The Carolina Hurricanes are hurting, and they haven't maintained leads in their last two games. After coughing up a 3-0 lead to the Panthers on Friday, they did the same thing on Saturday in Tampa. The Canes led by three after the first period before the Lightning scored three times in the second. Despite taking the lead again in the third, Tampa rattled off three unanswered in a 6-4 triumph.
After Monday's injury update following practice, the Hurricanes know they'll enter the game without Seth Jarvis, Jaccob Slavin, and Jordan Martinook in the lineup. Martinook was injured in Nashville on Wednesday, while Slavin and Jarvis exited Friday's game. Now, there are concerns about William Carrier's status after he missed practice.
On the Other Side: Florida Panthers
Last meeting: We don't have to go back too far, with the Canes visiting the Cats in Sunrise last Friday. The Canes led 3-0 in the third period after a pair of Sebastian Aho goals, but the Panthers stormed back. Tying the game with under a minute to go, Florida prevailed in a shootout, bringing an end to the Canes' five-game and Brandon Bussi's nine-game winning streaks.
The Panthers have played just once since hosting the Hurricanes. They welcomed the St. Louis Blues to town on Saturday night, falling 6-2. AJ Greer and Sam Reinhart scored in the second period to help the Cats erase a 2-0 deficit, but three unanswered goals against Daniil Tarasov and an empty-net goal brought an end to their four-game win streak.
Mackie Samoskevich joined the list of injured Panthers after not playing in Saturday's game. His status for tonight's contest is uncertain. Otherwise, it should be business as usual for the Panthers. With Sergei Bobrovsky getting Saturday off, he'll likely be in the crease at the Lenovo Center, trying to extend his hot stretch.
Panthers to Watch
Brad Marchand: You'll notice a common theme with the following Panthers players. Let's start with "The Rat." Shortly before scoring Florida's first goal of the night on Friday, Marchand caught Brandon Bussi below the belt. He added an assist on the tying goal, too. He'll always be a massive pest, and tonight will be no different.
AJ Greer: Jaccob Slavin is on the shelf, most likely, because of a bad hit from behind delivered by Greer along the boards. A few shifts later, he was blown up by Taylor Hall. Should it have been a charge on Hall? More than likely, but it wasn't called. Greer scored a goal on Saturday, and he'll certainly try to be a physical force again in Raleigh.
Evan Rodrigues: Speaking of non-calls, the biggest moment of the night was Rodrigues's trip that took out Seth Jarvis. I don't think it was dirty, but it should've been a penalty. Before the trip, Rodrigues assisted on both goals with the extra attacker, and he earned the shootout-deciding goal in the fourth round to complete the comeback.
Hurricanes to Watch
Andrei Svechnikov: There has been a lot of talk about Svechnikov after these last two games. Two of his mistakes have resulted in goals. The line shuffling on Saturday in Tampa resulted in Svechnikov scoring a goal, making up for a previous gaffe. Producing points hasn't been an issue, with three points in two games. He'll likely be called upon to lay a few big hits along with scoring goals.
Bradly Nadeau: Entering the lineup as a result of the aforementioned trip, Nadeau returned on Saturday by scoring his second goal of the season, and his first on the power play. In a game that is certain to be lively, I'm looking for the rookie to show me something. We know he can score, but will he be able to withstand the physical toll that will be required on Tuesday night?