QUICK NOTES: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Florida Panthers 1

The Florida Panthers dropped their first game of 2025 after being on the wrong end of a controversial missed goaltender interference call

The Florida Panthers started off the calendar year of 2025 on a sour note, dropping their Thursday night clash with the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1, amid a controversial missed goaltender interference play.

On said play — with the game tied at 1-1 with 7:30 to go in the third period — Sergei Bobrovsky was down after Jesperi Kotkaniemi crashed into him following a breakaway attempt. Kotkaniemi was stuck in the crease, obstructing his ability to make the save, and Jaccob Slavin cashed in with a slap shot for the go-ahead goal.

The argument for the good goal call was that Matthew Tkachuk was in the crease burying Kotkaniemi, making it hard for him to get up and out of the way, but Bobrovsky argued his case that play should have been blown dead in the first place.

Alas, it stuck as the game-winning goal and Florida dropped its third game in regulation in its past four contests.

That play was not all to blame for the Panthers’ loss, however.

Brent Burns put Carolina ahead 35 seconds into the game and Florida sunk in from there.

At one point, the Hurricanes were outshooting the Panthers 11-1 and it took them awhile to even get in the game.

Anton Lundell tied things up with a backhand shot 2:17 into the second period.

The Panthers fought their way back into it, but could not come up with an answer after Slavin’s goal.

They will return to action on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.