5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 3, Hurricanes 2 (4OT)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- That's one way to start a series!
Opening up the Eastern Conference Final with the sixth-longest game in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, Matthew Tkachuk scored at 19:47 of the fourth overtime to guide the Florida Panthers to an unforgettable 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 at PNC Arena on Thursday.
"Definitely tired," Tkachuk grinned. "But I think you're less tired when you win."

In addition becoming just the third team in NHL history to win each of their first five games that required overtime in a single postseason, the surging Panthers are also one of only eight teams in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to pick up wins in seven straight games on the road.
Leading 1-0 in the best-of-7 series, Game 2 will take place on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
"We've experienced so much throughout this season and the playoffs already," Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said. "Until the game's over, we're pushing. We have four lines, six D, and our goalies are pushing it. We just want to win."
For a quick recap of the game, click
HERE
.
To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. RACE TO THE EXITS

After this goal, Tkachuk immediately signaled his teammates to head to the exits.
Can you blame him?
Taking a pass from Sam Bennett before ripping a shot over the glove of Frederik Andersen, Tkachuk finally put an end to a marathon for the ages when he lit the lamp with just 12.7 seconds left on the clock in the fourth overtime to give the Panthers a 3-2 win in Game 1.

"Yeah, probably the favorite [goal] so far in my life," said Tkachuk, who's already scored two overtime goals in this year's playoffs. "It was big not to go into five overtimes there, you know?"
Making a dent on the scoresheet for the 10th time in 13 games this postseason, Tkachuk, who tallied a career-high 109 points during the regular season, leads the Panthers and ranks second in the NHL in postseason scoring among skaters that are still playing with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
Skating 40:31 in the win, Tkachuk fired off five scoring chances.
While we shouldn't expect another four-overtime thriller, he does foresee similar intensity in Game 2.
"I hope you guys and everybody else enjoyed that game because what I'm seeing is two really good teams fighting it out for every inch," Tkachuk said. "It's little stuff like little battles that maybe people don't realize, but they're very important and both teams are doing it all night long. So they're a great team over there. I'm sure both teams are gassed right now."

2. BOB THE BEAUTY

This was arguably the best goaltending performance in franchise history.
Fresh off making 50 saves in a series-clinching Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 2, Bobrovsky set a franchise record with 63 saves -- including stopping all 34 shots he faced in overtime -- to backstop the Panthers to victory and a 1-0 series lead over Carolina.
At the other end of the goaltending duel, Andersen made 57 saves, including 39 in overtime.

"It kind of becomes the game of attrition," Bobrovsky said. "You're just trying to be patient and wait for the moment and for the shot. Just one shot at a time. You don't think too much ahead. You stay with the moment and try to do the best to keep the puck out of the net."
Going 14-for-14 against high-danger shots and stopping all 55 shots he faced at even strength, Bobrovsky finished with 5.34 goals saved above expected in Game 1. Per Evolving Hockey, that stands as the second-most GSAx in a single game since the data became available in 2007-08.
Bobrovsky's biggest stop of the game came at 12:33 of the third period when he sprawled out to deny Martin Necas on a breakaway with an outstanding left-pad save to keep the score at 2-2.
"We are not even near overtime if Bob doesn't make that save in the third period," Tkachuk said. "Bob played great and the everybody followed. A total team effort for two games basically."
Setting a franchise record with his 14th playoff win as a Panther, Bobrovsky has been lights out ever since he regained the starting job early in Round 1. Over his last nine appearances, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has gone 8-1-0 with a .935 save percentage.

3. MAJOR MINUTES

Game 1 started at 8:10 p.m. ET on Thursday and ended at 1:54 a.m. ET on Friday.
After 60 minutes of regulation, 79:47 of overtime was played before Tkachuk's game-winner.
The game was so long, in fact, that a fan actually fell asleep behind Florida's bench.
"It's very cool, and very cool to be on the winning side of that," Tkachuk said. "You've got to tip your cap to how both teams played. Fourth overtime and guys are blocking shots and diving to get pucks out. I don't even know how many blocked shots there were on both sides."
Skating nearly nine miles, Brandon Montour led all players with 57:56 of ice time, the highest single-game total ever by a Panther and the ninth-highest since 1997-98. Across the ice, Brent Burns led the Hurricanes with 54:43 of ice time, the most ever for a Carolina player.
Additionally, three other players also skated 50-plus minutes: Panthers defensemen Gustav Forsling (55:41) and Aaron Ekblad (52:10), and Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (51:41).
Among Florida's forwards, seven different skaters saw at least 35 minutes of ice time.
"Both teams spent what they had," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "That's a huge cost for both teams, and then it's a race to recover."
To read more about Montour's minutes in particular, click
HERE
.

4. TOP LINE SHINES

Long before the minutes piled up, all the attention was on Florida's top line.
Giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, Aleksander Barkov (15:28) and Carter Verhaeghe (17:43) scored 2:15 apart during strong push late in the second.

Earlier in the game, Barkov saved a goal with a picturesque backcheck.
"I think quietly the Barkov line has ascended to being difficult to play against at both ends of the rink," Maurice said. "The backcheck when Montour fell down on a chance at the net and they had a 2-on-1 coming the other way early in the game, Barky tracks that puck down."
Florida's top line in terms of possession numbers in Game 1, the Panthers controlled 53.62% of shot attempts and 50.91% of expected goals when Barkov, Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair, who recorded an assist on both goals, were on the ice together at 5-on-5, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
A demon in the dot, Barkov also won a game-high 30 faceoffs.
"You grind all the way until the end," the Cats captain said. "We had a lot of good chances."

5. LOMBO IS BACK

There's an alternate reality where we all got a lot more sleep last night.
Back in the lineup after missing the entire second round with an upper-body injury, Ryan Lomberg appeared to win the game for the Panthers just 2:34 into the first overtime before his goal was disallowed after a video review determined that there had been goalie interference on the play.
"I was just excited to do it again," a confident Lomberg said of his goal coming off the board.
Skating 18:46 against the Hurricanes -- and providing the Panthers with some important high-energy shifts in overtime -- Lomberg looked like his usual fast and physical self in his return.
In addition his energy, he also contributed two hits and one takeaway.
"Lombo, he looked well rested," linemate Eric Staal said. "He was flying. He beat out a couple icings. That kid can skate. He has some great wheels on him. I think for everyone's sake we would've loved to see that one count earlier in overtime. That would've made for a much shorter night, but none the less he was impactful. He's that type of player. He's great to play with."