The Carolina Hurricanes picked up a dramatic 1–0 victory against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, as Sebastian Aho scored the game’s lone goal with just 18 seconds left in regulation.
After the final buzzer, tempers flared between the two sides, and a postgame brawl erupted. A scrum of players could be seen throwing punches along the boards after regulation expired, with Canes’ goalie Pyotr Kochetkov not hesitating to get involved on the heels of his shutout performance.
The postgame skirmish was eventually cleared up, and players returned to their respective locker rooms. After things had cooled down, Carolina’s social media team took the opportunity to take a shot at the Panthers on X.
“You lost guys. Just go home,” wrote the Hurricanes on X, sharing some footage from the melee.
You lost guys. Just go home. pic.twitter.com/T6nSQ4EWfB
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 23, 2024
Frustrations were high for Florida after their offensive efforts fell short on Thursday. The Panthers put 44 shots on net in the loss, but none were able to get past the stellar Kochetkov, who recorded the seventh shutout of his career.
WE GOT FIREWORKS AT THE END OF THE CANES-CATS GAME 💥
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 23, 2024
KOCHETKOV IS IN THE MIX 😱 pic.twitter.com/BUKlOAL8IZ
The two teams will meet again on March 14 in their final matchup of the regular season. The possibility remains for them to meet in the NHL Playoffs, too, much like last season when Florida eliminated Carolina in a lopsided four-game sweep.
