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Carolina Hurricanes Game Day Thoughts: Some Guy Comes Back to Town

By Matthew Barlowe

Oct 2, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (35) makes a save on Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal (12) during the third period of a preseason hockey game at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Hurricanes 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (35) makes a save on Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal (12) during the third period of a preseason hockey game at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Hurricanes 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal returns to Raleigh

The Carolina Hurricanes in their recent home and home with the New York Islanders took three points out of a possible four.  This would have been great news if the Hurricanes were actually still in a spot to make the playoffs.  Sure, technically the Canes still have a shot at the postseason and we all know that math never lies, but realistically the mantle of longest playoff drought will pass from the province of Alberta to the state of North Carolina.

I want to believe as much as the rest of you.  I even made a crappy photoshopped meme[link I want to believe tweet] about it.  So with playoffs out of the picture, the Carolina Hurricanes should be losing as many games as they possibly can.

Related Story: Eric Staal Greatest Hurricane Ever

It definitely explains playing Cam Ward in back to back games.  Yet despite the organization’s best attempts at sabotage, the team found a way to earn 75 percent of the available points.  That’s right, the Carolina Hurricanes are both awful at actually winning games they need and ALSO losing the games they need too.

Yet despite the organization’s best attempts at sabotage, the team found a way to earn 75 percent of the available points.  That’s right, the Carolina Hurricanes are both awful at actually winning games they need and ALSO losing the games they need too.  I would laugh if it weren’t just so frustratingly maddening.

Some guy named Eric Staal is coming back we’ll get to him in a minute, but right now the Minnesota Wild are definitely cup contenders.  This means that the Hurricanes will play like world beaters and earn even more trivial points that we don’t need right now.  Onto the day of games musings!

Game Day Thoughts

  • Eric Staal is the most talented player to ever suit up for the Carolina Hurricanes.  This guy thinks so and so do I.  He has more points than any other player in his draft class.  Even the guys that come close like Jeff Carter, Zach Parise, and Ryan Getzlaf all played for much better teams than Staal ever did.
  • Some people contribute Staal’s resurgence to a better team around him.  Maybe so, but his Corsi numbers were always great in Carolina.  Last year most likely was an anomaly more than anything else and he’s returned to career averages this year.
  • Keep an eye out for Nino Niederreiter who may be one of the most underrated players in the NHL along with Mikael Granlund.  Both of these players are a joy to watch and will be a good test for our young defense.  Slavin and Pesce have handled similarly skilled players admirably, but more interesting will be to see young Hanifin’s response given his increased ice time.
  • As of this writing, Eddie Lack is the rumored starter for the game.  With our recent reporting, we hope he just starts playing his own game. Marcoux’s a hack Eddie stop listening to him.

Next: Fire David Marcoux

  • There shouldn’t be a tribute to Eric Staal this game since the Canes did one last season, but even if they did another one I wouldn’t be offended
  • Should the Canes win this game?  No, they shouldn’t but that most likely means they will.  Or it means that Eric Staal will score five goals and an empty netter just to antagonize the haters.  I pick the Canes win 4-2 and just make that draft pick even worse with nothing to gain.
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