So yeah.  Nobody is playing better hockey than the Carolina Hurricanes right now.  No goalie in the NHL is playing better than Cam Ward.  And no team is worse than the New York Islanders.

Such a combination pf ingredients led to a 9-0 beating in the RBC Center tonight.  At the end of 2 periods, it was 6-0 with the Canes leading 33-8 in shots on goal.  At one point in the third period, Carolina had 8 goals, and New York still had only 8 shots.

You certainly hope to not have a let down against a team that you know you can and should beat.  That didn't happen tonight.

Carolina's clearly got their eye on the prize, and that prize is home ice advantage.  Something they can attain if they win out and Philadelphia loses one of their final 3 games in regulation.

Hey, nice work tonight by the top line with Eric Staal getting the hat trick (damn, there went another hat!) and Ruutu chalking up two of his own, and 4 assists for Cole.

Oh, and Frank Kaberle decided to show up and score his first goal of the season tonight!

See you Thursday!  Go Canes!

Box Score

I don't have a whole lot to say about last night's game, other than I'm glad we won.

Carolina was THOROUGHLY outplayed in every aspect of the game - except for goaltending - in the first two periods.  Somehow, the canes managed 3 goals on 12 shots through the first two periods, while the Islanders threw the puck at the net 29 times and scored only twice.

Well, the win makes 9 in a row - matching the Canes longest winning streak ever, a record set earlier this season.

Hopefully, they can make it 10 against Washington on Saturday.  Washington is not good.  They've only won 16 games.  Of course that makes them better than the St. Louis Blues, whom the Canes struggled against.

Still, I predict a whooping!

GO CANES!