Panthers win NHL's sixth-longest game ever
- Kendall Baker, author of Axios Sports
Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images
The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes began playing at 8pm ET on Thursday night. Around 2am, Florida finally won the sixth-longest game in National Hockey League history.
Driving the news: Matthew Tkachuk scored with 12.7 seconds left in quadruple overtime to give the Panthers a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.
By the numbers: The two teams combined for 125 shots, with Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky making 63 saves and Carolina's Frederik Andersen making 57 saves.
- This game required 79 minutes and 47 seconds of overtime, while the longest game ever required 116:30.
- That game took place on March 24, 1936, with the Detroit Red Wings beating the Montreal Maroons, 1-0, in the sixth OT.
ICYMI: It was pretty hilarious watching Wayne Gretzky in the TNT studio as the game kept going … and going … and going. My man looked exhausted. Wayne, I hope you're sleeping like a baby right now.
Fun fact … Tkachuk went to high school with Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. We'll see if his former classmate can top him tonight when Boston hosts the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the National Basketball Association's Eastern Conference final.