Tonight is a Big Test for Canes But Still Plenty of Hockey Left

Despite playing phenomenal hockey for the season and of late, the

are just two points ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metro Division. The Canes also have a game in hand against the Devils.

Obviously, that makes the match-up this evening a big one but with 17 games left in the season after tonight, it is not the playoffs.

Besides having a chance to beat the team chasing you, the more important part of tonight is that it will be the last time this season that the Canes have a chance to play the Devils head-to-head.

After tonight it will not just be about how Carolina’s game went but how the scoreboard is treating us with the Devils’ games. It is natural to be scoreboard watching this time of the year but at least it will only be one other team to follow.

Watching the development of a potential first round opponent could be tracked but that will go down to the very last game.

Tonight is as close to a playoff like match-up that can be had but will certainly not crown the Metro Division champion by any means.

Of course winning the game is the main objective but losing will not be the end of the world. If the Canes win tonight, they will be 4 points ahead when they were entering the game last night against Vegas. We saw how quick that could be cut down.

The game in hand for the Canes is almost as important as the outcome of the game this evening.

If the Devils were to win today then the two teams would be even but the Canes would have that important game.

It is extremely likely that the two teams may flip flop the division lead before it is decided in April. Were this game be played later in the month, the importance would be much larger.

Enjoy the test this evening for the Canes and see what Pyotr Kochetkov can do with the pressure of this magnitude.