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2017-18 Miscellaneous Canes News Thread

FWIW, the Hurricanes have had six (6) power play goals this season. Skinner has two (2) PP goals and JW, Teravainen, Ryan and Lindholm each have one (1) PP goal. JStaal has a shortie. We are 29th on the PP-- I suspect Arizona is worse. PATHETIC special teams!
 
And we are 30th in Total Goals For. Stands to reason if you stink at scoring goals you just stink at scoring goals.
 
JFG said:
And we are 30th in Total Goals For. Stands to reason if you stink at scoring goals you just stink at scoring goals.
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This. Even on our best nights we only go for 3 or 4. This team is just offensively inept. And again, totally devoid of any creativity at center ice, so that’s not exactly a shocker.
 
jeffbear said:
This. Even on our best nights we only go for 3 or 4. This team is just offensively inept. And again, totally devoid of any creativity at center ice, so that’s not exactly a shocker.
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Right now we're 28th in total goals, but part of that is that we are tied for fewest games played. We're 20th in goals per game, only .07 goals / game behind Minnesota, which sits right in the middle at 16th. .07 goals is about one goal every 14 games. If we'd converted just two more PP opportunities this year, we'd be at 15th, just behind the Hawks and Preds (and our PP would still be below average). I'm not disagreeing that we need more offense, and I'm not saying that our goal should be to be perfectly average, but we're not exactly way off the pace. By the way, we're 7th in goals against per game.

If you want to talk about horrible, the Coyotes are last in GF/G and GP/G. If they were a horse, well, you know how that one goes.
 
The important stat for the Canes is "Goals For" versus "Goals Against." When GA starts exceeding GF, we're in trouble-- always. Games in hand are nice, but it means nothing when we are not able to stay with the pack-- and next week is Thanksgiving and between tonight and Thanksgiving, we are playing four games- NYI, BUF, NYI and NYR. Both NYI and NYR are two points ahead of us in the standings with more games played. These four games represent real opportunity for the Canes to get some movement in the standings and take advantage of their recent hot play. But as much as I hate to say it, the real question when the pressure/opportunity is there, will the Canes crumble and wilt as they have in the past or will they seize the challenge? This is the time for the Kruger, Williams, Darling and Staal to step up as vets with a history of winning in challenging situations.
 
Our GF-GA number has climbed back into plus territory at +2, which is usually one of the prerequisites for playoff teams.

And, without playing a game, we jumped 10 points to nearly 60% playoff chances due to other Metro team losses by those ahead of us, on which we hold games in hand on everyone.

So close now that a regulation win tonight would vault us over 3 teams to the last wild card spot. Ironically, the other wild card spot currently occupied by the Islanders with a -2 GF-GA number. And we play them again after a game with Buffalo.

We're right there.
 
So I go online to check out what happened in the game I missed yesterday, and see that TT is NHL's #1 star of the week with 5g 5a in 4 games. Keep it going kid, make the Hawks REALLY bitter.
 
Really nice analytics snapshot of the Canes by @Cane-alytics on the Section 328 blogs:

Find the Jam: Actually Good?

Note that really no one is in the Dull or Bad quadrant in the Corsi (all shot attempts) For vs Corsi Against shot rate plots. All mostly in the Good (more for than against). A few defensive forwards dealing with a bit more against (Funsies).

Saw elsewhere that Hanifin (mind you in protected O-zone starts) is leading the league in Corsi For 5-on-5 events when on the ice, with nearly 60% shot attempts our way. And Kruger is a shot suppression machine, in exact opposite D-zone starts.

The Expected Goal Rates chart is a case where the numbers support the eye test. And better inform them, too.

Eric Tulsky has the coaches and management looking at way more sophisticated stuff than this. Heck, he was designing new ways to manipulate stat data when the Canes took him off the public market.

I do like that we are data driven as an org. Or, perhaps better described as experience driven, backed and better informed by data.
 
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The eye test still works too though. Rask looked like he sucked out there, which he did. They took him out of the lineup. No analytics required for that one, that should have happened a long time ago.
 
cmaleski2 said:
The eye test still works too though. Rask looked like he sucked out there, which he did. They took him out of the lineup. No analytics required for that one, that should have happened a long time ago.
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The question is how long does he stay out? I think he's been a weight - not doing anything particularly well - and I'd like to see how we perform with him out of the lineup for a few games.
 
I have no idea what happened to the Rask who use to drive the net and seemed willing to do anything to get to scoring zones. That guy had decent enough quicks and smarts and confidence. I know he got hurt and had shoulder surgery before last season, but the version of Rask that was out there this season is the most fragile and weak player I think I've seen out there in a while. Any contact sends him off balance, he has no desire at all to even graze jerseys with anyone. He is useless defensively, useless in the faceoff circle, useless 5v5, useless on the PP. He loses just about every single battle on every part of the ice you can think of. Rask battling in the corners is like watching an amateur in there, he gets beaten just about every time.

I know Peters is saying they are going to try to 'get him some help', I really don't know what that means. If he is incapable of seriously raising his 'give a crap' level out there then the Canes would almost certainly be better off with ANYONE else out there. There is no shortage of talent in our system, and I guarantee you that everyone one of them would play hard out there in place of Rask. PDG is ok for a little while, but the guy has limited upside AND as he is not waivers exempt...his 'doesn't have to clear waivers again' ends at 10 games played or 30 days on the roster. Not that teams are clamoring to claim him since he cleared once, but why take that risk if you don't have to unless PDG suddenly has a Brock McGinn level surge. . At some point, if the Canes can't get Rask figured out, they are going to need to get Wallmark OR Zykov up and see what they might have.

As for what to do with Rask? I have no idea at this stage. I'm sure he will get another shot at some point, but what looked like bargain has turned into an albatross of a contract. The Canes might end up having to eat some of his deal to be able to get rid of him if it comes to that. The guy better find his heart and confidence quickly or he is going to play himself out of this organization quickly.
 
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He has some trade value, but doubt it's with much salary retained unless something bigger coming our way. Buyout is too affordable. So little value. Change of scenery piece.

As I understand it, they have until this off-season to pull trigger on a fairly painless buyout. Due to age, only 1/3 value of contract and can be spread over many years (6?). Double remaining, I think. Rules change for more payout over a shorter amount of time next season, and many prospects want to join the fun. So this season is it, make or break.

He needs to watch up on high where I sit. It all looks ridiculously easy up there. :sarcasm

Certainly if it ain't broke is in effect, so not sure when he gets back in. Heck, maybe Friday, full of vim and vigor.

We'll see. Nice to have the depth to do so.
 
I wonder if "getting some help" means getting on Brindy's speed program. Seems like it was a success on our latest #6 D Man Steven Halko clone type, who's name escapes me for some reason, right?
 
This has been the story with Rask since we drafted him. He slipped to the second round, not because of skills, but because of questions about his desire and work ethic. In Charlotte, there was a big clamor when Daniels demoted him to the 4th line for similar issues. But that demotion worked and he turned it around.

Maybe sitting and another wakeup call is what he needs. Seems to be a regular pattern with him.
 
I'd like to see him not just scratched for one game, but with the understanding he's going to earn his way back in the line up. As far as I could tell, the team performed better without him in the line up...
 
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