The Hurricanes played reasonably well on Sunday but did not get the results they wanted in their 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. With the season hanging in the balance and results being all that really matters, the team needs to quickly push back into the win column on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild represents another challenge against a Western Conference playoff team. As playoff teams often do, the Wild have started to round into form since the beginning of February with a 10-4-2 record. The team is led by former Hurricanes captain Eric Staal who leads the team with 65 points and is on pace to reach 40 goals. What a difference a couple years and a change of scenery has meant for him.
On the Hurricanes side of the ledger, the game is about staying the course but finding a way to convert it to a win. Unlike a couple of recent clunkers, Sunday’s loss was a strong effort overall. Scoring/finishing continues to be a challenge but more players are starting to join the group, and though the bad version of goaltending has been briefly dormant, the level of play in that regard continues to be mostly ‘meh.’
‘What I’m watching for the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Minnesota Wild
1) Same compete, intensity level and consistency
As noted above, the level of play was fine on Sunday. Despite the fact that the effort did not garner the desired results on Sunday, it is still the starting point for any and all winning hockey. On Tuesday, I will be watching to see if the Hurricanes can bring that level of compete across four lines, three defense pairs and 60 minutes of hockey again on Tuesday.
2) Goaltending
Here lives goaltending. Cam Ward was not horrible in Sunday’s loss, but he did manage at least one ‘what was that’ goal against when he never reacted or moved after having a shot clang off the pipe behind him. Regardless of that one fluky play, the goalie a the other end was slightly better arguably the difference in an even game in which the Hurricanes had the shot advantage. The game represented the third start in four nights for Ward which was a first diversion from Peters splitting back-to-backs. My guess is that Peters continues to ride Ward at this point, but we will not know for certain until the morning skate. Regardless, goaltending continues to be an every-game watch point.
3) Jeff Skinner and Sebastian Aho
I had both offensive leaders clicking as a necessary item for a Hurricanes playoff push. Both players have been contributing, but I would not say that either is truly hot. Skinner is goal-less in his past six games but has been really close on multiple occasions and did have six goals in six games prior to that. Aho has two goals in his last four games but a five-game goal-less stretch before that. To find the winning streak that the team needs right now, I think it takes both of these players clicking offensively at the same time. On Tuesday, I will be watching for signs of life from these two offensive leaders.
The puck drops at 8pm with John, Tripp and Mike on Fox Sports Carolinas.
Go Canes!
McGinn-Staal-Williams
Aho-Lindholm-Teravainen
Skinner-Rask-Di Giuseppe
Ryan-Wallmark-Stempniak
Slavin-Faulk
Hanifin-Pesce
Fleury-van Riemsdyk
Ward
Darling
Peters is an idiot and has mismanaged this team all year!!
If he is not gone, seriously considering season tickets this year, been season ticket holder 19 our of 20.
McGinn on FIRST LINE, are you F’ing kidding me!
He is no higher than third line, what a coach, this guy has his favorites and that is BS!!
Zykov should have been up weeks ago for Ryan, guy can’t score worth a crap.
McGinn on first line, OMG, guy is not a playmaker, put Skinner on first or 2nd line Peters!!!!!
Francis has no b _ _ s!!!
If we do not make layoffs, fire Francis now, cannot believe he did not bring in one new player, Francis is pathetic, enough family business, to get Yzerman!!!
The fact that you think Bill Peters is an idiot after three years of coaching this team says far more about you than him. He definitely doesn’t owe you anything for season tickets. If you want to get emotional about the nine-year losing streak, that is well within your perrogative, but it’s….well, keep on ranting because it’s kind of funny, but come on man. Zykov has scored half of his goals on the powerplay, has been just as bad defensively there as Skinner has been here, and you think he’s the answer?
If you’re going to bail on season tickets next year, you’ll be back when they’re good in a year or two. We’ll see you when you get back. And if you’re just going to bail on them now, because of a mere nine-year playoffless streak (annoying, but not abnormal to any small-market team in any sport) then I fully support your money saving venture, it’s been nice talking to you. This bumpy ride is still going to lead somewhere awesome. Go Canes!
Have you been watching the McGinn-Staal-Williams line since it was first formulated? They play, and effectively so, against the other teams top line neutralizing them and controlling the puck. Goals not scored against you count. McGinn also gets to the front of the net in 5×5 and given how the line plays in general that is valuable.
The last player I would want on that line is Skinner. His mis-play led to two of the Bruins’ goals a couple of weeks back as he headed to the neutral zone before we even had possession of the puck in the D zone. He is a terrible fit for that line and what is intended to do and does so well. And Aho is outplaying him for the second line.
fogger. Great comments as always. Though, I think you were a little harsh.
On Zykov. Yes he is a powerplay opportunist. And his +/- is quite poor. But he actually was on the penalty kill the last two games I attended. So his defense can’t be that much of a liability. The plus/minus might be a function of which D pairings are on the ice. McKeown and Samuelsson are plus 27 and plus 29 respectively. Whereas Kichton is -8 and Carrick is -7.
In any event, I agree that Zykov is not the sole answer in Raleigh, but he might be a solid NHLer with some scoring upside–the powerplay prowess can’t hurt.
1. I am no fan of BP but calling him an idiot doesn’t carry much weight with me. I would rather read about some specific complaints about hockey related management and moves.
2. Cancelling season tickets does not hurt anyone except the players, the community, the team owner, and the fans. Cancellation should occur if you can’t get enjoyment from attending, you can’t afford them, your work schedule interferes, and things of that sort. Real hockey fans IMO perservere through thick or thin.
3. Numbering the Canes as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. doesn’t really mean much.
Continuing…
BP comes up with combinations but IMO he doesn’t look at any of them in any numerical order.
4. Zykov…let’s give the guy some NHL action before either making him a savior or crucifying him. ctcaniac has pointed out some facts about him. Also he was in the speed skating competition at the AHL allstar game and was 3rd fastest. Give me his net presence.
I agree with both of you CT and RedRyder, I was a bit harsh on Zykov, but if we’re being 100% honest here, I’ve been on Team Foegele over Team Zykov since day 1. Here’s hoping they both pan out.
And I also will say this to expand on RedRyder’s point. If I had to make one change, immediately, right now, it would be firing Bill Peters, simply because I think our young team might be effective under a new voice and a different play style. That said, he is a very good coach, and one of the more respected minds in hockey. If we had more netfront presence that his style really demands, he’d be lauded as a genius. Our personnel just isn’t a 100% fit. Here’s hoping we can swing a hockey trade or find a net front gem that gives BP the credit he is due hockey-wise. Or find a guy that fits our players, that might work too.
I hate to be the ‘some fanbases have it worse’ guy but Buffalo has seen all of two first-round exists in the last 12 years and has made it to all of two Stanley Cup finals (both lost) in 47 years of existence. Do we want to become the bitter, hateful fanbase that is Sabres Nation? I would think not.
Zykov is the AHL scoring leader (with, I think 28 goals). However he came by those goals, I think that fact alone warrants bringing him up for a closer look.
Hopefully both he and Vogele will become effective regulars next season.
I don’t think BP has done much to deserve praise this year, his inexplicable reluctance to at least try some of our AHL talent, his apparent love affair with DR (overslotting him consistently and in overtime 3 on 3), and a 4th line that has been near invisible on the score sheet and not great on PK either have done much to discredit him as the right coach for this team.
I think fans have the right to be frustrated, and if you can’t have a voice in the running of the team you can express your frustration and try to send a message through how much money you contribute to the team in the form of ticket purchases. I think any canes fan has the full right to be a bit tired of the same old right now and longing to see some drastic action to break the team out of the decade long slump.
It’s up to the guys on the ice, their coaches, the management and the owners to make the Canes games worth the price of admission.
100% you have that right. You should always do what’s best for you. As we’ve seen, the Hurricanes certainly aren’t going to do what’s best for you or me lol. Hopefully, they are doing what’s best for winning hockey moreso than their bottom line, but at the end of the day, they do what’s best for them. If this legitimately frustrates you to the point where it’s making you too unhappy, that really sucks, I’m sorry to hear that.
We’re the underdogs, a small market southern hockey town trying to play with the Steinbrenners of hockey up there in Toronto and Boston. We play a different game, and we can still have championships, but I don’t see any long term doom and gloom associated with a heavily youth focused, analytically sound approach.
Yes you absolutely have the right to walk away, voice your frustration and buy however fewer tickets you choose. And I have the right to continue testifying to the long-term future of cupshine and rainbows while I wave goodbye to you for a little while.
Lol, that hopefully includes not watching the ongoing game.
Hopefully it will help speed up the rebuild and get us focused on a winning season next year. I gave up on this one a while ago (except for the tale gating in April), but with a new owner who has proven to be a ruthless winner, maybe we can make a little magic happen over the summer.
Amen to that. What a clunker last night.