Carolina's Powerplay Woes Continue: Panthers 3, Hurricanes 1

Overall, I liked the way we attacked and we seemed to maintain the puck in the Florida zone more than we have been doing. I’m confident given Muller’s track record in Montreal that he will improve the powerplay but it’s going to a little bit. Sutter was all over the ice tonight and the Nodl guy can skate. Cam probably wanted that 2nd goal back but Kaberle can’t let somone sneak in behind him like that. It’s going to take a handful of games before we see much difference but for the most part, I was pleased with what I saw.

As a side note, I really like Florida’s defense. They look very good.

I for one wasn’t expecting a miracle but I was hoping for a win – lord knows we could use ’em.

The lack of production on the power play is really getting old. With the number of penalties this team draws (thank you Mr. Skinner) it’s just terrible seeing all those chances go to waste without getting anything for the effort. I’m not even sure what the Canes were doing wrong on the PP – I didn’t get a chance to watch the entire game. What little I did see of the PP unit I thought they were moving the puck around well but I only saw two shifts of it. I happen to like Jay Harrison on the PP; he’s stepped his game up alot and I think deserves all the ice time he can handle.

Kaberle continues to be a noose around this team’s neck.

I thought we had a good fore check going and I liked the puck possession. Disappointing loss but I am optimistic with Muller at the helm.

and how different can a pair of 3-1 losses be? Friday night felt like a first place team playing a last place team. Tonight didn’t. Tonight actually felt like Carolina had the better of the play in 5 on 5. It’s encouraging. Kirk obviously hasn’t had time to put in his system, but there was energy, and there was discipline (in general). The stick-handling was better, the passes were sharper. That’s new. And good.

Now special teams. . . wow. I think I see the problem with the power play. I don’t know if people have said this before, but they play the power play just like 5 on 5. Lots of dump ins, passes in traffic, things like that. In general, too many low percentage passes that may pay off if you hit them, but that you don’t hit too much. In 5 on 5, those are fine. Make a high risk pass and you can get yourself a goal if it works out. If it doesn’t, you lose possession, big deal. But why do those in a power play? You don’t need a risky pass to get a good shot. You just need to make safe passes and wait for a window when the shorthanded team is slow on the rotation. And losing possession means you lose a quarter of your power play. I can’t imagine Muller doesn’t change this, but right now it just doesn’t even look like a power play. It looks like even strength hockey.

As frustrating as it was to watch, can’t help but get excited about listening to Captain Kirk speak.

How can you make it all the way to the AHL and not know how to shoot? Some of these players need to learn how to hit the net. Put some target practice in the practice after the PP work.

The worst case was Allen missing a wide open net (almost a replica of Kaberle’s goof, but with less of an empty net).

Please get Ray Whitney back. He had 1 goal and 2 assists in tonight’s game for Phoenix. :D

So if LaRose gets first line minutes with what he brings, what does Sutter get after a game like last night?

I was hoping for a little more experimentingwith lines. Sutter, Skinner and Ruutu played exactly how a player shoul respond in a situation like they are in. Just extraordinary effort.
First two periods seemed like pretty good hockey with minimal results. 3rd period was the same crap we’ve seen all year. The team was tired, the team effort fell apart.

A special call out to Gleason. Get it together, man. He looked slow, out of place and ineffective. Maybe he’s hurt, but talk about stinkola, sheesh. Between him and Kraperle it’s a wonder the score was only 3-1. The D needs help, though Faulk looked good.

Well Mr. Staal made a good pass to the team leader. He appeared to have good vision all night and passed the puck around well, just can’t find twine. I still think this team with these pieces needs a minimum of 3 goals a night to even compete. That means a few more cylnders need to be hitting. I think there is plenty of talent on this team to put together a deadly PP unit. Them are low hanging fruit minutes that need to be taken advantage of.

In Capt. Kirk we trust…..I hope.

A

…was expecting more from last night coaching-wise. The only major change I saw was healthy scratching McBain instead of Kaberle, we saw how that played out. I know the dude didn’t have much time, but who the heck (Brindy, Barasso, Lewis, even JR?) gave Muller the advice to keep Rosie in the top 6 and the fourth line ice time down? it’s only been one day, so I’m prone to give him some slack, but I’m hoping JR’s guy with “new ideas” actually implements some, like getting Sutter’s butt on the first line and keeping it there. Put Rosie on the fourth line, let him play on the PP as he’s the only one gutsy enough to park in front of the net and also play the PK, he could be like a specialist guy, just get him off the top 2 lines, I’m tired of seeing him pass to empty places on the ice, whiff on passes, and constantly get knocked off the puck.

FYI, in a post yesterday I questioned some folks’ wanting to trade Gleason. Based on what I saw last night, I no longer question that. He looked slow and out of sorts.

Really, really like Sutter’s game last night, and thought Staal let his talent shine through, even if he could not convert. Skinner is Skinner…

…where is the Juice, anyone seen him?

Happy we have new direction behind the bench, eager to see him actually do something new.

GO CANES!!!

I like Muller and think he will do quite well for the Hurricanes. I thought he showed street smarts and people handling skills by not revamping the forward lines until he had seen from ice level how the team performed with the lines as they were. On the other hand, I am ready and have been ready to get the forward lines reworked.

I admire Muller for not reaching across and decking Kaberle for ruining what otherwise looked like at least a tie. Reports are that the RBC was pretty much filled with scouts looking at players. Kaberle looked like an ECHL player in his first game. Gleason is reverting to his lack of form last season. I again suspect he has a bad back; and that it isn’t a case of him just being hesitant.

I was not shocked or even disappointed the power play floundered. It’s built to be ineffective at the moment. I like this team and think it has the makings of a very good team. I think Muller will be able to put his stamp on the team. On the positive side of things, Poni is continuing to improve. Stewart again looked good. Brent and Nodl both looked good. The usual leaders led by example: Skinner, Sutter, Ruutu, and Jokinen. Allen and Joslin showed an edgy game. I think Allen is the best shutdown defenseman on the team; and I hope Muller campaigns for the Hurricanes to keep him. Pitkanen was a beast with his skating. Faulk has incredible poise and maturity.

I was underwhelmed by the usuals. Staal is still trying to be the alpha dog and again reminded me of the saying, he couldn’t hit the ocean with a rock thrown from a boat in the middle of the sea. Muller is going to be challenged by Staal’s innate psychological makeup. Staal is a pouter and it’s going to be very, very difficult to turn him into a Skinner or a Ruutu or a Sutter.

I was encouraged by the Aftermath and the discussion by Mike M. that the organization knew it needed to upgrade its talent. I was probably more encouraged about the fact the Hurricanes are now 27th in the NHL with 20 points. They are ahead of the Islanders by only 2 points and the Islanders have 4 games in hand on the Hurricanes. I think in the Fail for Nail campaign the Hurricanes are in a race to the cellar with Anaheim and Columbus. As long as the Hurricanes finished no higher than 28th, they will have three superstars to choose from. Ideally the Hurricanes would finish no higher than 29th because as between Yakupov and Grigorenko it’s a toss up. Both are superb. I’d much, much rather see the Hurricanes finish 30th or 29th and have the luxury of a top 2 pick in this draft. I’m not being a pessimist. I think Edmonton, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia are prospering long term from their ability to pick stars in the draft.

If the Hurricanes go for the Big Bang trade, I’d like to see either Bobby Ryan or Ryan Getzlaf obtained. In some ways I’d prefer Getzlaf because is could take over as the first line center and let Staal be a right wing. On the other hand, Ryan is fantastic. I seriously doubt Jim Rutherford will go that route; but it’s fun to think about. I do hope the Hurricanes look at the roster and use the talent scale objectively to jettison at least Kaberle and two forwards. The roster needs to be supplemented with more talented, young players. Nodl in my view does add to the talent pool.

A number of fans are not enthusiastic about Boychuk; and if that opinion is shared by Rutherford and the organization, now would be a good time to trade him. I wouldn’t do it if I were Rutherford. Statistically, the fact that a large number of fans see Boychuk as underachieving would be fairly strong evidence there is something lacking in his game. Those many eyes all seeing the same thing tends to mean it’s likely to be true. I also realize I am probably in the minority. I would gladly come cheer the Hurricanes team enthusiastically and watch them lose every single one of the remaining games this season because it would likely guarantee the lottery pick. Watching Yakupov or Grigorenko in a Canes uniform playing with the core team and the young forwards like Dalpe, Rask, (and I think Boychuk) would be a pleasure for many years. So for me last night was a victory; and although I think Kaberle is one of the two worst defensemen I’ve ever seen play for the Hurricanes, I thank him too.

Rooting for the Canes to lose? Cats and dogs living together? Did the sun rise in the west this morning?

I wonder IF the canes had won the last 4 even and dispite Kabs crappy play…how different the tenor of the these comments would be and we’d still have Mo…As fans we ALWAYS want and desire to see our team #1 in all things even when 15 of them are all butr dead got a broken arm or leg each and can’t even hold the stick properly after being taped into place…with all that said many of us do see and understand that more changes are needed and should be done sooner than later…My question for all is …What or how are we gonna respond if the changes we know needs to be done don’t materialize until say the trade deadline and by then 2011/2012 is in the sewer and long gone ? Should we fans be “content” ? For myself,we have made a change and yes a another or 2 is needed and the time is NOW if the Canes aree to at least a 500-600% season..to myself that would be a “moral victory” or am i expecting too much even there ? In Closing the Canes skated fater Nodl took my breath away with that one play..and Faulk is definately a keeper for the rest of this season…he & Staal saved the team from futher embarassing it’s self…while i amn happy wioth the new zip and sped the canes have but those missed shots on the net need to be reduced maybe the canes need to put targetsa on the corners like they do in the All Star games..have a good day folks and remember that win or lose..we are all & Still are Caniacs !!

Lotta chatter on NHL On the Fly about Derek Joslins hit on Versteeg. Craig Button: High hit, elbow to the head. Expecting a Shanaban.

Well, we lost. Not surprised, there was absolutely no way to turn around the train wreck Mo left. When Lavi was fired, Mo still had a team playing better than .500 hockey, had a good offensive system and he could instill a minor tweak to the defensive play and gambling style and get results. Mo left no discernable system—nnt sure if we were an aggressive team, or a fall back defensive team. No lines to work from—Mo destroyed those.

So all Muller can do with a game day skate is what he did. Get the team to try to relax and play hard. They did. He got a chance to see the players, lines, and problem areas we’ve all seen under Mo this whole year. Now he has to go to work. And it will still be a piecemeal process. Can’t change and practice everything with a game every other day.

It’s small victories time people. We’re not a playoff team. FOGEDABOUDIT. Not from the position we are in now. I believe we have the talent, had we been in the 7-10 position to compete for a low playof spot. We do not have the talent to play and win as many games as we’d have to going forward from the position Mo left us and with the schedule Muller would have to work with to turn this team around. Acquiring a Ryan or so may change that, but without that change we’re not talented enough to play like a top three seed for the rest of the year in order to squeak in.

SO what do we need to see to call this change successful?? Turn around:

1) We need to see effort each game and each period consistently. Good start.
2) We need to see an entertaining style of hockey. Showing promise.
3) We need to look competitive, win lose or draw, i.e. once the system seems to be in, win at better than .500 to close the season.
4) We need to fix special teams so we’re at least average—prefereably better. Given the penalties we draw, an average PP alone would make us a .500 or better team…
5) We need to get the talent out of the current roster and get the players performing to their capabilities. That way we can better assess what we have and assess their fit to Muller’s systems.
6) We need to assess the talent we have, get it to produce, or get it elsewhere. This includes current roster players and prospects.
7) JR needs to fill holes—drat, trade, current prospects. Whatever works.

What did Muller accomplish last night?

I saw good team use of speed and passing, good offensive zone posession which finally kept another team out of our own zone for longer periods. He worked on that in the morning. He didn;t pull back the offense. Liked it.

I saw a better effort from Staal. Muller’s accountability standards will ensure that stays consistent. Others have remarked on it this thread seeing Staal think about it and then go back hard. Staal made at least two good backchecking plays he’d normally not have been back for.

I saw players motivated to try to earn better position and TOI: Sutter, Joslin, Faulk, in particular has some of their better efforts on the year.

Yes, I saw the same mistakes and flaws, but those are inherited problems. We already knew about them.

Let’s see whether it’s baby steps or strides forward from Muller—because ti will also take the team effort to learn and implement whatever changes he makes, and they’ve already seen lots of changes this year…

I’ll not condemn this team based on one game under the new coach, nor belabor errors and problems we’ve had for the last 2.3 years under Mo…. I did that already.

You know I’m exciting being a Canes fan right now. We just got a new coach and there are rumors all over about us trying to acquire Bobby Ryan. While I would LOVE to get Ryan and think we should do it; I know it’s not going to happen. But it’s fun to think we might actually do something big, trying to improve our team, rather than our normal underwhelming moves.

Well if a move is to be made there really are only a limited number of options. Rumor has it that to get a Bobby Ryan, NHL caliber player(s) and a pick would have to go back in return. My guess is that a good prospect could be substituted for the pick. By my read here’s who is available and under what circumstances:

Ruutu – pending UFA, probably available for the right price, but Anaheim won’t want him unless he’s re-signed
Jokinen – $3.0 million for a 30 goal scorer? Do we really want to give that up? For Bobby Ryan, probably, but not for much else. Plus the hometown discount he took invokes the JR loyalty factor
Ponikarovsky – clearly trade bait – has he done enough to indicate high enough value? Moreover, now that he’s effectively using his big body in front of the net, is he somebody we want to get rid of?
LaRose – too much of a heart and soul guy specific to the Canes, but probably available. His salary is probably a bit high for his overall recent production.
Dwyer – a nice throw in. Better offensively than we Caniacs give him credit for.
Tlusty – good pedigree plus he’s starting to show something this year. Currently probably viewed as a 3rd liner on most teams (w/some upside)
McBain – no matter how much I may personally hate it, he’s probably the center-piece of any deal.
Gleason – another pending UFA who played 8 to 10 really good games for us this year and then seemingly has dropped off somewhat. Still a good reputation as a Top 4 defender w/grit.
Allen – pending UFA who has really played well for us this year. He has size and a mean streak that make him attractive. Seems to be more mobile this year than last.
Harrison – very good bottom pairing guy (maybe rising). Most improved Cane over the last 2 years. May turn some GM heads if they are savvy.
Kaberle – if wishes were horses….really needs to keep playing and the Canes need to hope he shows some of his historic scoring skill, especially on the PP. Most fans want him traded, has the least current value.

There are others in the mix. I’ve got to think that JR has had inquiries about Boychuk, Dalpe, Faulk, and maybe Nash (who along with Sanguinetti are right on the cusp of young “has beens”). I also believe that we have two 2nd round picks and 2 4th round picks in the upcoming draft; so we have lots of chips for a trade.

Rumor also had it that Paul Stasny was available and I believe that Colorado would value a defender more than some clubs…just my two cents worth.