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GDT: Canes v. Blue Jackets 3/30 7:00

cmaleski2

cmaleski2

Well-known member
Canes host the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at PNC.

Columbus is battling still for the President's trophy and the 1st overall seed in the Eastern conference, coming in 5 points behind Washington with a game in hand. They are also only 2 points ahead of Pittsburgh (who has played one more game) so this one is still of some importance to the Jackets. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10. The Jackets are at Chicago tomorrow night, so they MIGHT elect to play backup Joonas Korpisalo (6-4-0 2.85 GAA .905 Sv%) instead of Sergei Bobrovsky (41-13-5 1.97 GAA .935 Sv%). Then again, with the Canes offense awakening in the month of March, the Jackets might see the Canes as the bigger offensive threat and go with Bobs tonight and Korpisalo tomorrow night (figure out how that could be possible!)

Jackets offense is stellar and deep, led by mini-mite 6th round jackpot pick Cam Atkinson (34G 27A). The Jackets have 8 players with more than 40 points and any of their 4 lines can score.

The Canes counter with a 12 game point streak (8-0-4) and the NHLs best offense in the month of March. Cam Ward will be in the nets for sure and with only 12 healthy forwards and 6 healthy DMen on the roster, there will be no guessing games on the lineup.

This game is just one of the many tonight that will significantly impact the race for the WC2 spot in the Eastern conference. Here are the other critical games on the slate tonight:

NYI @ Philly (Canes want the Flyers to win this one cleanly)
Dallas @ Boston
Detroit @ Tampa
Toronto @ Nashville

In the best case "grand slam" scenario, the Canes get 2 points tonight, the 4 teams ahead of us in the standings all lose and we are sitting 3 points out of a wildcard spot with a game in hand on the Bruins and everyone else behind us. In the worst case scenario the Canes come away empty tonight, all 4 teams ahead of us win and our miracle playoff run effectively ends. This is yet another "Game 7" for the Canes, they have to win tonight to stay alive. If you have lucky socks or NHL team voodoo trinkets tonight is the time to utilize them with all of these important games.
 
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Last time we played Columbus and Pittsburgh, we had a shiny new toy and they broke it and it took over a month to fix it.

I don't see us getting in without winning at least three or maybe even four points out of the games vs. Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Minnesota. If we win take 2 points per game in the other 4 games, we'll be at 90 points plus whatever we get from Columbus, Pittsburgh, Minnesota. Gotta figure Boston is going to get 6 more points and will be at 92. I think we will need at least 92 and win a tiebreaker.

As much as we need points tonight, we need Boston to lose. I suppose we could also get in if Toronto collapses and Boston takes their spot. We control our own destiny with the others.

So the pressure is on for the guys. Not only are they playing 2 of the elite teams in their next three, but this streak has not had the pressure on it that it will have from here on out. The pressure will build from here until the end or until we're out of it. It will be good to see how the guys handle it.
 
First tiebreaker is Regulation/OT wins (ROW in the NHL standings). We'll have to qualify on points because both the Bruins and Leafs have the advantage over the Canes. The Leafs have 35, Bruins have 38, Canes have 32.
 
Not that we need numbers to realize the emerging greatness of Jacob Slavin, but the kid sits at +22. That is tied for 16th in the entire NHL. The Canes overall have scored 160 non-PP goals and allowed 180 non-PP goals. Being +22 on a team with those numbers is an amazing accomplishment.

While +/- is a very imperfect stat, its not in the case of Jacob Slavin. This kid is already great and the thoughts of him continuing to grow his game at both ends of the ice excites the heck out of me. I don't know who scouted Slavin but I have to assume that he is exceeding every expectation at this stage. We were either darn lucky or darn smart...either way we got ourselves an emerging star.. This guy is going to get himself paid, big time, and he is going to deserve every penny of either the bridge contract he will sign or the mega payday contract he will get after his entry level contract ends next season.

If Hanifin can show growth and be at least a reliable 2nd pair guy, if Faulk can find some consistency in his own end, and Pesce can keep being Pesce (and continue to improve as well), this team has the makings of super NHL blueline. Damn this team is so close to being where they need to be (goalie goalie GOALIE!!!!).

Let's get it done tonight boys.....
 
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First tiebreaker is Regulation/OT wins (ROW in the NHL standings). We'll have to qualify on points because both the Bruins and Leafs have the advantage over the Canes. The Leafs have 35, Bruins have 38, Canes have 32.
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Correct and this has frustrated me every time I see someone say the Canes are only 4 points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand. We are FIVE points out of a playoff spot. We have to fully pass the Bruins or Toronto in points, tying them will not get it done.
 
Will you guys seriously stop it? As exciting as it is to yet again be at sniffing distance from the piss-offs, we will suffer one of either an embarrasing loss where we had the piss-offs in our hands (like if all the teams ahead of us lose every game here on out, we win all of ours, but lose the game that would get us in (that 5th point...)..
OR
An OT thriller/heartbreaker. Depending on who you're rooting for. Our lot will be found post game in the hotel suite. The heartbreak one of course.
OR
We win every game here on out and still don't make it.

Just stop the insanity I tell ya.
 
It's just math James. I was just doing the math.

As good as we've been over the last 10 or 12, we're going to need to be better over the next 7 to have a shot. And they're going to have to produce under the pressure of the games actually meaning something, which has not been the case for most of the recent run.

To put that in perspective, we have 24 points in the last 16 (1.5 points per game). In order to get

According to sportsclubstats.com, we have about a 6-7% chance of making the playoffs.

In order to get that over 50%, we need 12 more points out of the last 7.

To put that in perspective, we have 24 points in the last 16 (1.5 points per game). In order to get 12 points in the last 7, we need to improve that to 1.7 points per game, and we have to do that with Pittsburgh, Columbus and Minnesota in 3 of those games.

So we're pretty much where we've been since the beginning of March where we pretty much need to win out. BK is right. We dug too deep of a hole. What the heck was the second half of January and all of February about?
 
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TheBigKahuna said:
Coulda, woulda, shoulda. All kinda silly at this point.
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As close as it seems like the Canes have come to work their way back into the playoff equation...none of this even compares to the heartbreak of that season when they played a dreadful Florida team at home needing a single win and layed an egg. Or the season they got blown out by Tampa again on home ice needing a single win to get in. The theme is the same, but the results are all that matter and the results are just dreadful in that department!
 
CanadaCanes said:
none of this even compares to the heartbreak of that season when they played a dreadful Florida team at home needing a single win and layed an egg.
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Here I was making so much progress with my therapist and you have to bring that up!
 
cmaleski2 said:
Damn this team is so close to being where they need to be (goalie goalie GOALIE!!!!).
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Yeah. I was talking about this with Andy offline the other night. It's so bloody frustrating to know that they are THAT close to being competitive. Upgrade in net and add just one more quality forward and they might actually be there right now. Sigh.
 
well seeing as we have reached our best ever streak, this actually would be the game to lose..... to win all the other ones left after this
 
Columbus is owning so far in the first.

Faulk flubbed the EN. but we showed some signs of life late in the period.
 
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