GDT: carfla

[Anton Dubinchuk]

3 in game one.
1 in game two.
0 in game three.

And when you consider that Game 1 was actually ~2.3 full games...

 

[Svechhammer]

Officiating has certainly bought in. I say this as a person that saw the Canes take liberties at times in 2006. Once the narrative slips your way "game management" often follows. Tampa and Boston certainly had that in their favor in the past years.

Yeah it's kind of bullshit that this series is absolutely being reffed differently than the last 2 and you goddamn well know it has everything to do with the Florida story. The NHL is absolutely game managing these games to their advantage, and with Bob in net that's all they need.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Everyone does. But Bob's playing out of his mind. And he's a player on the other team, and that counts.

I'm not watching the same games some of you are. Bob's making 10-bell saves every game, saves that should be goals. Yes, we don't have the pure goal scorers. That hadn't mattered through 2 rounds (against a "good" goalie in Sorokin, and a "hot" goalie in Schmidt, in case you want to attack either angle of how we can't beat "good" or "hot" goalies), because we were figuring out a way to do it by volume, the "Hurricanes way." Florida's D are playing well, but we're still getting the chances and just not a single one is going. We're not hitting any more or less crests of the jersey than we have the last 2 months. We're just watching an all-time goaltending performance on the level of JS Giguere (or maybe even better) and are on the other end of it and it sucks when it happens to your team.

And then, after 100 shots in a row without scoring, maybe does he get in your head or make you squeeze the stick a little? Sure. But he did that to us. This isn't the same as the tail end of the regular season. The chances are there and they're getting stopped by maybe the hottest goalie of all time.

(It's funny because I was thinking before the playoffs started about the goaltending situation for next year and was wondering if the front office would get cute and try to "Marleau" Florida's Bob situation and maybe get some draft capital in exchange for taking him on with some retention. Somehow I don't think that's gonna happen now... )

Yeah, there have definitely been stretches each game of less than dangerous shots. But we have certainly had several chances each game that would likely score if Bob wasn't in the zone. He's made some flat out desperation, horseshoe up the ass saves each game.

He's made quite a few of those flail the arms out and hope for the best and it's grazed his blocker or glove every time pretty much. Lots of skill, sure, but just not going to happen if you aren't on an all time heater.

 

[LakeLivin]

I know no one wants to here this, but I have a great f***ing feeling about game 4, and the Canes coming back home with some life. I'm not always Mr positive, team can do no wrong guy either, but something about this series just screams come back for them. We'll see. Bob is playing hella good, no question but the shots that hit the posts tend to start going in and we've had enough to win every game.

IF the Canes aren't demoralized and can play the same way next game as they did tonight I'm with you. That's a big if, though.

 

[Svechhammer]

How many 5 on 5 goals has Florida scored? Like 1 or 2?

Yeah I don't really give a shit with the whataboutism right now when we are down 0-3 in a series where we have 0 5v5 goals scored by our collective group of forwards.

 

[Kat Predator]

Everyone does. But Bob's playing out of his mind. And he's a player on the other team, and that counts.

I'm not watching the same games some of you are. Bob's making 10-bell saves every game, saves that should be goals. Yes, we don't have the pure goal scorers. That hadn't mattered through 2 rounds (against a "good" goalie in Sorokin, and a "hot" goalie in Schmidt, in case you want to attack either angle of how we can't beat "good" or "hot" goalies), because we were figuring out a way to do it by volume, the "Hurricanes way." Florida's D are playing well, but we're still getting the chances and just not a single one is going. We're not hitting any more or less crests of the jersey than we have the last 2 months. We're just watching an all-time goaltending performance on the level of JS Giguere (or maybe even better) and are on the other end of it and it sucks when it happens to your team.

And then, after 100 shots in a row without scoring, maybe does he get in your head or make you squeeze the stick a little? Sure. But he did that to us. This isn't the same as the tail end of the regular season. The chances are there and they're getting stopped by maybe the hottest goalie of all time.

(It's funny because I was thinking before the playoffs started about the goaltending situation for next year and was wondering if the front office would get cute and try to "Marleau" Florida's Bob situation and maybe get some draft capital in exchange for taking him on with some retention. Somehow I don't think that's gonna happen now... )

Just adding that the teams that "loaded up" at the TDL with all sorts of offensive firepower are playing golf.

 

[The Faulker 27]

3 in game one.
1 in game two.
0 in game three.

So game 4 maybe they score on themselves? This could work in our favor. If we can't score maybe they can do that work for us.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

For the record:

- The refs aren't out to get us
- The color commentators aren't out to get us
- The TNT panel isn't out to get us
- Gary Bettman isn't out to get us

These are just things fans of teams that are losing 3-0 in a series make up to self-soothe.

 

[dogbazinho]

For the record:

- The refs aren't out to get us
- The color commentators aren't out to get us
- The TNT panel isn't out to get us
- Gary Bettman isn't out to get us

These are just things fans of teams that are losing 3-0 in a series make up to self-soothe.

Ironically both the commentators and panels felt we got shafted with the calls. First time I've agreed with them on anything.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Just adding that the teams that "loaded up" at the TDL with all sorts of offensive firepower are playing golf.

Yup. I'm 100% glad we paid nothing for rentals. After watching the first 2 rounds of NJ, I'm kinda happy we didn't go all in on Meier. You get to go all-in on someone like that once, and I don't think he's the guy.

This Florida series certainly is making me wish we'd figured out how to come over top of Florida to get Tkachuk... but...

 

[The Faulker 27]

IF the Canes aren't demoralized and can play the same way next game as they did tonight I'm with you. That's a big if, though.

I think one thing keeping it from being as demoralizing as say multiple 5-1 losses, is they're so close in every game. One bounce off a post, or bobs stupid face that goes in instead of out is the difference in these games. It's at least something to get up for. They aren't getting anything going their way.

Maybe Martinook used up all the luck. I don't know. All I'm rambling on about is, in my mind game 4 is still very much a winnable game.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Ironically both the commentators and panels felt we got shafted with the calls. First time I've agreed with them on anything.

And also Jordan Staal flat out punched a guy in the face, a guy who earlier that period took a high stick that drew blood, and Keith Jones immediately talked about how the guy embellished. Lol. Even I was like "give the dude a frickin' break Keith" lmao.

 

[Wolfpuck]

Welp. 3 is not 4. See y’all Wednesday.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I'm no ref conspiracy person. I just thought the reffing was poor. We deserved more when we had the run of play and it changed the game for the Cats to get them instead. It happens. I just thought they were bad this game.

And yeah, none of the rest were out to get us. The worst I thought about the commentators was "how can Edzo keep thinking that Ghost may not have been high sticked at all. And just because it didn't hit him directly in the mouth does not mean it didn't get him there enough to hurt." But I actually still really like the whole of the TNT broadcast anyway.

 

[tarheelhockey]

It is what it is. Sometimes the hockey gods pick an outcome for you.

Bob having a .978 and allowing 3 goals in 13 periods is just about one of the most ludicrous goalie runs you'll ever see. This goes beyond needing to take better shots, this is a goalie just being absolutely in the zone and getting some puck luck to boot.

I think the Canes have played as well to this point as could possibly be expected. We were not seeing a Stanley Cup team with this group in March. Most of the time since then, they've played well enough to be a Stanley Cup team. This result is disappointing but not upsetting like some of the past exits. This one just feels like dice falling the wrong way.

If there's any positive going into the next game, it's that the pressure is fully off. The only mandate is to keep playing till they won't let them play anymore. Just enjoy it while it lasts, summertime is here now.

 

[Joe McGrath]

The team that’s probably going to win the cup is only in the playoffs because Pittsburgh lost to Chicago the last 3 days of the season.

Hockey is f***ing stupid. Don’t try to make sense of it.

 

[Cormag001]

I envision a world where Jesperi's outburst is the pivotal "changing of the tide" clip in the Carolina Hurricanes championship DVD. Let's win one and come back home.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

It is what it is. Sometimes the hockey gods pick an outcome for you.

Bob having a .978 and allowing 3 goals in 13 periods is just about one of the most ludicrous goalie runs you'll ever see. This goes beyond needing to take better shots, this is a goalie just being absolutely in the zone and getting some puck luck to boot.

I think the Canes have played as well to this point as could possibly be expected. We were not seeing a Stanley Cup team with this group in March. Most of the time since then, they've played well enough to be a Stanley Cup team. This result is disappointing but not upsetting like some of the past exits. This one just feels like dice falling the wrong way.

If there's any positive going into the next game, it's that the pressure is fully off. The only mandate is to keep playing till they won't let them play anymore. Just enjoy it while it lasts, summertime is here now.

Pretty much this. I get folks being upset and confused because it's incredibly jarring - the series literally started 4 days ago and confidence in this being a meaningful run was very high. But the team hasn't really gone out with a whimper here like, say, the '19 ECF. I'd argue they're the better team in all 3 games so far. We're literally talking "greatest goaltending playoff performance in NHL history" territory right now.

 

[A Star is Burns]

It would be pretty f***ing cool if they were one of those few teams to pull this off. Maybe the only way to slay the Cats is to pull off a bigger comeback than they did. It's only a four game win streak. Why not? This team really has shown heart all year.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The team that’s probably going to win the cup

Florida going to the Finals on the back of a hot stretch by a meme goalie that everyone left for dead after his Vezina window years ago... what could go wrong?

 

[Sigurd]

Yeah it's kind of bullshit that this series is absolutely being reffed differently than the last 2 and you goddamn well know it has everything to do with the Florida story. The NHL is absolutely game managing these games to their advantage, and with Bob in net that's all they need.

100% this. There's a lot else to say after these last 3 games, but I just wanted to comment briefly on that. You summed it up perfectly.

They want the Cinderella story with superstar Tkachuk as a poster boy. Meanwhile, lowly Carolina? It's ironic because we're still the annual underdog thanks in no small part to the media despite being the highest ranked team left in the playoffs.

 

[Kat Predator]

Bob is still human, even if he's playing like a mutant superhero at the moment. There is no margin for us now, but there is a possibility he returns more to himself. Right now he's being dealt all the right cards hand after hand.

Honestly, Florida doesn't look like it stands a chance without superhuman goaltending. They're being outplayed and squeaking out wins. It could all turn on a dime for them.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

It would be pretty f***ing cool if they were one of those few teams to pull this off. Maybe the only way to slay the Cats is to pull off a bigger comeback than they did. It's only a four game win streak. Why not? This team really has shown heart all year.

Hey, starts with Game 4. Why not.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Also, throwing this out there:

They've not won a playoff game since Bally stopped having me work.

Pay me!

 

[tarheelhockey]

The ref conspiracy stuff isn't really needed in this situation. The NHL has been doing this stuff in the playoffs for ages, it's completely predictable and absolutely stupid. But it's not refs picking winners.