Goaltending Will Decide This Series | Canes-Sens First Round

The Hurricanes grab first in the East, but the reward is a first-round matchup that doesn’t feel like a reward at all. Ottawa arrives playing a similar style with more edge, more hits, and the kind of chaos that can pull a good team off its game if it chases scrums and loses discipline. We dig into why home ice at Lenovo Center matters so much, why Game 1 sets the emotional temperature for the series, and what Carolina has to do to stay on the front foot instead of reacting to Ottawa’s pressure.

We also get into the real hinge of the matchup: goaltending. Linus Ullmark’s form since late January changes the entire Ottawa story, while Carolina has a fascinating decision between Frederik Andersen’s steadier floor and Brandon Bussi’s higher-ceiling game-stealing potential. From there we work through the on-ice chessboard, including Carolina’s blue line depth, the Nikishin-Gostisbehere “third pair” advantage, and why structured transitions matter when Ottawa looks for quick strikes.

Up front, we talk line chemistry, matchup management, and why the Stankoven line can be the difference if the Aho and Staal units handle the heavy lifting. We close with special teams, Carolina’s power play surge, the importance of net-front presence, and a few playoff storylines around the league we can’t stop watching. Subscribe to Storm Tracker, share the show with another Canes fan, and leave a review with your series prediction so we can react to it on the next one.

Highlights:

• Late-season call-ups and why Brind’Amour’s deployment keeps chemistry intact
• Jacob Slavin’s return and what it changes for team defense
• Why home ice at Lenovo Center matters most in Game 1
• How Ottawa’s physical style can bait penalties and tilt momentum
• Post-Olympic-break trends and what they reveal about both teams
• goaltending debate between Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi
• Linus Ullmark’s surge and why Ottawa looks different now
• Hurricanes blue line depth led by Nikishin and Gostisbehere
• Forward line roles with Aho used as a shutdown lever
• Why Stankoven’s line can be the series difference
• Special teams keys including Carolina’s power play turnaround
• Net-front presence as the non-negotiable detail on the man advantage
• Quick bracket storylines we are watching around the league
• Players to watch including Svechnikov, Nikishin, and William Carrier

#canes #hockey #erictulsky #raiseup #stormtracker23 #rodbrindamour #lockedonhurricanes #Canescast #thestormsurge #AlexanderNikishin #carolinahurricanes #JaccobSlavin #causechaos #sebastianaho #andreisvechnikov #nikolajehlers #senators #sens #stutzle #ottawa #nhlplayoffs

Transcript

Playoff Setup & Big Questions

Regular Season Finish & Call-Ups

SPEAKER_02 0:31

Well, the Carolina Hurricanes have just locked up first place in the East and second overall in the NHL. Quite a season for the Canes. Up next, the Canes take on the upstart Ottawa Senators in round one of the 2026 NHL playoffs. By all accounts, this series should be a battle of two heavyweights. Can the Hurricanes carry their red hot finish into the postseason? Can the Senators shut down their Hurricanes, high-powered offense? Will goaltending be the difference maker in the series? Joining me as always to wrap up the regular season for the Canes and take a deep dive into the upcoming series with the Senators, our hockey commands, Aaron and Katie. Ladies. Hello. Okay, so playoff hockey. This is what we've been looking forward to all year. It's great. And it's going to be a lot of fun to talk about the upcoming series against the senators. Well, I thought we'd spend a couple of minutes and just wrap up the season. You know what's happened in the last couple weeks since uh we've been talking about the Canes. A lot of uh a lot of wins, some great play, and uh we've seen a lot of substitutes. Aaron?

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Yeah, um, you know, the Canes finished very strong uh over these last this last stretch of games, and I think that um that was something that was fun to see happen because um they were playing, they they called up quite a few people from the Chicago Wolves. And I know Tom, you know a lot more about those players than I do. But um, you know, it was neat to see them get a chance, get a shot out there. And, you know, um there were, I think we had um what was it uh a total of seven different over the time period, I think it was. Yeah, and and uh just you know, and and you have everybody from young kids that are still pushing to make a place on the roster to more seasoned veterans that maybe don't have a career in the NHL, but are certainly still important pieces in the organization, especially when you get to that point, you know, obviously looking to the future here. If if the canes prevail and push deep into the playoffs, you probably will see some of these faces, at least, you know, practicing with the team as the Black Aces. So it's good to get to know them, good to see what they can do and what they can bring. And they certainly brought a lot for us to cheer for. Um uh I think that that the the interesting one for me was you know the uh the one uh loss in uh overtime to the Flyers. That that definitely um that game they were playing well, and and certainly it could have gone either way. But because of the outcome of that game, you had the Flyers, of course, make the playoffs. And so now that Pittsburgh and Philadelphia series is a marquee event for the national broadcasters, they're going to be enjoying that one all the way through. And so they should really thank the Canes. I mean, somebody should send uh Tom Dunden a fruit basket or something and say, hey, thank you for making it sure that the Flyers made the postseason because it would have been a lot less exciting without them. So I think Keynes fans are probably more happy that the Capitals aren't in this year because that was the outcome of that game as well. So that was a kind of rare loss when it's almost more of a win than a loss.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

Well, and a couple things I saw. Um, well, it was great to see Jacob Slavin get his first goal, and it's a winner in overtime, which I think is fantastic, and it was a beauty. Uh and uh Brandon Bussey, uh last couple of games starting to look like the Bussey that we saw earlier in the season and really looking great. Any thoughts from you on this one, Katie?

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Um, I particularly like how Brindamore deployed the call-ups because he would rest either of the two top lines as a whole. And so it really didn't disrupt the chemistry of the players who did play. Um the I think the Stank Open line only got rested, got rested a whole lot less than the AHA line did, which by the way, of course, I'm I have my pigtails today because I lost the Aaron about who was going to be the two C at the start of the playoffs. And it's very clearly that Stank has held on to that job with an iron grip. Um, and with the way that that line has heated up, it's very exciting. It's go it's great to see them continue to develop chemistry to continue to drive play, especially when they were the top line. They didn't have Aho's line to hide behind. And it um it is providing a lot of good momentum for them before uh Saturday's game. So I'm I I I loved seeing the kids, but even more I loved seeing how Brindamore deployed them in a way that is advantageous for both the rest as well as the preparation for those starters as um as they prepare for the senators to arrive and get this series started.

Home Ice Edge & Media Picks

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Yeah, and a couple of other things I was pleased with. Uh Felix Ungersor, uh, who I've been very excited about with Chicago this year, uh played well and picked up his first point, which was kind of nice on a beautiful Ealers goal. Uh so that was great to see. And, you know, I talked a lot about Skylar Brindamore this year, and I have to say, I think he accorded himself quite nicely. Um he didn't hurt the team in any way. He was solid defensively, he was very strong in the draw. A couple of games he was he was dominant in the draw, in fact, which was kind of fun. Um, and I think he he positioned himself nicely as uh you know a guy that can come in and fill in when injuries take place or whatever and cover that uh that fourth line for us. So that's great. Um and the the line of uh of uh Jankowski, of course, Terrier, and a couple of different guys, uh sometimes uh Nicholas Delaurier, who uh had 11 hits in one of the games in your county. Holy man, that's uh the top this year was uh Jacob Malanson with uh with the Seattle Kraken with 12. So he was pretty close to uh to the uh the top number in the league this year. That was really something, and he was just hitting anybody that moved uh against the Flyers, so it was kind of fun. And uh and then of course Eric Robinson back with those guys. And Carrier had a big game, he had three assists, one game. So that was good to see some offense coming from that fourth line. I've talked a lot about this. In fact, last time I said they had zero offense, and all of a sudden they they start to score some goals. So maybe they heard me and said, hey, that guy, he doesn't really talk about it's good stuff. Anyway, I think a great end to the season. Um, gave the Canes the opportunity to lock up uh the East and move into second place, a point ahead of Dallas, which I think was really something. Um puts them in a good spot. We talked about this last time. Could they get there uh to give them position that they would have home ice against every team except the Colorado Avalanche? So if they don't see the Avalanche and continue to get through the series, they would have home ice all the way through. Sorry, Katie. Anything's possible, as you know, in the playoffs. Okay, so I thought we'd uh we'd kick it off and and take a look at some of the comments that folks are saying about this upcoming series against the Sands. Here's something that uh Daily Faceoff said they said home ice advantage is huge for Carolina. In the past four years in the first round, the hurricanes are 12 and 1 at the Lenovo Center and 8-0 in games one and two. So senators will be hard pressed to steal one of those first two games. But if they do, all bets are off. That's interesting. And they went on to say some other things about Ottawa, but their final point was in looking at the series Hurricanes in seven games. So that's daily face-off. There are a lot of guys that we know quite well. Uh, and then the athletic, uh, Julian McKenzie, uh, in an article called Underdog Nobody Wants to Face. Okay, so I thought that was interesting. Uh, they asked him a question and they said, Finally, how dangerous can this team be in the playoffs? Talking about the Senators, and he said the SENS style makes them a tough out for anybody. Even if they draw the Eastern Conference leading Carolina Hurricanes who play a similar style, there's upset potential. But here's the bottom line, and I'll read where they ended up. Good as the Senators have been, it's tough to pick them in a series against a team that plays their style of game at a higher level. Goaltending as ever is a potential equalizing factor here, but Carolina still holds a clear overall edge. Interesting comments from both of these uh very well respected publications. Uh Katie, why don't you kick it off with your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 9:32

I definitely agree with the piece about how important it'll be for the Canes to maintain their home ice advantage. If they win that first game, especially uh definitely if they win the first two, I think they're in the driver's seat and it's uh should be pretty steady forward from there. But that first one is just essential. Saturday's game is going to set the tone for the for the entire series. It's going to show how the the canes are going to match up with the Sens and how the all the different pieces parts from the forwards to the defense to the goaltending are going to work together in order to uh push play and to to be the ones who are dictating the play and not reacting to the play. That that I couldn't agree with that more. It's going to be very, very important. The one thing that I would say though is if the canes can get that first game, I don't think it'll go seven. I think the canes will be able to win a win the majority of the games. They'll be close, they'll be hard fought, they'll be tight. There's not, I don't expect any kind of blowouts, but I think that they will be able to prevail um over the over the senators. Now, if the senators win that first one, then all bets are off. It could get scrappy, it could get ugly, and we could be in for quite the roller coaster.

Style Clash & Matchup Stats

SPEAKER_02 10:48

Well, we don't like any team that has a kachuk, that's for sure. That's true. We dealt with Matthew for a couple of years, and that wasn't much fun. So now we get brother of Bree. Just uh just kidding. Um couple of things I wanted to mention, and then I'll pass it to you as well, Aaron. Um, some of the some of the kind of uh stats side, um, these teams are very closely matched, as we know. Um, goals four, uh the canes had 296, and they were second in the league. They only trailed uh Colorado, so that's quite a story. I mean, we haven't really seen the Canes scoring that many goals before, uh, certainly not in my watch. Um, the Sands had 278. So a good good difference right there. Goals against the Canes 240, the Sans 246. So just regular stats. Uh those look fine. Um, Ottawa's tied for first, though, in the face-off got uh with a 54.5, and we'll talk about a little bit that as well. The Canes are 16th at 50.1. Oh, that's a big deal. Um Ottawa's third in hits with 1953, Carolina's 18th with 1635. So again, uh much heavier team coming in with the Sands. Ottawa's 25th in block shots with 1101. The Keynes are 32nd with 928. So neither one of these teams is at the top for blocking shots. And finally, Ottawa's fourth in the NHL in takeaways, Carolina's first with 470. So that's part of the Keynes' strength, of course, is getting in on the four check and taking pucks away. But again, if you look at this generally, Aaron, your thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Well, generally speaking, I think that um the the thing that I don't like about the matchup is that I feel like the Senators' strengths and the canes' weaknesses are not a great match for the canes. You know, the the things the senators are really good at are things that the canes have sometimes struggled with. And, you know, you talked about the the physicality for one thing, you know, and I know that that you know the canes were very physical in their game, their series against the Caps last year. They were, you know, they were not getting pushed around, they were not looking like they used to, and they have some people that you know definitely can do that now that they didn't have before. Um the only thing that I would say that's that's you know, when you look at it is the kind of the of uh physicality. You know, for instance, um last year's first game, game one against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the third period at the 19 minute and 16 second mark, as the Senators were losing that game to the Leafs, there were something like um, I mean, nearly, I don't know, eight, ten, twelve roughing penalties, and most of them were on the senators' side with a few on Toronto's side as well as they got into the mix. That is the kind of thing that they do. It's a lot we're used to it from the Florida teams. This is the same kind of thing that they do. But the Canes are gonna have to be careful not to get dragged into too much of that stuff with these guys because they are another team that tries to get under the skin and agitate and force you to take, you know, inadvised penal inadvisable penalties at inopportune moments. So there's just certain things like that because of those kinds of edges. That that's the kind of stuff that I think the canes are gonna have to watch out for. I do agree that winning the first game is critical. It is in general. I believe there are stats out there that show how much how much harder it is to win a series percentage-wise, you know, if you don't win that first game at home. So um, you've got to do that. You've got to, you've got to get business done that day. And we'll have to hope that the canes are ready to go, that you know, the fact that it's an afternoon start isn't gonna stop anybody. You know, the fact that it's yeah, it's it's just there's just certain things like that that and that they've had some time off, you know, that we they needed the time off that was important for them to rest and heal up. But you know, you can't afford to get off to a slow start in that first game back. It's gotta be, you know, wheels down as soon as you get going.

Post Olympic Trends & Warning Signs

SPEAKER_02 14:38

So yeah, for sure. And and uh yeah, I mean that's gonna be key. Uh they'll have the tailgators out, they'll be all ready to go, I'm sure, for that first one. Uh and you know, the the great thing is, and the Kings did this more than other teams. They rested their players. Uh gosh, uh, you know, Jordan Stahl was out two games, you know, you had the Aho's Line was out a couple of games. This is fantastic. These guys are not only going to be rested, they're gonna be keen to play. Uh, they're gonna come out with fire in their eyes. So I think that's kind of fun. Now, Katie, a lot of folks were talking about how well the senators have played since the Olympic break. And that was one of the things they were saying, man, this team is really coming on strong. Uh, didn't get off to a great start and then really got things going. How does it how do the two teams compare since the Olympic break? Have you got some stats for us?

SPEAKER_00 15:29

So I put together this chart to kind of show since the Olympic break where the Keynes and the Senators ranked in the NHL as far as generating offense or uh creating defense as well as the goaltending. And you can see that the canes were really great at all things except the goaltending was weak. The Sens, however, were very, very strong. It's deceiving if you go and look at the season's stats for the Senators, because it looks like they have certain areas of weakness if you look at the season overall, but that's because they started the season slow with their goaltending specifically. Allmark had a lot of struggles, those have been well documented. His uh his fight through this season uh has been the center of many, many stories, and rightfully so. And since about the end of January, and definitely after the uh the Olympic break, he has uh stabilized his game quite a bit. And because they are so good at create at preventing defense or preventing scoring chances and have such a strong defense, just having solid goaltending has been enough for them to really make this big push and claim that final wild card spot.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

No, you had come out with some interesting uh information today uh regarding power play goals, 5v5 goals, and so on. Have you got that handy as well?

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Um yeah, the if you look at this particular um this particular comparison, the canes were much stronger at 5v5, but the the senators were no slouch. Um canes were also stronger on the power play, but again, the Sens have been doing well. The thing that really stood out to me is the Sens have given up a whole lot less than the Canes have since the Olympic break when it comes to their defense and their goaltending. And so that's really gonna be kind of one of those things to watch is can the Canes superior 5v5 and power play offense overcome the strong Senators defense? And if um if they can, then great. They are they should put they should be in a fantastic position to take the series. If they can't, if they struggle against that senator's defense, it could get to be very uh very much of a slug fest.

Goaltending Choices & Ullmark Form

SPEAKER_02 17:56

Okay. All right. Well, let's let's talk about some of these positions as well and and see how they kind of match up. Uh, I thought we'd kick off with the goaltending. The canes, of course, uh Frederick Anderson and uh Brandon Bussey will be the duel. Uh and for the senators, it's uh Linus Almark and of course James Reimer. Now, Reimer, of course, we we know a little bit about James back in the day, he was with the Hurricanes. In fact, he spent a couple of years with the Canes, uh, 1920 and 2021, came in from the Panthers and did a great job. I love James. I thought he was fantastic. Now, that's a few years ago. He's 38 years old now, so don't expect a whole lot from James Reimer, but Omark will be the guy. A couple of things on the stats side. Um, the NHL's save percent average this year was 0.896. The Canes came in at 0.886 and the Senators at 0.881. But to your point, Katie, uh the Sen started slowly and certainly you know helped out a lot as the season went on. Uh the best in the NHL was the Avalanche at 0.913. So um they had a tremendous seat. And it was uh it was Scott Wedgewood who was just incredible. Uh his numbers off the charge. So um so again, uh 31 wins for Brandon Bussey, 28 for Omar. So again, uh, you know, these are good numbers. Uh goals against average is about the same. Um now total goals against average was a little better for the Hurricanes at 288, 301 for uh the Sands. Now, since January 31st, uh Omark is 144 and 3 in a 233 goals against average. So he's been lights out since uh since the third 31st of January. What are we thinking about the goaltending? How does it match up, Aaron?

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Well, I think you just gave us all the numbers that we need for sure. And I think that um the the reality is that this is gonna be um one of those series where I think goaltending is gonna be really important. And in particular, can All Mark retain the form he's had since that January 31st time period? Can he continue to have these really strong games? Um you know, is you know, or is the the fact you know gonna be that maybe he has some ups and downs, you know, like any goaltender can have in the playoffs, and can the canes exploit that if that if he does? So that's that's those are the kinds of questions you can't answer until the games get played. But I mean, I really do have to give them a slight edge in goaltending because they know what Old Mark's capable of at his best. The Canes have you know a great tandem. They have a couple of guys that have have really done well, but as Brindamore said in these post-game comments today, they have not yet made a decision about who the starter is going to be. Both guys showed them what they wanted to see. Again, I'm paraphrasing Brindamore, but they have the decision to make. Now, I think most people assume and they're leaning towards the idea that the starter will indeed be Frederick Anderson, and and that's probably a very solid, um, logical decision to make. Um, but again, we know the one thing that is true about Anderson is you can't ride him too heavily in the playoffs. You cannot do the he starts every game of a series kind of thing anymore. He's he's that that didn't go so well the last time they tried it. And, you know, they're gonna need to not let Bussy get too cold either. And then, of course, you know, we have the potential surprise factor of Pyotr Kachekov. He's not ready yet. He's not gonna probably be coming in anytime soon. It's unfortunate that a clerical paperwork error kept him from playing the final game of the season. He was supposed to come in and play, and then he wasn't able to. Um, but you know, um, I think that he could be, you know, we we know how well he plays against the senators if he's called upon, if something happens. I don't think that we'll have anything to worry about there. The Canes, though, simply don't have a goalie who's capable of being an All Mark. They don't, and and Allmark himself isn't always 100% capable of that. So that's where the the question marks lie. And I think that what I've seen from Senators fans discussing this on the internet is that they're quite concerned too, that they they love how Oli, as they call him, has been playing. They want to see it keep going, but they're concerned because there has been this up and down season and these these difficulties that he's faced that he's been very honest and open about. So they don't know how that's gonna go in the playoffs when the pressure starts rising and and everything gets that much tighter. So um, they're as concerned about that kind of thing as the Canes are probably about Frederick Anderson. So I gotta give them the edge, but I don't think it's necessarily as big an edge as it, you know, it look might look like on paper.

SPEAKER_02 22:32

Well, and and I think you hit the big question. Um, and and Katie, maybe you can weigh in on this as well as you know, who who's gonna be the goaltender that really grabs it and runs with it? Um, and and you know, you've you've got Bussi, who just was phenomenal this year. I mean, let's be honest, for the 31 wins and 39 gains is incredible. Um, and you know, he had a bit of a tough period after the Olympic break, but looks like he's finding his game again. What are you thinking about the goaltender?

SPEAKER_00 23:01

I think part of it depends on whether Brenda Moore wants to make what he sees as the safe choice or the bold choice. The safe choice is Anderson, he has a higher floor but a lower ceiling. So if you really are pushing him and demanding a lot, the team will be left wanting. Busy is a bolder choice because if if he struggles, he goals, which is what we've seen uh in some of these games post-Olympics. But when he is on his game, when he is feeling it, when he is being aggressive and playing forward and not shrinking back and doing those athletic plays, he has that amazing ability to steal a game that Anderson does not have. So I'm I'm probably with the with the crowd that says, you know, I've been going back and forth. I I've said Bussy, I think on our last podcast and and and and other times online I've been saying, well, maybe it's more Anderson, and I've been I really have been back and forth with myself. But I think Rod likes the known quantity over the unknown quantity, despite the fact that playing Bussey could yield larger rewards. I think to start game one when there's not a series on the line, he is going to go with what he sees as the safe known quantity and start Anderson.

Blue Line Depth & Nikishin Impact

SPEAKER_02 24:31

Yeah, and and and I think it's a good percentage move because if you know if Anderson isn't sharp, they can come right back the next game with Busy. Bussey's a goaltender that can steal games. He's proven that. And so I I love the way he finished the season. I think he's feeling very, very good right now, Busy. Uh and Freddie was coming along nicely. I feel great about the goaltender. Um, you know, I think uh again, uh, you know, the defensive core, we got Slavin now. There's a lot of things that are much uh much tighter on the decor. And I think that's also part of the numbers that we've uh been seeing with the Kanes, some of the challenges they've had. When you miss a guy like Jacob Slavin for half a season, that's I, you know, it's it's a huge blow. So let's talk about the decor. Um when we look at the matchups, uh the Canes Decor, it'll be uh Jacob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield. We've seen those guys. Uh Kandry Miller teams up with Sean Walker, and then the third pair, which is really exciting, of course, is uh Shane Gostas Bear, who had a phenomenal season point-wise this year, alongside Alexander Nikishan. That's a pretty deep defense. Now, matching up against them, uh Jordan Spence is out there with Thomas Shabbat. Uh Shabbat just came back from injury, and we'll talk a little bit about him in a minute. Uh Artem Zub, of course, has been a great find for the Sands uh Russian player. They got as a free agent some years ago. He's alongside uh uh Sanderson, of course. And uh and then you've got uh a third pair that's kind of interesting. Um Lassie Thompson was a first-round draft pick uh five, six years ago by the Sands, uh 19th overall. Didn't really do that well, went back to Sweden uh a couple of years ago and then just came back. So it's kind of interesting what's happened with him. Uh right shot guy, solid player. He's getting ice because of injuries. And Nicholas Madden Paulo, we saw him in the Olympics, and we saw him last year in the Four Nations with Finland. He's been getting a lot of ice. He was a free agent as well. He was a veteran that they signed a couple of years ago as a free agent. I mean, interesting how they've they've you know kind of filled out their decor. Uh currently, two of their regulars are out. Uh that's Tyler Clevan and Nick Jansen. So we don't know when they'll be back. So interesting beat course, some interesting changes for the Sands. If we look at uh kicking it off to talk about the hurricanes, and then I'll pass it on to you guys. Um top ice guys were Keandre Miller, 2223, Sean Walker, 2148, and Jacob Slavin, since he's come back, he's up at 2118. So three veterans. Um, one guy's been really flying lately, and that's Sean Walker. He's got two goals, five assists, and a six-game point streak. What do you think about the Canes Decor as they match up against the Sands? Katie?

SPEAKER_00 27:25

I think the Canes decor is going to have a monster series. And the reason I say that is when you look at the possession numbers for those three pairs since the Olympic break, and this, you know, there's some qualifiers. I think this is at even strength or 5v5 with at least four or five hundred minutes played together. So this gets rid of the the random pairs that you know had a a game or two, but not consistent playtime together. So of all the D pairs in the NHL since the Olympic break that fit this particular category, Nikitian and Ghost are the best in the entire league. They are a cheat code of a third pair to have to put out, particularly in offensive zone situations where both of them can be a threat. They know how to read off each other, they've been playing together all season long and can really create some mismatches there. But it doesn't stop with them. Miller and Walker were fourth in possession metrics in the entire league. They've been doing a great job driving play. And even Slaven and Chatfield, our shut down defensive pairing that is deployed mostly in defensive situations to try and counter the other team's best offensive players. They were 10th in the entire league in possession numbers. So this is really encouraging that this is how it's trending. I know a lot of people on X have been complaining about the pairings and wishing that Rod would mix them up. This is one area where I like the fact that he wants to go predictable. These guys have been developing and working and honing their craft together, and they're ready to put it into practice for the playoffs. And if they can keep up close, if not at or better than these particular metrics, they are going to keep the canes on the front foot and keep them in a position where they can be the ones who are scoring, creating more chances. The one key defensively, though, is that if they're pushing the play in the offensive zone, they have got to mind their P's and Q's when it comes to transitioning back to the defensive zone because that's where they are most likely to get caught and where the Sens, like Aaron said, are really well positioned with their skill to take advantage if the Canes um don't play that right going back the other way.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

Well, as we know, the Kanes uh they limit other teams uh tremendously in terms of shots on goal. In fact, we've had some games where at the end of the second period it's like seven or eight shots on goal, and the goalie is able to go out for coffee and come back, and uh nothing's happening. Uh they definitely do that. But we also know that they are one of the teams that leads in these uh high danger uh chances against. So that's something they're gonna have to be tidy on for sure because uh yes, the Sens have got some players that are gonna burn you and uh to be sharp. I wanted to bring up one player and have you speak a little bit about him too, Aaron. Um, and that's Alexander Nikitian. You know, Nikkeishan, he kind of started slowly, but look at what he did this year uh with rookie defenseman. He was uh first and plus minus with plus 18. This is incredible. Uh second in points 33, second in goals 11, uh tied for second and assists 22, second in power play goals with four, fourth in power play points with 10, first in hits with 132, third in block shots with 94. What can I say in these corner short-handed goal? Aaron?

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Yeah, he he has been a tremendous um asset to the Canes, and he's gonna just continue to get that way as as his career with the Kanes continues. I think that um he does provide one of the elements that you didn't, I mean you only touched on just slightly here, but that you know his physicality is going to be very, very essential in this series because the canes are gonna need that from him. They're gonna need that from him. And then when you talked about his scoring and the points he's managed to put up so far, it's very impressive. It matches, I think, pretty well with some of the senators' defensemen, because one thing I was just looking at um just now was how how do the canes, you know, because I didn't really think about it, but um there were some people talking online about the canes defensemen and pointing out the fact that, you know, Jacob Slavin, he's our top pairing guy, but he doesn't put up a lot of offensive uh numbers. It's not necessary. Uh it's not necessary. Um Jake Sanderson is their top offensive defenseman in terms of I mean, he's also a good defenseman. He's not just an offensive defenseman, but he's he's very good at producing offense. He has 54 points this year in 67 games.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

And Shane Gostasper has 50 points in 55 games. So they're looking at the wrong guy when they're comparing uh Sanderson's offense to Slavin's. They're not looking at the team as a whole. And I think that is where one of those areas, defensive core and uh forward core with that you have to say with the Kanes is that it isn't these two guys, these five guys, whatever, you know, it's all of them. So Alexander Nikishan down here with his number of points is gonna be better than whoever he's playing against on the third pairing. So by a lot. So that's where, you know, you exploit those matchups, you take advantage of that. I mean, if the canes can do that, they will be in great shape. So, you know, I'm I know that that's not focusing on their defensive impact, which Katie just did, you know, pretty brilliantly just a minute ago, anyway. So, you know, you've got all those numbers. You know how how well they're doing defensively, and that's crucial and critical. But in the playoffs, how many times have we seen it? It's the scoring from the unexpected scorers that really lifts the team above another team. The Keynes defensemen should not be taken lightly when it comes to scoring goals and uh assisting on goals. They're doing a lot of that, and they've done a lot of that all year. And it's part of the reason the Canes have scored as many goals as they have this year is that their scoring from the defense uh really took, I think, a leap forward compared to some of the previous seasons. Oh gosh, yes. Well so yeah, so the senators need to pay pay attention to that.

SPEAKER_02 33:28

Well, and well, I'm glad you brought that up, Aaron, because uh one of the things I really think is a massive, massive differentiator is that third pairing. When you've got when you've got Shane Gossespare and Alexander Nikishan patrolling the blue, they get into the offensive zone. Look up. They are both massive in the offensive zone. And and they're very strong defensively as well. As we've seen, you know, we watched uh you know Alex Nikkeishan figure out the King system. It took him most of the season to do it. But boy oh boy, he's rock solid defensively now. And he's very good with his stick, he's very he just makes a lot of great plays. And we've seen a kind of a new version of Shane Gostasbury with some of his defensive work this year. So those guys can play big minutes, they can step up if anybody else is uh struggling, they can get them in there and do a lot of good work. And I'm excited about that for sure. And and uh I think a lot of folks don't know much about Alexander Nikishan. It's gonna be kind of like Jacob Slavin last year at Four Nations, okay? This is gonna be Alexander Nikishan in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they're gonna say, wait a minute, where did this guy come from? If we look at that senator's defense, and you said it right too, Aaron, um, you know, Jake Sanderson is all world. He's a heck of a defenseman. Uh he's a great defensive defenseman, he's an outstanding offensive guy. Uh he's recently come back from injury. Uh same thing with Thomas Shabbat. Um he's only recently come back from injury, so I think just a few games ago. So these are the two anchors of their blue. Those guys are gonna see huge minutes. Uh Sanderson played 2450 this year. Uh Shabbat 2234. They're their two guys that they're gonna really count on. And you can bet in the playoffs they're gonna play them a ton. So, you know, that's gonna be an opportunity for the Kanes. Um, again, they had four defensemen over 30 points. So, you know, they got guys that can move the puck and can make things happen as well. And there's uh there's one of the things that came in uh in one of the publications was it said the key matchup, and I think you hit this was Slavin and Sanderson. And you know what? Defensively, I think that's true offensively, as you said it rightfully. We've got other guys that can really drive the drive the play. And and you look at uh Gossespare's numbers, he's almost a point-a-game guy this year. That's insane. So it's good stuff. So, where do we end up on the blue? How do we feel ultimately canes, sens, who's who's gonna win the blue light?

SPEAKER_00 36:05

Katie? I think that the canes as they are currently constructed have more depth. Like you mentioned, um, some of the Sens players are filling in for other injured D-men, and we saw for the Canes what uh challenge that was last year, and it could be a similar challenge for the Sens as well. So um it, you know, it won't be easy. There's a reason that the Senators have such good defensive numbers, especially since the Olympic break, but I think that the Canes still have the edge when you go all the way from first to second to third pairing.

Hurricanes Forward Lines & Chemistry

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Yeah, I I think that's true. And they're they're interchangeable. Like we can move, you can move uh Gossespair or DeKeyshin up to the top pair, you can put them on the second pair, it doesn't really matter. You can uh you're very and and if there's injuries, you've got cover. I think the canes have shown that. They've got guys they can bring in from Chicago. Mike Riley had a pretty strong season this year uh as a filling guy, played a number of games and did a good job. So I think they're in good shape as far as uh, you know, if anything happens, they'll have some depth. So I agree. I think the canes are a little deeper on the blue. Um for sure. Uh some excellent defensemen on that uh senator's team, but I think the canes have got the edge there. Let's talk about the forward matchup, and this is a really good one. Um we know what the canes lines are. We've got uh Sebastian Aho with Seth Jarvis and Andre Sveshnikov, and of course they've been playing very, very well this year. We've got the second line of Jordan Stahl with Jordan Martinuk and Nikolai Ehlers, and we'll talk a little bit about Ealers because he's been uh kind of a revelation for the Kanes this year. And then we've got this uh red hot line right now with uh Logan Stankop, and yes, he's playing center, Katie. Uh so Stankey is in center, and you've got Jackson Blake. We'll talk a little bit about him, and you've got Taylor Hall. Uh, and then William Carrier, Mark Jankowski, and Eric Robinson. So, thoughts on the front side for the Canes. First, Aaron, what are you thinking about the Canes forward lines?

SPEAKER_01 38:13

I think that they have been great all season. You know, I mean, they've been the one of the strangest things about this year is that once Rod Brindemore got these combinations going, he's stuck to them. And he is known for not doing that. So this is these are lines he likes. He likes what they're doing out there. He likes how they're working together. They have had a chance to build the kind of chemistry that I think last year we were kind of crying about, you know, because the the Keynes forward lines never had any chemistry. They were constantly in flux. Even Sebastian Aho didn't have consistent line mates. And you can't build the best version of yourself as a player if you never know who's on the right and who's on the left and who you're passing to and what they're where they're gonna be. You watch that chemistry with the Hall, Stancoven, Blake line right now, and you see that they just know where they're gonna be. They don't have to look over their shoulder every five seconds. Well, where is he for this pass or where is he for this, you know, you know, breakout chance or whatever. You know, they know where they are. They they know where they're gonna be, they know how their habits are. It is such an advantage. And I think that it's nice that they finally have this because that's one of those things when you talked about, Tom, with this version of the canes just being one of the best teams. That is part of what's making it one of the best teams, is because they're not constantly in flux. Now, when you look at where there might be any areas of weakness, it's the same kinds of things we've talked about all along. You know, top lines do tend to cancel each other out. That can happen. Yes. Uh Logan Stankoven, this will be his first playoffs as a center. He has not done that before. He looked very good as a winger last year for the Kanes. He had a decent playoff with the Dallas Stars. I don't think he had a ton of ice time. I'd have to go back and check in his very first rookie season. But he did, you know, he's still, you know, but he was playing wing on both of those occasions. He has never played as a center in an NHL playoff game. So that's something they're going to need to watch closely and make sure that, you know, all of that's coming together and clicking for him. Um then, you know, I love the stall line. There's nothing that needs to be changed there at all. You know, they're great. Um and with the the fourth line, my only concern is, you know, I think that um you might need to make some adjustments on that line as the series goes on if you need more physicality. Do you need to bring in Nicolas Delorier, you know, for instance, to compensate for the fact that Mark Jankowski really isn't a hitter. Jankowski has played 23 playoff games and has exactly 23 hits. He has hit one time per game. And he took it better than 22. And he also actually has exactly three points in his playoff career. So we need Jankowski to step up and be more involved in playoff scoring and more willing to get dirty and physical when he needs to be, because so far that's just not really a part of his game. I don't know why he's six foot four, you know, and he's a couple hundred pounds. I mean, he'd think he'd be hitting guys. But the reason I bring that up is because we all know how how physical the senators are. And their fourth line is not going to, you know, sit back quietly and let them make breakouts. So they're gonna have to fight for every inch of space out there. So I that's my one line. If I had to say, put, you know, like a little red arrow next to this line, that's the line that we may actually see Brenda Moore decide to change up if, for instance, it's just not enough with Robinson, if, for instance, they need a little bit more.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

So well, and and and you know, I I've watched Robinson since uh the Olympics break, and I don't, you know, he had an injury situation. He's he's still kind of finding his way. And and I thought Nicholas Delorier, I mean he gets more and more ice time and the games go on, and and he's you know, he just makes out of them, right?

SPEAKER_03 41:41

He's he's a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_02 41:44

And and he's got a tremendous, tremendous relationship already with you know with his teammates. So he's a guy that you love to put out there. I don't think that, and I agree with you, I don't think there'll be any hesitation.

SPEAKER_01 41:55

No, if they need him out there, they will put him out there for the necklace over the boards.

SPEAKER_02 41:59

And you know, at home, I mean he'd you know he'd lay some of those hits on, and the crowd's gonna go manic. I mean, it's it's gonna be incredible, right? So that's a lot of fun. You know, if we look at some of the stats for the canes, and I thought this was interesting, is that you know, they've got they've got a situation where, you know, they scored a lot of goals this year, and they had they had 720 goal scorers. Like, this is incredible. This is this is the best in the NHL. So there's a lot of balance on the Hurricanes. They had eight players with over 18 goals. I mean, uh Taylor Hall is nudging up, and we thought, gee, if he could get a couple here, he could get us 20. Um, but here's some interesting streaks as the Canes go into the playoffs. Uh Logan Stankhoven, eight game point point streaks, seven goals and four assists. Yeah, he's he's feeling it right now. Uh Nikolai Ehlers. I wanted to mention Ealers because I think he's just been off the charts this year. He's been incredible. Uh two goals, four assists his last four games. And he scored a beauty the other night. Um again, Andre Svetnikov, six goals, three assists, his last seven games. These guys are all coming in and they're feeling it. They're feeling really good right now about their game. They got lots of confidence. And boy, Taylor Hall, and earlier in the year, we wondered if Taylor was gonna hang out for the year with us. We thought he might be down in the fourth line or something. He's only had 21 points in his last 23 games since the Olympic break. So I think we'll keep going. Holy man, something incredible. Um, so Katie, you've looked at the lines uh for the Canes. What have you seen with the lines of the Hurricanes?

SPEAKER_00 43:33

So going back to my theme of since the Olympic break to see how they've been trending recently and not worrying about the entire season's worth of data. The top line with Aho has been a little below water as far as goals for goals against at 5v5. And honestly, yeah, yeah, we we need them to be better than that in the playoffs, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that Brenda Moore has been choosing to use them as a shutdown line as much as he has been a top scoring line. And so when that's the balance of the role, it's going to happen that other teams' top guys will eventually get some production as well. It's just to be expected. Um Stahl's line also has been, I think, just a smidge above break even. And so, yeah, it's been great what E Lers has been able to do there. But it's a lot of what E Lers has brought has been to create opportunities on other lines and spread. The wealth a little bit. It's not just been at five on five. But the key here is that because those two lines take the big matchups and take those more challenging situations, it has freed up Stenkoven's line to just cease. His line has been absolutely dominant out there as far as the goals for versus the goals against. They are way up over 500, way up over break even together. And so that is going to be the key against the senators' team is can the AHO line lock down and break even with whoever they play against, or a little bit better, hopefully a little bit better. Can the Stahl line do similarly? Can the fourth line just not hurt you? And then let your secret weapon be that Stenkoven line. Let them go in and do their thing and drive the net and cycle and hunt pucks and be the difference maker for the Kanes. That's what I'm really looking forward to see.

SPEAKER_02 45:40

Yeah, and you know, not unlike other teams, the Senators uh have a lot of their offense in their top two lines. So if uh as you rightfully say, if you've got the stall line and you've got the Sebastian Aho line getting the right matchups, that frees up a pretty interesting opportunity for that red-hot or third line, I guess, right now, the Keynes. So it's good stuff. You know, I wanted to read this uh as well from Daily Faceoff talking about the senators, and it just talks exactly to what we were speaking about a minute ago. And they said Ottawa has a good amount of depth to counter Carolina's 720 plus goal scores. Tim Stutzlook continues to be a lock for at least 75, and he got 83 points. And Drake Batherson turned into the best offensive year of his career. So they've got a lot to offer. And he said, Well, the Senators' depth forwards may not have produced quite as much as Carolina's. This is a much more offensively dangerous group than the one that potted 243 goals last season. So I think uh I think we need to be mindful of that. And as we look at the lineup for the Sands, they do have a lot of talent. Okay, so they've got some guys that you're really going to want to see. Tim Stutzla, of course, is the guy that that drives it for them. But they've got Claude Giroux and they've got uh Drake Batherson over there. So Giroux, as we know, is uh one of the best in the game at face-offs. He's at uh 63 or 64 percent. So we know he can really hurt you in the face-off dot. So that's a great line, and they're dangerous. Uh Dylan Cousins has he's had a rebound year. You remember he had 30 goals with Buffalo uh three years ago. He's come back, he's got uh 28, I think, this year with Brady Kachak. He's always going to cause you some harm. And of course, uh Ridley Greg, who's a good young talent for them as well on the right side. Now, when you start to look at the third and fourth lines, I think it gets interesting for the Canes. Okay, so their third line is Shane Pinto, Michael Amadeo, and Nick Cousins. Now, Michael Amadeo had been with uh Vegas when they won some cups, so he's been there before. Uh Nick Cousins had been with Florida. So these guys have been there. You know, they're veterans, they're not big scorers, but you know, they they're solid uh journeyman uh wingers for you. Pinto has had a pretty good year. He got off to a massive start and he chilled quite a bit. You remember Pinto was uh he got into trouble like three years ago uh for gambling, so he sat out half the season. So it's kind of an interesting thing that he's been able to kind of get his game on track and become a pretty darn good player. And I know when the Canes were looking for Sanders, I don't know how many folks on X said, Would you get Jake Pinto? So he's a solid guy, very strong defensively. He's one of the PK guys for them as well. But this fourth line is interesting to me. And they, you know, again, they could be uh a challenge for the Kanes. And they're not a heavy line. Uh so they're not gonna be playing that heavy game, but boy oh boy. Uh Lars Eller, you know, he had some great years with the Caps. Uh good solid centerman with a great face-off capability as well, so he's gonna hurt you in the draws. Uh, Fabian Zetterland, I remember, boy, when the the Timo Meyer opportunity came up, the Kanes were all over that. You might remember the Canes really wanted to get in on Timo Meyer. Uh he went to New Jersey, and Zetterland was the big player initially that went to uh to the Sharks, and he had a couple of pretty good years with him. He had 24 goals his first full year with the Sharks. So he's a guy that can put the puck in the net. I think this year he's gonna end up with 17. So again, you've got to be mindful of Zetterlin. And Warren Fogle, we know. We used to love Warren Fogle. Uh Fogel kind of ran onto a tough situation this year with the Kings. But you know what? This is a good lineup. And I again I think the Kanes are gonna have their hands full. Uh you know, you've got, as I mentioned, Stuitsland's been hot. He's got eight points his last six games. They have nine forwards over 30 points. Batherson hit 33 goals. That's a tough crew. Aaron, thoughts on the Sands forward crew?

SPEAKER_01 49:46

Well, I think that you kind of said it all there, really. I mean, that the the reality is that this is not the kind of matchup a a you know team that finishes first in the conference usually gets, you know. So this is not the your reward for finishing first in the conference is you have to play one of the tougher teams coming out of the Atlantic. So that doesn't make a lot of sense. It's just there's been a lot of discussion online about how the the form the playoff format right now really is nonsensical. And and there's so many teams that shouldn't be playing each other in the first round that are, like in the West, you know. Um, and then I mean they're just it it you have situations like this where you're saying, okay, these two teams, either one of these two teams, you know, if these two teams were to be meeting in the Eastern Conference final, this would be a very interesting conference final matchup. To have them meet in the first round and only one of them can can advance is is kind of it feels kind of you know deflating a little bit because you know there's there's not going to be um this caliber of matchup all the way through, you know. And obviously it's great for the team that makes it through, but it's hard for you know fan bases to sit there and say, these guys are still in. I mean, you know, one of Pittsburgh or Philadelphia will be advancing to the second round. And, you know, when you really think about it, it should be teams like that that are playing the Senators and the Canes, respectively. It shouldn't be the Senators and the Canes playing each other. So yeah, so this is not an easy path. This is not the something that the Canes can just, you know, take lightly. They have to go in and and you know, they really have to prepare as if they're gonna about face the Florida Panthers. Now they're not facing the Florida Panthers, but if they're not in that mindset, that this is not a team that you can just take nights off or take shifts off, you know, and the Canes rarely do that anyway, but you know, they just can't be, they have to be sharp. And they have to be sharp from puck drop and they have to be sharp all the way through. So um the the, you know, I know that everyone focuses on, you know, Stutzla because of his scoring. I know that everyone loves, you know, um cousins. He's had a great story. But this the the the center who really honestly scares me the most on the these ends is Shane Pento because he is the closest thing you're going to find in the modern NHL to a Jordan Stahl.

SPEAKER_03 51:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:56

He is that caliber of shutdown center. He will be very frustrating to play against when they get the matchups on their own home ice. They will have that line out probably against either the Aho line or the Stenkhoven line. And it will be an uneven matchup, especially for the Sankhoven line and especially in the dot. So that's, you know, you got to be prepared for the fact that it's not going to, that the some of the hot scoring may have the brakes put on here by having to face these kinds of guys game after game. So that's that is, you know, I mean, I worry about that more than I worry about, you know, Timmy going on a run. I don't, I don't worry about that as much because I think that the Keynes are equipped for that with their defense and and with their goaltending, provided that we get the goaltending we expect to get. So, you know, but but they're not, they haven't had to play against Jordan Stahl themselves. They don't play against Jordan Stahl. So they and there are very few cent there are very few centers in the league who were going to replicate that experience for them the way that Shane Penteau will.

Special Teams & Net Front Battles

SPEAKER_02 52:54

Yeah, and and you know what? It's going both ways because, of course, you mentioned Jordan Stahl, and I think Sebastian Aho is among the best defensive centers in the game. So I think you've got, you know, it's going to be interesting as they match this up. And that's why for so many weeks I was beating the drum of getting uh, you know, first place at home life advantage because it's huge. When you're playing teams like this, when you know they've got a deep center crew, really deep, uh, you've got to be you've got to be matching. And, you know, I think something else back to your point about the question of whether the canes are going to take this seriously. I think Rod's working hard overtime right now to get the Canes to realize that this team is not going to be easy at all. And everything he's saying is complete opposite. He's kind of saying, we've got to be on our game or we're going to be up. So I think that's great. Um, and and that's gonna make for a great series. So it's good fun. Now, one of the things that could change all of this, and we've talked a lot about it, of course, is special teams. And, you know, we've looked at the forward crew, we've looked at the defense. Uh, you know, you can flip a coin here and there, uh, goaltending again, lots of different things. But boy, sometimes the you know, it's just special teams. And if we look to past canes situations where, gosh, if they'd only had a power play, you know, like I remember seeing that so many times, you know, it wouldn't it be fun if they could score a goal? And in fact, at times you'd be afraid if they get the power play because you know something would happen and they get a goal against her, who cares? Um, but let's take a look at the power plays because this is an interesting area that I think the canes can really uh step up. Of course, the canes uh we go back to December 5th, we've talked about this a lot. It's a great story. Uh, 30th overall at 13.7 percent. And since then, the canes are number one in the league at 30.2. That's not a short-term run, that's a long run. And since January 1st, the Canes are 31.7 percent of the power play. Again, ahead of the others by a margin. Um, so 24.9% was where the canes ended up fourth overall. Now, the Sens also have a very strong power play. They ended up eighth, and they've been on a roll lately as well. So since January 1st, they're 12th, so they're 21.9%. So a little bit lighter lately, but they were they were really firing on all cylinders for a while. And they're dangerous. And again, they're led by uh Jake Sanderson back there, quarterbacking that power play. So on their side, uh they've got four guys who drive it. Atherson, 30 points, Stutzla 29, Cousins 29, Sanderson 22, and Kachuk 20. So, again, you know who the guys are, the second group, don't worry about it. These are the guys that are gonna hurt you. The Canes, Ealers 29, Svetsnikov, 29, Aho, 27, Jarvis 21, and Gosta Spare 18 and 55 games. So he would have been up in the 20s, too. So good numbers. Very close. Very close. Katie? Power plays.

SPEAKER_00 55:58

Well, I think you know, a lot has been made, and rightfully so, of Stahl's impact on the power play with being able to win the faceoffs and you get possession right away and allows you to set up and move forward immediately. But I think while that has been important and that has been impactful, the straw that has really stirred the drink of the Keynes power play has been how Nikolai Ehlers has been able to flex between both units, whether it's him coming on in place of stall and continuing to drive play and create looks and opportunities, or if he is coming on with the second unit to do cleanup duty and helping them work, uh work what they're able to do and they're being successful because the Kanes do have two good units. Um they don't, you know, once that whole line goes off, that doesn't mean that the power play is over. There's still plenty of danger left with Sankhoven's group. And because Ealers is doing that, that allows Brenda Moore to leave Oho, Svetch, and Jarvis together. So their five-on-five chemistry um continues over into the power play. And then when Stankhoven's line comes out, it's still Stenkhoven, Hall, and Blake. Yeah. And they're able to continue their chemistry, and Ealers can complement both groups, however, he ends up getting deployed on whatever the situation is with the power play. And so that is going to be key for me where Ealers really can impact this series. I'm sure he'll be great five on five, but it's going to be on the power play that if that power play is going to find success, it's because Ealers is driving the canes um production on the man advantage.

SPEAKER_02 57:44

Yeah, and we talked about the fact that uh Nikolai Ehlers brought something that uh Marty Natchez had before, and we've seen how well he's done this year with his first 100-point season. Uh, and that was carrying the puck into the offensive zone. We talked about this last podcast as well. And I think uh, you know, great, great discussion on you know the whole change that has happened with the canes, their ability with both he and Logan Stankhoven to get that puck into that Ozone and get set up. So, you know, in the past, Puck would get shot down, couldn't get in, you know, never get set up, and of course the power play just didn't do much. So now, Aaron, you take a look at the other side, you know, obviously the Keynes power play has been firing all cylinders. What concerns you with this Ottawa power play?

SPEAKER_01 58:34

Um, I I don't know that I could say that there's a specific thing other than just the personnel. There's there they're they've got the personnel to do it. I have um seen their power play in action. They they move the puck well, they move around positioning well. So they're they're not they're not stationary, they're not one of these power plays that's easy to just disrupt and and pick off. And obviously, I really nobody who makes it to the uh the last 16 team standing should be uh you know in that position anyway. So we don't whether they're talking about similar things for all the groups. Um but I think that um that they're able to use their size to their advantage because these are really big players, and that is something that we're gonna need to um I think that our penalty killing unit one know, we're gonna talk about that in a minute, but they're gonna need to be aware of um what they need to do to make sure that um they're not letting those guys park in front of either Freddie or Bussy and just you know disrupt his vision and disrupt his ability to make saves because that is something they're good at doing too. And that again, that's one of the advantages that comes with being such a big, heavy team. You know, they are one of the bigger teams in the NHL. So um the canes are gonna have to watch for that. They're gonna have to take it, you know, take the opportunity to make the clears and get clean clears as quickly as possible. So that that's I think that's we're gonna come up and talk about the penalty kill here. But but as far as what I see on their power play, that's that's where the threats lie, is is in addition to the normal things that everybody can do, these guys are are not afraid to be battling in front of the net on the power play. And they they do it, and there's no reason for them not to. They they do a good job with net front.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:08

Yeah, and and Drake Batherson is particularly good at that. He'll plant himself right by the net, and next thing you know, it's in he scored one the other night like that. Um, yeah, they're they're gonna be tough. Uh, but again, back on the PK side, so we take a look at how the Keynes might fight against that. Um, they've uh they've ended the season 11th in the NHL, which is not kind of characteristic for the Kanes at just 80.5%. So not the best here for the Hurricanes, but I think there's a reason that we can justify a little bit of this on, and that's of course that Jacob Slavin missed half the season, and he gets the best helm killer outside the goaltender. So no question he's gonna have a positive effect. But looking at the senators, interestingly enough, 75.5% are 29th. Hmm that's an interesting matchup, Katie.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:05

Oh, I it's gonna sound like a broken record. Go back to the stats since the Olympic break, their penalty kill has been strong. The reason their penalty kill struggled at the beginning of the season is because their goaltending struggled at the beginning of the season. Since Old Mark has stabilized um recently, especially since the Olympic break, their penalty kill has been just fine. It's been solid. I'm not sure where it ranks in the NHL, but it has been very good. I think I think when I looked up the stats, they've only allowed two power play goals or something like that. It's been it's been fantastic. And so it's gonna be very important for the canes power play to not just sit back and try and create the pretty fancy goal. They need to really attack, they need to create um they they need to get the Ottawa penalty kill to move their feet. They need to get them out of position, they need to get them taking chances and cheating and opening up holes that the canes can exploit. And the only way they're gonna be able to do that is if they themselves are moving their feet, if they're attacking, if they're putting shots on, if they're hunting rebounds, if they're creating cycles and wearing down that penalty kill. Otherwise, it you know, it could get very frustrating of just, you know, trying just trying to be too pretty. Don't be too pretty. Attack them, attack them, attack them, and find that rebound, find that way to punch that puck home. If they do that, they're gonna be great. If not, I think the the Ottawa penalty kill will be able to just sit back and and uh let the Canes basically defeat themselves.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:40

Now, Aaron, an interesting thing with the Hurricanes, which I think is uh is a differentiator, is that the Canes can throw two power plays at you that are a little bit different but incredibly dangerous. We've seen the second power play this year doing a lot of great work. And and again, in past seasons, of course, Rod would like to use the first power play for almost the entire power play and throw out the second power play unit with a couple of seconds left. He's not doing that anymore because the first the second power play is equally as good. What do you think about that, where you've got the two incredible power plays of the canes, and I don't see that necessarily with the senators. What are you thinking about the possible edge with that second power play for the canes?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:21

Um well, I think the best edge they have for that second unit, you know, and I'm not belittling any of the other players by saying this, it's Alexander Nikishin. He can throw 100 mile an hour shots into a stack of bodies in front of the net. That will cause damage. It's going to cause damage either in the net or to the players that are blocking those shots, to those hapless guys that are trying to stop him from doing this. We saw that, you know, in in the final game, you know, somebody, you know, and you gotta give credit there, you the Islanders blocking the shot from Alexander Nikitation as the game winds down and there's nothing on the line to them. That was pretty incredible. So I would say that if they make good use of Nikitian on that second unit, um, they they have a weapon on that second unit that the senators certainly don't have on their second unit, you know. So, I mean, not too many people in the league have a weapon like that on their second power play unit. So um, I would say that, you know, if if Nikitian gets the opportunities to fire, he should fire. And he should fire as much as possible because you're breaking down the penalty kill by doing that. You're you're making generating chances for the guys that are closer in to get those rebounds, and sometimes it's gonna go in. Yeah. So tell him to shoot.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:38

Just a quick, just a quick uh shout out to Jankowski. He doesn't play much on the power play, but when Ealer spends a lot of time with that first unit, he's the one that comes out as the extra, which means he's the one creating the net front for those Nikitian shots. Oh, yeah. Yep. Many props to him and his few minutes and what he's done, because I do think he's been on the ice for three power play goals, despite his limited minutes. He hasn't necessarily factored in on the score sheet for them, but he has his contribution that he has made. So I just wanted to give him a quick shout-out for what he does because anybody who willingly stands in front of the net when you know Nikishin's out there ready to unload is braver than 90% of multiple players out there.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:17

And you know, Katie, I'm glad you said that too, because that is actually one of the crucial bits of of success uh for the for the Cain's power play that they're gonna have to continue. They have to have net front, they cannot try to score goals from sharp angles around the perimeter. They're gonna have to get in there and get in Ulmark's eyes, and they're gonna have to have people that are willing to do that on both units because it's gonna be critical. So, you know, I'm glad you mentioned that because that was something else I was gonna bring up. It's it's just so important. They they they can't drift back into the habit of not getting somebody in there. It's been stall on the first unit quite a bit, and I think that you know, as long as he's willing to continue to do that, he should well he's happy to do it.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:54

He's every once in a while it goes off him in it.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:59

But you know what?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:00

Yeah, how many I I was just gonna mention that I remember when we were watching the canes power play and it wasn't so good, and we were trying to you know conjure up how how could this be a better power play? And and a couple things we said were movement, number one, get out there and move. And number two, net front presence, right? So I think we might have got it right because certainly the canes top power play is in motion all the time. They are they are always in motion.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:29

I know at one point when we were really frustrated with. Them at the beginning of the season, my suggestion was that they put Stahl and Martin Nook out there, and they just put Stahl out there, not Martin Nook, but I like to think that maybe I sparked a conversation.

Bracket Storylines Around The League

SPEAKER_02 1:06:41

Well, there is there is something else that I think, and it's back to something you said too, Katie. Nikolai Ehlers is one of the best passers in the game in the story. Uh he makes passes cross ice regularly, and you know, the the whole thing of the power play is moving that puck left to right or right to left as quickly as you can and uh get the goalie moving, and that's what the canes have been doing. So if they're not blasting it with a Nikitian side, if they're working the Gossaspare side, then they're trying to move the puck from you know from side to side. And I think it gives the canes a bit of a different look. So, you know, when that second power play comes out and they're gonna be wailing away, that's not quite the same as the first power play, which is out there trying to make you know some pretty slick moves. And the other guy, of course, that has been incredible this year with his setups is Andre Svasnikov. So they've got guys that can really move the puck around and and make things happen out there. So it's gonna be fun. Uh again, uh you're right, Katie. The uh the PK for the senators has come on strong. So they're definitely they're definitely gonna be a handful. Uh and that goes back to goaltending. And so so often that that's the old story, right? You vest uh PK guy as your goaltender, and and that's gonna be critical on both sides. So the Keynes are gonna need some of that. And of course, uh with Jacob Slavin back there, that's gonna help the Keynes a lot. So very interesting. Again, very close looking at the power play and the PK, uh, you know, trying to figure out you know who's got the edge here, and it's it's gonna be close. So if we look back and uh and I thought we would just kind of talk about a couple of things before we wrap up. And one of them is as we take a look at the brackets, you know, we've got uh some interesting storylines. And you know, I wondered as we looked at these storylines, was did did any of them jump out at you as kind of, hey, that's interesting. I'd like to see, you know, this team or that team or or how they're gonna do in this. You know, what did we see as we looked at uh at some of the other series that are gonna be taking place uh starting very soon, Katie?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:44

Well, I I think it's pretty obvious which series I'm most looking forward to besides the Kanes, and that is the Aves and Insert Team here. Tonight's games are still going to determine whether they play the Kings or the Ducks or um the the Oilers, which I do not want McKinnon and McDavid in the first round together, please. No. Um I also at first I kind of wanted the Ducks, and then I remembered that Truba is in the radical. I'm like, I don't need another one of those flying Truba elbows aimed at Marty Natchez's head like we had a couple years ago. So you know, we'll we'll see. Um either way, I think it's gonna be a strong series for the Evs. I think the Evs should be able to um to be able to win handily, but I'm definitely looking forward to that. Outside of the teams uh of the matchups where I have an active rooting interest, um probably out east, I'm looking forward to seeing how Buffalo does because I want to see now that they've made it in, did they use up all of their energy just to make it to the playoffs to fall flat or do they ride that wave and really create something competitive and exciting um against um is that they're playing the um the Bruins. The Bruins, thank you. They're playing the Bruins. So uh that could I I'm I'm really looking forward to seeing how that series works out out west. I just want Minnesota and Dallas to kill each other and to beat each other up and to drag this out into seven triple overtime games. I just want that to be as knockdown, drag out as you possibly can have.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:34

So I think in that series.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:39

I'm torn because there's a part of me that wants Dallas to come out of it so the Aves can get their revenge for the past few times that they've faced Dallas. There's another part of me that would just like to not have to deal with Dallas. So no, I don't know that I have a favorite. I just want whoever comes out of it, provided the Aves are able to win their series. I want whoever to come who comes out of it to be worse for the wear and um and provide an easier matchup against the Aves than they would be if they were fresh.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:10

Yeah, you know, you mentioned Buffalo. A very close friend of mine lives in Buffalo. I was on the phone with him the other day, and he said the city's manic.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:16

Oh I can imagine that must be a heck of an atmosphere.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:22

Yeah, this is this is gonna be great. And you know, that's great for the city, you know, it's great for hockey, and and uh and that's wonderful. And and you know, he he uh he talked a lot about some of the players that we don't see so much, and he was very high on on uh Josh Norris, uh, who's come back and who's playing extremely wealth. And of course, he's got high hopes for uh for James Thompson. So anyway, yeah, Buffalo definitely in the mix.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:45

Aaron, I know you're gonna be saying Montreal, but well, when you think about it, Montreal and the Tampa Bay Lightning, it's gonna be a fun series regardless. I don't know if any of you saw the most recent game between the two of them. That was a knockdown drag out fight. That was Cole Caulfield scoring his 50th goal, his first 50-goal campaign. He's got 51 total, um, against Andre Vasilevsky, a goaltender against whom he had only scored before one time, and that was this year also. So he's just now broken Vasilevsky, you know. And the reason the context of that matters is because Cole Caulfield was actually part of that young Habs kids 2021 playoff uh run, where they went all the way to the Stanley Cup final and faced the Tampa Bay Lightning. Okay. So there's a lot of interest there. You know, Suzuki was part of that, Jake Evans, a couple of the other guys. Um, you know, they were part of that run, and so they're facing their nemesis, their their Stanley Cup final nemesis in round one. And they actually have some people that are looking at the the lightning's situation right now with their injuries and some of the other things that have been going on and saying, hey, Montreal's got a shot. They might actually make it to the second round this year. And wouldn't that be fun? So I'm all for that. But the other one I think I already mentioned at the beginning of the broadcast, I think, you know, the um, you know, it is going to be, even though I I think that they should be scrambled, I don't think uh Pittsburgh and Philadelphia should really be facing each other. It's two relatively weak teams facing each other in the first round with one of them going to make it to this the second round. But you know, assuming that the Canes do manage to beat the Senators, and of course we're hoping that very, very strongly, um, they will face one of those two teams in round two.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:26

And so it is gonna be interesting to see how that series unfolds because there's a very different couple of narratives. I mean, is this going to be the last run of Sidney Crosby, for instance? Or are the Flyers going to be getting deeper deeper into the playoffs for the first time in I forget how many years, you know, because they haven't even made the playoffs in a lot of years. I think since 2020. So, um, you know, so either way, those narratives, I mean, I that's one of the things I love the best um about the playoffs is that the storylines just get so interesting. You know, it's it's the kind of thing where you, you know, one person steps up and becomes a hero, one person that's being relied on has a really, you know, an unimpressive run or something. And it's just, you just you see all these stories unfold. So I'm interested to see who emerges from Pittsburgh and Philly, and of course Tampa and Montreal. But then on the West, I gotta admit, I'm just a little bit interested, and it's not like a strong compelling interest, you know. Obviously, I'm I'm interested in the apps, Katie, but I don't have a strong compelling interest, but I'm a little interested in how do two of the more recent uh, you know, newish teams do against each other in in Vegas and Utah? Because Utah is not a new team, but they are a new team, you know, and Vegas, of course, is an expansion team. How are those two teams gonna do against each other? How will Mitch Marner fare in his first playoffs away from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a year when they didn't even make it? That's gonna be a really interesting story to watch because you've got Leafs fans ready to applaud if he collapses just like he always did in Toronto. On the other hand, you've got Marner fans ready to say it was never his fault. Look at your, you know, look in the mirror, guys, because you didn't even make the playoffs without him. So I love the pettiness that comes there out of that, especially with the reporting. I mean, everybody loves to talk about anything connected to the Toronto Maple Leafs. So, you know, with the Leafs not being in this year, I think a lot of Toronto reporters are gonna be talking about Vegas because they're gonna want to see which way does this go. Does Martyr end up being a difference maker for the team and helping them get to round two? Or does he disappear? So that's gonna be an interesting one to watch too.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:32

Well, you know, Utah, I'm I'm with you on Utah for sure. Uh, I've enjoyed those guys. I I really cheered for them as well as Arizona uh when they're back there. And there's a lot of those good young kids on that team.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:44

Katie says no.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:46

So uh so I'll be watching them. I'm not, you know, Vegas, I think, is not the team they've been in previous years. I don't feel like they're nearly as formidable. Uh so I think Utah's got a shot. Now, talking about the halves, um, interesting. Look, right, uh uh Nick Suzuki had what, 100 points this year?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:06

Uh yeah, but a little over that, I think 100 points.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:08

He's gonna be the quietest hundred-point guy in in life. I mean, you know, you don't even know he's doing it.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:13

He's the quietest elite center, I think, in the NHL. And I think that he may very well uh be the sulky winner this year. It's entirely possible. Um it's not, you know, and I know that everybody would rather, you know, the Keynes fans are reading for Jordan Stahl, but you know, Stahl did have a 20-goal campaign, and that's nothing to to to look past and and you know, but ever. But the the role Suzuki plays on the on the HABs, what he does for them on a nightly basis, the sheer amount of intelligence he has to have that um high hockey IQ that allows him to set up those line mates and you know, to to you know, he's got Caulfields, got 51 goals. Uh Yorislavkowski has his first 30 goal campaign, and he's you know, he's just turned 22, so he's very young still. I think people forget how young Yorislovkowski is. So, yeah. So, so I mean, this is a team with a lot of of uh future, you know, I think victory is coming. It doesn't have to be this year. All of these are building blocks in steps along the way. They they made the playoffs surprisingly last year. If they make it past the first round this year, that would be another really good surprise and and a good a good sign of where the team is going. I think that right now we can afford to talk about them with a smile. I think in a few years, canes fans are going to be talking about them as a serious rival to their hopes. So it's not it's not gonna be long.

Players To Watch & Final Predictions

SPEAKER_02 1:17:38

Well, and you know, the Keynes will keep getting better, so that's fine. Uh interesting, interesting thing about that series, and I'm very interested in that series because you've got two of the best lines in hockey. Okay, so you got uh Suzuki with uh Caulfield and and of course Slavkowski on your side, but boy, you've got Braden Point, you've got uh Jake Ensel, and you've got uh Nikita Khrutra, which is an incredible one. Okay, so I'm gonna watch these Titans go against each other. It's gonna be fun to see it. And and uh and yeah, I think the Havs have a great chance. I and the way that uh Jakob Dobish has been playing in goal, if he continues that, they'll win the series. As we wrap it up, uh game one, Saturday at three o'clock. Uh gonna be fun to see it. We're gonna, as I say, the tailgators will be out, everybody's gonna be ready to go. What are we looking for? Are there any players we think might jump out? And what are we thinking about as we head into the series and kick it off? Katie, why don't you start?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:38

Well, I think we need to see the trend that we have seen uh before, which is that playoff Andre Svechnikov is a level above regular season Andre Svechnikov. Regardless of the regular season he's had he has had, and he has had some poor ones, he had some mid ones, and he has had some very good ones. And this particular regular season has probably been his best, definitely been his best since his knee injury. But I really want to see him do the playoff thing, become playoff Andre Svechnikov, and really hit that big level, especially because we've talked about stuff like the physicality, we've talked about how the first line matches up. He is going to be the one to really set the tone for that line to score and to create scoring chances, to hit, to knock people off the puck, to to win board battles, to just really create a lot of good offense and and be the example for the rest of the team, lead them in the way that they're going to play. So he he's really one that I'm looking forward um to seeing and hope that he he steps up and uh makes an impact from from hard drop.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:55

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:57

Aaron.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:59

I've got two. I'm cheating. I'm just thinking about how games against the Senators have gone, um, both for you know the Kanes and for other teams that have faced them, especially in the playoffs, because of what they do and the kinds of things that they get up to and everything else. And we know we're gonna see that, and we know it's gonna be a big part of their game. So the two players that I think have the best chance of standing out in this environment, in this first round environment, are Alexander Nikishan and William Carrier. Wow. We didn't have William Carrier, you know, uh as much as we, you know, should have, you know, before. Um he's had his first full healthy season. He's been, you know, he's been great. Um, and I think that, you know, we saw that little nice bit of offense from him, like you said, Tom, the other night. It was those three assists, you know, first three-point game in his entire career, you know, so that's good. But Carrier is, I think, underappreciated for what he brings in the playoffs because it isn't just about the hit counts. It isn't just about the numbers, it's about being absolutely a pain to play against, shift after shift, game after game. And he is the one, I think, the player that to me that is going to thrive in this particular playoff environment. And it may not show on the score sheet. We may not be talking about him putting up a ton of numbers. But everything he does when he's out there is going to make it easier for the next set of guys over the boards to do their job. And I like to praise the unsung heroes sometimes for that kind of thing because I think Carrier very well could be one of those unsung heroes in this series, given how the senators tend to do things. So I'm looking forward to seeing how he does this series.

Thanks & Subscribe Reminder

SPEAKER_02 1:21:43

And you mention Alex Nikisha, and of course, uh Boom, he's not all boom for nothing. Anytime we mention Alex, it's uh it's uh money in the bank. Um, yeah, I I agree with you on Carrier, and um, you know, I'm I'm kind of hoping that Nicholas Delorier comes in and uh shakes up a few things. And uh the guy that I'm looking forward to, and and I'll I'll say this uh as as an individual is Logan Stanko. I think he's gonna he raises his game in the playoffs as well. We've seen that for sure in his previous experiences. And I think he's there now in terms of his confidence, and I think he's continuing to build out his game. He's solid defensively, he's starting to show a massive offensive touch. And uh if he can uh crack the face off dot, he's gonna be uh he's gonna be something else. So yeah, lots of good stuff. And guess what? It starts on Saturday. On the edge of my seat and uh extremely nervous uh with these games and uh you know it's gonna be it's gonna be an exciting effect. But again, ladies, great to talk about this and and really appreciate that we've been able to cover both teams and in a lot of depth and look at the lineups and really understand you know where the strengths and weaknesses are and where you know each of these teams could uh could pull out a win or not. And so it's gonna be it's gonna be that kind of series, and of course we'll be back in a few weeks, and something will have happened, and we'll know if they won the first game or the first two games, uh, and kind of where the canes sit. For those of you who've been watching or listening, of course, uh we're ecstatic you spent time with us. This was a this was a great discussion point, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. If you like this episode, please press the like button. If you have comments or if you have anything you want to say to any of the folks on the panel, please put those in the comment section. And if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker, please press the subscribe and the bell buttons, and you'll be made aware just as soon as it's available. Again, we thank you so much for spending time with us and look forward to getting together with you real soon, right here on Stormtracker.