As the Carolina Hurricanes head to South Florida, there are two ways to look at tonight’s game.
On one side of the coin, Carolina exceeded expectations this season. This is the franchise’s sixth conference finals appearance, good for the 13th best in league history. The Canes have more conference final appearances than 20 other teams.
With core players locked up on great deals and plenty of cap space and assets, the future is bright for the Hurricanes. The core and young players are getting valuable experience against a great team deep in the playoffs.
But that is not how sports work. Many Caniacs are on the other side of the coin because the team is here- right now- in the conference finals.
After wearing down the top team in the Eastern Conference in the second round, the Canes are now being ground into dust. The 180-degree turnaround from the last series is disappointing.
The most frustrating part of Thursday’s game was the lack of effort and urgency. Carolina looked like they were playing Florida the day after Thanksgiving rather than in front of a sellout crowd in late May during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
From the opening puck drop, the Hurricanes were at least three strides behind the Panthers. When your best players are invisible or prefer to pass the puck using a “no-look-backhand-flip-to-nowhere-and-no-one,” it will be a long night against the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
The Caniacs in attendance and watching at home did not deserve that complete flop from the Hurricanes.
So what happens next?
“Give everything a sportin’ chance.”
That line from one of the late comedian Jerry Clower’s famous bits sums it up. The Hurricanes do not have the size of the Panthers, but the team can commit to playing stronger and faster.
Carolina has to give themselves a chance tonight, and it starts with effort and urgency. This means staying relentless on the forecheck, playing smart positional hockey in the defensive zone, and keeping your cool.
The three five-on-five goals Florida scored on Thursday exploited Carolina’s bad positioning and poor passing. These are fundamental parts of the game, and the Canes find themselves looking ahead to the next play before containing the opposition and making the smart exit pass.
Florida has scored on four of five power play opportunities in this series. The Hurricanes absolutely cannot afford to spend time in the box.
Do the Panthers take a breath at some point tonight? Up 2-0 in the series and back in their home barn, it may happen. The Canes must be ready to take advantage if and when that opportunity presents itself.
The biggest questions are with the lineup. The last two games have shown how important defenseman Jalen Chatfield is to this team. He is still listed as day-to-day and took warmups on Thursday. This lineup decision will be the most anticipated as game time approaches.
Seth Jarvis and Sean Walker both exited Game 2 after big hits from the Panthers, but both returned to the ice. Walker was the bigger question mark, and he will be another name to watch closer to 8:00 PM.
The decision by head coach Rod Brind’Amour to play Scott Morrow in Game 2 after his abysmal performance in the opening game of the series was questionable. Unlike some loud voices on Caniac social media, Morrow does not need to be sent out to pasture. The 22-year-old rookie defenseman should become part of the top four in the near future, but his first two playoff games against the defending champs are a tough spot.
His lack of ice time demonstrated this questionable decision. Morrow did not step onto the ice after it was 2-0 Florida, and only had 15 shifts the entire game.
Brind’Amour says this team is at its best when it is rolling all lines and pairs, so the disparity in ice time does not make much sense.
Everyone from Manteo to Manitoba knows Florida is bigger and more physical. Putting the 6’4”, 212-pound Mark Jankowski in the lineup makes sense. Was Jesperi Kotkaniemi the best choice for a scratch? There are arguments on both sides, but he needs to be considered for tonight’s lineup.
And perhaps the player who ranked 12th in the KHL this season in hits might be a good draw for the Canes.
Stay tuned to Canes Country for lineup updates as puck drop approaches.
Here’s how to check out the action:
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
- TV: TNT, truTV, Max; SN, TVAS
- Radio: 99.9 The Fan with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst.
- Line: ML: CAR +130; PL: CAR +1.5 -205
