There should be no panic about the Carolina Hurricanes

There should be no panic about the Carolina Hurricanes

There is a obvious in my interaction with Kane’s fans online, in person, across the the whatever group chats. Um there’s an obvious I would say tense nature. There’s there’s a palpable bit of intensity in the air uh regarding uh for different reasons and I would say for wildly different uh like levels of justification. what is actually uh like okay that’s reasonable and that’s unreasonable. Um three different players that have yet to score a goal. But but I also want to want to emphasize this. The Canes are averaging five goals a game. Okay? They are not hurting for goals, which makes it so uh you feel and and I and I I sense this as well, a little ridiculous complaining about any type of goal scoring when your team is 3 and 0, they’re averaging five goals a game and and and you still can’t get that pit out of your stomach. So, I’m I’m going to let you know that, you know, I’m I’m going to go like full uh like this is a safe space. You are entitled to your emotions. I’m going to list three players that have yet to score a goal for the Carolina Hurricanes. Nikolai Eers, Sebastian Aaho, Andre Fetchnikov. And the reason why I bring those three up and say, you know, oh, why don’t you add in Martin Nook or why aren’t you talking about uh coin Emmy even though he was a healthy scratch last night? Um the reason for those three are uh I interact with everybody right we do first goal scorer predictions and yesterday I sensed it even before the game and and what I sensed was uh you don’t want to feel crazy you don’t want to act crazy even when you know you’re being crazy fans are going like listen I I the Eers should be the first goal scorer Nikolai Eers from Aaho first goal scorer and and then the next prediction from a fan. Nikolai Eers from Jarvis, first goal scorer on the power play. And I I got the sense that everybody was going, I wish Nikolai Eers would just score so I wouldn’t have this feeling in my stomach that I’m going like, why isn’t he scoring? Does it is it not working? Does he not fit in? Is he is it not going to work? He’s the big free agency signing. He was the highest paid guy in free agency. He’s the big uh apple of our eye. Why Why isn’t he scoring? Why isn’t he scoring? even though, you know, it’s three games, he’s skating with people he’s not used to skating with, and he’s getting good shots, right? He’s he he’s he’s not necessarily completely lost out there. He doesn’t look disengaged, but but there’s still that need. Just want you want to break the seal. Listen, those three guys, I think there’s differing levels of of uh justification. Uh, Aaho, I would say like, you know, AO hasn’t scored a goal. Gotcha. Here it level of panic out of out of 10 minus a thousand. He has four assists. He’s he’s well over a point per game through three. And the team isn’t in need of goal scoring right now. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Aaho, and it’s why I scream that I want angry Aaho. Uh, I want Sebastian AO to be a bit more selfish. I talk about that avocado selfishness, right? the stuff. Selfishness is usually bad, but a little bit of it is good. Like fats are usually bad, but that avocado fats, for some reason, it’s good. The reason why I want the Sebasto avocado selfishness is because so often you get to overtime or you get to a tie game late and and he’s the one scoring. And I’m going like, okay, you’re you’re when it’s needed, you turn it on, right? It hasn’t been needed, right? And obviously they needed an overtime goal and he’s the one that assisted to to Jarvis and they got the overtime goal. So I’m giving him credit for that. Uh AO zero panic less than zero. Eers I don’t know. Neutral, right? If if you want to if you want to hold your breath until he scores his first goal, it’s it’s because it’s new, right? It’s because it’s new. It’s no different than you got a new shirt and you love it and you’re wearing it around and you just want somebody to say, “Hey, nice shirt.” doesn’t actually mean you look better in it, but it just makes you feel better. You the Canes brought in Nikolai Eers that that you know supposed elusive final piece of that top top uh line. You you you wanted it. You got it. You just want it to work. You want it to be awesome. It’s I’m trying to think of another example. It’s like getting a new umbrella and then you go on like a drought. You’re not mad that it’s not raining, but you kind of want to use the umbrella, right? It’s it’s it’s like you’re not mad that the team isn’t scoring, but you kind of want to see Eer score. You’re you’re still happy. He’s still working. You’re still undefeated, but you kind of want to see Eer score. And then I I would I would throw Fetch, you know, you’re like a three out of 10. And not because of the three games here because postseason fetch was great, but last season we were already building up some concerns with how effective or ineffective he had been. So, so now starting off this year the way he has and there was some line shuffling uh yesterday where where he and he and uh Taylor Hall flipped there there’s there’s so like even within a game that you felt like you were in pretty good control of Rod is feeling a little bit of like hey something needs to shake up here right let’s let’s nothing good nothing bad let’s just shake it up let’s switch it up that is a little bit of confirmation that that it’s like oh we’re getting less last year’s regular season’s fetch rather than last year’s postseason’s fetch. Right? So, the reason why I brought up all three and the reason why I I pointed out that there’s different levels of justification is through three games, there’s a million different things going on, right? And and it could just be the way the games broke, could just be the way the cookie crumbled. You have to look at every game, every situation as if it’s uh its own beast, right? AO has four points. He doesn’t have a goal. He will. Eers has a a handful of good shots and a handful of opportunities where if he were a half step earlier, half step later, he would have had a really good shot. or if the the person he passed it to was a half step earlier or half step later. Uh maybe they score and he gets the assist or they they get it back to him a little give and go and it’s it’s those things are going to happen. Um the spin zone if I were trying to talk any of you out of your panic is that three of your top scorers definitely two of your top scorers haven’t scored a goal yet and you’re scoring a lot of goals. Yeah, that’s like I said, five goals a game. That’s fantastic. That’s awesome. That’s the best case scenario. You’re winning games and there’s an obvious super likely thing to happen, which is those three guys are going to start finding the back of the net in some form or fashion. It it it can get better from here. And yeah, you know, I don’t know if you should bank on like Walker and Kerier suddenly being, you know, every couple of games they’re going to find the back of the net. But if they want to and if and if those lines are working and if those opportunities arise, that’s fine. Winning is is obviously the most important. I do think Aaho looks around and he kind of figures out what the game needs and does that and and he’s looked around the past few and gone, “Oh, man, we’re scoring. All right, that’s I don’t need to be selfish here. I’m just going to keep setting everybody up.” I think he’s still working with Eers. I I last point I’ll make is this. They’re all meaning the the top line uh Aaho, Jarvis, Eers, super high hockey IQ, right? Super high vision. I don’t think it’s a surprise that the Jarvis three goals have all come late in games and in overtime. Mhm. Because I do think there is a early in-game urgency by Aaho to figure it out with Eers. So there’s a lot of attention going over there. Let’s see where he likes it. A lot of observation. And then once the game like, oh, the cards are down, it’s time to go do something. He he was like, I’m going to work with Jarvis over here where I know we’re pretty darn good. And they scored. I I I’m more optimistic now than I was at the beginning of the year. And I think if you would have asked me three games ago before the opener, if if Aaho and Eers don’t score at all in the first three, are you going to be more confident? I would have said probably not. I would have said I’d be I’d be, you know, indifferent hopefully, right? I wouldn’t be panicking, but I’m more confident now than I was at the beginning of the year. Well, you and I talked about it before game one. We were sitting outside Lenovo Center praising about how this team has a bunch of depth. They have depth throughout their lineup. We talked about how with with the the quote unquote fourth line that features Eric Robinson and Taylor Hall. I remember saying it, that line should cook. And guess what? They’re scoring a whole bunch. You shouldn’t be upset that the the whole lineup is contributing in some way, shape, or form. And also, Tim Playoffs start in six months. Correct. Six months. Yes. Six months to figure this out. Six months to figure it out. Six months. And And let me think of the best way to put this. Uh you don’t even you obviously you want to observe. You don’t even want to start trying to figure it out yet. Yeah. Like right now you’re just learning, right? It’s all it’s it’s every season is its own new beast. And I I I use this example all the time when like a new boss takes over a business and they come in and go, “Not making any changes for the first six months. I just want to see how you guys operate. I want to see the day-to-day. Like I’m not I’m not going to come in and fire anybody or restructure anything. I’m just I’m just trying to get to know the business.” To me, that’s like the first month of the season for the Canes before you start making any, you know, you can shuffle, you know, for the second half of a game, Taylor Hall and Fetch and flip them or whatever, but to me, you’re not even, you’re not even really trying to make changes or anything. You’re just learning. I’m just here observing. I’ll be in the corner with a notebook. Don’t mind me. Of course, everybody’s on their best behavior cuz the new boss is watching, but they’re trying to get you to just No, just go in the day today. That’s where I’m at with the Canes. And if on along the way you want to win like 80% of your games, then even better. The more the marrier, right? Go ahead. Keep it rolling. Uh yeah, you’re right. Eers hasn’t scored, but Hall, Robinson, and Miller each have two. Gospir scored. Blake scored. Stanovven scored. Kerier scored. Walker scored. Stall scored. Like you’re doing okay. And they a bunch of them have multiple points, too. And you tell an assist.

Tim Donnelly & Dennis Cox discuss how the Carolina Hurricanes are getting contributions throughout the lineup, but how Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Andrei Svechnikov have combined for zero goals through three games.

Find us anywhere!

The Fan App for iPhones: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/99-9-the-fan/id6749218703
The Fan App for Androids: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bal.thefan&pcampaignid=web_share&pli=1
Website: https://www.999thefan.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/999thefan
X (Formerly Twitter): https://x.com/999TheFan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@999thefan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/999thefan/
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/99.9TheFan

This podcast is presented by Hempie’s North Carolina’s premium hemp dispensary. Order online at https://www.hempies.co

#hurricanes #nhl #hockey #prohockey #professionalhockey #canes #carolinahurricanes #carolina #kochetkov #andreisvechnikov #sebastianaho #jaccobslavin #stefannoesen #teuvoteravainen #pyotrkochetkov #JalenChatfield #MartinNecas #Marty #TonyDeAngelo #AnttiRaanta #JackDrury #JordanStaal #JordanMartinook #BradySkjei #JakeGuentzel #Guentzel #Kuznetsov #EvgenyKuznetsov #letsgocanes #causechaos #nhlplayoffs #stanleycup #stanleycupplayoffs #sports #999thefan #takewarning #raiseup #BrindAmour #stanleycup #stanleycupplayoffs #causechaos