Panthers Done with Leafs, Jump Right Into ECF with Hurricanes

The Florida Panthers went from one intense series right into another Monday as they knocked out the Game 7 cobwebs to start focusing on the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Panthers beat Toronto 6-1 in Game 7 of their second round series on Sunday night, flew to Raleigh on Monday, and will play the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight at 8.

How tough is it to go from one series right into another?

“I wouldn’t say it’s hard because I woke up this morning, and knew we were traveling here,’’ Sasha Barkov said Monday afternoon. “I kind of flipped the switch there. But yesterday, it was all about Game 7. You weren’t thinking about tomorrow — which is today.

“It was fun, we really enjoyed that game, being around the guys in the hotel and the locker room afterward. But this morning, you know you’re traveling here and you switch to this one.’’

The Panthers, obviously, are going from one series to another.

And Paul Maurice likes it this way.

“I would schedule it exactly as it is if given the choice,’’ Maurice said. “We have been through Game 7s before, and the last thing I would want to do is play Game 7 in Toronto, then play two days later. You can’t fly home, get on a plane and fly back. Now, all the emotion and everything comes right out of it. We want to keep going.’’

Carolina? The Hurricanes have been sitting around since beating the Capitals in Game 5 last Thursday night waiting to see who they would play.

They have a couple extra days of rest which may or may not make any difference.

“I don’t think it really matters a ton,” Jordan Staal said. “The media loves talking about the rest, but once the game gets going, it’s who does it better, who is sharper. We have to be on our game, obviously, against a great team like them.’’

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW / FLORIDA PANTHERS

• Matthew Tkachuk, obviously, has great memories of playing in Raleigh. But he says this is a whole new deal.
• The Panthers have been road warriors this postseason.
• Brad Marchand grew up a Leafs fan. Now, he just torments them.
• Tkachuk says all the ‘outside noise’ is holding back the Maple Leafs — and the Panthers used it against them.
• Maurice stirred things up a few weeks ago saying coaches do not belong in the handshake line. He backed those words up Sunday.
• Marchand and Seth Jones were two terrific Trade Deadline pickups for a Florida front office that should take a bow.
• Referee Chris Rooney left early in the second period of Game 7 after taking a high stick from Niko Mikkola. Scary, bloody scene. Rooney needed stitches for a cut above his eye but is OK. He hopes to ref some more this postseason.
• Don’t forget to subscribe to the FHN YouTube channel to watch video interviews with the Florida Panthers throughout the postseason. On Monday, Maurice and Barkov talked in Raleigh, as did Tkachuk, Jones, Bill Zito, and Aaron Ekblad. More today from Raleigh.

NHL LINKS / NATIONAL HOCKEY NOW

• The Maple Leafs face an uncertain future after losing to the Panthers again.
• So, what happened to Toronto?
• The Capitals aim to get a little bit younger moving forward.
• Mattias Ekholm practiced with the Oilers for the first time since being injured last month.
• The Stars finally have a full lineup going into the WCF.
• What the Pittsburgh Penguins can take away from the NHL’s Final Four when it comes to a rebuild.
• Mitch Marner could make a lot of sense for the Philadelphia Flyers.
• The Boston Bruins benefited from the Panthers winning Game 7.

2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: GAME 1

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ CAROLINA HURRICANES

Best-of-7 Series

• When: Tuesday, 8 p.m. 
• Where: Lenovo Arena; Raleigh, N.C. 
• National TV: TNT/truTV
• National Streaming: Max
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Series Schedule (all games on TNT/tru, 8 p.m.) — Game 1: Tuesday @Carolina; Game 2: Thursday @Carolina; Game 3:Saturday @Florida; Game 4: Monday, May 26 @Florida; Game 5*:Wednesday, May 28 @Carolina; Game 6*: Friday, May 30 @Florida; Game 7*: Sunday, June 1 @Carolina
• This Regular Season (Panthers Won 2-1) — At Florida: Panthers 6, Hurricanes 0 (Nov.30); Hurricanes 3, Panthers 1 (Jan. 2). At Carolina: Panthers 6, Hurricanes 3 (Nov. 29).
• How They Got Here: Carolina d. New Jersey (5), Washington (5); Florida d. Tampa Bay (5), Toronto (7).
• All-Time Regular Season Series: Carolina/Hartford leads 74-49-10, 11 ties
• Postseason History: Florida 1-0 (2023 ECF in 4)

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