139:47
That was how long Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final lasted.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers grinded it out for nearly 140 minutes of hockey — the sixth longest game in NHL history — but it was the Panthers who managed to get the winning bounce in the waning seconds of the fourth overtime period Friday morning at PNC Arena.
“It’s the worst way to lose,” said coach Rod Brind’Amour. “There’s no way around it. You’d rather lose in a game where you really didn’t have a chance to win.