Nov 27, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) is congratulated by defenseman Sean Walker (26) defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (4) and left wing Eric Robinson (50) after his goal against the New York Rangers during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
The Carolina Hurricanes are having a great week with a couple of brilliant comeback wins.
They’ll be looking for more excitement when the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers pay a visit Friday afternoon in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“I’m back to work and I’m looking forward to it,” Hurricanes rookie Jackson Blake said. “It’s always fun to play against these teams. They’re very good.”
Carolina racked up a total of seven third-period goals in the last two games, as the Hurricanes rallied to beat Dallas and the New York Rangers. Blake scored the game-winning goal on a power play Wednesday night against the Rangers.
“We made a couple plays where we could score,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
The Panthers haven’t been as productive as Carolina over the past two weeks, but they did manage a 5-1 home win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. That was Florida’s second win in its last eight games.
“We’re not as strong defensively, from goaltending to forwards, as I would like,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “It looks like we have potential to improve.”
The Hurricanes have won nine straight at home since losing their opener against Tampa Bay. The home streak is the second longest in franchise history.
Carolina has produced at least one power-play goal in five consecutive games.
“The power play is all about execution,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s always a plan, but they executed it.”
Hurricanes forward Martin Necas went on to lead the NHL in points with 37 while recording two assists Wednesday night against the Rangers.
Forward Seth Jarvis has scored two goals and two assists in two games for the Hurricanes since returning from injury. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who is in his 13th NHL season, has a career-high six-game scoring streak and ranks second among team defensemen with 14 points.
Carolina needs to maintain high offensive production in the face of uncertainty on the other end. Goalie Spencer Martin has been put to work as the Hurricanes wait to see how long Pyotr Kochetkov will be in concussion protocol. Martin has played in four consecutive games.
“Obviously, we put him in a tough spot,” Brind’Amour said. “We threw a little at the wolves, but he’s controlling it. That’s crucial.”
The Panthers have offensive sources that will be difficult to contain. Sam Reinhart leads the NHL with 17 goals, including four shorthanded.
Maurice said that about a quarter of the way through the season, trends begin to set. The Panthers still have the makings of an elite team, but it’s a matter of polishing certain areas.
“The challenge for this season is to find that source of energy,” Maurice said. “Now we feel like we’re a pretty good team… We have a problem every day. We have a problem every year and we have to try to solve it.”
Maurice was Carolina’s coach twice. His visit comes just two days after another former Hurricanes coach, Peter Laviolette, was in town with the Rangers.
This will be the first match in a home-and-home series for the teams over a two-day period.
–Field level media
