Carolina Hurricanes Take on Florida Panthers in Eddie Lack’s Debut
By Brett Finger
Eddie Lack‘s debut headlines a Tuesday night matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers in Raleigh.
Coming off of a tough 0-2-0 start through the opening weekend of play, the Carolina Hurricanes seek a win in the biggest way possible as they take on the Panthers on Tuesday.
Information
Carolina Hurricane vs. Florida Panthers
October 13, 2015 – 7:00 pm (EST)
Raleigh, North Carolina
TV/Radio: Fox Sports Carolinas/99.9 FM The Fan, WRALSportsFan.com
Lineups
Carolina Hurricanes
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Florida Panthers
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Preview
If it is possible for a team to have a must win game in early October, this is it for the Carolina Hurricanes as they look to avoid their 14th consecutive October loss dating back to 2013.
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The Canes will be shorthanded in a couple areas against the Panthers. James Wisniewski‘s injury will keep him out for the remainder of the season, and now Riley Nash will join him on the sideline. Nash injured his shoulder early on in Saturday’s tilt with the Red Wings, and he is set to miss 10-14 days according to Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters.
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With Nash out of the lineup, Brad Malone will make his season debut on the fourth line. The grinding forward will look to play himself back into the lineup after watching Joakim Nordstrom get the upper hand on him in training camp.
The big story line for Tuesday’s game will involve Eddie Lack as he is set to make his debut in a Carolina Hurricanes sweater. Lack went 2-0-0 in the preseason for Carolina and is coming off of two consecutive 42-game campaigns with the Vancouver Canucks over the past two seasons.
Lack will look to steal the starting job from Cam Ward with a good performance in his debut. A good start on Tuesday could get him the net against the Red Wings on Friday night in the Motor City.
The defensive pairings will stay the same from the Detroit game with Justin Faulk and Ron Hainsey forming the shutdown first pairing, followed by Michal Jordan and John-Michael Liles on pairing two. Ryan Murphy and Noah Hanifin, who is fresh off his first NHL point on Saturday, will get third pairing minutes. The two youngsters have been great in that role dating back to preseason, and they will look to continue their hot streak of play against the Panthers.
Carolina Hurricanes
Up front, Elias Lindholm will move from the right wing to the middle with the absence of Nash. Lindy will center Jeff Skinner and Chris Terry on the third line. Victor Rask will jump up and center the first line. He’ll be flanked by Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg.
Joakim Nordstrom will play up in the top six for the first time as a Hurricane. He will be on a line centered by Jordan Staal. Nathan Gerbe will be on the opposite wing for the Canes’ second line.
The Carolina Hurricanes went winless against the Florida Panthers in 3 games last season, going 0-3-0, including a brutal 6-1 loss in early April. The Canes had just 1 goal in 180 minutes of play against the Cats in 2014-2015.
Tuesday night will be an important one in Raleigh. The Canes need a win to break the long, winless October streak. This team can’t afford to go 0 for October once again, and this is an opportunity for Carolina to get a big win on home ice before they head out for their annual NC State Fair road trip.