Panthers at Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes face a rugged schedule following the Olympic break, so they'll need to take advantage of back-to-back home games starting with Friday's matchup against the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes have dropped two of three following a four-game winning streak to fall into a tie for 12th place in the Eastern Conference. "We have two more opportunities to pick up some real crucial points," Carolina captain Eric Staal said. "We need to refocus and get back on the horse because these are two big games before the break."
Florida failed to build on its impressive 4-1 home victory over Toronto on Tuesday, giving up a one-goal lead and falling to visiting Detroit on Thursday. The Panthers were flat-footed for most of the first two periods, managing only eight shots, before coming alive with 16 in the final 20 minutes. "It's disappointing. We want to play a whole game. It wasn't there," Panthers coach Peter Horachek said. "The answer why? I don't know why. ... We have to be more prepared to play."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN (Florida, Carolina)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (22-28-7): Florida's power play continues to be a disaster and ranks dead last in the league, as it failed on all three chances against Detroit and is 2-for-55 over the last 18 games. Tomas Kopecky, one of two Panthers headed to the Olympics (for Slovakia), collected his 100th career assist in Thursday's game but has gone 11 contests without a goal. Rookie Aleksander Barkov, who will represent Team Finland, is mired in an offensive slump with one goal and one assist in his last 10 games.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (25-21-9): Cam Ward, who started the season as the No. 1 goaltender, was recalled a conditioning stint with Charlotte of the American Hockey League earlier in the week but could have a tough time reclaiming his starting job. Anton Khudobin has been an iron man since returning from an injury absence of nearly two months, starting 14 of the last 15 games and not allowing more than three goals in any while earning the league's First Star of the Month for January. “I feel great,” Khubodin said. “I didn’t really tire as much playing the last 15 games. I just get confident more as the games go on."
OVERTIME
1. Carolina is 29-7-4 in its last 40 home games against Florida.
2. Panthers G Scott Clemmensen could make his first start since Jan. 30.
3. LW Jeff Skinner leads the Hurricanes with 23 goals but has only three points in his last 11 games.