New additions shine in Carolina Hurricanes’ season-opening win
Some really good hockey was played last night. Yeah, it was by the Carolina Hurricanes. Canes beat the Devils 63. Uh without overreacting too much, I do think there are some observations we can make about the way that this roster is uh kind of put together and and how it could break down if things go well throughout the year. Uh Dennis brought it up earlier. Uh the speed popped. Yeah, the speed popped. And and one thing that stood out to me was they’ve always had a handful of fast guys. Sure. Right. They’ve always had a handful of really crafty skaters. It seemed like last night there wasn’t a point in time where they didn’t have four or sometimes five really good skaters, guys that were a threat to score, guys that were a threat to uh possess a puck and transition to the offensive end. There there really wasn’t anybody that you wouldn’t think, all right, you better get somebody on him if if they were in space. And and that to me is the mark of a really good roster, right? Throughout the lineup. Yeah. Their fourth line at times was their their best line. They were uh when you it was Koki Hall and on the other side now, of course. Oh, yeah. Of course, Eric Robinson scored the late goal. Um and their third pairing with with Alexander, Nikian, and Ghost was it on defense was at times their their most effective defensive pairing, especially when you consider transitioning to to offense. Hard to be better than a a slave pairing when it comes to you takeaways and things like that. Um, but like Nikesian is one of those guys who uh there’s still some some kinks to iron out, don’t get me wrong, right? Some some wrinkles that he’ll have to get used to and he’ll get better, but then every once in a while he makes a move or he he takes a shot and you’re like, goodness, he’s not going to be able to be left alone. Like there’s there’s no breather for the team they’re playing against. He he factored in on that game when he goal by Seth Jarvis. He helped jump up in the play, help, you know, keep the puck in the zone, gloved it down to himself and everything. and then puck worked around before you know it’s ghost to to Aaho to Jarvis. But he factored in that play which is significant to see a guy with so few games in the NHL being on the ice late in a game in that kind of situation when there’s under three minutes left. That’s big for a young man like that. and even more directly contributed to their first goal with a really got the uh the secondary assist and also uh really wellplaced pass to Ghost with which led to the the tip in the deflection by Taylor Hall. So, he’s just one example of a guy who, you know, how many minutes he ends up playing, I’m not sure. But when he has the puck, you cannot take a breath. You cannot take a breather. And there’s really no breather up and down the Kane’s lineup the way it was situated uh last night. And then here’s the other thing. Uh and this is why I’m trying not to overreact to one game. Um hockey is it can get a little fluky, right? Oh, for sure. They they I think I saw from Walt Ruff, Kane’s team reporter, unofficially the Canes rang the post seven times. Seven? Yeah. Seven times. And at times it felt like they had done it seven times in the 3 minutes prior to when it happened. Uh which, you know, if we’re being real, those go those are kind of at least a couple earned goals, right? They were worthy of goals. You just, you know, millimeters was the difference. Uh so perhaps they could have won this game a little bit more comfortably and not needed that late flurry. But then you think back to maybe the the Miller goals and you’re thinking those are maybe the not the the you know little softies if you will maybe not the most earned goals and you’re going all right well if you’re going to give two that were earned you might have to take one away and and and you get to that game. So the maybe the best way to think of it is just wait till we have a bigger sample size. Yeah. Right. I I don’t think if Sebastian gets the looks that he got last night in many games this year he’s going to finish without a goal scored. Yeah. Yeah, the one he rang off the post on the short-handed attempt was just he I mean he beat Mark clean and there were a few where he was uh passed the puck in a position where I was thinking like oh he’s going to he’s going to net this and and for whatever reason didn’t hit it clean uh I think one time kind of whiffed a little bit there’s there’s you know it was first game for everybody but you know Spashahu gets those opportunities he’s leaving with a goal or two most nights so you know there’s there’s still things to improve on there’s still things that you may have gotten a little lucky and and I think we Wait till you know you get a a larger sample size to see what’s real. He still had a couple points. Yeah. Oh, no. He didn’t have game at all. He still had a couple points. He’s He’s still Sebastian Aaho. Let’s not get crazy. I I will say speaking of Aaho and that line with Eers and Jarvis though. You could see a the skill, b the speed, but also you can see how these guys are thinking one, two, three steps ahead. And I think that’s something that they’re still trying to figure out with each other is that there among the forwards, Eers is the only new guy. So he has to figure out how a the team plays, but also specifically how Jarvis and Aaho play. And the same thing with Jarvis and Aaho, they have to figure out how Eers plays. But you can kind of tell as the game went along, they were creating chances. I mean, Eers did, even though he didn’t get a secondary assist, still factored in on that game-winning goal as well by Seth Jarvis. they were constantly creating chances with each other and it’s like man they still combined for four points and it’s like they they weren’t even close to fully clicking and I agree with that as well. I also think you brought it you said it correctly which is they’re thinking two and three steps ahead. Yeah. Eventually they’re not going to have to think about it, right? Eventually it’s just going to they’re just going to know and it’s going to be instinct and and they’re they’re still thinking it through because that’s what happens when you’re you’re with a new linemate. Do you know what’s the craziest stat? because there’s a lot of, you know, in any given game, you can go pick and and choose little stats. This one really surprised me. Okay. Uh Nikolai Eers played 19 minutes and 35 seconds last night. Yeah. Do you know what his regular season high was last year? 1941. Yeah. So already you you can that was like the high water mark of his whole season. Not like last year’s opener. Uh he played I think 20some in in the postseason once or twice. Um, but in during the regular season, his his high was 1941. And I think just that right there, uh, cuz I, you know, you don’t want to play a guy his like alltime over Lee Max in game one of a season. Uh, he’s going to play more minutes. You can expect more production than what he’s put on the ice in the past with the same efficiency, just projecting it over a few more minutes a game. and and you know that 60 whatever points can turn into 75 pretty quickly just off of you know not playing any better and and not you know assuming that Aaho and Jarvis don’t give him any more uh opportunities just the exact same amount he’ll he’ll be a more effective player. I I know there was one play last night that that I know you loved cuz you and I were sitting up next to each other on press row was there was a moment late in a shift for Eers and it was basically him like oneon- two one on three and he tried to make a move. He’s like, “You know what? Everyone else is changing. I’m going to try and make something happen.” You were like, “Ooh, I like that.” I I really liked it. And the speed. Yeah. I mean, it it was the reason why he could even entertain the thought of making a move there is because he had the confidence of, “Oh, this guy can’t keep up with me.” And and that’s such a baller thought, right? Like, as somebody that was never the fastest guy in in in any sport, it is it’s got to be such an empowering feeling to just be like, “Oh, we’re even. Oh, this is a win for me. I’m going to get the corner. And you could see he has that instinct which is which is quite frankly why he was brought in to the Carolina Hurricanes. Uh and a 6-3 win. I loved how Keandre Miller and Jaylen Chapfield look together. You can tell right away. It’s like these guys haven’t played a single game together or it just took a couple of shifts and you’re like, “Yeah, this this duo right here was probably their best defensive pair of the entire night.” Obviously, uh, you know, the night you score two goals and it’s your debut and and everything’s breaking your way. Yeah. Uh, you know, you’re going to be everybody’s best friend, but even taking that away, Keandre Miller fit in. You you can tell very like, you know, he’s a guy that could sit on the bench next to anybody, you know what I mean? Just kind of Mr. Congeniality and then he scored twice, which obviously helps. But, uh, you know, both he and Eers, you know, I I I say it a lot, but they’re Canes. like, you know, they they may have been playing for other teams, but they’ve been Canes. Uh, and and his wingspan stood out. There’s there’s a lot to like about the new guys and obviously a lot lot to like about the the guys returning as well. And at some point today, we will talk about the goalies because, uh, you have to. Um, but we won’t overreact to that either, right? The good news is we’re being accountable. We’re not overreacting positively. So that that enables us and and allows us to not overreact negatively.
Tim Donnelly & Dennis Cox recap the Carolina Hurricanes’ 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils in the season opener. With a few new additions and upgrades to the lineup, who made the biggest impact? What is the ceiling for this team as the season goes on?
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1 comment
Canes passing and puck awareness were better last night than I’ve seen in a while.