Mike Smith will start Thursday against the Panthers, Yahoo! Sports reports.

Smith will start Thursday against the Panthers, Yahoo! Sports reports.

Analysis:

Coach Dave Tippett continues to stand behind Smith, despite his atrocious numbers through six starts this season (4.29 GAA, .858 save percentage). Tippett put some of the blame on the team's sloppy defensive coverage, saying "we have to clean up some of the stuff in front on him." That said, Devan Dubnyk figures to make at least one start this weekend and could make things interesting with a strong performance.