Tkachuk scores in OT again, Panthers defeat Hurricanes in Game 2

RALEIGH, N.C. --Matthew Tkachuk scored at 1:51 of overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 2-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at PNC Arena on Saturday.

Tkachuk scored 12 seconds into a power play when he buried a shot near the right post off a tic-tac-toe passing play with Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart.

It was Tkachuk's second straight game as the overtime hero for the Panthers after he scored with 13 seconds left in the fourth overtime of a 3-2 win in Game 1 on Thursday.

"Great pass to start by 'Bennie' and a great pass by 'Rhino' there to make it really, really easy for me," Tkachuk said. "I just feel like we get better as the game goes along, so hopefully we continue that trend."

Game 3 of the best-of-7 series will be in Florida on Monday.

"Obviously, it stings," Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook said. "We wanted to get the one tonight to split it going back (to Florida), but now our mindset is we've got to go get that next one and we'll go from there. But you get to overtime and it's a toss-up and they get the power play and get their goal tonight. So, we've got to have a mindset to get that next game.

RELATED: [Complete Hurricanes vs Panthers series coverage]

Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers, who are the second wild card from the East. Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 63 saves in Game 1, made 37 saves.

"Neither team cheats the game because it's tight," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "The two teams are pretty disciplined in their game, it stays tight. They're both comfortable in that game. It is that tight. We've been doing this for a couple months."

Jalen Chatfield scored for the Hurricanes, who are the No. 1 seed from the Metropolitan Division. Antti Raanta made 24 saves in his first start since Game 5 of the first round against the New York Islanders (April 25).

"I thought we had the better of it, just haven't found a way to score," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "You're right there and you know maybe you should have had it tonight, and it is what it is.

"We've been through this, so this is not new to us. We've been kicked in the teeth here a lot these last few years and we've always responded. I'm pretty sure we will the next game."

Chatfield gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 1:43 of the first period. Bobrovsky steered aside a shot from Stefan Noesen, but Sebastian Aho collected the rebound in the left circle and centered the puck to Chatfield, who redirected it just inside the right post.

Gustav Forsling appeared to tie it at 2:44, but Carolina challenged the play for offside, and the call was reversed after a video review.

Jack Drury then appeared to extend the Hurricanes' lead at 15:56 of the first, but this time Florida challenged for offside, and again the call was reversed after a video review.

Barkov did tie the game 1-1 at 7:43 of the second period. He took a pass from Josh Mahura as he was cutting toward the net, faked a between-the-legs move, and scored with a backhand past Raanta's outstretched glove.

"I don't know if I can tell you everything about that," Barkov said. "It's just whatever I practice throughout my whole life, when you go and skate outdoors. You practice those and they get back in your head. Whenever there is half a second, you have to decide. You just do it. Thankfully that came to my mind at that point."

Tkachuk said it was "one of the nicest goals I've seen."

"A fake through the legs. Not many guys can stick-handle it so close to themselves and fake it through their legs," he said. "That was insane. … Just a huge goal for us. He's been so good for us all year."

Bobrovsky made his best save of the game at 13:53 of the second to keep the game tied. He pushed to his right and stretched out with his blocker to rob Teuvo Teravainen, who had redirected a pass from Martin Necas.

"[Necas] sold the shot very well. I bought it," Bobrovsky said. "And then in the last moment, I was able to hold my feet and get the push. They made a great play, I just got lucky on it.

"I have a belief. We have a great group of guys. Again, it's a privilege for me to be in the group of guys and to help these guys as well."

NOTES:The Panthers are 6-0 in overtime games this postseason, including 5-0 on the road. ... Florida extended its road winning streak to eight games. The only team in Stanley Cup Playoff history with a longer run was the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 (10 games). … Tkachuk is the second player in NHL history to score the overtime winner on the road in each of the first two games of a playoff series, joining Maurice Richard, who did it for the Montreal Canadiens against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1951 semifinals. ... Carolina has lost 10 straight games in the Eastern Conference Final (swept in 2009 and 2019).