Carolina Hurricanes This Week – Honoring the Past, Fighting for Playoffs
Here is your ‘Carolina Hurricanes This Week’ from Team Cardiac Cane, a wrap-up of positives and negatives from the week that was.
And it was a BIG week for Caniac Nation. Any week that has Lord Stanley’s Cup in town is a big week.
On Friday and Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes celebrated the tenth anniversary of their 2005-2006 Stanley Cup Championship. (Has it seriously been that long?)
On top of that, the Canes had two incredibly important games against divisional opponents ahead of them in the standings. Gaining points against these teams was a necessity.
Here’s how Carolina did.
Regular Season 2/8 – 2/14 Summary:
It was a strange week for the Hurricanes. One of those occasional NHL scheduling quirks gave them four full days off, which meant they didn’t take the ice until Friday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.The Caniac faithful also received troubling news after the morning skate on Friday, when it as reported that Justin Faulk fell awkwardly into the boards during the session. He ultimately missed both of the weekend’s contests, and we are all awaiting an update from the team before Tuesday night’s tilt.
With many of the 2005-06 Hurricanes alumni watching from the stands, the team came out swinging against the Penguins, but just couldn’t break through Marc-Andre Fleury. Late in the 2nd period, Phil Kessel scored for the Pens, with an assist from ’06 Canes Cup member Matt Cullen.
A point was salvaged for the Hurricanes when Andrej Nestrasil dragged the puck around a Pittsburgh defender along the right wall, and sniped it high glove-side to tie the game. Overtime was intense, but scoreless. In the shootout, the Canes failed to have any decent chances, and Pittsburgh won it in the third round. The positive for both teams, though, was that both Fleury and Cam Ward were brilliant in their respective nets.
Saturday had more alumni, including Islanders assistant coach Doug Weight, who had some very nice things to say about his former team and teammates.
Sensing the urgency after a point dropped in the shootout loss to the Pens, Carolina came out flying. The first period saw Carolina throw up 15 shots, and a Riley Nash sniper goal. The Isles couldn’t match the Canes pace in the second either, and Noah Hanifin scored his second career goal to get the run started.
A sweet Phil Di Giuseppe pass set up Kris Versteeg for goal three, and Nestrasil scored his fourth goal in four games to make it 4-0 by the halfway mark. After a brief Islanders comeback, Victor Rask scored two goals barely one minute apart, and the Hurricanes ended the period with a solid 6-2 lead. One consolation goal for the Isles, and a final insurance goal for the Canes, and the game ended 6-3.
Worth noting at this point of the season is that the Hurricanes scoring leader board is very crowded up top. Justin Faulk still leads Carolina with 34 points, but Jordan Staal and Victor Rask are surging with 33 points each. Behind them, Kris Versteeg and Jeff Skinner are at 32 points, and Eric Staal is sitting with 30 points.
The scoring balance between the Hurricanes forward lines is impressive, but a little concerning. In stark contrast to their 2005-2006 Stanley Cup season, Carolina doesn’t have any players on course for a 30+ goal or 70+ point season. It’s the one piece that this team is missing for a legitimate run for, and into, the playoffs.
Again, the collective effort is fantastic, but the Canes really need someone to break out of the pack, or find a piece to add before the trade deadline.
The “Canes Cup”
A ceremony was held before the game, honoring the Hurricanes of 2005-2006 with inspirational video montages and great memories for all the Caniacs in the crowd. Mike Commodore even brought out the famous white bathrobe from the Stanley Cup run. The whole night was great reminder of how far the team has come since moving from Hartford and what they’ve brought to the Triangle and North Carolina.
Cane of the Week:
Andrej Nestrasil – 2GP, 2G, +1
It was an emotional week for Andrej Nestrasil. The Czech born forward honored a friend, mentor, countryman, and former Hurricane Josef Vasicek. Part of the 2006 Cup winning team, Vasicek was a Hurricane from 2000-2007, leading the team in scoring during the 2003-2004 season. Tragically, Vasicek was killed in a plane crash along with most of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey club in 2011.
On the weekend the Canes honored their greatest team, Nestrasil honored a player he idolized in the Czech Republic. Playing for Vasicek’s team, Nesty played incredible this weekend. He scored a goal in each contest and almost tipped Noah Hanifin’s goal for a third.
Nestrasil’s acquisition from the Detroit Red Wings a little over a year ago has proven to be daylight robbery. Ron Francis grabbed him off of waivers last season, and he played solidly but very quietly. That has changed since the calendar turned over to 2016. In the fifteen games since January 9th Nestrasil has been prolific, scoring five goals, dishing five assists, and recording a +8 rating over that time. He has made Vasicek very proud.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Staal, Victor Rask, Noah Hanifin and Phil Di Giuseppe
Next: Did Valentine's Day Bring Any Love to the Hurricanes?
The Forecast:
Tuesday 7:00 pm @ PNC Arena against the Winnipeg Jets
Thursday 7:30 pm @ Bridgestone Arena against the Ottawa Senators
Friday 7:00 pm @ PNC Arena against the San Jose Sharks
Sunday 7:00 pm @ PNC Arena against the Tampa Bay Lightening
Carolina welcomed back the 2006 championship team over the weekend, and another member of that squad returns to Raleigh on Tuesday, as Andrew Ladd and his struggling Jets visit. The team heads to Ottawa on Thursday, with a game against the hungry Senators who are technically still in a playoff hunt, and a home game the next night against the San Jose Sharks. Finally, Steven Stamkos and the Lightening come to town after the Canes get a Saturday off. Wins against Eastern Conference rivals Tampa Bay and Ottawa will be very important in our playoff push.
Go Canes!