GDT: The Canes are playing the Faulking Blues tonight

[Joe McGrath]

Halfway through the game I wondered if Fast would ever score again. Then he Stefaned an empty net breakaway.

 

[zman77]

Freddie doesn't like answering the Media's Questions.
Can't Blame Him. Most of the Questions have obvious Answers.

 

[surfzone365]

Good to see Faulk back in the building. I can handle him scoring the Blews only marker. Easy 2 points tonight!

 

[Blueline Bomber]

In our first 28 games we played 19 on the road and 9 at home with a record of 16-6-6.

Since December 15th we have played 19 at home and 9 away with a record of 22-4-2 (2 points better than Boston).

Seems like we could have a better balance in the schedule but its still an awesome record in the 2nd 28 games

You wanna talk about crazy schedule balance? Florida plays 20 of their next 21 at home. Their one away game? Tampa Bay.

 

[A Star is Burns]

You wanna talk about crazy schedule balance? Florida plays 20 of their next 21 at home. Their one away game? Tampa Bay.

That doesn't appear to be quite right

 

[Blueline Bomber]

That doesn't appear to be quite right

Hmm…maybe it was 20 days? I was half paying attention to their broadcast when they brought it up.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Hmm…maybe it was 20 days? I was half paying attention to their broadcast when they brought it up.

They definitely have a long stretch of home games other than Tampa. I think it probably was days as you say. Looks like they stay in state for about a month.

 

[zman77]

 

[Stickpucker]

Remember that old NBA jam handheld game where the players would catch on fire? That would rule if they could do that.

I vote we add the big head mode to our players as well.

Can you imagine big head Burns or Chatfield?

 

[CandyCanes]

 

[Chrispy]

I vote we add the big head mode to our players as well.

Can you imagine big head Burns or Chatfield?

Based on last night, big head Andersen is a cheat code.

 

[HydratedByStormBrew]

That’s honestly insane

 

[MinJaBen]

Our yearly mid-winter peak. Will it last?

 

[Svechhammer]

Heard on the postgame last night that we are 28-4-3 since we played Boston on Black Friday.

In that same time period, Boston is 26-5-5

 

[tarheelhockey]

One thing to keep in mind is that we need to make these layup games count, because the schedule is about to get markedly harder.

Here's how it breaks down post-All Star break:

Run of soft games
Feb 14 @ WSH W 3-2
Feb 16 vs MTL W 6-2
Feb 18 vs WSH W 4-1
Feb 21 vs STL W 4-1
Feb 24 vs OTT
Feb 25 vs ANA

Run of hard games
Mar 1 @ VGK
Mar 3 @ ARI
Mar 5 vs TBL
Mar 7 @ MTL
Mar 9 vs PHI
Mar 11 vs VGK
Mar 12 @ NJD
Mar 14 vs WPG
Mar 17 @ TML
Mar 18 @ PHI
Mar 21 @ NYR
Mar 23 vs NYR
Mar 25 vs TML
Mar 26 vs BOS
Mar 28 vs TML

Run of soft games
Mar 30 @ DRW
Apr 1 @ MTL
Apr 2 vs NYI
Apr 4 vs OTT
Apr 6 @ NSH
Apr 8 @ BUF
Apr 10 @ OTT
Apr 11 vs DRW
Apr 13 @ FLA


Of course those games against Detroit, NYI and Florida could be some of the toughest on the whole season schedule if those teams are still sitting within a point of a playoff berth. For that matter, almost all the April games are against bubble teams, not bottom feeders. Either way, that March schedule is absolutely brutal and short of fulling full Globetrotters, we are probably going to lose some momentum during that stretch.

 

[Svechhammer]

One thing to keep in mind is that we need to make these layup games count, because the schedule is about to get markedly harder.

Here's how it breaks down post-All Star break:

Run of soft games
Feb 14 @ WSH W 3-2
Feb 16 vs MTL W 6-2
Feb 18 vs WSH W 4-1
Feb 21 vs STL W 4-1
Feb 24 vs OTT
Feb 25 vs ANA

Run of hard games
Mar 1 @ VGK
Mar 3 @ ARI
Mar 5 vs TBL
Mar 7 @ MTL
Mar 9 vs PHI
Mar 11 vs VGK
Mar 12 @ NJD
Mar 14 vs WPG
Mar 17 @ TML
Mar 18 @ PHI
Mar 21 @ NYR
Mar 23 vs NYR
Mar 25 vs TML
Mar 26 vs BOS
Mar 28 vs TML

Run of soft games
Mar 30 @ DRW
Apr 1 @ MTL
Apr 2 vs NYI
Apr 4 vs OTT
Apr 6 @ NSH
Apr 8 @ BUF
Apr 10 @ OTT
Apr 11 vs DRW
Apr 13 @ FLA


Of course those games against Detroit, NYI and Florida could be some of the toughest on the whole season schedule if those teams are still sitting within a point of a playoff berth. For that matter, almost all the April games are against bubble teams, not bottom feeders. Either way, that March schedule is absolutely brutal and short of fulling full Globetrotters, we are probably going to lose some momentum during that stretch.

March 12-28 is going to be a really good barometer of how we might fare in the playoffs this year.

 

[tarheelhockey]

March 12-28 is going to be a really good barometer of how we might fare in the playoffs this year.

It's also a gauntlet that could very easily derail us with injuries. Gotta be really careful against a set of teams that are going to be gunning for us physically.

 

[chaz4hockey]

One thing to keep in mind is that we need to make these layup games count, because the schedule is about to get markedly harder.

Here's how it breaks down post-All Star break:

Run of soft games
Feb 14 @ WSH W 3-2
Feb 16 vs MTL W 6-2
Feb 18 vs WSH W 4-1
Feb 21 vs STL W 4-1
Feb 24 vs OTT
Feb 25 vs ANA

Run of hard games
Mar 1 @ VGK
Mar 3 @ ARI
Mar 5 vs TBL
Mar 7 @ MTL
Mar 9 vs PHI
Mar 11 vs VGK
Mar 12 @ NJD
Mar 14 vs WPG
Mar 17 @ TML
Mar 18 @ PHI
Mar 21 @ NYR
Mar 23 vs NYR
Mar 25 vs TML
Mar 26 vs BOS
Mar 28 vs TML

Run of soft games
Mar 30 @ DRW
Apr 1 @ MTL
Apr 2 vs NYI
Apr 4 vs OTT
Apr 6 @ NSH
Apr 8 @ BUF
Apr 10 @ OTT
Apr 11 vs DRW
Apr 13 @ FLA


Of course those games against Detroit, NYI and Florida could be some of the toughest on the whole season schedule if those teams are still sitting within a point of a playoff berth. For that matter, almost all the April games are against bubble teams, not bottom feeders. Either way, that March schedule is absolutely brutal and short of fulling full Globetrotters, we are probably going to lose some momentum during that stretch.

5 games, Mar 21-28 is certainly playoff hockey; rangers and Toronto 2x each and Tampa.

A true measuring stick of games but….I wish they were in Feb so FO could adjust player pool if need be after evaluating performance in those games.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I said it before. Win a lot of those games and we're peaking too early. Lose a handful and we're not playing well enough heading into the playoffs. I wonder if there's an exact combination of wins, losses, and play that will make the majority of people happy.

In reality, it doesn't much matter. You just hope to stay as healthy as possible and it all starts over in the playoffs. We finished like 9-8-3 down the stretch the year we won the Cup.

 

[rainband]

In reality, it doesn't much matter. You just hope to stay as healthy as possible and it all starts over in the playoffs. We finished like 9-8-3 down the stretch the year we won the Cup.

It kinda blows my mind that the Canes could play NHL-.500 the rest of the way and finish with 110 points.

 

[cptjeff]

It kinda blows my mind that the Canes could play NHL-.500 the rest of the way and finish with 110 points.

We're playing a President's Trophy caliber season and are only not leading the league because the Bruins are currently on pace to set the league record for points.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I said it before. Win a lot of those games and we're peaking too early. Lose a handful and we're not playing well enough heading into the playoffs. I wonder if there's an exact combination of wins, losses, and play that will make the majority of people happy.

In reality, it doesn't much matter. You just hope to stay as healthy as possible and it all starts over in the playoffs. We finished like 9-8-3 down the stretch the year we won the Cup.

To me it's not so much about pacing ourselves, just about keeping our playoff position. It's important to get these points in the standings, knowing that realistically we're not going to keep this 12-1-1 pace going in the month of March.

Currently we're 5 up on NJ and 9 up on NYR with a game in hand on both of them. Ideally we win these next couple of home games (OTT and ANA) which keeps those numbers the same or improves them with 24 games left. Leads of 5 and 9 points with 24 games left are not insurmountable, but they're enough to be solidly in the driver's seat with control over our own destiny.

This looks very different if we had blown one or two of these recent games. Leads of 1 and 5 points would be cold comfort against that March schedule. And falling back in the division (per the current standings) means the difference between facing the Islanders and then having home ice against the NJ/NYR winner, versus facing NYR and then having road ice against the NJ/NYI winner.

Which is all just to say, beating the Ovie-less Caps and the Tank-less Blues are not signature wins, but they are important and could profoundly shape our outlook in the spring.

 

[Rad ChaLose]

After the game I was thinking ”Man, the Canes had a nice rhythm and flow this game…a decent amount of movement and creativity in the offensive zone, and as I recall not as much stagnation as they’ve been known to have”. and then I realized….we never had a power play.

 

[tarheelhockey]

After the game I was thinking ”Man, the Canes had a nice rhythm and flow this game…a decent amount of movement and creativity in the offensive zone, and as I recall not as much stagnation as they’ve been known to have”. and then I realized….we never had a power play.

That checks out. We should start icing 4 guys on the PP, it couldn't hurt.

They were also really good on the PK. Blues took five total shots on three PPs. At times they were barely able to get the puck over the blue line.

I'm trying not to read too much into these past couple of games, because they were against skidding teams who are likely to miss the playoffs, but the Canes really have looked very good.

 

[chaz4hockey]

I thought last night was Freddie's best game this year....he was moving really well and tracking the puck superbly.

Hopefully, this is the Freddie we get through May.