The new NHL season begins with a bang as the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers go head to head.
Between them these teams have won the Stanley Cup in each of the last three seasons and they are among the favourites to lift the famous trophy again this time.
There is an awful lot of hockey to played before that - 84 regular-season games before the play-offs even begin, so don't read too much into Tuesday's result.
Florida were champions in 2023/24 and 2025/26, but they missed out on the postseason entirely last year and will have to watch the Hurricanes raise the banner into the rafters before they take to the ice.
That should get both teams fired up to begin the season with a cracking contest.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Florida Panthers Tips Summary
Best Bet - Florida Panthers Money Line @ 20/21
Alternative Bet - Over 6.5 goals @ 24/25
Bet Builder - Florida Panthers or draw double chance, Matthew Tkachuk 1+ Assists, Brady Tkachuk 1+ points, Over 5.5 goals @ 11/2
Carolina Hurricanes vs Florida Panthers Prediction
Best Bet: Florida Panthers Money Line @ 20/21
The Panthers flopped badly in their bid for a third straight Stanley Cup championship, ending the regular season with a losing record and missing out on the play-offs by 15 points.
However, things started to go wrong for them long before the campaign even kicked off as captain Aleksander Barkov suffered a serious knee injury in the team's first pre-season practice.
Injury woes would become a pattern with influential forward Matthew Tkachuk missing 51 games of the regular season and they can be forgiven for struggling in the hugely competitive Atlantic Division.
There are no such worries this time with all hands on deck and in fighting form, as well as the exciting addition of Matthew's younger brother, former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
Brady has settled in quickly in Florida, scoring three goals and two assists in just two pre-season appearances and playing on the top line alongside Barkov, to demonstrate why this year's Panthers should be a totally different proposition.
Carolina provide a stern challenge. They have kept hold of virtually their entire Stanley Cup-winning roster, with only goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky having left.
However, in a league that strives for constant improvement, that may not be enough to keep them at the top of the pile.
These teams have met twice in pre-season in the last eight days, taking a win apiece, but the Panthers look the team to side with on opening night.
Alternative Bet: Over 6.5 goals @ 24/25
Both these teams are stacked when it comes to offence and the crowd at Lenovo Center should be treated to a high-scoring thriller.
The Hurricanes averaged 3.6 goals per game last season and they scored six times in each of their last two pre-season outings.
Two of last season's three meetings produced at least seven goals, while the Panthers won 6-3 in their pre-season contest in Sunrise eight days ago.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Florida Panthers Bet Builder Tip
Florida Panthers or draw double chance
Matthew Tkachuk 1+ Assists
Brady Tkachuk 1+ points
Over 5.5 goals
Pays 11/2
Matthew Tkachuk contributed 21 assists in his 31 appearances for Florida last season, as well as six in six games for the USA on their way to the gold medal at the Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
Brother Brady put up 59 points in 60 games for Ottawa last season and has already been making significant contributions for his new team in pre-season.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
The Carolina Hurricanes are defending Stanley Cup champions
This is the first game of the NHL season
Florida won two of the three meetings between the teams last season
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returns after missing the whole of last season
Carolina scored six goals in each of their last two pre-season outings
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