OK kids ... THIS is a must win game regardless of your definitions.
Carolina face elimination for the second time this post season, but in a much deeper hole that the one they had in the Washington series. Boston is a roll more defined by defense than offense and this game is a pretty steep slope for the Canes. Clearly they'll be looking to avoid a home handshake line, because that's the WORST. But there's really only so much you can tweak to goose the troop. Williams and Staal talked about squeezing the toothpaste tube at their press availability yesterday, and I guess that works ... so long as there's actually anything left in the tube. Sometimes there just isn't.
Boston ... Chris Wagner left Tuesday's game with a nick of some kind, and Noel Acciari will deputize. No great shakes there, as they pretty much do the same thing in a similar manner. Everything else will likely stay the same, including the general plan of attack ... which has largely entailed pressuring the second pass on Carolina's attempts to exit the zone. They have absolutely choked the flow out of Carolina's transitions and yet still managed to recover their defensive shape when the Canes do manage to get offensive zone time. Rask will still be his calm, confident self in net. They make it a matter of out-executing them and they've made that a real challenge.
Carolina ... again, I dunno. Balance up the lines and go for it, I guess. They created more than enough offensive chances in Game 3 but couldn't finish, so ... just go do better. Discipline has been an issue, largely because frustration has been an issue. Getting on the board first always help, as does staying out of the penalty box. We'll see what they decide to do in net, but I honestly don't think it matters. Scoring enough goals to even be in the conversation ... THAT's what matters.
So ... no amount of good luck or mojo totems are getting this done. Turns out it's going to actually take playing better hockey. Do that.
Carolina face elimination for the second time this post season, but in a much deeper hole that the one they had in the Washington series. Boston is a roll more defined by defense than offense and this game is a pretty steep slope for the Canes. Clearly they'll be looking to avoid a home handshake line, because that's the WORST. But there's really only so much you can tweak to goose the troop. Williams and Staal talked about squeezing the toothpaste tube at their press availability yesterday, and I guess that works ... so long as there's actually anything left in the tube. Sometimes there just isn't.
Boston ... Chris Wagner left Tuesday's game with a nick of some kind, and Noel Acciari will deputize. No great shakes there, as they pretty much do the same thing in a similar manner. Everything else will likely stay the same, including the general plan of attack ... which has largely entailed pressuring the second pass on Carolina's attempts to exit the zone. They have absolutely choked the flow out of Carolina's transitions and yet still managed to recover their defensive shape when the Canes do manage to get offensive zone time. Rask will still be his calm, confident self in net. They make it a matter of out-executing them and they've made that a real challenge.
Carolina ... again, I dunno. Balance up the lines and go for it, I guess. They created more than enough offensive chances in Game 3 but couldn't finish, so ... just go do better. Discipline has been an issue, largely because frustration has been an issue. Getting on the board first always help, as does staying out of the penalty box. We'll see what they decide to do in net, but I honestly don't think it matters. Scoring enough goals to even be in the conversation ... THAT's what matters.
So ... no amount of good luck or mojo totems are getting this done. Turns out it's going to actually take playing better hockey. Do that.
