organicrusty1201

I'm not ready to give up on this team, they got it together after the Montreal blowout and I expect them to play Canes hockey next game - this was first game jitters which Vegas didn't have because they have been their done that. Freddie and the first line have to show up and we will be fine.

Jarvis

Jarvis

Svech

Staal

I have no doubt the Canes will come out like gangbusters, huge bounce back from game one - my only concern is Freddie, if he lets in a couple of softies and Dobes stays hot we could be in trouble.

We have to see if Fragile Freddie's confidence is shattered by this beat down, if he can't bounce back will Stubborn Rod have the stones to yank him in favor of the Buss

Freddie can't play past 2 series - he's done this collapse forever

Ghost

I hope we face Buffalo, can't stand that Montreal team flopping all over the ice trying to draw penalties, and we won't have the obnoxious fans with that stupid Olay chant.  

Robinson if he plays - if not Jank

Staal

9 hours ago, Panthers Fan 69 said:

Canes dominated. Then they didn’t.  Freddie kept them in it. Good crowd tonight. Aho and Svech were utter dog poo tonight. This was 37s worst game all year.  Aho is trying way too hard. I don’t know anymore 

Brilliant move by Rod to get Jarvis on the Staal line with Ehlers, Aho and Svech for some reason are really stinking up the joint

Ehlers

41 minutes ago, Panthers Fan 69 said:

Jarvis and Aho like scoring vs the flyers. This is the get right series for this line. 

It better be, if it wasn't for the Stank line we might have lost in the first round - Ottawa found a way to shut down our first line completely.

Jarvis breaks his slump

Boom

Sticking with Fly

Speaking of competitors, Stank is a bulldog out there - he took a lot of crap from this forum (me included) but has turned out to be a great pickup.

Let's hope the Canes stop aiming for Ulmark's glove next period

Fly

Aho better put his big boy pants on - he was a non-factor in this game

Stank

2 hours ago, Anybodyhome said:

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. 

All valid points - I think the team is well positioned to make a deep run with the players they have, my big concern is goalie play, it is buy far the most important element in the playoffs, I assume Freddie will start and do ok for a series or maybe two, does Rod use the tandem approach? If not when Freddie wears down is the Buss going to be ready? And Kooch is the wild card in all this, it's going to be an interesting playoff!!

Buss can pitch a 60 save shutout tonight and Rod will still start Freddie in the playoffs