Tweetmail No. 177: Skinner's Duties, Playoff Odds & Official Scorers

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Tweetmail is a weekly feature on CarolinaHurricanes.com in which I take your Twitter questions about the Carolina Hurricanes or other assorted topics and answer them in mailbag form. Hopefully the final product is insightful to some degree, and maybe we have some fun along the way.
Let's get to it.

Tweet from @LongSwimmer1: Why is Jeff Skinner always the guy to clear the pucks out of the net in the shoot around? He's been doing it since he was a rookie!
Great question. If you've ever watched warm-ups since the 2010-11 season, you've seen Jeff Skinner digging pucks out of the net and dishing them to his teammates during the various drills the team runs through. This is usually a rookie task, but it's something Skinner, now in his eighth NHL season, has continued to do.
As it turns out, it's just something that's stuck. Call it habit.
"I guess I'm doing an all right job, so I get to stick with it," he said.
In 2010-11, Skinner split warm-up puck duty with Chad LaRose. If the team won, whoever did it that game would do it again the next. Then, a veteran spoke up.
"Wardo said he wanted the same guy to do it every time, I think. That's pretty much what warmies are for: for the goalies to get warm, so he's the boss out there," Skinner said. "Ever since, I kept doing it."
Superstitious might not be the right descriptor, but Skinner's warm-up duties have certainly become routine for the Canes.
"When you run it, you sort of get into a routine. You pick up on other guys' routines. I don't know if they're superstitions or not, but usually it's the same thing," Skinner said. "Not much changes out there. The order is always the same of who gets the puck when. I wouldn't classify myself as superstitious. I have routines, but if something goes in a different order, I don't get rattled."
Someone will eventually take over Skinner's warm-up duties, but until then, you'll continue to see No. 53 fishing pucks out of the net.
"You find comfort in a routine," he said. "If someone really wants it that bad, they can have it. But for now, I'll keep doing it I guess."

Ah, the beard. It was getting a bit long (read: way too long), so I trimmed it up. Much more manageable and presentable now. But thanks!
The answer to your hockey question is going to sound wishy-washy, but I'll explain myself: yes and no. The Hurricanes are 0-4-2 in their last six games against the Metropolitan Division. The season-long intra-division record is better at 6-7-5, but neither is great and the recent slide comes at an unfortunate time considering the Canes' place in the standings. In the last week, the team could have made some serious ground against New Jersey (twice) and the Islanders. Instead, the Devils have created some separation in a division that's been congested in the middle nearly all season. So, from that standpoint, yes, the recent slide has negatively affected the team's playoff chances.
But I also say no because, even though the Canes are just 4-4-2 in their last 10, they're still right in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. For now - and this may be the case down the stretch with both New Jersey and Philadelphia jockeying for third place in the Metro and the top wild card spot - it's essentially a three-team race for the second wild card spot between the Canes, Islanders and Blue Jackets. Columbus is currently above the playoff cut line, but only by a point.
So, while wins against the Metropolitan Division, especially as of late, would have been ideal, it hasn't sunk the Hurricanes. The team remains squarely in the mix, with divisional opponents ahead in three of their next five games.
Tweet from @brianbarnes388: I know New York looks at reviews on goals and offsides but who is in charge of who gets credit for a goal or an assist. Is it the team?
Each building in the NHL has a team of off-ice officials that include goal judges, official scorers, video replay judges and time keepers, amongst others.
A few of these folks, including the penalty box attendants, are stationed right at ice level. The official scorers get a bird's eye view of things up on press row. That team of scorers records everything - this player took this kind of shot from this far out of the net and was it on goal or blocked? - and ultimately determines who gets credit for goals and assists. Sometimes, the play is pretty cut and dry. This player passes to this player and he scores a goal. Other times, plays require a replay angle or four to determine if the shot was deflected on its way to the back of the net. From the basics to the more detailed, all of this information helps generate official game reports like
this
and
this
and
this
.

I'm so ready.
So, real quick backstory: the Oak City Supporters are an independent local fan group that rallies behind the NCFC and the NC Courage. They brought their signature chants and rowdy atmosphere to the already-rowdy Section 328 last February and are coming back for round two - what they've dubbed
"OCS On Ice II"
- on Friday, Feb. 23 when the Hurricanes host the Penguins.

It should be a blast. The Hurricanes are already expecting a large crowd that night, and this will only enhance the atmosphere. Come ready to cheer!
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Join me next week for more questions and more answers.
If you have a question you'd like answered or you'd like to discuss the first two seasons of "The Leftovers," which is just brilliant television, you can find me on Twitter at
@MSmithCanes
or drop an email
here
.