Carolina Hurricanes (9-0-0) @ Florida Panthers (9-0-1)
Certain corners of hockey fandom have wishcasted imminent failure on the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for as long as they’ve existed in the NHL. “Their existence makes a mockery of our game!” you’d hear, often with a certain accent that’s prevalent north of the 49th parallel. “These places don’t appreciate hockey! They deserve less than nothing! They need to be moved yesterday to a real hockey market, like Flin Flon!”
Who’s laughing now?
The only two teams yet to lose in regulation this season meet tonight in Sunrise, the first of three matchups that could serve as a preview of a playoff series that would make heads explode in those aforementioned corners.