stormTRacker Podcast
...stormTRacker is your home for in-depth analysis of the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Wolves & Hurricanes' prospects around the globe. Host, Tom Ray, gives his insightful perspective & is joined by Hurricanes' "Insiders" Nick Bass, Erin Manning, Katie Bartlett & others to cover all the top stories for your Carolina Hurricanes. Tom is also active on "X" connecting with Hurricanes' fans on a regular basis. (@stormTRacker24)
You should also check out stormTRacker Website, your home for all things Carolina Hurricanes, including videos, stormTRacker Podcasts, stormTRacker bloggers section & stormTRacker store, which includes a variety of stormTRacker branded merchandise.
stormTRacker Podcast
Carolina Hurricanes' Rise: Necas' Offensive Mastery and Robinson's Breakthrough Lead the Charge!
What if the Carolina Hurricanes have unlocked the secret formula to NHL success? Join us for an exciting exploration into their recent home victories and the standout performances that have propelled them up the standings. With insights from our insiders Erin Manning and Katie Bartlett, we shine a spotlight on Martin Necas's incredible versatility and offensive prowess, which has positioned him as a league-leading scorer and franchise record contender. Discover the chemistry and synergy between Necas, Kotkaniemi, and Robinson, a trio that's redefining the Hurricanes' forward line dynamics.
We also unravel the inspiring journey of sensation Robinson, whose meteoric rise from fringe player to essential team member has captivated coaches and fans alike. Robinson's dedication and surprising offensive skills have earned him a place on the Canes' top performing line, adding depth and adaptability to the Hurricanes' roster. Special mention goes to players like Jordan Martinook, William Carrier and Jackson Blake for their pivotal roles in maintaining the team's balance and competitive edge, as we discuss strategic player placements that contribute to an adaptable, hard-working squad.
Delve into the Hurricanes' rock-solid defense and evolving power play strategies that have been game-changers this season. Analyze the placement of defensive stalwarts like Orlov, Chatfield, and Walker, whose reliable performances allow for strategic flexibility. We also tackle the complexities of the power play dynamics and potential line adjustments to optimize their first line's chemistry. Follow our conversation on the Hurricanes' mid-season outlook, as we consider their promising playoff potential and the external pressures facing key players like Aho, with his upcoming Four Nations Tournament. With insights backed by MoneyPuck data & NHL Edge, this episode is a deep dive into the heart of a team on the rise.
Well, the Carolina Hurricanes continue their fine season, as they have a home win record this weekend, winning both games Saturday and Sunday and moving into a very strong position second overall in win percentage in the National Hockey League. The Canes have won eight of their last ten, and the other team in the league to do the same thing is the Florida Panthers. So the Canes are firing in all cylinders and I thought it'd be great to talk about why and some of the things that are happening around the Canes that are really exciting these days. And, of course, joining me as always, insiders Aaron Manning and Katie Bartlett. Ladies, a great time for the Canes.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Well, the Canes, you know, coming off kind of a stinker in Utah Some folks were asking questions about. You know, is this, you know, are we going to see the Canes fall off a little bit? But this weekend they showed that that's not the case and the shutout performance by Spencer Martin, and then an outstanding performance today by Piotr Kociakop, suggests the goaltending is in pretty good shape. So let's talk a little bit about what's happening on the forward side and number one, martine Nages, erin.
Speaker 2:Well Nages has been incredible, and especially this weekend. I know that in Utah that second line didn't really do as much and it was probably one of the reasons why that team was struggling as much as they were. In that game the second line was not powerful and they were the most overwhelmed when it came defensively. But that was all very easily corrected and you can easily chalk that up to the end of another three-game road trip. At home. Natchez has been fantastic. He had a point on the power play against the Ottawa Senators and then the second line as a whole came roaring to life tonight with just tremendous production and Natchez now has 30 points.
Speaker 1:And what's that? 13 games, I think, isn't it with a point?
Speaker 2:Straight games 13 game points, and that for him, I think is outstanding. He's actually.
Speaker 1:And you talked about, that assist for him was beautiful.
Speaker 2:I mean, that was a gorgeous play to set up, sebastian Ajo, so yes, yeah, he's now 13 game points streak and he is, if he needs one more game to tie, sebastian Ajo and I forgotten who the other player was for a 14 game point streak and that is, I think, the franchise record. So if he can go beyond that, we're starting to look at record territory, so that's pretty exciting.
Speaker 3:They also posted on X today that nature is the fastest hurricane to 30 points in a season he lasted Eric Stahl's record, so he is definitely on a heater. And what's been so nice is you can't just chalk it up with Natchez. To one thing it's not that he's just killing it on the power player, he's just doing it five on five, or he's just scoring goals, or he's just doing the playmaking with the assist. It is a little bit of everything, and that's what's so encouraging as far as long-term sustainability is that there's not one thing that can be targeted in his game.
Speaker 3:When the opposing teams are coming in and having to figure out how they're going to stop this guy it, they have a whole bunch of problems in front of them because they means they have to stop him on the power play, they have to stop him from passing, they have to stop him from shooting. I mean, it's pretty much impossible to do all of those things perfectly in a single game, and so having that weapon, um, in nature is such a luxury for the Canes to have because he can come through and be impactful for the team in lots of different situations.
Speaker 1:Well, the interesting thing, of course, he's moved up to third place in the league in scoring with his four-point performance today. But you know Natchez. You know in the offseason he asked for a couple of things he wanted more ice time and he wanted to play on the number one power play. I think he's getting it done for sure, and that's kind of an interesting scenario when you think back to you know the noise around Marty Natchez possibly being traded and where would the Canes be right now if he was gone. Clearly he's thriving with the Canes, he's having fun and you know it's interesting to look at their line, because one of the key elements of their line, I think, is that you've got two guys in Kokaniemi and Robinson, who are playing a heavy game and I think not only they're setting up Natchez with excellent opportunities, but they're also clearing ice and they're making plays on the boards, the sideboards and the end boards effectively to get the puck in play. So I think those guys are doing a great job as well.
Speaker 2:The word that comes to mind for me is balance. And what's so balanced about this line is if you look back at the game against Vegas, that was a game where Kokuniemi had a couple of point night and Robinson did not have as many points but was very involved, net front, very involved, physically very involved, clearing lanes for those shots and passes to get through. You come to tonight and it's the exact opposite. Kokuniemi picked up one assist tonight out of all of the plays that were going on. Nate just had three even strength points for that line, but Kokuniemi just picked up one assist. But Robinson was out there getting the goals and he was. You know, it was the exact opposite. Kokuniemi was the one clearing the lanes and haunting the net front and Robinson was the one receiving the passes in the slot and getting to the net. So they balance each other extremely well.
Speaker 2:And that's that's puts Natchez in the position of being able to really pivot. And we see you know that's a funny word to use for someone who spins as much as Natchez does on the ice but he really can, he can, he can, at any point in the game see which of his wingers I mean which of his line mates rather, is available and and go with that. You know, and that's, and that's where Kokuniemi and Natchez themselves I use the word winger by mistake there just now because, honestly, natchez and Kokuniemi are trading off center duties as well. It's something that I know, that Kokuniemi is the center on that line, but he's not playing like Aho or Stahl in terms of directing the play and everything has to go through him. He's perfectly happy to switch off with Natchez when Natchez is having one of these incredibly hot games and I think that's worked really, really well because he doesn't have to.
Speaker 2:Natchez doesn't have to do the defensive part of being a center. He doesn't have to. When the centers drop back to the blue line because the defensemen are jumping into the play as we saw several times tonight when different defensemen were jumping up into the play it's Kokuniemi who goes back to the blue line because he's the center. If you had Natchez having to do that, he wouldn't be nearly as effective as he is. So this kind of center winger duo, where they almost interchange, is working extremely well for the pair of them.
Speaker 3:I would also add that KK has gotten stronger and stronger as the season has gone on when it comes to the faceoff dot and that is really important when it comes to their line because puck possession is key and they have created a lot of opportunities. In fact, I think one of the goals tonight was uh off of the kk, face off.
Speaker 3:I think that's where he got his the fourth goal that was yeah, and that was um, and that's just really important for them, creating opportunities. So kk kk's game has been so strong in all the little details, all of the things that aren't flashy or noticeable. And I don't know if you guys caught Natchez's interview in the locker room after the game against the Blues tonight, but one of the things he was very insistent on is that all of the success that he has had has nothing to do with the blonde hair because of the bet that he lost. It has everything to do with him and his line mates, and he really, really wanted to give props to to robinson and coke and yemi, because he knows that as, as a trio, they are making this possible.
Speaker 2:If it was just, if it's just nature's, this wouldn't be, they wouldn't be having the success that they found and that's such a thing too well with forward trios, because you look at back at, you know trios from the past and even you know different ones from the the present day. There's a lot of times when you say, why do they split up these guys? Because you know that there's some some lines where three together play better than those three do when they're separated, and and I think that that's probably something that the canes are going to try to keep those three together as long as possible, because right now it's just really, really working.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I mean your comment is totally appropriate to the top line, because those guys are. You know you've got some outstanding talents but they just have not been able to get the right kind of mix and the right chemistry. But you know, going back to Kokaniemi, you know he's won 31 of 43 draws in the last four games. He was 9 of 10 yesterday. Like his numbers are. Just they're gaudy, they're ridiculous and you know it goes unnoticed, right.
Speaker 2:This is probably a complete coincidence, but on November 9th, before that game, I posted on X that I hate to call out my favorite player, but there were two things that he wasn't doing he wasn't winning enough face-offs he was at 47% and he was taking too many unnecessary penalties. And now he's won all these face-offs since that date and he has not taken a penalty since that post. So I'm going to just take credit for that.
Speaker 1:But you know, if you watch, watch him and back to the eye test, uh, you know we talked a lot about this when we talked about center ice this summer. Um, he, he is just playing a confident game. You know, he, he looks the part, he's strong out there, he's tough on the boards, he's great in his own zone and he continues to make those fine setup plays that you know he's always done, he's always been great at that. Sometimes the guys didn't score, but at least he would get the puck to them. But I think he's been one of the big stories so far, quietly going about his business and again, as you said, he's part of the mix on that line and a critical component. And as they win these draws, of course, guess what? They've got the puck and they're off and running again, and that means Natchez can fire up the engine, which is great.
Speaker 3:And you can just tell Kokunyemi is so happy out there Every time the camera pans to his face. He doesn't have those pinched, tight looks that he used to have last season.
Speaker 3:He's smiling, he's relaxed. There's no tension in the shoulders. He's smiling, he's relaxed, there's no tension in the shoulders. He's just ready to put that hard hat on and go out and get to work and that's so. It just makes me happy for the player and the person that he is finding his stride this season and that he's really truly put all of his frustrations and struggles from last season way back in the rear view mirror.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's exactly right, and that's something I've perceived is that he's just firing all cylinders, and we saw him at the end of last year and, as we chatted previously, he wanted to get off the ice because he just wasn't comfortable with what he was doing. Let's talk a little bit about Eric Robinson. Now, this is a great move by Eric Tolsky. At this point it looks like a brilliant move. This guy comes in no ballyhoo, and we talked last time gosh, a lot of folks didn't even think he'd be on the team. And here's Eric and he's playing a big role. What do we think about Eric Robinson?
Speaker 2:Right now he's on pace to blow past his career high end goals. I don't have the exact number in front of me, but I saw that come up in conversation right after the game.
Speaker 1:His highest number was 12.
Speaker 2:12, right, and he's got. Yeah, so, yeah, so he's easily going to do that. I just like what a hardworking, humble ethic he seems to have out there. He's playing with the hottest player on the team in Martin Aitches, and he doesn't look out of place for a minute because he's just there to work. He's just there to get the job done, and whatever it takes Getting to the net to score, battling for a puck in the corner, whatever it is, he just seems to be an excellent fit from a personality standpoint too. With the locker room and everything else, he's just I don't know how many things can you say. Really. It's neat to see, because this is another one of those examples of Eric Tulsky just finding someone, yes, and then you know, we all sort of marvel, because who, who would have known that that talent level was there? You know from his previous career well and it's.
Speaker 3:it's got to be just so much fun for him because when he came in, when he was signed, you knew that he was going to be coming in probably to be a fourth liner.
Speaker 3:He was going to be down there just trying to do puck possession, more defensive muck and grind and that sort of thing, and that is where he started at the beginning of the season for the first handful of games.
Speaker 3:But when Rod Brindamore made that switch in middle of October towards the end of October where he moved a couple of the wingers around in order to try and get scoring, he ended up on natchez's line and it's, that's all she wrote right. Because that that balance, that hard work that he had been putting in the training camp and on that fourth line, took the, got the coach's notice and then, once he got the privilege of being put up there, he wanted to. He's like okay, I like this up here. This works for me. I'm going to do everything I need to do in order to not get dropped back down to the fourth line and it's just been fantastic to see somebody who has been I think some people would describe as a fringe player in the NHL Really really come into his own on this particular line and I hope that just all of them together, robinson, kk and Natchez are able to motor through and continue this success and stay hot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'd like all three of them to have record seasons for each of them. And you know, with Robinson, a couple things that I like about him. He's showing some offensive skill in some plays that really are surprising, right, you know he sets up Natchez's one beautiful goal. He goes in and gets a goal earlier this season on Natchez's set-up beautiful goal. He made a good play tonight to get the puck out where Natchez could get to it and put it in the net. He's a guy that you know, maybe building his confidence it might be something like that.
Speaker 1:Here's a guy that has some talent that we just haven't seen a whole lot of and he hasn't been put in a position where he can show it. But he's certainly demonstrating that now and he's a lunch pail guy too. So he's out there working hard. As you say, he's a big body. He's making things happen on the board side, which is which is key for the canes, and it goes back to that same thing we've talked about before, where you know toski and his crew. You know they really look for players that they thought would be hurricanes type players, right, you know guys that would come in and work hard and would thrive in a system where they do work hard, and I could say the same thing about, you know, william Carrier.
Speaker 1:I mean this guy to me has been wonderful. The last number of games he's been really effective.
Speaker 2:I think that that fourth line with Drury, Blake and Carrier has been really, really good, and I think that that's where you, you know I'm sorry, Kerry is playing with Stahl.
Speaker 1:now I'm already confused.
Speaker 2:He's been with Stahl for a while, but no, but when he was on the fourth line he was doing a fantastic job Before Jarvis's injury he was doing a fantastic job of keeping that line balanced, I think. Again going back to that same word I hate to keep using that word, but what's great is that you see Tyson Jost come in and Tyson Jost has come in and he's creating that same kind of balance. Because it's not that Drury and Blake need a heavy weight necessarily on that line, but having a veteran player who's been back and forth, somebody that's that's you know, got that, you know. They've just they've been around. They're not going to overreact to things, you know you.
Speaker 2:You could easily see, um, somebody like jackson blake maybe getting a little bit despondent over the penalty he took tonight now, although he's drawn penalties as well, you know. But you could see a player of a rookie getting maybe a little bit in his own head about something like that. And that's where having somebody like Jost or Carrier when he was on the line, I think is really important for someone coming just into the league. But yeah, I already forgot that he wasn't playing.
Speaker 1:No, he's done a nice job filling in on that line and I think again, you know their role is critical to any Kane success. You know, those guys.
Speaker 1:They do a lot of heavy lifting in the offensive zone. You know they go up against the toughest lines and and he's he's done a nice job filling in on that line, you know, for of course it was Jarvis previously, but I really like what he's done, a nice job filling in on that line. You know, of course it was Jarvis previously, but I really like what he's done. And I do hope he gets back in the fourth line because I think he does add an element to that line that could improve that line a little bit. Jost has done fine, but I think Carrier is an upgrade.
Speaker 1:Now the guy that you want to talk about on the fourth line, of course, is Jackson Blake. Jackson Blake, he went through a little period, you know he hit the wall a little bit for two or three games, but boy, he's been really outstanding and he led the Canes in shots the other night. So he's a guy that's definitely getting in the mix and I think he's thriving on the power play. He got a power play goal recently. So I mean again, he's a guy that you know he's, you forget, he's a rookie sometimes.
Speaker 3:He's, he's part of what's fun is. In the past few games there's been a lot of comments on how he looks like a little miniature Rod Brindamore out there, cause he's doing and he's making comments in the locker room. Our job is to go out and to hunt pucks, and if you're not hunting pucks, what are you even doing here? Right, I'm like right, are you sure this?
Speaker 3:is Jackson, but we're talking to and not Brynden Moore. It's been so fun, but he has just taken everything in and he's really absorbed everything. It means to be a hurricane and of course the hurricanes start with Brindamore and it trickles down from there. And so that's part of what's been. So fun is that he is just not just bought in but wholly embraced the mentality of put me in, coach, and I'll do whatever you want me to do.
Speaker 3:You want me to be on the power play and go out and score goals on the power play. I'm going to do it. You want me to go and forecheck and prevent goals from happening and get in the corners and get dirty. I will do that, Whatever it takes. Just put me in, coach, Put me in and I'm going to go and I am going to do my absolute best possible, and that's what's so fun to see from him. Yeah, and.
Speaker 1:I think the other side of it is that, yeah, you know, one thing that's impressed me about Blake is he does get a lot of great opportunities, like you know, grade A type opportunities, like he'll get into the net, he'll be doing something, he'll come around and you know we talked about this previously. He has no concern with carrying the puck and getting into the dirty areas, he's all over it. But he's had some outstanding, you know, opportunities where great saves were the only thing that prevented a goal. And I think that's always a good sign to me when folks are getting the opportunities, like if he's out there getting really good shots, you know that he's going to get his share of goals. And to have a player like that on the fourth line for the Canes and the fact that he has that solid work ethic as well.
Speaker 1:That's a real bonus.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right now I think he is second in rookie goal scoring for the Calder race. If you're looking at the Calder points, he's behind Matvei Mitkov, but he is now moved ahead of Logan Stankovic, so he's right in there, and you know that's pretty funny, for you know a lot of people are making jokes about the fact that gosh, the last Carolina Hurricanes player that won a Calder war number, so there's some jokes going on there. But but either way, whether he ends up, you know, pulling ahead in points or not, he's contributing solidly, and that's, I think, what Tom was saying here about, you know, just being in the mix, creating chances. It doesn't ultimately matter if he ends up having the highest number of points for a rookie in the season, because he's playing the right way.
Speaker 1:No, and his ice time other than the fact he's on the power play now, his ice time is less than the other guys would see in most cases, I think. Anyway, so for sure. Now somebody else I wanted to talk about, and you know we did a piece on the defensive core and we talked a little bit about this gentleman, but he seems to be defying the age situation that he's in, and that's, of course, brent Burns. I mean, this guy is leading the Canes in playing on ice time per game, sitting up in the 20-plus minute a game range, and he just keeps going. And one thing I've noticed with Burns this year a lot is his defensive play has really been outstanding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's definitely got a bit more of a motor to some of those plays.
Speaker 2:That I think and you know some people have the speculation that perhaps what we were seeing last year wasn't really typical and was more due to some kind of being banged up, as the Red likes to say it a situation where there's a minor injury that you play through but you know it's going to impact you, and because he certainly has not shown any signs, but you know it's going to impact you, and, um, because he certainly has not shown any signs of that this year. He's quick to get back, he's quick to get in the lanes and get his stick in the lane and break up a you know a chance, the other direction, you know I. I just I think his speed has been better. I have not checked NHL edge on his speed, but I think his speed has actually come along a little bit. So that's good. And that's where you know you're talking about his ice time and he said you know his ice time has been right up there, but since he's not on the first unit power play, that may be helpful too.
Speaker 1:Right, right. And again, I think that you know we heard this discussion. Certainly Tracy was talking about this, and I think that you know we heard this discussion. Certainly Trip Tracy was talking about this, and I think it's definitely a key part of the success of the Canes is that they're able to play these defensemen almost similar minutes. You've got, of course, the second pairing. You know Orlov and Chatfield, who are playing very, very well, and they're doing that with more minutes than they had last year.
Speaker 1:And then you've got, you know, Gossespierre and Walker, and they're doing that with more minutes than they had last year. And then you've got, you know, Gossespierre and Walker, and they're getting lots of minutes as well, and not missing a beat. So the Canes are in a position they can put any of these defensive pairs out there and feel comfortable.
Speaker 3:I mean, what a luxury to have right, because every team has that or most teams have that pair where you just have to shelter them. You have to try and play matchup. You don't want them out against the other team's top line because you're worried that they'll get burned. But the Canes decor this year has been so well balanced. It's been balanced as far as ice time. It's been balanced as far as each of the pairs together complementing each other's skill set. There's someone who's more of the offensive wheeler dealer, someone who's more of the go back guard, the fort sort of mentality, and there's a good mix of speed and passing. And it's just been really, really nice because most of the time when the other team is coming up the ice going the other way, you're not stressing, you're not sweating it, because you know our rugby guys are going to take care of business and get things going our way pretty quickly.
Speaker 1:That I've seen is that you know there were some concerns with Ghost on the defensive side. Of course you know he's really known for his offense and he showed that again his good work on the power play this weekend. But he he's really started to shore up on his defensive side and I know there's been some work with Timmy Gleason to get him to, you know, close the gaps more, jump in on the play, be a little bit more aggressive and it's really paying off. I've watched lately and his defensive play has been really strong and of course we know what Walker can do and he's just going about his business and being a really solid defenseman for the Canes.
Speaker 1:So you're right, all three pairs can go out, they can get it done, and I think that's a tremendous luxury for the Hurricanes. So far, no injuries on the Blues, so that's good news. So I think, yeah, a key part of their success is going to be their defensive core, for sure.
Speaker 3:You mentioned Walker and there was a. There was a I think it was Trip Tracy who was mentioning a conversation he'd had with him, or maybe it was. There was somebody who's mentioning that they'd had a conversation with him and he said part of what I like so much here is the fact that I feel like I really get to showcase my skills as a defender, that most of the things that people have talked about in the past as far as his game or his offense or his skating or his neutral zone play or stuff like that he's like this year. I really get to be a defender and showcase how good I am at that, and that's something that he's really taken pride in so far. So I thought that was really really cool where he um, he spoke up so highly about having those extra defensive responsibilities responsibilities in order to let ghost go and do ghost things.
Speaker 3:Just, I'm obviously came in with a preference for walker because of his short stint with the abs, but he has done nothing but gain even further brownie points with me with his attitude, his play and and his uh, his overall meshing with the team. It's really been fantastic to watch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, and you know again a couple of things on that. We knew that he was signed to a five-year deal. So there was a real, I think, feeling from you know, tulsky and the crew that this guy was a keeper, he was the kind of person they wanted to have on that defense for the long term. The other thing was that you might recall is that as soon as he was signed, right away, he was talking to the coaching staff trying to get the information he needed to understand the defensive side of the game for the Canes. You know the man-on-man approach and you know, get all the different books that he needed to kind of go through that and get started on it, and that told me a lot about the guy, uh, that really to me that spoke volumes. And again it comes back to this whole idea that you know he's liking to be on that side, he's liking to play that, enjoying that, you know, man-on-man defensive side using his, his speed, using his, uh, his quickness, and again, he looks great out there. So, yeah, good points on Walker and I don't see any reason why he should not continue to play at this level for sure.
Speaker 1:Now, an interesting thing speaking of Walker and we just talked about Brent Burns has been the power play so recently. Of course, they've been using both Walker and Burns on the second power play unit, with Burns being the net front guy and taking a position up in the front side, which has been kind of interesting, and I've enjoyed watching that because he is a big body and of course he likes to get where the action is. So it's kind of fun to see Burns up there. But what do we think about the power play? We had a good weekend, but there were some periods where it wasn't so strong. We talked about the Utah game, which was a disaster on the power play side. But what are we thinking about the power play?
Speaker 2:I have not yet heard any of Rod Brindamore's post-game comments after tonight's game versus the Blues. I don't know if anyone has, but this one is going to probably throw you guys a little bit for a loop. If you haven't already heard it. This was last night after the Saturday game, where they did in fact score on the power play. Rod was asked about that and he said said it's funny how that goes. They looked so much better in utah, but they had no luck and couldn't score.
Speaker 2:I didn't think the power play was very good tonight and they had gotten a couple, two goals, I think and this was saturday and I'm not quoting directly, that's not the direct quote, but these was. These were the words he was using. He did not like the power play as well against the Ottawa Senators. He didn't think they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, whereas in Utah he saw them as well. They were doing what they were supposed to be doing until they completely ran out of gas during that seven-minute one.
Speaker 2:But they were doing the right things. They were getting the right zone entries, they were playing the right way, they were moving the puck around and getting looked, but they just didn't. They did everything but score, and I know that's. Those are those comments that make us want to kind of tear out our hair. Because we're saying so, um, um, yeah, because when you look at utah, you look at those, for even the early power plays that were in the second period, I I didn't see that. I saw a lot of standing around. I didn't see a lot of movement.
Speaker 1:So I'm not sure he was being generous in his comments, for sure.
Speaker 2:Probably yes. Yes, I mean I think maybe the criteria was that they didn't give up a shorthanded goal, so maybe that was it landed goal, so that was it, maybe that was it so. But I kind of was left scratching my head after that and saying really you thought it looked better in Utah than it did against the senators Cause we're sitting here saying that's not true.
Speaker 1:Yeah no, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:But, tonight and last night the power play was very, very strong and and and they were moving, they were moving, they were moving the puck smartly, oh yeah, and they looked kind of like they did earlier in the season when they had such a strong run. And I think, again, the ups and downs of a season we've talked a little bit about this before You're going to have some periods where things aren't just exactly right and I think you know, maybe that's what happened when they, you know, went out west and played those games. I think you know, again.
Speaker 1:they've had a tough schedule to start the season, so good on them.
Speaker 3:With the power play. The one thing that I think is the key, like Aaron mentioned, is you can't be static, you have to keep moving, and that's moving the puck and moving their feet, and so the two power play goals that come to mind, particularly for me, are the one is the one that nature scored, where ghost drove down, kept his feet moving and got the defender to commit, just enough that he was able to slide the puck over to Natchez in his office and he was ripped a one-timer past the goalie.
Speaker 3:So, keeping the puck moving, keeping the feet moving, led to that goal and then last night, on the five-on-three, with the face-off win. I think again we're going back to Natchez. He can be a goal scorer, he can be a goal creator. He held onto that puck just long enough and moved his feet just enough to to convince the um, the defender, to commit one way and open up that seam to ajo, so ajo was able to then finish off that shot. So that is the key. If they're keeping their feet moving and they're themselves moving enough in order to get a defender to commit one way or the other, then they're going to be able to create those quick passes, quick shots, and score on more of their opportunities that they have on the power play.
Speaker 1:There is a bit of a pattern that I'm seeing too, and I don't know if you're seeing it as well, but Gossespierre and Natchez seem to be the engine that drive this whole power play. They really try to set the situation up. So either either one of them is going to shoot or they get the action over there and get it over to Ajo or whatever. But it seems to me like those two really kind of they set the tone and we saw a lot of that back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and then something happens right. So I think there's a growing chemistry with those two guys, very comfortable with each other, and it's starting to pay off in terms of the power play as well.
Speaker 2:I agree, and I think that that you know. It might come back a little bit to Ajo and Svechnikov not necessarily firing on all cylinders right now. They have contributed on the power play, they have gotten some assists and at least a couple of goals, but I think we're so used to seeing them be the drivers in a lot of ways. You know that this is if, if all. If you could get all four of those guys going on the power play and then and then, when Jarvis is healthy, getting him back in there too on the top unit. Not that I haven't liked Blake, and he did get a goal tonight, but I think that Jarvis will take that spot back. I don't think anyone's expecting otherwise, oh for sure. So if you could get Ajo and Svechnikov going both at 5-5 and fully the way we see them on the power play, I think that that power play could be absolutely lethal. For sure there's room to grow.
Speaker 1:Well, the one thing I'm glad you brought this up because you kind of preempted where I was going to go next. I mean everything is going great for the hurricanes. I mean the numbers are tremendous, but is there anything that's kind of disappointing at this stage and I think you might have hit on it quite nicely? And to me it's that top line right now, in particular Aho and Sveshnikov. We talked a little bit about them in previous episodes and you know, it just doesn't seem like they're getting it together yet.
Speaker 2:I would agree with that. I think that there's oh sorry.
Speaker 3:Go ahead, katie, I was just going to quickly say I just Part of me wonders how much of it is the two of them not fitting together, how much of it is deployment? Because I do know that Ajo is Rod's second most trusted center defensively behind stall, and so if he doesn't get the matchup he wants with stall, he'll put aho's line out there. But aho's line has been on the ice for a lot of chances against, and so that suggests to me either they're not as defensively strong as they normally are, which I don't believe at all, or that they're out there against other teams top lines, and so if that's the case, it seems like their mandate that they are getting from the coach is defense first and then whatever offense comes great where if that's your top line, you know you're kind of stunting their ability to do what they need to do if you are using them in a defense first posture rather than an offense first posture.
Speaker 2:You know, you just made me think of something that I hadn't thought of, and I think that the truth is that Robert Amar really wants all four lines to play defense first, regardless of who their matchups are. In the case of, I think the fourth line has been getting the most extended forechecking shifts over these last few games. I mean, whether or not they actually produce anything. Where they get the, they do the Rod Brindamore forecheck. They get that puck in deep, they battle for it along the walls, they cycle it around to the defenseman and back and forth, and it looks like Hurricanes hockey, right, you know, we haven't seen as many shifts like that from either Ajo's line or KK's line in the recent games, in recent games.
Speaker 2:But what's different between Ajo's line and KK's line right now is, it seems to me like that second line and this is probably I mean it's 100% due to Nagus, but it's specifically due to his speed and also the speed that Robinson's able to produce they're able to get in quickly, wreak some havoc and score a goal. And that's what we're not seeing from the top line, because if they're going to be spending a lot of their time defending, even if they're in the offensive zone, but if they have to have that one eye over their shoulder for a breakout and they're not able to be doing the four check-in cycle the way that they would probably prefer to, maybe it's the inability to take advantage of those quick opportunities that's making them seem less effective. What do you guys think?
Speaker 1:Well, I think that's very possible, and I think there's some other things, though, and I think, katie, you're onto something for sure They've been playing a lot of road games, so they couldn't necessarily get the matchups they wanted, and of course that puts more pressure on Ajo defensively. But on the other side, I think that we're just not seeing the plays where they're coming together as a line. A lot of the play is disjointed, and I keep saying the same thing about Sveshnikov. He did score a goal, that's great, but generally he's been ineffective, and you know, again, he has to be driving play along with Ajo for them to get the opportunities, so we don't see them creating a lot of opportunities that are grade A.
Speaker 1:That's the thing that I'm missing right now with that line, and you know we talked a lot about Rostovic. He did a great job of, you know, picking up those opportunities and scoring on them, and that was unbelievable. But now he's cooled off quite a bit, and so the line itself is a little bit. You know, they're not quite as effective Defensively. Yeah, rostovic is okay. Svec, sometimes he seems like he's falling down and doing other stuff quite a bit of the time these days, losing his stick or who knows what. So, again, I just think that the line hasn't really got its mojo, despite the fact they've scored some goals and so on. I just don't see them as a constant threat and you don't see them as part of a five-man kind of you know offense going in, which is something you know, you hear a lot about on other teams, where they say, hey, the five-man thing is really working. These two defensemen, those three forwards, it's incredible. I don't see much of that with the Ajo line, for sure.
Speaker 3:Maybe I'm wrong, but I certainly think there's some challenges there.
Speaker 3:When the line was working, it was either Ajo and Rostovic working together or Rostovic and Svechnikov working together. There really hasn't been a whole lot of times when it's been aho and svech um finding that that mojo, that chemistry together, and that's been a question that's gone back other seasons too. I remember seeing those comments um on x last season, for sure a lot, and even before it was even mentioned that that was the case before. So I just wonder at some point if they need just I don't know a breather, separate them for a couple of games and put them back together and see if that little bit of time off kind of gives them a reset, I suppose, and lets them find find what they need to do, find their decide what their identity is separately, so that then they can work together to build an identity together, because we need them to be a good top line. If it's just KK and Natchez and Robinson that are producing, then eventually the Canes are going to be a one trick pony and the good teams will start picking them apart.
Speaker 2:And teams, the good teams will start picking them apart. Well that's, we even saw a not so good team doing that in Utah. When, when, the when. I think that the HCs, the Utah HCs, figured out right away that that was the line they needed to shut down and exploit defensively, and that's what they did in the third period, you know, and within minutes that game went from something that was still on the table to completely out of reach, and it was really unfortunate. But we don't, you know, that's, that's a team that you wouldn't expect necessarily to have the ability and granted that, there were other situations going on with that. But top teams doing that, top teams doing that to any of the four lines, but especially right now to the at the, at whatever line they just is playing on, is it's going to be a big impact. So, katie, if you think that we should split up Svechnikov and Ajo for a little while and you don't want to break up the second line at all, are you actually calling for first line Martinuk?
Speaker 3:I'm a little bit more interested in first line blake and then working from there sure, I think because he is willing to do anything, and so if and I think he has a little bit more, a little bit more skill than martin nook does, despite, I know martin nook has scored five goals, or six goals in the past hand- six in the last seven games, yes, um, but I, I just blake would be the one that I would put up there.
Speaker 3:I think he just has the the positive puppy dog wagging tail, like I said, put me in coach sort of attitude and he would just get up there and move things around and you can put Svetch down with Stahl, because he's played with Stahl before, and then move Carrier back down to that fourth line, and I think that would be, you would have two righties on the top line, though I mean I know Russell can probably move over, but yeah, I think you could make that work.
Speaker 2:Actually you'd have three.
Speaker 3:Especially if it's just for a couple games, especially if it's just for a couple games. Let them reset, let them get some time apart, let them work with other line mates and that sort of thing, and then reunite them and see how it goes. If Blake's really really successful up there on that first line, then you could move Russell, since he's gone cold. I mean, there are options, there are opportunities, but definitely cannot separate that second line. Do not want to interfere with that chemistry whatsoever. Agreed, what about you, erin? What would you?
Speaker 2:do.
Speaker 2:Well, I honestly think that if it came down to not what I would do but what I think Rod would do, I think he would do first line Martinuk, and I think that that would be the idea, because it's done, it's happened before to pull Ajo out of a slump.
Speaker 2:It's, it's happened before. That's that that has been something that he has done to, you know, and and I think that the reasoning behind it isn't so much that the line needs energy or you know, I mean I agree that Blakeake would bring that, but I think it's more because it would give aho a break from those heavy defensive responsibilities to have someone of martin excalibur handling some of that for him, and then that would free him up to to play more on the offensive end of things and get more going. So I could see that happening very temporarily. I I wouldn't say that it would be a solution, but it's, I think, thinking the way that the coach thinks it's probably something he's already been thinking about. I wouldn't say that it would be a solution, but I think, thinking the way that the coach thinks it's probably something he's already been thinking about, I wouldn't be surprised.
Speaker 1:Well, something else, and we've thrown it around a little bit and it's been kind of running through my mind this weekend. You know, ajo obviously was very close with Tara Vining. Those guys, I mean, they were magic for years, and so Turbo's gone and he also, of course, had Father Finn around as well. So the Finnish connection has really been diminished and I think for him it's a big difference, it's a big change, and you know that could be part of this too. Maybe he's trying to kind of establish his new kind of circle, if you will. And there's no question he's missing Terabine, and I don't think there's any doubt about that.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so he's got to find his way. He's got to get whoever it is that becomes his go-to. That hasn't happened yet. The good news is the Canes haven't needed that to happen, which is kind of amazing, and so, you know, I just want to throw that out there as something else that's been kind of. I've just been pondering that a little bit because you know it is a big change for him too.
Speaker 2:One thing that was said on the broadcast tonight that made me pay attention is that among the, you know, the scouts come to games all the time and among the scouts that were at the game tonight were scouts for the Finnish national team for the Four Nations tournament. Right, I heard that, and we know that Aho is already the captain of that Finnish team, he doesn't have to worry about it. So obviously they were there taking a look at Kokuniemi. But I wondered.
Speaker 2:It made me think there's an awful lot of pressure involved in captaining your national team in a tournament of any kind, and I started thinking that maybe some of this, what we're seeing from Ajo especially when he does things like making a pass to nowhere that's so uncharacteristic of him. We saw that from other players when they've been in a situation where they were dealing with some external pressure, whether it's a family member or something else. You know that you kind of start seeing those kind of mental mistakes when someone is dealing with something off ice. That's creating pressure, and I started thinking that perhaps this is weighing on him a little bit more than any of us thinks about, because to us it's just a fun thing that's going to happen in the middle of the hockey season, you know.
Speaker 2:But well, this, this particular tournament, is getting a lot of uh attention, for sure and yeah, it's going to be incredible it's going to be a big tournament and it's also, I think, a lot of people are seeing it as a prelude to the next olympics, the next winter olympics yeah, in terms of forming rosters for that, so that's. I mean, you think about someone of Sebastian Ajo's age? He's still quite young to be in a position where he's going to be the one leading this team. I mean, they didn't choose Barkov, they didn't choose. I mean, they chose him. That's a lot, yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:So no, it's a good point. No-transcript. So I think we can agree that the Hurricanes have started the season much better than we might have anticipated. How do we feel about them as a Stanley Cup contender right now?
Speaker 2:The last time I saw MoneyPucks data, the canes and the florida panthers were tied for the same exact percentage chance of winning the cup. And that's crazy, isn't it?
Speaker 1:but is it I?
Speaker 3:mean, I think I think they definitely are in a good position, very, very happy. No one's not even espn is talking anymore about the Canes missing the playoffs. They're a big change in player personnel and that sort of thing. So that's good. At least we finally got rid of that ridiculousness and that particular talking point. And that particular talking point. The question just becomes as the season progresses, what are the small chinks in the armor that the Canes are going to have to try and patch? We did get some very discouraging news as far as Freddy's availability. Definitely not going to happen anytime soon and potentially never again, and that's that is unfortunate because he's been such a big part of this team the last few years. But that is something that they're going to move.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they have to move forward with the mentality of. This is Coach Ekov's net and Spencer Martin is going to back him up, and I think that that is a good, solid duo. But do you need something else there to shore it up? Just in case you know, we escaped any major catastrophes with what happened to Kochekov and the Utah game, but you know you have to hope for the best and plan for the worst. So that might be an area, and then you know, always another. I think the defense is good. I don't see them doing any real adjustments with the defense. They got some plug and play guys in Chicago with push comes to shove.
Speaker 3:So, outside of that, maybe something, maybe something to tinker with the top couple of lines. We definitely don't need another checker grinder, We've got plenty of those. So someone else who can help come in and make the dual scoring threat between the top two lines. So it's not just one line doing all the scoring five on five, but both of them are are firing on all cylinders. But other than some tweaks, I think the Canes are in a really good position and keep the goaltending strong. Let Kochekov prove that he's the man and go from there.
Speaker 2:I think the most serious thing in terms of the goaltending is the fact that Brendamore actually said that surgery is on the table in terms of what Frederick Anderson might need. And whenever you're talking about surgery you're talking about a lengthy recovery time that may or may not go all the way to the end of the season and beyond. That's where I think, within the next two or so weeks maybe two to four weeks probably, as clarity on that comes out they do have options because if I know that there's people go back and forth on the LTIR thing, they would not put Freddie on LTIR for the sake of accruing cap space, because they would rather have that accrual going on all the way up until the trade deadline. But if they have to in order to clear his salary, in order to bring in another goaltender, then I have no question that they would do that. So I mean there's no hesitation on their part to do that as far as what anyone is saying.
Speaker 2:So we just don't know. We don't know right now if this is something where Freddie's going to be fine and he'll be back in a month or two, you know. But we don't want. I think most Canes fans would not like to see a repeat where he comes in very late into the season and plays a few games and then starts the playoffs right off the bat, because that wouldn't be. We don't want to repeat that scenario. So for me, I mean, I think the moment that I felt like the Canes had a chance of making at least a very deep playoff run, if not winning the cup was when Jack Roslevic made the most astonishing back check play in the Ottawa Senators game defensively. If you've got Jack Roslevic made the most astonishing back check play in the Ottawa Senators game defensively, if you've got Jack Roslevic playing defense at that level, we're good.
Speaker 1:He's making their Kool-Aid. Well, you know it's interesting when you think about it, because last year the Canes roster was loaded.
Speaker 1:I mean it was the year that the Canes should have won the Stanley Cup for sure. And going into this year, of course everybody said, oh, forget it. You know, if you look at the left side, the players that are gone and the right side, the players that are in, this team is not going to even compete. But you know, again, the team was crafted very specifically. You know, they brought in players that were going to be very serious Hurricanes players and really determined and hardworking and so on. And you know, I'm starting to really think that's the key here is not necessarily to have a significant number of star players, but to have the right complement. And you know, I've seen some things that really give me an indication that this team is going to go deep.
Speaker 2:It's entirely possible. I mean, we're not quite a quarter of the way into the season. Most people divide the season easily into 20-game segments because it gets crazy to start doing 20 plus, however many, you know. But 20 games is the shorthand for a quarter of the way through. Um, we are at 17 now, I believe. Is that right? Um, so, yeah, so, so a couple.
Speaker 2:By the end of next week we have three more road games coming up. I think that's crazy, you know, when you think about how many times they've played on the road. But by the end of that stretch we really will be at that quarter point and that will be where we start, I think, seeing all of the trends and patterns start to to emerge. And then that's also, I think. I think the game 20 to 40 point of the season is one of my favorites because that's when all of the early stuff starts settling out.
Speaker 2:You know, you have the early noise of teams that are doing just horribly and then they actually start finding their level back up and teams that are doing great maybe level down just a little bit. I don't see the Canes leveling down a whole lot, I don't. I think that I would like to see the leveling up that you're talking about. We definitely don't want to hit game 20 without Ajo having had a 5-on-5 goal. We definitely need that to happen before game 20. I think there's a countdown going on right now. Someone's got that going.
Speaker 3:Isn't it? Impressive that they've managed to do this well, with Offa not having scored.
Speaker 2:It's not just impressive. It's not just impressive, it's reassuring, because what that means is that, as the inevitable cooling effects set in on other lines I mean, we love Jordan Martinuk. He's really not actually Wayne Gretzky, so there's going to be some leveling out in some of those areas. So I think that, as those things come back to normal, that's when, if the Ajo and Svechnikov duo can become a duo and kick in and really start going and making their presence felt every shift on the ice, it's going to be great, because you're not going to see any decrease in what the canes are doing. You might see little dips and switches in terms of which lines are producing what, but there's room to grow. They're doing this well and there's room to grow. I think that's the positive way to look at it.
Speaker 1:I think you're yeah. I think you're onto something on that regard, Erin, and that's that's one of the things that I think a championship team can do is that they have you know they have the ability for different players to step up or different lines to step up at different times, and the other lines aren't going to hurt you.
Speaker 1:They're just not going to be, you know, scoring at the pace they are. So I think there's clearly an opportunity there. And the other thing and you mentioned it, I mean they've been on the road a lot and their home record is 7-1.
Speaker 3:Wow, so you start to give them some home games, game of the season too, yep, yes, and you start to give them more home games.
Speaker 1:You know that Lenovo Center is probably one of the most feared ranks for teams opposing teams to go into now. So the other side of it is that they're going to continue to do quite well, and again I think this is going to be interesting.
Speaker 2:Oh, definitely Okay.
Speaker 1:As we wrap up, any final comments from you Erin. Anything on your side.
Speaker 2:Just that, you know, I think that it's been really fun to see this group come together. You know the offseason was a lot of speculation, a lot of talking about stuff and saying, gosh, you know, is this going to work? How is this going to work, you know, and now that we're seeing it work, we're seeing it come together, it's, it's been fun. It's been fun. They're making it so much fun to watch a Canes game. You know there haven't been many that have not been fun to watch, even when they've lost. There haven't been and they only lost a handful of times, but there haven't been too many games that were just, oh gosh, this is dull, you know it's. It's been exciting hockey. It's been exciting to see the group working together so well and you know I just want to see that keep going all season and I'll just piggyback off of what aaron said.
Speaker 3:I'm just loving the team energy. So not just in the games itself, but in all the other little stuff going around in the storm surges where martin skated across and gave kochekov that big bear hug, they swarmed martin after his shutout and, uh, all the different little energy things that they do with each other you can tell that this is a bonded group and it just makes you feel even better as a fan. You just want to root for these guys even harder than we already were, because they are so bought in and so passionate about not just winning but winning for each other, and that's only going to get stronger as the season goes along. Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Well for sure, and we're going to, we're going to continue to follow the Canes very shortly and, of course, keep all of our supporters up to date on what's happening with the Canes. And as always, ladies, it's been great talking Carolina Hurricanes hockey, and particularly right now when the Canes are playing so well. So it's it's been great talking Carolina Hurricanes hockey, and particularly right now when the Canes are playing so well. So it's great, as usual. For those of you who have been watching or listening. If you like this episode, please press the like button. If you have comments, please leave those down below and the three of us will try to respond to them promptly. And, of course, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of StormTracker, please subscribe and hit the bell and, of course, we'll let you know as soon as those episodes are ready. As always, we appreciate you so much. We thank you for joining us here and we'll get together real soon right here on StormTracker. Thank you.
