Carolina Hurricanes look to get "golden" win out west

Tonight, on TNT, the second best team in the Eastern Conference and the second best team by record in the National Hockey League, Carolina Hurricanes, will take on the best team in the Western Conference, the Vegas Golden Knights.

It is on TNT and that means that Eddie Olchik will be there and he joins us on the Adam Gold show. Mr. Eddie Olchik, how are you? I appreciate it.

Thanks for having me and I hope you're doing well. Both teams try to play that particular way, Adam, of straight ahead, get your defense incorporated in the offense, funnel a lot of pucks to the net. Carolina does it, I think, better than Vegas. Just because you funnel pucks to the net, you've got to make sure that you're following up with players or players already there. I think that's something that Carolina does better than any team in the National Hockey League when it comes to that offensive part of it.

From the top of the circles in, Vegas tries to pass the puck into the back of the net, so maybe an extra pass or two when they should just easily funnel it to the net. Both these teams have aspirations of making long runs in the playoffs. If they don't, it will be tough to endure.

Huge points. Both teams look like they're very comfortable in the playoff position. Still a lot of hockey to go. You never know with an injury here or there and what have you, but it should be a really competitive game on TNT tonight. I'm looking forward to being on the call with my two partners, Kenny Albert and Keith Jones. It should be highly entertaining and always a great atmosphere here in Vegas.

No question. It's a show. Do we know why it's a 10-22 Eastern Time Puck Drop?

I'm just asking for a friend. It's the second half of the doubleheader. The first game is Rangers-Fliers. It's the second game, so I want to make sure that first game is over and then everybody can comfortably have a quick snack and then tune in in Raleigh and everywhere else than a Eastern Seaboard.

Get some toothpicks out too. Just keep the eyelids open there for the third period tonight. Eddie Olchik is joining us. I ask only because I've got time to fill since I do the pregame show for the hurricane, so I just need to know. Normally, we're good about eight minutes after the hour, but we're going to be 22.

It's okay. You might make an appearance on the pregame show. Eddie Olchik is joining us from the NHL on TNT. Carolina right now leads the NHL in just looking at some possession metrics, high danger chances. The Hurricanes create more high danger chances per game than anybody in the league.

They allow the fewest per game than anybody in the league. But the actual goals for and against, and they're very good in terms of goals against in that situation, but they're not as good in goals for. How do you explain that and how frustrating does it become as a player when you generate so many chances?

They probably should have beaten Anaheim the other day, but didn't. 67 shots in a game against Nashville this year and only scored two goals. How do you get over that as a player? Well, I think any player that if you're getting chances, and in most players, regardless of what the analytics will say, Adam, most players will be able to tell you that that was too good of a chance to bypass. There are other opportunities where, like I said, you're shooting a puck from 25 or 30 feet out, maybe shooting for a rebound.

All those type of things. Guys will know that I need to get in a little bit tighter, a little bit more snug. And I think that's the one thing prepping for this game with Carolina. And I know for Roddy, he talks a lot about it and wants his guys to get to that dirty area, that high traffic area and hang around the net.

And when it's not going in, you got to find a way to get one to go off your backside or a redirect or a double screen, whatever it is. But I think over the course of time, I think those type of things will even out if you continue to do and play that same way. Now, the one thing I will say is in a question that I have moving forward is for the canes is regular season is a way different animal than playoff time. And I've had this thing for many, many years, Adam, of having played in the league for 16 years, coached for three, and now broadcasting for the last since December of 05 and January of 06 is that the rink gets a little smaller come playoff time. The rink shrinks at playoff time. And you don't have as much time. You don't have as much room. It's a much different game. It's a much different animal. And can Carolina be able to have a difference maker or to really step up and push them to where they need to get to and where the expectations should be for this team?

It's not going to be easy. Division, matchups, that certainly plays an important part. But what I'm getting at is that, yeah, the regular season numbers are beautiful.

And, you know, they're doing a lot of the right things. And they're sitting second overall in the entire league. And, you know, Boston's having an incredible year. But can you, the Canes, and any team, can you play the way that you need to play come playoff time? And do you have a guy that can be that game breaker to be able to take up space, to be able to have a team schematically play up against you and go, okay, this guy's going to get his chances, but we can't give him any freebies? Is it Marty Neches?

Is it Sebastian Ajo? Who is going to be that guy that rises to the occasion and puts the Canes on their back and gives them a legitimate chance to make a run? And I think that's the biggest question mark is, can they do it at the most crucial point? And it'll be interesting to see here with, you know, well, I guess 48 hours and then some until the trade deadline with everybody doing everything that they are in Eastern Conference. Is Carolina going to step up and find somebody that can be that difference maker and put a little bit more artillery into their team?

Because I think that that's where they're a little short handed right now. And we'll see how it all plays out the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs. Marty Olchik, NHL on TNT is joining us tonight. 10-22 opening face off Canes at the Vegas Golden Knights. If I could just... But it's only 7-22 here in Vegas.

Well, that's true. We'll be able to go for dinner. We'll be able to go for dinner after the game.

So much earlier. So if I could gather from what you're saying that you believe the Hurricanes need to, I don't know if it's even proper to say this, answer what the Rangers did with Tarasenko and Kane or answer the Devils with Timo Meyer or Boston with Orloff and Garnett Hathaway or Tampa and Tanner. You know, you think Carolina needs to answer or is or could what they have be enough?

I would be disappointed if they didn't. And I'm not saying look at you hear things under the underground and you know who they were in on and what. But at some point, it's got to be about the now. And as a player and I would imagine for Roddy having been a tremendous player and a winner and now doing an unbelievable job standing behind the bench and having been mentored by the legendary Ronnie Francis for many, many years and a lot of different hats that Ronnie were for the Canes.

I would be shocked if not every guy in that room is not hoping for some sort of impact player to come in. And again, it's not it's not easy to do. I understand that.

But there is a part of that you talk about the response, Adam, and I think that's the perfect such way is we're good. I mean, how about Toronto? I mean, you know, like they brought in what five or six guys, six new players. Everybody's everybody's pressure is different. Yeah.

And some really impactful players. And I just think it sends a message. They know their room that being Donnie Donnie Waddell and Rod Brindamore. They know their room better than anybody.

But I I want to see if they if they do respond and make an elegant. It's not it's not. Yes, he's fully RV. That's not that's not the response.

That's not the answer. I know he's got a relationship with with Sebastian. Oh, OK, great. He was in Edmonton. He really couldn't get it together there. He left for a period of time.

He came back. The numbers are what they are. So I would be I would say probably in layman's terms, that can't be all that they do. But again, it's hard. I get it with the cap. But you've got to find ways to give yourself and give your team a legitimate chance and also send the team a message is like, hey, you know, we think we need this or that. And look at being in on the in in on the conversations.

OK, that's great. A lot of it. Trust me, a lot of it's propaganda.

A lot of it. You know, like we were in it. We were in it. You know, you're talking to a certain, you know, demo there when you when you're doing that. But at the end of the day, I think you've got to find a way to upgrade your club. And because look at they've got a boatload of pieces there and they can go on a run without a doubt. But then it comes up to matchups, too.

And, you know, sometimes you make moves at them over the years. And again, having played and coached and broadcast, sometimes teams make moves because they know they're on a collision course with a specific player or a specific team. And that's that's what's so intriguing about everything that has happened in Eastern Conference so far with the trades. It's amazing how many trades have been made west to east.

Eddie Olchik, you're in the West. Enjoy the game tonight. And also tell our friend John Forslund that we said hello and we will talk to you again.

We'll see in the playoffs. I know that sounds great. Look forward to it.

Thanks a lot, Adam. Eddie Olchik from the NHL on TNT. Chip Patterson will join us when we come back. We'll get his take on what were they thinking about at that Board of Trustees Matter meeting at Florida State next.