Pre-Game Talk: Start of the State Fair Road trip

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The West coast road trip starts tomorrow. At WPG, then at EDM, then at CGY, then at DAL. The team really needs to do well on this trip because it doesn't get any easier when they return with TBL, at Tor, STL, and Anaheim.

Discuss! (and like)

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[tarheelhockey]

I blame this for our failed season.

 

[JCLA]

Schedules been brutal to start, unnatural flow and a tough schedule.

conspiracy: NHL making it hard for Canes to get good attendance with tough schedule and weird schedule for bad results to start year which leads to bad attendance which leads to relocation.

 

[Moosetache]

Also need to do at least fairly well so we can try to avoid 7800 fan games when they do get back in town. It would be nice if one year we could get off to a decent start, but this damn fair always makes that as hard as possible.

 

[Novacane]

Are we doing points or wins for continued GDT creation?

 

[Buenos Necas]

please win games

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

TVR and Stempniak still in yellow no contact jerseys after yesterday, and Stempniak didn't skate with the team. I wonder if they call up a defenseman from Charlotte to go on the trip?

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Are we doing points or wins for continued GDT creation?

Last year, we did points, but maybe this year we should raise our expectations? I'm fine with either.

 

[sheriff bart]

Every team in the league with more games played than the Canes (2 games played). The Pens are high with 5 games. This really seems odd.

 

[Roboturner913]

The road stretch doesn't look too bad in comparison to those 4 home games. Be thrilled if we're at .500 after those 8 games.

 

[Wolfpuck]

Start with the Jets and go from there. Winnipeg is very undisciplined and is crap defensively, so this is the perfect opportunity to try new things on the power play.

As long as we pull 2 wins out of these 4 games, we're in decent shape.

 

[AD Skinner]

A 4 game trip is nothing crazy. The weird space between games is not ideal but this schedule shouldn't be any monumental challenge for a team of pros to contend with.

 

[The Faulker 27]

The road trip schedule is much better than last season. Wasn't it like 7 games to start the season, then back on the road a week later? That was just ridiculous.

 

[DaveG]

The road trip schedule is much better than last season. Wasn't it like 7 games to start the season, then back on the road a week later? That was just ridiculous.

Yep. NHL scheduling really f***ed us last year. I mean I get the State Fair part of the equation but they didn't need to front-load all those road games the way they did. With as young a team as we had that was a recipe for disaster. This year things are much friendlier and honestly I'll be disappointed if we're not (at least pace wise) in playoff position by Thanksgiving.

 

[GoldiFox]

Every team in the league with more games played than the Canes (2 games played). The Pens are high with 5 games. This really seems odd.

The start of the Canes schedule is total crap. 4 games in the first 14 days of the season. Then they pile 4 games in 6 days (Oct. 24-29) to make up for it.

 

[WreckingCrew]

Is it just me, or does it seem like almost everyone's going to be playing their 4th - 6th game when we're only going to be on #3?

 

[The Faulker 27]

Is it just me, or does it seem like almost everyone's going to be playing their 4th - 6th game when we're only going to be on #3?

I'll take a bunch of games in hand, and this years start over last years cluster f*** of a beginning.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Then they pile 4 games in 6 days (Oct. 24-29) to make up for it.

This is the real problem we have coming later. You only get so many big gaps in the schedule each year, and ours is happening as almost an extension of training camp.

 

[JCLA]

We have four back to backs in March.

 

[Wolfpuck]

This is the real problem we have coming later. You only get so many big gaps in the schedule each year, and ours is happening as almost an extension of training camp.

On the flip side, that gives more time for Stemp and TvR to get healthy, although we finally do have the depth to roll without them.

I hope our conditioning has gotten better. These games clustered together could get rough.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

#conspiracny

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

On the flip side, that gives more time for Stemp and TvR to get healthy, although we finally do have the depth to roll without them.

Problem is though, the Canes will very likely have others banged up later in the season when a break is needed.

I hope our conditioning has gotten better. These games clustered together could get rough.

the only way to get into game shape, is to play games (captain obvious) and the lack of games means they aren't going to get in game shape as quickly.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Looks like it’s time to do less better.

 

[Unsustainable]

I think we come out of this road trip

 

[Novacane]

Last year, we did points, but maybe this year we should raise our expectations? I'm fine with either.

Yeah, I’m fine either way too. But should also say I’m not upping my effort level any so what we’ve seen is what I’m giving if we do points again