The Florida Panthers play against the Carolina Hurricanes in game 1 of their NHL Playoff series tonight. The matchup will begin at 7 p.m. CT on TNT. Fans can watch the Eastern Conference Finals for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV Stream. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Panthers are coming off a close seven-game series against Toronto, as they won 6-1 in game 7.

In order to win the series opener tonight, the Panthers will need a great performance from their star forward Brad Marchand. He currently leads the team with 12 points and nine assists. Notably, Marchand is coming off a three-point performance.

If Marchand continues to find offensive success this evening, then Florida will be a difficult team to beat.

The Hurricanes have played well throughout the postseason, as they enter this matchup with an 8-2 record, In their last series, the Hurricanes defeated Washington in five games.

In order to win game 1, the Hurricanes will need a great performance from their forward Andrei Svechnikov. He currently leads the team with eight goals in the postseason.

Fans can watch game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV Stream. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.