Carolina looks to finish its homestand strong against Florida.
The Hurricanes look to sweep their three-game homestand Friday against the Florida Panthers.
Carolina (16-5-1) enters this day game reeling from a pair of third period rallies to beat the Stars and Rangers earlier this week. Florida (13-9-1) hopes to rain on the Canes’ parade in their first matchup of the year. The Panthers also host the Hurricanes Saturday.
Martin Necas’ heroic hot streak continues to propel the Canes. The first Czeck to lead the league in points since 2015, Necas enters Friday on a four-game point streak with nine in that span. Sebastian Aho also wields a hot stick with a team-leading nine points in the last five games.
Carter Verhaeghe marks a big threat on the other end of the ice. He notched a three-point game last time out, a 5-1 win over Toronto on Wednesday, and leads Florida with six points in the last five games. Sam Reinhart leads the team with four goals in that span and 32 points on the season.
This matchup pits two of the NHL’s top 10 offenses. The Canes and Panthers rank second and sixth in goals per game. A good portion of that production comes on the power play as both squads also rank top 10 in that category. Carolina trots out the seventh-best unit in the league with Florida not far behind in ninth.
Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. in Lenovo Center.