So, have we flushed Thursday yet?
Look, no one expected the Hurricanes to go 16-0. Going 8-0, after all, was a modern NHL record so it told you that the streak was going to end at some point. In fact an eight game winning streak would qualify as their longest streak in nearly two years and if you want to get really technical it was nine thanks to their regular season finale win on Long Island.
They were due. But man, did it have to be in that game in this round? And did they have to look that bad in the first
period to seemingly permanently settle the “rest versus rust” debate?
You could hear it in the answers the Canes and the coaches gave after the game. Jaccob Slavin wasn’t avoiding any responsibility for one of the worst games of his professional career, and Rod Brind’Amour wasn’t about to try and sugarcoat it either. Too many players were trying to do too much and did so against a really good Montreal team that has long surpassed “we have nothing to lose” territory with this season. It bit them quickly, and despite the old adage a three-goal lead just isn’t that easy to erase in the NHL.
So what do we expect today? Don’t expect any changes as everyone knows they just have to play better. That includes in net as while you can make an argument that Frederik Andersen could have played better and made an important stop when the team needed someone to make a play, it’s kind of tough to blame him when the defense just had that bad of a night. Allowing an occasional high danger chance is one thing, allowing several in a short time span is something most goalies wouldn’t do well against.
That said, Andersen faced just nine shots after the first period barrage of thirteen, and the fifth goal allowed is one you can split blame between him and Andrei Svechnikov. If you listened to my discussion with Adam Gold on the Canes Corner podcast after the game, you’d hear how I basically defended Andersen on his arguably most saveable shot of the night by pointing out Svechnikov was caught doing what the Canes had done wrong all night—trying to do too much and make a game-changing play instead of just doing the simple thing. The fact that he’s had nearly two weeks off and didn’t face a lot of pucks after the first period makes it very likely Brind’Amour will go with him again.
Lost in the shellacking of the game is how the Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis/Svechnikov line had perhaps their best game of the postseason. Aho looked like he was moving with purpose, and that line quickly came together to get the first goal of the game. Hopefully that’s a positive that was seen on the tape review Friday, as Rod Brind’Amour pointedly said that while they weren’t on the ice, they were still practicing just in ways you didn’t see. There are a couple of ways to take that—one is that they’ve done nothing but practice for two weeks and the benefit of being on the ice against each other is moot at this point. The other is that off-ice film review was a lot of rubbing the Canes’ noses in what they did. Either way this morning will be the first time the Canes have taken the ice since the loss.
It’s also doubtful to expect any changes from Montreal either. This will be the first time that they’ll have spent a third day in a location in a week, and they’ll have their bags packed on the bus to head back to Montreal after the game tonight. Even with their youth you do wonder at what point this ping-ponging around might catch up to them, but the combination of youth, skill, and great coaching by Martin St. Louis has infused them with a belief that will make them dangerous again tonight.
For all the “Oh no, not again”reactions you have after Game One, tonight’s game is inarguably a must-win for Carolina. Despite Montreal only going 2-4 at home these playoffs, you don’t want to create a situation where you have to win four of the next six games, including two of three on the road, in order to come back and take the series. Yes, the Canes have done it before, but there’s no better way to let Montreal know that they are in for a different series than flipping the script from Thursday Night.
Also—can we agree no more Dave Doeren on the siren? I don’t think I’ve ever seen UNC and NC State fans agree on something so much in my life as the united reaction when the Canes announced him as the sounder. Bless the coach for trying to be a uniter and earning a B+ from Cory Lavalette, but he just may not be the vibes we are looking for. Need proof that everyone agreed he wasn’t the man for the job? Just start watching this at around the 1:10:00 mark for ten straight minutes of Doreen catching strays.
If nothing else this reaction has to confuse the hell out of Montreal fans. Welcome to the Triangle!
Anyway, if anything changes after morning skates this page will be updated. As a reminder, pre-pay for your parking so you can save $21 from the $75 shock when you arrive. Tailgating should be fine, just be ready to dodge an occasional storm. If you aren’t going to be in Raleigh, here’s how you can catch the action (take note the start time is different):
Time: 7 PM Eastern
TV: TNT and TruTV will have the action in the US with Kenny Albert handling play-by-play, Eddie Olczyk doing color from up top, Brian Boucher between the benches, and Jackie Redmond handling off-ice interviews. Also note that the NHL on TNT Face-Off pre-show will not only be an hour long, beginning at 6 PM Eastern, but that they will be on-site in Raleigh in the Buffalo Brothers Section behind section 113. Liam McHugh hosts while Wayne Gretzky, Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter, and Paul Bissonnette will be at the desk.
Streaming Video: HBO Max will have you covered on the streaming side, you may have to look under “sports” to find it.
Radio: This is where you can listen to Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy call the action for the rest of the playoffs. The pregame Storm Watch with Adam Gold on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6PM and runs for 60 minutes. At 7PM the Hurricanes Radio Network (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570). You will also be able stream this call through 99.9 on your smart device, app, or the Carolina Hurricanes app—and it’s not geolocked.
Odds (per Fanduel): Hurricanes -205 Moneyline, Puckline Hurricanes -1.5 at +122/Canadiens +168 Moneyline, Puckline +1.5 at -150, O/U 5.5 (-134 Over/+110 Under)
