Panthers at Hurricanes
THE STORY: The Florida Panthers need wins and they should expect nothing less when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The Panthers are fighting for first place in the Southeast Division, which would give them at least the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They currently trail the Winnipeg Jets by one point, but have four games in hand. Subsequently, the Panthers are in eighth place, a single point up on the division foe Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
TV: 7 p.m. ET. FS-Florida
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (27-20-12): Over the last few years, Florida has been a ‘seller’ as the NHL trade deadline approached. This year, the Panthers may be in a position to add to their roster. On Friday that process may have begun when they acquired C Jerred Smithson from the Nashville Predators for a sixth round pick in the 2012 draft. “If we can add a piece here or there without breaking up the group we have, without destroying the chemistry, that would be the best-case scenario,” said Stephen Weiss, the longest serving Panther.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (23-26-12): Despite a 5-1-3 record in February, Carolina is positioned among the bottom feeders in the East and could be fielding offers on a laundry list of players. Of those most coveted are defensemen Bryan Allen and Jaroslav Spacek. Both have more than 500 NHL games on their resumes. Joni Pitkanen could also draw interest among teams looking to bolster their blue line. “As far as moves at the deadline, I don’t expect to be overly active,” GM Jim Rutherford said. “Sometimes, though, when you don’t expect much activity, there are surprises. It’s really hard to say.”
OVERTIME:
1. This is the third of six meetings between the two clubs. The Panthers won the first two games.
2. Carolina captain Eric Staal has six goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak.
3. The Panthers have lost four straight games.