NHL 25/26 Thread

[Cobra Mgr]

Colorado shutout Dallas. They are now one win/Dallas loss away from clinching the Central & home ice in the west. Two wins/Carolina losses from clinching home ice throughout the Cup playoffs.

The Pacific remains tight. Edmonton & Anaheim are tied w/87, Vegas @ their heels @ 86. The Ducks can't win the tiebreaker w/either, so they must beat the other 2 outright. Edmonton is technically in 1st place and would win the tiebreaker w/the Knights if it comes down to it.

Barring a disaster, the Mammoth have the 7th position locked. In the final 8th, Nashville & LA are tied w/81, Preds will win the tiebreaker if it stays that way. But just 2 pts back is San Jose w/one more game remaining that the other 2. The Jets also are lurking w/78 pts.

Today, Colorado seeks to clinch the West & Central w/a win over the Blues. The Wild seek to get w/in 2 of the Stars for home ice in their 1st rounder.

Anyone notice Utah hasn't had one game end in a shootout this year? The Ducks are 8-0 in shootouts, Buffalo 5-0.

[Bluenoser]

Rookie Porter Martone of the Flyers, in his 4th game, scores his 1st career goal in OT to win it for Philly and move them into 3rd in the Metropolitan Division.

https://youtu.be/olsE2ekiqLQ?si=k6TBKiFB5fWxt_bD

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Bluenoser

Rookie Porter Martone of the Flyers, in his 4th game, scores his 1st career goal in OT to win it for Philly and move them into 3rd in the Metropolitan Division.

https://youtu.be/olsE2ekiqLQ?si=k6TBKiFB5fWxt_bD

Flyers indeed won. They and Ottawa were the only 2 in the East in a tight race that actually came through.

Montreal got shut out @ home by the Devils. So they failed to climb into a tie w/Tampa. Canadians 8 game win streak is now kaput.

Caps got walloped by the last in the entire conference Rangers. So they lost a chance to tie the Islanders (Who knew Saturday would be Roy's last game as HC?) & leap frog the Red Wings & Blue Jackets. The idle Isles not only fell out of the automatic Top 3 berth in the Metro, they are now behind the Senators for the final spot.

Wild's win over Detroit inched Minny to 2 points behind Central #2 Dallas.

Two biggies tomorrow. Tampa visits Buffalo. Sabres regulation win pulse them into a tie for 1st. A Lightning win widens their lead to 3 or 4, plus put them ahead of Carolina for home ice in the East.

Out in LA, Nashville visits the Kings as both are tied @ 81 for the final playoff spot in the west.

[Cobra Mgr]

What to unpack from the last 2 nights...........

Buffalo beat Tampa Monday, putting them into a tie for 1st in the Atlantic. Kings took care of Nashville in a shootout giving them a 1 pt edge for the final WC in the West..........

Last night, Tampa fell to the Senators & Montreal took care of Florida. That means we now have a 3 way tie for 1st in the Atlantic. Sabres, Lightning & Canadians all have 102 pts & 4 games left. I believe 1st tiebreaker is regulation wins, which Tampa & Buffalo each have 39. Not sure what they go to after that. Tampa has to go to Montreal Thursday. Buffalo has finished their season series w/the other 2.

Carolina & Colorado became the 1st teams to clinch their divisions last night. Hurricanes won a wild one vs the Bruins. Down 1-0, up 2-1, then down 3-2 to end the 1st, took a 5-3 lead in the 2nd, gave up the next 2 to go 5-5 into OT. Then won the opening faceoff in OT & never lost control of the puck. Jaccob Slavin scored his 1st goal of the year in the extra frame to clinch the Metro.They are 4 pts ahead of the Atlantic 3 for the home ice advantage in the East.

Avs handled St. Louis to win not just the Central, but home ice for the duration of the west. They lead the Canes by 6 pts for the best record in the NHL w/4 games left.

Other games involving playoff hopefulls........Columbus stopped their tailspin & continued Detroit's 4-3, Philly continue to phly, 5-1 over Jersey. Star one goal better than the Flames. Keeps them 2 pts in front of Minnesota who beat the Kraken. Vegas climbed into a tie for the Pacific lead after they Canucks & Edmonton fell to Utah in OT. Ducks couldn't keep pace w/the Knights & Oilers as they were shut out at home by the Preds. Nashville's win puts them back one point up on the Kings for the final ticket to the Cup playoffs.

While the playoff race is exciting, I am noticing a trend for this year's playoff. Most of the larger hockey market teams are getting early off seasons. There will be no teams from the NY metro area (unless the Isles get their act together & some help), not Toronto, no Hockeytown USA, no Chicago.

[Cobra Mgr]

So 2 nights later.............

Buffalo, Washington & Edmonton all won. Sabres win broke a 3 way tie w/Montreal & Tampa. Washington's win helped them keep pace. Edmonton stayed in 1st.

Last night, the Mammoth clinched Utah's first Cup playoff, beating Nashville 4-1. Predators lost a chance to stay ahead of the Kings for the final playoff berth. LA took care of Vancouver 4-1. Kings are now a single point ahead. LA has 4 games remaining, Predators 3.

Ducks kept pace in the Pacific, 6-1 over San Jose. Vegas fell to the Kraken. So Oilers stay one point ahead of the Knights as Anaheim pulls even w/Vegas. All 3 have 3 games remaining none vs each other.

Stars were one goal better than the Wild. That all but sews up home ice for Dallas in their 1st round matchup w/Minnesota. Dallas is 4 points up w/3 games left for both.

In the East, Buffalo shut out Columbus & Montreal won by a single goal over Tampa. Montreal moves ahead of the Lightning for 2nd place. They stay 2 point behind Buffalo. Sabres have only 2 left, Canadians & Tampa have 3 more to go.

Blue Jackets loss keeps them 2 behind Philly for the 3rd Metro spot. The Sens beating the Panthers puts them 4 points behind Ottawa w/only 3 games left. So they & Washington's only real hope is to catch up to the Flyers. Islanders stopped their free fall, beating the Leafs. They are one point in back of Philly, who lost a chance to solidify their spot by getting doubled up by the Red Wings, 6-3. Detroit is holding on to hope they can catch Ottawa, who are 3 pts ahead.

Penguins clinch their spot 5-2 over Jersey. They will have home ice advantage over the 3rd team from the Metro.

Carolina stayed in front of Buffalo for the east's best record. Despite sitting their top line & top 3 scorers (Aho, Jarvis & Svechnikov), their 2 best defensive defensivemen (Jaccob SLavin & Chatfield) & their 2 most veteran locker room leaders ( Captain Staal & Martinook), they best Chicago 7-2. The Canes "2nd line" of Blake Stankhoven & Hall has been the Canes best 5 on 5 of late. Stank had 2 goals, giving him 7 in his last 6. Because of all the subs, it looked like a Chicago vs Chicago game since the Wolves are the team's AHL affiliate. Included in the call ups was future prospect Bradly Nadeau, Skyler Brind'Armor (coach's son) & Josiah Slavin (Jaccob's brother).

Nobody plays tonight. Thirty skate Saturday. So many big games.

Ottawa visits the Islanders
Oilers go to LA
Nashville hosts Minnesota
Columbus travel to Montreal
Vegas has to play in Colorado
Carolina makes their only trip to Utah
Tampa plays in Boston just after noon
Caps play the Penguins

Lots of scoreboard watching

[Cobra Mgr]

Vegas clinched the playoffs w/an OT win over Colorado. The win pushed them into 1st place after Edmonton was shut out by the Kings. Idle Anaheim falls 2 pts behind 1st in the Pacific.

Preds got a 2-1 win over Minnesota. They stay a point behind LA for the final WC in the west. Wild loss clinches the #2 spot from the Central for Dallas & home ice in the 1st round.

In the East, Ottawa punched their ticket for the playoff after shutting out the Islanders, 3-0. They also pulled into a tie for the 7th slot in the East w/Boston & currently holds the tiebreaker w/Boston. Bruins fell to Tampa. The Lightning got back into a tie w/Montreal for 2nd in the Atlantic, 2 points behind idle Buffalo, after the Canadians were upset at home by Columbus. The Jackets win was a must have as Philly destroyed Winnipeg 7-1. Flyers stay 2 pts in front of Columbus for the final seat in the playoffs.

Capitals kept slim hopes alive w/a 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh. Probably the last time we see Crosby vs Ovechkin. Washington & NYI are 3pts behind Philly with only 2 games to play & Columbus in between then.

Carolina moved within one point after defeating Utah on the road, 4-1. Once again, Canes played a number of AHL'ers & normal healthy scratches, yet still got the win. Staal became the 7th 20 goal scorer for the Canes this season. Taylor Hall sat down today, but is 2 away from giving Carolina 8.

Looks like Brind A'mour is set on making Andersen the starting playoff goalie. Admittedly, the rookie Bussi has tailored off a bit. But despite his inexperience, I still day Bussi should be given 1st shot. Andersen has been given multiple chances. He is now 36. It is time to stop hoping he finds something he's not capable for locating. Maybe Bussi can find his early season form.

EDIT: Didn't know Pitt & Washington were playing back to back's this weekend. So today will possibly be the last time Ovechkin faces Crosby.

[Cobra Mgr]

Anaheim lost an opportunity to climb back into a tie for 1st in the Pacific w/Vegas. The Ducks lost in OT to the worst team in the NHL, Vancouver, 4-3 The single point gained leaves them one shy of 1st place, tied w/Edmonton for 2nd.

Montreal got back into a virtual tie w/Buffalo for the Atlantic lead, beating the freefalling Islanders 4-1. Now the Islanders, and all of NY metro, is eliminated from the playoffs.

Caps keep hope alive by means of a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh. Blue Jackets hopes diminish w/a 3-2 loss to Boston. Boston pushes ahead of Ottawa for the 7th seed by means of the victory & the Sens 4-3 loss to Jersey.

Tomorrow the Flyers host Carolina. Philly win gives them the final spot in the East. A Canes win clinches the East's home ice. A Buffalo loss will also clinch the East for the Canes. Sabres go to Chicago & try to maintain the top spot in the Atlantic. Tampa can once more create a 3 way tie @ the top of the Atlantic if they win vs Detroit & Buffalo loses.

A Kings win over Seattle w/a Predators loss to San Jose will give LA the last berth in the West. Two other games that will have bearing on the Pacific race will be the Oilers hosting the Avs & Vegas welcoming the Jets.

[Cobra Mgr]

The 8 teams that will make up the East half of the playoffs was completed after Philly beat Carolina 3-2 after a shootout. It wasn't a total loss for the Canes though. Despite sitting their 3 top scorers, captain & 2 defensemen, the Canes clinched the East home ice advantage by getting the point from the OT.

Also, Buffalo sealed the Atlantic pennant by beating Chicago 5-1. Even though Montreal & Tampa can tie them in points, Buffalo owns the 1st tiebreaker w/both of them. So they get the Atlantic #1 seed. Lightning beat Detroit 4-3, to knot themselves w/Montreal. Tampa has the tiebreaker on the Canadians w/one skate left for both.

The only other thing left to be decided in the East is the last 2 seeds. Ottawa is one point behind Boston, but owns the tiebreaker. So a Bruins win or Sens loss sends Boston to Buffalo & Ottawa to Raleigh. Anything less than a Boston win coupled w/a Senators win switches opponents.

The West, specifically the Pacific still has some working out to do. Vegas's win w/Edmonton's OT loss now has the Knights 2 points ahead of Edmonton. But the Oilers hold the tiebreaker. So the Knights still need a win or Oiler & Anaheim loss to clinch the division. Free falling Anaheim gotten just 4 points in their last 8 games. But are still in contention for the division win, if they win their remaining 2 & Vegas & Edmonton lost their final games.

Meanwhile, the Ducks must still worry about the Kings. LA has gotten at least a point in 10 of their last 11 games and are now a single point behind their California rivals. Kings clinched the final spot with a win over Seattle & a Nashville loss to the Sharks.
LA can also climb above Utah for the 7th seed, being one point behind them as well. The Mammoth have only one game left while LA has 2.

Tonight.........

Devils travel to Boston, Canadians host Philly, Ducks get Wild in Minny, Mammoth welcome Winnipeg, & LA travels to Vancouver.

[Cobra Mgr]

Everything in the East is settled.

Flyers defeated the Canadians, giving Tampa the Atlantic's #2 spot & home ice advantage vs Montreal.

Boston's shut out of Jersey puts them in the 7th spot & steals Ottawa in the 8th.

So 1st round in East looks like this.........

#1 Carolina vs #8 Ottawa
#2 Buffalo vs #7 Boston
#3 Tampa vs #6 Montreal
#4 Pittsburgh vs # 5 Philadelphia

Can't say I see an easy matchup anywhere.........

Out West, still waiting for the Pacific to sort themselves out. Anaheim continues to show how not to finish out the season, falling to the Wild 3-2. & the Kings continue to do what they do best, tie. They lost in OT to Vancouver 4-3. The point they gathered it them into a tie w/the Ducks for the Pacific #3 spot. But Anaheim owns the tiebreaker.

Utah clinched the 7th spot for themselves w/a 4-3 victory over Winnipeg.

Tonight......

Vegas can claim the Pacific with a win over Seattle. All other contenders for spots in flux finish Thursday.

Interesting thing about the Pac. Anaheim has clinched the "#1" spot for wins in the division. They will be the only one to win more than half of their games this season in the division. But they are in danger of finishing in 4th in the final standings. Vegas & LA have combined for 59 OT games.

[Bluenoser]

Vegas only needs a single point tonight, playing at home I can see them doing that. Funny thing with that division, even the Oilers could still finish 4th. If they lose their last game and both Kings n Ducks win, that will happen.

Only sure thing out west is Dal/Min - this series is going to be must see hockey. Envision this series going the full 7, at least 6.

Can't wait for the show to start.

[Cobra Mgr]

Knights took care of biz 4-1 over Seattle, finally claiming the Pacific title.

All that is left to decide on the NHL's final night is where will the 3 end up behind them.

An Edmonton win @ home vs Vancouver, worst in the league, awards the Oilers w/the #2 spot & hosting the 1st round home ice. They also get it if Anaheim & LA both lose.

An Anaheim road win over Nashville clinches the 3rd spot. If coupled w/an Oilers' loss or tie, they end up #2.

A Kings win in Calgary, plus losses by Edmonton & Anaheim jumps them into the #2. If the Oilers win & Ducks lose, LA gets the 3rd spot & avoids Colorado.

Ducks win all tiebreakers, LA losses all of them. So if the Ducks & Oilers get into OT, LA is locked n the final WC.

[Cobra Mgr]

Thought I'd look back at some posts I made in the pre-season & the 1st month.

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

And personally, looking @ my Canes............Can they pick up a goalie before the trade deadline?.......WIll Pyton Kocehtkov ever turn the corner?........What can Nikishin become?.........Can Ehlers produce the same as he did in Vancouver?.......Will the Canes also be in the market for a center if the Stankoven move doesn't work out?........

Last year @ this time, I was just hoping that Carolina wouldn't drop too far. THey ended up exceeding expectations by making the ECF, despite getting almost swept again by Florida. Now w/Ehlers, Nikishin & Miller, I'm expecting them to do the same, minimum. But the goalie & 2nd line center situations are still unresolved after multiple problem seasons.

First, I think the Canes met my expectations. But I didn't expect them to arrive at them by the route they took. Pytor Kochetkov never took over the goalie position. After another up & down year in & out w/injuries, he finally decided to have surgery & was done by midseason (Good news is he has been skating with the team & was even assigned to the Wolves in the AHL. If rehab goes well, he give Coach Rod another option in goal.)

Ehlers proved worthy of the price from the start even though he wasn't getting on the score sheet early. He stayed healthy all season & finished 2nd only to Aho in points on the team, despite not skating w/Carolina's "first 2" lines. His insertion into the power play made it one of the most potent units in the league. They started out converting just 2 of their 1st 29 PP opportunities. They finished 5th in the league, converting 58 of 212 (27.4%).

Nikishin showed the previews were spot on. He became the player every one wanted in midseason trade talked. Thankfully Carolina was smarter than that. He led the team w/a +18 rating, collected 33 points and spent time helping QB the PP. He showed durability, playing 81 games. And sitting only @ the end of the year. That was important, cause the Canes other 5 defensemen were in and out of the lineup all season.

Miller was a solid addition. 2nd among Cane defensemen in assists. Provided a nice physical presence to go w/his skating ability.

Stankoven solidified his hold of the #2 C position as the season ended despite his size. He put 21 pucks into the goal. And collected 11 points in his final 8 skates.

The following as after the game opener...........

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Ghost had 2 helpers, which I think is important. Carolina has traditionally have good defensemen, but none would be confused for Paul Coffey. Ghost is the best candidate to reach 50 assists this year, which would be so helpful for the offense & PP.

Lastly, on the radio yesterday, it was said Andrei Svechnikov needed to become the Canes best player. I disagree. It needs to be Pytor Kochetkov. Last year, the Canes finished 10th in GA, 1st in the PK. That was w/goal tending that finished 24 in save percentage. Imagine how hard it would be to score vs Carolina if they had a top 10 goalie? Florida outscored Carolina 21-10 in their series last year. If the Canes had stopped 90% (top 10 level) of Florida's shots, the Panthers would have scored 9.

Anderson is to fragile to expect him to get in the net 45 or more times in a season. And too old to think he can be the #1 for the next 7 seasons. Canes hopes & moves for the future change drastically is Pytor becomes the main man in the net. Time for Pytor, and Svech for that matter, to grow up as leaders of this team.

I mentioned Pytor's situation. Anderssen was a disaster the 1st half of the season. In his 1st 22 games in goal, Carolina managed only 19 points. It got so bad, he only got one game in goal in February. Since March, he has helped Carolina to 16 points in 12 starts. Last 4 starts, his sv% is over 90%. But this is the 1st time in his career his sv% has been lower than 90% for the whole season. And his GAA went above 3 for the 1st time.

Ghost unfortunately had nagging injuries hold him to 55 games. But he had 50 points in those games. His 37 assists were good for 4th on the team. He was also 4th in rating (+11) When he has been available, the PP cooks.

This was after the Canes 1st loss.......

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

On the opposite end of the Ehlers spectrum is Svechnikov. We have to begin to ask, what is wrong w/Andrei? He has zero points in 5 skates. We keep waiting for the light bulb to stay on. But it continues to flicker. For maybe 25 games, he looks like a bonafide all-star. For about 10-20, he looks like he should be in the AHL. The rest, you don't see him. He's either injured or just not making an impact. I wanted the Canes to use him as trade bait this off season while the rest of the league still felt he could be something. But I imagine those that see him that way are dwindling. He might be a piece they could move at the trade deadline when the Canes are shopping for a 2nd line C or improvement in goal.

Ehlers was instrumental in Andrei Svechnikov having his best year as a pro. He matched or set career highs in goals, assists & points while making fewer of the dumb penalties he'd become known for. He also managed to stay healthy for a change, playing his most game since his rookie year. In fact, the only games he missed were the ones Rod say him down after Carolina had clinched just about everything. Nikolaj's passes to Svech in the slot led to a team high 12 goals on the PP.

Can't have summary on the season w/o highlighting Brandon Bussi. When the the front office acquired him once the preseason ended, nobody knew who Bussi was. He was basically an emergency goalie while Pytor was still hurt. He was only being asked to gives Frederik a blow & keep the team a float when inserted. No one was thinking he would start the most games in the crease this year.

He ended the year w/31 wins, a GAA below 2.5. When the goalie situation was in disarray, it was Brandon who kept the turmoil from affecting the W/L record. He showed a little burnout after the Olympic break, but seemed to be back to his standards from the winter last couple games.

This is Rod Brind'Amor's best team since he took over. Every move the front office made hit. From trades & free agent signings, they all worked. Added on to a team that made the ECF, with their nemesis Florida Panthers out of the way, you have to conclude this is their best chance to win the Cup.

In previous seasons, the Canes roadblock to reaching the final has been not enough consistent offense & average goaltending.

In 2026, the offense has never been better. Seven Canes had 20 goals or more. Each of the top 3 lines has solid scoring on it. I didn't even mention Olympian Jaccob Slavin, or leading goal scorer Seth Jarvis. That's how deep this team is. The defensemen have the right mix of playmakers & defensive stalwarts. The depth is illustrated in the fact the team picked up 7 points in their last 4 games despite resting 5 or more players each game.

The question remains the goaltending. I think Brind'Amour is more comfortable w/Andersen. I say he shouldn't be married to either. I see no problem continuing to alternate. Frederik has had numerous chances to up his game in the playoffs only to consistently let in at least one we all want them to have back. He should not be wounded seeing someone else getting their shot. Bussi to me seems to have more focus when he feels there is something to prove. I think that was part of the reason for his slump in March. Once he saw Frederik was getting into "favoured" status, he picked it back up again.

Thing is, neither one has shown they should be treated like a Brodeur or Roy. They may just not have it in them to play an entire series. But breaks in between w/regular assignments might be the way to go. Either way, Carolina is going to go as far as these 2 can ride.

[Cobra Mgr]

Oilers & Anaheim both won last night. Which meant everything stayed the same. Vegas has the title, Edmonton is runner up, Anaheim finishes 3rd, LA gets the final slot.

Western Conference playoff match ups & predictions

Central winner Colorado vs #8 LA Avs in 4 But don't be surprised LA doesn't make them sweat in those 4. Kings have made a habit of playing extra minutes

Pacific winner Vegas vs #7 Utah Mammoth in 6 Something magical about a franchise making their 1st postseason w/a new crowd as an underdog.

#2 Central Dallas vs #3 Central Minnesota Stars in 7 Going w/home ice here.

#2 Pacific Edmonton vs #3 Pacific Anaheim Oilers in 5. Could very well be reverse. Ducks have been highly schizophrenic this season.

Eastern Conference & predictions


Metro winner Carolina vs #8 Ottawa Canes in 6 Sens present the type of game that usually gives Carolina trouble. But they don't have the goalie.

Atlantic winner Buffalo vs #7 Boston Bruins in 7 Sabres have been the better team. But they are the 3rd youngest in the NHL. Boston has to find a way out of the box tho.

#2 Atlantic Tampa Bay vs #3 Atlantic Montreal Lightning in 7 Canadians are the youngest in the NHL. Tampa has former cup winners.

#2 Metro Pittsburgh vs # 3 Philadelphia Flyers in 6. I think Philly's goalie has a standout series. They've been one of the hottest since the Olympic break.

[Bluenoser]

I'm usually terrible at these, but here's my picks.

Canes over Sens - this is my dark horse series, I actually think the Sens are up to the task. They just got healthy and have their top D'men back and have been playing very well recently as a result of that.

Habs over Lightning and also Lightning over Habs - too close to call for me, the 2 games they played in Mar/Apr were close, 4-1 and 2-1 for Habs. The 4-1 was 2-1 till late in the 3rd. Tampa won in Dec 6-1 and 5-4 but the teams you see in Dec rarely are the same you see in Mar/Apr. I think it goes the distance and I can see either team winning it.

Bruins over Sabres - it's been a long time since these 2 met in the play-offs, but over the years they've had some gr8 series. This won't be different, but B's did an excellent job of retooling and have a big edge in experience.

Pens over Flyers - only because it's likely the last run for Crosby/Malkin/Letang together, so I can see them winning at least 1 series.

Vegas over Utah - No magic here, the Knights will advance and will put an end to the Oilers dreams of a 3rd straight trip to the final next rnd. They'll lose to Colorado in the WCF

Col over LA - The Avs are built for this and have the core from 22 still together. Also, much like they got a cup for Ray in 01, they'll get one for Burns this year.

Edm over Ana - Ducks defense will be their undoing, especially if Draistaitl is back. They have a very good young goalie in Dostal, but it won't be enough for the Oilers offense.

Dal over Min and Min over Dal - pretty much the same as Habs/Bolts could go either way and too close for me to call. Just going to enjoy watching this one.

[Bluenoser]

Question for you - if Ottawa pulls off an upset and wins the series, do you think Brind'Amour is done as Coach?

I can't help but think they'd have to seriously consider that after coming up short yet again. Is a deep run (finals) enough to keep his job or does he have to win the Cup?

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Bluenoser

Question for you - if Ottawa pulls off an upset and wins the series, do you think Brind'Amour is done as Coach?

I can't help but think they'd have to seriously consider that after coming up short yet again. Is a deep run (finals) enough to keep his job or does he have to win the Cup?

No. Brind'Amour is the most popular person on the team for the Caniacs. It would have to be someone among management that would cut him. As a fan base, almost all recognize the Canes' problem in reaching the Cup has been goaltending and lack of stars. And it is management's duty to provide it.

Most Canes understand that Guentzel was Condon's fault. And even though they made a dumb play for Ratanen, most have anger towards Rat & understand the motive for making the trade. The fan frustration will be mostly for the goalie situation & the fact the front office could not improve the clear need in the last 3-4 seasons or so.

You also have to note that even though the fan base is fanatical, it is not knowledgeable. And I include myself in that. The true puckheads here are mostly transplants who adopted the Canes as their 2nd favorite team. So fans here are more likely to be irrational about the college basketball teams (See UNC Tar Heels or NCSux Wolfpack) than they are the hockey team. We basically know W & L's and not comfortable in critiquing anything else.

[Cobra Mgr]

Canes win 2-0. Great defensive game. There was no room to operate. If you had the puck, you had at best .5 a second before somebody was in your sweater. Skates were flying up in the air throughout.

Couple of things.........

I hate when Carolina is on a national broadcast. Especially Buccigross. They do not like the Canes. I understand no one wants to come to Raleigh. The arena is in an empty area surrounded by land owned by NCSt & their farm school. So the nightlife is non-existent. And the best hotels are miles from the stadium. I live here. I get it. You want NYC, Miami, D.C. anywhere but Raleigh.

But be a pro and call the game fair. Stop the bias towards the opponent every time.

Exhibit A was the disallowed goal from Ottawa. Now me, if I had to take a guess, I thought it was a goal after the replay. Certainly since it was called a goal in live action. But the replay certainly didn't say conclusively one way or the other. So how Toronto thought it did, you got me. I think the Sens have some beef on that.

But afterward, why not give Freddie some props for the stop? If the official call is no goal, then that was a sensational stop from point blank range. But no, the credit is given to the Sens for almost getting the goal.

Anyone that has been reading my hockey posts for the past few years knows I am hard on Frederik. But give the man his due. He was outstanding today. This is the kind of goalie that can get Carolina the cup. I hope he makes me eat my words 15 more times!

[Cobra Mgr]

So far the only game 1 that hasn't been a nailbiter has been in the series everyone thought was going to be a nailbiter.

[Cobra Mgr]

OK.......here's my problem on the disallowed OT goal for the Canes........

I'm not saying the call was wrong because I don't know enough to criticize.......

But Martinook was offsides & he was the victim on the penalty. So if you can go to replay & reverse the goal because of the offsides, why does the penalty still stand? The penalty never would have happened if, according to the refs' own admission, they had called the play right.

[Cobra Mgr]

Staal "had possession, but not control".

What?