Gold: The final countdown

By Adam Gold radio host 99.9 the Fan

Always expect your opponent to make the putt.

That’s the best way to approach match play in golf. No matter how long the putt, always expect your opponent to pull it off. If you can put yourself into that mindset, you’re never caught off guard. To that end, the Carolina Hurricanes can not expect any help from the Tampa Bay Lightning in their quest to clinch the Central Division.

Carolina has won five straight games and has claimed at least a point in their last dozen trips to the rink. Extend each of those streaks by one tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina will lower their magic number to just a single point. Tampa beat the breaks off the Dallas Stars last night, 6-2 and will close out their home schedule against them tomorrow night before heading to meet the Panthers twice to finish the regular season. Carolina’s final two games are in Nashville.

Carolina played the first period on Tuesday as though they’d already clinched. A little slow, poor passing, shaky decisions, it was a mess. But, it was only 2-0 Chicago after 20 minutes and when Andrei Svechnikov’s point shot caromed off the stick of Nikita Zadorov and through Collin Delia the Canes managed to draw even without playing dramatically better.

Then the third was more like the Canes needed to play and the result was a 6-3 win. Now, it’s about running through the tape. About not giving the Blackhawks any hope that this will turn out differently than the previous two. Take care of things tonight and Carolina will need only a point out of the final two games in Nashville to clinch the top seed in the division.  Either way, there can’t be any let up because once you turn it off, there’s no guarantee you can turn it back on.

The Canes scored at least four goals in 10 of their first 15 games, four times they went for five or more. Over their next 33 games they hit the 4-goal mark just 14 times. So, what was different? You know the answer.  Teuvo Teravainen. In the 18 games Teravainen has suited up, Carolina has scored 75 goals for an average of 4.17 per game. In the 35 matches without the team’s most creative playmaker, Carolina has scored just 98 times. An average of 2.8 per game.

I’ll admit that’s a small sample size. But is it also a coincidence that Andrei Svechnikov has 10 points in the five games since Teravainen returned to the lineup? Sebastian Aho was in the midst of a streak anyway, but Carolina’s best player has 11 points (4g, 7a) in those five games. Yeah, not a coincidence.

Maybe it’s time to put Turbo on the top power play unit. The NHL’s best power play (yes, still) is just 7 for 40 over the last 14 games.

The Hurricanes 12-game point streak (9-0-3) is tied for the longest in franchise history. The 2005-06 Canes went 10-0-2 in their 12-game streak early in the Stanley Cup winning season.

Air time for the Hurricanes’ home finale is 6:30 on 99.9 the Fan with Alec Campbell and Storm Watch. The game rolls in just after 7:00. Don’t forget to follow the Canes Corner podcast with yours truly which drops after every Hurricanes game. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts.