Thoughts From My Couch

It's hard to play as well as the Canes did during their most recent road trip. The team returned home with 11 of a possible 12 points, including back-to-back shutouts against the Islanders and Red Wings by Pyotr Kochetkov without Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast in the lineup. The Canes outscored their six opponents 20-12 during the trip, the penalty kill went 14 for 17, and the team just looked much better than they did during their rough patch in November. The win over the Red Wings on Tuesday night was not the smoothest by any means but the power-play tally by Brady Skjei was all the offense that was required as Kochetkov stopped all 27 shots he faced to finish his third shutout of the season. Now that the road trip is done, the Canes are going to finally spend some extended time at home as they kick off a four-game homestand with three games in four nights. This is a huge stretch of games as they face several playoff-caliber teams through the end of 2022.  Projected Lines/Pairs An...

After one of their most complete efforts of the season, the Hurricanes face their final test on the road before they begin their first homestand. The 3-0 win on Long Island on Saturday night was about as clinical as it could get for the team as they stifled a tired Islanders team on the back end of a back-to-back. After a scoreless first period, Paul Stastny opened the scoring with his first goal as a Hurricane in the second period. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal would provide the insurance goals in the third period as Pyotr Kochetkov faced just 16 shots and stopped all of them for his second shutout of the season. It never felt like the win was in doubt, even without Sebastian Aho or Jesper Fast in the lineup. The win was big with the logjam unfolding in the Metropolitan Division currently behind the Devils. This trip to the Motor City will be the culmination of a journey on the road that began two weeks ago, took the team to six cities with a little trip home after the Californi...

After a few days off, the Canes are back at it for the final two games of the six-game road trip. After starting 3-0-0 on the trip, they hit a tiny speed bump in Anaheim. Despite Anaheim being the worst team in the league, the Canes never seemed to find their stride and played from behind for most of the first two periods. It didn't help that some weird bounces didn't quite go their way. The two sides alternated goals with the Canes getting tying goals from Brady Skjei, Sebastian Aho, and Jordan Staal. After a scoreless third period, the Canes secured a point, but they fell victim to the same troubles they've had in overtime all season. The Ducks won the draw and never allowed the Canes to touch the puck. All it took was a bad line change for Anaheim to get in on Pyotr Kochetkov and score the game-winner. It wasn't a fun ending but the ending the Canes likely deserved after a tough night. Now they have to get back at it against a division opponent on Long Island. This i...

The Canes have hit a hot streak on this road trip. They followed up their win in Raleigh over Calgary with wins in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and, most recently, Los Angeles. They've scored three or more in all four wins after struggling to do so in their most recent losses. The win in Los Angeles on Saturday night was one of the better efforts of the season as the team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho scored some highlight-reel goals, Martin Necas unleashed a wicked snipe on the power play, Andrei Svechnikov got some puck luck to score his 15th of the season, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves to expand the win streak. Though they'd allow two goals in the third period, the outcome never felt in doubt. Most importantly than all of it, the Canes got Teuvo Teravainen back in the lineup. While he didn't record a point in the win, it was just good to see him back on the ice after missing a lot of time. The team continues to get closer ...

The final week of the regular season was all about finishing the job for most of the teams in action. For some, it meant clinching a spot in a big bowl to represent your conference. For four teams, it was about earning the right to play in the College Football Playoff. Some teams thrived under the pressure that comes with championship week. Other teams crumbled and failed to live up to the moment. At the end of it all, we were left with four clear standouts as the picture began crystal clear.  Game of the Week-  #13 Kansas State 31,  #3 TCU 28 (OT) (A rlington, TX) No team was under a greater microscope on Saturday than the Horned Frogs with their position in the College Football Playoff at the center of it all. A good showing for TCU should get them into the playoff, win or lose. They owned a win over Kansas State this season, but this time it was different. After TUC scored the opening touchdown, the Wildcats play front out front for most of the game after scoring two s...

The Hurricanes have come to life in their last three games after a brutal 0-1-4 stretch. They've won three straight games against good opponents and seem to be back in control of things. Their most recent outing against the St. Louis Blues was a perfect example. After Jordan Binnington made some huge saves and St. Louis found their way to a 2-0 lead, the Hurricanes struck three times in 64 seconds to take the lead. Before the end of the period, the Blues would tie the game and the Canes would start the third period with Pyotr Kochetkov in the net after Antti Raanta allowed three goals on 15 shots. It was hinted that Raanta had been dealing with some cramping during warm-ups and that was the reason for the change. It doesn't matter why it happened, but it would turn out to be the right move. Kochetkov came in and shut things down, allowing an inconsequential goal on 11 shots. Jordan Martinook became the star of the show in the third period, scoring twice to complete his second-c...

The start of a new month has arrived for the Hurricanes, meaning it's time to put the frustrations of November behind them as they prepare for December. 6-4-4 isn't the type of month you'd expect from a team like the Hurricanes, but they were deep in some tight contests. After a five-game losing streak before Thanksgiving, the Hurricanes won their last two games of the month, including their last game in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The first stop on a six-game road trip, the Hurricanes conceded a last-minute goal in regulation to face overtime once again, the ninth time it has been required in 23 games. The ending will likely be seen as controversial, especially if you're a fan of the Penguins, but it was Brett Pesce squeezing the puck home to win the game 3-2. Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov provided the other scoring in the game for the Canes as Pyotr Kochetkov picked up the victory. Next up on the trip is the beginning of a three-game wing against the Western Con...