Thoughts on the Carolina Hurricanes?

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm just annoyed with "smart fans" fawning over their Corsi numbers and the desire to be in on the ground floor of a team that most people don't like (not dislike, but just don't think about much). Plus, it's another way to stick it to northern fans, which has become very much in vogue as the entirety of Canadian hockey culture gets blamed for everything wrong with the game.

Nah, it's pretty clear what you're annoyed at. What's annoying is you hiding behind the "media darling/small market love". It's ok to admit what you are really getting at.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

You think you're being so clever trying to deflect but there is way more relentless positivity around the Hurricanes than, for instance, the Blackhawks, Jets, or Canadiens, teams that are hated for winning recently, winning in the past, or being Canadian (the Habs get to double-dip, plus they traded the internet's special baby boy Subban). Bashing small-market New South teams is out of fashion now! People can't stop [MOD] over the Predators. Why can't you admit that people want your team to do well? They love your possession metrics!

Why is this a bad thing? Because the team plays in a city south of the Mason-Dixon Line?

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Why is this a bad thing? Because the team plays in a city south of the Mason-Dixon Line?

something something cheerleaders i think

also sleeveless jerseys

 

[Stickpucker]

Lets be honest, the Hurricanes media darling status would be so much worse if they were playing in Quebec. Lets all be thankful for the NHL in Raleigh

Oh no he didn't

 

[Viqsi]

I'm thinking bubble team that might make it into the playoffs. If some of the other East teams falter, or if the kids at forward step up and really assert themselves, or if Darling decides to go G-dmode, or any combination of the above, then they stand a very good chance.

I'm not as fond of the "Nashville of five years ago" comparison that seems so popular here, because Nashville didn't have young up-and-coming forwards at the same level that the Canes do. They're getting similar results and look kind of the same, but Nashville's forwards were (with the exceptions of Smith and Wilson, who didn't really pan out) all established folks like Erat, Legwand, Fisher, Hornqvist, and experiment-of-the-year Kostitsyn; they didn't take off until the trades for Forsberg and Johansen and drafting guys like Arvidsson and Fiala. The Canes have those high-potential youngsters now - Aho, Lindholm, Rask, Teravainen... heck, even Skinner is only 24. They could really take off very quickly.

Oh, and some folks will continue to complain about how they're getting too much love because they keep getting reminded of the team's existence more than once per week.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

I'm thinking bubble team that might make it into the playoffs. If some of the other East teams falter, or if the kids at forward step up and really assert themselves, or if Darling decides to go G-dmode, or any combination of the above, then they stand a very good chance.

I'm not as fond of the "Nashville of five years ago" comparison that seems so popular here, because Nashville didn't have young up-and-coming forwards at the same level that the Canes do. They're getting similar results and look kind of the same, but Nashville's forwards were (with the exceptions of Smith and Wilson, who didn't really pan out) all established folks like Erat, Legwand, Fisher, Hornqvist, and experiment-of-the-year Kostitsyn; they didn't take off until the trades for Forsberg and Johansen and drafting guys like Arvidsson and Fiala. The Canes have those high-potential youngsters now - Aho, Lindholm, Rask, Teravainen... heck, even Skinner is only 24. They could really take off very quickly.

Oh, and some folks will continue to complain about how they're getting too much love because they keep getting reminded of the team's existence more than once per week.

i think a lot of that stems from raleigh having parks and stuff to do with your family and no bears, etc unlike other cities

 

[zeke]

Canes are a much, much better team than their record indicated last year. Or for the last few years.

No team has sabotaged themselves as much with bad goaltending as teh Canes.

Hopefully Darling finally gives them the chance to stop starting Cam Ward, the worst goalie in hockey.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Canes are a much, much better team than their record indicated last year. Or for the last few years.

No team has sabotaged themselves as much with bad goaltending as teh Canes.

Hopefully Darling finally gives them the chance to stop starting Cam Ward, the worst goalie in hockey.

hey now

i did not spend the better part of 45 seconds making this for nothing

 

[CaptBrannigan]

I think hopes are a little high for Darling, whenever he's had some prolonged stretches he's started letting in terrible looking goals. On the backup who becomes starter scale, think he'll be closer to an Anders Lindback than a Martin Jones or Cam Talbot. Don't think he's going to be a 60 start a year dependable guy.

 

[Elephant Igloo]

Lets be honest, the Hurricanes media darling status would be so much worse if they were playing in Quebec. Lets all be thankful for the NHL in Raleigh

Huh? They would probably get less English media exposure than anyone. Well, maybe more than the Panthers.

Canes are a much, much better team than their record indicated last year. Or for the last few years.

Fellas, this team that has missed the playoffs for eight years in a row is so much better than it looks! If you ignore all the goals they should have scored but didn't and all the goals against they should have stopped but didn't, we're talking dynasty.

 

[Zippy316]

If Darling could be an average NHL goaltender for 50-55 games and one of the young forwards can push J. Staal to 2C, Hurricanes can do some damage.

 

[Elephant Igloo]

this post is railing against new age, younger fans who do not hold to the same hockey folklore previous generations have, and as such, mayhap as a result of the advent of the dawning of "fancy stats" and other metrics

if i may be so bold, i interpret your first sentence as you being annoyed with people who 'fawn' over new things and change to the game the same way steve kouleas must treat me as anathema for referring to 'sweaters', dressing rooms', and 'intermissions' as 'jerseys', 'locker rooms', and 'half-times'

I'm about 70-30 new age/fancy stats (I still think hockey is a weird game of weird people with too many factors that can't be quantified) but there's still something that rubs me the wrong way about how certain people online fall head over heels in love with the Canes. Chucking the puck to run up Corsi is great in theory, avoiding penalties like the plague is great in theory, but obviously both only take you so far.

I do notice that your fanbase seems to have a much different character than northern fanbases, and it's not that "y'all are rednecks," really, quite the opposite: the "rednecks" are the ones who don't follow the NHL. If anything, the fanbase seems to have an excessively white-collar, professional-managerial profile, to the exclusion of the rough-around-the-edges folk who still show up at Hawks/Bruins/Flyers/Islanders/Sabres/etc games. It's almost more the character of a modern NBA fanbase. I've always picked up a smugness from the New South fanbases that makes me uneasy: it's not Canada and "we're better than you because hockey is our game and we had it first" and all that crap, almost more like "we're better than you because we just are." And it rubs me the wrong way because for all the crap midwestern/northeastern/Canadian fans get for being overprotective of hockey, we're the ones who are taking it on the chin in real life while places like Nashville and Raleigh thrive. Like, let us have this one dumb #4 league. There's a real sense of being condescended to from the south that I don't think gets addressed enough here because everyone's too busy scolding Leafs fans for thinking they invented hockey last Tuesday or something.

 

[Viqsi]

I'm about 70-30 new age/fancy stats (I still think hockey is a weird game of weird people with too many factors that can't be quantified) but there's still something that rubs me the wrong way about how certain people online fall head over heels in love with the Canes. Chucking the puck to run up Corsi is great in theory, avoiding penalties like the plague is great in theory, but obviously both only take you so far.

I do notice that your fanbase seems to have a much different character than northern fanbases, and it's not that "y'all are rednecks," really, quite the opposite: the "rednecks" are the ones who don't follow the NHL. If anything, the fanbase seems to have an excessively white-collar, professional-managerial profile, to the exclusion of the rough-around-the-edges folk who still show up at Hawks/Bruins/Flyers/Islanders/Sabres/etc games. It's almost more the character of a modern NBA fanbase. I've always picked up a smugness from the New South fanbases that makes me uneasy: it's not Canada and "we're better than you because hockey is our game and we had it first" and all that crap, almost more like "we're better than you because we just are." And it rubs me the wrong way because for all the crap midwestern/northeastern/Canadian fans get for being overprotective of hockey, we're the ones who are taking it on the chin in real life while places like Nashville and Raleigh thrive. Like, let us have this one dumb #4 league. There's a real sense of being condescended to from the south that I don't think gets addressed enough here because everyone's too busy scolding Leafs fans for thinking they invented hockey last Tuesday or something.

Today's trivia point: the Columbus Blue Jackets are located in the Midwest, and we have the exact same attitude mostly because the default reaction folks have had towards us for years is either incredulity or hostility towards our continued existence, and that's only just recently starting to change. I gather that this is also not an unfamiliar experience with Canes fans.

Yes, we are condescending. But it's only towards folks who question our existence.

Hell, if anything, the Canes fans here have been uncommonly respectful about it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're the only one pushing that particular button at the moment, or maybe it's just being in good spirits 'cause folks are acknowledging that their team is likely legit. Or maybe they're just nicer in Raleigh than folks in Phoenix or Nashville or Miami or Columbus.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Fellas, this team that has missed the playoffs for eight years in a row is so much better than it looks! If you ignore all the goals they should have scored but didn't and all the goals against they should have stopped but didn't, we're talking dynasty.

Well, god forbid anyone be totally condescending.

 

[Elephant Igloo]

Well, god forbid anyone be totally condescending.

He made a bad post. The Canes had what, 88 points on the year? They scored by committee, their goaltending was bad, and they got ragdolled up and down the ice without cashing in the power plays they drew. I think they wound up exactly where they should have wound up, not the vast underachievement he made them out to be. This is what I'm talking about: no one wants to be critical of a team that does things the Online way with great possession numbers and historically low penalty minutes, even if it doesn't translate to a playoff berth.

 

[HisIceness]

Why do I get the feeling that Elephant Igloo is mad that the 'Canes are in the process of being bought by someone who will keep the team in Raleigh, rather than moving them to Quebec City? Because I'm getting that vibe, and I've seen it on other outlets like Twitter since that news broke from people sporting Nordiques avatars or claiming to be Nordiques fans.

If this isn't the case then EI I apologize, but your posts give off that impression.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Why do I get the feeling that Elephant Igloo is mad that the 'Canes are in the process of being bought by someone who will keep the team in Raleigh, rather than moving them to Quebec City? Because I'm getting that vibe, and I've seen it on other outlets like Twitter since that news broke from people sporting Nordiques avatars or claiming to be Nordiques fans.

If this isn't the case then EI I apologize, but your posts give off that impression.

cheater!

you totally read his posts from (among other things, but i digress) the boh board when pk first put the team up for sale

 

[tarheelhockey]

He made a bad post. The Canes had what, 88 points on the year? They scored by committee, their goaltending was bad, and they got ragdolled up and down the ice without cashing in the power plays they drew. I think they wound up exactly where they should have wound up, not the vast underachievement he made them out to be. This is what I'm talking about: no one wants to be critical of a team that does things the Online way with great possession numbers and historically low penalty minutes, even if it doesn't translate to a playoff berth.

With a week left in the season, they were 4 points out of a playoff berth with a .904 in net for the season.

Were they a "much, much" better team than their record... no... but it's really quite simple to see that they were literally one player away from being on the right side of that bubble. You don't need fancy stats to figure it out. A league average save percentage (.914) would have made the difference between 4 points out, and being in the driver's seat.

The thing is, nobody's hyping this team to nearly the extent you're implying. Everyone agrees they are a bubble team that will struggle to finish 3rd... read this thread, not one person has predicted them to do any better. They are mediocre, we get it. Fine. They are also headed in the right direction, hence the positivity rather than the relentless negativity that you apparently think they deserve for some reason.

 

[zeke]

I think they're better than mediocre if they can get even half decent goaltending.

 

[vshun]

As Blackhawk fan, think Darling is a terrific goaltender and a steal for 4mln, something like Matt Murray for Penguins for 3.5. I would definitely have him back over Crawford at 6mln but apparently Crawford used his NMC so Darling had to be moved.
Back to Canes, definitely team to watch, probably will make playoffs if they can make some semi decent offence, despite being in super touch division.

 

[DaveG]

To put it this way, the Canes had 15 OT/SO losses and were 8 points back last year with the 4th worst goaltending in the league (above only Winnipeg, Colorado, and Dallas). WIth even league average goaltending that is about a 30 goal difference, more then enough to turn some of those OT/SO losses in to wins and get some of their 1 goal losses to OT, and put the team in the playoffs last season.

 

[zeke]

Last 2yrs 82gm Paces

C J.Staal (29): 19gls, 49pts, 18:28
W J.Skinner (25): 33gls, 58pts, 17:00
W J.Williams (36): 23gls, 50pts, 16:04

C V.Rask (24): 19gls, 47pts, 17:08
W S.Aho (20): 24gls, 49pts, 16:47
W L.Stempniak (34): 18gls, 46pts, 16:54

C E.Lindholm (23): 12gls, 45pts, 18:09
W T.Teravainen (23): 15gls, 40pts, 15:48
W D.Ryan (31): 16gls, 35pts, 14:40

C M.Kruger (27): 4gls, 16pts, 13:50
W DiGiuseppe (24): 9gls, 26pts, 13:21
W J.Nordstrom (25): 9gls, 19pts, 14:04

C J.Jooris (27): 6gls, 18pts, 12:15
W B.McGinn (23): 11gls, 21pts, 11:47



D J.Faulk (25): 20gls, 44pts, 23:33
D J.Slavin (23): 4gls, 31pts, 22:22

D B.Pesce (23): 3gls, 20pts, 20:05
D T.VanRiemsdyk (26): 5gls, 18pts, 19:20

D N.Hanifin (20): 4gls, 26pts, 17:55
D K.Dahlbeck (26): 3gls, 10pts, 15:02

D H.Fleury (21): ----



G S.Darling (29): 51gs, .919sv%
G C.Ward (33): 112gs, .907sv%
G A.Nedeljkovic (21): 0gs, 1.000sv%





2 Big weaknesses for the Canes last year - 1) Goaltending, 2) lack of established 1st liners.

If Darling can give them competent average goaltending, they'll end up a top-10 defensive team IMO.

The question then is whether all that nice deep young talent can step up offensively. I think at the very least, they'll provide more offense than last year. Possible much more. They definitely have good depth offensively, and if a couple of those kids can step up they might get the top end performers they need, too.

 

[go comets]

Well coached team and a very underrated GM. They just need to continue to build through the draft, and eventually pull the trigger for a solid scorer down the road. For now they are fine......

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

If Darling can give them competent average goaltending, they'll end up a top-10 defensive team IMO.

The question then is whether all that nice deep young talent can step up offensively. I think at the very least, they'll provide more offense than last year. Possible much more. They definitely have good depth offensively, and if a couple of those kids can step up they might get the top end performers they need, too.

Yep, that's the key as well as having no significant injuries as they still aren't deep enough to handle that.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Fellas, this team that has missed the playoffs for eight years in a row is so much better than it looks! If you ignore all the goals they should have scored but didn't and all the goals against they should have stopped but didn't, we're talking dynasty.

Finally someone speaking some sense

Things like scoring by committee, or playing good team defense, or being "well coached", are interesting anecdotes that might give a team's fans something semi-positive to feel good about, but nothing more than that. Unfortunately, the reality is that in hockey, like other sports, you need stars to win, other things like coaching and fundamentally sound play can only do so much. There is a reason the 2004 Lakers ran over the Pistons in the NBA Finals... Star Power. There is a reason the USA ran over Argentina in the 04 Olympic basketball semis.. Star Power. Or Portugal boat racing Greece in the 2004 Euro finals, or England doing the same to Iceland last year, or the Soviets against the USA in 1980, etc, etc, etc