Thoughts From My Couch

I don't quite know how to express the way I'm feeling about tonight's game in Dallas against the Stars. Yesterday, it was announced that Brett Pesce and Tony DeAngelo would be joining Ethan Bear in COVID protocol, giving the Canes no right-shot defensemen on the active roster. This, as you might be able to figure out, is less than ideal. It's even worse when you consider the team lost its last game against Washington on Sunday afternoon, has lost three of their last four games, and both Pesce and DeAngelo are integral parts of the power play. In their place, the Canes have called up Maxime Lajoie and Jalen Chatfield from AHL Chicago. Lajoie got some time with the team last season during the postseason, playing in games 3 and 4 of the Nashville series, so this will be his regular-season debut with the club. He has 62 games of experience with Ottawa from 2018-20 and has 15 points (7-8-15), and he's played in 17 games in the AHL this season with eight points (1-7-8). C...

Five Headlines of Week 13 Haskins Runs Over Ohio State- #6 Michigan finally gets the elusive win under Harbaugh, torches #2 Ohio State on the ground, 42-27.  No Miracles This Time- #3 Alabama erases a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to force overtime, wins in 4 OT, 24-22 to escape the upset bid from Auburn. Pokes Win Bedlam- #7 Oklahoma State completes the comeback and ensures a matchup with Baylor in the Big 12 Championship game with a 37-33 win over #10 Oklahoma. One Last Win for Coach O- LSU upsets #14 Texas A&M in "The Jungle" to become bowl eligible in Coach O's last game with the Tigers.  Madness in the Big Ten West- After #17 Iowa completes the comeback over Nebraska, Minnesota upsets #18 Wisconsin to send the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Championship.  College Gameday's Game of the Week- #6 Michigan 42, #2 Ohio State 27 (THE Game, Ann Arbor, MI) All of the storylines from years prior made their way back this season. Jim Harbaugh has never beaten Ohi...

It's "Home, Sweet Home" for the Canes as they play their first home game in over two weeks when they hit the ice against Metropolitan Division rivals, the Washington Capitals, for Hockey Fights Cancer in Raleigh. It's crazy to think these two haven't played since January 13, 2020, given how close they are geographically, but they weren't in the same division last season. Washington won that last meeting 2-0 with Ilya Samsonov, today's starter for Washington, shutting out the Canes and Alex Ovechkin scored both goals. The Capitals come into this game scorching hot, having gone 8-1-1 in their last ten games and tied atop the division with 31 points with the Canes. They beat Florida 4-3 Friday afternoon, the same day the Canes beat Philadelphia 6-3. Alex Ovechkin has managed to find a new gear to start the season. He's second in the league in goals (18), tied for fifth in assists (18), and tied for second in points (36 with Connor McDavid) and all without...

The west coast swing is over, so the Canes are heading back to the east coast to conclude their six-game road trip on Black Friday in the City of Brotherly Love. The Canes earned seven of a possible ten points out west, but have lost their last two games in San Jose and Seattle, both by a score of 2-1. The ending of the Seattle game was a bit out of nowhere. It didn't seem like the right time for the game-winner to go in, but it did and the Canes lost in regulation for just the third time this season. Another of the three teams to beat the Canes in regulation is Philadelphia, who beat them two weeks ago in Raleigh. Carter Hart stole the game for the Flyers, standing on his head in the third period of a 2-1 win for the Flyers. Since beating the Canes back on November 12, things haven't been going well for Philly. They're just 1-3-2 since then and have lost their last four games, albeit to some strong teams in Boston, Florida, and Tampa Bay twice. They've struggled to put...

For the first time ever, the Hurricanes will make their way into Seattle to play the NHL's youngest franchise. Coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss in San Jose on Monday night, the Canes will look to rebound against a team going through its fair share of bumps as a new franchise. Frederik Andersen gets the start in the net tonight after sitting for Monday's game and for the first time since the circus game against Los Angeles on Saturday. The only reported change to the lineup will be Steven Lorentz getting back into the fold with Derek Stepan getting the night off again. Despite being a new team, there are still obviously plenty of familiar faces on this Kraken team. Morgan Geekie was Seattle's selection from the Canes, much to the surprise of many in each fanbase. Geekie has been a constant on the fourth line this season and on the second power play unit. Haydn Fleury, who Seattle selected from Anaheim after he was traded to the Ducks at the trade deadline last season, has...

The Canes are perfect on their road trip so far with wins over Vegas, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, all in very different fashions. The win over Los Angeles was a nightmare if you're a goalie or a head coach that likes defense, as the Canes and Kings traded goals for two periods before the Canes shut it down defensively and held on for a 5-4 win on Saturday afternoon. The first big piece of news for the Canes today was the announcement that Ethan Bear had tested positive for COVID. He was originally listed as a game-time decision before the news of the positive test broke. This means we'll be seeing Brendan Smith for the first time since Brett Pesce returned. The happier news is that Seth Jarvis is slated to be in the lineup tonight for his tenth game. This is significant because it means he'll officially trigger the first year of his rookie deal, which will now end at the end of the 2023-24 season. He can still be sent to juniors but as long as he steps on the ice tonight, it ...

Five Headlines of Week 12 Sparty Shredded- CJ Stroud throws for 432 yards, six touchdowns to lead #5 Ohio State to a huge 56-7 win over #7 Michigan State and take control of the Big Ten East. Ducks Shot Down in Utah-  #4 Oregon is dismantled by #24 Utah’s rushing attack and its playoff hopes are dashed in a 38-7 loss. Statement Made in Cincy?- #3 Cincinnati clinches a date with #17 Houston in the AAC Championship game with a convincing 48-14 win over SMU.   Death Valley Destruction - Clemson keeps their ACC Atlantic hopes alive, beating #13 Wake Forest convincingly 48-27 to end the Demon Deacons' perfect ACC season.  Auburn's Offense Lost Without Nix- Without Bo Nix under center, Auburn falls to South Carolina, 20-10, before next week's clash in the Iron Bowl with Alabama. College Gameday's Game of the Week- #5 Ohio State 56,  #7 Michigan State 7  (Columbus, OH) Before they took the field, this week's premier matchup between the top two teams in the Big Ten...