It's an old-wives tale in the NHL about going against teams on nights they lift the banner at home from the previous season. Will that apply to the Panthers tonight at Sunrise against the Blackhawks? Chicago has nowhere to go but up after a paltry 61 points last season, and there's still Connor Bedard to provide excitement, but the Hawks ranked near the bottom in too many categories, especially on the defensive end, to suggest any upgrade is imminent. Granted, Paul Maurice has some injury concerns at the moment for the Panthers (no Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk for starters), but the admirable depth on display last spring in another Cup run can smooth over those absences. Play Panthers on the Puck Line.