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Sunrise, FL - The Florida Panthers delivered a dominant performance Thursday night, shutting out the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final to grab a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Florida came out firing, scoring three goals in the first period to put immediate pressure on Carolina.
Sam Bennett opened the scoring and later added a second goal late in the second period.
Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also found the back of the net in the opening frame, while Carter Verhaeghe contributed with three assists.
Bennett’s second goal came after a long shift in the Hurricanes’ zone, extended by defenseman Brent Burns remaining on the ice without a stick.
Aleksander Barkov added Florida’s fifth goal midway through the third period to seal the victory.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky posted his third shutout of the 2024 playoffs and the sixth of his career, turning aside all 17 shots he faced.
The Panthers’ defense was suffocating, holding Carolina to just three shots in the first period and seven through two periods.
The Hurricanes appeared to narrow the deficit early in the second period with a goal by Sebastian Aho, but a coach’s challenge confirmed the play was offside and the goal was disallowed.
Carolina fans, frustrated by the lack of offense, chanted “Shoot the puck!” as their team struggled to generate chances.
Veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen was pulled before the third period in favor of Pyotr Kochetkov.
Florida will host Game 3 on Saturday night as they look to continue their commanding playoff run.