Panthers spoil Hurricanes’ banner day with a shutout win

Raleigh, NC – What a better way than to start the 2026-27 NHL season with the two teams that have won the past three Stanley Cups. The Florida Panthers shutout the Carolina Hurricanes on their banner raising day, Tuesday. An overtime winner from Gustav Forsling and a shutout from Jacob Markstrom helped lead the way in the playoff type of atmosphere.

A Defensive Masterclass

Heading into game one of the season, the biggest storyline of the Panthers was Brady Tkachuk playing with Aleksander Barkov. They showed out together in their first preseason game and Head Coach Paul Maurice said he was going to implement them together quite often. Early on, those opportunities developed and multiple times they would create good chances that didn’t find the back of the net.

It was a defensive game the entire 60 minutes of regulation. Defenseman Seth Jones quietly had a great game breaking up many passes that could have caused high-danger chances. Both goaltenders also played fantastic as the game nearly went to a shootout while scoreless. Goaltender Brandon Bussi was the star for the Canes as he made it difficult for the Panthers to score.

Lights Shined on the Unlikely

Even in overtime there weren’t many opportunities between both teams. The Canes only had one shot-on-goal in the frame, and it felt like both teams were exchanging possession. But just when it felt like it was going into a shootout, Gustav Forsling netted the only goal of the game on a slapshot to secure the two points for the Panthers.

“Felt really good, scoring goals is not what I do very often.” Forsling said after the game about hit game-winning goal. “My first try was so bad, so I had to get revenge.”

It was a slight screen from Canes forward Taylor Hall that made the shot hard for Bussi to save. Forward Carter Verhaeghe got the assist for Forsling to make the slapshot from nearly the blue line.

First goal of the season brought to you by Forsy 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/8XRwIHearQ

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 30, 2026

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom was another star of the game stopping all 15 shots he faced, getting a shutout. The defense by the Panthers helped tremendously, holding the Canes only 10 SOG through the first two periods.

“Felt we played a great game, everyone, the whole lineup.” Markstrom said postgame. “All four lines and all sixty played really good and made my job a lot easier.”

This is the first ever time the Florida Panthers complete a shutout in their first game of the season. A big confidence booster for Markstrom as he looks to have a bounce back year between the pipes. Many eyes are on him with him replacing Sergei Bobrovsky in net.

83 more

With a win in a game that felt like it was in late May, it’ll be interesting to see who the next players to shine over the next two games are. Of course, Forsling and Markstrom being the two most impactful. Barkov and B. Tkachuk made some noise while Jones shut it down defensively. Who can be the players that shine when the Cats are clicking offensively?

The Panthers now get their first two points of the season and will head west to continue their road trip. They will face the San Jose Sharks on October 1st, Anaheim Ducks on the 4th, and Los Angeles Kings on the 6th.

About Post Author

Dylan Rosado

Dylan loves to watch and talk about sports. While his favorite sport to watch is hockey, he loves watching others as well. He’s always curious about what can happen next in the world of sports.

See author's posts