Panthers win big in Game 1: Grades for both teams, players to watch for Game 2

One squad had 4 days to prepare, portion the different hardly had 48 hours. And yet... the Florida Panthers -- aft beating the Toronto Maple Leafs successful Game 7 connected Sunday -- erstwhile again applied an assertive attack successful a 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes successful Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals connected Tuesday.

Practically each title squad has developed definite characteristics they've relied upon implicit time. That includes the Panthers. One of the ways they've precocious to 3 consecutive league finals has been to summation a second-period lead. Taking a 3-1 vantage into the last play led to the Panthers closing retired an hostile en way to winning their 28th consecutive playoff crippled successful which they've led aft 2 frames.

Exactly however did some teams perform? Who are the players to ticker adjacent game, and what are the large questions facing the Hurricanes and Panthers up of Game 2 connected Thursday?

Carolina Hurricanes
Grade: C-

The mode that the Hurricanes owned possession was instrumental successful however they bushed some the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals successful bid to scope the league finals for the 2nd clip successful the past 3 seasons. They had that power successful Game 1, with Natural Stat Trick's metrics showing that their shot-share was 56%.

But it was the deficiency of power that proved crippling -- which was the lawsuit erstwhile a turnover led to A.J. Greer giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. The Panthers were besides capable to play those quick-passing sequences, which accounted for wherefore they went 2-for-3 connected the extra-skater vantage against what was the apical punishment termination entering the league finals, astatine 93.3%. -- Clark

Florida Panthers
Grade: A-

Florida picked up wherever it near disconnected successful Game 7 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff bid against Toronto connected Sunday -- by dominating different opponent.

The Panthers and Hurricanes exchanged chances aboriginal successful the archetypal period, but erstwhile Carter Verhaeghe had Florida connected the committee they were successful power to the finish.

That's not to accidental Carolina didn't propulsion back. The Hurricanes generated immoderate superb opportunities successful the 2nd period, and Panthers' netminder Sergei Bobrovsky had to beryllium sharp, which has been his resting authorities since midway done that second-round clash with Toronto. Bobrovsky delivered different dialed-in show that outclassed Frederik Andersen -- arguably the postseason's apical goalie heading into Tuesday's crippled -- and backstopped the Panthers' to different victory.

Florida got contributions from everywhere, starting with their 5-on-5 play and carrying connected to the 2nd power-play portion (which scored aft the Panthers had gone 15 minutes without a changeable connected extremity successful the 3rd period). Despite that lull, it appears each systems are inactive spell for Florida. -- Shilton

Players to ticker successful Game 2

Jalen Chatfield
D, Hurricanes

Chatfield was incapable to spell successful Game 1, which meant the Hurricanes would beryllium without 1 of their top-four defensemen who is averaging much than 20 minutes per crippled this postseason. That led to Scott Morrow making his playoff debut.

It proved to beryllium a spot of a hard outing for the 22-year-old, who spent the bulk of this play playing for the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate. Morrow was connected the crystal for 3 of the Panthers' goals, portion his delay-of-game punishment -- for playing the puck implicit the solid -- led to Sam Bennett's power-play extremity that pushed the pb to 4-1 with 13:52 remaining.

Morrow would log a small much than 12 minutes successful crystal clip successful total, which was the slightest by a Hurricanes defenseman by much than 4 minutes. Chatfield's instrumentality up of Game 2 would bring 1 of their much venerable figures this play backmost into the mix. But if helium misses Game 2? That would unit Canes manager Rod Brind'Amour to analyse his options. -- Clark

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Panthers successful implicit power aft Sam Bennett's power-play goal

Sam Bennett's power-play tally fuels the Panthers to a three-goal pb implicit the Hurricanes successful Game 1.

Brad Marchand
LW, Panthers

There was 1 combat successful Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals and, astonishing nary one, it featured Brad Marchand. The Panthers' guardant took contented with Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere appearing to sprout a puck astatine him, and dropped the gloves.

Marchand received a four-minute punishment and 10-minute misconduct for the interaction, which saw him herded retired for the remainder of the 3rd period. Marchand volition beryllium backmost and acceptable to rumble successful Game 2. He was a noticeable beingness successful Game 1 enactment anterior to the tilt with Gostisbehere, putting the surface connected Andersen that acceptable up Sam Bennett's power-play extremity to fundamentally crystal the Panthers' victory.

Will Marchand transportation a sour sensation into Game 2 aft Gostisbehere didn't prosecute overmuch aft the evident puck changeable incident? If immoderate subordinate has made a vocation retired of getting nether an opponent's skin, it's Marchand. He's already mounting a code aboriginal for however the Panthers privation to rattle their latest foe. -- Shilton

Big questions for Game 2

How bash the Canes respond to their worst decision successful much than a month?

The past clip the Canes mislaid by much than 3 goals was April 13, a 4-1 nonaccomplishment to the Maple Leafs. Since then? They've not had galore defeats astatine all, and the 2 they had this postseason were close. The archetypal was an overtime nonaccomplishment to the Devils successful Game 3 -- a bid that they would triumph successful 5 games -- portion their lone decision to the Capitals was successful Game 2 that lone became a two-goal nonaccomplishment erstwhile Tom Wilson scored an empty-netter.

This postseason has seen the Hurricanes retrieve from defeats successful which the margins were tight. How bash they spell astir uncovering the cohesion that eluded them successful what was a three-goal nonaccomplishment to unfastened the league finals? And volition it beryllium capable to adjacent the bid astatine 1-1 -- oregon volition they caput to South Florida successful an 0-2 bid hole? -- Clark

Are the Cats headed for a crash?

Florida is riding connected immoderate grade of adrenaline astatine this constituent aft traveling from location to Toronto and straight to Raleigh aft their Game 7 victory. While Florida didn't precisely look fatigued successful Game 1 against Carolina, it's inactive just to wonderment if each those miles are going to drawback up to the Panthers with different speedy turnaround heading into Game 2.

The Hurricanes cognize what to expect present -- if they didn't earlier -- and volition beryllium acceptable to marque adjustments. And if Carolina was possibly too rested from having been disconnected for respective days anterior to Florida rolling in, the Hurricanes person nary excuse to not beryllium amended connected location crystal by the clip Game 2 comes around.

Carolina showed aboriginal successful the 3rd play that they're a amended squad than the scoreboard's last tally. They've got their legs nether them now. Whether that spells occupation for Florida? We find retired connected Thursday. -- Shilton