On paper, this is not a good series for the Isles.
Carolina is one of the best teams in the league 5 on 5, 2nd best PP, and 2nd best PK.
Their blueline scores a lot of goals and are very active jumping into the play. They also have 2 shutdown pairs.
The Canes' goaltending is suspect, but at the moment Freddie is playing top of his game.
Jordan Staal unit will be on every time the Horvat - Barzal line is on - and with Svechnikov on that line - it also has a serious scoring threat.
Isles must have active D jumping into the play
Isles must establish a strong neutral zone forecheck
STAY out of the box
Negatives -
Cizikas is a strong forechecker and brings speed that Lee and Fasching do not bring to that line. The line has played well, but unfortunately, to overcome a checking line of Staal - Svech - Martinook - they will need more than what Cizikas can bring.
PK has gotten slightly better, but it is still struggling
PP has hit a snag and needs to find its groove
Dobson needs to be ready to go
Sorokin mental rest is needed but eventually will need to be ready when - not if - he is needed to step in.
Positives -
Nelson's line getting hot could not have come at a better time - Nelson and Palmieri need to have a big series and they need to come out guns blazing... which may pull the Staal line focus away from Horvat and Barzal.
UBS needs to be a fortress
Both Varly and Sorokin will be needed to pull this off
4 days - a mini-training camp before the first game of the playoffs to give Roy more time to address D zone, neutral zone forecheck, puck possession hockey, and special teams.
Old Time Hockey - JGP, Clutter, Martin, and Lee will undoubtedly come out ready to do some damage. Grinding and hitting and wearing this Canes team down.
Kuznetsov has not fit in as well as they have liked and Brind'amour may be forcing a fit that doesn't really work out in the end and maybe takes too long to make a change.
Changes - I'd like to see -
Holmstrom on the Horvat - Barzal line
Taking a deeper look at Rusty skating with Nelson and Palmieri
Cizikas Cing Maclean and Clutterbuck
Barzal playing PK - PK effectiveness this year has been all about getting more speed and pressure against opposing PP units - it isn't about blocking shots and active sticks anymore- it has been about pressure and an aggressive style of play.
Horvat - Barzal, Pageau - Holmstrom, Cizikas - Clutterbuck would be my 3 units.
Prediction - Canes in 5 or Isles in 7
Canes line up
- Guentzel - Aho - Jarvis
- Martinook - Staal - Svechnikov
- Teravainen - Drury - Necas
- Noesen - Kuznetsov - Fast
- Slavin - Burns
- Skjei - Pesce
- Orlov - Chatfield
Isles line up
- Cizikas - Horvat - Barzal
- Holmstrom - Nelson - Palmieri
- Lee - Pageau - Engvall
- Martin - Maclean - Clutterbuck
- Romanov - Dobson
- Pelech - Pulock
- Reilly - Bortuzzo