GDT: 1/27 - Canes vs Jackets - Tighten Up

[DaveG]

I wanted wins, I needed wins
Most of all, most of all
Someone said our season's dead
And I'm bound to fall, bound to fall to pick 2

Oh, what can I do? Yeah

Take the points but our team remains
Losing to you, Jackets team
Tighten up on your lead
You're running wild, running wild, it's true


Not exactly a must win game, but it's one that sure as hell would help our playoff chances in a big way. Beat Columbus and you're looking at 3rd in the Metro, 2 points behind the Rangers with 2 in hand. You also take the lead on Detroit for the wild card putting a little bit of space between the Canes and the Devils and Caps.

Expected Carolina Lines:
Tlusty - E Staal - Semin
Skinner - J Staal - Lindholm
Gerbe - Malhotra - Bowman
Ruutu - Nash - Dvorak

Sekera - Faulk
Hainsey - Liles
Komisarek - Harrison

Khudobin
Peters

Expected Columbus Lines:
Foligno-Johansen-Umberger
Calvert-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Jenner-Anisimov-Horton
Comeau-MacKenzie-Letestu

Tyutin-Johnson
Murray-Wisniewski
Nikitin-Goloubef

Bobrovsky
McElhinney

Click to read more...

 

[tomdundo]

This IS a must-win game. Every game is a must-win.

 

[Incubajerks]

Again...just win pls!

 

[Rad ChaLose]

Jfwp

 

[nobuddy]

#MUSTWINGAME

#BEATLUMBUS

#THUGLYFe

 

[Wolfpuck]

Dating back to 2007-08, the Hurricanes have lost 7 straight games against the Blue Jackets.

 

[Unsustainable]

4-3 Harrison scores 3 goals against us.

 

[The Faulker 27]

As must-win games go this is definitely a must win. They can't continue to lose to Columbus. Rise above Carolina, rise above.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

This is Columbus.

4-2 autoloss.

 

[tomdundo]

^

 

[tarheelhockey]

Dating back to 2007-08, the Hurricanes have lost 7 straight games against the Blue Jackets.

Even stranger, all 7 of those games were must-wins.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

The way we're playing, we could lose this game and still be in an ok position.

But yeah, if there's one to play your guts out for in the next couple of weeks, it's this one.

Hopefully Columbus has lost all of the momentum from the 8 game streak.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Anyone got the historical record against Columbus? I can't imagine it's too pretty...

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

6-9-0... that's actually better than I thought, but it's still good for 27th out of 29 teams in terms of points percentage. The all-time records below include the Whaler days and the days when other teams went by other names.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/CAR/head2head.html

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

That's a fun site!

By nature of them being in the West and being new-ish, they're actually the team we've gotten the least points from. We've got the most from Buffalo, despite being way under .500 against them.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Wait...that means before 07-08, we were 6-2 against them?

That seems...impossible

 

[tomdundo]

The way we're playing, we could lose this game and still be in an ok position.

But yeah, if there's one to play your guts out for in the next couple of weeks, it's this one.

Hopefully Columbus has lost all of the momentum from the 8 game streak.

Now you've done it. I expect another effort like the one against Calgary(?).

 

[tarheelhockey]

Wait...that means before 07-08, we were 6-2 against them?

That seems...impossible

Columbus was pretty bad back in their expansion phase.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Also, according to SportsClubStats, our playoff chances increase by 6.8% with a win, and go down 9% with a loss. By the nature of the sim, when you're in the thick of things the numbers get bigger as the season goes on, but this is by FAR the biggest game I've seen this season, a 15% swing.

We'll actually be up over 50% with a win tonight. Gosh I hope we get it.

 

[Wild Caniac]

Definite must-win. Can't wait.

 

[tarheelhockey]

LOL, our all time record against the Flyers is pitiful.

 

[The Faulker 27]

Even stranger, all 7 of those games were must-wins.

According to page 97, rule 123b in the official Hurricanes Fan handbook, losing 8 straight to a single team "constitutes must-wins" for any and all future matchups with that team from that point into eternity. So def a must win here.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

LOL, our all time record against the Flyers is pitiful.

You misspelled "hilarious"

 

[tomdundo]

LOL, our all time record against the Flyers is pitiful.

Yet we're somehow worse in points% against...the Flames. No wonder they shut us out.

 

[cbjgirl]

From the CBJ side of things, it is also a must win, or as we typically refer to it "critical".

As a fan, I'm more curious as to how they respond to Saturday's loss.

Bobrovsky was bad. Team defense was bad. GM decision bit them in the butt - Prout was sent to Springfield after the game on Thursday. That left them with 6 d-men. Savard got sick, they tried calling up Goulobef (sp?) - he got stuck at the airport in Philly. They had to roll with 5 d. The team gave up 2 - count 'em 2 - short handed goals to Buffalo. Bobrovsky got pulled once Buffalo scored their third.

Flip side - if you add up the CBJ blocked shots, missed shots, and shots on goal it was something like 96 shots taken. They controlled play in the offensive zone but just couldn't get anything past Miller (except the 4th line - they scored both).

We'll have to wait and see how things go tonight. At least they now have Erixon and Goulobef to pick from with Savard still out sick.