Hurricanes

[BuffalOhio]

I've never fully believed in the Hurricanes success this year. After watching yesterday's game where they made our boys look pretty poor defensively (bless you Ryan Miller!), I fully believe they are an elite team.

 

Granted, the Sabres were very tired (piss-poor scheduling NHL!), but the Hurricanes just dominated our boys in their own zone.

 

They've put together a nice little team there.

 

That goal to start the third period was a work of art in terms of keeping puck control. Our penalty killers were totally gassed, and could do nothing to get the puck out of the zone. Didn't matter that Kotalik was back for 9 seconds, the 'Canes still controlled the play. Wow.

 

I'm now convinced the Sabres need to upgrade on D via trade. Only question is, who gets traded?

[PTS]

I disagree, I think Carolina is a one and done Playoff team. As soon as they play a decent team in the playoffs, they will be knocked out.

 

They couldn't put away a Sabres team that was dead tired with defensemen that just kept feeding Carolina forwards with great chances. Lydman and Tallinder wear beyond horrendous yesterday.

 

Buffalo almost stole two points. When we're healthy have have Hecht, Briere, Connolly and Kalinin back, we're take care of them.

[BetweenThePipes00]

To deny the Canes are for real is to deny the Sabres are for real. Forget the past and look at how they play. That is a good team ... the Sabres were very tired but that doesn't mean Carolina is a fraud.

With the schedule they have left they coudl easily finish first in the East ... you don't think they can beat Toronto? Boston? Montreal? They are built much like the Sabres with a little more firepower and a little less goaltending.

[GGM]

For more humor, see the newly updated power rankings on tsn...Carolina drops to 4, Buffalo sticks at 7.

[PTS]

To deny the Canes are for real is to deny the Sabres are for real. Forget the past and look at how they play. That is a good team ...  the Sabres were very tired but that doesn't mean Carolina is a fraud.

With the schedule they have left they coudl easily finish first in the East ... you don't think they can beat Toronto? Boston? Montreal? They are built much like the Sabres with a little more firepower and a little less goaltending.

That's why I said one and done. They'll win one round and lose to whoever they face in the second.

 

I rather play the Canes then the Devils in the first road, that's for sure.

 

They are a good team that looks great because of the division they play in. They have a lot of easy games that help build their confidence but they don't strike me as a team that will do well when faced with playoff adversity.

[BetweenThePipes00]

That's why I said one and done. They'll win one round and lose to whoever they face in the second.

Oh. To me, one and done always meant play one and done ... sorry.

[PTS]

Oh. To me, one and done always meant play one and done ... sorry.

Yeah, that cliche doesn't work to well in hockey I guess. Should of stated it better. Also, I don't think Carolina is a fraud, just not as good as their points make them out to be. They could and should easily win the Eastern Conference because they get to play the weak Southeast the rest of the way.

[Goodfella25]

I really think the big difference between the Sabres and the Canes is that Carolina has a stronger, tougher defense. Lydman has been surprisingly soft lately and has made some really stupid plays (did you see him give up the puck to Erik Cole, fall down, and give him an easy goal last night)> He is also developing an annoying little habbit of making passes right in front of our own net. When you play defense that is one of the first things your coaches tell you NOT to do. He has been weak, Fitzpatrick has been terrible, Kalinin is out. All of that equals us being over-matched in this one. We need a guy like Witt or maybe Jackman from Pittsburgh to solidify this defense for the playoffs.

 

Another reason we lost last night is because Saturday's win was hard-fought and the Canes had the night off. And we still played them tough even though you know we were tired. Props to Miller who was phenomenal.

[BetweenThePipes00]

EJ Hradek said in his ESPN insider column today that Witt will likely end up in nashville, for whatever that is worth ... i'd post the link but you'd have to pay and that would annoy you, he gives no details ... I want NO part of anyone on the Pittsburgh defense, Jackman has never impressed me but ... nothing around him so who knows.

Lydman had a similar stretch to start the season and settled down ... we'll see. I totally agree the Sabres need a defenseman

[bob_sauve28]

I really think the big difference between the Sabres and the Canes is that Carolina has a stronger, tougher defense. Lydman has been surprisingly soft lately and has made some really stupid plays (did you see him give up the puck to Erik Cole, fall down, and give him an easy goal last night)> He is also developing an annoying little habbit of making passes right in front of our own net. When you play defense that is one of the first things your coaches tell you NOT to do. He has been weak, Fitzpatrick has been terrible, Kalinin is out. All of that equals us being over-matched in this one. We need a guy like Witt or maybe Jackman from Pittsburgh to solidify this defense for the playoffs.

 

Another reason we lost last night is because Saturday's win was hard-fought and the Canes had the night off. And we still played them tough even though you know we were tired. Props to Miller who was phenomenal.

Lyndman is an excellent defenseman, but I have also noticed his stupid plays of late. It's not like he is getting beaten by anyone, he is beating himself. Hopefully the break will help him

[fushetti]

I'd love to see last nights game with us rested. We win hands down.

Carolina is a good team..but for the most part, I felt they had the edge of being in their barn and that the Sabres played 22 hrs earlier.

[Goodfella25]

Lyndman is an excellent defenseman, but I have also noticed his stupid plays of late. It's not like he is getting beaten by anyone, he is beating himself. Hopefully the break will help him

Very well said, he is beating himself. I think in a way, the last few loses can be explained the same way...the team is beating itself. For example, you know Kovalev is the most dangerous player on the ice, you shadow him. Glad to see other people have seen Lydman's mistakes too lately, because I haven't heard much about them and to me they are glaring mistakes.

[Taro T]

Lyndman is an excellent defenseman, but I have also noticed his stupid plays of late. It's not like he is getting beaten by anyone, he  is beating himself. Hopefully the break will help him

He won't be getting a break, as he is playing in Turin Italia. (Hey, if NBC can call it Torino Italy, I can call it Turin Italia darn it.) Hopefully playing against the top tier of players gets him refocused.

[hopeleslyobvious]

He won't be getting a break, as he is playing in Turin Italia. (Hey, if NBC can call it Torino Italy, I can call it Turin Italia darn it.) Hopefully playing against the top tier of players gets him refocused.

He came around at the beginning of the year, so I assume he will work his way out of it again.

[Eleven]

Back to the thread, I guess: Carolina does not look like a "one and done" team to me; it looks like a team that reaches the semis and challenges for a Finals spot. I know they come from an incredibly weak division, but that really doesn't matter come playoff time (c.f. Tampa, 2004). That team looked as tough as Ottawa did a week ago; the only difference was the shutout result.

 

This doesn't mean I don't think the Sabres can fare well against them. On the contrary, once Bufalo has the team back from the hospital, the results might be very different. Remember, against both Ottawa and Carolina this last time, it was a jerry-rigged Buffalo team.