Friday night in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes finished up their preseason schedule with a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals. The game featured a healthy mix of sure NHLers working to round into form, young players trying to make a statement before final cuts and Coach Bill Peters doing some line tinkering.
Here are my notes from the game that largely line up with my ‘What I’m watching’ preview:
1) Players trying to make a statement
Janne Kuokkanen
I think he had a positive game in terms of thinking the game at NHL speed and making a high number of good decisions especially offensively. He had a few pucks just miss him from between the circles and was active offensively. The negative to Kuokkanen’s game was that he seemed to have a tough time hands-wise handling (mostly receiving) the puck. A few of the near misses might have been from the passes being a bit off or in his skates, but he also had at least three instances where he just failed to receive/handle a puck on his stick. I will take being in the right place and processing the game at NHL speed over the physical part any day, so despite maybe what could have been a bigger night for Kuokkanen, I will call it half full.
Martin Necas
He continues to look at least capable of playing at the NHL level. Noteworthy is that his best sequence in my opinion again happened with him playing in the role of playmaking forward. He had the puck in the neutral zone, quickly sorted things out and fed Brett Pesce joining the rush. He later received the puck in the offensive zone and had the puck on and off his stick in a hurry to almost find Jeff Skinner in front. Another arguably ‘best play of the night’ for Necas saw him steal a puck on the forecheck and again make a lickity-split pass to the front of the net that led to two quick scoring chances.
I continue to like Necas’ game in general, but I also see him as a player who is not a 50/50 call on wing versus center. To me, he just looks night and day better playing in the middle of the rink distributing the puck. That could come into play for the final roster if Peters/Francis agree because the center slot is full up already.
Vote for anchoring Necas into the center slot aside, he drew a penalty, had a steal and quick feed in front of the forecheck and the back and forth passing through the neutral zone to his credit – not a bad night’s work.
Brock McGinn
He had a noticeable night physically, finishing checks whenever given the chance. He was also the screen on Justin Faulk’s first period goal. One of his strengths is his every shift consistency in terms of intensity level and physical play. That said, he did also have two instances in which he overdid it trying to catch a piece of Caps player on the boards near the blue line and saw the puck get quickly behind him where the Caps had an advantage. All in all, McGinn had a strong night and reminded Bill Peters what he brings to the lineup on a consistent basis.
2) Scott Darling v2.0
Scott Darling wandered into another strange game that was challenging for building any kind of rhythm early. Darling faced and defended a couple grade A chances about six minutes into the game, but in general had very little to do in a first period that saw the Hurricanes dictate play and give up only four shots on net.
He saw only 19 shots on the night, but I still think the game was a positive building block for Darling. After mostly fighting off the puck in his first start on Monday, he seemed to track the puck better and do a significantly better job controlling or corralling rebounds.
3) The blue line
Too much should not be made of preseason hockey, but I really like where Noah Hanifin is right now. His gaps are better, and he is playing a more assertive and aggressive brand of hockey both with the puck on his stick and defending. Ironically, maybe most telling was Hanifin’s one sizable mistake on the night. He perilously tried backhanding a puck across the defensive zone from just inside the blue line and had it stolen. As is often the case with turnovers at the blue line, the rest of the team was not in position to defend at that transition point. Though he had to hop across to the other side of the ice, Hanifin made a quick decision to go to the puck and take away time and space. The aggressive play was in stark contrast to sometimes being a bit of a deer in the headlights under duress in the past. If given the option of taking one players’ preseason effort and just saying “give me 82 games of that,” I think it could be Hanifin with Teuvo Teravainen and Derek Ryan being the others I would consider.
I also think Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin look to be on track after decent but not great play earlier in preseason. Brett Pesce seemed to do absolutely everything with a purpose especially early in the game, and Jaccob Slavin just looks fast be it covering a short distance to win a loose puck or galloping up the ice.
Haydn Fleury had a few tough sequences including one when he whiffed on a puck in the neutral zone, then made an ill-advised backhand out of the corner that was stolen by the Caps and finished by turning the puck over again into the neutral zone. The positive on that tough sequence and in general for Fleury is that he seemed to maintain his composure and just keep playing.
An observation on Justin Faulk: He looks like a completely different player skating forward through the neutral zone versus skating backward in the defensive zone. Through the middle of the ice, he has a powerful and fast enough stride that tends to back up defenders and make even more room somewhat like Jordan Staal. At times, in the defensive zone he just looks slow to get going. The most notable example was the play where Caps forward Vrana blew right by him to the middle and drew a holding penalty on the way to the net.
4) Peters’ line tinkering
Justin Williams spent a good chunk of the third period playing with Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan completing his tour having played with all three of fairly consistent left wing/center combinations. I am torn on where he fits best, but what he brings that line is puck possession acumen in terms of keeping the puck in the offensive zone, winning it and supporting it when his line mates have it.
Who else spent their Friday night on Canes hockey despite the fact that it is preseason and is willing to share his/her viewpoint on the preseason finale?
Go Canes!
I was there tonight – Section 106, Row H.
I liked what I saw with the blueline.
I was extremely impressed by Hanifin – night-and-day from last season. You mentioned his defense. Noah has now developed an NHL-quality shot and has the confidence to take. ChuckK suggested Hanifin could have had a hat trick – I concur.
I liked what TvR was doing out there, and Slavin played great D and looked like a forward on some rushes.
I thought Darling has having trouble handling the puck – and ChuckK said the same. But he was a wall for us and made some solid saves.
I am mixed on what I saw on the offense. I really think that Staal makes any player on his wing better. Kuokkanen on Rask’s wing was not the same player on Staal’s wing the other night. In the 3rd, Rask was centering Kuokkanen and Necas – that line looked disorganized. Rask had some great looks in the first – couldn’t convert.
I saw Skinner, Williams, Aho, and Lindholm expend a lot of energy on the ice but unable to really produce.
I think Skinner has the same goal and point total as Necas this preseason – correct me if I am wrong. There was a helter-skelter to his game tonight.
I thought the defense (in both zones) got an A; goaltending a B+; special teams were a solid B. Although there were some excellent possession shifts, I just didn’t see anything special in the 5×5 offense – that concerns me.
I should mention I liked the forecheck, as well, and some nice takeaways in our offensive zone when the Caps found the puck.
Was also at the game. I thought it was a good preview of what we can expect all season. Very fast and very strong defensive team that will struggle to score goals, but will be very difficult to play against.
Thought the D was solid. Fleury seemed a step slow to me and not very strong on his skates. He was manhandled at times imo. I also thought he played a little flat footed in the D zone. Hanifin is setting up for a very strong year. He’s more aggressive, stronger and his shot has improved. Played with much more confidence. I really like him with Pesce. Faulk’s D zone play is a cause for concern. He’s not as engaged or confident as when he rushing up the ice offensively. He will need a strong partner. TVR is a nice addition and solidifies the D
The 4th line will be a source of strength this year. Love Krueger’s game and how he solidifies our defensive game. That will not be area that other teams can exploit this year. McGinn is perfectly slotted on that line and he brings an intensity and physical edge that’s needed.
Necas is the shiny new toy. Man does he have speed. He belongs at center and is best served by baking for another year. He needs to get stronger to effectively play in the O zone. Otherwise he will not be able to contribute against bigger and stronger forwards and D. He’s gonna be special though.
Kuokkanen didn’t wow me. He can skate and think the game at NHL speed, but also seemed to be physically challenged. Unlike Aho, he can be pushed off the puck and manhandled on the Boards. He may be the best option for now with injuries, but not sure how effective he’s gonna be.
Rask is a concern to me. Don’t see his game progressing at all. I fear we may see long periods where he disappears offensively. He is at best a 3C and will be challenged for that role as Roy develops.
I still believe we are a playoff team playing the style of hockey we played last night. We will not be overmatched in any game and will be difficult to score against. Should be an exciting year and the first of many good ones to come
I will start by saying that since I started reading Canes and Coffee I watch the Canes with much more insight. For example:
Corey wrote about the Canes’ identity. It was on display both Monday and last night. The team doesn’t give the opposition many chances, not just because of the D but with the way they hound the puck for 200 feet. In both the first Edmonton game and this Caps game the opponents ended the first with 4 shots on net. I am sure that is what BP means by “starting on time.” A great trend to take into 17-18.
Matt wrote toward the end of last season that the scoring concerns might be overcome with the D becoming more aggressive. Last night it was apparent that all of the 6 regulars have been coached to join the attack. And my personal take (and I had this in watching a few Blackhawk games last year) is that TVR is solid in the D zone and surprisingly good with the puck in the offensive zone.
Another article from last season focused on Eric Tulsky’s influence on the team. I for one am convinced it is the analytic argument that has Slavin with Faulk and Peace with Hanifin. One of the most insightful commenters, dmiller, brought up the weak-link/strong-link theory of sports. The analytics world would tell you hockey is a strong link sport. So–it makes sense to split your two best D-men. I would argue that Hanifin’s game has progressed because he is a year more experience, but the bigger reason it looks better is that he is paired with Pesce.
Specific to last night:
Darling looks solid–but he seems shaky when handling the puck. My guess/hope is that he is not comfortable knowing yet where his teammates will be and it will soon disappear. I didn’t notice this shakiness when he was with Chicago.
Aho looked more aggressive than he did to begin last season. He is obviously strong for his size and seemed to relish getting in puck battles and skating into the defense before making a decision on where to send the puck.
Kuokkanen continued to make a case. As the OP stated, he didn’t always handle passes cleanly, but he was in strong offensive positions on almost every shift.
Necas was a little the opposite. He was good when he had the puck or was an obvious recipient of a pass. However, he was really tentative on forechecks. Given the team’s system, I think that might convince BP to give him another year of experience.
McGinn played hard and looked like he would fit well with Nordstrom and Kruger if needed. My guess is he cemented the 13th forward spot.
Staal is extremely underrated–even by Canes’ fans. When he is on the ice it seems like the puck has to go through him before the opponents can make anything happen–and he always causes some degree of disruption. The pass on Hanifin’s goal was excellent. With new teammates it does appear that Jordan Staal will become more of a presence on the scoresheet.
Justin Williams is the player the team needed–even more than a 1C. His play around and behind the net makes his linemates, both the forwards and D, much more dangerous. He like Stall also seems to be maniacal about wanting the puck when the opponents have it.
Necas: He just will not shoot the puck. He was standing at the right side of the blue paint with an open shot and elected to try to slide a pass to another Cane who was in the center of the ice near the blue paint. No way he doesn’t score if he shoots, but he passed. Only very late in the game he fired a laser shot from outside. He really needs someone to tell him to shoot when he has scoring opportunities. He’s ready otherwise, but we need goals from him. Otherwise, he’s just another excellent playmaker who will not be a top six forward in the NHL. We don’t need any more bottom six centers who can’t score. Don’t want to sound harsh here because I like this player. But really someone needs to get him to shoot.
Kuokkanen: As far as I am concerned he has made the team. Has a complete game and is offensively effective.
Fleury: Had a couple o bad moments, but that is the norm for a defenseman in the NHL. hat’s why we have goalies. They have to make up for these gaffs. IMO he’s ready for the NHL and will only get better.
Darling: Did what you want your goalie to do. Won the game. Allowed two or less goals which if replicated consistently during the season will propel us into the playoffs.
Team: Fast as h..l, beautiful passing, and fun to watch. Most skill I’ve seen in years on the Canes. Now I know why the Edmonton announcers were so vocal about the Canes speed and puck moving ability. Generated numerous scoring opportunities with outstanding passing, tenacity and speed.
While the “bottom six” without scoring is a bit harsh, I think the comments on Necas here are correct. He is too much a pass first guy. I’d like to see him play center in Charlotte and have coach Vellucci tell him for every 2 passes, he needs to take one shot on goal, something like that, to get him thinking about goal scoring as much as assists. In all other contexts, he’s NHL ready.
I also agree with yours/other comments on Kuokkanen: with Stempniak out, you’ve made the team.
I’m most concerned with Rask centering a line. JWill seemed to help him, but Kuokkanen on the wing in this situation wasn’t the answer. This I think is the one spot where BP needs to really think about who else may make this line click.
Team generally: very fast, noticeable faster than last year with more skill and confidence.
Defense: what I’ve noticed in the pre-season games I’ve seen and especially last night, is that most of the shots we allow are low-danger. Very few odd-man rushes and team positioning has been sound. Even the final sequence when the Caps pulled Grubauer: lots of possession in our zone (2:30+), hardly any shots, zero high-danger chances.
Darling: looked better, didn’t seem stressed by much. Given statement about defense, didn’t seem like he had to work too hard. Yes, puck management was shaky but still an upgrade in this area from last season. It’ll get better with more experience playing with these players.
Necas: by my count, he created three high-danger chances that weren’t converted, drew a penalty (the continuation of that play almost led to a goal), and passed when he had a shot from a place similar to where Niskanen scored. That’s fantastic productivity. I just think that his teammates aren’t ready and are surprised by the plays he makes. I think he needs to adjust, but they do, too. Very torn here: more time with these players would certainly help; just still think he’s a year away from completely lighting it up.
Williams: he just seems to know how to keep plays alive and be in position when he has chances. He was on the doorstep a few times but didn’t score. And these chances seemed to come out of nowhere. Does all the little things – like Staal – that do not show up on the stat sheet or get appreciated by casual fans but make his line more effective. One of my Board members used to say, when talking about employees, that some are bricks and some are mortar; JWilliams is mortar.
Powerplay: scouting will takeaway the back-door play that was open all night, but the skill and positioning and puck movement is going to generate far more chances this year.
Aho, Lindholm, Skinner: they’ve been quiet but their games are there. Rask, on the other hand, worries me a little.
Hanifin: there was one play in the 2nd where he got possession in our end, faked a pass and deked a forechecker, then carried the puck straight up the middle of the ice to generate his own scoring chance almost single-handedly: that didn’t happen once last year. Much more confidant. Definitely worked on his shot over the summer because it’s now a serious weapon. He has taken a major step forward.
Kuokkanen: skill is there, not his best game. Still, he’s ready.
Again, I think the template for our play this season came out in the pre-season: limit chances on defense, transition the puck up ice quickly, play fast, apply pressure everywhere, stay disciplined. That was our game in EDM and the game last night. It’s our winning formula, and we’re going to win with it more often this season now that we have the players who can execute it on an every-shift basis.
My initial take last night was probably too harsh on the 5×5 offense. There were a lot of good chances created by that “energy” being expended with some very strong play in the offensive zone. If we had been able to finish, that score could have been 6-1 or 7-1.
It will be interesting to see what the remaining cuts are. I don’t want to speculate at this point but I have read all sorts of takes this morning on Necas, McGinn, and Kuokkanen.
With a variety of things going well, especially the overall look of the blueline in transition, I think one thing that will warrant keeping an eye on closely is the play of Victor Rask. Slavin had a tough preseason but it looked more like he was shaking off the rust and had a solid game last night. But Rask hasn’t really looked good or dangerous in any of the games in my opinion. What’s up with him?
Rask actually was stopped by two better-than-average plays by the Edmonton goalie Wednesday night. If he had those two goals, we wouldn’t be concerned with his play. My hope is that he finds the net during the first homestand. Because he has been solid defensively during preseason and his passes have been fine. So I am not sure his level of play has dipped other than his shooting %–that should return to the mean in time.
On another note, after watching the interviews after last night’s game, I am surprised at myself and others for not considering Faulk more seriously for captain. He is good with the media, seems to have strong camaraderie with his teammates, and has as much of an argument as anyone given his stats. He was third in D-man goal scoring last season and is playing on the D, which is central to the team’s identity.
Really (about Faulk) ? I often watch his interviews and find them… hard to watch. He does seem like he is a good guy in the locker room, but I don’t find he puts a lot of serious thought into answering interview questions. Maybe it’s just not his cup of tea. Jordan Staal, like Eric, seems just a bit dreary during interviews but in a more quiet professional way that I would expect out of a captain.
I have no idea who they will give the captaincy to honestly. Maybe Skinner?
I know that the season has yet to start (and of course I’M BIASED), but overall this team looks much improved!
My concerns are not huge, nor many.
1. Scoring is not where I’d like it, YET! …but I think the good-possession-OFFENSE BODES WELL for limiting shots-against!
2. Two players who concern me some…Rask – hasn’t been very good..
Fleury – not strong or noticeable on offense, and inconsistent (at best) on defense.
3. Stempniak injury (whatever it is?) IS CONCERNING BECAUSE IT IS BEING TREATED LIKE IT’S SIGNIFICANT…usually you are told -upper body, or lower body… Peters acted like he didn’t know, or wanted to totally hide it…? Concussion??
4. FINALLY I’m perplexed about Necas…should he stay/ go?
I LIED…there’s ONE MORE CONCERN… (guesses anybody?)
WARD…enough said!
Ward looks good in a baseball cap. What more can you ask for?
Necas is very talented. Stay or go for him is perplexing, because of that talent. By the eye test he “fits” in this team now. Given his age, experience level and pre-draft ranking that is almost astonishing. Hard to measure is the rate of speed he accomplishes the learning curve required by the rigors of the NHL. Can he do that in 9 games? The easy answer is “why not try”? The bigger question is can the team simultaneously give the kid the needed top six line time in those 9 games AND have a very good won-lose record at the 10 game mark of the season? If that answer can be answered unequivocally yes give him another 9 games to make the team. If no, pencil him in as a starter in 2018-19.
It seems Stempniak is not ready to go, so who else is going to play on the RW if not Necas/Ryan? I’d like to see Necas for a few games, and i’d rather see Kuokkanen go to Charlotte. Let’s not forget Necas at least has experience playing against men, Kuokkanen has yet to begin his professional career so he might benefit from starting in Charlotte. Then if Necas has to go at the 10 game mark and Stempniak still isn’t ready, then the Canes can at least select a callup based on performance in AHL games rather than just preseason and practices.