Analyzing the 'Canes start

The Hurricanes are playing so-so hockey after the first month of their post-championship season. Here's a piece by the Rocky Mount Telegram that really gets to the heart of the matter - inconsistent defense.

To me, the 'Canes have classic Cup hangover symptoms. The majority of the team is back, but they're not yet 'hot.' The year after the NY Rangers won the Cup was the strike season when they didn't start playing til January. (Remember the 'Game On' marketing campaign?) That year, the Rangers, who still had a very good team with players in their peak seasons, floundered about, just making the playoffs in the shortened 48-game schedule. They began to peak in the final weeks and made it through the first two rounds of the playoffs before running into Flyers team in the conference finals that had played hard the whole half season. They got bounced.

Hopefully, 'Canes get it going a little quicker.

EDs: THIS VERSION CORRECTS SPELLING IN HED.
Inconsistency is Hurricanes' constant
By H. WILLIAMS KELLENBERGER
Cox News Service
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. - Just about the only thing that has been consistent with the Carolina Hurricanes is their staggering inconsistency.
One month into the franchise's first Stanley Cup defense, the Hurricanes have, in order: lost four, won three, lost two, won one, lost one and finished off the month with a win.
Five games have been decided by one goal, with the Hurricanes losing three of them. They're 2-2 when the difference is four goals.
These aren't good stats.
Neither is the fact that 11 Hurricanes have played in all 12 games. Even more distressing is that only two of that 11 - Mike Commodore and Tim Gleason - are defenseman.
Andrew Hutchinson missed three games, as did Niclas Wallin. Anton Babchuk was a scratch twice, Glen Wesley has missed four games, Bret Hedican has missed three and David Tanabe has played in eight games.
Up front, there has been little surprise.
Eric Staal and Rod Brind'Amour share the team lead for points, 14. There should be little shock that Justin Williams and Scott Walker are the next two on the list.
Erik Cole hasn't seen the results (two goals, four assists) but coach Peter Laviolette insists that the 26-year-old winger is playing the game the right way and the points will come eventually. He's right.
And in net, no one doubts how well Cam Ward has played in his first season as Carolina's No. 1 netminder. But the stats don't match up. His 3.38 goals against average is 32nd in the NHL and his save percentage, 0.890, is 29th.
His athletic ability is superb and technically he seems to be improving, but you have to wonder how much the revolving door on the blue line has effected him.
The truth is, the breaks haven't always gone Carolina's way in the first 12 games. They often don't, especially after so many different things break in the exact right way just a season before (Montreal's Saku Koivu's injury, Buffalo losing four of its top six defenseman in the Eastern Conference Finals).
While, as Laviolette said, you would rather have the breaks fall your way in May rathern than October, you must first get to May.
At this point, that is far less than certain. The Southeast Division shakes out to be a fight to the bitter end.
Carolina ran away with the divisional crown in 2005-06, but (in order of improvement) Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Washington and Florida have all taken great strides since then.
But at some point, you make your own luck.
When the Hurricanes have played "their" game, essentially outworking their opponent and skating with a reckless abandonment not seen in the past decade of NHL hockey, Carolina is successful.
When the Hurricanes are a step slow into the corner and play with just the slighest tinge of hesitation, the results are rather ordinary.
The win-loss record is not false. The Hurricanes have been wildly inconsistent on the scoreboard because the on-ice product has been just as helter skelter.
Until the latter changes, the former will show very little movement.
H. Williams Kellenberger writes for the Rocky Mount, N.C., Telegram. E-mail: hwkellenberger

coxnc.com




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