What a second Stanley Cup does.

[ChuckW]

I remember dreaming about the Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup. This was before they were the Hurricanes, mind you.

I wanted that more than anything. And it seemed like such a far-fetched dream.

Then it happened, and it was even better than it was in the dreams.

But then of course come the folks who say it was a fluke. But no one says two Cups are a fluke. One, and you tie the Anaheim Ducks. Two, and you tie the Philadelphia Flyers.

Now I'm dreaming again.

Click to read more...

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Once the playoffs start, anything can happen and this team is positioning itself well.

Injury riddled as we are//were, only six teams in the entire league have more wins than us and only 7 have more points.

If this team gets 100% healthy (which they should by playoffs ) and peaks at the right time and adds a veteran or two at the deadline, this team could easily be one of the best in the league.

Being a Cup favorite is one thing, but I want to be a team that other teams dread playing in a seven game series and even now, I think we're creeping towards that.

 

[DougieSmash]

Not enough secondary scoring;

right now, lack of killer instinct;

Not exactly stellar group of defenseman;

Not enough size and grit;

Mediocre special teams; pretty mediocre penalty killing and disgusting powerplay. Yeah, we badly need Komisarek type D but we for sure can use offensive guy like Liles.

 

[geehaad]

There's optimism and hope....and then there's this.

 

[Jerkob Slavin]

Even if we win, both will have the "*"

2006 was after a lockout with tons of rule changes.

2013 will be a shortened season.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Even if we win, both will have the "*"

2006 was after a lockout with tons of rule changes.

2013 will be a shortened season.

I don't care.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Every Cup winning team (and most teams that made the Finals: will have to check later) has had two things:

--Elite goaltending (from 1 of three sources: an elite goaltender, a decent goaltender who got hot, or an excellent defense that is making a goaltender look good), and;

--Production from cheap ass contracts.

We have Ward, who has a habit of getting hot in the playoffs. And we have Skinner, Faulk and Murphy (when his season ends) on ELC's, as well as Tlusty on a current steal of a second contract.

The only thing I am concerned about is our first line is peaking right now. I hope that they can continue this pace, but they could slow down, and the result is us limping into the playoffs for a 1-and-done.

The reason the Kings won as an 8th seed is because they came into the playoffs red hot, from fighting for their seeding. I think we're peaking right now, so the team can hopefully continue this streak for the next two months.

Also, we'll need Montreal to draw Boston in the playoffs so one will eliminate the other.

 

[StormCast]

Even if we win, both will have the "*"

2006 was after a lockout with tons of rule changes.

2013 will be a shortened season.

Other fans might attach an asterisk but who cares?

Also, how many times do you hear that about the first two Redskin Super Bowl wins? Never.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

Even if we win, both will have the "*"

2006 was after a lockout with tons of rule changes.

2013 will be a shortened season.

Like the New Jersey Devils 94-95 cup? Never hear that one tossed around.

 

[Zombie Mike Murphy]

and Murphy (when his season ends) on ELC's, as well as Tlusty on a current steal of a second contract.

Don't we burn a year on his ELC if he gets even one more start up here?

 

[Ole Gil]

Not sure Murphy can earn a roster spot if the team is healthy.

No reason not to think about the cup. I'd say there is Boston, and then Carolina/Pitt/NYR/Montreal in the 2nd tier just behind them as threats to win the east.

We've got a bit of a "the Best defense is a good Offense" thing that got Pitt their cup.

 

[Zombie Mike Murphy]

And actually (knock on wood), the defense has been looking fairly reasonable of late too. We're right around mid-pack in GA/G, whereas we were in the bottom quarter of the league last year.

In fact, the last time we above 20th in GA/G was...'08-'09.

The other difference was that that year we were also average in G/G, whereas this year we're near the top.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Don't we burn a year on his ELC if he gets even one more start up here?

Unless he goes deep, he'll probably play in the AHL anyway.

If that is the case, would that burn the year off of his ELC?

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Not sure Murphy can earn a roster spot if the team is healthy.

No reason not to think about the cup. I'd say there is Boston, and then Carolina/Pitt/NYR/Montreal in the 2nd tier just behind them as threats to win the east.

We've got a bit of a "the Best defense is a good Offense" thing that got Pitt their cup.

Pittsburgh's defense that year wasn't anything to sneeze at. Scuderi, Orpik, Gill, Bissonette, and Letang provided a pretty well built blueline for Pittsburgh.

 

[Sasha Cares]

Is misery in Buffalo and Newark. Reason enough for the rest of the league to cheer for us.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Pittsburgh's defense that year wasn't anything to sneeze at. Scuderi, Orpik, Gill, Bissonette, and Letang provided a pretty well built blueline for Pittsburgh.

While I agree with your overall premise, including Biz Nasty as a piece of a "well built" defense is a little suspect. My guess is you meant someone else (Boucher maybe?). Either way, that defense was better than this Hurricanes D as currently constructed. Certainly more physical.

 

[Roboturner913]

Asterisks? LOL. Every team has an asterisk from the people who hate them most. Doesn't matter in the slightest. I dare you to go up to Rod Brind'Amour and tell him his Stanley Cup ring comes with an asterisk.

 

[DaveG]

Unless he goes deep, he'll probably play in the AHL anyway.

If that is the case, would that burn the year off of his ELC?

yes unless he specifically signs an ATO for Charlotte after the season. But that said if he comes up during the AHL playoffs, that DOESN'T count towards games played IIRC. Same if he is with us for the playoffs.

also, **** the haters.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

So he could sign an ATO with Charlotte, and then we could call him up without burning games?

 

[DaveG]

no

and honestly not sure he's allowed to sign an ATO while he's under contract. Though I know players like Bowman got away with it during the lockout, but that was because of the lockout and they obviously expired once the lockout ended.

 

[ChuckW]

Another thing another Cup run would do is elevate the visibility of the franchise.

I mean sure the Cook-Out in Anderson VA has a big Canes clock on the wall, but before you start thinking Canes country has expanded, the pimply teenage clerk at the Asheboro MVP Sports store nearly laughed me out of the building when I asked why he had no Hurricanes stuff.

 

[Mr America]

Every time I go back to Asheboro it does seem stuck in the mid 90's to me.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Every time I go back to Asheboro it does seem stuck in the mid 90's to me.

Just the mid-90s? They only recently allowed restaurants to serve liquor. I wouldn't be surprised if most forms of rhythmic dance were banned.

 

[DaveG]

Id be ammazed if they thought we had ANY pro sports teams in NC at all. Some towns like that are really behind the times.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Id be ammazed if they thought we had ANY pro sports teams in NC at all. Some towns like that are really behind the times.

Nah they probably think their CPL team, the Asheboro Copperheads, are pro. The really sad thing is that when my wife was growing up in Montgomery County, Asheboro was where they went to do something fun!