Guest Feature - Are the Canes Good or Bad?

Good call. I think they are lucky to have such a record, but are doing so without real contributions from Staal and Brindámour. The former will get it going, and the latter is still recovering from surgery, and should improve. I see the playoffs for sure, and a possible SE div title.

That being said, we arent winning the cup this year.

I am not pleased with them. It’s a team effort to be a great team. They are not making great effort every minute on the ice. I’ll even drag the sutter thing up with a question. I think the lack of much emotion when the kid got slaughterd was a low point for me.

Here’s the question:

Brenden Shannahanahan the man is available albeit pricey. He is a 2 dozen goal a year masterful 2 way player. won I think 3 cups. He ain’t purty and will scrap with whomever when it needs to be done.

You think a guy like that would help?

All these kids, another true proven vet like Brindy, forward with a great two way game……

I was batting that around and if he was on the ice, I think he’d a pounded Dougy and our team would of gone into overdrive.

We just don’t have that glue or ignitor.

No lack of skill. Just not a team stiving to be great. This is pro, good is unacceptable.

I think this lead we have will evaporate like moonshine on a star soon. There a couple good or better teams on our heels. We play one tonight.

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I agree with Paladin6, we need team chemistry. We haven’t had it since the cup run. I’m convinced Brindy is just happy to have his name on the cup and is coasting, he needs to go. Seriously.

As for the ‘Canes, I think they have under-performed due to a lack of team chemistry and poor schemes from Lavi. I wouldn’t mind him stepping aside or adopting some of Rowe’s schemes to give this team an identity aside from the “Candy Canes we’re not going to fight and all we do is stretch passes” current identity.

I think we will be able to judge this team better after they have played all the teams in our division. It’s always a different game with your division. That will tell the tale for me. Tonight against the Caps will be a eye opener for me. Go Canes

I am very pleased with where the Canes are. How is it even a question? 14 points and 5th or 6th overall in the league? It doesn’t matter how they get the points. If someone told you at the beginning of the year that we would be 6-3-2 thru the 1st 11 games of the season, you woulda been extremely happy with it. Why not now? Outside of Detroit, no team has played perfectly this year. And most teams haven’t had the injury problem that we have had. So look at the record, don’t look at how the team has played in individual games, because at the end of the day it’s only about the record, look at it real good, and then ask yourself if your happy.

I am happy with where they are, however, I would agree that something is missing. It doesn’t look like the offense is flowing the way it should. Also, it’s hard to find any chemistry when you have some many guys moving in and out of the line up. I think if Samsonov and Eaves find a groove and start getting some points teams better watch out because I think the flood gates will open.

Here’s an odd note, and I think it add to the article. I wrote this Tuesday right after I got back from lunch. It had been festering in my brain for about a week and it came all in a rush. I sent it on to Bubba because I thought it would be a decent column and I wanted to hear what he had to say on the matter. He didn’t get back to me until later in the evening. As a matter of fact when I got his e-mail the Canes were up 3-0. His e-mail asked if I wanted to revise it after the Toronto game. My reply was something to the effect of post it now, but with this hot start I may have finally made up my mind that I’m happy with the team. Well, we all remember that game. Needless to say it settled nothing for me.

Willmnoca and Paladin6, outside of his Shanahan comments, are essentially the two voices I have going over and over this in my head. I’m happy with the 6-3-2, now 7-3-2, record. And you’re right, if I was told where this team would be with the injuries I would have taken it. But Paladin’s comment about effort holds me back from getting behind this team more. Injuries, health, and refs you can’t control, but effort you can control. They could be better but they have also done a lot to get here.

I’m hoping Walker brings a little of that jam back. Gleason is more than willing, too.

I don’t think anyone — the team included — is satisfied. I think that’s the good news. No one is coming out and saying, “We’re playing very well.”

As a fan, I’m not satisfied with the play, but the team could easily be near the bottom of the division and they’re not.

C-Leaguer,

The Shanny comments were of an example of a type of player or part of a team that’s missing. I have no expectations on getting him and quite frankly don’t think he’d fit in the locker room. That said, he may.

My concern and kinda follows up with what you and Cory said. Somethings missing. No one has that pride and confidense. You all no where I stand on Lavi, but there is still something else missing. When the Rosie/Ruutu/Helminen line goes out, I see spark and jump. They ain’t the elite line, but they are playing like it. All three of them have something to prove, as does Seidenburg and Babchuck. All are players that I think were poorly treated or mishandled in the past. Samsinov I swear I will hop over the boards and kick the dam puck in myself if the hockey Gods don’t reward him and his effort soon. I agree with Hotchips that if he and Eaves get rolling that could really be something. Cullen was just starting to get fired up and bang, again.

Remember when Recchi and Weight showed up, how the team just looked like a group of guys that had been on the ice together forever?

How can we take a team like that, introduce two guys like that and still be cohesive and effective?

Run that by until now and I think the potential of this team could put them in contention for the East, if they worked like the ’06 team.

Is it me or did Toronto make us play better or look like we were playing better? Toronto was a bit off, but they played good hockey from time to time in the two games.

I dunno, ain’t no way the fan base will go ape kazing until the teams believes they are worth going ape over.

Couple big jumps, me thinks.

I think tonight will either show a ’Canes club that wants to have respect and wins. Or we cough another 2 up for them.

Ovechkin is going to be determined little son of bear hug tonight. It should be a fun game. I’m glad I will be watching from home, though. I like the replays and on occaision the insight from a TV game now and again.

Go ’Canes.

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The elephant in the room, to me, is Staal is clearly slowed by something — presumably his shoulder. I think Rod’s rounding into form and if Staal can get back to close to normal and get rolling, it will do a lot to make things right.

I think the fact that the team’s down to the 7th and 8th D doesn’t help either. Kaberle and Pitkanen are the best puck-movers getting it out of the zone and that’s missed. Melichar has been serviceable, I guess, but Babchuk has been disappointing to me. He’s not great at the first pass and for him to be one of the PP point guys and have just four shots on goal in seven games is baffling. Yes, he has seven missed shots, but that’s not nearly enough. I’m almost ready to say give Gleason his PP time.

Now there is some food for thought!!!

I like Bab’s cannon, it just may not be time for ojt to get him right, but a doublehellyea on Gleason. I’ve always hoped he pans out to be a star/elite player. i think he’s coming around.

What ya think about Seidenberg on a PP?

Man I hope Joni pans out. If we could get all the D guys we paid for on the friggin’ ice, it might be worth it just for autographs!

I think you hit the nail on the head, though. can’t fault Staal for lack of talent, but in his tax bracket he HAS to produce.

Here’s one. I don’t care if Rod scores a goal or is a minus a million if he can maintain his level of play and keep smoking in the faceoff circle. I think that is one of the most under-rated yet all important things.

I don’t know if anybody pays attention but the faceoff guys hate/admire him. He’s like a tree stump with an articulating trunk in the circle. Home or away he knows how to play the puck and moct folks come away pissed they can’t move his stick or he moved thiers or whatever. He just flat out has the knack and I think it is a crucial, and I mean I think that simple skill has gotten where we are. Getting the puck is so important. That’s part of why I
m pissed!! He wins the FO and somebody turns it over.

I don’t know, just frustrated and anxious about tonights game.

All said and done, thoubgh i think you are on an interesting train of thought. What bothers me, isn’t this how we lost out last year? Had guys out, had guys step up and get fluid (we are maybe about there, tell ya in the morning), then the other guys come back and we lose a step. It feels like we are repeating mistakes we should learn from. Obviously you can’t put Cullen or Sutter on waivers and ween them back up and not go broke, cause they’d get snagged. I just don’t think forcing a situation like we had last year is a smart idea. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke. Ward in the cup year was untested and a true rookie. Gerber carried a lot of the load to the PO’s. When Ward was ready and we needed him, we got results. I think that’s what we need to do now. Look at Wallin.

Hell I’m rambling.

Later,

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It is so interesting how you guys are talking about effor…..effort……effort. Have we forgotten that there are two teams on the ice at any given time. All the teams have at least 2 good lines. Just by the match ups, you are going to have periods where you get out worked, out played or what looks like out hustled. No team is head and shoulders above the rest. There is very little difference between winning and losing.

You have a team that is just winning. The defense is still finding itself. The forwards are getting comfortable with the back checking system again. Brind’amour is not healthy. He looks slow and old. He will get better as the season goes on. He always does. It just takes longer after an injury. Pitkanen will be back soon and that will make for 3 really solid pairings. They have given up a lot of shots but that will tighten up. The power play is improving, the penalty kill is better. This is a good team. With time, they could evolve into a very good team. I wouldn’t want any part of them in the playoffs. Can they win the cup? If they get hot at the right time…yes.

This is what makes hockey interesting. Enjoy it.

Oh, one more thing, Eric Staal is not healthy. His shoulder has to be hurting. Imagine this team when all the top guys get going.

After tonights game I can say I am not happy. There still has not been any sort of consistency shown. Just look @ the 5 on 3 power play.

This team is going to show flashes of greatness for two, maybe three games, and then there will be two maybe three performances like tonight’s collapse.

Get used to getting your hopes up only to have them dashed like tonight. This will be the only consistent thing about this team this year.

I haven’t seen any flashes of greatness, really. Even the early outburst vs. Toronto was as much a result of poor goaltending from Toskala as anything the team was doing.

What happened tonight, plain and simple, can not happen.

And Ward broke even. He was outstanding for 57 minutes and then….

That was a 4 point game.

Be interesting tonight.

Anyone else notice Eaves? He made some good/mediocre plays and all, but man did he look winded after every shift. He must of had the flu or dysentary or something evil.

Seidebburg, that bounce off his skate in the first was the first sign they weren’t clicking. They were trying to hard to be relaxed. That never works.

That blown 5 on 3 was pathetic and shifted the emotion, tone and outcome.

I figure we see Leighton and I hope an inspired team tonight.

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