What's Preventing The Hurricanes From Taking That Next Step?

[DitchMarner]

I'm not saying they're definitely finished this year, but they're obviously in very big trouble.

Looking back, this team seems to have a hard time in the playoffs against other strong teams. This year they're down 3-0 to the Rangers. The Rangers also beat them in 2022, though that was a seven game series. FLA swept them last year. Tampa beat them in five en route to a second straight Cup. When Bergeron and Krejci were still around, the Bruins beat them quickly in 2019 and 2020.

The team looks very good and well-rounded on paper and is consistently good in terms of things like possession and shot differential. What's keeping the Hurricanes from reaching the next level?

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[ViD]

They run into better teams, plain and simple

 

[Captain Monglobster]

Im no analyst but Im pretty sure its the Rangers preventing them from taking any steps at all.

 

[Profet]

Rod Brind'Amour.

The answer is Rod Brind'Amour.

 

[Kranix]

They don't have elite scoring. And not enough jam and mustard. and pepper.

 

[FinlandPanther]

Can’t score. They don’t have an elite talent who drags them into the game on forward.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Rod Brind'Amour.

The answer is Rod Brind'Amour.

Do you think the team as currently constructed would beat the Rangers this year with a different coach?

 

[Profet]

Do you think the team as currently constructed would beat the Rangers this year with a different coach?

Who knows?

Canes PP is minus on the series. That's strategy/coaching.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Do you think the team as currently constructed would beat the Rangers this year with a different coach?

I mean, according to many Canes fans the Rangers were going to get waxed by this team. So I guess the answer is... yes?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

they're ugly and smell bad

 

[tucker3434]

Shesterkin?

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I mean, according to many Canes fans the Rangers were going to get waxed by this team. So I guess the answer is... yes?

You really think so? I don’t.

 

[Levitate]

I mean...I think it's the "shoot everywhere and often" strategy and thinking that because they can control the puck in the ozone and wrack up a ton of low percentage shots that they're "winning" at 5v5. Yes they get goals that way...both goals tonight came from that. But when it gets tight they don't seem to get enough scoring in other ways and we're seeing how the over reliance on shot attempts is obscuring some of the actual talent they have. The Aho and Guentzel line is deadly. They could be setting up high percentage scoring plays more often. Necas is a strong player, Svech can snipe it, Jarvis is an excellent player...but IMO those guys just don't get enough good looks and you're wasting your best players on netfront scrambles and deflections.

You just gotta have a bit more to your game IMO. Even when talking about "what's wrong with the power play" Rod was saying "we need more shots and to take away Shesterkin's eyes" which to me means their gameplan is still screen and blast the puck, not create high percentage passing plays.

And a bit of bad luck overall as well, but when you kinda lean so heavily on creating favorable conditions for "puck luck" then you're at the mercy of bad luck as well.

They'll say "but we controlled 5v5 and should have won that game" but then I'd say, why didn't you? Why didn't you win the other games?

Rangers don't have the horses and style to constantly shut down the Canes offense so they're doing their best bend don't break job and capitalizing on their chances.

e: "playoff hockey" and "playoff goals" aren't just deflections and netfront scrambles anymore. Anyone thinking that's the only way to get playoff goals is stuck in the past and needs to realize you have to have some amount of balanced attack. Score off the rush, score from deflections, net scrambles, score from skilled setup passing plays and snipes. You gotta do it all, and Canes focus too much on one aspect.

 

[Grifter3511]

Lack of top end talent.

 

[Lindys Lazy Eye]

Don Waddell being a cheap f***

 

[Gardner McKay]

You really think so? I don’t.

Kind of. All they do is spam shots. It works sometimes, except for when it doesn't. It isn't a strategy that will get you through four rounds of the playoffs. They don't have a net front presence. The Canes were physical yes, but I didn't see much sacrifice to make the big plays.

I don't know if that is a coach thing or a lack of experience thing. The Rangers talked about how important and vocal Jonathan Quick was in between overtimes in the last game.

There is no denying the skill of the Canes. But they are clearly missing something. Idk if it is a coaching issue or a heart/grit issue. It is something.

The series is still not over, but if they do lose, you have to do some serious soul searching. The way the Rangers did after getting waxed by the Devils last year.

 

[HockeyVirus]

They need Mitch Marner

 

[BPD]

Lack of top end talent.

They don't lack for top end talent. They lack for guys who actually shoot the puck.

Aho, Necas, Svechnikov, Guentzel - I swear, I'm mesmerized by their possession skills and their playmaking skills, but aside from Guentzel, none of them actually want to score goals. They want to forecheck, to skate fast, to pass, to "cause chaos" and "play Canes hockey".

No finishers. Nobody with that killer instinct. Very, very Vigneault Rangers.

 

[HFBS]

Being it's a half hour after the game. I imagine they have their skates off by now.

 

[McDrailers]

Continually bringing back Freddie Anderson and starting him when clearly he’s not the guy is an interesting choice.

Then again so is continually believe Kotkenemi is magically going to become a 2C

 

[Levitate]

They don't lack for top end talent. They lack for guys who actually shoot the puck

lmao

I mean, I think I get what you're saying, but for a team that almost put up back to back 50 shot games it's funny for you to say that

.

Aho, Necas, Svechnikov, Guentzel - I swear, I'm mesmerized by their possession skills and their playmaking skills, but aside from Guentzel, none of them actually want to score goals. They want to forecheck, to skate fast, to pass, to "cause chaos" and "play Canes hockey".

No finishers. Nobody with that killer instinct. Very, very Vigneault Rangers.

That's kinda what I mean though. Guys aren't getting really good quality shots that they have the talent for. They're content to let the D blast it or take longer range shots at the net and hope something happens.

Vigneault's Rangers at least started out by being more of a transition team and were deadly off the rush. Carolina doesn't have that.

 

[thekernel]

They don't have elite scoring. And not enough jam and mustard. and pepper.

Worst sandwich ever.

I do have to agree with the elite scoring observation. When's the last time somebody cracked 90 points on their team? Aho was pretty close this year but still

 

[FoxyClean]

They are a slightly above average team, performing generally very highly above expectations, thanks to a great coach. After this sweep they’ll fire RBA, and possibly even miss the playoffs next year.

 

[Grifter3511]

They don't lack for top end talent. They lack for guys who actually shoot the puck.

Aho, Necas, Svechnikov, Guentzel - I swear, I'm mesmerized by their possession skills and their playmaking skills, but aside from Guentzel, none of them actually want to score goals. They want to forecheck, to skate fast, to pass, to "cause chaos" and "play Canes hockey".

No finishers. Nobody with that killer instinct. Very, very Vigneault Rangers.

Those are all tier 2 top end guys. Other than Aho theyre all complinentary players. Where's the 50 goal scorer? Where's the 100 pt playmaker?

Every single team remaining outside of Boston has 2-3 guys more productive and effective than Carolina.

It's fitting that you compared them to AV Rangers. There was ZERO top end talent on that Rangers team outside of their goaltender.

 

[Zarzh]

They don't have much talent, which has only gotten worse as the years have gone by. They rely on their defense for offense too much in the regular season which means they have exploitable players in the playoffs.