Game 36: Carolina Hurricanes (16-17-2) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (15-18-2)

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

The Carolina Hurricanes are at home tonight taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a tilt between to underachieving teams. Neither of these teams are clearly out of the playoff race but it will take a great stretch down the road to secure a playoff spot by either team.

The Canes roster is starting to dwindle down as season ending injuries and trades have occured where the Tampa Bay roster got a big bolster when they sent Corey Conacher to Ottawa for stand out goalie Ben Bishop.

Either way, both teams need a win badly and it will take effort from both teams to get the job done.

The Canes will roll with the following line-up...

Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin

Jeff Skinner - Jordan Staal - Tuomo Ruutu

Drayson Bowman - Riley Nash - Patrick Dwyer

Chad LaRose - Tim Brent - Kevin Westgarth

Tim Gleason - Joe Corvo

Jay Harrison - Jamie McBain

Bobby Sanguinetti - Marc-Andre Bergeron

Dan Ellis

Justin Peters

Inactive: None

Injured: Justin Faulk (knee- day to day), Cam Ward (knee), Joni Pitkanen (heel - out for season)

The Lightning will have a new face in net tonight in goalie Ben Bishop and they will also be getting Vincent Lecavalier back tonight as well). The Bolts have also made a few minor moves, sending Andrej Sustr, Ondrej Palat, Cedrick Desjardins and Mike Angelidis (a former Hurricanes porspect) to the AHL; while recalling Dana Tyrell and Brett Connolly. As far as goalies go, the Canes won't have to worry about Mathieu "Cane Killer" Garon any more as he is no longer in the picture with Ben Bishop being acquired from Ottawa and Anders Lindback nearing return from an ankle injury.

PLEASE WIN!!!

[Goosfraba21]

Heading out to PNC soon. Started drinking early in case it's another letdown. Nothing eases the pain like a fifth of vodka. Go Canes!!!!

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

And... here we go...

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Good start for the Canes, Bishop will be a tough goalie to beat tonight though.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

That one was on Ellis.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

If the Canes would have traded for Bishop, they'd be in the playoffs.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

There's your game, there's your season.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

I feel bad for you Goof, what an awful game.

[carpanfan96]

I'll call next season as well with this defense.

I'm serious trade Skinner for a top 2 guy, Other teams love Skinner and it can be done.

[KillerKat]

Just tuned into the game during 2nd intermission. Saw the score, then changed the channel.

[Mother Grabber]

So the crappy defense is one thing, but we still have some great players on our first two lines. Why the hell can't we score any damn goals?

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

This team... WTF

[carpanfan96]

So the crappy defense is one thing, but we still have some great players on our first two lines. Why the hell can't we score any damn goals?

A lot of goals in the NHL with the way it's set up is on break aways and odd man rushes.

Which require defense to set up. It also doesn't help that Skinner and Co on the second line are playing like garbage and the team is trying to hard to make up for the lack of defense right now as well.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

If we were gonna suck I wish we would have started early. I wanted fricken Seth Jones in the draft.