Panthers hand Hurricanes 13th straight loss in conference final

The Carolina Hurricanes collected their 13th consecutive Eastern Conference Final defeat with a 5-2 loss in Tuesday's Game 1 versus the Florida Panthers.

The Hurricanes were swept in the 2009 conference final by the Pittsburgh Penguins, in 2019 at the hands of the Boston Bruins, and in 2023 against the Panthers.

Carolina's last win in the final four came in 2006, when the Hurricanes went on to claim the Stanley Cup.

The Canes already held the longest conference final drought in NHL history. The next longest was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost 10 straight conference final games from 1954-56.

Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad, A.J. Greer, Sam Bennett, and Eetu Luostarinen scored for the Panthers. Sebastian Aho tallied a goal late in the first period for Carolina, and Jackson Blake added the Hurricanes' second tally when Florida held a 5-1 advantage in the third.

Game 2 is Thursday in Carolina.