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The Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes had to be decided in the fourth overtime.
The game was deadlocked at 2-2 for nearly seven periods (20+20+20+20+20+20+19:47) and lasted for 139:47 minutes. The game is now the sixth-longest in NHL history.
Matthew Tkachuk ended the contest 13 seconds before the end of the fourth overtime period, as he converted a pass from Sam Bennett past Frederik Andersen for the winner. The Panthers won 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
The longest game in NHL history was played between the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Maroons on March 24, 1936. The game had six overtimes and lasted 176 minutes and three seconds.
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Recapping Florida Panthers' victory over Carolina Hurricanes in 4th OT
The Carolina Hurricanes got off to a great start with Seth Jarvis giving them a 1-0 lead at the 19:48 mark of the first period.
Coming into the second period, Aleksander Barkov equalized for the Florida Panthers after he slotted the puck past Hurricanes' goalie Frederik Anderson with a wrist shot at the 15:28 mark.
Less than three minutes before the third period, Carter Verhaeghe made it 2-1 for the Panthers after converting an assist from Anthony Duclair.
Stefan Noesan tied the game at 2-2, forcing overtime. 2:35 minutes into overtime, Ryan Lomberg scored an unassisted goal that was overruled due to goalie interference, forcing play to continue. Neither team managed to score in three OTs.
Matthew Tkachuk emerged as the savior for the Panthers and scored a wrist shot in the dying seconds of the fourth overtime.
Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Duclair, and Carter Verhaeghe scored two points for the team. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was again brilliant in the net and made 63 saves with a .969 save percentage. Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen made 57 saves in the contest.
The two teams will be back in action for Game 2 on Saturday from PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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