Looking to extend their season-long winning streak to seven games, the Panthers will kick off their six-game road trip with a key matchup against the Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Tuesday.
And if this season has taught us anything, this game will likely go more than 60 minutes.
Preview: Streaking Panthers Expect Another Tight Battle with Hurricanes
Despite picking up the win in just one of four games against the Hurricanes so far this season, the Panthers have clawed their way to points in all but one of those matchups as three of them went beyond the third period and were eventually decided in either overtime or the shootout.
With that track record, Panthers coach Joel Quenneville expects another tight battle tonight.
"We expect much of the same," Quenneville said after this morning's skate. "They bring a lot of energy to the game, so things happen fast. Not a lot of time, not a lot of space at 5-on-5, and then you go on the power play and it's even tighter. We expect that type of game, not a lot of room. Let's try and be simple, but know being safe and being quick is going to be the answer."
Sitting atop the Central Division with a record of 26-9-4, the Panthers are fresh off a 3-0 win over the Blue Jackets on Sunday. In the win, Aleksander Barkov, Frank Vatrano and Gustav Forsling all scored, while Chris Driedger made 32 saves for his second shutout of the season.
Finding the back of the net in each of the last three games, Vatrano has become somewhat of the team's unofficial "Mr. Clutch" this season. Of his 13 goals, eight have come during the third period - which are tied for the second-most in the NHL - and two more have come in overtime.
After missing six games with a lower-body injury, Barkov has posted points in back-to-back games to push his point total on the season to 40 (14 goals, 26 assists). That number places him second on the team, trailing only Jonathan Huberdeau's 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists).
"He's a great player," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said of Barkov, who he skates with on the team's vaunted top line. "He has a huge impact on the game. He's a leader and our captain. He just gives us so much more depth. Getting him back was a huge boost for us."
With a chance to extend his personal unbeaten streak to four games, Sergei Bobrovsky will be tasked with manning the crease for the Panthers in Carolina. Tied for fifth in the NHL in wins with 15, the 32-year-old netminder has been playing out of his mind over his last three games.
Backstopping Florida to wins over Dallas, Detroit and Columbus during that stretch, he turned aside 110 of 116 shots for an exceptional .948 save percentage. In his most-recent appearance, he made a season-high 44 saves during a 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets on Sunday in Sunrise.
"They've done a great job bailing us out this year," Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said of the goaltending tandem of Bobrovsky and Driedger. "All the credit to them. They have a great little goalie tandem. Bob's been stepping up in a great way this year, and so has Driegs."
Trailing the Panthers by only three points for the coveted top spot in the Central Division, the Hurricanes have won five of their last seven contests, including a 1-0 blanking of the Stars on Sunday in which goaltender Petr Mrazek stopped all 28 shots he faced in his return from injury.
Off to a great start before being sidelined for more than two months with an injury to his thumb, Mrazek, who is expected to be between the pipes for the Hurricanes tonight, boasts a 3-1-0 record on top of a miniscule 0.74 goals-against average and outstanding .968 save percentage.
"It felt good to be back," Mrazek told reporters after the game. "It has been a long journey."
Sebastian Aho leads Carolina with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists), but has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last four games. Just under him, Dougie Hamilton ranks second with 30 points (four goals, 26 assists), while Vincent Trocheck is third with 29 (14 goals, 15 assists).
Dealt from the Panthers to the Hurricane at last year's trade deadline, Trocheck has touched the twine in each of the four games he's played against his former team this season and also enters tonight's matchup on a 10-game point streak in which he's notched five goals and eight assists.
"Troch works hard," Weegar said. "He's kind of one of those players that can skate fast up the neutral zone. I think if we can sort of shut him down skating up the neutral zone and if we can be physical on him then we can make it tough on him, maybe get him a little frustrated."
Owning a 12-5-1 record away from home, the Panthers rank first in the NHL with 3.56 goals scored per game on the road. That offense will certainly be put to the test tonight, however, as the Hurricanes, who are 12-2-3 at home, are giving up just 2.12 goals per game in their barn.
Sticking with what's been working, Quenneville said he will continue to use seven defensemen.
TEAM RECORDS
FLA: 26-9-4, 56 PTS
CAR:25-9-3, 53 PTS
FLA all-time vs. CAR: 51-51-11-15
PANTHERS NOTES
-- Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Panthers and ranks 10th in the league in scoring with 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists). In 27 career games against the Hurricanes, he's produced 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists).
-- Carter Verhaeghe ranks first on Florida in goals (17) and third in points (33). Of his 33 points, 30 of them have been tallied at even-strength, which are tied for the seventh-most in the league.
-- MacKenzie Weegar ranks tied for second among NHL defensemen in even-strength points with 22. Over his last 16 games, he's racked up 13 points (two goals, 11 assists).
-- Patric Hornqvist has chipped in an assist in each of his last two games. Ranking fourth on the Panthers in points (27), he also leads the team with seven goals on the power play.
-- Alex Wennberg has posted eight points (six goals, two assists) over his last 12 games, including scoring the first hat trick of his career during a 5-2 win over Columbus on April 3.
-- Radko Gudas leads the Panthers and ranks first in the NHL in hits with 182.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Mason Marchment - Aleksander Barkov - Carter Verhaeghe
Jonathan Huberdeau - Alex Wennberg - Patric Hornqvist
Frank Vatrano - Noel Acciari - Owen Tippett
Eetu Luostarinen - Juho Lammikko
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling - MacKenzie Weegar
Keith Yandle - Radko Gudas
Riley Stillman - Anton Stralman
Matt Kiersted
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Chris Driedger
Scratches: Brett Connolly, Ryan Lomberg, Markus Nutivaara
Taxi squad: Kevin Connauton, Brady Keeper, Aleksi Heponiemi, Philippe Desrosiers, Spencer Knight
Injured reserve:Aaron Ekblad (lower body), Anthony Duclair (upper body)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- April 5: The Panthers re-signed F Mason Marchment to a one-year contract extension; D Vladislav Kolyachonok was reassigned from Dinamo Minsk (KHL) to Syracuse (AHL).
- April 3: F Patric Hornqvist was activated from IR; D Matt Kiersted was recalled from the Taxi Squad; G Spencer Knight was assigned to the Taxi Squad.
- April 2: Florida acquired F Brad Morrison from Chicago in exchange for F Vinnie Hinostroza.
- April 1: The Panthers signed D Matt Kiersted to a two-year, entry-level contract.
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Tuesday April 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where:PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV:Bally Sports Florida
Alternate Channels:XFINITY 89 | Hotwire 44 & 444 | Blue Stream 100 | DTV HD 654-2 | AT&T 696 | AT&T HD 1696 | Atlantic Broadband 35
Stream:
FOX Sports GO
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 850 WFTL (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 107.9 FM/1370 AM WZTA (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM Streaming 932
