The Panthers’ second and final preseason tune-up in Raleigh turned into a little more than a routine exhibition. Florida got goals from Brady Tkachuk and Sasha Barkov, but Carolina answered each time and eventually pulled out a 3-2 shootout win Tuesday night.
It was the kind of game nobody really wants to see in September: overtime hockey in the preseason, with a result that counted only in the box score and not much else. Still, the night gave Florida one more look at most of its top names before the regular season arrives.
That next look at the big guns will have to wait until next Tuesday, when the Panthers return to Raleigh to open the 2026-27 NHL season against the Hurricanes. That game will also feature Carolina raising its second Stanley Cup championship banner. There should be a much fuller building for that one than the empty seats that dotted Lenovo Center on Tuesday.
Florida jumped in front twice in the first period. Brady Tkachuk opened the scoring 4:31 in, finishing a feed from Sam Reinhart from the left circle for his third goal of the preseason.
Carolina answered at 7:00 when Bradly Nadeau buried a rebound in front of Jacob Markstrom. Then Barkov restored the lead just 15 seconds later, taking off on a breakaway and beating Brandon Bussi with a wrist shot.
The Hurricanes, playing a lineup heavy on AHL talent, kept hanging around. Justin Robidas tied it again at 11:25 of the second period after a Florida turnover deep in its own zone, scoring from the right side against backup Akira Schmid. Carolina then won it in the shootout, going 2-for-3 in the round.
The only real concern for Florida came when Brady Tkachuk did not return for the third period. Paul Maurice said the decision was precautionary and that Tkachuk could practice in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday afternoon.
“We’ll see,’’ Maurice said. “It’s not an injury, just tightened up on him. [It was an] exhibition.’’
Florida still has two preseason games left this week, though new NHL rules limit veteran players to no more than two appearances.
In Other News...
Brady Tkachuks Florida Arrival Looks Bigger Than A Normal Blockbuster
Brady Tkachuks move to South Florida already had the feel of a headline-grabber when it happened in June, with the Ottawa Senators sending him to the Panthers for draft picks after he requested a trade himself. For Florida, the fit goes beyond the usual blockbuster logic, because it brings another star into a lineup built to chase the top of the league and deepens a family connection that has hovered around the story from the start.
Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer said the push was shaped by Tkachuks desire to play with his brother Matthew in Florida, with Keith and Matthew both part of that pull. Even with the rumors that surrounded the situation, Andlauer said Senators fans continued to support Tkachuk, which gives the departure a more complicated edge than a simple split between player and club. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Have A Tough Fourth-Line Decision To Make
The Panthers are getting close to sorting out their 2026-27 opening night roster, and most of the lineup already looks settled. The real questions are down in the fourth-line mix and among the scratches, where a handful of players are still trying to separate themselves before the team has to make decisions.
Cole Reinhardt has pushed his way into that conversation after a strong preseason showing, giving Florida another option to consider as the roster nears completion. With fewer exhibition games available under the new NHL regulations, there is less time than usual for fringe players to make their case, which makes these final spots feel even tighter for a team that already has most of its pieces in place. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Tkachuk's Florida Arrival Still Has Ottawa Stirred Up
Ottawa is still sorting through what Brady Tkachuk meant to the franchise, and owner Michael Andlauer made clear this week that the captains exit was about more than hockey. Andlauer praised Tkachuk for the way he led the Senators and represented the organization in the community, even as the questions around his departure kept circling back to Florida and the pull it had on him.
Andlauer also pushed back on the idea that Tkachuks move might spark a larger wave of American players looking elsewhere, calling that talk overhyped. For Ottawa, the bigger issue is trying to steady the room after losing a centerpiece player, while the Panthers keep benefitting from the kind of addition that can shift the tone of a team long before the first puck drops. [Read more 🡒]