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GDT: Canes v. Caps 12/14 7:30

A

andyt

Canes Moderator
Staff member
The middle game of 3 games in 4 nights.

The Canes scored a week’s worth of goals in Montreal last night. And they needed to, to keep pace with the horrific defense, the “strength” of the team. Fleury left early with an upper body injury and was only -1. One night after Hamilton was -4, Faulk nearly matches him with -3. On the plus side, Svechnikov had himself a game and was the 2nd star in a losing effort. Based on reports from Charlotte, it looks like we’ll see Ned make his NHL debut. No pressure kid, just the defending champs and leading scorer.

The Caps are leading the division with 39 points but that’s only 4th in the conference. Ovechkin is leading the league with 25 goals. Backstrom has 28 assists, Carlson has 27. Holtby is having an atypical season, his GAA is 2.81. Caps have the 4th best PP in the league at 26.9%

Fox Sports Carolinas for TV.


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Nitpick: first NHL start, not NHL debut -- 30 minute scoreless mop-up job year before last.

Not an ideal spot for a first start, but how much better would it be throwing Darling to the home fans right now if it goes bad (and likely will)? If Mrazek had been cruising, go that direction, but on a back-to-back and 4.62, 0.868 in his last 2 games gotta give him a break/rest.
 
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Ned had his NHL debut last year when either Ward or Darling got pulled... 30 minutes, 17 saves, no goals allowed, wasn't the goaltender of record. It would be his first NHL start, though.

That said... there's nothing on the website yet about a call-up as of 9:46 AM, just Vellucci's comments on the Checkers game.
 
Forgot Ned’s 30 minutes in 16-17.

There won’t be a skate today after getting home at God knows when last night, so we’ll have to wait for a tweet or white smoke coming from 1400 EMR.


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Thought Velucci's post-game comment was a bit strange in that the decision to have Nedeljkovic as an option for tonight seemed to be a last-minute decision on the part of the org.

Nedeljkovic starts for the Checkers and delivers two periods of shut-out hockey before being pulled for the third after supposedly a message from the parent team arrives saying he's an option for tonight and they didn't want him playing a back-to-back, if so.

Good on Booth for keeping the two-goalie shut-out going in the third.

But why is the communication so late in arriving? Just then thought about it?
 
Makes you wonder what the plan was for this back-to-back. Surely they can think one game ahead. Or don't they know how to play chess.
 
Elsker said:
Thought Velucci's post-game comment was a bit strange in that the decision to have Nedeljkovic as an option for tonight seemed to be a last-minute decision on the part of the org.

Nedeljkovic starts for the Checkers and delivers two periods of shut-out hockey before being pulled for the third after supposedly a message from the parent team arrives saying he's an option for tonight and they didn't want him playing a back-to-back, if so.

Good on Booth for keeping the two-goalie shut-out going in the third.

But why is the communication so late in arriving? Just then thought about it?
Click to expand...

Maybe they were expecting Mrazek to go back to back and didn't like what they were seeing from him, or maybe they were expecting McIlhenney for tonight and got word that there was an issue. Could be anything. One thing is certain: Sucks to be Scott Darling right now.
 
Caps expected lineup, per @ikhurshudyan (Wilson returns to the lineup after missing 3+ games)

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Vrana-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Connolly-Eller-DSP
Jaskin-Dowd-Boyd

Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Siegenthaler-Bowey

Holtby
Copley

Burakovsky and Stephenson are out. Djoos had surgery yesterday and is out indefinitely.
Click to expand...
 
Still no word from either the Canes or Cherkers about Ned...


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Turned in my tickets-- no interest in going to a cold, half filled arena on a cold, damp, rainy night to watch a tonight's game. Darling reportedly in net... Consider me underwhelmed...
 
Was fortunate enough to sell my tix for this one for an actual profit. Other obligations keeping me from this one.
 
I wonder what the record is for the number of games a goalie has give up a goal on the first shot he's faced. Darling has to be challenging for that distinction!
 
Well, that Ovechkin blast....Darling didn't have a chance. He gets a pass on that one. Holtby getting burned by Martinook is more worrisome.
 
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