RALEIGH, N.C. – The Florida Panthers will face another tough test when they wrap up their two-game road trip with a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Thursday.
Pitting two of the stingiest teams in the league against one another, the Panthers are giving up the fewest goals per game in the league (2.35), while the Hurricanes are allowing the fifth fewest (2.68).
“They’re a really good team and they play hard,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “We know what we’re getting every time we come here. I think it’s just kind of sticking with it. We know what game they’re going to play, so it’s just knowing [that] and sticking to what makes us successful.”
Increasing their NHL-leading point total to 94, the Panthers, who’ve won 18 of their last 21 games, improved to 45-17-4 with a wild come-from-behind win at Dallas on Tuesday. Erasing a 3-0 deficit, they scored four straight goals – including three on the power play – to stun the Stars in a 4-3 win.
Trailing 3-1 entering the third period after a strike from Sam Reinhart on the power play got them on the board in the second, the Panthers lit the lamp three times within a span of just 3:29 to take the lead. Aleksander Barkov netted a pair of goals in the period, while Sam Bennett tipped in the other one.
Banged up during the win, Bennett will not suit up against the Hurricanes. Additionally, Evan Rodrigues will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Both players are considered day to day. In Bennett’s absence, Anton Lundell will move up to center the team’s second line.
Jonah Gadjovich will also slot back into the lineup.
Having a season for the ages, Reinhart leads the Panthers with 77 points, including scoring a career-high 46 goals. Tkachuk, who’s produced 15 multi-assist games this season, is second in scoring with 74 points (21 goals, 53 assists). Tied for third, Verhaeghe and Barkov have each registered 66 points.
Standing tall in Dallas with 27 saves – including 12 high-danger stops – Sergei Bobrovsky will return to the crease against Carolina. Third in the NHL in wins (32), the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has posted an 18-3-1 record with a .926 save percentage and two shutouts in his last 23 appearances.
“He’s just a pro all over – off the ice, on the ice” Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said.
Sitting second in the Metropolitan Division at 39-20-6, the Hurricanes have won five of their last seven games, but enter tonight’s tilt looking to rebound from a 1-0 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.
Shut out in their own barn, the Hurricanes fired 28 shots at New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin, with none managing to get past the former Vezina Trophy winner. Nearly matching Shesterkin save for save, Pyotr Kochetkov did more than hold his own in Carolina’s cage, stopping 23 of 24 shots.
In the end, Adam Fox’s goal at 19:52 of the first period held up us as the game-winner.
Acquired from the Penguins at the trade deadline, Jake Guentzel, who had been on LTIR since Feb. 15, made his debut with the Hurricanes in the loss, recording one shot on goal in 15:12 of ice time.
In 51 games this season, the former Stanley Cup champion forward has logged 52 points.
“I just felt all right,” Guentzel told reporters after his first game in a Hurricanes sweater. “It’s a fast game. (My new) team plays fast. You got to make sure you have your top speed at all times.”
Sebastian Aho leads the Hurricanes in goals (25), assists (43) and points (68). Fueling the team’s ninth-ranked offense (3.31 goals per game), three other players in addition to Aho have also already hit the 20-goal mark this campaign: Teuvo Teravainen (21), Seth Jarvis (20) and Martin Necas (20).
That group doesn’t include Guentzel, who lit the lamp 22 times with Pittsburgh.
“I think it’s more of a puck-possession game that they’re playing now,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of the Hurricanes. “They’re trying to beat you at the line. You’ve got some younger players, Necas and these guys, kind of coming of age, too, with their puck control and their speed.”
In Carolina’s net, it’ll either be Kochetkov or Frederik Andersen tonight.
After missing 49 games due to blood clotting issues, Andersen has backstopped the Hurricanes to wins in each of his two starts since returning to action while stopping 42 of 45 shots (.933%). As for Kochetkov, the 24-year-old goaltender has gone 17-12-3 with a .911 save percentage this season.
Facing off for the third and final time this season, the Panthers and Hurricanes, who could possibly meet again come playoff time, have split their two previous matchups. After the Panthers cruised to a 5-2 win in Sunrise back on Nov. 10, the Hurricanes responded with a 1-0 win in Raleigh on Feb. 22.
In that loss, the Panthers lost both Tkachuk and top-pair defenseman Gustav Forsling to injuries early.
Starting both games for Florida, Bobrovsky owns a .949 save percentage in the season series.
“I liked our game in here last time,” Maurice said. “I think we ended up putting 45 [shots] on them, but zero [goals]. Both goaltenders were very, very good. There was a break at the end of the game [for Carolina]. Forsling and Tkachuk had gone out early in that one. I was really happy with our game.”
PREGAME QUOTES
“He plays against the other team’s best. If it’s not their best, it’s their fastest and most creative players. His ability to close the gap, swing in and kill plays, the stuff that never gets to the net or gets generated as an offensive chance [is something] that maybe doesn’t get noticed.” – Paul Maurice on Gustav Forsling’s contributions to the Cats
“One of the biggest things is that we want to give nothing off the rush. That was kind of from day one. I think when we get our forecheck going and a couple fills going, we kind of get to our game. That’s kind of our number one priority.” – Carter Verhaeghe on Florida’s defensive approach
“We want to kind of get back to playing our game. I thought we came out slow in the Dallas game. They kind of pushed us back. We want to get to playing the way we can and dictate the play out there.” – Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the key to tonight’s game
FIVE CATS STATS
- Florida’s 24 road wins are tied for the most in franchise history.
- Since Jan. 22, the Panthers lead the NHL with a 38.2% success rate on the power play.
- Aleksander Barkov’s 31 career multi-goal games are tied for the most in franchise history.
- Gustav Forsling has recorded one goal and seven assists during his five-game point streak.
- Carter Verhaeghe has scored a team-leading 22 goals at even strength.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Vladimir Tarasenko – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Anton Lundell – Matthew Tkachuk
Nick Cousins – Eetu Luostarinen – Kyle Okposo
Jonah Gadjovich – Kevin Stenlund – Ryan Lomberg
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- March 8: F Kyle Okposo acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2024 conditional 7th round pick and D Calle Sjalin.
- March 8: G Magnus Hellberg acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for G Ludovic Waeber and a 2025 conditional 7th round pick.
- March 8: Claimed D Tobias Bjornfot off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights.
- March 7: D Gustav Forsling signed to an 8-year extension commencing in 2024-25.
- March 7: F Jonah Gadjovich signed to a 2-year extension commencing in 2024-25.
- March 6: F Vladimir Tarasenko acquired from the Ottawa Senators.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports+
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932; Panthers App
