RALEIGH, N.C. — Gustav Forsling scored a game-winning goal with 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime, leading the Florida Panthers to a 1-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL season opener Tuesday night.

The closely contested matchup, pitting the last two Stanley Cup winners against each other, was marked by strong defensive play and impressive goaltending. With the game seemingly headed to a shootout, Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe carried the puck into Carolina’s zone in the final seconds and passed to Forsling near the blue line. Forsling then unleashed a one-timer that slipped past Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi’s glove side to end the game.

The loss curtailed the Hurricanes’ off-season celebration, which followed their 16-3 playoff run culminating in a Stanley Cup victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in June, marking the franchise’s second championship. Their triumph came against the Panthers, who had swept the Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025 and had eliminated Carolina twice in the Eastern Conference Finals during their title runs.

After battling injuries last season, Florida returned to the ice with renewed optimism. The Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov made his season debut following a prolonged absence, bolstering the team’s depth. The roster also welcomed Brady Tkachuk, joining his brother Matthew Tkachuk in the lineup. In goal, the Panthers introduced Jacob Markstrom as the new primary goaltender, replacing Sergei Bobrovsky from their championship years.

Markstrom recorded 15 saves in the win, while Bussi, who had posted a shutout in the Hurricanes’ Cup-clinching victory, made 19 stops before conceding the winning goal. The Panthers’ narrow victory set an expectant tone for both teams as they embark on the new NHL season.