What is wrong with the Hurricanes?

[Machinehead]

Watch this



Five goals in this game an not one was a scoring chance. Not one.

It's just a one game example, but tell me this is isn't every playoff game ever. Playoff goals are garbage. Quality is not more important than quantity. Not in a million years.

 

[zar]

Last time you started one of these threads the Canes went on a 5 game win streak.

 

[Roboturner913]

that one 8 goal game brings that up a helluva lot.

most games the canes are getting 1-2 goals and taking the games to shootouts where they inevitably lose because they're **** in shootouts.

The first game of the season against Winnipeg they had a 4-0 lead and lost 5-4. Was that on the offense? The second game they led 3-0 against Vancouver and lost 4-3. They had a 6-5 loss to Anaheim and a 4-3 loss to Washington, in both those games they had leads as well. That's four losses that should have been wins in which the offense more than did their part. It's passive defense late in games which has hurt this team more than anything, not lack of offense.

 

[Rorschach]

We have by far the league's best PK (7 goals against, 4 SH goals scored - 91.3%)

We have the league's 8th best PP (21.7%)

We allow the 5th fewest shots against in the League (27.5 - for added context, were this 0.2 lower, we'd be 3rd)

And are one of the best possession and well disciplined teams in the league

Yet, all that said, if you count OT//SO losses as losses, this team is 13-18 and not making the playoffs.

I know it'd help if we scored an extra goal here or there, and I know the goaltending is a bit suspect, though Ward has been great since November after an lol October.

Something about all these numbers does not add up to me, this team should be substantially better than they are. imo anyway.

Thoughts?

As a Kings fan from before 2012, I can tell you that you don't have a problem. If anything, things are looking up but you will need to make at least one to three significant moves. But, a lot of contenders go through this same phase. You're one player away from being a playoff team, two players from being a good team and three players away from being a contender.

Obviously legit starting goaltender is one of those players.

Now the question is, at least two of the three players you need can be acquired reasonably if you have cap. So you need to look at your cap space. If you have double-digit millions in cap space, you're in the correct position. If you have no cap space, then something's "wrong".

 

[go comets]

Young team. In the best division in the league. Not a lot of scoring, and pretty soft group of players.

 

[Peanut]

They are better than there record indicates, unfortunately all the gambling sites are catching on to that now

Should go on a tear Bill Peters is a heck of coach!

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

I would actually say Carolina is out-performing expectations. Peters, Smith and Brind'Amour have gotten every ounce of talent out of that group. When they begin to actually add NHL bodies, they'll be a threat in the East once again.

 

[Elvs]

Watch this



Five goals in this game an not one was a scoring chance. Not one.

It's just a one game example, but tell me this is isn't every playoff game ever. Playoff goals are garbage. Quality is not more important than quantity. Not in a million years.

Two of those goals are what I'd call quality oppurtunities. Fleury never even reacts to the Braun shot. He never saw the puck, which is obvious from the replay and from his reaction (or lack there of).

Second is the Hornqvist redirect. Again, much traffic around the net. And it's a redirect 6 feet in front of Jones. A redirect counts as a shot in the boxscore, and should be treated as a quality chance. Certainly when it happens in that area and from that player, one of the best at screening goaltenders and redirecting pucks.

 

[Roboturner913]

I would actually say Carolina is out-performing expectations. Peters, Smith and Brind'Amour have gotten every ounce of talent out of that group. When they begin to actually add NHL bodies, they'll be a threat in the East once again.

Don't agree, there's plenty room for improvement on the current roster. Players like Aho, Teravainen, Hanifin, Slavin, Pesce and even Rask are still developing on an upward trend, and even some of the more established veterans like Faulk, Skinner, Lindholm have room for improvement. The only concerns in terms of "talent" are they need a legit goalie for the long term and a high-end scorer to complete the top line.

As a team they are not overachieving, if you look at win-loss they are actually underachieving relative to their advance stats. They finished with 86 points last year so they're not outperforming expectations, they're actually underperforming them as compared to that (albeit by a miniscule amount).

 

[LeafGrief]

Suspect goaltending, unremarkable offensive talent, and an excellent but young d-core. With a goalie, an addition or two up front, and some maturity for their blue line, the Canes will be just fine. Probably not this year though.

 

[Machinehead]

Two of those goals are what I'd call quality oppurtunities. Fleury never even reacts to the Braun shot. He never saw the puck, which is obvious from the replay and from his reaction (or lack there of).

Second is the Hornqvist redirect. Again, much traffic around the net. And it's a redirect 6 feet in front of Jones. A redirect counts as a shot in the boxscore, and should be treated as a quality chance. Certainly when it happens in that area and from that player, one of the best at screening goaltenders and redirecting pucks.

Well that's your opinion, and that's well and good, but none of them were scoring chances per NHL.com

 

[Rorschach]

Suspect goaltending, unremarkable offensive talent, and an excellent but young d-core. With a goalie, an addition or two up front, and some maturity for their blue line, the Canes will be just fine. Probably not this year though.

Yup, they need three players: a legit 1G, a game breaking forward and a standup veteran leader on defense. Goalie be easy to get, the other two will be interesting.

They could develop one or more as well.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yup, they need three players: a legit 1G, a game breaking forward and a standup veteran leader on defense. Goalie be easy to get, the other two will be interesting.

They could develop one or more as well.

While I agree with the Goalie and forward, the "veteran leader on defense" has me perplexed. Justin Faulk is the leader on defense and is in his 6th NHL season. I'd say he qualifies as a veteran now. If not, they have Hainsey as well.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Considering the question OP made, I think these are the most relevant answers. Despite what "advanced" stat-guys say, you gotta have those finishers and top end skilled guys too.

Do any advanced stats guys say you dont need high end skill players?

 

[Elvs]

Well that's your opinion, and that's well and good, but none of them were scoring chances per NHL.com

Usually enhanced stats folks belittles the eye-test because it's subjective. But to prove that quality of shots don't mean anything, they are pointing to stats from NHL.com that requires the eye-test and are subjective?

There's a reason why teams track scoring chances themselves. I don't know how every team does it in NHL, but in Sweden it's typical for coaches to count red and green scoring chances. Red is for "hot". If you are a positive corsi team, but you're not getting enough red chances, or even green ones, you're doing something wrong.

There's luck and bounces in hockey you can't control. But coaches and players know you can help create your own luck, such as by standing in the face of the opposing team's goalie.

 

[NotOpie]

The biggest single problem with our goaltending has been the "untimely" goal. Either early in a game when momentum is in the Canes favor, our netminders have a history of giving up the softie that kills that momentum. It is especially deflating for a young team.

Another type of untimely goal is the the one that cuts a two goal lead to a one goal lead. It, too, has historically been of the soft variety...or maybe more importantly, a goal that shouldn't have happened...bad bounce, off of a skate (yes, Ron Hainsey, I'm looking at you), or one the goaltender just would have wanted back.

Then, of course, the late in the game, "barrage of shots" variety. This has become a killer for the Hurricanes. Recently, primarily this season, the team has developed a "protect the lead" defense mentality that is more like "going into a shell" than "protect at all costs". I think it was Bill Parcells that said, prevent defenses prevent you from winning. Of all of their blown-lead losses this year, only one (Winnipeg) was because they played foolishly aggressively and made mistakes because of "commission" as opposed to mistakes of "omission".

As some have said, it is a young team that is still learning how to win. Give it time and the record will catch up to the advanced stats. That said another skilled 1st line player and a big body with scoring touch for the 3rd line would do wonders for this team's results.

 

[Beautvillier]

A team is worthless without a guy to stop the pucks the other team shoots.