For Any Red-Blooded Islanders Fan There's Something Especially Annoying About Carolina -- Not The Morning -- The Hockey Team.
Frankly, I don't kid around when it comes to reviewing playoffs like Islanders-Carolina last spring.
Make that excruciating playoffs like that one.
In case you're still wondering, I'm talking about last spring's opening round that -- The Maven strongly contends -- should have been won by Ye Not So Olde Orange and Blue.
That missed call in the final game in which Scott Mayfield got sliced like a salami still irritates me but not so much as the cockamamee series-winning goal. I still believe Paul Stastny shot the biscuit from the wrong side of the Cross Island Parkway.
But enough of The Maven's hissing and moaning about what-might-have-been.
Tonight the Canes are back at UBS fortunately minus Stastny who just announced his retirement. But most of the cast -- Andrei Svechnikov, Sibby (I'm Not Related) Aho, Marty (Annoying) Necas and Rod (I Yell A Lot At Refs) Brind'Amour, a most annoying coach.
Mind you, I have absolutely nothing to do with this but The Hockey News Yearbook," Jared Clinton has it in black and white and living color that the Canes will beat Dallas for The 2024 Stanley Cup.
"It feels like the Hurricanes have created the perfect storm," Clinton concludes.
Could be.
The Canes have been there -- done that. They made the conference finals for the second time in five years and g.m. Don (Loafers With No Socks) Waddell has artfully added scrappy Micahel Bunting and Brendan Lemieux at left wing as well as Dmitry Orlov and Tony (Back By Popular Demand) DeAngelo on the blue line.
The goaltendeers -- Fred Andersen and Antti (Not Uncle) Raanta -- have proven more than adequate between the pipes.
Granted that Lane Lambert's sextet has racked up seven out of a possible eight points there are areas that need work.
With or without the how-badly-injured Adam Pelech, the Isles defense needs tightening. Were it not for Semyon Varlamov's goaltending, the Caps could have scored five goals.
Or, as one railbird put it, "There's still a lot to fix."
A revenge win in Elmont tonight will be a positive prescription!
I'm Just Sayin'
1. S.O.S. Something to avoid: Against Detroit, the Isles D made three successive mistakes in their D zone. Result: A trio of quick Wings goals.
2. Every game in every way, I'm impressed with the healthy Bo Horvat.
3. Another No-No: Don't take eight minor penalties (vs. Ottawa) it's pushing luck too far.
4. Mat Barzal's defensive game could use some tightening.
5. Simon Holmstrom's goal vs. Washington was as pretty as it gets.
6. Hudson Fasching demonstrated on Thursday why he'd better be back in the lineup tonight.