First and foremost, the Carolina Hurricanes have started the 2018-19 season with a three-game point streak.
Second and not insignificant, the team offered great sports entertainment and fun for a home crowd.
A deeper dive into the game itself is an interesting one. As noted above, the entertainment value was high on Sunday. But the game was largely a mess on both sides in terms of attention to detail, soundness of play and especially goaltending. But the Hurricanes deserve credit for pushing back in the face of and early deficit and some adversity and also just sticking with it and finding a way to win. The team’s ability to find offense/scoring from diverse sources is also a positive sign for a team that needs to score more but is not deep in terms of proven NHL scorers.
The short version of a recap in chunks is as follows:
- The Rangers had the upper hand early in terms of pace and jump. Coupled with two defensive break downs, the Hurricanes were down 2-0 quickly. First Jaccob Slavin stepped up in the neutral zone without enough forward help coming up the ice. The result was a 2-on-1. When Trevor van Riemsdyk failed to take away the pass and Petr Mrazek was unable to get his stick on a centering pass right through the crease, the back door goal was an easy on. Then in a learning moment, Martin Necas got caught looking at the puck for just a second which was long enough for a Ranger to score from alone in front of the net.
- Then the Canes quickly pushed back. A pair of pretty passes from Justin Williams found power forwards Warren Foegele and Jordan Martinook both within a step of the crease to finish and tie the game at 2-2 which is how the first period ended.
- The level of play then somehow dropped in the second period as a sloppy game of shinny broke out. The period featured a combined seven minor penalties, loose play in the neutral zone and chances for both teams. When Jordan Martinook scored his second goal of the game late, the score was 4-4, and the game was set to be decided in the third period.
- After New York struck first in the third period, the Hurricanes took advantage of ‘iffy’ goaltending and the generally loose play to pour on four goals including an empty-netter to win going away by an 8-5 tally.
- The second and fourth lines carried the mail. Foegele/Staal/Williams accounted for three goals, and Martinook/Wallmark/Svechnikov accounted for three more.
To be honest, other than the offensive outburst and the ‘can do/stick with it’ attitude, I am not sure there is a ton to keep from Sunday’s win. The Canes had a rough night in terms of defensive coverage and attention to important details. Though he was the better of the two goalies, Petr Mrazek had a tough night. And the volume of sloppiness in terms of defensive play and unnecessary penalties was really high.
But if this team plays its way into games in April that matter and needs every point it can get, these two points will count just as much as any other.
Player notes
Justin Williams
Buried under the scoring outburst, Justin Williams had easily his best game of the season. His three assists were all the variety where he made the play. From behind the net, he made perfect feeds to Jordan Martinook and Warren Foegele twice for bang-bang finishes as long as they could find a hole in Alexandar Georgiev which was not hard to do. Both of the first two primary assists came in the first period when the Hurricanes were down and needed to decide if they were going to push back just get buried. Williams led the push back.
Warren Foegele
He was absolutely phenomenal on Sunday night. In addition to the headlines that were two goals and an assist, my notes also include killing a penalty 1v2 in the offensive zone, at least two turnovers caused by his speed and aggressiveness on the forecheck, drawing a penalty, two near miss centering attempts a tip on a point shot. On a night when others rose up too, Foegele was still the best.
Martin Necas
Necas had a learning night, and in a fast game was too often in the middle of the mess defensively. He was distracted by the puck for just a second in the defensive zone, and his guy scored from right in front of the net. Then he again lost his man in the defensive zone which led to a jail break in close and a wide open passing lane to the back door for a tap in Rangers’ goal. He logged only a team low 7:32 of even strength ice time. One silver lining is that he did follow up one of the errors with an assist to get on the score sheet, but Necas is very much learning on the job right now.
Jordan Martinook
He was right behind Foegele in Sunday’s game. His goal and assist were obviously valuable contributions on the stat sheet, but equally significantly, he is one of the players who just brings it every shift and contributes in small chunks on a regular basis. Of all of the newcomers on the roster, he is the player I most underestimated. Coming in, I had him pegged as a serviceable fourth-liner who more than anything was brought in as a way to clear the slate on Marcus Kruger. I expected some physicality when in the lineup but figured Martinook for the team who ideally gets pushed down to the #13 role and out of the lineup. He is still a fourth-liner, but he is a 2018 fourth-liner who brings enough in terms of skating and puck skills to contribute and do more than finish checks.
Andrei Svechnikov
Mixed into a fun game was the chance to see Andrei Svechnikov score his first of what will hopefully be many goals in a Hurricanes uniform. The goal was a deflection not his trademark snipe but a pretty goal nonetheless. He was part of a fourth line that tallied three times.
Jordan Staal
Ironically, both of his line mates were better than him in Sunday’s win, but that is because both had phenomenal games and not because Staal stumbled. He finished in alone when given the chance. I really like where his game is right now.
Petr Mrazek
I graded Mrazek tough even though he only gave up two goals in his start on Thursday. Sunday was tougher. The first goal was not his fault once the pass got across, but once the defenseman forces the play that deep the goalie needs to take away the pass across himself when it is going right through the blue paint. For me, the biggest thing with Mrazek through two games is how uncomfortable he looks in terms of awareness of where the net is. He has had too many episodes of wandering out of net unnecessarily and also seems to be off his angle regularly when trying to challenge shots.
Game #4 and already round #1 of goalie management for Rod Brind’Amour
It would be nice if the goalie position just worked for once, but that just is not how it works in Raleigh. (Something something…Jofa bucket mask in practice to break a curse…)
Brind’Amour gets his first round of the challenging goalie management game starting now. Curtis McElhinney was the better goalie in the first weekend of play, but at least on paper he does not figure to be the guy who will lead this team throughout the year. So on Tuesday, does Brind’Amour go with his best? Or does he stay the course with the theoretically more likely player to be a full season answer? If I was coach, I think I stick with the plan and come back to Mrazek on Tuesday. The team has a back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday after that which is the normal time to get McElhinney back in net and then go from there.
2-0-1
I mentioned it up above, but it deserves repeating. The Hurricanes are now 2-0-1. Points matter obviously, and the Hurricanes are off to a great start in that regard.
Up next is another home game on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks to close out a quick four-game burst to start the season.
Go Canes!
This team is definitely different. Even after the two NYR goals I thought that the team was playing aggressive and would likely be in it in the third period.
After three games, I can admit I underestimated Ferland. He definitely has a strong shot and plays well in the offensive zone. I am still a little concerned about his defensive play, but it shouldn’t make that much different as Aho and Teravainen are solid all over the ice.
Martinook is the player who has surprised me even more. I was wondering out of camp if maybe his value was mostly as a penalty killer. I don’t expect him to score a bunch of goals. But given the pace the Canes have been playing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends with 15 or so.
While it is only three games, it appears that Carolina will be a difficult matchup all season long due to the fact that all four lines are aggressive and can score. I still expect Aho to be near 80 points and Teravainen near 70 then any of six or so players around 50. The Canes will likely outshoot most opponents, but unlike last year they will score.
The power play is still a little troubling. I hope RBA was just trying to keep all the players involved and re-inserts Zykov on Tuesday. He is still the best option in front of the net. If the power play starts clicking, the rest of October should be as much fun as this weekend.
Martinook’s ability to finish is something that has been underrated – the MWS line is definitely not a typical 4th line; it may pay to keep that line together and use it an energy line (with scoring potential).
Zykov didn’t play well alongside Necas – not that McGinn and PDG are better linemates for Necas. But I agree they need to find a spot for Z – not sure what it is, though.
As you say it is early – but today’s game/affair was against a team considered one of the worst in the conference. The team has yet to play a high-end division/conference rival nor a Western Conference north-south playing team. I am definitely a fan of how the team is playing – and I don’t think we are going to miss Lindy or Hanifin or Nordstrom or Ryan.
Yah, I like PDG but I view him as #13. Zykov creates real issues in from of the net and on the PP. Think RBA was trying to give everyone some time. TVR did not play that well last night. Its time to give Fleury a game. I felt coming out of pre-season that he would be 6 and TVR would be 7.
I was surprised by the performances of Martinook, Ferland, and one or two others. Foegele didn’t surprise me because he combines skills and hustle!
The goals allowed don’t necessarily mean that the GOALIES aren’t good, but it appears that the D/GK combo needs work! It needs to be fixed, IMO.
IT’S NOT LIKELY that the team can outscore teams on a regular basis. But, it was fun to watch it tonight, eh?
That was loads of fun to watch.
Martinook has exceeded expectations, I believe he has tied the number of goals scored by Kruger last season.
Fogele is playing like the rookie of the year (hard to beat Elias Peterson, but this kid is seriously a difference maker).
Svech got his first goal, of many.
Necas is not ready yet, good to see him get an assist but defensively he’s been too much of a liability. He will be great but it’ll be tough going for awhile.
Aho did not have a spectacular game, good thing the team can roll 4 lines.
Slaven’s PK shotblock was perhaps a game changing play, definitely an underrated key in turning the tide.
Mrazek did not have a superb game, I am glad we have a backup who played stellar in Columbus, looks like the Leafs miss him too.
The Rangers have managed to embarrass the Canes time and time again in recent years, so it is a huge relief to see the Canes manage to strike back and ultimately claim the victory, last year this would have been a blowout loss.
The team has to tighten up a lot to beat the big boys, but it’s been a pretty fun start to the season, and I am just trying to enjoy the fun, one game at a time.
The canes played a wild game and won going away. Very exciting for fans to see a win like this as compared to previous seasons.
Some highlights-
Canes have earned 5 out of 6 points.
Foegele is exactly what this team needed.
Svech got his first goal.
Wallmark is playing much better than I expected. His goal was awesome.
Has anyone noticed our D will scrum around the goalie? No more skating away when other teams come hard at the goalie. Love it. Seemed I never saw that last year.
The team is having fun. Smiles all around instead of looking like they just got called to the principal’s office.
Areas to improve-
TVR is struggling. Fleury needs some ice time.
Necas is a much better player than what he has shown. I expect he will figure it out. Center is not easy for a 19 year old. He’ll get there.
Mrazek got hung out too many times in the game. I think he has played well but the D has to help him.
Great start to the season. There will be challenges ahead but if the team keeps competing like this, good things will happen. This GM by committee seems to have worked out.
Fun win, but a coach’s nightmare. Mostly agree with the above assessments.
Teravainen needs to wake up. He’s floating around out there waiting for everyone else to do the work. I know he may be Aho’s security blanket, but he is not earning a big contract.
For those wishing to see Svechnikov moved “up” to a different line….why!?! He is thriving on the fourth (not really, it’s the third) line. He is making that line go with his movement of the puck in the offensive zone. Moving him up just makes him play against better defensive players. If other teams match their fourth line up against Wallmark/Martinook/Svechnikov they are going to have issues.
Fleury definitely deserves a shot to play. TVR is not impressing me. Slavin deserves a lot of credit for the Staal goal. Long shift on the kill, blocks a a shot, and makes the pass to start the play.
Mrazek is not good. He hasn’t let in any horrible goals yet, but I can’t think of a nice save either. Actually, he is making Brind’Amour’s long term decision easy. I would play him again on Tuesday as well. As long as they are winning, but if he keeps playing like this they will lose a game and then Brind’Amour can make the move to McElhinney or Darling if he is ready.
I agree, why move Svech. Our 4th line is not playing like a 4th line, they are dangerous. TVR is not impressing me either. I said they before reading this. TT has been somewhat of a passenger as well but we have seen how he can turn that around.
Standings Watch: After 3 games the Canes have earned 83.3% of the points available, well over the roughly 59% needed to be on playoff pace. The team plus/minus is a +4, also a positive indicator for a more successful season. and Increased team “grit” is apparent. My 3 checkpoints for a good October are satisfied ytd. Interesting stat comparison. Mrazek has a 1-0-1 record thus far with a 3.53 GAA and a .841 SV%; Ward has a 2-0-1 record with a 4.62 GAA and a .843 SV%. Both Chicago and Carolina have 5 points and sit atop their conferences very very early in the season.
Neither Chicago nor Carolina can sustain a record like that with that level of goaltending.
Some games are just sloppy and wide open and this was one of them. We played much tighter against CBJ and NYI otherwise I might be a little more worried about the defense. After last night’s game, there are the things I’m thinking about:
1/ our style of play is by design and can be repeated – it’s not a fluke. Teams that aren’t expecting that play from us are going to struggle to match our speed and intensity until word gets around the league or they experience it themselves the first time. Very encouraging.
2/ So far, we are well-balanced across all lines. That includes energy, defense, and especially scoring – and Aho’s line hasn’t really heated up yet (they will).
3/ The PK has looked good but the PP is still a work in progress. It’s early, but I think it’s not too soon to give Dougie 1st Unit reps.
4/ It’s trending in the direction of Coach RBA and GMDW having to make their first very difficult decision and it relates to goaltending. I am in favor of giving Mrazek every chance against VAN but I think his leash is short.
Boy is it fun to wake up in the morning and see us in First Place!!
I forgot this one …
5/ The team seems to enjoy playing together and is having fun. Belief is a big part of success and you can sense that the team is starting to believe that this season can be special.
The offense is fun to watch but we could use some more structure on defense. Apart from de Haan, who had a solid night, the rest all sometimes looked like they are not sure what to do.
Necas looked like he is accustomed to coasting around on defense, reaching with his stick, not using his speed and physicality to close gaps and disrupt. This will need to change in a hurry or we’ll see a swap with Kuokkanen or Roy.
So it was a fun game to watch but lots and lots for the team to work on.
As a long time fan, the comment “lots and lots for the team to work on.” has been a recurring theme. Isn’t nice to get to say that after a 3 game streak that yielded 5 of 6 possible points?
Here here! My post was not meant to be negative at all, it is fantastic to win and still come away knowing that you have a lot of work to do!
And doing the hard work is a lot more fun when you are winning!
Everyone above have made good observations so I won’t repeat what they have had to say. My only additions or reiterations would be !) let’s see Fleury in for VanReimsdyk, 2) Zykov back in the lineup and stationed in front of the opposing goalie, and 3) we need more than 13,526 fans to show up for this team to give the team the support it deserves
I met Powerless at one of the games. Here’s hoping I see more of him at the games and on this site. If anyone else is at the games, I’m in Section 332, Row A, Seats 15 and 16. Drop by if thin air doesn’t bother you.
Finally we got ourselves a hockey team that is a joy to watch. Can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said.
Listened to first and then watched the Checkers second game. Great start to the season. The top four scoring leaders in league now are Checkers and an ex Checker/Hurricane in Zac Daple. Roy is first Poturalski second and Kuo is tied with Dalpe for third. Roy also leads in goals scored. He was a force. 14 shots on goal in two games. That’s Ovi like. Kuo and Smallman were all over the ice. Saarela hit the post twice. Ned was steller in net. Pu and Gauthier were invisible. I was also impressed with Cajkovsky. He now leads in plus minus. I think it has NHL skills. Bean still has a way to go. Not impressed.
I am hoping Adam Fox chooses to sign with us and not go the Jimmy Vesey route.
I knows it early but it sure is nice to have two teams that are now relavent.
Thanks for the checkers update.
dixie. I have been able to watch most of both games–AHL Live is probably worth the money as the feed is decent for tracking the play.
Your assessments are right on. Ned played really well, if he keeps it up he will have made another big step. I think RBA likely listened to Vellucci some the summer. The Checkers played last season, and even more so in the first two games this year, the style we have seen from the big club. This season all four lines have scoring threats and hound the puck for 200 feet. Considering AHL versus NHL, the Checkers D might actually be better–all six defensemen could be in the top pairing for some AHL clubs.
As you pointed out, Cajkovsky is really good at helping his team. In the first preseason game the number of shots with Caj on the ice was astounding (something like 23-4 for the Canes). While not quite as outrageous, he was a difference-maker every shift.
I understand what everyone says about Roy’s skating–I agree it is not great. However, he uses his size and reach much like Jordan Staal. The opposition this weekend really struggled moving the puck when Roy was on the ice.
The other player that impressed was Bishop. His game is similar to Foegele in that he is fast and uses his speed to harass the opposition. He doesn’t have Foegele’s offensive prowess, but he might just have the other tools to one day make it.
Clark Bishop is a great story as a 5th-rounder working his way up.
He showed well in preseason action especially the last game he played being a solid Robin to Foegele’s Batman.
His timing was good to get a ‘we have room’ NHL contract before the team’s prospect pool emerged. He spent the 2016-17 season on the AHL/ECHL fringe, but then had a really strong 2017-18 season in Charlotte. A player like him with low draft pedigree and a depth player ceiling probably has a 50/50 shot of earning a next contract. As long as he continues on the current track, he will be re-signed this year and given the chance to continue his upward climb. He still might/might not ever be an NHLer, but he is on the track that gives him a chance.
I haven’t been able to see much so far this season, but it sounds like Necas could use some time in the AHL once Rask is back.
Is that the general consensus around here?
Not for me. If he isn’t really hurting the team he will benefit more from being in the NHL. He’s pretty effective on the PP right now. Hopefully he will be much better in a month or two.
LTS I always enjoy your insights and comments, including this one.
Necas is an incredible raw talent. If there was ever a situation where a raw talent will be embraced and supported by his teammates and coaches, this is it. In most other situations it may be best to send him to the AHL to develop. However, in this unique circumstance, if he can grow and learn without undue pressure and criticism he will develop the fastest here. And he will be very good by the end of this season.
The teams best chance at a deep run in the playoffs is to. Ring this kid along.
My thought is a couple games in the press box would be useful first. Not as discipline but as a learning tool.
Goalie comment: My questions is why should Mrazek be considered as the guys who will sticks around. He has looked uncomfortable both starts. I do not think he should be given the position because he was the one who got a one year contract. Maybe Mac will fall apart with too many starts, but he should definitely start Tuesday. If he continues to be good then when the time comes and Darling comes back then maybe Mrazek is the one to go down to the AHL. There should be no favoritism, it should be who is performing the best. Its too soon but Mrazek has not been looking good.
Team dynamics is one reason. They haven’t lost one of Mrazek’s starts.(in regulation) As long as he does enough to win, he shouldn’t be punished for a bad game or two. That’s part of what Brind’Amour has done with the team. They aren’t afraid to make mistakes thinking they will be benched. Don’t want to start with the goalie. Mrazek should start tomorrow. If he continues to struggle and they lose, well…then you may consider a change.
While I agree Mrazek isn’t looking good, the number 1 statistic of any goalie is Wins.
yup, good points. I would still prefer to see Mac. They have not lost with him either. Just putting it out there as an opinion, other opinions welcome. I guess the bottom line is just because he had a contract should not mean he is the anointed one. I trust RBA to go with what he feels is best long term.
It is a great problem to have with Mrazek and McBackup. When Darling returns the canes will have to make a decision at some point. It is encouraging that the team was proactive in getting help when Darling got hurt. It had to be encouraging to the locker room as well.
As to Mrazek, I don’t think his play has been poor. He held NYI to one goal in regulation. They just walloped the Sharks today. Last nights game was just one of those crazy ones. Time will tell who should be the goalie tandem. I do agree that play and not contract should be the deciding factor.
Today McElhinney has a 1.0 GAA and a .961 SV%, Mrazek has a 3.43 GAA and a .843 SV%. They have thus far alternated starts. McElhinney should be the consensus choice to start his first game in Raleigh on Tuesday vs. the Canucks.
As a sign the apocalypse may be near TSN NHL has the Canes ranked 8th in the first week of the regular season power rankings.