It’s a late-arriving crowd as the stands are pretty empty for warm-ups, although I did see quite a fair share of people out on the plaza around 6:30 p.m. or so when I had to go back to my car to retrieve my tape recorder, which was squarely sitting on the floor board in front of the passenger seat, the result of a hard hit on the brakes to stop for a red light earlier this afternoon. I need to learn to put that thing in my computer bag on a more consistent basis (although it is a bad excuse to get in some walking time)

Lukas Krajicek is on the ice for pregame warm-ups wearing jersey No. 2, so I would have to assume that means he is going to play, although David Koci is participating in the pre-game skate. Carolina goaltender Michael Leighton came out of the doors first, so I would expect that Leighton will get the call in net.