June 1, 2006.

That’s the last time the Carolina Hurricanes won a game in the conference finals, defeating the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Since then, they’ve dropped 13 consecutive games in the conference finals, the latest coming Tuesday against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of this year’s Eastern Conference finals.

The defending champion Panthers got goals from five different players, including two power play tallies, as they stole home ice advantage away from the Hurricanes.

Carolina will hope to regroup and break a semifinal slide that started in 2009, when it was swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hurricanes were then swept in the Eastern Conference finals in 2019 (by the Bruins) and 2023 (by the Panthers).

Here’s all the highlights from Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers:

Panthers vs. Hurricanes highlights

Final score: Panthers 5, Hurricanes 2

Eetu Luostarinen added to Florida’s lead with a goal at 14:55 of the third.

The Hurricanes finally scored again at 16:19, on the power play, but it was too little, too late.

Brad Marchand’s night ends early

The Panthers’ pest was assessed four minutes in roughing minors and a 10-minute misconduct after he went after Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who had appeared to intentionally shoot the puck right at Marchand.

Gostisbehere’s shot was seemingly in response to Marchand’s actions earlier in his shift, when he clipped Gostisbehere after the defenseman had moved the puck.

Gostisbehere was only assessed two minutes for roughing, so the Hurricanes got a power play. Since the incident occurred at 8:15 of the third period, and with 14 minutes of penalties on the board, Marchand was escorted to the locker room.

Panthers 4, Hurricanes 1: Florida scores another power play goal

The Panthers went over 15 minutes without a shot, per TNT’s broadcast, but they made their 16th shot of the game count.

Sam Bennett’s shot from deep found its way past Frederik Andersen at 6:08 of the third period. The Panthers were on the power play after Scott Morrow took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass.

Feels like this one might just be about over.

Panthers 3, Hurricanes 1: End of second period

There was no more scoring in the second period after A.J. Greer’s goal. Each team got a power play chance in the period but neither converted.

Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has 12 saves on 15 shots (.800 save percentage). The top goalie in the playoffs so far, Andersen gave up just six goals total in five games against Washington.

Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky has stopped 19 of the 20 shots he’s faced.

Panthers 3, Hurricanes 1: A.J. Greer scores

Florida has its two-goal lead back early in the second period.

A.J. Greer cashed in with a nice shot off a strong Panthers rush at 3:33 of the second.

Panthers 2, Hurricanes 1: Carolina cuts deficit just before intermission break

Some redemption for Sebastian Aho, whose (perhaps unfair) penalty led to Florida’s first goal. The puck deflects off his skate and goes past Sergei Bobrovsky with just 16 seconds to play in the first period.

Panthers 2, Hurricanes 0: Aaron Ekblad extends Florida’s lead

Carolina has quite a hill to climb now if it’s to avoid a 13th consecutive loss in the conference finals.

The former No. 1 overall pick doubled Florida’s lead with a perfectly-placed shot at 12:29 of the first period.

Panthers 1, Hurricanes 0: Florida scores power-play goal

Carter Verhaeghe gets the defending champs on the board with a power-play goal at 8:30 of the first period, scoring on the backhand from in tight.

A tough roughing call on Sebastian Aho short-circuited a Carolina power play and led to the Florida extra-man chance after 4-on-4 play expired.

What time is Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the Carolina Hurricanes-Florida Panthers series is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh, North Carolina.

How to watch Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Location: Lenovo Center (Raleigh, North Carolina)
• TV: TNT
• Stream: Sling TV, Max

The NASCAR Hall of Fame will induct Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick in the Class of 2026, the hall announced Tuesday.

Busch and Gant were selected from the Modern Era Ballot, each garnering 61% of the vote. Jeff Burton, Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton were the next-highest finishers who didn’t make the cut.

Hendrick was voted in on the Pioneer Ballot with 31% of the votes. Bob Welborn finished second.

Busch, 46, made the Hall in his first year on the ballot. He was the Cup Series champion in 2004 and won 34 times in the Cup Series, including two crown jewel races: the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2017 Daytona 500.

Gant, 85, followed 21 victories in what’s now called the Xfinity Series with 18 wins in the Cup Series, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. Already a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Gant was in his seventh year on the NASCAR Hall’s ballot.

Gant also holds the record for the oldest driver to win a Cup Series race (52 years, eight months) when he prevailed at Michigan International Speedway in 1992.

Hendrick, who died in 1990, enjoyed a 36-year motorsports career and was known throughout the South as ‘Mr. Modified’ for his successes in modified stock car racing. He is credited with more than 700 victories in modified racing and the Late Model Sportsman Series.

Busch, Gant and Hendrick were all named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list for the league’s 75th anniversary in 2023.

NASCAR also recognized H.A. ‘Humpy’ Wheeler, former president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

The Class of 2026 will be inducted on Jan. 23 in Charlotte.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have never won an NBA championship. They haven’t even played in the NBA Finals since joining the NBA as an expansion team in 1989.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been to the Finals once since relocating from Seattle in 2008, losing to the Miami Heat in 2012, and the franchise hasn’t won a title since the SuperSonics did in 1979 – when Jack Sikma’s fancy footwork and Gus Williams’ offense ruled the league.

One of those teams is going to the Finals as they meet in the Western Conference finals, starting with Game 1 Tuesday in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Who will it be?

Here are the storylines to watch in the Timberwolves vs. Thunder Western Conference finals:

Stars align with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards

Look at the NBA finalists and champions. You need stars to win, and both teams have them. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP finalist and very well could win the award for the first time in his career. He’s a scorer first, especially inside the 3-point line and at the foul line, but he can create for others. Teammate Jalen Williams was an All-Star for the first time this season, and though he had an inconsistent conference semifinals offensively, he delivered in Game 7 against Denver with 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Thunder will need that from him against Minnesota.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will make one of the three All-NBA teams this season as he gets closer to MVP territory. Just 23 years old, Edwards’ ability to score, rebound, pass and defend makes him difficult to match-up with offensively and defensively. He’s fun to watch and has a delightful swagger to his game. Forward Julius Randle was not an All-Star this season, but he has been one in the past and he’s playing like one now. Against Golden State in the conference semifinals, he scored 20 points in four of the five games, including 31 in Game 4 and produced a triple-double in Game 3.

X-factors on strong rosters

Every game has a player who makes a bigger-than-expected contribution. It’s not always the same player, especially with the depth Minnesota and Oklahoma City possess. For Minnesota, it might be Jaden McDaniel’s defense or Rudy Gobert’s rim protection. Or a timely 3-pointer from Mike Conley or a big game from Donte DiVincenzo or Naz Reid.

For the Thunder, Alex Caruso was that player in Game 7 against Denver, with 11 points, three assists, three steals and intense defense. Chet Holmgren – at 7-1 – can make 3s, rebound and block shots, presenting unique problems for the opponent. Center Isaiah Hartenstein can deliver a double-double and Lu Dort’s shooting and defense can impact the outcome. The Thunder will go deep into their bench with Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams.

Thunder-Timberwolves coaching matchup

It’s a players’ league, and they will determine the outcome with what they do or fail to do on the court. But coaches influence the outcome in multiple ways. Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, the 2023-24 Coach of the Year, and Minnesota’s Chris Finch, who finished third for the award last season, are two of the best. Whether it’s finding an unusual rotation, designing a play to get a game-winning shot, going to a zone defense or using a coach’s challenge at the right time, their decisions will be scrutinized. Both have been fantastic over the past couple of seasons, and while they won’t have the same kind of say in who wins as the players, a great coach can steal a game with the right call at the right time.

(This story was updated to add a new video).

Flag football is coming to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles – and NFL players can participate.

“It’s an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I know first-hand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage. We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”  

The ratification required at least 24 out of 32 NFL owners to vote in favor of allowing players to participate in flag football.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee announced in October 2023 that flag football would be included on the 2028 Olympics sports program.

The Olympic flag football competition will consist of six men’s teams and six women’s teams composed of 10 players per team, with the game itself a five-on-five format. According to the NFL, NFL player participation with their countries’ national flag football teams will begin with a tryout or qualification process in advance of the Olympic competition.

Olympic flag football will be held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The 22,000-seat soccer stadium is adjacent to the LA Memorial Coliseum.

“There is no question that the 2028 Flag Football tournament at the LA28 Games will be one of the most exciting competitions in Olympic history, and the inclusion of NFL players will bring it to new heights,’ Los Angeles Olympics chairperson and president Casey Wasserman said in a statement. ‘This milestone would not have been possible without the support of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL Players Association, its club owners and most importantly, the athletes, who we’ll look forward to watching on the field in 2028.”  

This story has been updated.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

After an Indiana Pacers fan braved the chaos in New York City, its star Tyrese Haliburton is making sure he gets taken of during the Eastern Conference finals.

In the hours after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their second round series to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, a man wearing a Haliburton jersey was seen roaming the streets around Madison Square Garden as Knicks fans flooded the area. The heavily pro-Knicks crowd didn’t like seeing someone wear the jersey of not only a heated rival, but of someone who New York will face in the next round.

The video went viral on social media, and former Colts punter Indiana sports mega-fan and Pat McAfee wanted to find out who the Pacers fan was. He found him, and had him join the popular ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’

The Pacers fan is Hans Perez, a New York firefighter who told McAfee he’s been a die-hard Pacers since he was a kid. He admitted he got too close to the frenzy happening in the streets, and at one point was looking for police.

‘I don’t know if I can go into the mob, but I’m going to go close by and feel the energy, get ready for the series,’ Perez said about his idea to go out. ‘It started getting a little more handsy. Dudes wanted the jersey. I started to get a little nervous.’

McAfee wasn’t the only one to see the brave effort from Perez. Haliburton saw the video and joined the show to give Perez a special gift.

‘I wanna personally bring you and a plus one out here to come to Game 4, here in Indiana,’ Haliburton said. ‘Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you’re taken care of. The whole team’s excited to meet you.’

Perez was hyped about the invitation, and he now has the chance to see his favorite team play as it tries to reach its first NBA Finals in 25 years. Guess the brave action turned out to have some benefit.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have never won an NBA championship. They haven’t even played in the NBA Finals since joining the NBA as an expansion team in 1989.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been to the Finals once since relocating from Seattle in 2008, losing to the Miami Heat in 2012, and the franchise hasn’t won a title since the SuperSonics did in 1979 – when Jack Sikma’s fancy footwork and Gus Williams’ offense ruled the league.

One of those teams is going to the Finals as they meet in the Western Conference finals, starting with Game 1 Tuesday in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Who will it be?

Here are the storylines to watch in the Timberwolves vs. Thunder Western Conference finals:

Stars align with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards

Look at the NBA finalists and champions. You need stars to win, and both teams have them. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP finalist and very well could win the award for the first time in his career. He’s a scorer first, especially inside the 3-point line and at the foul line, but he can create for others. Teammate Jalen Williams was an All-Star for the first time this season, and though he had an inconsistent conference semifinals offensively, he delivered in Game 7 against Denver with 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Thunder will need that from him against Minnesota.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will make one of the three All-NBA teams this season as he gets closer to MVP territory. Just 23 years old, Edwards’ ability to score, rebound, pass and defend makes him difficult to match-up with offensively and defensively. He’s fun to watch and has a delightful swagger to his game. Forward Julius Randle was not an All-Star this season, but he has been one in the past and he’s playing like one now. Against Golden State in the conference semifinals, he scored 20 points in four of the five games, including 31 in Game 4 and produced a triple-double in Game 3.

X-factors on strong rosters

Every game has a player who makes a bigger-than-expected contribution. It’s not always the same player, especially with the depth Minnesota and Oklahoma City possess. For Minnesota, it might be Jaden McDaniel’s defense or Rudy Gobert’s rim protection. Or a timely 3-pointer from Mike Conley or a big game from Donte DiVincenzo or Naz Reid.

For the Thunder, Alex Caruso was that player in Game 7 against Denver, with 11 points, three assists, three steals and intense defense. Chet Holmgren – at 7-1 – can make 3s, rebound and block shots, presenting unique problems for the opponent. Center Isaiah Hartenstein can deliver a double-double and Lu Dort’s shooting and defense can impact the outcome. The Thunder will go deep into their bench with Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams.

Thunder-Timberwolves coaching matchup

It’s a players’ league, and they will determine the outcome with what they do or fail to do on the court. But coaches influence the outcome in multiple ways. Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, the 2023-24 Coach of the Year, and Minnesota’s Chris Finch, who finished third for the award last season, are two of the best. Whether it’s finding an unusual rotation, designing a play to get a game-winning shot, going to a zone defense or using a coach’s challenge at the right time, their decisions will be scrutinized. Both have been fantastic over the past couple of seasons, and while they won’t have the same kind of say in who wins as the players, a great coach can steal a game with the right call at the right time.

Netflix is back at it again with another foray into its sports documentary series, and the latest one focuses on Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.

The very definition of the word ‘untold’ is inappropriate here, as those casual sports fans who don’t live and die by every game, or have a rooting interest in an athlete, certainly have heard about portions of Favre’s career on and off the field.

In other words, there isn’t much of anything new or earthshattering here, and because it was no shock that Favre is a non-participant in the documentary, you won’t see anything that resembles contrition for Favre’s well-documented misdeeds, either.

One of the more interesting parts of the latest ‘Untold’ from Netflix is that the documentary is only one hour long, which is surprising given the complexity of the subject featured.

In efforts to tell a balanced story, Favre’s career is the focus of the first 12 minutes of the film, and then Jenn Sterger makes an appearance to tell her story about Favre sending her unsolicited pictures of his private parts when they were both employed by the New York Jets.

‘Brett Favre ultimately destroyed my life,’ said Sterger, who was a Jets in-stadium game-day host. ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them.’

To this day, according to Sterger, she has yet to meet Favre, who the NFL fined $50,000 for not cooperating with their investigation.

So, who exactly is Brett Favre? If you are watching this film looking for an answer to that question, you won’t find it here.

Favre apologists will undoubtedly look at the film as a glorified hit piece, and indeed, the last portion of the film, there isn’t much good if you’re looking for great things to be said about him. Sterger is extensively featured in the documentary, and her story could really stand to use its own episode to tie in the rest of Favre’s story.

And of course, it touches on the scandal concerning welfare funds in Mississippi, where Favre sought to build a new arena at Southern Mississippi, where his daughter was a member of the volleyball team.

The film also shows executive producer A.J. Perez listening to audio recordings after being threatened by Favre’s representatives for reporting on the Mississippi welfare scandal, which might be the most interesting part of the entire film. (Perez was previously employed as a reporter for USA TODAY.)

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Favre ended up using the courts to try to clear his name, suing media personalities Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee for defamation, as well as the State Auditor of Mississippi and two journalists, including Anna Wolfe, a reporter with Mississippi Today, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting.

Sharpe said Favre would have to be a sorry person ‘to steal from the lowest of the low,’ and McAfee opined that the three-time NFL MVP was ‘stealing from poor people in Mississippi.’ A federal appeals court tossed out the lawsuit against Sharpe last September, and Favre dropped his suit against McAfee in 2023.

The documentary goes through its paces and does its job to hold a viewer’s attention, but if you are looking for mind-changing, thought-provoking content, this isn’t it.

A Florida state judge on Tuesday denied a request from the father of NFL rookie Travis Hunter to modify the father’s criminal sentence, saying it would look like “special treatment” if he allowed this simply because the father’s circumstances changed since his son was picked No. 2 overall in the NFL draft last month.

The father, Travis Hunter Sr., had asked the court to convert his remaining sentence of community control supervision to a less restrictive form of probation so that he can “assist his son with furthering his very promising career with the National Football League,” according to his request in court.

Hunter Sr., 39, is about halfway through the community control portion of his sentence stemming from gun and drug charges, according to his court filing. He received permission from the court to travel to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in April to attend the NFL draft with his son.

“In this case, he’s not only been successful in community control − he’s completed everything that he had in community control,” Hunter Sr.’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, told the judge. “And what’s so important to me is that his situation has changed.”

“You say that, but what’s going on with his son has not changed the landscape,” Judge Howard Coates said in a public hearing in Palm Beach County that also was viewable online.

In a separate ruling Tuesday, Judge Coates did grant permission for Hunter Sr. to travel to Tennessee this coming weekend to attend Hunter Jr.’s wedding there Saturday. Hunter Jr., the two-way star from Colorado, is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars after winning the Heisman Trophy in December.

The judge just didn’t want to modify Hunter Sr.’s sentence beyond these occasional special trips.

Judge questions ‘special treatment’

The judge noted that Hunter Sr.’s sentence came from a plea deal last year that was agreed to by the state and Hunter Sr. It included 90 days in jail and three years of probation, including one year in community control supervision. Community control in Florida is defined as an intensive supervision program in which defendants are confined to their homes unless they are working or attending approved activities, according to the state.The judge questioned why it should be changed simply because of his son’s success.

“I hear these circumstances have changed, you know, my hat’s off to his son,” the judge said. “I don’t know that changes the father’s situation for me. In fact, it’s given me some concern that you’re almost arguing for special treatment.”

“I’m not, judge, and I’ll tell you why,” Cohen said. “If someone was to win the lottery and someone was to get a new job, if someone was to move to a different neighborhood, all those situational changes aren’t asking for favoritism whatsoever. What I’m saying is his situation has changed in that his son is able to employ him. His son is able to give him stable housing and a stable environment. Those things are not asking for special treatment, judge. Those are simply issues that arose that changed the situational of an individual.”

The judge didn’t buy it. The state prosecutor also objected to the request while Hunter Sr. looked on in court.

“That’s not special treatment; I’m not looking at that,” Cohen said.

“So say you, but probably 99 percent of the public out there that doesn’t have an athlete son who’s incredibly successful, might look at this and say, ‘This sounds like special treatment for the athlete’s father,’” the judge replied.

The Lil Wayne connections to this case

Hunter Sr. is understandably trying to improve his situation through his son’s connections and budding pro football career. He is represented by attorney Bradford Cohen, a former contestant on “The Apprentice” who helped secure a gun-charge pardon from President Donald Trump for rapper Lil Wayne in 2021.

Lil Wayne is a friend of Hunter Jr. and Deion Sanders, Hunter Jr.’s coach at Colorado.

Lil Wayne also attended Hunter Jr.’s Heisman Trophy ceremony in December when Hunter Jr. talked about his dad not being there, telling his father he loved him and that “I did it for you, man.”

In another connection, Hunter Jr.’s agent is Adie Van Gontard, who co-founded with Lil Wayne the sports agency that enlists Hunter Jr. as a client.

What happened with Travis Hunter Sr.?

It stems from an incident in Lantana, Florida, in November 2023, when Hunter Sr. was pulled over by police after the officer said he didn’t have “any lights for the tag” on his car, according to the police report. Police identified him as a habitual traffic offender with no driver’s license and subjected him to a search that allegedly found drugs and a backpack with a pistol and loaded magazine, according to court records.

Cohen said there were “issues” with the underlying case against Hunter Sr., implying the plea deal he agreed to was made by prosecutors to move the case along.

Hunter Sr., a former high school sports star in Palm Beach County, ended up being charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon after a prior conviction in 2018 for “sale or possession of heroin with intent to sell.” Hunter Sr. reached a plea deal last year to plead guilty to drug possession and the gun charge, leading to a sentence of 90 days in jail. He got released on Dec. 5, just nine days before the Heisman ceremony in New York.

He also was sentenced to three years of probation, including one year of community control supervision, which was the subject of the hearing Tuesday.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com