Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes Live

Given the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, expectations of their fan base certainly raised a bit over the summer. However, the team around Rod Brind’Amour and Eric Staal has failed to show what they are capable of thus far. Therefore, the pressure to finally secure a win is increasing as the Hurricanes will try to overcome the Florida Panthers at home on Friday at 11 p.m. GMT.

Unlike the ‘Canes, the Panthers are fairly content with their performance in 2009-10 so far. More specifically, Florida participated in the NHL Europe campaign and played two games versus the Chicago Blackhawks in Helsinki to start the season. Splitting the series at one game each versus an arguably better team, the Panthers’ front office is fairly content at the moment. Having missed the playoffs for eight years in a row, captain Bryan McCabe is hoping to finally make a post-season appearance this season.

Even though the aforementioned circumstances could be interpreted as a chance for the Panthers to beat the Hurricanes, it is rather unlikely that Carolina will have another bad night on Friday. Most importantly, Ray Whitney and company will be eager to redeem themselves after a humiliating 7-2 loss versus the Bruins earlier this week. Ultimately, the Hurricanes have more depth on their bench and a slight advantage in terms of individual talent. Provided the ‘Canes come on the ice aggressively and ready to score, the Panthers will have a very tough time keeping up with last year’s Eastern Conference Finalists.

You can watch all games of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.