Panthers Look to Keep Rolling After Drubbing Canes in Season Opener

The Panthers just put on a clinic at PNC Arena two nights ago, dismantling Carolina 6-3 in the season opener and reminding everyone why they're still the defending champs. Now they roll right back into Raleigh for the rematch, and the Hurricanes have about 48 hours to figure out what went wrong.

Florida looked every bit the contender on Saturday, jumping out early and never letting the Canes establish any rhythm. Carolina's vaunted home-ice advantage meant absolutely nothing when the Panthers came to town clicking on all cylinders. The special teams battle wasn't even close, and Florida's depth scoring was the difference-maker.

Here's the problem for Carolina: quick turnarounds against elite teams rarely favor the squad that just got embarrassed. The Hurricanes will be desperate to respond in front of their fans again, but desperation doesn't always translate to execution. Florida knows they can win in this building, and confidence is everything in September when teams are still finding their identity.

The Canes need to tighten up defensively and find some finish around the net, but that's easier said than done against a Panthers squad that just proved they haven't lost a step from last spring. Expect Florida to keep the pressure on.