Thoughts From My Couch

The Hurricanes needed to show some heart with their season on the line. They played two-thirds of a solid game on Saturday night, but a third-period collapse ended in a 6-2 defeat, pushing the Panthers to a 3-0 series lead. With the same lineup going, except for the goalie, it was time to put together 60 minutes of hard work to fight another day. Meanwhile, the Panthers were looking for their third straight Prince of Wales Trophy and another trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (10:45)- Logan Stankoven (5) (Alexander Nikishin (1)) 3rd Period CAR (17:49)- Sebastian Aho (5) EN (Andrei Svechnikov (3) & Seth Jarvis (9)) CAR (18:15)- Jordan Staal (2) EN (Brent Burns (4)) My Thoughts June 1, 2006, was 6,934 days ago. That's the last time we saw the Hurricanes win a game in the conference finals. It started to feel like we might never see this again. With the Canes falling behind 3-0 in the series, THIS was MY Stanley Cup. All I wanted was one ...

The Hurricanes are flirting with a fate like their last three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Panthers won both games in Raleigh to open the series, outscoring the Canes 10-2, including a 5-0 shutout victory on Thursday night. Florida's stars are running circles around Carolina's, and now they're hitting the road down 2-0 with a sweep looking more and more likely. Unless something remarkable happens, the Canes' season will likely end in the next few days. For now, we just need to appreciate the time we have left. Scoring Summary 1st Period FLA (12:07)- Niko Mikkola (2) (Evan Rodrigues (9) & Aleksander Barkov (9)) 2nd Period CAR (14:51)- Logan Stankoven (4) PP (Brent Burns (3) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (4)) 3rd Period FLA (1:29)- Jesper Boqvist (2) (Evan Rodrigues (10) & Aaron Ekblad (7)) FLA (6:26)- Niko Mikkola (3) (Sam Bennett (5) & Matthew Tkachuk (9)) FLA (6:55)- Aleksander Barkov (5) (Matthew Tkachuk (10)) FLA (9:31)- Aleksander Barkov (6) (J...

The Hurricanes were completely outworked by the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, beginning the Eastern Conference Finals with a 5-2 loss in Game 1. With the Panthers leaving the Hurricanes licking their wounds, they turned to a few lineup changes to turn the tide in this series before traveling to Sunrise. Mark Jankowski returned to the lineup in Jesperi Kotkaniemi's place, taking his place on the fourth line. Jalen Chatfield remained out, missing his third straight game. Scoring Summary 1st Period FLA (1:17)- Gustav Forsling (1) (Matthew Tkachuk (8)) FLA (11:41)- Matthew Tkachuk (4) (Carter Verhaeghe (6) & Niko Mikkola (2)) FLA (15:50)- Sam Bennett (8) PP (Carter Verhaeghe (7) & Evan Rodrigues (7)) 2nd Period FLA (19:21)- Sam Bennett (9) (Carter Verhaeghe (8) & Aaron Ekblad (5)) 3rd Period FLA (13:49)- Aleksander Barkov (4) PP (Aaron Ekblad (6) & Evan Rodrigues (8)) My Thoughts I'm not sure I've ever seen Andrei Svechnikov have a period worse than his fir...

It's time for the Hurricanes to exercise their conference final demons, trying to avoid being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth straight trip. This season, they're facing a familiar foe. Two years ago, the Florida Panthers won a tight four-game series against the Hurricanes before falling to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Finals. Last season, the Panthers reached the top of the mountain. Now, they're trying to do it again. With a deeper team, they'll be an incredible test for the Hurricanes, who seek their first finals appearance since winning it all in 2006. Scoring Summary 1st Period FLA (8:30)- Carter Verhaeghe (5) PP (Aleksander Barkov (8) & Matthew Tkachuk (7)) FLA (12:29)- Aaron Ekblad (3) (Evan Rodrigues (5)) CAR (19:45)- Sebastian Aho (4) (Seth Jarvis (7) & Andrei Svechnikov (2)) 2nd Period FLA (3:33)- AJ Greer (2) (Niko Mikkola (1) & Tomas Nosek (2)) 3rd Period FLA (6:08)- Sam Bennett (7) PP (Evan Rodrigues (6) & Carter Verhaeghe (...

Florida's Postseason Path The Panthers emerged as the sole survivor from the Atlantic Division after beating the Maple Leafs in seven games in the 2nd round. Florida began its Cup defense with another Sunshine State Showdown against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite the Bolts holding home ice for the series, the Panthers won both games against their in-state rivals. After splitting in Sunrise, the Panthers finished the job in Tampa, winning 6-3 in Game 5 to win all three games on the road and advance in five games. Against the Maple Leafs in the second round, Florida fell behind 2-0 after a pair of high-scoring one-goal losses. The Panthers rattled off three straight victories to take a 3-2 lead, dropped Game 6 at home, and won Game 7, 6-1, to a chorus of boos from the Toronto faithful.  Season Series November 29th (in Raleigh): Beginning a post-Thanksgiving home-and-home, the Panthers used a three-goal third period to break a 3-3 tie and prevail 6-3 on the road.  November 30th...

Series Recap Game 1: Despite dominating play, the Hurricanes trailed 1-0 until Logan Stankoven tied the game midway through the third period. Forcing overtime, the Canes took the series opener on Jaccob Slavin's first postseason overtime goal, stunning the Capitals, 2-1. Game 2: Logan Thompson continued to give the Hurricanes fits, carrying a shutout into the third period for the second straight game. Tom Wilson scored a goal and added an assist as the Capitals evened the series with a 3-1 victory. Game 3: Frederik Andersen withstood an early peppering by the Capitals before his offense started to help him out. The Hurricanes rattled off four unanswered goals in the second and third periods to help Andersen record his first postseason shutout with the Canes in a 4-0 win to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4: The Hurricanes pushed the Capitals to the brink with another outstanding effort on home ice. Taylor Hall and Sean Walker had a goal and an assist each as 12 Canes found the scoresh...

With their season in the balance, the Washington Capitals tried to stave off elimination on Thursday night in the nation's capital. After splitting in D.C. to begin the series, the Hurricanes won both games in Raleigh to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the conference's top team. The Canes sought to end the series in Washington's barn to avoid a return trip for Game 6 in Raleigh. With everything going right in the series for Carolina, they needed a similar performance in Game 5 while keeping Washington's stars in check. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (9:38)- Jordan Staal (1) (Jordan Martinook (5)) WSH (13:41)- Anthony Beauvillier (2) (unassisted) 2nd Period None 3rd Period CAR (18:01)- Andrei Svechnikov (8) (Sean Walker (2) & Seth Jarvis (6)) CAR (19:33)- Seth Jarvis (4) EN (unassisted) My Thoughts The Capitals threw everything they could at the Hurricanes. Despite just nine shots through 40 minutes, Washington played like the better team. The Canes had spurts of sus...

With a chance to put the series in a stranglehold, the Hurricanes hit the ice on Monday night with one goal in mind. Defending home ice would give them a 3-1 series lead, sending the Capitals back to D.C. with their season on the line. After being shut out on Saturday, Washington had to be upset. They dominated the early portion of the game, but Frederik Andersen wouldn't be beaten. Needing a bounce-back effort from Logan Thompson, the Capitals hoped for their offense to come alive in front of an electric Raleigh crowd. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (10:24)- Shayne Gostisbehere (3) (Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3) & Eric Robinson (2)) 2nd Period CAR (1:04)- Seth Jarvis (3) (Sebastian Aho (7) & Dmitry Orlov (4)) 3rd Period WSH (5:18)- Jakub Chychrun (3) (Matt Roy (2) & Pierre-Luc Dubois (3)) CAR (8:24)- Taylor Hall (2) (Jack Roslovic (3) & Sean Walker (1)) WSH (12:14)- Alex Ovechkin (5) PP (Dylan Strome (9) & Jakub Chychrun (2)) CAR (16:45)- Sean Walker (1) (Taylor Hall ...

The series has shifted to Raleigh for the next three days, beginning tonight with Game 3 at the Lenovo Center. The Hurricanes split the first two contests in D.C. to open the series in a 1-1 tie. Both goaltenders have been excellent in the series, but Logan Thompson has been nearly unbeatable through two games. Getting to him early in Game 3 would be the most important key to getting ahead in the series for the second time.  Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (12:34)- Andrei Svechnikov (6) (unassisted) CAR (18:57)- Jack Roslovic (1) PP (Brent Burns (2) & Taylor Hall (3)) 3rd Period CAR (3:13)- Eric Robinson (1) (Logan Stankoven (2) & Jack Roslovic (2)) CAR (16:44)- Jackson Blake (2) PP (Shayne Gostisbehere (4) & Seth Jarvis (5)) My Thoughts The Washington Capitals had an excellent road period to start the game. Their first three chances were a Tom Wilson breakaway, Nic Dowd's spinning chance, and Taylor Raddysh after a turnover behind the Canes' net. All...

Game 1 will go down as a performance the Canes should've gotten more from, but will be satisfied with the victory. Despite an incredible edge in shots, it took overtime for the visitors to take the first game after Jaccob Slavin's shot navigated through traffic to beat Logan Thompson. With the Capitals nice and pissed off, the expectation was for a much better effort in the second game. The Capitals managed just 14 shots, including three in the final 23 minutes. There was no chance we'd see the same game a second time. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period WSH (2:16)- Connor McMichael (4) (unassisted) 3rd Period WSH (1:54)- John Carlson (1) PP (Tom Wilson (4) & Dylan Strome (8)) CAR (9:26)- Shayne Gostisbehere (2) PP (Seth Jarvis (4) & Sebastian Aho (6)) WSH (19:00)- Tom Wilson EN (3) (Aliaksei Protas (1)) My Thoughts Having written after every Hurricanes game since the 2021 playoffs, I occasionally find myself being repetitive with some of the things I say. On...

It's time to start again! The Hurricanes began the second round on the road Tuesday night, heading to the nation's capital to face the Washington Capitals. After vanquishing the Devils in five games a week ago, the Canes had plenty of time to heal and return to full strength before facing the division champs. The Capitals also got the job done in five games against the Canadiens, last playing on Wednesday night. With both teams chomping at the bit to get back on the ice, fireworks were expected in Game 1. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period WSH (3:53)- Aliaksei Protas (1) (Brandon Duhaime (1) & John Carlson (2)) 3rd Period CAR (9:42)- Logan Stankoven (3) (Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2)) Overtime CAR (3:06)- Jaccob Slavin (2) (Jordan Martinook (3) & Dmitry Orlov (3)) My Thoughts I don't want to hear about the Hurricanes' inability to win a road game ever again. Even if they never win another one, we'll always remember this as being a one-sided masterclass in p...

Washington's 1st Round vs. Montreal Like the Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals made quick work of their first-round opponent, knocking out the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the series opener, including the game-winner in overtime to win Game 1, 3-2. The Capitals held serve in Game 2, sweeping both games in D.C. with a 3-1 win. Montreal's offense came to life in Game 3, scoring three times in the third period to pull away and cut Washington's series lead in half with a 6-3 victory. Washington rebounded in Game 4, getting a late go-ahead goal from Andrew Mangiapane as part of a four-goal third period to push Montreal to the brink of elimination. The finished the job in the nation's capital, getting two goals in the first period to pace a 3-1 series-clinching victory. Dylan Strome led the way with nine points (2-7-9), while Ovechkin scored four times (4-1-5). Season Series November 3 (in Raleigh): Former Capital Dmitry Orlov scored twice...

Series Recap Game 1:  Jalen Chatfield sets the tone in the first period, and Logan Stankoven strikes twice in the second period to put the Canes ahead, 3-0. The Devils get one back late in the second, but the Canes prevail 4-1 to open the series. Game 2: Jesper Bratt scores early for the Devils, though it doesn't hold up as the Canes strike twice early in the second period to take the lead on Jordan Martinook's short-handed tally. Seth Jarvis finishes it into the empty net as the Canes take a 2-0 series lead. Game 3: The Devils push the Canes into a 2-0 hole early in the third period. The Canes' power play scores twice in the third period to send the game to overtime. After completing the fourth period, Simon Nemec scores early in double overtime to give the Devils life with a 3-2 victory.   Game 4: A fast start for the Hurricanes nearly disappears after Frederik Andersen leaves the game early in the second period. However, Andrei Svechnikov's hat trick is enough to get...

We've arrived at the first elimination game of the series as the Canes tried to finish the Devils in five games on Tuesday night. In front of the home crowd, the group sought to end the Devils' season, much like they did two seasons ago. New Jersey continues to fight through the injury bug on defense, but the biggest injury of the series might've been to Frederik Andersen after being run by Timo Meier in Game 4. With Pyotr Kochetkov taking over in the net, he had a chance to earn his second postseason victory. Scoring Summary 1st Period NJD (3:46)- Dawson Mercer (2) (Brett Pesce (2)) NJD (5:31)- Timo Meier (2) (Brett Pesce (3)) NJD (9:55)- Stefan Noesen (1) (Simon Nemec (1) & Dougie Hamilton (2)) 2nd Period CAR (1:46)- Taylor Hall (1) (Logan Stankoven (1) & Jaccob Slavin (2)) CAR (4:01)- Jackson Blake (1) (Mark Jankowski (1)) CAR (5:40)- Andrei Svechnikov (5) (Dmitry Orlov (2) & Sebastian Aho (5)) NJD (7:26)- Nico Hischier (4) (Paul Cotter (1) & Stefan Noese...

It was a valiant effort from the team to force overtime in Game 3, but the Carolina Hurricanes failed to grab a stranglehold on the series with a 2OT loss to the Devils on Friday night. The power play struck twice in the third period to gain traction, which is about the only good thing for the team, outside of Frederik Andersen's performance. The Devils dominated for over 22 minutes of overtime, eventually winning early in the fifth period. With another chance for their third win, the Canes hoped to capitalize on another injury to New Jersey's defense. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (0:52)- Andrei Svechnikov (2) (Brent Burns (1) & Jackson Blake (2)) CAR (9:47)- Jaccob Slavin (1) (unassisted) 2nd Period CAR (0:42)- Andrei Svechnikov (3) PP (Seth Jarvis (2) & Sebastian Aho (3)) NJD (2:45)- Nico Hischier (3) (Ondrej Palat (2) & Timo Meier (2)) NJD (7:34)- Timo Meier (1) (unassisted) 3rd Period CAR (14:14)- Brent Burns (1) (unassisted) CAR (16:43)- Andrei Svechnikov (4)...

With the Hurricanes doing their job at home in Games 1 and 2, it's time to head north for two more in Newark. In front of their fans, the Devils were sure to get a boost as they tried to work back into the series. They'd have a great chance against one of the worst road teams in the league. The Devils remained without Luke Hughes or Brendan Dillon for the night, but Jonas Siegenthaler returned after nearly three months on the shelf. Frederik Andersen and Jacob Markstrom battled for the third straight game, with Andersen hoping to replicate his work on the road. Scoring Summary 1st Period NJD (16:11)- Nico Hischier (2) (Timo Meier (1) & Ondrej Palat (1)) 2nd Period None 3rd Period NJD (1:20)- Dawson Mercer (1) (Jesper Bratt (2) & Brett Pesce (2)) CAR (6:11)- Seth Jarvis (2) PP (Sebastian Aho (2) & Shayne Gostisbehere (1)) CAR (12:20) Sebastian Aho (1) PP (Andrei Svechnikov (1)) Overtime None 2nd Overtime NJD (2:36)- Simon Nemec (1) (unassisted) My Thoughts During the...

The Carolina Hurricanes tried to defend home ice once again after dominating Game 1 on Easter Sunday. The group got off to a great start and only got better from there. Big performances from almost every line contributed to the victory, but Frederik Andersen was the major standout, stopping 23 shots in a 4-1 win. With the Devils' injury troubles rearing their ugly head once again, they'd play Game 2 without Luke Hughes and Brendan Dillon on defense, making their quest to even the series that much tougher. Scoring Summary 1st Period NJD (3:51)- Jesper Bratt (1) (Erik Haula (1) & Dougie Hamilton (1)) 2nd Period CAR (2:57)- Shayne Gostisbehere (1) (Jackson Blake (1) & Sebastian Aho (1)) CAR (5:54)- Jordan Martinook (1) SH (Dmitry Orlov (1)) 3rd Period CAR (19:23)- Seth Jarvis (1) EN (Jordan Martinook (2)) My Thoughts As everyone expected, the Devils weren't going to let their Game 1 loss be the end of the series. They came out of the gates tonight on a mission. That mi...

Playoff hockey is back in Raleigh as the Carolina Hurricanes began their race to the top of the mountain in the first round against the New Jersey Devils. With home ice advantage to begin the series, the Canes tried bringing their home success during the regular season with them into the postseason by setting the tone in Game 1. While the Devils might have the fewest points of the 16 playoff teams this season, their firepower isn't anything to underestimate as division rivals squared off. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (2:24)- Jalen Chatfield (1) (Eric Robinson (1) & Jack Roslovic (1)) 2nd Period CAR (6:37)- Logan Stankoven (1) (Jordan Martinook (1) & Jaccob Slavin (1)) CAR (13:08)- Logan Stankoven (2) PP (Taylor Hall (1) & Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1)) NJD (18:51)- Nico Hischier (1) (Jesper Bratt (1) & Brett Pesce (1)) 3rd Period CAR (17:32)- Andrei Svechnikov (1) EN (Taylor Hall (2)) My Thoughts Whether you're at the arena or watching from home, there is no atmosphe...

It's time for the race to the Stanley Cup! The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan Division, amassing 99 points to fall 12 points behind the Washington Capitals for the division crown. Still, they have home ice for the opening round against the division's third-place finisher, the New Jersey Devils. Despite dropping seven of their final eight (1-6-1), the Canes ended comfortably in second, finishing ten points ahead of the Devils. The Canes were led this season by Sebastian Aho (45 assists, 74 points), Seth Jarvis (32 goals), and Jaccob Slavin (league-best 83.6% PK). They were a Top 10 offense and defense during the regular season, ending the year ninth in goals per game and tenth in goals allowed per game. Meanwhile, the Devils returned to the playoffs after injuries held them back in 2023-24. Jesper Bratt paced the group with 88 points, while captain Nico Hischier set a career high with 35 goals. However, they will be without Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenth...

For the final time during the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice. With nothing to play for tonight, this was simply a "cross our fingers and hope nothing terrible happens"-type of game for the fans at home and the coaching staff behind the bench. The Canes rolled a similar lineup from Wednesday's loss in Montreal, while Ottawa opted for a lineup mirroring their likely Game 1 matchup with the Maple Leafs on Sunday. It was a curious move from Travis Green, but maybe there was some method to the madness. Andersen vs. Ullmark in the net. 1st Period SBA is leveled Ghost goes down to deny a 2-on-1 Batherson hooks Hall (1:47) Roslovic's shot is absorbed Roslovic's one-timer is stopped Roslovic is stopped x3 Roslovic is called for hooking after being stopped again (2:41) (Sens' PK- 1-for-1 tonight) Nadeau's backhand is stopped (that was fancy) Zetterlund is blockered away Orlov's chance is caught The Canes kill it (1-for-1 tonight) KK's r...