The Florida Panthers have a 1-0 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Just two days after winning Game 7 in Toronto in blowout fashion, the Panthers smothered the Hurricanes with a 5-2 win in Game 1.

Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting first-period goals while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net as the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Tuesday night’s opener of their Eastern Conference final series.

The Panthers scored two goals in the first period against a Hurricanes team that allowed just three goals in the final three games of the second round.