3. The team needs more energy
Something that has been missing for the Canes the entire season is the resilience to follow through in the third period. When Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006 and made a run to the Finals in 2002, the Canes were at their best in the final period.
It was good to see the Canes put forward such a spirited effort in the third period, with three goals in the loss to the Leafs. However, the problem of getting too far behind and not having enough energy through the second period caused that defeat.
Peters might not have the energy needed to get this team playing for him. We’ll see how the Canes respond to these two straight costly losses moving forward. Yet, Peters is not the type of head coach to wear his emotions on his sleeve.
Anything needs to give for this Canes team to start playing with a more spirited effort on a game-by-game basis. Fix that, and the Canes instantly become a contender in the Metro and make the playoffs in 2018.