The Official Carolina Hurricanes Playoff Thread.

[lightsout]

Svech needs as much ice time as he can handle the rest of the way. He's feeling it and you can see it in everything he's doing right now.

[Eazy-E]

God awful power play

[lightsout]

We have got to stop just sitting with the puck high and ripping into traffic. Get an open look

[KillerKat]

Caps are too strong defensively 

[JakeDel5674]

1 minute ago, Eazy-E said:

God awful power play

Been like that all season but the last few games. Not surprising really. 

[t96]

Well there’s game 1. ST were the difference. Atleast we made it a game after 3-0 in the first.

[JakeDel5674]

When it was 6 on 4. It felt like Washington had the advantage. That's how trash that Power Play was. So sad. Should've traded for another offensive player at the deadline. Oh well. We clearly came to play. But, we got to win Saturday. 

[lightsout]

We literally wasted the last 3 minutes of this game doing stupid, stupid things. Shooting into heavy traffic with WIDE OPEN looks on the wing. Throwing a puck netfront into traffic instead of using the board to maintain possession. Just stupidity. Wasted opportunities. Saturday is another chance. Could've and arguably SHOULD'VE had this one.

[JakeDel5674]

Just now, lightsout said:

We literally wasted the last 3 minutes of this game doing stupid, stupid things. Shooting into heavy traffic with WIDE OPEN looks on the wing. Throwing a puck netfront into traffic instead of using the board to maintain possession. Just stupidity. Wasted opportunities. Saturday is another chance. Could've and arguably SHOULD'VE had this one.

Like I stated, felt like the Caps had the advantage when we were 6 on 4. It was bad. 

[TheMaulClaw]

I'm actually coming away from this game encouraged. It does suck we were able to finish the comeback. We outplayed them most of the game. We had some bad mental lapses...but we picked it up in the second. We can make this a series.

[KillerKat]

1 minute ago, JakeDel5674 said:

Like I stated, felt like the Caps had the advantage when we were 6 on 4. It was bad. 

Yeah. When they were on PP, they had guys skating around free which led to 2 goals. When we went on PP, it felt like no one was free even on 6 on 4.

[t96]

Staal and Williams, the most experienced guys on the team, were invisible. Well actually I saw Staal once, he whifffed on a wide open shot. They need to be better. And Aho must be hurt or something. He’s not the same player and hasn’t been for like a month now...

[TheMaulClaw]

50 minutes ago, t96 said:

Staal and Williams, the most experienced guys on the team, were invisible. Well actually I saw Staal once, he whifffed on a wide open shot. They need to be better. And Aho must be hurt or something. He’s not the same player and hasn’t been for like a month now...

It's TRUE about Aho...hes been shut down for weeks now. I think it's pretty easy to see that Svech is gonna have to carry this team in scoring. I'm not sure if you move him up in line or what...he just has to see the ice more. Kids a sniper.

[lightsout]

1 hour ago, t96 said:

Staal and Williams, the most experienced guys on the team, were invisible. Well actually I saw Staal once, he whifffed on a wide open shot. They need to be better. And Aho must be hurt or something. He’s not the same player and hasn’t been for like a month now...

Just slumping. Dude blew his load the first 3/4 of the season and teams started playing him more physical..He can't get back to his game. This is the same issue that Skinner had (apart from injuries of course). Skinner was countered after starting hot in his career and didn't know how to get back into his groove (agian, partly due to staying injured as well). He had to learn how to adapt his game and be more multi-dimensional. Aho is going through the same thing right now. Teams are rubbing him out into the boards and sometimes he can sneak through, but if he doesn't he just looks lost for a second. Like he doesn't know what to do about it. A lot of it has to do with where he's positioning himself on the ice at times. He'll break through, the question is will it be during the playoffs or in the off-season after more strength training and off-season work to iron out that issue.

Svech NEEDS top 6 minutes. I don't care who has to drop down for it, the guy is strong on the puck and makes good, snappy decisions more times than not when the puck is on his stick. And he can hang in there physically with most forwards. He earned a jump up next game.

Defensively, we just gotta be better on the blue line. Too many pucks made it out of the zone, too many wasted shots into a defender's legs where the shot doesn't even make it to the net with WIDE OPEN forwards ready for one timers on either side. I know we have offensive minded D guys but jesus man, let Teuvo and Aho rip at the net instead.

Mrazek settled once he started getting steady shots. He is not a guy that can stop one shot every 7 minutes. He needs to be peppered with some gimmes and one or two tough shots early to find his groove. Has been that way all year.

Game 2 is promising. These first games on the road are always about splitting and we all knew that going in. Getting a game 1 win means the potential 2-0 series lead going back to Raleigh but now we can relax and just accept that that won't happen. Get the W on Saturday and fly home to the Caniacs who are going to make PNC deafening.