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Hurricanes, Panthers square off at RBC Center

Fri 10th, October 2008

(Sports Network) - A pair of teams on quests to get back to the playoffs will begin their 2008-09 seasons against each other tonight, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers for a Southeast Division battle at the RBC Center.

The Hurricanes won the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup title in 2006, but have missed the postseason in two straight years following that triumph, making the club just the second team in NHL history to achieve the dubious distinction.

On the other hand, Florida has the longest current postseason drought in the NHL, having last made the tournament in 2000.

Injuries were a big problem for the Hurricanes last season and reared their ugly heads once again, this time before the campaign even started. The Hurricanes will be without speedy winger Justin Williams for the next four-to- six months and forward Scott Walker is expected to miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left hand.

However, captain Rod Brind'Amour, who underwent surgery on his left knee just over three weeks ago, is listed as probable for this evening's contest.

Brind'Amour brings the intangibles and two-way play that every team covets from their captain. There is still no question that centerman Eric Staal is Carolina's top offensive weapon, however.

At 6-4, 205 pounds, Staal has the size and also the skill to give opposing defenses nightmares. Carolina realized his worth when it recently gave him a seven-year, $57.75 million extension that begins in 2009-10.

Staal set the bar high in 2005-06, when he notched 100 points on 45 goals and 55 assists, but then disappointed with 70 points (30 goals, 40 assists in 82 games during the year following Carolina's Cup victory. Last year, the 23- year-old nearly split the difference between those two seasons, recording 82 points (38g, 44a) in 82 games.

A key for the Hurricanes this year will be the play of goaltender Cam Ward, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2006, but has yet to regain that form.

Last year, Ward, who is still just 24 years old, had a solid campaign, but Carolina needs him to become more consistent. Ward was 37-25-5 with a 2.75 goals against average and .904 save percentage in 69 games last season.

One promising fact for Carolina is that Ward finished the 2007-08 season strong, going 18-8-2 with a 2.46 GAA and .915 save percentage in his last 29 games of the year.

Florida's highest-profile move this summer was one that won't likely help the team break its playoff slump in 2008-09, as they traded franchise centerman Olli Jokinen to the Phoenix Coyotes for defensemen Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard.

Florida also made a coaching switch over the summer vacation, as former head coach/general manager Jacques Martin was stripped of his coaching duties. Martin then selected Peter DeBoer, a standout coach in the OHL, to take over on the bench. DeBoer will make his NHL debut tonight.

Carolina went 5-3 against the Panthers last year and has taken 12 of the last 15 matchups between the clubs. Florida is just 1-14 with a tie in its last 16 trips to Raleigh.

The Hurricanes have lost five straight season openers, while Florida had won three straight to begin a campaign before losing to the New York Rangers last year.

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