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"Tepper is a wild card, though. He doesn’t like to lose." After this much time, you'd think he's used to it by now.....

No idea it was this significant an injury. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article259430764.html Hurricanes’ Brendan Smith details the puck to the head that fractured his skull. The paralysis lasted only a few seconds, but for Brendan Smith, it seemed longer. “An eternity,” he said Tuesday. The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman was hit by a puck behind the left ear, just underneath his helmet, as he attempted to block a shot Feb. 20 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Doctors later would tell him he suffered a fracture of the mastoid bone. They also told him it could have been a lot worse. “I got lucky,” Smith said. “Someone is looking after me up there. The doctor said, yeah, it’s a tough injury but it’s kind of a blessing it was where it was.” But at first, Smith said he had no feeling in his arms and legs. That’s what he told Canes trainer Doug Bennett as Bennett quickly bolted onto the ice. A lot of fear can fill a few seconds. “Then it was like everything came back — my legs, my feet, my hands and everything,” Smith said. “That was a really good feeling. I was able to skate off and I didn’t think anything was broken or anything. I was able to recognize where I was. I was with it. “Then we went to the doctor and there was bad news.” The good news: Smith’s recovery has been relatively quick. After missing the past 10 games, he was medically cleared Tuesday and joined a limited Canes practice at PNC Arena. Smith, 33, said does not yet have full hearing in his ear but was able to joke, “I can deal with that. Just yell a little louder.” He also noted that he could have taken the puck in the jaw and broken it. “Then we’re talking months of eating through a straw,” he said. Smith’s injury was followed the next game by an upper-body injury to defenseman Tony DeAngelo against Philadelphia. Missing two D-men, the Canes recalled Jalen Chatfield from Chicago of the AHL while readjusting the power-play units — Jaccob Slavin replaced DeAngelo as the quarterback on one unit while Ethan Bear took over for Slavin on the second. DeAngelo, out for nine games, returned to practice Tuesday but has not been cleared to play. Chatfield has been reassigned to the Chicago Wolves. “We have a good group and obviously they’ve been playing really hard and really well, and you see a guy like ‘Chatty’ jump up — I mean, he’s an NHL defenseman in my mind,” Smith said. Then came the shot by Danton Heinen of the Pens that fractured his skull. In a sport and at a position where injuries are both expected and plentiful, Smith said this was the worst of his 11-year career. “It’s a tough injury and tough to come back,” Canes assistant coach Tim Gleason said Tuesday. “The way he went down, it’s tough to watch and re-watch. It tells you he’s willing to do whatever it takes (to return).” Smith said he will wear extra protective equipment in games. But he’s ready to get back in the lineup as the Canes gear up to play three games in four days beginning with their road game Thursday in Toronto. And blocking shots? Smith’s ready for that, too, if need be. “My wife had some conversations with me about that but I’ll be out there blocking shots,” he said. “Nothing’s going to change. My game doesn’t change.”

I heard the same thing from Greg Hardy.

I'll take the owner to be named at a later date.

Okay. I did really laugh at this....

Thoughts and prayers......

Too early to make the call? SUPERB OWL!

Auston Matthews won't be facing the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night. He was suspended by the league following a net-front cross checking duel with Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres won the game 5-2.

FIFY

I think there were a few ahead of DW who get that nod.

Yes sir. The Pens don't play until tomorrow (Tuesday night). There's no reason the Canes needed to be scheduled to start a game 20 hours from the time they left the ice. They could have easily scheduled the game for last night and pushed it out to 28 hours or so.

Would not have pulled Raanta the first time, let alone after. I think they had a better chance at tying 5 on 5.

You can see they're tired and, after the first 10 minutes of adrenalin, there's not much left in the tank.

Nobody but Slavin left in front of the net. Everyone else looking for the clear, weak, late in the period goal.

Who in their right mind thinks less than 24 hours between games is a good idea? WTF, NHL? As a result of this scheduling joke, the Pens are favored today. Looks like Raanta in net today while the rest of the lineup remains intact from yesterday. Last Time Out: A tight, grind-it-out-type game between the Canes and Flyers was decided with 3:50 to go in regulation, when Jordan Martinook tipped home the game-winning goal. Derek Stepan earned his 500th career point in his 800th NHL game in the affair, while Frederik Andersen made 28 saves in his return from injury. In The Crease: With Andersen having started yesterday, it would make sense for Antti Raanta to be the projected starter today. Raanta has started and won both of his team's games against the Penguins this season. Making 31 and 24 stops respectively, the 32-year-old earned his 100th NHL victory in the first outing, which came in Pittsburgh. In the more recent outing, Raanta shut the door over the final 49:21, turning away all 14 stops faced during that stretch. At Home On The Road: The Canes 18 (18-8-3) wins away from PNC Arena this season ranked tied for second in the NHL. Only Pittsburgh has more with their 19.

3rd period strength.

Oh well, spoke too soon. 1-1.

No goal, good call and it stood. That's a rarity this season.

Stepan gets his 500th career point on a beautiful pass to Lorentz.

Andersen is expected in net today, although he is still listed as day-to-day. Raanta wouldn't surprise me, given the Canes are going to Pittsburgh after the game tonite and Pittsburgh is a more important game of the 2 this weekend. This is definitely a trap game. Huge win Thursday night, emotional win. Then into a back-to-back less than 24 hours apart and Pittsburgh is only 6 points behind us.

His trade value just went thru the roof. You all saw what the Seahawks got for Wilson.... double that.

Detroit just matches up well against the Canes. They gave Carolina fits last year, too.

In other news, Ned swatted one thru his own 5-hole while trying to play a dump in. Mrazek got chased after Arizona lit him up last night.

Yep. Emergency recall rules say he has to dress as backup or be sent back to Chicago before the game.

Yep.