The Carolina Hurricanes extended their Eastern Conference Final losing streak to 13 consecutive games after falling 5-2 to the Florida Panthers in Tuesday’s Game 1.
Carolina’s conference final struggles span multiple playoff runs. The Hurricanes were swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, the Boston Bruins in 2019, and the Panthers in 2023.
The team’s last victory in a conference final came during their 2006 Stanley Cup championship run.
This 13-game losing streak stands as the longest conference final drought in NHL history. The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the second-longest streak with 10 straight conference final losses between 1954 and 1956.
Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring for Florida on Tuesday night.
Aaron Ekblad, A.J. Greer, Sam Bennett, and Eetu Luostarinen also found the net for the Panthers. Sebastian Aho scored late in the first period for Carolina, while Jackson Blake added the Hurricanes’ second goal after Florida had built a 5-1 lead in the third.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday in Carolina.
