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Carolina Hurricanes Game Day Thoughts: Ice Ice Baby

By Matthew Barlowe

Oct 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) makes the save as left wing Nathan Gerbe (14) Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser (65) and left wing Drew Miller (20) collide with him in the third period at Joe Louis Arena. Carolina won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) makes the save as left wing Nathan Gerbe (14) Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser (65) and left wing Drew Miller (20) collide with him in the third period at Joe Louis Arena. Carolina won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Carolina Hurricanes play their make-up game against the Detroit Red Wings

Remember back in December when the Carolina Hurricanes postponed a game against the Detroit Red Wings and everybody lost their mind?  Well, the make-up game for Meltgate 2016 was scheduled for March 27th and now that day is upon us.

All the wailing and gnashing of teeth at the horror of having to postpone a hockey game.  Fans complained.  The media complained.  But now as the rescheduled date arrives people have their refunded tickets and parking money and the ordeal turned out to be much ado about nothing.

The game Monday will be the first of two games against the Detroit Red Wings this week.  As the Hurricanes fight for their right to party in the playoffs, every game takes on a do or die mentality. Neither Boston nor the Islanders look particularly strong right now and just one more loss by either team puts the Hurricanes back in the driver’s seat in regards to their playoff fate.

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Game Day Thoughts

  • Both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders play Monday night as well.  Tampa plays the Nashville Predators while the Chicago Blackhawks play the Islanders. These are games the Hurricanes need both teams to lose in regulation.  Especially the Islanders since they sit three points above Carolina while Tampa is only two points.
  • Detroit’s game against Carolina will be the second in as many nights with another against the Hurricanes the very next day.  Normally the NHL has rules to prevent an NHL team from playing three games in three days.  The rescheduled game may work out in the Canes favor if they can take four points against a very tired team
  • Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm, and Sebastian Aho continue to carry the Carolina Hurricanes offense.  Skinner is on a five-game goal streak with seven goals in his last five games. Lindholm upped his point streak to ten games with a primary assist last night against the Devils.  Aho also has eights points in his last six games along with three goals.
  • This game will also most likely see the return of Lucas Wallmark to the Hurricanes lineup as well.  The team sent down Patrick Brown on Sunday to enable them to call up the Swedish center.  In his three games with the team, Wallmark posted only one assist but otherwise played solidly on the fourth line.
  • I’m not going to pile on Victor Rask as much others do but if he could rediscover his scoring touch the Carolina Hurricanes playoff chances would improve that much more.  In Rask’s defense, his CF% has been trending up ever since the beginning of the year.  Hopefully, the puck should start finding the back of the net more often for the Swede.

Next: Previewing Carolina's Playoff Push

  • Even though people keep saying each game is a must-win game, this game against the Detroit Red Wings most certainly is.  The Wings are playing their second game in as many days on the road.  Playoff teams may lose to good teams it happens.  The thing playoff teams don’t do is lose to bad teams.  Losing to bad teams is the reason they are struggling to reach the playoffs.  That needs to change Monday night.
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