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GDT: Canes vs Blue Jackets 10/10

jeffbear said:
OK, do note that despite getting waxed by Chicago the other night, Columbus is one of the best defensive teams in the league. And one that is a particularly bad matchup for the Canes. A point and a solid defensive effort is absolutely a good result for Carolina right now. No question. Darling was really good last night and for the most part the D was better organized than in Game 1. Yeah, the offense was MIA, and that’s got to improve, but let’s not act like we’re as good as Columbus because we aren’t. That point was good result.
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Thank you. I'm amazed at the negativity while acknowledging that last night's game wasn't pretty. If we keep securing three out of every four points available, I think we'll all be pretty happy.
 
HeyKurtz said:
Thank you. I'm amazed at the negativity while acknowledging that last night's game wasn't pretty. If we keep securing three out of every four points available, I think we'll all be pretty happy.
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That's a 123 point pace. I'll take it.
 
Yeah, we can (some can) harp on and on about not having a number one, but I think this team has what it takes to be competitive as is - good hockey. Wasn't pretty but they got the point against the better team.
One thing I don't think I get is why they insist on playing JStaal as the top center in an offensive role when they have Rask and probably Lindholm who could manage the job. Not true #1 centers, but defenitely offensive upgrades over Staal in that spot.

Why don't they go with something like this:

Aho Lindholm Williams
Terravainen Rask Kuokkanen
Skinner Staal Ryan
Nordstrom Kruger McGinn

Skinner upside offsets Staal's downside. Skinner is the only player who can do it by himself. With Staal out there creating space and Ryan feeding him I think that line could work. The big question is probably if Lindholm could manage the top line role. I think with Aho's creativity and glue he brings and the veteran presence of Williams on the wing would help make it work. I also like the mix on that second line.

Thoughts?
 
JamesNorthern said:
Yeah, we can (some can) harp on and on about not having a number one, but I think this team has what it takes to be competitive as is - good hockey. Wasn't pretty but they got the point against the better team.
One thing I don't think I get is why they insist on playing JStaal as the top center in an offensive role when they have Rask and probably Lindholm who could manage the job. Not true #1 centers, but defenitely offensive upgrades over Staal in that spot.

Why don't they go with something like this:

Aho Lindholm Williams
Terravainen Rask Kuokkanen
Skinner Staal Ryan
Nordstrom Kruger McGinn

Skinner upside offsets Staal's downside. Skinner is the only player who can do it by himself. With Staal out there creating space and Ryan feeding him I think that line could work. The big question is probably if Lindholm could manage the top line role. I think with Aho's creativity and glue he brings and the veteran presence of Williams on the wing would help make it work. I also like the mix on that second line.

Thoughts?
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Bottom line ... no matter how we mix the salad, there’s still no dressing. A creative No. 1 just isn’t on the roster and there’s no good way to hide it. Aho could maybe be that guy eventually but isn’t really built for it physically and clearly isn’t ready now. We needed to make a move two bloody years ago and haven’t done it yet. Thus a big chunk of my grumpiness.

I think this team could possibly max out in the playoff mix, but there’s no way you do any post season damage without more creativity down the middle, regardless of how everybody else plays up front. That’s just reality.
 
jeffbear said:
Bottom line ... no matter how we mix the salad, there’s still no dressing. A creative No. 1 just isn’t on the roster and there’s no good way to hide it. Aho could maybe be that guy eventually but isn’t really built for it physically and clearly isn’t ready now. We needed to make a move two bloody years ago and haven’t done it yet. Thus a big chunk of my grumpiness.

I think this team could possibly max out in the playoff mix, but there’s no way you do any post season damage without more creativity down the middle, regardless of how everybody else plays up front. That’s just reality.
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And I'm not sure we have that in Charlotte either. I think Nic Roy is more scorer than creator. But it doesn't have to be a center. The best creators on the 2006 team were Stillman and Whitney. It was Whitney on the 2009 team too. Lindholm or Aho could be that guy, but they're both playing with Staal.
 
Lindholm and Aho have shown a lot of chemistry. I think giving them a scorer on the wing, who's got some creativity would work much better than with Staal there. Give the job to Lindholm.. and make sure you have Slavin and Pesce on the ice with them. Not sure if Lindholm would be able to manage center - he's been playing much better as a winger. Yes. Shaking the salad bag. Anything without JStaal on the top line. Give him all the defensive draws with a third line of Skinner and Ryan.
 
Its a bit too early to damn the Canes offense as inept for the season. Obviously the PP again looks weak, so that is a substantial concern. But we did score 4 goals against a Minnesota team that will be in the top half of the league defensively and as JB noted, Columbus is really really good at shutting down teams, and then they have one of the leagues top goalies to get past too. So that is not a great barometer on where this teams' offense actually is.

This road trip will tell some truths about our offense. We should find much more room in Winnipeg and Dallas. Calgary is a mid tier team defensively. Edmonton is pretty good at both ends of the ice. Columbus is going to make a lot of teams look disjointed offensively this season. The PP is a concern though...we were just awful with our 5 on 3 and 4 on 3 PPs and our other PPs haven't been spectacular. I would also say that Teravainen at the point makes me really nervous. At some point I would like to see the Canes evaluate Fleury at the point on the PP. The kid is supposed to have a great shot...
 
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My biggest concern with Teravainen at the point is that he doesn't shoot. That allows the defenders to collapse, knowing they don't have to pressure him.
 
That too andyt. Thus my request that maybe if the PP struggles continue the coaches give Fleury a try in that spot instead. He can shoot and shoot hard is my understanding. Put him out there with Faulk with Jordan Staal in front of the goal along with Aho and Lindholm and see what happens? I would rather Teravainen be at the half wall than up top, but of course, what do I know? Yeah its great that Teravainen can skate the puck into the zone on the PP, but then our PP stalls in the zone because as you said, no one respects Teravainen up top as a threat to blast a shot from there. How about someone who can damage some shins with his shot?

I also think its time, since he is still hanging around, to give Necas a go in place of Kuokannen. Not because Kuokannen has been bad out there, but isn't about time to see how Skinner and Ryan look with our so good we are not ready to send him back home speedy shifty 18 year old out there?

I failed to critique Dahlbeck's first game. He was ok, not great, not terrible, which is what you need your 7th Dman to be when pressed into action.
 
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The attendance for Tuesday night is getting press. Just 7,892, which obviously is horrible and worse than any game last season.

N&O story about the Canes 'attendance strategy':

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/canes-now/article178311106.html

Waddell said his focus is dollars, not just butts in the seats. And where dollars are concerned, the Canes are not 'last in the league'. All about season ticket holder value and revenues and increasing that base (which they have). No freebies and very limited general discounts means less tickets sold but more value for season ticket purchasers. I would also note that 15% food discount for season ticket holders, prominently displayed on most of the menu boards, is another effort to convince fans to buy season tickets.

I understand that strategy, I just hope that the fans do start to come back substantially at some point.

Here was Luke DeCock's take on the same theme as well:

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article178262471.html
 
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Just sounds to me like " we will just charge the ones who will come, a lot more to cover the losses and expenses".

My employer is a major sponsor, and we get discounted tickets. And I'll be darned if I see much of a discount.

I just think Wadell is great at killing franchises.
 
andyt said:
And I'm not sure we have that in Charlotte either. I think Nic Roy is more scorer than creator. But it doesn't have to be a center. The best creators on the 2006 team were Stillman and Whitney. It was Whitney on the 2009 team too. Lindholm or Aho could be that guy, but they're both playing with Staal.
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The game is different now, though. I look at the solid playoff contenders over the last couple of seasons and I just don’t see ANYBODY succeeding without a real No. 1 playmaking centerman ... and generally one with either size or a dominant physical attribute like McDavid’s skating or Crosby’s tenacity.

I understand that there are alternate ways to get by, but I don’t see us really doing that well either. We’ve got what amounts to a really standard looking team. We have a good night, we win. We have a meh night, we don’t. We just don’t have anything that tips the balance on those meh nights.
 
Oh maybe this is the year we win out on the draft lottery... draft Brady Tkatchuk down the middle. He's not even the top ranked draw atm... that's held by.... a swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
At 6-3 and apparently a higher potential than his brother in Calgary, I'm thinking he'd fit in well here.
 
Indeed, but who else is there? Maybe give Necas a try while he's here. Might as well play the kid.
 
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