Anybodyhome

Sounds like there are too many bandwagon... er... Pittsburgh fans in the building.

That was fluky. Anderson getting cocky.

Killed the 2-man. Great save on Malkin.

I get that a lot. My D is potent.

Good opening period for the Canes. Gave up a few too many SOG early for my liking, but the scoreboard is all that matters.

I have a great looking golf swing, too. Doesn't mean I can shoot a 65.

Canes should defer the PP and play short-handed.

First trip into the O zone, TT is wide open to the net and doesn't shoot.

Pittsburgh is on a back-to-back after getting trucked by Winnipeg last night 4-1. Canes are heavily favored.

Yes.

I know. She told me. Sorry man, it was just sitting there and I couldn't resist.

D with all 4 goals tonite. It's good, but it's also not good for the forwards.

Columbus has been offsides at least 6 times not called, and I'm watching from a few hundred miles away.

Chatmandu! Goal was a beauty, but his D has gone relatively unnoticed. He should be getting a lot of notice for a 3rd pair D man.

Rod's gonna ask the league to let his team play 4 on 5. "Shorties my specialty."

Congrats, yes, but he's got problems at home to deal with right now, too.

No kidding. As I said in my morning post earlier today, if there's any way Freddie can be ready (see what I did there?), he needs to get on the ice. The Hurricanes are playing with fire right now... not to mention a 2A and 2B pair of backup goalies. I have an idea Kochetkov may be headed back to Chicago by the all-star break if Anderson says he's good to go.

So the Saudis will now start executing bad wrestlers in the ring? At least stoning them or lopping off a hand here and there. And, by the way, female wrestlers will now have to be covered from top to bottom, no more exposed skin beyond their faces.

Kochetkov flashed instinct and ran on adrenaline when we saw him at his best. But those days are gone and as the season wears into the middle portion before and after the all-star break, the reality is he is staying way inside the crease when someone is bearing down on him. He's lost his aggressive nature, lost any semblance of a poke check and is no longer playing off that instinct, instead he's getting played. He's trying to out-think the room, and the more issues he has, the more of a head case he becomes. I would love to hear what Tripp has to say about this sudden fall from grace, because this went from very good to very bad in a very short period of time. Worst case scenario from last night's game should have been a 3-2 win. Now RBA has to pick his poison: Raanta or Kochetkov. And, if I had my way, Freddie Anderson would be ready to play.

So, the phantom goal no one saw. I was sitting just a couple rows behind the Canes penalty box and could see over the shoulder of the replay officials and the suit who is in contact with the situation room. Nobody saw the puck cross the line. It was not visible from any camera angle that was definitive. The ref made the call and as soon as he announced it, the suit behind the glass jumped up and called him to come over. It was a very strange dynamic, because it appeared that the goal would not stand since there was no clear cut view that it crossed the line. The situation room, the suit behind the glass and the ref were not on the same page. Not even the other members of the officiating crew were on the same page. That being said, the 2 goals 18 seconds apart to close the second were inexcusable. They were weak and there's no way anyone in the building thought they would go. Didn't take the league long to figure out Kochetkov: go to the net, backhand-forehand and 5-hole is open. I was downright angry at that point. But, I contained myself and recognized I was pissed like I used to get pissed at Panther games in Charlotte. But, the go-ahead goal and then the breakaway goal awarded when Jordan Staal didn't hook the player is when I left. Canes have physicality issues, and, as another thread I'll post to later, they have goalie issues, too. On a positive note, Aho looks much better, Max is the man, and Martinook is easily the hardest working guy on the team (also mentioned by someone else in an earlier thread).

I have a .912 win percentage for home games I've attended since the bubble/season without fans ended. I'll be there tonight. Need this win after a few days off.

I don't know about that. Since the Panthers beat the Cowboys in the 1996 post season (27 years ago), the Dallas Cowboys are 4-11 in the playoffs.

Sounds like Ron Rivera when Washington was available a couple years back... There are a couple train wreck teams I wouldn't touch if they were open: Washington, Arizona, Denver, Houston are the first 4.

The Panthers are beginning to look more and more like Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys......

This. 18 shots on goal from Columbus in a 4-3 SOL. 25 shots on goal from Nashville in a 5-3 loss. 31 shots on goal from NY in a 5-3 loss. There is a total lack of consistency in net. Kochetkov goes from shutout to giving up 4 goals on 30 shots in NY, including a couple easy ones. Raanta is the same, except his consistency is what costs the Canes wins. He will consistently allow the leakers, the softies, to the tune of 1 or 2 a game. Even last night, either just before the end of the game or at the break between the OT and shootout, Tripp made the comment, "At some point, you have to make a save." He might have said, "...expect a save," I don't remember exactly, but the context is the same and it struck a chord with me. Vasilevsky isn't great every night, he has off nights just like any player, but he's consistent in between those off nights. There's something that differentiates between good goalies and outstanding goalies. Perhaps it's that consistency, but the Carolina stable of goalies are all in the "good" category, and "good" isn't getting you a Cup.