Yes, there's a game tonight. And yes, it's against the Penguins during the Holiday season when all the transplanted Yinzers will have their also transplanted Yinzerkinder at home with them for Christmas. Joy de Noel indeed. If anything will put a homegrown Canes fan off their Holiday cheer, I gotta feel like to tonight is the night. Do I seem gloomy? Meh ... just cynical, same as usual.
I'm not getting into details. They're depressing. Carolina is in a weird place as a team, while Pittsburgh had a terrible November but have found their legs of late. Malkin woke up after Thanksgiving, their top end talent is still ridiculous, and they have had a couple of days off so the Canes' best hope ... getting one of their horrible backup goaltenders ... is dim. Plus, Carolina had one of those infamous soul searching team meetings after the Detroit loss. Given how these things usually go, there's only two outcomes tonight. Either they find some short term mental toughness and grab one out of thin air, or they get beaten like a drum. Flip a coin.
See you at the rink. I'm so looking forward to this one that I actually envy those of you who travel for Christmas. And that's bloody rare.
I'm not getting into details. They're depressing. Carolina is in a weird place as a team, while Pittsburgh had a terrible November but have found their legs of late. Malkin woke up after Thanksgiving, their top end talent is still ridiculous, and they have had a couple of days off so the Canes' best hope ... getting one of their horrible backup goaltenders ... is dim. Plus, Carolina had one of those infamous soul searching team meetings after the Detroit loss. Given how these things usually go, there's only two outcomes tonight. Either they find some short term mental toughness and grab one out of thin air, or they get beaten like a drum. Flip a coin.
See you at the rink. I'm so looking forward to this one that I actually envy those of you who travel for Christmas. And that's bloody rare.