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Carolina Hurricanes Game Day Thoughts: Are the Leafs Still Actually Good?

By Matthew Barlowe

Feb 19, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Elias Lindholm (16) takes a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Elias Lindholm (16) takes a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs at PNC Arena. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /
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The greatest worst team in hockey history comes to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes

Tonight will be another great game between rebuilding franchises taking different paths back to the playoffs.  The Toronto Maple Leafs with the picks of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner focused on the offensive side of things.  While the Carolina Hurricanes took a defense first approach with players like Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin, and Noah Hanifin.

Related Story: Teuvo Teravainen Finds His Stride

Right now the Maple Leafs are winning the race as they sit one point out of a wild-card spot and two points behind third in the Atlantic division.  Toronto’s recent play shows a team that isn’t playing great hockey at the moment.  This could work well for the Hurricanes, as Carolina has nothing left to lose and the Leafs are carrying the burden of Toronto playoff expectations.

So far down the stretch, the pressure is getting to the young Leaf’s team.  But as Carolina has shown against other struggling teams [link to COL and Arizona box scores], perhaps it only takes a game against the Hurricanes to get things going.

Game Day Thoughts

  • James Mirtle at the Athletic wrote about the records needed for each team to make the playoffs this season.  He wrote the Hurricanes needed to go 14-4-0 to get to 92 points the projected Eastern Conference cutoff.  Will the Hurricanes do this? No, most likely not. It would require a series of win streaks the team has shown they aren’t capable of this year
  • A lot of rankings had Noah Hanifin going fourth overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Instead, the Leafs picked Mitch Marner in somewhat of a surprise.  Given the two players career so far it seems Toronto made the correct choice.

    • Imagine a Carolina Hurricanes with Mitch Marner on it.  The goal scorers touch would address a huge hole for the hurricanes without harming the back line all that much.  A line of

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    Skinner, Rask, Marner is just too much.  I have to stop thinking about it before my liver gives out.

  • Unlike the Carolina Hurricanes this offseason, the Maple Leafs went out and signed a legitimate number one goaltender.  Frederik Anderson’s play has been uneven this year, to say the least, but he’s also playing behind a very below average defense.  Would Anderson have been better in Carolina this season?  It’s hard to say. The Hurricanes play took a steep drop since the new the year, and the defense isn’t quite as good as to start the season.

    • The Anderson story is a lesson that goalies are voodoo and what looks to be a sure thing can often not be.  Still, .916 save percentage is much better than .905.  Is it $5 million for five years better, though?  Right now most Hurricanes’ fans would say yes.

    Next: Hurricanes New Forward Valentin Zykov

    • Peters has already moved Valentin Zykov off the Jordan Staal line and down with Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak.  Most likely this is a chance for the coaching staff to see what they have with the Russian winger away from Jordan Staal.  Staal is one of the best centers in the game at making fourth line talent look good see McGinn, Brock and Di Giuseppe, Phil.
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