Today’s Daily Cup of Joe looks at six young players who have had fits of greatness but also bouts of lesser play and considers whether those players are on the brink of putting it all together or just destined to offer sporadic bursts of goodness amid inconsistency.
The Monday Coffee Shop takes on a similar theme but more at a team level.
Carolina Hurricane polls
Please remember to click ‘vote’ after each individual poll response.
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Discussion questions
1) What do you make of the current three-game winning streak and its likelihood to continue (not necessarily a streak but strong play that pushes above .500)?
2) Which elements of the recent wins are most critical to winning on a more consistent basis?
3) If you had to pick one player most capable of leading the next leg higher, who would it be and why?
Go Canes!
1)I think it will continue to trend up. Good team game and 3 full periods of solid Hockey. Have avoided the bad period. There will be some faltering because the team is young and still learning how to play with the same effort day in and day out. The effort is mostly there. I still think we give up a few to many high quality scoring chances and we don’t create enough dangerous chances of our own.
2) Consistent Defense and not complete breakdowns. More consistent goaltending.
3) Skinner… He is due to go on a run. This Recent Success is without him scoring. 2 Goals in his last 16 Games and hasn’t scored in the last 5. We will continue to get some depth scoring but if Skinner goes on a run those 1 goal losses turn into wins.
Same as last year up and down play. Play just well enough to tease a potential playoff spot but ultimately fall short. Unfortunately we again gave away to many points in winnable games that will haunt us. Plus we still give up way too many easy goals on miss assignments and poor positioning and poor goaltending. I really hope I am wrong.
Nothing to get too excited about…
When you win 3 out of 4 a few more times THEN I’LL BE EXCITED, but
this team could just as easily lose 3 of 4…!
The goalie situation (if continued) MAY BE HUGE, because our scoring is unpredictably weak.
Leader…? That is a mystery to me, and part of the identity problem…Williams – yes, and??
1. Three games in a row is how streaks start. Let’s see how they continue. But I liked what I saw the past 3 games, and want to view it as the trigger for the team to start playing to the potential I think it has.
The risk factor – I think the team could be a lot better with some changes (Aho/Lindholm to the center; callup of Zykov) but near-term success makes these changes less likely in lieu of injury. And I still don’t think BP/RF would adjust – PDG would find his way back into the lineup most likely.
2. Gutsy play; a return to Slavin/Pesce dominance; better goaltending; slick puck movement and passing; incremental improvement by Hanifin are all the factors I saw in play for improvement. Also no “deer in the headlights” response to late-game pressure.
3. It has to be Aho, I think. As I mentioned in this morning’s previous column, Aho is still playing excellent hockey even if the goals aren’t going in. He just has to continue and the goals will come.
Plus, borrowing (again) from katrii earlier in the morning, take a look at – even if you seen it before – Aho playing center in the Sabres game with Turbo and Rask on his wings.
(0.45 mark) https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/video/car–buf/t-277437094/c-55771303
1. Nothing we haven’t seen already before. Give me a streak of 10 of 12, or 15 of 20 and then we’ll be playoff caliber.
2. Darling…Darling…Darling, with Wardo winning 2/3rds of his spot starts.
3. Aho may have to be the one to lead the team a notch higher. In short, I don’t think we have any other catalysts. Lofty goal for a young kid, but he owns the puck and dictates the play offensively when entering the zone and others feed off that. Now, I still do think we need to bridge the gap with an O’Reilly/Landeskog type up front. To me that would make most sense and slot everyone appropriately. Of course, we’d have to give to get.
1) The 3 game streak included significant lucky bounces from the hockey gods. Kruger’s deflection, Jordy’s goal. They were *earned* lucky bounces, though, created by an aggressive forecheck and attacking passes through the crease. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Expect no lucky bounces with lolly-pops from the point, this were earned lucky bounces.
The most important result is 6 of 8 points from division leading CBJ. The bad Western conference losses are diminished by good play against eastern teams.
2) The goalie play was the best of the season. It was wonderful to see Scott Darling’s joy after playing well. He was rested, practiced, and focused, and his play reflected it.
An OT and SO win were also great to see. On off-season focus item was improving these elements of play. I think bringing in Darling was the only significant personnel move, but others have stepped up and IMO our 3v3 strategy has improved significantly. If memory serves we would have been a playoff team last year if we could have gone 50% in OT games.
3) Aho or Darling. If we keep Darling rested and sharp we can expect more exceptional results, perhaps increasing his workload as the big data supports. Aho can be magical with his playmaking. While Skinner is fun to watch he generally only dynamic making plays for himself, whereas a playmaker makes the whole team around him better. (Note to self – look at “with or without you” graphs for our team).
I was happy for darling. His emotions at the end of the game made it very clear he was as focused as I have ever seen him. He was in the “anything it takes mode” to keep a goal from happening. I’ll take more of that. He was extremely focused.
1) It has reflected solid play, not dominating, but solid. The play will continue, let’s hope the results continue as well.
2) Six players on the ice all playing committed hockey. The goalies have made big saves, the D have joined rushes, the forwards have fought in front of the net. While the Canes have talent, they don’t have Tampa level talent (nor talent comparable to Pittsburgh the past two years or Chicago of 4-5 years ago). The Canes win by being a little better at most facets of the game.
3) Faulk. As others have mentioned, he is not playing like he did the second half of last season. If he finds his scoring touch, it will create another level for everyone else on the ice. My other choice would be Ryan–he was instrumental in both Buffalo and Columbus wins. He doesn’t have Skinner’s nor Aho’s ability to completely change a game. But Ryan makes a few “little” plays every game. If the team keeps winning, that means other players are finishing after one of Ryan’s contributions.
1) The current three-game winning streak is very encouraging. They were not pretty, it was a struggle but the team never quits. I believe they could stay above 500 but not sure it will be enough to get to the playoffs. Could be just out of it again.
2) What is most critical is the goal tending. Our D is still young and will probably have big mistakes every now and then and our offense will not be getting 3 goals every night. The think what will make of break this season is consistent goaltending.
3) I think who leads the team higher may not be the guy making the most goals. I think Williams is the true leader and his example is what teaches the young forwards how to be successful. It is just my guess but that is who I think makes the biggest difference.