Chronological Blog List
Rd1 Gm3 @Bos: Special teams and star power doom Canes in 4-2 loss to Bruins
After consecutive home playoff wins against the Boston Bruins, a familiar losing formula reemerged in game 3 in Boston. The Bruins top players both at even strength and on special teams were the best players on the ice and the deciding factor in the outcome. After a...
What (if anything) changes as Canes/Bruins head to Boston?
With consecutive wins by a total score of 10-3, the Carolina Hurricanes are flying high heading into game 3 in Boston on Friday night. As I said briefly in my game recap on Wednesday, I would be surprised to see the Hurricanes just run the table for a series sweep....
Rd1 Gm2 Vs. Bos: Canes bury Bruins again to take 2-0 series lead
With the 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes are now 5-0 versus the Bruins with a massive 26 to 4 goal advantage. I would expect the Bruins to dig down and pull out a win at home to keep the Hurricanes from running the 2021-22...
Setting up game 2 of the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Boston Bruins
When it was all said and done, the Hurricanes emerged from game one with a lopsided 5-1 win. But that score was not indicative of what transpired. Boston was the better team out of the gate and carried play through the first period. The game was a scoreless tie past...
Rd1 Gm1 Vs. Bos: Canes break through late for 5-1 win to open the series
To win a playoff series or even more so go deep in the playoffs, a team will need to play at or very close to its highest level for the majority of its post-season games. But in wacky world of NHL playoff hockey, there is always also elements of luck, good bounces,...
Handicapping the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Boston Bruins
The NHL wild card format that has the two wild card teams not necessarily playing within their division has set up a playoff path for the Hurricanes that could see them gain revenge on both teams that have knocked them out of the playoffs during the Rod Brind'Amour...
Assessing the goalie situation with the playoffs approaching
First and foremost, best wishes to Tripp Tracy as he takes some time away from the team. Looking forward to having him back on my TV when the time is right. Ideal for the playoffs obviously is starting out with the full roster of players and extras. A deep run...
What decides Canes’ playoff fate? (part 2)
In yesterday's Daily Cup of Joe, I first called out the two factors that can decide any playoff series (goaltending and special teams scoring) and followed up by saying that I thought that past those two automatics the single biggest factor in the Canes' playoff...
What decides Canes’ playoff fate?
After three consecutive playoff berths since Rod Brind'Amour took over as the bench boss, the Carolina Hurricanes entered the 2021-22 NHL season as a team expected to make the playoffs and also a team with a possibility to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. For those with...
The division title, playoff seeding and preparing for the playoffs
Suddenly the start of the 2022 NHL Playoffs are only a week away. After many years being out of the playoff picture by this point in the season and a couple years suffering horrible disappointments at the very end, the recent lack of suspense and drama in the last...
Is this the year to go for it at the trade deadline?
No doubt the Canes are in the small group of teams capable of winning the Stanley Cup. People often talk about the Stanley Cup Playoffs as if anything is possible. That is definitely true in the early rounds, but all that generally does is clear the path for one of...
What is working?
With Sunday's hard-fought 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, the Hurricanes closed out a busy four days leading up to the 2022 NHL All-Star break with three wins. On a points per game basis, the Carolina Hurricanes are currently first in the Eastern Conference and...
The tricky salary cap math in trying to upgrade via trade
To upgrade or not Earlier this week, I identified a couple potential areas for upgrades to the current roster. You can find that article HERE. As a starting point, I do not view upgrading the current roster as a necessity. The Canes currently sit atop the entire NHL...
The three-year window
I believe I touched on this toward the end of the off-season or beginning of the 2021-22 season, but in spending some time poking around CapFriendly looking at Canes and other teams' salaries in considering the 2022 NHL trade deadline, I again noticed how neatly the...
Random Canes notes — Jack LaFontaine and early thoughts on possible trade deadline upgrades
Today's Daily Cup of Joe has quick thoughts on two different topics -- Jack LaFontaine's play so far and an early look at possible trade deadline upgrades. Jack LaFontaine Making the jump literally one week to the next going from "Cawlidge Hawkey" to the NHL,...