Florida and Carolina beat their NHL playoff openers for the third time. Both have the opportunity to advance to the second round this weekend.
Anton Lundell picked up an assist in the Florida Panthers’ 5–3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first playoff round of the hockey league NHL. Lundell began Matthew Tkachuk goal in the opening set.
Eetu Luostarinen got a two-minute suspension for violence in the second period, when the match was still tied at 2-2. Luostarinen and Tampan Brandon Hagel began to lean near Florida’s goal after Tampa’s field goal attempt. Other players joined the skirmish, but the situation died down quickly.
Luostarinen and Hagel have a common history of tough fights. When Florida and Tampa Bay met in the spring of 2022 in the second round of the playoffs, Hagel hit Luostar with a cross stick, and the Finn flew violently towards the wing. Luostarinen injured himself and Hagel received a two-minute suspension for the situation. At that time, Tampa Bay rolled to a 4–0 victory in the match series.
Alexander Barkov skipper Florida is just one win away from reaching the second round of the playoffs. The fourth match will be played on the night before Sunday Finnish time.
Florida head coach Paul Maurice couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief after the third win.
– It doesn’t feel like we are leading the series 3–0. I feel like these playoff games are always extremely close. That’s what we expect from the next match as well, Maurice said according to the NHL.com website.
Carolina beat the Islanders again
The Carolina Hurricanes continued their clean streak when they beat the New York Islanders 3–2 away from home.
Carolina Sebastian Aho scored his team’s 3–1 goal in the second period. The goal was Aho’s second in the playoffs this spring. Teuvo Teräväinen recorded a service point in the first set.
Carolina leads the first round playoff series 3–0. It, like Florida, has a chance to decide a spot in the next round on Saturday night.