Forsling OT winner as Florida Panthers spoil Carolina Hurricanes’ banner raising in 1-0 season opener
Image accompanying the official NHL announcement.The Florida Panthers spoiled the Carolina Hurricanes’ banner raising as Gustav Forsling scored the overtime winner with 4.3 seconds remaining in the season opener for both teams, giving Florida a 1-0 victory Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Forsling finished off a one-timer from just inside the blue line, converting a pass from Carter Verhaghe. The goal came after a full period of overtime, with the winning strike arriving at 4.3 seconds left in extra time.
Between the pipes, Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves for the Panthers. The win marked Markstrom’s arrival in Florida after a trade with the New Jersey Devils announced on June 30, as detailed in the NHL recap.
The game also provided context for Markstrom’s career with the Panthers: the goaltender was Florida’s second-round pick (No. 31) in the 2008 NHL Draft and played his first four seasons with the club, before later moving on and returning through the offseason trade.
For Carolina, Brandon Bussi recorded 19 saves in the shutout loss. Despite the deficit late in overtime, Bussi’s total reflected significant defensive work to keep the game scoreless through regulation and into extra time.
The result placed both teams at different points in their recent seasons heading into the 2026-27 NHL schedule. Florida finished seventh in the Atlantic Division and missed the playoffs last season, according to the recap, after previously winning the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025.
Carolina entered the opener as the defending Stanley Cup champion, carrying the status referenced in the game’s lead-in through its banner raising. However, the Panthers’ late overtime goal overturned any momentum from the ceremony and closed the season opener with a 1-0 final.
With Tuesday’s outcome, Florida began its campaign with an overtime victory against the reigning champions, while Carolina opened its season with a loss that came immediately after its banner recognition at Lenovo Center.
Reporting source: NHL official update