GDT: Team is in Florida tonight

Boom Boom Apathy

I am the Professor. Deal with it!
Sep 6, 2006
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Anton Dubinchuk

aho
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Jul 18, 2010
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I’ve been sitting on this thought for awhile, but I feel like the turning point of our season was that home and home with Washington. 3 minutes from sweeping it and feeling great about where we’re at. Hanifin centers the puck into his own slot to let Washington tie it, then Washington scores in the final second to win.

I feel like a team that’s already fighting a culture of losing and is a bit of a collective headcase couldn’t do much to come back from that. Meanwhile, I feel like if they hold on and win that game, the momentum and confidence it gives this team to sweep Washington carries for the better part of the season.
 

A Star is Burns

Formerly Azor Aho
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Dec 6, 2011
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I guess I could see how maybe not blowing that Washington game might have put them on more of an upward trajectory, but I still can't for the life of me figure out how it's the turning point when we were in a playoff spot at points after that.

I think that was just one of many points that sealed this team's fate. Starting Darling too much, Darling losing his mind after flubbing that center ice dump in, keeping Darling in against Toronto, the Washington game, lack of significant moves or call ups, not taking enough advantage of the long home stand, that awful 6 game stretch with winnable games against the teams around us, Jordan's awful situation, Aho getting injured however briefly, Cam letting in late OT softies, terrible coaching and play in OTs, crapping the bed anytime we get to the playoff line, poor showing on the long road trip including a blown 3 goal lead, etc, etc, etc. I really don't think this is a it came down to one moment team. Culture of losing, I guess I buy, but that definitely points to more than one moment. It points to 9 years.
 

Boom Boom Apathy

I am the Professor. Deal with it!
Sep 6, 2006
48,174
97,099
I agree that Caps loss seemed to suck the life out of the team for a bit. Hard to say if that was really a turning point or not. To me, it was more of a case that when the teams we were fighting with for a playoff spot finally put it together, so instead of taking only 88-89 points (projected) to be the final wildcard spot, it was going to take 95+. Our goaltending and goal scoring isn't good enough to be a playoff team. Goaltending in particular, but you can't have both be subpar.

Cam had a great stretch in December, but his SV% in Jan-March is .897 and Darling's is even worse. Of the 10 teams at the bottom on Goalie SV% (and Canes are the worst), only the Pens (who are the 7th worst) are a playoff team, simply because they have 2 generational forwards and are the 6th best team in the NHL at scoring goals.
 

spockBokk

Registered User
Sep 8, 2013
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It'd be nice to play spoiler to FLA's run at the last WC spot. I still have nightmares about that last game of the season a few years back where the Canes were "in if you win" and the FLA goalie at the time (Anderson?) absolutely stood on his head for 60 minutes, of which the last 10 CAR was on the PP. That game and the fact the Panthers basically rolled over the next night vs. WSH, so they could leapfrog CAR, has always made me despise the Panthers.

Didn't the Capitals win like 20 in a row that year to overtake the Canes in their final game against FL?...good times...
 

Boom Boom Apathy

I am the Professor. Deal with it!
Sep 6, 2006
48,174
97,099
CLB: 94 points with 3 games left; NJ: 93 points with 3 games left. FLA: 86 points with 5 games left.

CLB final 3: vs. DET, vs. PIT, @ NSH
NJ's final 3: vs. NYR, vs. TOR, @ WSH
FLA Final 5: vs. CAR, vs. NSH, vs. BOS, vs. BUF, @ BOS

Assuming that at a minimum, each of CLB and NJ wins at least 1 of their final 3 games and end up with 96 and 95 points respectively, that would mean that FLA can't lose any of their final 5 to make the playoffs. Going to be very tough for FLA to make it.
 

HisIceness

This is Hurricanes Hockey
Sep 16, 2010
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Charlotte
It'd be nice to play spoiler to FLA's run at the last WC spot. I still have nightmares about that last game of the season a few years back where the Canes were "in if you win" and the FLA goalie at the time (Anderson?) absolutely stood on his head for 60 minutes, of which the last 10 CAR was on the PP. That game and the fact the Panthers basically rolled over the next night vs. WSH, so they could leapfrog CAR, has always made me despise the Panthers.

Didn't the Capitals win like 20 in a row that year to overtake the Canes in their final game against FL?...good times...

Fun fact, this Wednesday? Thursday? will mark 10 years since that night. That game ultimately ended Laviolettes time here (He didn't get fired until December the next season but the damage had already been done that night).

IIRC, Carolina had a chance to beat Washington and knock them out for good a few days before, but early in the game two stupid penalties were taken and Washington scored on both Power Plays. Routed Tampa the next night but then yeah, that Florida game ended everything.

I had plans to make a trip to go see the first Friday/Saturday playoff home game that year. I think I went golfing with some friends instead (fitting I suppose).
 

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