GDT: ECQF Game 5 | Hurricanes (Smackdown) vs Islanders (Raw), 7PM | Is this when the Islanders tap out?

[StormCast]

You can't have him playing like this in crunch time. If this is what we have with him and we are serious about a major offensive upgrade this summer, he's got a few games left to show us he shouldn't be in the conversation of players we dangle to go big game hunting

Holy overreaction Batman.

His mistakes were magnified and yes, he does need to stop trying to make plays that aren't there. But you can see he is trying to do more than his share. A sit down with Rod can sort that out. As for guys not stepping up, where is KK? Other than being good on draws, he's added very little. He isn't shooting, and he's making bad decisions with his passes again.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Holy overreaction Batman.

His mistakes were magnified and yes, he does need to stop trying to make plays that aren't there. But you can see he is trying to do more than his share. A sit down with Rod can sort that out. As for guys not stepping up, where is KK? Other than being good on draws, he's added very little. He isn't shooting, and he's making bad decisions with his passes again.

He hasn’t been good either. Not sure why Rod hasn’t split those two up yet since they both are playing like shit. Maybe that’s why he moved Martinook with them to not poison the other lines and just hold on for dear life when those two are out there.

 

[StormCast]

He hasn’t been good either. Not sure why Rod hasn’t split those two up yet since they both are playing like shit. Maybe that’s why he moved Martinook with them to not poison the other lines and just hold on for dear life when those two are out there.

Agreed. This lineup is so thin, it's like to trying brew craft beer with just tap water and Triscuits.

 

[HydratedByStormBrew]

All I know is Aho is a Viking warrior and I really hope he’s a forever Cane. We win game 6.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Oh I'm not saying dump him, just that if there is an opportunity to trade for someone who is more consistent and reliable offensively there will be a point where you have to ask whether or not he's someone worth trading to make that happen. After his regular season, I would have thought there is no way we'd want to, but he's rapidly regressed to 2022 tendencies that caused the worries that led to many entertaining the thought of trading him, and that does raise some red flags about things that I thought weren't an issue anymore.

Rod's interview summed it up. We are missing 3 scoring forwards, which leaves Necas as our #2 scoring option. As a consequence, he's trying to do too much all over the ice rather than playing within his limits.

When it comes to summertime decisions, it's important to ask whether this is a temporary or permanent state of affairs.

 

[AD Skinner]

I only caught the highlights of this one but from what I saw nothing made me think the canes are in danger of losing this series. It could still happen and I hope they aren’t counting NY out because they still need to win that 4th game, but this seemed like a game the isles got outplayed in but managed to win instead of a game that they had control of

 

[Svechhammer]

Rod's interview summed it up. We are missing 3 scoring forwards, which leaves Necas as our #2 scoring option. As a consequence, he's trying to do too much all over the ice rather than playing within his limits.

When it comes to summertime decisions, it's important to ask whether this is a temporary or permanent state of affairs.

Agreed 110%. You can tell he's trying to do way too much and he's just not the kind of guy who can do everything himself. Its like he thinks he has to be McDavid out there when he has the puck when he should be able to lean on his teammates to help get things done. He also needs to let the game slow down, a lot.

I want to believe he's doing this because of the other injuries, but this is also the same tendencies that he fell into last year when he struggled during his contract year. Makes you wonder if this is how he deals with increased pressure of higher stakes.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

My biggest concern is that our players are dropping like flies. Chatfield and Ghost are apparently banged up, Raanta and Staal both had moments last game where they were slow to get up, and Aho took a puck to the jaw.

If we don't win on Friday, I'm not sure we'll have enough healthy bodies to compete in Game 7.

 

[WreckingCrew]

My biggest concern is that our players are dropping like flies. Chatfield and Ghost are apparently banged up, Raanta and Staal both had moments last game where they were slow to get up, and Aho took a puck to the jaw.

If we don't win on Friday, I'm not sure we'll have enough healthy bodies to compete in Game 7.

Well it's understandable when Isles are taking runs at guys and not really getting penalized for it (50/50 on whether or not it's even a 2 min penalty). Lots of charging, hits from behind, and just all-around dangerous plays.

Necas may be making some huge f*** ups, but at least he's trying to do something, most of the team has just been coasting and doing the same shit over and over and over even when it's clearly not working (outside of Sundays big win). He needs to get back to simplifying his game like he was early in the season, then things were just coming naturally to him. But literally nobody else seems to want to step up to make things happen, everyone's just wandering around lost. Saw it at the end of Sunday's game even, we're on a PP in the dying minutes of a lopsided game and the team was content to just stand around and run out the clock resulting in a SH breakaway goal...thankfully we did have a big enough lead at that point it didn't matter, but it's definitely a microcosm of the past 2-3 months with this team. Our 4th line shouldn't be our most dangerous, if THEY can generate scoring chances, then the rest of the lineup sure as hell should be able to.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

4th line looked awesome last night. Playoff Stastny has been good IMO.

 

[djboos22]

Sebby left it all on the ice last night!!
One heck of a Hockey Player!!

Why in the actual h e double hockey sticks would they be interviewing a dude that can barely open his mouth.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Well it's understandable when Isles are taking runs at guys and not really getting penalized for it (50/50 on whether or not it's even a 2 min penalty). Lots of charging, hits from behind, and just all-around dangerous plays.

Necas may be making some huge f*** ups, but at least he's trying to do something, most of the team has just been coasting and doing the same shit over and over and over even when it's clearly not working (outside of Sundays big win). He needs to get back to simplifying his game like he was early in the season, then things were just coming naturally to him. But literally nobody else seems to want to step up to make things happen, everyone's just wandering around lost. Saw it at the end of Sunday's game even, we're on a PP in the dying minutes of a lopsided game and the team was content to just stand around and run out the clock resulting in a SH breakaway goal...thankfully we did have a big enough lead at that point it didn't matter, but it's definitely a microcosm of the past 2-3 months with this team. Our 4th line shouldn't be our most dangerous, if THEY can generate scoring chances, then the rest of the lineup sure as hell should be able to.

I don’t agree with this assessment.

There have been a handful of legitimately lazy/boneheaded mistakes, like the casual turnover on the first goal last night. But the compete level has been consistently high in this series. Coasting around looking lost, and failing to find a viable play against a tight defense, are two different things.

No our 4th line should not be our best line, but our top 6 currently stocked with 4th liners. We are performing like a ~8th seed team because that’s the level of talent on the ice post-injuries.

To me the much bigger concern is the performance of our second-pair D, who have been struggling for quite some time now. Even if we play well as a whole, consistent **** ups and lack of production from that pair is enough to keep the game close enough to lose.

 

[Derailed75]

Well, you asked if she's single and that kind of depends on your definition, so I provided the info needed for you to make that determination.



She actually lives in Danville, Va. and we know they've got Bojangles. @Derailed75 could set things up.

Dan-Vegas isn't very bug right now, but we have 2. One is right next to a truck stop so fighting is encouraged!

 

[Svechhammer]

I don’t agree with this assessment.

There have been a handful of legitimately lazy/boneheaded mistakes, like the casual turnover on the first goal last night. But the compete level has been consistently high in this series. Coasting around looking lost, and failing to find a viable play against a tight defense, are two different things.

No our 4th line should not be our best line, but our top 6 currently stocked with 4th liners. We are performing like a ~8th seed team because that’s the level of talent on the ice post-injuries.

To me the much bigger concern is the performance of our second-pair D, who have been struggling for quite some time now. Even if we play well as a whole, consistent **** ups and lack of production from that pair is enough to keep the game close enough to lose.

Is it just me or are we having these similar 'why the hell does Skjei and/or Pesce suddenly look incredibly pedestrian' every year in the playoffs? I know they are getting tough defensive matchups, but could they just not be as good as we think?

 

[tarheelhockey]

Is it just me or are we having these similar 'why the hell does Skjei and/or Pesce suddenly look incredibly pedestrian' every year in the playoffs? I know they are getting tough defensive matchups, but could they just not be as good as we think?

I go back to that article saying something along the lines of, the playoffs magnify what you really are. Blows it up to cartoonish levels.

Skjei had a great regular season, but doubling his career scoring high feels like an outlier rather than a trend. He’s being exposed in this series. Pesce, I’m not sure what we’re seeing right now. He hasn’t been bad bad, but his game feels wobbly.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Necas looks quite a bit slower to me, he is probably played injured. So maybe I'll give him a pass for not elevating his game, but that doesn't excuse his poor decision making and turnovers. But talk of jettisoning him is premature IMO.

Remember when half of this board was ready to dump him for a bag of picks last off-season?

"Remember when half of this board was ready to dump him for a bag of picks last off-season?"

Raises hand.....I'm glad we retained him as I believe coupled with Svetch he is a dangerous player. He is checking more in this series than I've ever seen him and hopefully that's the go-forward guy.

btw: if he was the asset for Tkachuk then that would have been a good trade for both teams and arguably better for Calgary versus Huberdeau.

 

[Daeavorn]

I go back to that article saying something along the lines of, the playoffs magnify what you really are. Blows it up to cartoonish levels.

Skjei had a great regular season, but doubling his career scoring high feels like an outlier rather than a trend. He’s being exposed in this series. Pesce, I’m not sure what we’re seeing right now. He hasn’t been bad bad, but his game feels wobbly.

I think we are getting to the point where they are both starting to lose their athleticism. Both players have relied on that part of their game and now that they are both approaching 30 that athleticism is fading.

Personally, I think we should consider trading one of them before the effects are really noticable and while their value is high.

 

[hblueridgegal]

outside of the bad bounces, it was a winnable game.

two bad turnovers by Necas and Burns sank us and then add in about 25-30 hockey minutes of coasting hockey.

it is what it is. hopefully they realize their wrongs and dont repeat them on Friday.

I wonder if they're staying at the casino hotel again...interesting choice for the playoffs.

I had food poisoning and missed 95% of this one. Based on the comments, sounds like folks took it hard.

 

[Ole Gil]

That might have been the worst game defensively I've ever seen from Slavin. Burns/Slavin were a mess out there. Hard to believe that happens again any time soon.

A big part of Skjei's offense, is that the forwards draw defenders, and it allows the dmen to get good looks. Forwards aren't drawing nothin' right now.

 

[hblueridgegal]

"Remember when half of this board was ready to dump him for a bag of picks last off-season?"

Raises hand.....I'm glad we retained him as I believe coupled with Svetch he is a dangerous player. He is checking more in this series than I've ever seen him and hopefully that's the go-forward guy.

btw: if he was the asset for Tkachuk then that would have been a good trade for both teams and arguably better for Calgary versus Huberdeau.

He's also a sensitive player. I saw where he took ownership of his miscues. I still often think his style of play might be better suited for a different team and especially the way this fanbase reacts to him in particular. Several of the players have disclosed that they read the commentary.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think we are getting to the point where they are both starting to lose their athleticism. Both players have relied on that part of their game and now that they are both approaching 30 that athleticism is fading.

Personally, I think we should consider trading one of them before the effects are really noticable and while their value is high.

To me it’s just a numbers game. Pesce is going to get paid a lot more than his current $4M next summer, and probably with long term. With Skjei it will depend a lot on his followup to this big season, but $5.4M is low for a guy who just finished 3rd among defensemen in goals. With a lot of teams looking for top-pair D, someone is going to throw a little overpayment their way. Meanwhile the Canes have Chatfield coming into his own as a competent middle-pair type, and Nikishin who they have explicitly consecrated as a future core asset. There aren’t enough roster spots or enough money to keep all of these guys past next season.

So it’s not hard to read the writing on the wall that one or both of these guys will be gone by training camp 2024.

Once you’ve done that calculus, it’s a matter of evaluating the value of keeping them for their contract year, or moving them to help an area of need. And a big part of that question is whether they can backfill the gap it would create in the D group.

It’s also totally justifiable to hold the course, focus on keeping our forwards healthy and maybe adding some scoring depth at wing, and just shoot our shot with this group knowing that there will be some attrition next summer.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

Two more thoughts.

1) I tuned in to the National Broadcast at first. I couldn't find the Canes broadcast. Then, I realized that I had actually tuned in to the Isles broadcast. They were celebrating the Isles getting the puck into our zone, getting shots off, and pretty much were only talking about Islander players. So I switched to the other option. Once I did that, I realized that no, I was actually listening to the national broadcast. They were just so one-sided in their commentary. I found the actual Islanders broadcast to be exactly the same as the national broadcast. Weird.

2) We are indeed in overreaction territory for one bad Necas game, but truth be told he hasn't been very good these playoffs. Maybe he'll take off if we make it to round 2 and play a more open style against the Rangers or Devils. But if he doesn't, it's worth looking for a trade, perhaps. I just don't know if the sum-of-his-parts is a positive contribution on this squad. He hurts us hugely with his turnovers and his defensive play is spotty. His offensive play if he isn't next to Aho or Svechnikov is not inspiring confidence. I think he plays great on skill lines but in the playoffs he doesn't have a strong game. Think Panarin for most of the series against us last year, but without as much skill.

I just think he could be an optimal trade candidate because his value has still rebounded, probably, in perception around the league. He's 24, has RFA rights when his deal expires, is on a cheap $3M salary next year, and just scored 71 points, leading the team. Imagine what another team might pay for him. It would be moneyball to parlay him into a really good player who plays a style of game that fits Rod's system. I could see us trading him for Travis Konecny, for example. Or he could be part of the package for Elias Pettersen. Or maybe Jersey can't work it out with Jesper Bratt. Or maybe for Ehlers or Kyle Connor. There could be a one-for-one swap that makes sense for both teams. I could see a cap team paying a killing for a young first line forward making $3M. Maybe we get a better player back who is at a higher salary or a little older.

I could see the same logic with trading one of Pesce or Skjei this summer, while their value is high. Hell, Pesce at a 50% retention is a cheat code for one season.

 

[StorminSnvechnAho]

He's also a sensitive player. I saw where he took ownership of his miscues. I still often think his style of play might be better suited for a different team and especially the way this fanbase reacts to him in particular. Several of the players have disclosed that they read the commentary.

Dude had a bad game while we are missing 3 of our top 6.... whoop de do Necas hasn't hit his ceiling he was our points leader this year and took huge strides, yes he is better when Svechnikov is out there and it probably is because he doesn't feel like he has to do everything.... He and Svech are great Line mates on the W I hope he gets an extended this offseason because if he takes anther step foward next season we probably can't afford him.

Some people need to level there expectations to a realistic level this post season with all of the injuries we are playing with house money in the playoffs there should be no expectations.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I don’t think it’s an overreaction for Necas, because again, he’s only got 2 goals in his last 19 games.

Svech went down and Necas disappeared right along with him.

 

[Sigurd]

At this point, the main thing is Carolina better not let this go to game 7. Blowing a 3-1 series lead, and especially with so many injuries when they need to rest and recover? That'd be brutal.

Oh, and when even Slavin is making multiple turnovers, you know the team is probably off. That and the bad puck luck as others mentioned, and the no whistle during our PP in the 3rd when the Isles tied it up along the boards for so long (which led to our Aho committing a high sticking even though an Isles player literally right before committed hooking). The refs weren't even saying move it when they were all stuck on the boards; lol.