Carolina @ Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 21, 2019 ) Carolina 4, Florida 3

The Carolina Hurricanes are performing like a playoff team and will put their red-hot streak to the test as five of their next six games are on the road, starting with a quick trip to the Sunshine State to take on the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Hurricanes posted their fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games on Friday, a 5-2 triumph over St. Louis that moved them into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

“It’s a nice buzz in the room,” Carolina center Jordan Staal told reporters after Friday’s win. “Guys are feeling confident, feeling good, and that’s what you want this time of year. Everyone really understands their role and what they need to bring every night to help us win.” The Hurricanes won each of the previous two meetings this season and have earned points in seven of the last eight games (6-1-1) in the all-time series against the Panthers, who return home following a 1-0-2 road trip. Florida coughed up a two-goal lead in a 6-5 shootout setback at Vegas on Thursday and sit nine points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference despite earning points in seven of its last eight contests (5-1-2). “In our situation, we can’t be satisfied with one point,” Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau told reporters after registering a goal and three assists on Thursday. “In a game like this, we have to manage two points.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Carolinas, FS Florida

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (35-23-6): Staal has made quite an impact in three games since returning from a two-month absence due to a concussion, scoring a goal on Friday after notching four assists over the previous two contests to push his career total to 498 points. Leading scorer Sebastian Aho (26 goals, 72 points) scored one goal and set up another against the Blues while fellow Finn Teuvo Teravainen (18, 61) registered his seventh and eighth assists in a four-game span. Curtis McElhinney, who was in the crease on Friday, and Petr Mrazek are both 4-1-0 with a .953 save percentage in their last five starts.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (28-25-10): Captain Aleksander Barkov is on track for his best season in the NHL thanks to a current seven-game point streak during which he has recorded eight goals and seven assists. Barkov leads the team with 67 points - two more than Huberdeau, who has totaled 13 in his last seven contests and is two shy of the third 20-goal season of his career. Mike Hoffman scored twice on Thursday to reach 30 goals for the first time in his career and has registered 12 of his 57 points - four shy of the personal best he collected in 2016-17 with Ottawa - over his last eight contests.

OVERTIME

1. Florida D Keith Yandle has notched six points in his last four contests and is eight shy of the career high he set in 2010-11.

2. Carolina RW Justin Williams scored his 18th goal of the season on Friday and has amassed 14 points in as many contests.

3. The Panthers have gone 7-for-16 on the power play over their last five games, moving up to second in the league at 26.7 percent.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Panthers 3