The Carolina Hurricanes have been struggling to get the results they want over the past couple of weeks.
They face a tough challenge on Thursday night when they play the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida.
One way the Hurricanes believe they can get back on track is by improving their performance away from home.
“It’s obviously tougher playing on the road,” said coach Rod Brind’Amour.
The Hurricanes have won just one of their last four games, after losing 4-3 in a shootout to Columbus on Tuesday night.
What’s even more concerning for Carolina is their 1-6-2 record in their last nine road games, and their overall season record of 8-9-2.
“We have to figure out what’s going on on the road games right now,” said Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi. “It has been happening for a while now. We have to find a way out of it. Have the same mindset we have for the home games.”
Florida last played on Monday, beating the New York Rangers 5-3 at home.
This gives Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky enough time to prepare for Florida’s first game of 2025.
“He has been very, very good,” said Florida coach Paul Maurice. “I think his last nine or 10 starts, he’s been fantastic for us.”
For the Panthers, starting a new year is significant after their victory in the 2024 Stanley Cup.
“We’ve had a spectacular and memorable year,” Maurice said.
Florida has scored within the first five minutes of a game 12 times this season.
Despite their recent struggles, the Hurricanes have shown signs of good play in some games, which keeps them hopeful for the future.
“There are certain ways we want to do things, and they’re trying to do it that way,” Brind’Amour said about his players. “It’s not always going to work out.”
The loss in Columbus featured “some weird goals that cost us,” according to Brind’Amour.
At the end of November, the Panthers beat the Hurricanes twice—6-3 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and 6-0 at home in the rematch.
“We were really bad the last two games against them,” Kotkaniemi said. “We need to fix that.”
Spencer Martin, who is now back in the minor leagues, was the losing goalie in both of those games. Florida rotated goalies, with Spencer Knight earning a 20-save shutout in one of those games, which was one of only two times this season the Hurricanes have been shut out.
Carolina forward Jack Roslovic has scored three goals in the last two games. His line has been working well together.
“They’ve been fairly dynamic and we need them on the scoresheet,” Brind’Amour said. “He has been good all year.”
Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola, who has set a career-high with four goals, missed the last two games due to an upper-body injury. He was back on the ice earlier this week. Maurice has called Mikkola the team’s best defenseman this season.
“Not an injury we’re worried about becoming chronic,” Maurice said. “It’s more pain tolerance. That’s not even fair because he’d play with it. We need him to heal a little bit and then he’ll come back and won’t come out.”
