The Florida Panthers showed their championship mettle from last year's run to the Stanley Cup by taking control early in their 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes to open the Eastern Conference final Tuesday night.

The Panthers scored two goals in the first period against a Hurricanes team that allowed just three goals in the final three games of the second round.

The Hurricanes arrive in the final four with some rest, as they have had a couple of quick series to get to this point. After eliminating the New Jersey Devils in five games in Round 1, Carolina beat up the Washington Capitals, the team that finished with the best record in the East during the regular season, in five games.