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What a difference a year makes |
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So after a bit of a stumble to gain their footing at the start, the Canes reeled off 3 pretty impressive road wins outscoring the 3 opponents by about 10 goals. Here we are in 07-08. Right? Actually I was talking about 06-07 when the Canes started slow but seemed to right the ship with 3 impressive road wins. We all know how that one ended. There were 3-game stretches of good here and there but when you look at it from 20,000 feet the season was a constant struggle and battle to gain some kind of momentum. The battle was ultimately lost.
Is my point that we should not be encouraged by the current state of the Hurricanes? Not at all. So far, so good. The point is one of perspective. In a parity-filled NHL, the season is a long one that will see some downs to go with the current ups. In the parity-filled NHL, momentum is often fleeting and difficult to maintain for any period of time. I actually dreaded the 5 days off for a team that ideally needed about 2. The extra days will be good for the guys who are banged up like Commodore, Ladd and Seidenberg, but the team as a whole would have been better with more chances to rack up points while things are going well.
So is there reason to think that this early season burst will have legs like 05-06 and not 06-07? I think there is:
1) Cam Ward. I regularly commented especially early in 06-07 that Ward "was not the problem" or something along those lines. The bigger problem was a defense full of holes and way too many costly mistakes/turnovers in bad places. But while saying that Ward "was not the problem," I also could not rightfully say that Ward "stole one." Mostly the skaters got what they deserved. On too many nights it was a loss. Occasionally it was a win. Ward did not cost us wins, but he also did not steal many either. Now fastforward to 07-08. I would argue that it is difficult to assess Carolina's defense through 6 games. The win-loss record is encouraging. The goals against is impressive. But Ward has been so good that it is difficult to fairly judge the defense. Minus a few spectacular saves, periods and games here and there, there would be much more notice of the occasional defensive breakdown were it not gobbled up by Ward.
2) 3 lines deep. An early season struggle in 06-07 was finding the deep and balanced scoring 3 lines deep. Walker did start well in 06-07 (possibly our best forward early in the season), but due to injuries he was quickly boosted to the top line to try to get it going. When he left, we struggled mightily to muster anything remotely close to offense from the 3rd line and never recovered there. The lack of scoring depth only magnified the struggles of Staal/Cole and their inconsistency. With Whitney/Cullen reunited, there are nights/times when they create as much offense and defensive matchup problems as the 2 lines listed above them on the pregame graphic.
3) Effort. I would argue that only the Washington game featured the horribly flat start that was all to common in 06-07. Even games that did not go that well early (Montreal on opening night, at Ottawa, etc.), there was not nearly the problem with jump out of the gate. In Coach Laviolette's system that generates offense via energy and pressure, sluggish skates are an automatic recipe for disaster.
I could write my usual pages about individual players like Stillman, Wesley, etc. playing phenomenally, but at the end of the day, I think the difference this year is Cam Ward masking any minor problems combined with better consistent effort and depth that comes in waves that was the trademark of the 05-06 success.
While I am cautiously guarded about reading too much into 6 games, I have hunch that it is here to stay this season. Here is hoping that at least this 1 prediction of mine is right!
If you had to name 1 key difference between our 06-07 start and this season's do you choose 1 of my 3 above? Or what is your write in vote?
Go Canes!
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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