0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 3/7/2014
In my earlier post lamenting the struggles of Tuomo Ruutu that led to his departure, I almost neglected to mention the player the Hurricanes got in return from the Devils. That player being forward Andrei Loktionov. The Hurricanes lineup (namely the bottom-six) has been devoid of skill for most of the year and Loktionov should […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 3/6/2014
The main goal I had for the Hurricanes going into yesterday's trade deadline was for them to clear space for next season while adding a piece or two that could help the team in the future. They only made one trade, but they took a step in accomplishing both goals by trading winger Tuomo Ruutu […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 3/5/2014
Riding a five-game losing streak while trying to hang onto their playoff lives, the Hurricanes were a team in desperate need of a win and they played up to this label last night against the San Jose Sharks. For the first 40 minutes, we saw the Hurricanes do a lot of things that have been […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 3/3/2014
This will be one of those games that most will point to as an example of why Corsi, Fenwick and other shot based stats are meaningless because the Hurricanes were blown out despite outshooting Anaheim 52-34 and having a big advantage in possession. Those who only take numbers at face value might feel that way, […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 3/2/2014
The Hurricanes came up short in a game which they absolutely needed to win and it wasn't for a lack of trying, compete, heart, grit or any other cliche fans want to throw out there. Carolina is simply not deep enough to be a playoff team and it was painfully obvious in yesterday's 3-1 loss […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 3/1/2014
In what ended up being Ryan Miller's final game in Buffalo, the Sabres goaltender put on a terrific performance to backstop his team to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. Carolina did just about everything to try to beat Miller through the first 55 minutes of the game, outchancing Buffalo 26-9, getting traffic in front […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/28/2014
No one likes overreacting or melodramatics, but the Hurricanes may have played their worst game of the season last night, taking a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. Even on bad nights, the Hurricanes have had stretches where they looked somewhat competitive and into the game. There was none of this in Dallas. They were […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/27/2014
It's hard to think of a player on the Hurricanes who has seen a bigger heel turn than goaltender Cam Ward. After playing such a big role in the team's Stanley Cup victory in 2005-06, every Caniac has sung Ward's praises for years and it usually didn't matter how good or bad he played. He […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/25/2014
With the Olympic break coming to an end and the Hurricanes ready for action tomorrow, it's now a good time to look at their neutral zone performance. I've talked about some of their tendencies in my game recaps and in other articles, but it's been awhile since I last gave a comprehensive look at the […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/19/2014
Jordan Staal came to Raleigh with enormous expectations and in his first 105 games, he has lived up to half of his reputation. When it comes to playing well away from the puck, the Hurricanes don't have many better forwards on their roster, as Jordan is one of the team's best players at driving possession […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/18/2014
Those eager to see Justin Faulk play in this year's Olympics are pretty disappointed right now, as the Hurricanes young defenseman has yet to see the ice. He was scratched in all three games in the preliminary round and is currently listed as the team's 8th defenseman, which means he probably won't get into the […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/17/2014
It would take a few pages to explain all of the problems with the Carolina Hurricanes this year. Their payroll suggests that they should be a playoff team, but the reality is they have a lot of money tied up in players who are either overvalued and/or injured. It's been this way for a couple […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/15/2014
Goals have been very hard to come by for the Hurricanes this year, which is why Jeff Skinner is considered one of the team's most valuable players. His 23 goals ranks him 20th in the NHL and he is currently on-pace to finish the season with 35-36 goals. Even after a recent cold spell where […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/14/2014
Who says poker players can’t play hockey? Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari are poker players who have been friends for a long time. Prior to participating in a game at the WPT Montreal, the two card sharks made a prop bet to find out who would be a better at being an ice hockey goalie. […]
0 comments by Corey Sznajder on 2/12/2014
One of the Hurricanes main motives for making the big trade for Jordan Staal was to make the team deeper down the middle and give them a scoring center who they can trust against other team's top lines. So far, most would consider Jordan's performance underwhelming for what the Hurricanes gave up for him. At […]
