A Familiar Start

Well, at least we were competitive in this one. In what's becoming a theme in these playoffs, my Hurricanes dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night to Pittsburgh, 3-2. I say it's becoming a theme because Carolina lost their openers in the first two rounds to New Jersey and Boston before bouncing back to win those series. Those first two were blowouts, but the Canes played tough last night, and probably would have won the game if not for a superhuman performance from Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, especially in the first period. Game 2 is Thursday night, and if form holds, we've got them right where we want them. That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.