Most significant for me Saturday was the Canes ability to continue its string of playing hard-working hockey with a high compete level for the duration of another game. Even when the team was winning in 2012-13, it was very often result of big scoring outbursts and less so complete 60-minute efforts. Though the defense was better early in 2013-14, we still saw quite a bit of the same where the team was able to string together a full 60 minutes. There are still issues in the Canes game mostly on the offensive side of the puck, but I would argue that the last 3 games have marked a recent high water mark in terms of showing up with intensity and just being a difficult team to compete against. Pretty much across the board, the Canes players are moving to the puck, taking away time and space and battling like heck for loose ones. Part of it is probably just players finding their game, but I think the 4th line is also a key part. The Bowman/Malhotra/Dvorak line has been very good playing closer to 3rd line minutes with a high compete level. Malhotra's face-off success makes it easier because the team is playing more with the puck rather than chasing it which is easier. And their heavy 4th line minutes are also keeping other line's minutes down and enabling them to play with more energy. Per my season preview comments, it is the combination of consistent effort level and a sound defense that is key to grinding out points during difficult stretches of hockey where things are not clicking. I think that is a decent summary of the Canes 2013-14 season thus far. The team is still waiting for its top scorers to score (did get a goal from Tlusty/EStaal/Semin Sunday which was good to see) and has had injury issues, but it continues to tread water hopefully buying time and collecting enough points in the standings such that when a surge of lights out hockey comes it matters and boosts the team in the standings.
As far as the results, a point in the standings especially against a good team is rarely a huge disappointment, but not collecting the 2nd point does leave you wanting more especially when you consider the huge opportunity presented by the overtime power play. But the Canes entered the week easily on a season low with 5 consecutive losses and finished it by collecting 2 wins and an OTL in 3 games. The momentum and trend are 10X better than they were entering Tuesday's game, so it is very easy to see half full as a Canes fan again right now.
A few player and other notes:
--Justin Peters. He continued to give his team a chance to win which is all you can ask. He allowed only a breakaway against a very skilled player and a deflection where he had little chance. I refuse to comment on the shootout. Pretend hockey/skills competitions should never trump a player's efforts in the real game.
--Have to capitalize. The power play to close out overtime was exactly what a shootout-impaired Canes team needed to collect points in overtime for the 2nd time this week. That was disappointing especially when the shootout ended about how I feared it would. When the referees hand went up with a full 2 minutes remaining in the period, the Canes should have been more assertive just quickly putting the puck on net looking for a quick goal or otherwise quickly getting to the point where they could play 4-on-3 with more open space. Instead the Canes ran a fairly ineffective 5-on-4 power play to waste 1 minute and then did not do much better for the remaining 1 minute of 4-on-3. The penalty kill was pretty good in rendering harmless a couple too many penalties, so I guess the positive is to say that the special teams were a mixed bag.
--The defense. This group is playing real well right now. Bellemore has been solid since his return. Harrison/Murphy continues to be a solid 3rd pairing with chemistry and the "create offense" switch in general but especially if the Canes need offense late. Hainsey is the good non-flashy, solid version of a 2nd pair defenseman that the team desperately missed last season. And after a couple lesser games by Sekera/Faulk the 1st D pair has rebounded incredibly well this week. Gleason will need to wait his turn for an opening.
--The 1st line. I would not label it a phenomenal game, but they did create some chances and importantly got on the score board with the Tlusty goal NOT settling or moral victories and progress.
-3 straight. They did not score it Saturday, but the 4th line was on the ice for a Canes goal for the 3rd consecutive goal when Murphy scored. Bowman netted an assist. For a team still struggling a bit offensively, getting this kind of secondary scoring from the 4th line is HUGE.
The Canes schedule during the current 5-game home stand is a bit of pyramid which each game getting just a bit harder in terms of competition. Game 1 was against Philadelphia who just is not very good. Game 2 was against the Isles who are a decent team but just are not playing real well right now. Next up was a pretty good team from the Western Conference which has been dominant early this season. The last 2 games in the 5-game home stand feature matchups against the 2 division leaders in the Western Conference. The Canes need to keep bringing 60 minutes of intensity, getting solid goaltending and find a way to score to keep the 3-game points streak alive.
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