Keys to the Game: Carolina Hurricanes @ Florida Panthers
The Carolina Hurricanes will be taking on the Florida Panthers tonight for their first meeting of the season.
Both Florida and Carolina are heading into the game winners of two straight overtimes and have nearly identical records.
Here are my three keys to the game:
Right the Road Record
The Hurricanes enter tonight's matchup 4-5-0 on the road for the season. They've won two of their last three road games and a win tonight will set them back to 0.500.
So what do they need to do to get back on track?
Defend.
Scoring hasn't been too much of an issue this year for Carolina as they've averaged 3.5 goals per game at home and 3.33 goals per game on the road.
That part's good, the other side isn't as good.
At home, the Hurricanes are allowing just 1.75 goals against per game, the second best rate in the league, but on the road, they're conceding 4.11 goals against per game, the fourth worst rate in the league.
Road success is going to have to start from their own end and Brett Pesce returning to the lineup may help that out as well.
Stay Out of the Weeds
There are quite a few players on the Panthers' roster that will try to drag their opponents into the muck to try and get a call.
Carolina has to play above that.
That doesn't mean allow yourself to get pushed around, but you just can't be doing anything stupid.
Play smart, stay out of the box.
Catharsis
The final key is simple... score on Sergei Bobrovsky.
Put up 10 goals
Do it for the fans.
Do it for yourselves.
After what the Canes went through in last year's Eastern Conference Final, it'll be healing for everyone.
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