Anybodyhome

BizNasty's commentary on the OT game winner/not game winner. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXYNQv8DDde/?igsh=MWt4dzk5aTl0ZjMxYQ==

Ottawa is basically playing with 2 lines.

Ottawa is out of gas and just playing physical to slow the pace. Canes need to keep their composure and play their game.

The Canes have certainly not been very good, but they've been robbed of 3 PPs and a GWG. Absolute garbage from the league.

Top line needs to get going. 1 Aho breakaway and no other points from those 3. Seen it before. Very disappointing to see it yet again.

Neutral zone turnovers have resulted in both Ottawa goals

4-1 Sens with a couple bounces. Freddie has let 3 pucks get behind him. Svech would have been fine without the second hit on Giroux.

He sounded the siren one night this season. He looked like he just woke up from a nap under an overpass somewhere.

He actually spoke in coherent sentences?

Kleven and Zub are out. Jensen was already on IR. All 3 are D-men. This is who they called up:

The Canes aren't immune to getting beat up, either, and they are far from being a physical hockey team. There's no way they keep up a pace of laying 57 hits on Ottawa or any other team. Hopefully, the majority of the physicality is out of the way and we can play some hockey now. But, we can never assume Tkachuck isn't going to drop the gloves again. Matter of fact, I'd expect it at least 2-3 more times.

For those keeping score, the Canes were credited with 57 hits to Ottawa's 39.

Their power play was pretty damn good against TB. Look, the Habs only had 5 SOG thru 2 periods, so it's not like TB rolled over and played dead. But TB has one of best PKs in the league... mostly because they've gotten a lot of practice being the most penalized team in the league.

TNT crew loves them some Colorado. I did hear one of them say "King" at one point, so I'm fairly sure that's who they're playing...lol

"The Stankoven line could be a difference-maker. If they continue to play well against lower defensive pairs, it only adds to the depth of the team." As I stated in the other thread...

As I said...

Ehlers on Chabot...oooof....

Aho is not good 35 minutes into the game. Do not let these fuggers in after a late period penalty.

Good period. Little nerves showing, but okay. Tkachuck- such a tool. Just a special needs kinda guy.

Not so sure about that. Power plays were 9-5 against the Canes just in the last 3 games.

The intangible- refs.

Goaltending. How unpredictable Carolina's is versus how steady Ottawa's is. Everything, success and defeat in this post-season, will be based on goaltending.

I go as well, but skipping this year with the game time Saturday. If I was going to the game, I'd spend the day over there before the game. Always looking for a deal, but last year there wasn't much of anything for sale.

The Griot's Garage & Good Guys Car Show is on the fairgrounds Friday & Saturday. A lot of nice cars, a lot of 60s and early 70s muscle. I usually go, but the traffic and parking is going to be a nightmare with a hockey game going on.

My thoughts on Carolina's post-season run: Obviously, the season began with a below average Freddie Andersen and everyone hoping Kochetkov would pick up the slack, until he got hurt. Enter Brandon Bussi who had a made-for-TV movie type run until the end of the season, when he came crashing back to earth, his save % drops under .900 and the team needs to score 5-6 goals to win games. Freddie has shown signs of a resurgence and Bussi looked pretty good the last 2 games of the season, but both sample sizes are small and questions abound for all 3 goalies. The physicality of playoff hockey will take its toll. Save for a few players, the Canes best players are small, their top 2 lines are small and there's no getting around that. The only way to protect the size disadvantage is a strong forecheck. Allowing opposing teams to establish the offensive zone and create board battles with smaller players will hurt Carolina. The Stankoven line could be a difference-maker. If they continue to play well against lower defensive pairs, it only adds to the depth of the team. The Aho line had stretches of absenteeism during the season. The Canes cannot afford to have them dry up offensively and leave the scoring to Ehlers and the Stankoven line. If they aren't performing well, teams will simply roll their best lines out on the Canes best playing lines. If the Canes can get by Ottawa and get some help from Boston against Buffalo, I think they have a legit shot to make the finals. Make no mistake, I think their toughest challenges are Ottawa and Buffalo in the East.