Matt Karash: Addressing the elephant and random thoughts heading into Canes opener

Elias Lindholm

Matt,

Nice assessment, and I like your optimism! The diehard in me is optimistic and hoping that we play better than what is being predicted, but the realist in me knows it will be a struggle with how bad the injury bug has bit us. Injuries are a part of the game and so is luck. We've had a bad batch of both over the last few years. I am hoping that we are able to play +/- .500 through December and tread some water in the Metro. If we can hang around the 5/6 spot til then and we get healthy anything goes. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the home opener on Friday!

Speaking of which, if any NC folks have some advice for tailgating at PNC (where/when/etc) I would greatly appreciate it.

I think it's time to put the "Nobody predicted us to win in 05-06" thing to bed.

Crazy new rules, an overhauled roster, a year of development off the books in 05-06, and laziness had people guessing going into that season.

Contrast with this team. It's the same roster. The health of a couple players is a little different, and 2 or 3 prospects might perform better, and a new coach. But there have been no major changes. No reason to expect too much difference.

I don't think they'll be last, because they aren't going to give up enough goals each game. The worst teams almost always are giving up 3 a game. But something really fancy and highly unexpected is going to have to happen for a good end result. Probably multiple highly unexpected things.

Tlusty-Staal-Semin
Gerbe-Rask-Lindholm
Terry-Nash-Brown
Malone-McClement-Dwyer

Faulk-Sekera
Hainsey-Murphy
Liles-Gleason

It's not pretty, but it could be kind of effective, I guess.

Hopefully the young guys can continue developing while getting decent ice time. When's the last time this team iced a handful of young skaters in situations outside of spotty fourth line minutes? They have a great shot to really show what they can do, so I take that as a silver lining.

As for the 05-06 discussion, it is both overused and marginalized. Yes, it gets old when it's used as a mantra (which I am in no way accusing Matt of) year after year, but dismissing it as a whole is equally foolish. I've heard people, primarily fans of other teams (who may or may not be in upstate New York), write it off, and it's insulting. That team nearly finished #1 in the east and won The Cup. To write that off as luck or a fluke denigrates the league as a whole and downplays the accomplishment of winning the Stanley Cup. I agree, the circumstances around this years team are very different, and player personnel hasn't changed significantly. What I have seen is a coach who has a fresh approach who can hopefully keep this group motivated. Though the win-loss in the preseason was awful, the power play showed more like than in recent memory, which is a huge plus.

All that said, I have very tempered expectations this season. Injuries have again shown up, but I am trying to look for whatever positives I can find. It's either that or develop an ulcer...

Hopefully the young guys can continue developing while getting decent ice time. When's the last time this team iced a handful of young skaters in situations outside of spotty fourth line minutes? They have a great shot to really show what they can do, so I take that as a silver lining.

As for the 05-06 discussion, it is both overused and marginalized. Yes, it gets old when it's used as a mantra (which I am in no way accusing Matt of) year after year, but dismissing it as a whole is equally foolish. I've heard people, primarily fans of other teams (who may or may not be in upstate New York), write it off, and it's insulting. That team nearly finished #1 in the east and won The Cup. To write that off as luck or a fluke denigrates the league as a whole and downplays the accomplishment of winning the Stanley Cup. I agree, the circumstances around this years team are very different, and player personnel hasn't changed significantly. What I have seen is a coach who has a fresh approach who can hopefully keep this group motivated. Though the win-loss in the preseason was awful, the power play showed more like than in recent memory, which is a huge plus.

All that said, I have very tempered expectations this season. Injuries have again shown up, but I am trying to look for whatever positives I can find. It's either that or develop an ulcer...
- I_Am_Jebus

Victor Rask is going to be an absolute revelation. For all of the promising youngster we kept hearing about recently that never really panned out (Boychuk, Dalpe, Bowman, Welsh, etc.) Rask is going to be a breath of fresh air.

He's a very smart, very quiet player. He can go an entire game where you never really notice him, but by the time the game ends he'll have two or three points. Does so many of the little things correct and effortless.

I like Matt's optimism and I like the new style of play with less dump and chase. My understanding and what I witnessed in the preseason was a commitment to puck possession and knowing who you are passing to rather than getting rid of it into a corner when you are pressured. It's much more fun to watch but I don't know that the Canes have the talent to win a lot of games with the current roster. I'll still watch and go to a half dozen games or so but I'm not real optimistic.