Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers
Wells Fargo Center, 1 p.m.
TV: FS-Carolinas, CSN-Philadelphia

The early part of the NHL season always comes with a lot of twists and turns. A good first-ten games can lift the spirits of fans while a bad start can make fans want to start building for the next season. This being shortened season makes these feelings even more extreme because there is less time to make up for lost ground. For the Hurricanes, their start of 5-4-0 falls right in the middle of the pack and things could go either way after that. However, a win over the Flyers today would put them two games above .500 for the first time this year and put them tied for first in the Southeast Division if Tampa Bay loses.

A win today would also give Carolina six out of a possible 12 points on the road trip and that's definitely not a bad thing since this is easily the toughest part of their schedule. Getting the win is going to be easier said than done, though considering they were beaten by Philadelphia 5-3 only a week ago and haven't exactly played their best hockey the last couple of game. They managed to pick up victories over Toronto and Ottawa but they were also outplayed for various stretches and gave up over 40 shots in both games. It's sort of the opposite of what was happening to them earlier in the season where they weren't getting any puck-luck despite heavily outshooting their opponents. 

It's obviously still too early in the season to make any conclusions but the Hurricanes will need to find some more balance and they will certainly need to play better than they have the last two games if they want to leave Philadelphia with two points. 

Lines & Preview after the jump

Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs
7 p.m., Air Canada Centre
TV: FS-Carolinas, SportsNet-Ontario

Starting this long road trip with a 5-3 loss to an injury-depleted Flyers team on Saturday night probably wasn't what the Hurricanes had in mind, so they will look to turn things around tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. That loss to the Flyers was yet another game where Carolina managed to outplay their opponent at even strength but end up on the losing end thanks to a couple miscues and bad special teams play. Both the powerplay and penalty kill are becoming a huge story for the Hurricanes this year and not in a good way, as it appears that both are the Achilles Heel for this team that looks much improved on paper compared to last season. Most people saw the penalty kill going through a rough patch this year since this team doesn't have many shutdown defensemen, but the powerplay going only 4/36 on the season is a bit of mystery with all of the talent present. Both areas have been a focal point during practices the past week but we've yet to see much results. This could change tonight when they take on another club with struggling special teams in the Maple Leafs.

Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers
Wells Fargo Center, 7 p.m.
TV: FS-Carolinas, CSN-Philadelphia

Tonight's game begins what is easily the toughest part of the Carolina Hurricanes schedule. Not only is it a back-to-back on the road, but it's also the first game of a six-game road trip featuring two games on back-to-back nights. It's good to get this part of the schedule out of the way early in the year, but the Canes are going to need to make the most of these games and try to escape this road trip with at least a .500 record. Their record at the moment isn't that bad at a 3-3-0 but a losing streak or a bad record on this road trip could put them in a bit of a hole, especially when you look at the start the Tampa Bay Lightning are off to. Tonight's game is a good chance for them to get this road trip started on the right foot as they will take on a struggling Philadelphia Flyers team.

The Flyers have already been hit hard by the injury bug and their record of 2-6-0 reflects that. They are also on a three-game losing streak and have scored only two goals per game, which is a surprisingly lower average than what the Hurricanes have posted thus far. The Flyers have also played only two of their games at home, which might be why the team is struggling so much, so tonight's game might be more of a challenge than some think. Philadelphia has given this team a lot of trouble in the past, so I'm sure that's on the minds of the Canes right now and they will come out strong tonight.

Sometimes desperate teams can be dangerous if the opponent takes them lightly, so that will be one of the many things to watch for in tonight's game. 

Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes
PNC Arena, 7 p.m.
TV: FS-Carolinas, Sportsnet-East

The sense of optimism in Raleigh after their back-to-back sweep of the Buffalo Sabres didn't last long as the feelings of gloom and doom returned after the Hurricanes 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday night. A bad third period performance is usually a good way to lose confidence in your team, but it's important to be rational in these types of situations. I'm sure that most people had Carolina starting their year better than 2-3-0 and their special teams work has left a lot to be desired so I can understand why some fans are disappointed. That being said, five games is a little too early to hit the panic button and the team has shown signs of improving. The team is right back at .500 if they win tonight's game against Ottawa so they could be in a much worse situation. If they still have only two wins through 10 games, then it's time to start worrying.

Another thing to keep in mind is that their last two losses have come against teams that have dropped only two total games in regulation (Tampa Bay and Boston) so the Canes haven't exactly had the easiest road thus far. It won't get any easier tonight when they take on the rolling Ottawa Senators. Ottawa has won two games in a row and has lost only one game in regulation, so tonight's game is going to be a very tough challenge for the Hurricanes. There are a few reasons to be confident, though with the main one being Justin Faulk's return to the lineup tonight. We could also see some new forward lines and a new-look powerplay if the reports from practice are any indication.

Carolina is going to embark on a two-week road trip after tonight's game, so getting at least a point tonight against Ottawa will be critical. A further breakdown of this game is coming after the jump.

Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes
PNC Arena, 7 p.m.
TV: FS-Carolinas, NESN, NHL Network

Spirits in Raleigh are much higher than they were a week ago, as the Hurricanes come into tonight winning their last two games and look to continue their streak tonight when they take on the Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes managed to sweep the season series with Boston last season and that might surprise a lot of people considering where both teams finished in the standings. They also outscored the Bruins 14-5 in their four meetings last season and right away that should tell you that goaltender Cam Ward, who had a save percentage of .965 against Boston last year, played a big role in the Hurricanes winning those games.

The Canes probably aren't going to be as fortunate against the Bruins this time around because it doesn't look like Ward has any 40+ save performances up his sleeve judging by his performance so far this year. Carolina will also be playing without their best defenseman in Justin Faulk, who sustained an injury in the game against Buffalo on Friday night. This creates a major hole to fill in the lineup because Faulk was playing 20+ minutes a night and playing a big role on the shutdown pair with Tim Gleason. Faulk was also playing at an exceptional level, so filling in his shoes isn't going to be easy.

The good news is that Faulk's injury doesn't appear to be too serious and he has been practicing with the team but getting through the next couple of games without him will be tough. Finding someone to replace him alongside Gleason will be even more difficult because the available options are Jamie McBain and Joe Corvo if Muller wants to use a right-handed shot on that pairing. Neither are ideal options but there is a chance that they can be serviceable if used in a short-term setting. Missing one defenseman shouldn't sink a team, but Faulk has been playing at a pretty high level this year, so his absence might be more damaging than some think.

Opponent scouting report and line combinations are after the jump.

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes
PNC Arena, 7 p.m.
TV: SportsSouth, MSG Buffalo

With every team having to deal with a shortened training camp, there are bound to be a lot of roster and lineup changes throughout these first few weeks. Carolina's head coach, Kirk Muller made a few adjustments to the lineup before Tuesday nights game by subbing Jeremy Welsh and Kevin Westgarth in for Zach Boychuk and Zac Dalpe but the move he made today was much bigger. In an attempt to get Jamie McBain into the lineup, Joe Corvo will be sitting tonight in favor of the young defenseman which surprised some fans because many thought it would be Bobby Sanguinetti sitting instead of Corvo.

My take on this situation is that the Carolina coaching staff still wants to evaluate Sanguinetti since they didn't have much time to do so in training camp. He has looked bad so far, but it's hard to judge a defenseman's body of work with only two games, so this kind of puts them in a tough spot. He and Corvo play similar games on the third pairing, so I don't see much harm in keeping him in the lineup tonight in their first game of a back-to-back series against the Buffalo Sabres.

It's too early in the season to call this a "must win" game for Carolina, but since their first two games went so poorly, it would really do a lot for the fanbase to win these next two games or at least have a good showing in them. Getting outscored 2-9 clearly isn't the best way to start the season.

Opponent scouting report and line combinations coming after the jump.

Tampa Bay Lighting at Carolina Hurricanes
PNC Arena,  7 p.m.
TV: SportsSouth, Sun Sports

We are only one game into the season and the overreactions have already begun. Fans everywhere are calling for players to be benched, coaches to be on the hot seat and front office decision are already being questioned. Yes, the season opener for the Hurricanes didn't go as planned but let's remind ourselves that it was only the first game of the year and the Canes weren't the only team who played poorly. Just take a look around the league right now and you'll see a lot of teams who didn't get off to great starts and are going through the same thing as Carolina. It might be a shortened year, but fans will have to be a little more patient with things this year because not every team is going to be up to shape due to training camp being rushed. Besides, the Hurricanes actually had a few more positives to take away from their game on Saturday than other teams.

Head coach Kirk Muller probably isn't going to make any drastic changes for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning but he has been trying out some new lines in practice. Drayson Bowman has been moved up to the first line with Eric Staal while Zach Boychuk will be taking his spot on the fourth line.This change might be the most justified because Bowman was one of Carolina's best players on Saturday night while Boychuk was largely ineffective on the first line. One game is a little too soon to change things up, as it takes longer than that for players to develop chemistry but Muller is all about rewarding those who perform and that's what Bowman did on Saturday. Only time will tell if he is able to produce on the top line but hopefully Muller gives this line more than one game before he elects to switch it up again.

This line and the rest of the Hurricanes have a good chance to make a lasting impression in their home opener as they take on a Lightning squad that is playing their second game of a back-to-back. We'll talk more about the Lightning and this matchup after the jump.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
BankAtlantic Center, 7:30 p.m.
TV: FS-Carolinas, FS-Florida

The long wait is finally over and the much anticipated 2013 season will begin tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina comes into this season with a new-look offense and greater expectations than they've had in a few years. It's definitely an exciting time to be a Hurricanes fan right now, as there are a lot of rumblings about this team making a strong playoff push and maybe even a division championship. Before we begin to think about that, the Canes have some business to take care of the next few months and it starts tonight with a showdown against the defending Southeast Division champions in the Florida Panthers.

Regardless of what happens tonight, I'm sure the fans will be happy just that the NHL is back, after it looked like we may not have a season this year. Many of us have turned to other outlets to get our hockey fixes, but it's hard to match the thrill and excitement that the NHL brings night in and night out. Plus, Carolina fans will finally get to see Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin in regular season action for the Hurricanes, which is going to be a treat no matter what.

We'll take a closer look at these two teams and talk about possible matchups after the jump.

New York Rangers (40-15-6) at Carolina Hurricanes (24-26-13)
TV: MSG
RBC Center 7 p.m.

February is behind us and the Hurricanes certainly enjoyed themselves during that month going 6-1-4 and actually posting some respectable underlying numbers. Like I said in the scoring chance recap, the rebuilding process is going to be slow and steady and that's pretty much how it's been for the Canes this year. Will Carolina be able to carry over their success in February to March? If their underlying numbers keep improving, then possibly. The month begins with a tough test tonight against the Eastern Conference's best team, the New York Rangers. We've had two not-so-pleasant outings against the Blueshirts this year, so it would be nice to get a win against them tonight and stay strong at home. It should be interesting at the very least after seeing the lines that Kirk Muller used in practice.

More on that after the jump.

Nashville Predators (37-19-7) at Carolina Hurricanes (23-26-13)
TV: FS-Carolinas, FS-Tennessee
RBC Center 7 p.m.

The Hurricanes did not make any trades on deadline day but they did make a few small moves within the organization and the one that caught everyone's eye was the decision to re-call Zach Boychuk from Charlotte. Many thought that this should have been the year for Boychuk to break into the NHL but that hasn't happened yet. He got a 13 game audition earlier in the season and only had two points during that stint, which got him sent back to Charlotte. A few people have written him off as a bust but I think there is still plenty of hope left for Boychuk to become an NHL player. Remember, he was stuck on the fourth line for nearly every game during his call-up and when he was given top-six minutes, he played pretty well.

Kirk Muller has been the opposite of Maurice in the sense that he is putting his younger players in positions that they can succeed in. Meaning he won't glue Boychuk to the fourth line and put him with some talented linemates just like he did with Drayson Bowman, Zac Dalpe and Jerome Samson. Boychuk's window of opportunity isn't that large because Dwyer isn't going to be out for that long and Chad LaRose is close to returning so he is going to need to take advantage of his ice time for these next few games and prove to everyone that he can make it in the NHL. He's played 69 games with the Canes and has only accumulated seven goals and 18 points, which means he's got a lot to prove even if he has played well at the AHL. It starts tonight with tonight's game against the Nashville Predators

Lines, Scoring chances & more after the jump