Florida hockey players beat Carolina 3:2 in the fourth overtime in the first game of the NHL Eastern Conference finals. Forward Matthew Tkachuk scored the winning goal at 139:47. Martin Nečas scored one assist in the Hurricanes jersey.
The opening semi-final of the overseas league offered an even battle lasting almost 140 minutes. The sixth longest duel in NHL history was decided in the last minute of the fourth overtime by the Panthers’ most productive player in the playoffs. Tkachuk got the puck after good work by Sam Bennett, skated into a shooting position and beat goaltender Frederik Andersen.
The Panthers could have ended overtime a full 77 minutes earlier, at 62:35, but Ryan Lomberg’s goal was disallowed by the video referee due to the position of the attacking player in the goal area.
Almost 20 minutes were waiting for a goal in regular time. Homer Seth Jarvis scored it, but Florida answered within a two-minute span of the second period. First, Aleksander Barkov came through and Carter Verhaeghe completed the conversion.
Carolina secured the extra time at the beginning of the third period, when Stefan Noesen made his mark on the power play after Nečas’ assist. The Czech forward scored the seventh point (4+3) in the playoffs and set a personal best in the knockout rounds.
NHL Eastern Conference Finals Playoffs – Game 1:
Carolina – Florida 2:3 in the 4th overtime.
