CAROLINA HURRICANES NOTES:
INJURY REPORT
Frederik Andersen, blood clotting, missed one game (11/7)
Brett Pesce, lower-body, missed eight games (10/21-11/7)
2023-24 Man-Games Lost Due to Injury: 22
HURRICANES vs. PANTHERS SERIES NOTES
— The Hurricanes are facing the Panthers in the first of three meetings between the teams during the 2023-24 season. The Panthers will travel to PNC Arena on 2/22 and 3/14. — Carolina and Florida are meeting for the 139th time in their regular-season histories. The Hurricanes hold a 71-46-11-10 overall record, including a 27-29-8-5 road record and a 65-38-9-10 record since relocation. — Carolina won the season series 2-1-0 in 2022-23 (Florida: 1-2-0). — Carolina suffered a 3-0 loss against Florida at FLA Live Arena on 11/9/22. Antti Raanta stopped 34 of 36 shots faced in net. — The Hurricanes posted a 4-0 win over the Panthers at PNC Arena on 12/30/22. Brent Burns (2a), Seth Jarvis (2a) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1g, 1a) recorded two points, while Antti Raanta stopped all 19 shots faced in net for his second shutout of the season. — Carolina earned a 6-4 win over Florida at FLA Live Arena on 4/13/23. Sebastian Aho (1g, 1a), Brent Burns (2g), Shayne Gostisbehere (1g, 1a) and Seth Jarvis (2a) each tallied two points as the Hurricanes clinched their second straight Metropolitan Division title in their regular-season finale. Frederik Andersen made 30 saves in net. — The Hurricanes and Panthers also met in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, as Florida swept the series in four games. — Sebastian Aho has tallied 27 points (10g, 17a) in 26 career regular-season games against the Panthers. — Brent Burns has earned 25 points (8g, 17a) in 26 career regular-season games against Florida. — Seth Jarvis has registered five points (1g, 4a) in six career regular-season games against the Panthers. — Martin Necas has posted 13 points (3g, 10a) in 17 career regular-season games against Florida. — Teuvo Teravainen has recorded 17 points (7g, 10a) in 22 career regular-season games against the Panthers. — Hurricanes Assistant Coach Jeff Daniels played 10 games with Florida from 1994-95. — Panthers Assistant GM Paul Krepelka served as the Hurricanes’ Vice President of Hockey Operations for two seasons from 2018-20. — Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice served in the same capacity with Hartford/Carolina over two stints from 1995-03 and 2008-11. While with the Whalers/Hurricanes, Maurice earned a 384-391-99-46 regular-season record and added a 25-28 record in the playoffs, and he still holds the franchise records for games coached and wins in the regular season. — Panthers Assistant Coach Tuomo Ruutu registered 216 points (90g, 126a) in 378 games with the Hurricanes from 2008-14. He was acquired from Chicago in exchange for Andrew Ladd on 2/26/08 and traded to New Jersey in exchange for Andrei Loktionov on 3/5/14. — Gustav Forsling spent one season in the Hurricanes organization, tallying 26 points (8g, 18a) in 57 AHL games with Charlotte in 2019-20. Acquired from Chicago along with Anton Forsberg in exchange for Calvin de Haan and Aleksi Saarela on 6/24/19, he was claimed off waivers by Florida on 1/9/21. — Steven Lorentz was selected by Carolina in the seventh round (186th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, and he recorded 21 points (10g, 11a) in 112 NHL games with the Hurricanes from 2021-22. He also skated in 93 AHL games with Charlotte from 2017-20, tallying 55 points (26g, 29a) and helping the Checkers win the franchise’s first Calder Cup championship in 2019. Lorentz was traded to SJS on 7/13/22, along with Eetu Makiniemi and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (Jayden Perron), in exchange for Brent Burns. — Eetu Luostarinen was drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and recorded one assist in eight games with Carolina in 2019-20. He also posted 25 points (8g, 17a) in 44 AHL games with Charlotte that season. Luostarinen was traded to Florida on 2/24/20, along with Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark and Chase Priskie, in exchange for Vincent Trocheck.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
The Hurricanes are opening their third of 14 sets of back-to-back games in 2023-24. They enter Friday’s contest with a 2-0-0 record in the first game and a 1-1-0 record in the second game of back-to-backs this season. Carolina also played 14 sets of back-to-backs in 2022-23, posting an 8-5-1 record in the first game and a 10-2-2 record in the second game.
CARDIAC CANES
Carolina earned a 4-3 overtime win against NYI on Saturday after trailing 3-0 in the second period. Jalen Chatfield, Dmitry Orlov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored to force overtime before Sebastian Aho scored the team’s fourth unanswered goal to seal the victory in the extra frame. Carolina has posted three comeback wins in its last six games (10/26-11/7), after trailing 2-0 in the first period vs. SEA (10/26) and 2-1 in the second period at PHI (10/30). The Hurricanes’ five total comeback wins this season (also 10/11 vs. OTT, 10/17 at SJS) trail only NJD (6) for the league lead, and they also trail only ANA (5) for the most third-period comeback wins (3) after setting a franchise record with 10 such victories in 2022-23.
FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:
BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT
– D Aaron Ekblad | Games Missed: 12
– D Brandon Montour | Games Missed: 12
– F Sam Bennett | Games Missed: 4
Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 44 Games
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
– Nov. 7: F Jonah Gadjovich loaned to Charlotte (AHL) on conditioning assignment
PANTHERS vs. HURRICANES
ALL-TIME vs. CAR: 56-56-11-15
ALL-TIME HOME vs. CAR: 34-16-8-11
2022-23 vs. CAR: 1-2-0
CATS STATS
– Florida has won five of its past seven matchups with Carolina in the regular season since April 24, 2021 (5-2-0) – Aleksander Barkov has logged 32 points (13-19-32) over 33 career matchups against the Hurricanes. – Carter Verhaeghe has recorded 10 points (3-7-10) in 15 regular season games vs. Carolina.
COMEBACK CATS
The Panthers earned their second consecutive come-from-behind overtime win Nov. 8 at WSH. Down 3-2 entering the third period, Evan Rodrigues scored to force overtime where Sam Reinhart tallied his second career OT winner 15 seconds into the extra frame, the fastest OT goal in franchise history. On Nov. 6 vs. CBJ, Florida fell behind 4-3 in the third period before Nick Cousins tallied his second third-period goal of the season with 57 seconds remaining. In OT, Carter Verhaeghe scored in the extra frame to earn the Panthers first overtime win of the campaign. With the win, the Cats extended their home win streak to three games.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Panthers enter a two-game homestand against Carolina and Chicago with a 4-1-0 record at Amerant Bank Arena this season, with wins in each of their past three contests on home ice. The Panthers have averaged 35.8 shots on goal per game at home, the fourth-highest mark among teams following games played Nov. 8. Sam Reinhart leads the Cats with four goals and seven points (4-3-7) as well as a plus-six rating on home ice, and 13 different Cats have registered multiple points this season at Amerant Bank Arena.
(B)EAST MODE
The Panthers have yet to lose in regulation against an Eastern Conference opponent in 2023-24. Against Eastern Conference foes this season, Florida owns a 5-0-1 record.
FAMILIAR FOE
Tonight, will be a rematch of the two clubs’ meeting in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. In that series, Florida defeated Carolina in a four-game sweep, the Panthers first-ever postseason series sweep, with each game being decided by one goal.
