The Road To Raleigh: Point Streak Keeps Checkers Hot

I haven’t directly heard anything about him either. I did see him skating earlier before the game both Sunday vs hershey and Friday vs. Norfolk. Perhaps he is a day to day decision. He was in full uniform skating though, perhaps we see him return this week, which may make ethan graham the odd man out.

They had nearly 6000 yesterday, and I think 6700 Friday night. The 2 mid week games were over 3500 (About the same for the Sunday Penguins game you probably referring to). Considering the average for AHL is below 3500, IIRC, they are doing well, considering it’s early in the season and Football is still a Sunday distraction.

With the long homestand this month, I wonder if that will help attendance with some wins and consistency of being around, or mean people won’t go very often and dilute the sales.

Great link. By far the largest crowd in the AHL yesterday. Bodes well.

I’ve not seen any speculation as to which wing Dalpe might be moved to, if not to be a center for us. Anyone know of any previous national team experience where he might have played as a winger?

He does shoot right to Skinner’s left shot, so they would seemingly be complementary wingers.

Dalpe’s leading the poll at the moment. Went to the game yesterday, and he was gold. He, Boychuk, Dodge, Samson, Bowman, FtizGerald, Herauf, Chaput, Terry looked hungry – even Nash was showing much greater energy. This after 5 games in 6 days, on the 3rd of 3 in 3 nights (with 2 nights travel). Very Very impressive.

Hershey was very aggressive, and they didn’t back down and they didn’t stumble when the Bears scored 2 in the 3rd. If anyone remembers the way the games went in the playoffs last year when the Rats kept getting decent leads and lose in OT, for almost all 4 games. Not yesterday – they turned it up rather than shut it down. Awesome to see that response given the circumstances.

Boychuk will have to continue to work on the defensive side of his game to earn a shot at the left side of Sutter’s line, regularly facing the likes of Dany Heatley, Rick Nash, and Patrick Kane on the right wing offensive side of the ice. However, he’s apparently bringing the offensive side of his game back into play (15 points in 15 games).

Not sure we can afford the brute force interchangeable parts approach of trying every conceivable forward combination there is looking for “chemistry” with Staal.

Frankly, he’s not shown any chemistry, in my opinion, with any forward we’ve ever put with him, so I think that’s a futile search.

Far better to supply him with certain functional pieces instead, as I believe they are doing: someone to dig out the puck (LaRose) and someone to pass the puck and/or clean up the rebound garbage (Samsonov).

Better candidates are welcomed, but that’s the best we have to offer right now. Only other acceptable RW substitutes for LaRose are Ruutu, who is gainfully employed as a needed veteran center, and Jokinen, who doesn’t seem to be offering much more than Chad can bring to the table right now.

Besides, rumor has it that Staal actually requested LaRose. So, best fit for now, perhaps, but I would agree that Larose is surely not a permanent solution for Staal’s right wing.

My take on Jared Staal is that he had an excellent camp; and that he has surprisingly soft hands for such a gigantic hockey player. I think the light bulb has to click on for Jared Staal for him to make the next step to being a dominating AHL player. If and when it happens, he will suddenly develop the work ethic of a player like LaRose. Many of us think of LaRose as being a protege of Brind’Amour and who is almost obsessive with fitness training. I recall, however, an interview a number of years ago where the subject of LaRose came up. LaRose used to come to weight training in flip flops and threw some weights around and went home. Somebody, and I my recollection is that it was Brind’Amour, told LaRose that he could have a long, long NHL career; but only if he did the work in the weight room and with conditioning. LaRose is now one of the most fit Hurricanes.

   When Jared Staal comes to training camp as absolutely the most fit player on the team, we will know he gets what it takes for him to make the next big step. He has not yet bought into the idea of the inter-relationship between training, diet, and skill. He is not that guy now; but he is still quite young. Hopefully, Jared Staal will realize that he really can be an impact hockey player; but that he can’t do it unless he makes specific sacrifices. It’s easy for me to say in that I don’t have to devote virtually my entire life to training to play a professional sport. The moment the various people who follow the Checkers and Hurricanes start talking about how Jared Staal won’t leave the weight room and is the first person on the ice and is the last person to leave practice, it’s be obvious the light bulb switched on for him.

Ya there was alot of hype bout him mainly cuz of his bros I’m sure, but I’m surprised to see that he hasn’t played more time. Maybe he’s fighting an injury or smthing or just needs a lil more time for development, and maybe he might just not have it but with a hockey family like his. he’s gotta have it in him somewhere

Yes – thank you so much for bringing this here. Keep up the good work.

Thanks very much for the first hand report. I have sons around the age of most of the Hurricanes players, so I tend to see the players from the human side. I understand that NHL hockey has its business side; but for young players who could under different circumstances be my sons, I feel for them.