Panthers look like contenders again in impressive opening win

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Florida Panthers sat and watched.

After winning the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025, they had raised their own banners. But last season, they had missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs largely due to injuries, so they sat on their bench Tuesday at Lenovo Center as the reigning champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, staged a ceremony before the season opener.

The Panthers watched the introductions. They watched as Carolina captain Jordan Staal came out with the Cup, hoisted it over his head, kissed it and set it down at center ice. They watched as the Hurricanes did the “Storm Surge,” watched as the Hurricanes took a team picture, watched as the Hurricanes raised the banner.

They watched all of it.

They did it out of respect. They also inspired themselves for this season.

“You get a chance to see what you want so bad,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said.

Then the Panthers took the first step, winning 1-0 when defenseman Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds left in overtime.

Goalie Jacob Markstrom earned a 15-save shutout in his first game back with Florida, center Aleksander Barkov looked like himself in his first game back since major knee surgery and forward Brady Tkachuk looked at home in his Florida debut.

“Feels awesome,” Tkachuk said. “That was a grind of a game. Gutsy effort by our group.”

One of the big questions facing the Panthers is how they will fare without goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who left for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent July 1. The Panthers acquired Markstrom in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on June 30.

Markstrom, who began his NHL career with Florida from 2011-13, went 23-19-1 with a 3.07 goals-against average, an .883 save percentage and one shutout with New Jersey last season.

“One of the adjustments he has to make is kind of some stretches of not a lot of action,” Maurice said.

It didn’t seem to bother Markstrom on Tuesday. Although he faced only 15 shots, he stopped all of them, including a short-handed breakaway by Carolina center Sebastian Aho in the second period.

Asked if he’d have to get used to games like this, he laughed.

“Yeah, I mean, I would love to,” he said. “Like, this was great. I mean, we played a great game.”

This was Barkov’s first game since he hoisted the Cup on June 17, 2025. He missed last season after sustaining a right knee injury on the first day of training camp and having surgery to repair his ACL and MCL.

He returned for the IIHF World Championship and had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 10 games, leading Finland to gold, and he looked like himself Tuesday, playing 20:32 on the first line, first power play and first penalty kill.

“He looks powerful and strong,” Maurice said.

Barkov said he felt good even though the pace was fast.

“I haven’t had any problems about, like, overthinking or anything like that,” he said. “Just trying to play my game, trying to do my things. I’m playing with really good players. They help me a lot. I’m playing on a really good team. They help me a lot.”​

Tkachuk should make a really good team even better. The Panthers acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in a trade June 21. This was his first game with his brother, Matthew, since they helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics and their first NHL game together.

They did a pregame interview together with ESPN. Although Brady played on a line with Barkov and forward Sam Reinhart, he played together with his brother on the first power-play unit.

“It was great,” Brady said of playing with Matthew. “But when the game got going, it didn’t really matter. It was cool to warm up and start the game knowing that he was on the same team. But once the game started, there was just one focus, and that was getting the two points.”

Brady hit center Anton Lundell with a pass to create the game’s first scoring chance in the first period; took a penalty for goalie interference when he ran into goalie Brandon Bussi at 8:12 of the second; and finished with one shot and five hits in 16:33 of ice time.

“I’m really happy with it,” Maurice said.

After the game, the Tkachuk brothers sat side by side in the locker room for an interview with NHL Productions. Then the Panthers headed for the airport and three games in California, starting with the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSCA, TVAS).

They’re going for three championships in four seasons, but they know it’s a long road. This is just the start.

“This is all brand new,” Maurice said. “Even though we have a core of guys that have been here now for a while, it’s a new team. It’s the first time to get out on the road together, so they’re going to eat together, play cards together, play hockey together, and if you can win a few along the way, you get to enjoy it a little bit more.”