If you are late catching up, my post-game comments from the Canes loss to the Lightning Friday night in Raleigh is HERE. If you are looking for good news, just skip it.
Anyone who sees me on Twitter or has read my blog over the past few days has seen my calls to #FreeMikeMurphy. First, to be clear, in no way would I hang the current slide on Justin Peters. He has not been great, and in being honest I do not think he is a regular goalie on a team that can compete for the playoffs. But he has stepped in, battled and at least given his team a chance. That is all you can ask. Second, I am not calling for Mike Murphy to play because I think he is likely to be some magical savior (though that would be real nice). In limited play in Charlotte this season he was 1-2 with a GAA >3.00 and a Save % < .900, and he has now been on the shelf for awhile. There is a distinct possibility that he looks like an AHL goalie but also with a helping of rust. So why Mike Murphy then? 2 reasons: 1) When things are horribly broken I just hate doing the same thing over and over (hence my call to separate the EStaal/Semin duo); 2) I am a big fan of the people stories in hockey. Putting Mike Murphy in net for his 1st career NHL start (see my other blogs for his strange stats in 2 relief appearances) is a good story. Mike Murphy will turn 25 in January and is about 7 years deep in his dream to play in the NHL (not counting the many years as a kid). The window of opportunity could be closing on him. While the odds of him becoming a regular NHL goalie at his age are fairly slim, I want him to get his chance.
So for 100% purely selfish reasons (with a small dose of wishing good on people who pay their dues), I want Mike Murphy to start. At a bare minimum it gets me 20 minutes of anticipation and excitement leading into the 7pmish start. Even if it goes awry after they drop the puck, a longtime player getting to step on the ice at MSG to fulfill a dream that he has been working hard at for years. AND though the odds may be slim it at least sets up the possibility that tonight could be a real special night. And if I get that 20 minutes of hockey excitement and fun from about 6:45 to 7:05 tonight it will be a small bit of hockey goodness in the middle of a rough couple of weeks as a Canes fan.
The nuts and bolts of the game go like this:
The opponent: The Rangers come in with struggles of their own. The team started the season with a bunch of losses and a very uncharacteristic string of 3 losses that saw it give up 20 goals in over 3 games. With renovation of Madison Square Garden stretching into October, the team started with a crazy 9-game 23-day road trip that did not go well. But the Rangers have since played a couple on home ice and have at least partially righted the ship winning 3 of 4 and getting back to their normal defensive game. But the key word is partially. The Rangers are 5-7-0. They have been shut out 3 times already and rank dead last (tied) in goals scored with a measly 20 in 12 games. Part of it is being minus Rick Nash who is out to injury, but there are other problems.
The game situation: If you put aside all of the Canes internal issues and try to map a game plan, this game sets up very much like the Minnesota game that started the Canes 4-game skid. The Rangers are struggling mightily (like the Canes) to mount any offense. When faced with this situation versus Minnesota, the Canes offered up a litany of defensive breakdowns in the 1st period, staked the Wild to an early 2-goal lead and let them settle into the part of the game that they were doing well - playing defense. Right now for the Canes, waiting and playing even has to just feel like you are waiting for the eventual problem like the fluke Tampa goal for the 1st goal fully midway into the game yesterday. But nonetheless, the Canes must show the resolve and patience to make the Rangers earn any offense and must be willing to wait out scoring themselves. The panicked, risk-taking approach looking for easy offense tonight is very likely to create just the mistakes that the Rangers need to create offense that they are struggling ot create themselves.
Keys to the game:
1) Patience and resolve. Timing probably could not be worse for the Canes to be tested in their ability to stick to the defensive foundation, but I think that is the challenge and be willing to play deep into the game waiting for a break or 1-2 good opportunities.
2) Special teams. Despite not scoring, I thought the power play looked better yesterday. With things still not clicking I think it could still use a higher concentration of winning the puck, getting it to the point and having guys like Ruutu, JStaal and maybe even Malhotra go to the net to score an ugly goal. Could the gradual progress here result in an outburst that wins a hockey game? One can hope.
3) The same stuff. The team could desperately use a good 1st period that netted a lead to relieve pressure. And the team could definitely use a game in which its best players are the best. But then anyone who reads this blog and watches the games gets that and is sick of hearing it.
What I am watching for: #FreeMikeMurphy! We should know something by afternoon whether it will come to fruition tonight.
--Anything positive. We need it.
Over the next 2 games, the Canes get 2 chances against other teams that are struggling. A win in New York tonight would put the ball on the tee for a home game against 1 of the few teams playing worse than the Canes right now - the Flyers. Can the team find some way, any way to win to night to relieve pressure and exorcise a few demons? Or are Canes fans destined to be tormented by demons until the return of Skinner and a goalie?
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