Forsling scores with 4.3 seconds left in OT as Panthers beat Hurricanes 1-0

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gustav Forsling hammered a shot past Brandon Bussi with 4.3 seconds left in overtime to lift the Florida Panthers past the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in Tuesday’s season opener for both teams.

On a night when the defenses and goaltenders had the edge, it was a blue-liner who provided the winning play to end a matchup of the last two teams to win the Cup.

The Panthers had their final chance with the game seemingly headed to a shootout as Carter Verhaeghe brought the puck into the zone with under 10 seconds left. But Verhaeghe sent the puck back toward Forsling, who fired a one-timer from near the blue line that zipped past Bussi’s glove side to end it.

That spoiled the end of a three-month celebration for the Hurricanes since beating Vegas in June to cap a 16-3 march to the franchise’s second Cup. The final piece was the players gathering at the blue line and tapping their sticks as a championship banner rose to the rafters.

That moment came against the Panthers, who reached the Stanley Cup Final for three straight years and won it all in 2024 and 2025. They had twice eliminated the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final in their run, though injuries derailed last year.

CANADIENS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2

TORONTO (AP) — Josh Anderson and Alexandre Carrier each had a goal and assist as Montreal beat Toronto.

Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal, which got 25 saves from Jakub Dobes.

William Nylander scored twice for Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots in his first game with the Maple Leafs.

No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna and Russian winger Kirill Marchenko also made their Toronto debuts – along with seven other teammates – following an off-season of change after the Original Six franchise missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade last spring.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, are coming off a campaign that saw them take a massive step following a long before falling to the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.

Nylander opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the first period when he stepped around Montreal captain and reigning Selke Trophy winner Nick Suzuki at the blue line before ripping a high shot past Dobes. Nylander tied Zdenek Nedved (Oct. 7, 1995) for the fourth-fastest goal to start a season-opener in franchise history.

BRUINS 3, RANGERS 0

BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten broke a scoreless tie with just over four minutes left, followed by goals by JJ Peterka and an empty-netter by Mark Kastelic 23 seconds apart, and Boston beat New York.

The three goals, over a 75-second span helped the Bruins extend their streak to 11 consecutive wins in home openers.

Jeremy Swayman finished with 24 saves for Boston, his 19th career shutout. Igor Shesterkin had 20 save for New York.

It was dream start for Minten, who recently signed a new seven-year deal.

Elias and Hampus Lindholm assisted on Minten’s goal. Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov assisted Kastelic.

The Rangers outshot the Bruins 24-23, but the Bruins were more aggressive throughout the night, finally breaking through when Minten got a clear path on the left side and knocked it through just past the glove of Shesterkin.

CANUCKS 6, OILERS 5, OT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Paul Cotter scored 1:59 into overtime to cap a two-goal game as Vancouver got the season off to a strong start with a win over Edmonton.

Marco Rossi, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Max Sasson and Elias Pettersson also scored for the Canucks, who are coming off a last-place finish in the NHL last season with a 25-49-8 record.

Kevin Lankinen made 32 stops.

Evan Bouchard had three goals and two assists and Vasily Podkolzin scored twice for the Oilers. Tristan Jarry made 17 saves for Edmonton.

Entering the third period tied 2-2, Pettersson capped a three-goal run by the Canucks 5:15 into the frame to swiftly put the Canucks ahead 5-2.

But Podkolzin scored at 8:56, followed by Bouchard’s third of the night 24 seconds later and Podkolzin’s second of the night with 43 seconds left in regulation to send it to extra time.

Cotter, who joined Vancouver as a free agent after spending the last two seasons in New Jersey, became the first player in Canucks history to score a short-handed goal in his debut with the team.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5, BLACKHAWKS 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists to reach 701 career points, and Vegas beat Chicago.

Victor Olofsson notched Vegas’ first goal of the season, rookie Trevor Connelly scored in his NHL debut and Noah Hanifin and Mark Stone added goals as Ryan Craig earned his first victory as the Golden Knights’ head coach. Carter Hart made 24 saves.

Jordan Greenway and Patrick Kane scored for Chicago, and Spencer Knight stopped 32 shots.

Kane marked his return to the franchise he helped lead to three Stanley Cup championships with a third-period goal, but Chicago couldn’t complete the comeback.

Craig took over after six seasons as a Vegas assistant and three coaching its AHL affiliate in Henderson. He inherited a veteran team that reached last season’s Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas got scoring from five players after trading Pavel Dorofeyev, its leading goal scorer last season with 37, including 20 on the man advantage.