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stormTRacker Podcast
Carolina Hurricanes' Unexpected Success: Roslovic's Scoring Surge and Robinson's Impact in Stunning Start!
Discover the secret to the Carolina Hurricanes' unexpected success this season. Join us as we uncover how the team has managed to thrive despite the loss of key players, with a special focus on the strategic offseason maneuvers by Eric Tulsky. We promise you'll learn how Jack Roslovic's move to the wing has unlocked his scoring potential, elevating him to a standout performer with nine goals in 13 games. Insights from Erin Manning and Katie Bartlett reveal how Roslovic’s speed and adaptability have been game-changing alongside Sebastian Aho, thanks to the coaching staff's encouragement for him to take more shots.
We highlight the growing chemistry with newcomer Eric Robinson & Martin Necas as well as the outstanding defensive contribution offered by Robinson. William Carrier's arrival from the Vegas Golden Knights has brought an added dimension to the Hurricanes' fourth line. His emphasis on physicality and playoff experience adds strength alongside Jack Drury and Jackson Blake. Carrier's role in shaping a well-defined fourth line with a unique identity is pivotal as the Hurricanes pursue playoff success. Listen as we highlight the physical game Carrier brings, which not only creates space but also opens up scoring opportunities, reinforcing the team's strategic vision for success. The discussion also covers the impressive defensive pairing of Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield, the team's resilience and consistency, and the importance of physicality in the playoffs.
In closing, we tackle the resilience and growth of the Hurricanes as they navigate a challenging schedule against teams like St. Louis, Ottawa, and Vegas. A focus on maintaining consistency and maximizing opportunities in the Metro division is crucial, with emerging threats from the Devils and Capitals. We also delve into potential trades and free agency moves, evaluating the Canes’ physicality and the possibilities of bringing new talent on board. With a peek into the future, we explore the strategies that could bolster the lineup for a Stanley Cup run, promising insights for Canes fans eager to see their team rise to the occasion.
Well, the Carolina Hurricanes are certainly doing very well this season. In fact, they're number three in win percentage, and a lot of folks didn't expect this to happen. During the summer, we talked a lot about the changes that were made. The Canes lost several top players. We think of Brady Shea, brent Pesci of course Gensel is gone Stephan Nason, who's doing well with the Devils, and Tebow Terabine of course Gensel is gone, stephan Asin, who's doing well with the Devils, and Tebow Terabine, of course, who headed over to Chicago. Folks just didn't believe that they could turn this team around quickly and be a competitive force, as they have early this year, coming off four wins at home. Although they lost last night, the Canes continue to look like a completely different team and a team that we didn't expect to see. And joining me to talk about some of the reasons why I have Erin Manning and Katie Bartlett, ladies welcome.
Speaker 1:Hi Okay again, a lot of folks just didn't feel comfortable with the changes the Hurricanes made in the offseason. In fact, didn't know much about some of these players, folks that we brought in from other teams, that were flying under the radar a little bit, and they thought, boy, we've lost some top players. Now, who are these folks and how are they going to make us competitive again? And I'm sure everyone's surprised, as the Canes have come off a great West Coast road trip and, of course, their recent win streak at home. So we look at that and we have to think about the architect of all of this, and of course that's Eric Tolsky, and we talked a lot about Eric. I recently saw him on an NHL network show that they were talking about. You know, how did he put the team together? What was he thinking about? And EJ Raddick was asking him you know, obviously you're a brilliant man, you've got several PhD. You got a PhD and you got several patents. What did that have to do with your hockey plan and how did you figure this out? And he said something interesting, which was you know, he's got a team of people that work closely with him and they had a strategy of players that they thought would be, you know, caniac or Kane type players and who could come in and really make a difference, and you know what it looks like. He's done his job extremely well.
Speaker 1:Now, one of the players that has surprised a lot of folks, of course, has been Jack Roslevic. I don't think we could have expected that in the first 13 games Jack would have nine goals, that's for sure, and he's shown a lot. And I thought just to kick off this part of the discussion, I just mentioned a couple of things about Jack. Now, you remember when the Canes signed Jack, eric Tulsky had some comments about Jack and he said Jack is a dynamic player who's been an offensive contributor for his entire career. So he clearly thought that Jack was going to be able to come in and make a difference. You recall that Jack had one season where he had 22 goals and 23 assists with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now he's playing center at that time Not the best face-off guy, but certainly had shown a little bit in terms of the talent that he had, that he's a great skater and, of course, he's got a good finish.
Speaker 1:I got a scouting report too that I thought I'd just read for us, coming from the hockey forecaster, and those guys are usually pretty close and what they said was Jack has all the skills to produce a lot of points, but he's still learning how to put those tools to his best use. Has good quickness and acceleration and he plays a pass-first game that might benefit from shooting more. That's interesting. Should be able to drive play, but doesn't always do so. Needs to be more consistent, and their basic statement on long range potential was inconsistent forward. So kind of interesting words based on his history, erin, what do you think?
Speaker 2:Well, I think Jack Roslevich was a player who intrigued me a long time ago, as you know. His name would pop up in various stats. I'd be watching and he always seemed to be producing more than he should for the ice time and deployment. Anytime you see a player like that, you see a player that has some potential that maybe isn't being used in the way that it should be. I think for him, what I've seen so far in Carolina the move to the wing has been, I think, a career maker for him.
Speaker 2:It's not that he wasn't, you know, a serviceable center. I think that he played on, you know, multiple lines at different times for the Columbus Blue Jackets. When he played center they were in need of that too. They didn't have the depth at the time, but when we've seen him play, the way that his speed works and the fact that he is so quick to gain the zone and position himself for Sebastian Aja to find him to score goals, that kind of awareness just works better on the wing as far as I'm concerned. So seeing him turn into a shoot first lethal threat scorer has been really intriguing. I know that you know we've had this discussion of those. Numbers are probably a little bit unsustainable, but I think he's going to continue to score, but I think he's going to continue to score.
Speaker 3:The question is that he's going to have to adapt as time goes on to being able to surprise the goalies a little bit once they get familiar with his habits. What do you think, katie, the coaching staff in the front office gave him a mandate of? This is what we need from you, and part of that mandate was we need you to shoot the canes, have tons of really great playmakers, starting with sebastian ajo and working their way on down through the lineup and we've all been there when we've been watching the game going shoot the puck because they just they're looking for that one extra pass, that one extra pretty little play you know the tic-tac-toe-tac-toe instead of just tic-tac-toe and Rostovic is out there saying you get me the puck, I have a line, I'm shooting it, and that is exactly what he has been doing and it's been working so well. Svec has been getting him the puck, as well as Ajo, and they've found a lot of success in that area.
Speaker 3:In fact, there is a hockey biz chart that shows where Roslevic has scored his goals from, and it is a nice little scatterplot all over the place. It's not just on the left or right in front of the crease or from the dots. It is if you take a circle and you start from between the dots and you create the circumference around, that being the center. He is scoring from the left to the right, from the top of the face off dot down to right in front of the goalie in the crease. If he gets open, they find him and he shoots, and that finishing touch is exactly what the Canes have been needing and he is providing it in spades so far. It's particularly impressive that he matched his goal total from last year. Already we haven't even gotten to 15 games and he has just as many goals this season as he had last season.
Speaker 1:Fantastic, it's interesting when you look at his background, we shouldn't be totally surprised with with Rostlevic. I mean, he was a first-round pick of the Jets back in 2015. He was in the US Development Program, which is interesting. We definitely, the Canes, love players coming out of that program, so that's kind of an interesting point for Roslevic. So he's got a great background. He did play one year of college hockey in Miami. That's interesting, but he's a guy that, yeah, lots of high hopes for him when he first was drafted. So, for sure, a guy that has a good pedigree. Probably one of the biggest things that they saw in him is his skating. I've been absolutely surprised by how quick he is.
Speaker 2:Okay, anything else on Mr Rostelek, only that I've loved hearing how his comments from you know various questions he's been asked. He definitely values being here, he values the systems that he's learning, he values playing the way that Rod Rendemore's team plays, and he seems like he's just a really good fit in the locker room too, and that's always important.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he also we've heard some interesting things about his willingness to get to the rink early, so he's been the first to the rink on many occasions. According to Trip Tracy and I think that's a big statement too is he sees this as an opportunity for him to, you know, really kind of take his career and move forward in a good way. And he's on a great team, for goodness sakes. The Canes are one of the best teams for taking players and helping them improve. So I think he's in a good situation. Maybe he sees that the biggest concern just as I read in the scouting report is consistency. That has been his biggest concern. He'll come out and do something like this and then disappear for a bunch of games, and that's a concern that you know we're going to have to monitor, right. So he's one style of play.
Speaker 1:Another guy who we've been very pleased with, I think, is Eric Robinson. So Eric Robinson here's what Tulsky said about Robinson. Eric's an experienced forward who will add speed and physicality to our lineup, and those are great things Right off the bat. I like what he's saying there. He's also showing that he can contribute offensively and we're glad to have him Again looking for the type of player that would fit the Kane system. What do we think about? About Eric Robinson?
Speaker 2:Well, he, you know, I think it's funny because in the preseason a lot of people, especially on social media, looked at Eric Robinson and said, oh, that must be an AHL depth signing, because he didn't have the greatest year last year. He spent time between the different leagues and I think there was just that assumption that, oh, surely one of the kids is going to beat him out. You know, and be in the lineup. And just like Katie said about Rossovic, robinson has already scored more goals this year than he did last year. He has four and he had three last year.
Speaker 2:But again, you know, we're talking about somebody with a surprising amount of speed and he's been an unusual but effective complement on the line with Kokuniemi and Natchez. So you're seeing something that you know. Again, like you said, rod Brindamore pulling the best out of his players. And I don't think anyone is questioning anymore why Tulsky signed Robinson or why he started the season in Carolina, because that was probably a little teapot tempest out there on X. You know, why are we not starting one of the kids instead of this guy? You know, surely he can be called up if necessary. Well, he's shown that. He's shown that every game he's been in.
Speaker 3:I couldn't agree more with what you said. I think what's really helped is he's provided a lot of what I would call gravity to that line and help keep them grounded to their responsibilities and that sort of thing. His I mean, it's an imperfect stat, but his plus minus is excellent, which is extremely important because he is not somebody that sees time on the power play or the penalty kills, so almost all, if not all, of his ice time is five on five, and so he really has to make hay while the sun shines and he has his opportunities to play with Kate, with KK and Natchez, and as far as in the offensive zone, he has shown a willingness to to work hard in order to keep up with Natchez, which is hard. There are a lot of players are like well, there goes, natchez. I'm just going to kind of try to get in where.
Speaker 2:I can get in and see what happens.
Speaker 3:No, he puts his head down and he, he might not be as fast, but he is going to kind of try to get in where I can get in and see what happens. No, he puts his head down and he he might not be as fast, but he is going to get there as quick as he can. And because of that effort that he's put in we have seen some beautiful highlight goals the one where he passed to Natchez for that type tip in back door and then foot flop. That where Natchez passed to him for the tip in and it's just his, his foot flop. That where Natchez passed to him for the tip in and it's just his. His willingness to go out there and just work hard on both ends of the ice the 200 foot game, provide some, some support for when Natchez is off doing Natchez things has really helped that line be successful and is, I think, at five and five it's the top producing line, isn't it? As far as points and goals are concerned. Oh for the.
Speaker 1:Hurricanes.
Speaker 3:Yeah for the Hurricanes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they are. I think they are. Yeah, but I think your comment, katie, the plus minus for that line is plus 27. He's plus 10.
Speaker 1:I don't think there's any question that Robinson is doing a lot of the heavy lifting defensively out there. He's doing a wonderful job of it and, of course, killing penalties as well. So I think you know he's not going to be a 20-goal guy. If he gets 15, that's awesome or something along those lines. But he is a guy that can chip in offensively and has made some wonderful plays, as you say with Natchez. Those guys have collaborated on some beautiful goals and honestly I didn't know that Robinson had that kind of ability offensively that he's shown on occasion. I just thought he was more of a hard worker.
Speaker 1:To read the scouting report again, going back to Hockey Forecaster and they're usually pretty close says the Princeton University grad has carved out a role in the NHL as a hardworking, depth forward and that's pretty well what a lot of us thought in the off season. Who can kill penalties and chip in with the odd goal here and there. So it sounds like they're pretty close. Has enough speed to get past defenders and into good scoring position, and his size and compete level make him a useful four checker. Guess what that fits the Canes style of play to a tee. Even better play away from the puck and more physical edge may help him earn more minutes. So here's a suggestion for Robinson to say hey, you know, if you're able to kind of add some more capability, you can be a guy that gets more minutes. And their basic position on his potential is solid energy winger. So very much in line with what we're seeing. I don't think anything different from what we're seeing so far. And the guy that you know what you're going to get with him. All right, he's going to work very, very hard. He's a guy that's incredibly quick and he brings that size and when he's laying on the body, I think that's a nice addition to that line as well. So yeah, so far, so good with Robinson and hopefully he can continue to show some of his good things. Any other comments on Eric Robinson? I guess we're good.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's move on to the final person we're going to talk about today, and that would be William Carrier. Now, william Carrier, of course, coming in from Vegas, he's a guy that had a tough season last year. He only played 39 games for the Golden Knights and that's not good. He's been a guy that's been very effective in the playoffs, as we've watched in past years. He's patrolled the wing on that fourth line for them and done a real nice job and and and. He brings that size and toughness. He's a big guy. He's in a 6'2 and 220. You may not notice that, but he is a big man and he's. He can really make things happen when he's laying on the body and I think we've seen some good work in that regard. Let me read what Eric Tulsky said about Carrier. He's a physical forward who competes hard at both ends of the ice and we're definitely seeing that. He's relentless on the forecheck and difficult to play against. Sounds like a guy that you want on the Hurricanes right.
Speaker 2:Erin. What are your thoughts? Again, all those keywords forechecking and physicality, and all those hardworking those are the keywords you want to look for, I guess, if you want to be a Carolina Hurricane. I think that you know. It was interesting that you know they started him on Jordan Stahl's line and I still think that he can go back to that role if need be, because he's, you know, filling in the spot that Jesper Fos is not there for. So if there are some matchups and some games where they need that, they can put him there.
Speaker 2:But about four or five games into the season the decision was made to put him on the fourth line with Jack Drury and Jackson Blake, and I think that that has been a quietly kind of understated good move. Been a quietly kind of understated good move because I think Drury and Blake needed someone of Carrier's type on that line to help them hunt the puck and to help them, you know, get past some of the bigger guys, because they're not the biggest players, and it seems like it has worked really well from a chemistry perspective too. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start contributing more on the score sheet. I mean he was a factor in Jordan Stahl's goal in the opening game. So I think that that could happen once he gets his comfort level a little bit better. But so far so good, definitely like what we've seen so far.
Speaker 3:And I'll go back to saying what I said for Robinson I think part of the success that he brings to that line is bringing a little bit more gravity and grounding that line.
Speaker 3:He really helps open up just a touch more space and that's what has allowed Drury and Blake to connect on some goals that they have created and produced. I think in the background it's because Carrier has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting with the forecheck and the disrupting the defense and creating just that little extra touch of space that those two need in order to make something happen. And I also think that that line benefits from the fact that he's perhaps a bit more of a veteran player. This is Drury's this is only Drury's, I believe second full season in the nhl and obviously, with being a rookie, it's blake's first. And so, with the two of them being a little bit younger, a little bit less experienced, a little less seasoned, I think carrie really provides some mentorship and some coaching with them and helping them learn their roles better and understand how the game works and make them into better players.
Speaker 3:That's a really good point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, interestingly enough, carrier played on the line with Nicholas Waugh, former Hurricane, and did exactly what you're talking about. He took Nick Waugh and really helped him kind of grow his game. And I think you're right on with the impact. He impact he can have. Don't forget, two years ago, uh, he had 16 goals, so this guy can put the puck in the net. Um and again, uh, scouting report on him is pretty well consistent with what we hear. Again, the uh, the hockey forecaster saying the big power forward has good size, adequate skating ability and a knack for barreling his way to the front of the net and we've seen some of that and that's a nice skill to have. He has no trouble getting pucks on net but has yet to exhibit a consistent ability to finish. And that's the big question with you know Well he fits right in. And that's the big question with you know with Well, he fits right in. So they basically their long-range potential for him basically was solid, depth power forward. So he's a guy that on a fourth line, I think is ideal.
Speaker 1:I think he brings a lot of experience and he's been there, don't forget. He's been with the Golden Knights to the Cup and so on, so he's definitely got the experience that you want when you put these guys out on the ice. So I'm excited with Carrier. I think he's another role player that the Canes need. You need those guys like Martinuk and Carrier and so on. Those guys are going to be critical in the playoffs and I think he's doing a real nice job. Again, don't expect much offensively, but when he chips in, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Any other thoughts on William Carrier, only that one of the things that I have said in the past two off seasons was that I thought that a key for the Canes in the playoffs that they had not really done was to assemble a true fourth line, not to have, you know, some last minute acquisitions and call-ups and really veteran depth of the type where this is their last season, you know, that kind of veteran depth.
Speaker 2:They've put together a lot of those pieces and, don't get me wrong, some of those guys have contributed and contributed well. But when you look at cup winning teams, they have a fourth line that has a true identity and you know, you can even name some of those lines based on that identity. And that is to me the indication that they know this. They know they have to have a fourth line with an identity that's going to create consistent impact in the playoffs. This is a great start for them to build that line and I'm happy to see him be the first official building block of that line. So that's neat Good point of that line.
Speaker 1:So that's neat, good point. Well, the other thing, on that fourth line, when you talk about the fourth line, I I have been encouraged by Jack Drury lately. You know he made a great setup on that goal by Jackson Blake two or three games ago and then he scored a beautiful goal and and showed that he can put the puck, you know, under the, under the bar and the bar and really get something done. So he's lately starting to show a little bit more for me. Defensively, I never had a concern with him, I think.
Speaker 1:I mentioned, he's been killing some of those five-on-threes. He's been tagged to come in and do that. I think that's huge, huge confidence from Coach Brindamore and again, he's a great face-off guy. So I like him on that line and I think he's going to get better Absolutely Now. So that's some of the new players.
Speaker 1:But you know there have been some other things that have happened in the offseason that you know folks were wondering about. And back to you know Tulsky, kind of getting up on the whiteboard figuring out what the lineup should be and where the players are going to come from. And one of the big discussions and we had it earlier this summer was around the graduation of the pair of Dimitri Orlov and his partner, jalen Chatfield. Coincidentally, I was talking with Brad and Ray today on the Storm Cellar and we touched base on this whole question of you know Orlov and Chatfield and you know you look at their numbers. Dimitri Orlov is leading the National national hockey league in plus minus right now at 14.
Speaker 1:Unbelievable, unbelievable and um, and not far behind him, of course, is jalen chatfield. So those guys are, are, are just incredible with their numbers so far this year. Um, chatfield the other night with three assists. So he's starting to get his offensive mojo going, which is exciting. Orlov had two goals in the homestand in the same game. He had three points that night. This is really something. What do you think of these guys?
Speaker 3:I just I knew, I knew this was going to be successful for them graduating up into that because that with Pesci getting hurt with the playoffs, last year they already took over that second pair mantle in the playoffs and they were really good and very effective. They were excellent and you know last night's game was a bit of a mess defensively for the Canes, but those two were the only ones that came out on the plus side of the plus minus.
Speaker 3:The entire rest of the defense was on the minus side, and so they are showing that they still have that chemistry that they built last year, that they can be put out against the tough matchups and be successful against them, and, if this recent production on the offensive side of things is any indication, they're just going to get stronger as the season goes along.
Speaker 2:Agree 100%. I've liked seeing their pairing develop and I have to admit, one of the things I really like about both of these guys and this is not a hockey point at all they have such great personalities. Jalen Chatfield with his little you know snow shower at the bench every game.
Speaker 2:And then when he missed he got up, waved everybody's you know, everybody's okay. And next game he did that again without any hesitation or fear. And so and that was the game where he got the three assists was a game where he successfully completed the snow shower. And then you have to meet you or love, who just looks like he is having the most fun of his life out there. He's. I can't.
Speaker 2:Every time the camera zooms in on Dimitri Orlov after a play or as they're lining up for a face off, he's grinning, he's chatting, he's he's laughing with at the officials and with the officials, and they're laughing right back. So I'm thinking, you know, he's just spreading cheer out there, you know, but it's lovely to see that in a pairing that is also very, you know, physical and tough and defensive and solid. You know they're, they're not. I don't think they're a typical um. You know you, you've seen the caricature of the shutdown defenseman. You know the big burly and the growl and everything. You know these guys are having fun in a taxing and difficult role and they're making the game more fun for the people that are watching them and that's just great. How can you not love that?
Speaker 1:Well, I agree, and you know it's interesting because if we look back and I've talked about on X a little bit about this but at game seven last year, dmitry Orlov was minus 11.
Speaker 1:And he did turn around over the course of the year and ended up in a positive way. But he historically, his whole career, every season he has been a plus player. So this was really an anomaly and it's back to that whole discussion we had had previously that you know, defensemen in particular coming into the Kane system is extremely hard. I mean we had seen it with Brent Burns and then Orlov. He just had all the trouble he could and of course he was with Tony D'Angelo at the time and that didn't help. So it was really kind of a difficult thing.
Speaker 1:And through all of this I think Jalen Chatfield has quietly moved up in the defense kind of positioning that he has in the league dramatically. He is a tremendous defenseman, there's no question about it, and he can play in all situations, like defensively for PK, tough minutes, end of game, it doesn't matter, he's a guy that can go out and do it for you and I think he's going to get better and he's going to turn out to be one of those great deals that Tulsky does. Right. What do we pay him? $3 million, $2.5 million, something like that, something like that, a three-year deal.
Speaker 1:I mean he's just going to get better and I think those guys are a great match. I think they're very comfortable with each other, and particularly Chadfield. Because of his speed, he can cover for anything. He makes plays that players just dream about making. So, um, I'm excited about those guys. I think they're going to continue to do a great job for the hurricanes. They're gonna. They're gonna be key. If the canes are going to go deep, they're going to be critical, for sure, absolutely definitely now speaking of that.
Speaker 1:Uh, I wanted to move on to another segment right now, and that's basically what has surprised us so far this season. So we look at the year. The Canes are definitely surprising a lot of people. We didn't expect them to be certainly sitting in this position this early. But let's kick it off. And, erin, what about you? What do you think has been your big surprise this year so far?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that you know, even with last night's loss to the Avs, you know, set aside, the Canes have shown a lot of resilience in their ability to come back and win games that in the past I think a lot of us might have said they're not going to win. Yes, I can remember seasons. Just a couple of seasons ago, it seemed like if they didn't get that critical first goal, you, if the other team scored first, you almost thought, well, gee, should I, you know, should I watch their? Because it just seemed like nine times out of ten they wouldn't manage to pull through and come back, or yeah, or they would, or they would. Just, you know they would. It would be the game all night of trying to catch up and the other team advancing, you know. So, um, you're not seeing any of that. You're not seeing anything you know even remotely like that.
Speaker 2:This season. You're seeing them come back and win games that sometimes that are not their best efforts. You know, and I think that's always encouraging when you can find a way to win a game that isn't going well for you. That's the kind of thing you're going to have to develop as a mindset, and also the habits of that, because you're going to have those games in the playoffs for sure. And even last night, as bad as things were we all know the circumstances, the late travel and everything else the fact that they managed to get within one goal after everything that went wrong in the second period and then, of course, the empty netter made it too, but they got it back within one goal and they were probably a couple of plays if they could have cleaned some things up from maybe tying it in the third. Yes, so you're not seeing a team that is back on their heels against other teams and you're seeing a team that's finding ways to win. So that's exciting to see ways to win.
Speaker 3:So that's exciting to see, and to piggyback off of that as far as them being able to achieve that type of success, I would say that the consistency has been bolstered by the fact by a very surprising stat that the Canes are the first team in decades. I don't know now that it's at 13 games, but when it was at 12 games, it was the first team to have started with the exact same 18 skaters since the 60s. I think now that it's 13, it might go even further back.
Speaker 1:I'm sure it does.
Speaker 3:But I mean knock on wood. A lot of that has to do with the fact that they have stayed healthy, so hopefully this team can stay healthy and and avoid too many of the dings and the Knicks and the minor injury issues that have plagued a ton of other teams. But a lot of that also has to do with just the vision of how the team has been built, so that you don't have that player that is performing so poorly that you need to sit them and bring in somebody else, make a call up from the AHL whatever to plug in for them because they've dropped the ball. All of them are committed to their roles, understand their identity and are pulling in the same direction, and that has allowed Brenda Moore to roll out that lineup game after game after game so far this season, and that has been a very pleasant surprise for sure.
Speaker 1:Well and I think I've mentioned this in the past I think Bill Burniston and the work he does on the conditioning side for the Hurricanes is really is phenomenal, because that's one of the reasons these guys are still out there and continue to play 13 straight games is amazing. You know, for me it's just been individual performances that have surprised me a little bit. Martin Aitches for sure has been off to an unbelievable start. He's sixth in the league in scoring right now. He just doesn't quit. I mean last night he scored again, picked up another assist. He just doesn't quit. I mean last night he did, he scored again, picked up another assist. So he's a guy that when he gets the opportunity he can, he can definitely put the puck in the net and make wonderful plays, as we've seen over and over again.
Speaker 1:So he's a big surprise. Jack Roslevic we talked about him earlier. He's he shocked the heck out of me. I wasn't sure he was going to get nine goals this quick. I don't think I ever thought he would.
Speaker 1:But he's a guy that if he can, if he popped, you know, can get 25, 30 goals for the Hurricanes this year. We know he's going to slow down for sure and, as you said earlier, aaron, it's going to. These guys will come back into a more normalized pattern, but he's in a position where he can definitely score, you know, 25 goals this year, which would be great. He's done it before. He had 22. So so I think he's definitely a guy that that has also kind of surprised me this year.
Speaker 1:And again, this team is a team that's by committee and it's going to be different players at different times and and you know we talked about Ajo he's going to get his game in gear. We'll see his fetch get hot at certain points. The D-man, brent Burns, he'll start picking it up offensively and we'll start to see him score some goals. We know that's going to happen with the Hurricanes and that's the luxury of the Canes, I think, this year is that they have everyone bought in. You know, last year we remember that period where you know some of the guys aren't buying in, kind of an unusual comment coming from the Hurricanes. This year, completely different, everybody's buying in. The new players have fit in seamlessly and to this point, as Hurricanes fans, we have to be pretty happy with what they're doing. Thoughts Absolutely, completelys, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Completely agree.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's have some fun, folks. We're going to start with our first mailbag segment and appreciate everybody that has responded, and we have a number of questions to talk about today on the mailbag and we'll kick it off with the first one from uh, leisure for me, um question is can the hurricanes handle the physicality of the playoffs, where big guys plant themselves in the front of the net?
Speaker 3:yeah, I I think the physicality is something that the canes need to work on but that they're capable of growing their game into. Specifically regards to planning people in front of the net, their, um, their smaller pair needs to work a lot on positioning and really preventing, uh preventing the other teams from getting, uh, the angles that they want right there. Overall, as far as physicality beyond just the front of the net, I do think that the team that the Canes are physical, not in the smashing sort of sense with the big checks and that sort of thing, but just the way that they play with their four check and their puck possession and the way that they make it absolutely miserable on other teams to either try to get the puck out of their own zone or to keep control of the puck in the offensive zone. So there are a couple that I'd like to see up there.
Speaker 3:Physicality I think Svetch has a lot more to give there. I think KK is growing that into his game. We know that's not a problem with Jarvis. He's a Chihuahua that plays like a bulldog. So, game we know that's not a problem with Jarvis. He's a Chihuahua that plays like a bulldog. So that will always be there. But there there's room for growth. But I definitely think the Canes are capable of of elevating their game when it comes to their physicality.
Speaker 2:I would agree. I think that you know this is. This is a question that does come up, you know, because people will will criticize the Canes for being perimeter players in the playoffs, and this is what they mean. They don't want to get in there. They don't want to, you know, fight, whatever. But I think that it's part physicality and part mindset. I was actually thinking about this. I know that we had had a couple little discussions about it, but it struck me that when I think about a net front player who is extremely effective at getting in there, getting into the dirty areas and scoring, the name that comes to mind is a player from my other team, brendan Gallagher.
Speaker 1:Oh sure.
Speaker 2:And Brendan Gallagher is tiny, he's not a big guy at all. He's not a big guy at all. He's not a big guy at all. He has seven goals so far this year. I believe he's second on the team in goals.
Speaker 2:So he is effective because he gets in there and battles and because, again, because of his size and you're talking about Jarvis Katie, who's a little bit bigger even but he also draws penalties, because when he's battling in the front of the net, it's very, not a very uncommon thing for people to, you know, high, stick him or, you know, rough be, there'll be a roughing penalty. So the Canes just have to have the mindset going into the playoffs as much as they have to have the physicality. It's, you know, getting the big guys up there and in there and maybe even adding some of those guys at the deadline, whatever. But you know, it's also about wanting to do it, having the will to do it, and that's something that I think the closer they get to feeling like they're going to be successful, the more that's just going to come naturally.
Speaker 1:Well, they did add a couple of guys that bring a little bit more physicality, and uh and carrie and and robinson, uh, and those guys can definitely help with that. And you know you talk about getting into the dirty areas. I don't know anyone that likes to get in there more in his short time with us than jackson blake. He, he loves to get in where the action is.
Speaker 2:He has no absolutely no reluctance to do whatever he has to do so.
Speaker 1:yes, I think you're right and again, the Canes are not. That isn't the keynote of the Hurricanes and I don't think it ever will be. I think they can play tough enough to do what they need to get done, but their game is built around some other key segments of what they do. So, yeah, interesting question and we'll certainly monitor that as the season goes on to see how the Canes are on the tough side in these tough games. Second question from Cody at Cody Complains on X. If the Canes continue to play to a standard similar to how they have so far this year, do we see general manager Eric Tulsky swinging for a cup run rental? Katie, you want to grab that?
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm going to pass it off to Aaron, so I'm not stealing.
Speaker 3:But as far as making a cup run rental, a lot of it just depends on who is out there and available.
Speaker 3:You don't want to overpay for somebody that isn't going to stay or definitely isn't going to fit, and that's just.
Speaker 3:That's not in Tulsky and the front office's DNA. When it comes to how they built the team, part of the reason they've been so successful with Roslevic, robinson and Carrier, as we talked about, is that they are support pieces to help improve and enrich the pieces that they already have to support Ajo, to support Svetch, to support Natchez, to support Jarvis Stahl the core of the team and so I wouldn't be surprised if the moves that they make are less along the lines of the Gensel move that they made last season and more along the lines of two or three players where they say, okay, this is our need, we need a scoring winger. We're going to go out and get a scoring winger, or we need a seventh defenseman in, just in case one of the guys goes down. We're going to go get somebody that we feel can sit, but then come in and be successful, something, something along those lines. You know injuries come up. What's that going to look like? So I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they're going for at the trade deadline.
Speaker 2:And I think that that's probably true.
Speaker 2:And the other thing that probably is going to come into play is just where are they exactly?
Speaker 2:You know, I don't think anyone really expects them to finish top of the Metro it could happen, but I think it's unlikely. If they're battling for second or third place and you know where the other teams are in the league, at that time too, they're going to make smart decisions based on what the reality of the situation is. They're not going to go all in on a cup run, I don't think, unless there's like clear signs that that's what they need to do. I mean, I even even even last year with Gensel I think that that was the closest indication we've ever gotten that the front office at least thought that they were, yes, quite possibly capable of going all the way, and it didn't work out that way. So I think that's going to be a factor that they're going to take into consideration too. They're not going to want to put all their chips in on this one if it doesn't look like it's going to go that way. So it'll be interesting to see what they do.
Speaker 1:No, I think that's a very you know astute approach to it. For sure, you know, they know that next year they're going to be in a position to do some really cool stuff, and we'll talk about that in a minute. But you know, the other thing that Cody brings up is okay. If they're not going to do a big rental, what about one of their own players that might be coming over from Russia, and that's Alexander Nikitin? Could he be involved in the playoffs and could he be a difference maker? What do we think about the Nikitin situation? Do we think he's going to come over and play?
Speaker 2:or where does he sit in all of this? Erin, I know you've got some clear thoughts on that one. I think he will come over when his season is finished. I don't know when that will be. Nobody does because we don't know how far they're going to go in their cup run the St Petersburg team.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of aspirations. I don't know I haven't followed it as closely as far as how they're doing but I know that the aspirations were for them to go very far in the playoffs this year. So to me it's just going to come down to timing. If he can get here early enough and they can get him some practices and they're comfortable with the idea of letting him play in a game. If the Canes are doing well in the first round, say and you know it's not a bad idea to let somebody have the night off Then we could see him. I don't think they're going to rush him because that just isn't what the Canes do. So we'll see what happens. We all want him here. It's going to be exciting to have him here.
Speaker 3:And I think the main thing is just seeing where the defense as a whole is playing. If all six of them are healthy and they're playing well and they and they're sinking together, you're not going to disrupt that, even for somebody who has as much promise as Nikitian does. You want to be able to keep that consistency and that high level of play, for sure. But if somebody's struggling, if somebody's injured, if the if the team's not playing well and they need that little extra injection of energy or excitement or whatever to their lineup, in that case perhaps you could see him. And you know, worst case scenario we don't see him until next season. And that's fine because that gives him an entire offseason to acclimate to north american ice, to the Kane system, to whoever his D partner is going to be, and that'll be fine.
Speaker 3:Just, everybody keeps swinging for the fences. They want a Kale McCarr type storybook timeline where he arrives, he puts on his skates, he comes in to the middle of a series, scores a goal on his first shift, just helps the team win. Take the series like that. That would be wonderful. That that definitely is best case scenario, but probably not as realistic as a lot of people want it to be um. I'm definitely leaning more towards the. Let's just wait till next season and get him really truly integrated and acclimated to the team and see what he can do from there.
Speaker 2:Well, let him meet Billy.
Speaker 1:No, I was just going to say that I think you're right and for sure. This is a different league than the KHL. We know that it's. You know he's obviously been amazing, both offensively and defensively, in the KHL for a while. Now. He's the captain of his team, so he's definitely a guy that brings a lot to the table.
Speaker 1:My thinking is along yours as well, katie, in this regard that you know we have injuries that happen regularly. I mean, last year we lost Pesci for the playoffs, so I would not be surprised if you know there's an opening for another guy that can play some big minutes on the blue. Whether it's him or not, we'll have to wait and see, but we know that there will be injuries. We know there will be people that are tired. What if Brent Burns? I mean he could be worn out by the end of the year. Who knows?
Speaker 1:Right, we're in new territory with this guy. As he gets older, he's still playing over 20 minutes a game. So you know, again, it would be great if we have him. They can make the decision how they're going to use him, but that'd be a wonderful situation for the Hurricanes, for sure. And ultimately it carries to our next question, and this one from Front Office Fan saying 25 million in cap space next year. Who should we target in free agency? So if we have Nikitian joining on, who else should we be actually going for in the free agent market? I'm going to.
Speaker 3:This message is going out to all the Canes market. I'm going to. This message is going out to all the Canes people that I have seen on X Don't get your hopes up, because the likelihood of players like Rantanen and Marner actually being available is very, very small. So we would.
Speaker 3:We love the idea of having some of those high talent players on the Canes, but they most likely won't be available. So that's part of what makes this a very hard question to answer, because who's going to be available in that free agent market? And, of course, just like we saw this past off season, they are going to be extremely intentional about who they target, how they fit, where they want them to play, what skills they're going to emphasize, to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if the big splash that the Canes make in the offseason as far as spending that cap money comes via trade rather than forage of science.
Speaker 3:Right right.
Speaker 2:I would agree, Agree 100 percent, and especially because one of the storylines of the beginning of this season has been that some teams that everyone thought were going to do very well are not doing very well. Nashville is one of them, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a story. There's a few others that may be by the time we get to that point. I think that I haven't followed some of the teams as closely, but I know that there's consternation out there on some fronts and especially it seems like the Atlantic in particular, there's a number of teams that every year is going to be this big push to finally get into the playoffs and every year they're kind of stuck on that borderline or not making it.
Speaker 2:So I agree with Katie about trades, because I think that what happens in those situations is that teams get to the point where they know that they cannot keep the number of high contract players that they have and still bring in new fresh talent and and kind of have you know um the, the retool. You know it's not the rebuilds, because you know when a rebuild is coming. You can tell when a team is tearing it all down. But there are a lot of teams that try to keep it going by shedding some of their expensive contracts and bringing in some new, younger players or promoting them up from the AHL level. I think there's going to be some teams in that position, and I think there might be some surprising players available that we can't even put a name on to right now. So I think the Canes will be watching that, because those are the kind of deals they make, that no one else is coming.
Speaker 3:And as much as we love all of our prospects, that's going to be a big, big carrot when it comes to making trades, because we do not have room for all of these really talented players in the NHL. We just don't. And so your favorite prospect, just like Panama of last season, could end up being the key piece in a trade of bringing somebody in that they can then extend to a bigger, longer contract at the NHL level.
Speaker 1:I agree, and you know I mean. There's two things that I kind of think about when that question is brought forward. Number one is we do know that Tom Dundon likes to spend his cash, so they're definitely going to do something, whether it's by trade with contracts that cost a little bit more, they definitely like players with some term, or if they do sign a free agent or two, like I was thinking about. I mean, you always look at teams, like you know, in the Western Conference. You look at teams like you know, the Anaheim Ducks, and they've got Frank Petrano and Chris Terry and players that could help us. You look at, you know, obviously, utah. They've got Nick Schmaltz, lawson Kraus, these kind of guys that could come in and be good players for the Hurricanes as well. There are players out there, for sure, and they will be available and, as you say rightfully, katie, we're going to have the assets to definitely get some of those players. We've got so many prospects. It's almost out of hand right now and, of course, as we follow these prospects, we see that there's a number of them that continue to grow and get closer to an opportunity with the Hurricanes. So, yeah, I think we'll spend our money.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure we'll do a big splash. I think that's unlikely. It's not really the way the Canes go, and I don't think they want to sign someone for more dollars than Sebastian Ajo. That's again another kind of a traditional thing with the Hurricanes. He's their go-to guy. I don't see them spending $13 or $12 million on Mitch Marner or somebody like that. So I think, yeah, it'll be complementary. But I do believe that they have been positioning themselves for a real serious run next year and I think adding Nikitian at a low-dollar contract he'll be relatively low is going to be a nice piece of that puzzle and they're going to be in a wonderful position. So, yeah, good question, and thanks to all of the folks that sent those questions in for Mailbag. We'll be doing this on a regular basis, so stay tuned and fire them into us whenever you can, ladies. Any comments as we wrap up?
Speaker 3:Wait, wait. Wasn't there an Aho question?
Speaker 1:Oh gosh, there was. I missed it. That's why I keep coming back.
Speaker 3:I was getting all ready to talk about that? Yes, there was another question.
Speaker 1:Thank you for doing that. Yeah, Kayla Pereira asked this question. You're absolutely right. At what point do we start worrying about Ajo's goal-scoring production or lack thereof this year?
Speaker 3:All right. I think it's definitely a concern, but Ajo is a known slow starter. Part of it has to do with production in general, which is why I'm not particularly concerned right now. He's still a point per game player, so as long as that continues, trending up will be will be fine and he'll eventually find the back of the net. Um, part of it, I think, also can be explained by his deployment so far.
Speaker 3:I I think Brindamore has been using him more as a defensive check against other teams top lines than he has as a main offensive weapon. So, defense first, offense second, and that's part of where some of the limited numbers are coming from. But for right now, I think, as long as the line itself is scoring with, with what Rostovic's put up and Svec has a few goals as well, I think it's worth just being patient and letting things roll how they roll and really say are we paying this guy the most money on the team to be a four checker and a defensive stopper? Because I think we have other guys on the team that can do that job really well too, and we need to let Ajo be the capable offensive force that he is, that he can be, and maybe that involves changing up line mates or something like that. But that decision does not have to be made now. That decision does not have to be made now that changes have to be made. Now let's just kind of see how things develop through the rest of November and December.
Speaker 2:I think that you know you're, you're probably right and there's nothing to be concerned about. And one of the reasons I think he's been playing such a defensive role, when you really think about it, last night was game 13 of the season. Yes, yes, and they had a six-game road trip and then last night was played on the road as well. So that's seven of 13 games have been played on the road, which is, of course, a situation where Brad Brindamore is not controlling the matchups. The opposing coach is controlling the matchups. So at that point, I think not just Ajo's line, but any of the lines that have been scoring are having to play defense first and it's probably going to suppress some scoring across the board.
Speaker 2:Yes, and you know, that's where you kind of start relying a little bit more on those, those timely power play goals, which was part of the reason why some of last night's events should probably not be mentioned. But but as long as I was getting points, I'm not that worried, like you said, Katie, but I think that the goal scoring does need to kick off. But I think that the goal scoring does need to kick off and I think that it might be worth changing some things up here and there, even mid-game. It doesn't have to be a complete change of line mates, but maybe on occasion you send the line out and you put Martin Natchez on his wing for a couple of shifts, Not just on the fly, but like here. Here you're going to start this shift together and see if they can't kind of spark, if they just can't kind of spark uh ajo's production a little bit.
Speaker 1:I think it would be worth trying, oh for sure. One thing that's been interesting recently has been this this problem they've gotten into with uh, picking up double, double penalties like a penalty and then another one right after and getting five on threes. That's something new. I don't recall seeing it very often with the Hurricanes and it's happened quite a bit lately and that's put a lot of pressure on the penalty killers, such as Ajo and others, because of just getting into those tough situations. But I agree with both of you I think he'll come around.
Speaker 1:The good news is the Canes have done all this heavy lifting and he hasn't been on top of his game. So that's good news and I think you can expect him to pick up the pace. And also, we know that Ajo really likes to get into the games that are meaningful. Maybe at this stage of the season he's not quite there yet. He loves the second half of the year and the playoffs and that's where he really thrives. So I think again, we'll monitor it, but I think he'll be just fine. I think they're going to be okay on that for sure.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Coming up this week. We've got the Vegas Golden Knights, we've got Utah Hockey Club, which will be kind of fun, and then we head to Ottawa to play the Senators and we finish up no, they're at home. And then we finish up with St Louis, who just got absolutely destroyed by the Washington Capitals last night. And that brings up an interesting comment too, which we can talk about around the Capitals, we were kind of pushing them down a little bit and poo-pooing them a little bit, but boy they just. They're playing very, very well right now.
Speaker 3:So what do you think about the?
Speaker 1:games this week. How do you think we're going to do?
Speaker 2:I'm scared to guess. I know Vegas is going to be hard Utah. I think that that's going to be probably a more fun game and I think the Canes have, you know, pretty strong odds against the Utah Hockey Club right now. It's going to be fun to see that whole new situation set up for them. But yeah, Vegas has been. You know well, they are who they are and they haven't changed a whole lot. You know they're not. They're always a difficult team to play against. So after last night's game, I don't really I would love to see them at least get to overtime with Vegas. So we'll just go with that.
Speaker 1:And what do you think about St Louis and Ottawa?
Speaker 2:I think that they need to beat St Louis because of the bad game against them on the road trip. So I think they'd like to have a better memory of playing St Louis. The Senators it's really hard to know, because they can be this incredibly dynamic, connected, united team that just comes in and does what they want, and they can be a disaster, and that's kind of reflected in their record right now. So I think that the Canes' discipline and their structure will probably win out over Ottawa. I do so. You think we'll do a split.
Speaker 2:I think so or six points. I think that they're going to get. I think that they have a chance to win three of these four.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you're looking at six points. Good.
Speaker 3:Katie, I think they should win all four. Whether they do or not, I don't know. I think I've seen, I've seen vegas a couple times. Well, the apps played them at the big the home opener and I've watched them with a couple of the other results I've gotten, and I just don't think they're as good as they've been in the past. And anything can happen in any game. But yeah, with how the canes have been playing and what they've been able to do, once now that they've gotten this weird travel schedule behind them from flying into Colorado on the day of the game, I think they're probably a little upset with themselves, a little bit more motivated to to go into Vegas. Kochekov is rested.
Speaker 3:He did not play last night, so he should be ready and raring to go to take on that team. And I think if they can get past Vegas then they should, as long as they don't lose focus of who they are. And, like think, if they can get past Vegas then they should, as long as they don't lose focus of who they are and, like Aaron said, playing their structure, I think they should be able to take care of business against Utah, Ottawa and St Louis. So I think they should.
Speaker 1:I think they should go 4-0. Well, don't forget if they do, that's going to win 12 of 13 games, which would be pretty amazing. Yeah, and just on the Piotr in Vegas. I just hope he continues to hold on to his stick a little bit more, because that's always concerning me.
Speaker 3:He dropped his stick like five times in that last game that he played. Yeah for sure.
Speaker 1:I think you're right on this. We definitely should beat up on Utah and we should also beat up on St Louis, because they just showed they're not in a good place right now, for sure. So those two guys I think we can definitely do. Vegas is going to be a tough game. They're a good team, there's no question, and they're going to be tough. But I think Ottawa we can also win as well. We'll be back home for that one, I think. So we're in pretty good shape. I think we'll win three. Oh, if it's home, yeah, yeah, we'll win three and possibly four, but I think we can win three, which is great, and that would be outstanding.
Speaker 1:If we look at, just to finish this comment, though if we look at, you know where the Canes are now and you made reference to this a little bit earlier too, Aaron that you know you're not quite as excited about them getting to first place this year. You think they're still going to be second or third. They're playing outstanding right now. They're definitely a first-place team. The Rangers got beat up the other night by Buffalo. We know what New Jersey is.
Speaker 2:Washington. I don't think they're at the Canes level yet. Who's going to knock them off? Well, I still think that the unfortunate reality is that the Rangers are always the team that is going to be capable of coming back to that level because of Igor Shcherkin. So it's not that I think that their play is going to make them end up first in the Metro.
Speaker 2:I do see some of the weaknesses that you're talking about, and it's interesting to see that unfold, but I think that as long as they have the netminder that they have and that he's healthy and he can play, you know, then then I think that it's just a really hard ask for the canes to beat his winning record, him specifically. Now, if something did happen, if he went down for a number of games, if he was out with an injury, um, I think that that could very much affect where they end up placing. But as long as he's healthy and playing well and you know he only has those what does he have, like, um, you know, one of those weird blowout games like he had the other night. He'll have one of those, you know, once every six months or something. You know it's not a common thing, but he's human. Yeah, if it starts to be a common thing for him, it's not going to be good for his contract year. But I don't really think he definitely is.
Speaker 1:He's the difference for the Rangers. And how do you think we're still in good shape against the rest?
Speaker 2:I do Personally. I do because I think that the Devils are putting it together more, but they had such a difficult time, you know, being consistent at the beginning that I think that that's going to make it harder for them in the long run. Ok, I mean, they look. When you look at their points, everyone says, oh, but the Devils are right there. Well, look at how many games they've played. So, yeah, you have to look at the points percentage. When you're looking at the Devils and how they stack up. And the Capitals are surprising right now, I find them very surprising.
Speaker 2:But when the Canes played them, I did not see a team that was, you know, so dominant that we weren't going to be able to win that game. So I'm thinking I haven't looked at this, but I wonder what their schedule has been like through this early stretch, because some teams have definitely not faced a stack of hard opponents yet. And I'm curious, you know, know where they have rated on the ease of schedule, um, uh, standards. I didn't look that up and it would probably be interesting to find that out. But um, because over the stretch, if they end up playing a lot of uh top contenders, we could see a difference there, the, the, you know the, the team, you know, out and out west, that everyone can't, uh, take their eyes off, of course, of the winnipeg jets. And I don't take their eyes off. Of course are the Winnipeg Jets, and I don't really know what to make of them. Oh man, they're unbelievable.
Speaker 3:Hellebuck, hellebuck, it's Hellebuck.
Speaker 1:They are an outstanding hockey club and well-coached yeah for sure.
Speaker 3:The Avs lost 1-0 to them last week and they dominated two-thirds of the game, and they should have won, they dominated two-thirds of the game and they should have won. They should have won, but it was Hellebuck. Hellebuck was absolutely on fire. He has been the difference for them this season.
Speaker 1:It is very impressive. Sustainable. Well, you know talk about schedule.
Speaker 1:I was actually looking at the schedule because, I'm planning to head up for some games after the new year and boy you look at March and April. The Canes schedule is very friendly for them. It's a really nice schedule. I mean, they've got a lot of games they should be able to win and not as many tough games. I remember last year they seemed to have a bunch of them, but this year it looks like a much friendlier schedule. So that's going to be interesting as they head towards that final stage of the season and hopefully there's not serious injuries or anything else that will affect them. But yeah, I think I think they're definitely showing that they're going to be in the mix. I don't I don't believe there's a flash in the pan. I think this team is a solid team and and just to see how far they're going to go, we'll have to wait and play that out, and just to see how far they're going to go.
Speaker 2:we'll have to wait and play that out Well with all the prognostications in the offseason that we weren't even going to make the playoffs. I think that that's been so funny to watch that crumble, for sure For sure.
Speaker 1:OK, as we wrap up, ladies, any comments?
Speaker 2:Erin from you. Um, just that, you know I I did have to uh restrain myself from overreacting to the the loss against the abs last night. I know a lot of uh, uh canes fans did, but as I said, you know it didn't comment to someone uh on x it's. I think that these kinds of losses end up being a little bit triggering, if I can use that word, for those of us, because it feels like the same kind of thing that happens in the playoffs a lot to the Canes and so you start wanting to tweak things and throw line combinations out there and fix everything. And you know, I know that that's the fan impulse. I laugh at it in myself a little bit because really what they're building is phenomenal so far and they just need to figure out how to make those adjustments and they'll be fine. So, um, that's all I have. What about you, katie?
Speaker 3:oh, after aaron said something about don't have any knee-jerk reactions about line combos, um, I still I still think that the canes are going to play well and they're going to have a really good record if they stick with the line combinations they have, but they're not going to have.
Speaker 3:The thing that has been bothering me so much this season is it doesn't feel like they have a killer instinct where they really just put a team away early.
Speaker 3:They vastly outplayed the Avs in the first period yesterday and yet they only came away with a 1-0 lead yesterday, and yet they only came away with a one nothing lead. There have been other times where I felt, and other fans have felt even the even the announcers on the tv or the radio have said this feels like the cane should be up by two or three goals and yet it's tied or they're only up by one that they need to find that and I'm not sure that, with the current configuration of the forward lines, that they have a line that can go out and say we're going to take what we're doing and we are going to put this game away early. So my vote is that nate just needs to be with aho and then work your way on down from there. I think those are the two smartest, most talented forwards that we have, and to not put them on a line together is problematic, but for now, as long as it's working and the Canes are winning the majority of their games, hakuna Matata.
Speaker 1:It's always great to be an Archer coach and GM. That's one of the thrills that we have. So we can try to do this, you know. Again to last night's's game. I'll just wrap up this point. Look, they had won eight in a row. They're not going to win every game and you know the circumstances of that game where they came back and almost made it a contest was, I think, a good telling point, as we talked about earlier. So, not concerned at all, they're going to bounce back, they're going to win games, not going to be a problem.
Speaker 1:I wanted to mention, you know, the discussion we had on the new faces of the hurricanes. Very nice article that you've written on that as well, aaron. It's on my website at stormtracker23.com. Folks, take a look at that. New faces, same canes. It's a great article, extremely well written, as you might expect from aaron and uh, and a good read too. So thanks for doing that, aaron, and for those of you out there, if you get a chance, please stop over at stormtracker23.com and check out aaron's article. Ladies, as always, it's uh. It's been great fun chatting carolina hurricanes hockey.
Speaker 1:I know we're going to get back together real soon. I'll be out for a little while, but we might be doing it from distance, so we'll have a little bit of fun with that. And I just want to say to the fans who've been listening or watching today, as always, we thank you for joining us. We look forward to talking to you again in the future. If you liked this episode, please hit the like button. If you want to subscribe and be alerted of future episodes, please hit the subscribe button and the bell. And, of course, if you have comments, please leave those down below and Aaron Katie and I will try to respond to them just as quickly as possible, as always. Thanks for joining us here. On StormTracker, we're going to catch up real soon, right here.
