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The Florida Panthers dropped their second preseason contest to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, a far more intense battle than their previous meeting. The game, held at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, saw the Hurricanes edge out the Panthers in a shootout after a gritty, penalty-filled affair.
From the opening puck drop, the energy was noticeably higher than in Sunday's matchup, which Florida won. The teams combined for 11 penalties, and the physicality was on full display early when Bokondji "Boko" Imama dropped the gloves in a first-period fight that ignited the crowd.
In net, backup goaltender Akira Schmid, filling in for Jacob Markstrom, turned in a solid performance. Schmid stopped every shot he faced through the second period, the entire third period, and overtime, though he surrendered both goals in the shootout. Overall, he looked capable in his role.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov continued to demonstrate why his presence was sorely missed last season. He finished with a goal and an assist, with his tally coming just 18 seconds after Carolina's first-period goal—a momentum-swinging play that has become his trademark. Barkov will likely sit out the next two preseason games, having shown he is fully ready for the regular season.
Brady Tkachuk, who achieved a Gordie Howe hat trick in the previous game against Carolina, nearly replicated that feat on Tuesday. He scored the opening goal and assisted on Barkov's marker, but did not engage in a fight. However, he experienced a minor injury scare at the end of the second period when something tightened up, according to head coach Paul Maurice. Tkachuk sat out the third period, overtime, and shootout, but would have returned if it were a regular-season game.
Key Analysis
The Panthers' next preseason game is Thursday night in Tampa Bay, where the rivalry is expected to be as heated as ever. However, a new CBA rule will force Florida to ice a depleted lineup: any player with at least 100 games of NHL experience is limited to two exhibition appearances, meaning all players who faced Carolina twice will be unavailable. This will give AHL prospects a chance to shine in what promises to be a frenzied, high-energy affair. The puck drops at 7 PM.