[Cobra Mgr]

Bussi has apparently taken over the #1GT role. He started last night, his 2nd in a row. And this was for 1st place in the Metro vs arch rival Washington. That shows he has earned the trust from Rod while Andersen continues to struggle. And "the Bus" delivered. He stopped 23 of 25, then all 3 Cap attempts in the shootout for a 3-2 win.

The seasons is now more than a third over. Carolina's record is about where everyone expected. But how they have gotten there wasn't. Bussi was a pickup expected to be insurance. He wasn't expected to be their best in the net. The Canes best defenseman, Jaccob Slavin, has only played one full game. Rookie Nikishin has been the only D to not go in and out of the lineup w/injuries. And now the offense has been rather anemic.

But it has given Carolina a chance to show the depth of their roster even down in Chicago w/the Wolves. The Canes have the best record in the East and not one player in the top 55 in scoring. So they have plenty of pieces that can be used in a trade for a big shot scorer @ the deadline w/o disrupting the roster too much. And Bussi's emergence allows the front office to zero in on just that instead of a goalie if they so choose.