GDT: GAME 3 PANDAS @ HURRICANES

[MinJaBen]

Who was Faulk defending then? There wasn't a player within 15 feet of him in any direction.

McGinn was too far out so Pesce had to charge Nordstrom. Else Nordstrom would have walked into the slot and taken his shot. It would have been a simple defensive shift except Faulk was out in no-man's land covering nobody and was unable to get back in time. I don't see any reason on that play that Faulk should be closer to the blueline than his own goal when Nordstrom has the puck below the dot.

Not that I disagree with your total point, but this seems like something the defense should always let happen. First, it's Nordstrom and I like Curtis's chances on stopping that shot. Second, even if it were someone with 1st line skill, I still like his Curtis's chances squared up against that sill vs. the backdoor tap in. Those are almost always lethal. Seems like Pesce is as much at fault on that play as anyone.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Hoffman might not be Hoffman without Yandle. That video is a good example of what Faulk is sorely lacking. Yandle gets passed the puck with time and space at the point, he calmly cuts towards the slot (drawing the defense and eyes of the goalie) and shows a subtle shot-fake, and then executes a perfect pass directly into Hoffman's shooting motion. The Canes can't set plays like that with any regularity, Faulk doesn't have the mobility and intelligence to set up a shooter, and even if he did he can't make passes that smooth.

No shit he doesn’t. He’s not quarterbacking the power play. He’s the “shooter” like Ovechkin, but obviously not nearly as good. Aho is the Yandle of the PP, sometimes in concert with TT.

Faulk has not been good on the PP this season, but if you’ve watched any of the playoffs at all you’ll have seen what an absolute shit show EVERYONE has been on the PP. Aho and TT at the top of the list.

 

[My Special Purpose]

Again, mad props to Rod for getting the absolute most out of these guys.

We're now seeing the ceiling of what a team like this can do. We don't have the mature skill players yet. But this team has an identity now, and a strong pipeline of talent, and a solid organizational foundation, and assets to trade, and money to spend.

Win or lose Game 4, this has been an incredible season -- incredible mostly because it feels like the beginning. Our window is opening, and it could be open for a while.

Dammit, this place is freakin' unrecognizable these days.

 

[DaveG]

Dammit, this place is freakin' unrecognizable these days.

Seriously, what kind of bizarro world is this where I'M the resident pessimist?

 

[Brad Meador]

Is anybody sensing a reverse sweep? I mean, McE is in net, played well last game, but Rask played better. McE may just win the next 4 games. He might win out and Boston has had a reverse sweep on them before.

Gotta stay positive until we are officially done.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Is anybody sensing a reverse sweep? I mean, McE is in net, played well last game, but Rask played better. McE may just win the next 4 games. He might win out and Boston has had a reverse sweep on them before.

Gotta stay positive until we are officially done.

They've just got to win four straight game sevens. Mister Game 7 has done it before!

 

[Brad Meador]

They've just got to win four straight game sevens. Mister Game 7 has done it before!

Mr. Game 7 has been part of a reverse sweep before with the Kings when they came back from 3-0 down in 2014 vs the Sharks. I wonder what speech he'll give the team tomorrow to inspire them. I sure hope they give it everything they have tomorrow, kinda like they did yesterday, but with better results. It just takes 1 win to gain more confidence.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Mr. Game 7 has been part of a reverse sweep before with the Kings when they came back from 3-0 down in 2014 vs the Sharks. I wonder what speech he'll give the team tomorrow to inspire them. I sure hope they give it everything they have tomorrow, kinda like they did yesterday, but with better results. It just takes 1 win to gain more confidence.

Not sure JWilly is the guy who ought to be speechifying at anybody right now. In a season-critical must win game, he spent nearly half the first period in the penalty box for trolling. I respect the hell out of the guy, but he was a flavor of bad last night that isn't OK.

If the speech is a brief apology followed by sitting back down, sure.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

Not sure JWilly is the guy who ought to be speechifying at anybody right now. In a season-critical must win game, he spent nearly half the first period in the penalty box for trolling. I respect the hell out of the guy, but he was as flavor of bad last night that isn't OK.

If the speech is a brief apology followed by sitting back down, sure.

I would think he's earned enough respect to give the frickin' Gettysburg address if he wanted lol

 

[A Star is Burns]

Williams hasn't been good this series. And he was a complete moron last game. But he's one of the few people on the planet that's done this before at this level and is still a great Captain. He can say whatever he feels the need to say in trying to make this comeback happen.

 

[Lempo]

I would think he's earned enough respect to give the frickin' Gettysburg address if he wanted lol

There damn better be something about four scores if he will.

 

[DougieSmash]

Bergeron with 1 G/1 A. Pastrnak with 1 A. Marchand with 1 G/2 A. Let's talk about depth though. Bruins with 13 goals in this series, two from their top line.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Bergeron with 1 G/1 A. Pastrnak with 1 A. Marchand with 1 G/2 A. Let's talk about depth though. Bruins with 13 goals in this series, two from their top line.

Canes have done an underrated job on that line. Effectively all of the scoring has been on the PP, meaning they have been completely shut down at even strength 3 games in a row. That line scored 260 points in the regular season.

If you’d told me before the series we’d do that to them, I’d think we win the series. Bruins have been getting massive performances from their depth forwards and a very timely hot streak from Rask.

 

[AD Skinner]

I remember being really scared of Columbus's depth scoring and thinking if I had to choose I'd choose Boston because we should be able to shut down their big line and go from there. Canes have only played 1 bad game in this series, the Bruins foot soldiers are just carrying the mail. Like tarheel said the d has done a nice job shutting down one of the best top lines in the league, but since were still not winning they probably wont get much kudos for it

 

[DaveG]

I remember being really scared of Columbus's depth scoring and thinking if I had to choose I'd choose Boston because we should be able to shut down their big line and go from there. Canes have only played 1 bad game in this series, the Bruins foot soldiers are just carrying the mail. Like tarheel said the d has done a nice job shutting down one of the best top lines in the league, but since were still not winning they probably wont get much kudos for it

Yep,story of the series is that both teams top lines have been shut down completely 5v5. Difference is that one team is getting depth scoring and it's not the one I would have expected looking at this matchup at the start of the playoffs. It's something that along with the pp that needs to be addressed next season. Good news is that's not an either/or proposition if we do it.

 

[My Special Purpose]

They've just got to win four straight game sevens. Mister Game 7 has done it before!

Mr. Game 7 has been part of a reverse sweep before with the Kings when they came back from 3-0 down in 2014 vs the Sharks. I wonder what speech he'll give the team tomorrow to inspire them. I sure hope they give it everything they have tomorrow, kinda like they did yesterday, but with better results. It just takes 1 win to gain more confidence.

Not sure JWilly is the guy who ought to be speechifying at anybody right now. In a season-critical must win game, he spent nearly half the first period in the penalty box for trolling. I respect the hell out of the guy, but he was a flavor of bad last night that isn't OK.

If the speech is a brief apology followed by sitting back down, sure.

I would think he's earned enough respect to give the frickin' Gettysburg address if he wanted lol

Williams hasn't been good this series. And he was a complete moron last game. But he's one of the few people on the planet that's done this before at this level and is still a great Captain. He can say whatever he feels the need to say in trying to make this comeback happen.

There damn better be something about four scores if he will.

I think what we're looking for now is somebody to whom Williams can pass the torch. Willy has played his role as playoff hero for a long time. It's time for somebody else to step up. I think that's been the one failing of this year's team in this run. We can't keep counting on grandpa. We can't keep looking to him. Wanna keep talking about the Canes' next captain? I don't. I want somebody to stake a claim.

Who's next?!?

 

[AD Skinner]

I think the next captain is Slavin and I dont think anyone else is that close. Maybe Martinook? But when Staal was out they slapped the A on slavin without any sense of needing to weigh their options.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

lucas wallmark

 

[My Special Purpose]

I think the next captain is Slavin and I dont think anyone else is that close. Maybe Martinook? But when Staal was out they slapped the A on slavin without any sense of needing to weigh their options.

I think you missed my point. This is not the time for Williams to step up. Williams has been stepping up for 15 years. This is the time for the next captain to step up and reveal himself. This is when leadership is revealed, not decided.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I think you missed my point. This is not the time for Williams to step up. Williams has been stepping up for 15 years. This is the time for the next captain to step up and reveal himself. This is when leadership is revealed, not decided.

Frankly Warren Foegele is the only one that fits the bill this playoff.

 

[AD Skinner]

I think I did miss your point a little but mine stands- Slavin has been the best defenseman by a mile on the team's only playoff run in a decade. He's outscoring every forward not named Aho and leads all skaters in time on ice (the only one close to his 26+ minutes/game is Faulk, who is inexplicably out there for entire powerplays over and over again). Foegele has been huge, Williams has had some clutch plays, but Slavin has been steady eddie just as he's always been. It'd be awesome to see him score a game winner tonight but even if he doesn't he's been the team's best player, in my opinion

 

[tarheelhockey]

Early vote for Spencer Smallman