I wouldn't worry. We'll probably lose out on the 8th seed on the final day of the season. That's more likely than making the playoffs if recent history is any kind of indication. As long as we keep a revolving door of bottom 6ers as our roster "shake ups" we're just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.I honestly don't care if we make it as the 8th seed, just really don't want to face the Habs in the first round
Maybe I'm just conditioned for this, but this team is on a tipping point.. I'm nervous
Shouldn't be nervous. It should be expected by this point. This team rarely, if ever, makes it easy on themselves.
Would anyone be really surprised to see them falter down the stretch and miss playoffs? Honestly, given the history of this team, I think it'd be more surprising for them to right the ship and cruise into a divisional championship.
The other good news is, I got my Stanley cup DVD today so my post-work beer and pizza won't go completely to waste.
So disappointing.....shall we make it a 3-peat with the Rangers?
When I talk about the way the game of hockey is played, I always feel the need to first disclaim that I have no delusions of knowing much about the way the game is played. Everything I know about the game is from having spectated and picked up on nuances. It's one reason that I don't like Tripp Tracy as a color guy, because I want more than what he delivers in his analysis.
Anyway, getting back to the attempt to make a fool of myself...
It seems to me that the Hurricanes neutral zone play is their achilles heel. Or perhaps it's better stated that their (in)ability to move the puck through the neutral zone is a quick indicator of whether they are a threat to win a game or not. I also think that this is the first part of their game that disappears in the 3rd period when they attempt to hold onto a lead. I might be able to make a better argument for this inclination if I'd had it for some time, but it more or less occurred to me during this game last night. The Canes just could not seem to move the puck through the neutral zone worth a crap, and they never figured out how to beat Tampa's system.
I don't know how to be any more articulate than that about the subject, but (I think) I know this: it is precisely this area of the game that determines who wins/loses playoff hockey games, so if they have any designs on taking this thing farther than a blowout series loss, they'd better figure it out.
Gotta ask, what took you so long to get one of those dvd's?
That's all pretty much spot on. Considering the defensemen and top-9 we're bringing to the table, you'd think we would be one of the better teams at getting through the neutral zone with speed. But lately it's pretty clear that the book is out on our breakout system. I really thought it would get better with Joni in the lineup, and it still might, but it's not pretty to watch right now.
I sort of want peg to win the southBEAST, just so we can lol at the southeast championship banner.