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2025-26 Canes Miscellaneous Thread

Ehlers may not be that Superstar we have been trying to get for years now, but he certainly has elite level offensive talent that this team really needed, especially on the PP. Our slow motion, generally stationary PP doesn't show up much with Ehlers out there. He is all over the place challenging the Box and finding passing lanes that were rarely visited by our other players.

Ehlers ice time is up compared to what he saw his last season in Winnipeg, but not a huge amount (15:48 -> 16:37). I'm sure he is enjoying playing on both PP1 and PP2 (when Jordan Staal can get off the ice on PP1). He is poised to blow by Svech for 2nd on the team in points.

We will see what it all looks like come playoff time when the physicality is turned up to 11.
 
Yeah, Ehlers was never going to be a superstar and I’m not sure anybody ever really expected that. But, he DOES replace that breakout skating and playmaking on the rush that they missed after trading Necas … in a more system-friendly, team first package. You just know little Marty would have pouted for a full month had Brind’Amour put him on the Dads’ line again, but Ehlers took that change and looked at it as an opportunity to take advantage of all the open space that Staal and Martinook create with their below the dots grinding. I love what he’s brought to the mix.
 
More info on Lenovo Center renovations … just sharper details on the rough ideas they’ve already discussed. And I think this is mostly the stuff that public funds are covering. Dundon’s “entertainment district” comes later on the timeline. None of these individual projects fits comfortably in a summer timeline, by the way. So once this gets going, go ahead and get used to approaching the building through a construction site.
 
Yeah … volume is the key issue and it’s better to limit attempts altogether than to have shots bouncing off your guys.
 
Well, you guys know me … it’s always been about the timing on goals allowed where I’m concerned. The saves above expected stat is useful to a degree and save percentage is useful when compared to the rest of the league, but overall just give me a guy who makes the stop you dead flat have to have. The whole point of the thing is to win the game. That takes timely saves even if the numbers aren’t great.
 
Not all 3 Goals on 15 shots are the same.

Those 3 goals could have all have been completely uncovered players standing at an open post for a tap in versus a leaky slapshot goal, a goal where the goalie misplayed a cover and a goal where the goalie didn't hold the short side post.

The way the Canes play, our goalies are typically going to face a low volume of shots. It's critical that they make the routine saves and don't turn them into high danger rebound opportunities. Our aggressive play also makes us prone to stretch pass breakaways and odd man rushes. The chances that our goalie is going to have to deal with at least a couple of those a game is pretty high.

Add that all up, our goalies are much more likely to end up with a 3 Goals on 15 shots line than most NHL goalies. We don't typically allow teams to possess the puck enough to throw 25+ shots on goal and help pad the save percentage stats for our goalies.

It would be great to have a superstar goalie that is capable of shutting down more breakaways and odd man rushes than our current crew does, but I believe that our goalies are at least average in that regard, although it might not seem like it sometimes. Other elite goalies really do allow players to score on breakaways.
 
With guys who aren’t top tier, what you’re asking is that they make the basic saves and make good decisions handling the puck. From there, they earn their keep by making the right saves at the right time. Carolina’s not paying Sheshterkin/Hellebuyck level prices and can’t (and don’t) expect that level of performance. What they can do is make sure to build a team structure that doesn’t require that to succeed, which is what they’ve done. From there, what gets you over the hump is kind of what the Gretzky-era Oilers asked of Grant Fuhr … make the big, timely save when we need it. Of course, people still argue to this day about whether or not Grant Fuhr was any good. In truth, he was only good when it mattered.
 
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