Just noticed the Hurricanes have a home game tonight at the same time as the Panthers game...I wonder how many people will be at the hockey game?
Actually, if I were in Carolina and I were both a Panthers and a Canes fan, I think it would be pretty cool to go to see the Canes live today. It's cheap, and you could probably catch big chunks of the game in the concourse during the 18 minute intermissions - or even just watch the football game there, and catch whatever hockey you can during halftime.
A lot of people got to the Garden early last Saturday and basically did that for the Patriots/Chiefs game. I assume they have some big TV setups in the concourse in Carolina, too. It was weird to see everyone in the Garden cheer when Marchand got a penalty...and then a minute later they flashed the Patriots score up on the Jumbotron. Pretty obvious what the cheers were for.
Actually, it kind of makes me wonder: Boston was forbidden from transmitting the WC by the NHL because it would be on a screen bigger than 55". The Garden had an effective screen much larger than 55" to watch the game last week - there were 16 screens cobbled together into one giant screen. I guess because the Garden isn't "public" (ie you have to pay to get in), they can get away with it?
Either way, from a TV standpoint, it's terrible scheduling. Whatever RSN carries the Canes game would probably do better if they just ran a test pattern and saved the money on the broadcast.
Don't care what anyone else says, this team misses Lucic in a big way.
I love Looch, but trading him was 100% the right thing, both for the club and for him. Yes, the team looks very different now, but that's going to happen when some players exit the team, and new ones arrive. Power forwards don't age well: Cam Neely's last season where he played over 50 NHL games was when he was 25, and he exited the league at age 30.
And I can't help thinking that his father's tragic death had a little something to do with the trade - obviously not 100% of the reason, but it certainly was a nice piece of serendiptiy. I'm glad it worked out that he got to be on a team out on the west coast, particularly during the summer.