I went to the game Friday but haven't had a chance to post since. Let me just say this, I double-dog dare the Canes to play any worse than they did Friday tonight. I don't think they can. I guess the positive is that they were just stupid-awful and they had a chance to get a point until the final buzzer.
I know the narrative was that it was even after two, then they got tired on a back-to-back and got dominated in the third. But that's an optimistic analysis. They started turning the puck over at the opening faceoff. I counted three d-zone turnovers in the first four minutes. They never got anything going offensively, since they were unable to make a pass. It was literally the worst I've seen them play in person, aside from Cam Ward.
I definitely feel (obviously) that we need to trade a D for a C, but even with the guys we have, there's something clearly wrong. We'll never be confused for a skill team, but right now, the hands on this team are not even AHL level. It's really baffling. Aho, Rask, Faulk, Staal, Teravainen, Ryan, Hanifin, all struggling with hands and confidence. And you know what, Marcus Kruger hasn't done a single thing. He's been basically invisible.
I really hope these guys wake up, because the season is going to start getting away in a ridiculously tough division, and I really don't think a trade is coming to shake anything up.