Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand was ejected from the NHL playoff game series opener on Tuesday after fighting with D Shayne Gostisbehere.

Fans weren't too happy about Aaron Ekblad's hit to Jackson Blake's head after the Hurricanes' second goal in Game 1.

After a dominant 6-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the second round, the Florida Panthers' offense kept rolling into the Eastern Conference Finals.

It's just another reason the Panthers won the Stanley Cup last season and are chasing it again this season, leading the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Final, with Game 2 at Lenovo Center on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC). Coach Paul Maurice didn't hesitate when asked who created that atmosphere.

Florida began the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 5-2 victory, adding to its success from 2023.

The conference final round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is now set after a Game 7 clash between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night.

Florida Panthers Coach Paul Maurice said he "didn't love" his team's play despite a 5-2 thrashing of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes meet in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Monday.

The Florida Panthers visit the Toronto Maple Leafs for Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Sunday.

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