at the 2:35 mark, but the goal was called off for goalie interference.

Colin White skated into the goal crease behind Drury and came into contact with Andersen. It looked like Drury restricted White’s ability to get out of the crease, but the officials ruled it as interference.

Florida nearly ended the game moments later on a great look by the top line, but the play ended with Burns taking a penalty for holding Duclair in front of the net.

It didn’t amount to anything as once again Carolina killed off a penalty without allowing the Panthers a shot on goal.

Aho led the Hurricanes in on an odd-man rush but an impressive stick lift by Fosling saved the play from ending the game.

Carolina would get a power play after Duclair high-sticked Pesce as he tried knocking down a puck at the Hurricanes’ blue line.

Jarvis had the game on his stick after finding an Aho rebound at the top of the crease with Bobrovsky down, but he rang the crossbar over Bob’s shoulder.

Florida’s tendy would be called upon to make a couple more stops on Aho during the final minute of overtime.

Bob finished with nine saves during the first OT.

SECOND OVERTIME

A smooth zone exit led to a good look by Barkov for a streaking Duclair but the puck would find the glass in the corner as he was too close to Andersen to make anything happen.

Bobrovsky made a massive save with his left skate on a Jordan Staal wraparound attempt, pinning the puck between his skate blade and the post.

Some sloppy play in Florida’s end led to a pair of massive saves by Bobrovsky on Drury and Aho with around nine minutes to go.

Soon after, Florida’s top line worked for some sustained pressure and Andersen was called upon to make a nice glove save on Josh Mahura.

With around five minutes to go Barkov tried to find Duclair in front of the net again but the puck was just out of The Duke’s reach, and on the same shift, Verhaeghe was all alone in front but by the time the puck arrived he was too close to the goaltender to have room for a good shot.

After registering just seven shots during the third period and first overtime combined, Florida matched Carolina with 10 apiece during OT number two.

THIRD OVERTIME

Andersen came up with his biggest save in a while on Montour about four minutes into the third overtime.

Montour leaned into a one-timer from below the top of the right circle, but Andersen come out to cut off the angle and got his right pad on the puck.

Not long after, Montour found himself alone in front after spilling into the corner on a rush attempt, but his backhand attempt was stopped by the shaft of Andersen’s stick.

Bobrovsky made a slick glove save on Burns with just over five minutes to go after Tkachuk iced the puck on an attempted dump-in.

In the final minute, Andersen made a massive glove save on Eric Staal, who one-timed a nice drop pass from White in the high slot.

Necas nearly ended the game after Duclair failed to clear Florida’s zone, but the deflection went high into the netting above the glass.

Reinhart nearly snuck a backhand past Andersen as time expired, but the large goaltender sealed off the post nicely.

The Panthers outshot Carolina 9-8 during the third overtime.

On to OT four we go.

FOURTH OVERTIME

Florida came out strong following the intermission, with the top line keeping the puck deep and working the boards.

Eventually Verhaeghe got a decent look on Anderson that he deflected away.

His next shift on the ice, Verhaeghe was called for hooking Necas as he tried to bring the puck out of Carolina’s end.

Was it a hook? Yes.

Have plays like that been called during overtime? No.

Alas, Carolina went on the power play at the 2:17 mark of overtime number four.

Bobrovsky made a great sliding save along the post on a Jarvis one-timer, which would prove to be the Canes best look on net, though they did keep the puck in Florida end for the majority of the penalty.

Andersen made an amazing desperation stick save on Verhaeghe as the Bennett line put the pressure on, followed by a shoulder stop on Bennett after a nice feed from Tkachuk behind the net.

Tkachuk set up Bennett with a great look on Andersen with around 11:35 to go, but Bennett’s spinning backhand attempt was swallowed up into Andersen’s gear.

Florida nearly ended the game when Luostarinen found Lundell down low when the pair came in on a 2-on-1, but Anderson slid across and got his blocker on the shot.

Moments later Ekblad sent a wrist shot toward the net that was tipped by Lundell. It beat Anderson, but not the crossbar.

Bobrovsky snared a Jarvis wrister as he came flying down the wing with just over five minutes to go, again making sure there was no rebound to be had.

Bob came up big again with just over a minute to go, first stopping Skjei and then Aho on the rebound at the side of the crease.

With the final seconds of the period ticking away, Ekblad forced a turnover in the neutral zone and got the puck deep in the Carolina zone.

Burns tried getting it up the boards but Bennett intercepted the puck and fed Tkachuk, who turned and fired a quick shot over Andersen’s glove and into the net with 12.7 seconds to go.

Panthers take Game 1 in four overtimes.

GAME NOTES

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