The roller coaster ride always occurs during a long NHL season seems to have already started for the Carolina Hurricanes. The home opener was sloppy, but when you win on opening night in exciting fashion, you just take it and be happy. And game two netted a point making for a respectable three points in four games to start the season. But the trend coming out of the Columbus loss and carrying through a loss in Winnipeg was a lack of offense in a pair of 2-1 losses.
Today’s Daily Cup of Joe looks at the two-game (and it is very important to note that it is TWO games) scoring struggles and today’s Coffee Shop discusses the same topic.
Carolina Hurricanes poll questions
Please remember to click ‘vote’ after each individual response.
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Discussion questions
1) After a couple games of offensive struggles, what changes would you make lineup-wise heading into the next game on Tuesday in Edmonton?
2) Going back in the time machine to June, what are your thoughts on trying to add a higher-end offensive forward like Matt Duchene or Alex Galchenyuk?
3) What are your general impressions after the first road game and after three games total?
Go Canes!
1) After a couple games of offensive struggles, what changes would you make lineup-wise heading into the next game on Tuesday in Edmonton?
A. I wouldn’t make changes to the line up… I think we need a bit more traffic in front.
2) Going back in the time machine to June, what are your thoughts on trying to add a higher-end offensive forward like Matt Duchene or Alex Galchenyuk?
A. I don’t think the price was right or RF would have. I do not want to mortgage the future and extremely overpay for someone. Fleury looks like he is going to be good. Imaging having to give up Hayden or Hanifin and Necas plus! Not worth a 2 year rental or Alex who is in the dog house. I get that we will have to overpay for a first line center since it is one of the most difficult positions to fill. I just don’t want to create a new weakness to try to fill a current one…. and have multiple areas of concern. I don’t think our D is as deep as people think… Its a good young core, but if we lost one it would change a lot.
3) What are your general impressions after the first road game and after three games total?
Darling has looked good. Our D looks solid. We have to find ways to manufacture goals… Get to the net, create screens and tip opportunities, bang home some scrappy goals. We just don’t do enough of it. Slavin ripped a clapper late and Hellebuyck made a nice glove save.. but he had a clean look with out having to fight to see it. We need to make it more difficult on the goalies.
I feel like our play has been sloppy. Also,the Winnipeg game seemed like a slow game. Not sure if that’s the actual case but it just seemed slow and sloppy. Passing pucks behind people, in the skates and not in a clean area. When the pass was on the money they didn’t cleanly receive it. That happened a bunch. 2 games in a row ended 2-1.. good for our team D… But we need to create more.
1) I am concerned about the consistency of poor offensive production –
and think changes are necessary. Jooris for McGinn – McGinn is hitting, but I think Jooris has better offensive upside for the 4th line, maybe PK. I do not like the Aho-Staal-Lindholm line and am not sure why Peters has gone for it 3 straight games. Again, in the preseason I like Teuvo/Kuokk-Staal-Williams for both strong possession and scoring potential. I want to see Necas between two NHL wings with scoring potential (Aho-Lindholm, or maybe with Skinner and Ryan?). Or see Aho in a more scoring driven line (Rask-Lindholm).
2) I was never a fan of adding either Duchene or Galchenyuk – both for different reasons. I am still not. All the reasons for not signing Duchene are still in place (only 2 years on the current contract; extension limits our financial flexibility for signing our own internal prospects; Sakic looking for a D when we are no longer deep on NHL level D); plus are you signing the 40-point Duchene or the 60-point Duchene, and do you want a player who didn’t make it through December before quitting on his team and fans. That said, he has started off strong. Galchenyuk is now pretty much a reclamation project – just too high risk to give up much for.
3) I like a lot of individual play – from Kuokkanen and Fleury as rookies, to Darling (minus some work cleaning up rebounds) to Slavin who is, well, Slavin! But I don’t see a team driven to score – I find that concerning. CBJ was close-checking and that will limit scoring chances for both teams (it did) but the same can not be said for Winnipeg. I like that Kuokkanen made some serious attempts to score. Rask has missed on several opportunities. The power play is a disaster. But I like the chemistry that Nordstrom and Kruger how on the PK and 5×5.
Patience my friends. Lots of new faces in this lineup and it may take a little while for the acclimation process – especially for the offense. There always will be some line tinkering, both during the games and from game to game depending on the makeup of the competition. I can see Aho getting shifts, even starts at center. The problem is being a center should – if he’s paired with players who can score – result in more points but the change in position also comes with more defensive responsibilities and ultimately could result in less offensive chances if the match ups don’t work out in his favor. I prefer to look at ten game segments when you have a better statistical sample size and can identify trends more easily. That doesn’t help with the angst from the fan base, especially with the lofty expectations we all have for this team. The one point that I think we all agree on is the Canes had to eliminate their dreadful starts to the season. It’s been a slightly rough start so far but the schedule hasn’t done them any favors as well and the busier they get, the better they should play. Or at least become who they are. But I guess that’s the question on the table, who are they? We’ll know pretty soon. BTW….Justin Faulk eliminating his notoriously slow starts will help. He’s one of the keys in my mind. He needs to step up right away and drive some of the scoring from the blue line.
Thank you, tenininumee, you saved me from having to write this … patience is still required.
1/ see tenininumee above.
2/ Not worth giving up on our strategy of building the team from the goal out. It’s clearly working. We are a tough team to score against and that should get tougher as the season moves along. The goals will come.
3/ Faulk hasn’t scored but has looked very good and is off to a much faster start than in season’s past. Maybe the “C” is helping. Hanifin has clearly stepped it up and also looks much more confident. Darling is still settling in, but you could see in the WIN game that he’s getting more comfortable handling the puck. In general, everything I hoped about our defense is panning out so far – that we’re going to be tough to score on.
I’m not as down on our offense as everyone else is except our PP does look stagnant. We just need a decent game to get us going; it happened once against EDM in the pre-season, so I’m optimistic it’ll happen on Tuesday. If not then, definitely against CAL or DAL.
To tenininumee and dmilleravid – I respect the opinion that it is still early in the season and things may improve. I am bothered by the consistency of our offensive failings the past two games which makes me reluctant to concur we should give the lines more time. I would hate to see us have yet another slow start, albeit for different reasons, to overcome because the offense hasn’t worked things out yet.
1)I think it is too early to panic. We scored 4 goals opening night, Columbus is a tough defensive team like us and we didn’t get any traffic in front of the net against Winnipeg. Not opposed to juggling the lines and trying Aho at center. If struggles continue maybe call up Zykov who has shown he will park himself in front of the net.
2) I would only do a deal for Duchene or Galchenyuk if price is right. Would be willing to part with Bean , AHL forward and a pick for Duchene and less than that for Galchenyuk.
3)Liked what I have seen from Darling and the 3rd pairing until vanRiemsdyk got hurt – need him back soon unless Carrick can step up. Power play has been disappointing but PK has been good. Hope Kuokkanen sticks because I think it’s just a matter of time until he starts scoring.
This is not a time to press the panic button, and I respect all opinions as well. I’m with raleightj and a few others who have voiced concerns and for good reason. These are the same offensive questions that have remained unsolved probably since 2010. I get it, Galchenyuk and Duchene cost too much, but most of our forwards have played for Peters system plenty. The problems are too much perimeter play; not enough catalysts. Another practice and game is not going to change the core problem. The catalysts we do have are playing on the wing (Aho and Skinner). The supposed catalysts we draft/acquire (Lindy, TT) always start on wing, but why…they are not lighting it up on wing either? Necas is a natural center and potential catalyst and we’re not playing him at all (sure he didn’t score, but his presence alone was noticeable by away broadcasters). I’m sure once the season began there was fear of defensive breakdowns and added responsibilities at center ice…but that’s where over-thinking can lend to slow starts. We’re not going to take that next step confidence-wise playing the abundance of non-catalysts at center ice. Other teams have started young centers for their playmaking abilities…and a good deal have benefited from this. In regards to crashing the net, our entire team should take notice.
I wrote about this yesterday as the round peg/square hole scenario. Meaning, many of our forwards play similar styles and are interchangeable, and that’s good, but until we see true playmaking centers and more crashing the net, I’m just not sure much changes offensively.
I’m all for patience, just not this much. It’s time for change.
1st thing about a top line center… THEY ARE EXPENSIVE…BECAUSE THEY ARE SO VALUABLE! It’s a case of “you get what you pay for”!!
When you have our selection of people TRYING TO PLAY CENTER, BUT NOT WELL… you get a paucity of scoring…
A great defense is pointless when you can’t score. Of course we will never know if RF made any legitimate offers to acquire a good center, but until we get one…expect more of the same!!!…not much scoring
1. What changes.
Give Nichas a chance to play center (maybe rest Rask or Staal even) for a couple of games (at least one game). The kid is talented, ready to go and traveling with the team. Don’t put him on marginal 4th line duties but give him a chance in the spotlight. We have verylittle to lose.
If not possible, shift Aho to center and give him good wingers (JW could be a good fit).
Bring up the Zykov RV, and park him in front of the net on every powerplay, even if you have to pay parking violations, the team can afford those more than they can afford another lackluster scoreless October.
2. If we could trade Rask or Kruger, or even Staal for a Duchene I’d do it. Staal and Kruger have skillses that are just too similar.
I’d trade rask for AG, but I wouldn’t sweeten the deal overly much, too late now.
There may be possibilities if Rangers go into panic mode, though I doubt it (they don’t have that much to offer even if they did, Kreider would be awesome but I doubt he is available, even in a total team reorg).
3. 1 1 1 is not a bad record compared to some (enter the Rangers, Arizona or, to some degree, Bos), but we are haunted by the ghost of slow starts past.
We need to go 2, 2, 0 (at worst 1 2 1) on the roadtrip, and we’re already down a game.
I looked at the Charlotte stats (after 4 games). Zykov already has 3 goals – I am assuming he is playing his game. Meanwhile, Wallmark already has 8 points (2G/6A) and is second in the league in scoring.
According to Michael Smith – based on today’s practice:
1. Jooris draws in for McGinn on the Nordy-Kruger line.
2. Necas centers a line with Aho and Lindholm.
3. Carrick paired with Fleury (not sure who was on what side – both play left; but the Dahlbeck on right experiment may have come to an end).
To toot the proverbial horn, I suggested two of those three in my comment earlier today.
Also TvR is joining the team in Edmonton and may even be ready for the Oilers, according to Smith.
Getting TVR back would be huge! Both of Winnipeg’s goals came with Dahlbeck on the ice.
1. Maybe switch a few guys around, to jump start things. maybe do what davej suggested ,and bring up Zykov to crash the net.
2. I was never big on the Duchene sweepstakes. I would have gone for Galchenyuk ,if the price was below market value in June, but maybe not now.
3. Opening Night: We had a goalie who played 2 games in 6 months, and we got screwed on the non goalie interference. Yet we still won. As far as the next two, we do need to crash the net, and figure out how to get the puck through the neutral zone. 1-1-1 isn’t bad for us, but we need better.