Staal won't be lacking any energy

Eric Staal says there's no more apt term than "Caniac." Driving past the RBC Center lots, seeing Hurricanes fans tailgating, see all the homemade signs, always brings a smile to his face, he says.

"It's amped up, and especially for the playoffs," the Canes' center says. "Driving in, you can feel that energy and building adrenaline, which is tons of fun for us.

"They really know how to do it here. They've got their signs and waving, and you can build off that type of energy. It's a lot of fun. Maybe many years from now when I'm retired as a player I can do the same thing."

And once the Caniacs are in the RBC Center?

"It's definitely one of the loudest buildings in the league when it's packed and rocking," Staal says.

One key tonight against the Flyers, Staal adds, is using all that energy positively. But he's ready to lace 'em up and go play.

"I'm amped up. I feel strong," he says. "You go through training camp a couple of weeks, grinding it out and now you get to start off the season.

"You're excited. The building will be pumping. You'll have a lot of energy early in the game and you need to use those emotions and get yourself into it and go from there."