Carolina Hurricanes: Which Players are which Avengers?

The Carolina Hurricanes have played like superheroes this post season. What if they really were superheroes? What if they were members of the Avengers?

So far in the playoffs the Carolina Hurricanes have taken down the Stanley Cup Champions, Washington Capitals, and swept the New York Islanders to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. They have survived a double overtime game seven after being in the hole 3-2 and going into a game six with their backs to the wall.

These feats are almost super-heroic. Like the heroes of Marvel’s cinematic universe. These Carolina Hurricanes seemed to be a team of destiny. While this season did not end inevitably with a cup and their magical playoff run crumbled to dust at the snap of a finger from their evil Villain Boston it feels that they will be coming back year after year.

Who were the heroes that will step up against these odds? Who helped them finish off the Islanders and Capitals? Who will stepped up against the Bruins with their high powered offense. And if they make the playoffs next season, who will be the heroes that help bring Lord Stanley’s Cup back home to Raleigh?

Whatever it takes. It has been the cry of the Avengers in the latest movie as they attempt to undo the damage created by Thanos. It has also been the Cry of the Carolina Hurricanes as they barged, smashed, and blasted their way into and through the playoffs.

But which players are which famed Avengers? That’s what we are really here for. Who is worthy to wield Mjolnir? Who will throw the shield? Who turns green when they are angry? Without spoiling anything from Avengers Endgame let’s find out:

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

The Guardians of the Galaxy

Do you hear that? That is the sound of 70s and 80s pop music going through your head at the very mention of this superhero team. These guys and gals have found their ways into our hearts and have caused a lot of heartache for their foes. Much like some of our favorite Carolina Hurricanes!

But who fits the roles of these cast of misfits tasked with keeping the galaxy in check? Who is fit to do something good, something bad, or a bit of both?

Star Lord- Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Speaking of the quote from the famous trouble making super heroes who under appreciate a good plan, Trevor Van Riemsdyk is a fit for the half Terran guardian. Not only do both like to cause a little trouble and come in with clutch goals that may or may not have saved the entire galaxy (or Carolina Hurricanes season) they both have a flair for doing so with style.

Both are well known for accomplishing seemingly impossible tasks. Star Lord took on a power stone empowered Kree Accuser with nothing more than a dance off when he first met him. Trevor Van Riemsdyk managed to take and dunk a basketball on the ice. So what if Star Lord was only distracting Ronan. So what if TVR traveled a bit. It got the job done right?

Gamora- Lucas Wallmark

While TVR portrays the space outlaw very well, Lucas Wallmark fits the description of the very orderly Gamora, daughter of Thanos. Wallmark plays a very orderly style of hockey. From face-offs to play in the three zones. He plays a complete game in each of those zones.

Like Gamora, he isn’t flashy, but modest. He plays his minutes to the full and and maintains a professional presence on the ice. Like Gamora, he wont be the guy who will start a conflict on the ice, but if you start one with him, he fill finish it. A player not afraid to step up when needed.

Like Gamora, he doesn’t always strike, but when he does you cannot help but watch. Each of his goals during the season and postseason have been critical strikes that have helped team gain the edge. You cannot look away from the action when it ends with a Wallmark goal.

Drax- Micheal Ferland

Drax the Destroyer is a colorful character who says very little and does a lot of destroying, hence the name. Micheal Ferland says about just as much with about as much destroying on the ice. Between destroying opponents who try to go after his teammates and the back of the net, Ferland is a menace on the ice.

And Like Drax when he isn’t moving the opponents cannot see him. And when he does, the opponents cannot stop him. While plenty of injuries this season has had him as more of a recurring character than a main cast, Ferland still managed to make his presence this season felt.

Groot- Greg McKegg

If we asked Groot how he would feel to be compared to Greg McKegg, we know exactly what his answer would be. “I am Groot, I AM groot, i am groot, I AM GROOT, I am GROOT. i AM groot.” to be honest, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Because yes, Greg McKegg is the best name in hockey. Yes Greg McKegg shows up when his team needs him most.

And just like Groot, Greg McKegg has a habit of shutting down opponents and giving his teammates ample time to escape with a win. No matter how many time he sacrifices himself to stop a puck in the defensive zone, he always grows right back into the game and gets himself and the team back into the game.

As Groot would put it: ” I AM GROOOOOOOOOOT”.

Rocket- Warren Foegele

No one expected him to be here. No one expected him to be so loved. With the ridiculous nicknames and the excellent quotes. If you are confused to if we are talking about the walking talking, gun-toten genetically created raccoon or if we are talking about rookie sensation Warren Foegele, we cannot blame you.

Both were ideas that came out of left field and served to be very welcomed members of the team. Both have been sensational fan favorites that always seem to strike when the team needs them most. Both have been ridiculed with hilarious nicknames that they have more than owned. Honestly, we don’t know who we love more.

Nebula- Saku Maenalanen

Noone knew much about Saku Maenalanen when he was signed last summer. Kind of like Nebula in her limited role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1. But by the time second movie rolled around Nebula became an “X” factor and soon enough a fan favorite. The same can be said of Saku when he got the call up and filled in the lineup for the second half of the season.

Nebula is a bit of fiery character and when she gets started she becomes an unstoppable force with very little that can stop her. Saku Maenalanen gets equally unstoppable when he sets his mind to the task. When no one else seems to find the back of the net, he does. When the opposing team starts to let off their frustration on his teammates, he steps up.

Honestly without Saku Maenalanen, this team doesn’t punch its ticket to the conference finals. Just like without Nebula, the Guardians never stop any of the big villains.

Team Ironman

Sometimes Heroes have disagreements. Ironman and Captain America disagreed on a lot during the Civil War. One could argue that before this season, there might have been some arguments in the locker room. But thankfully this season has brought family together after finally making the postseason for the first time in a decade.

In Civil War heroes lined up behind either Captain America or Ironman depending on how they felt on the Sokovia accords. The heroes who lined up behind Tony Stark represented order and authority. There are several players on the Carolina Hurricanes roster who also represent these ideals. Lets meet team Ironman:

Black Panther- Nino Niederreiter

Black Panther came from a far away nation to help Ironman as they shared a common goal with T’challa seeking justice for his father. Nino Niederreiter also joined the Carolina Hurricanes roster from the far away mystical land of Minnesota. Just like Blank Panther, he was met with a little skepticism that quickly turned to resounding support as everyone realized the gold mine that was struck.

Niederreiter immediately supplied the team with goals upon his arrival scoring more than the man he replaced in five games than the first half of the season. T’challa, also immediately started scoring big bucks for Disney when he showed up in Civil War and his own solo movie that crowned him as king. For Nino, It was a match made in heaven with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Vision- Curtis McElhinney

With his steely look, calm demeanor, and unstoppable power Curtis McElhinney can be no one else but the Vision. The Android built by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner with Jarvis’s AI powered by the Mind Stone is on the side of life. So is Curtis McElhinney. Well he is on the side of life for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Coming in as the replacement for an Injured Scott Darling early in the season after being picked off waivers he had brought in new life for the Carolina Hurricanes. Even after Petr Mrazek left game two against the Islanders with Carolina down 1-0 he came in and shut the door to allowing Carolina to “play 48 minutes of hockey” and win the game.

Curtis McElhinney must have the mind stone tucked away on him somewhere because you cannot get into this guy’s head. No matter how hard you try. Let’s keep Thanos away from him.

War Machine- Dougie Hamilton

An unstoppable machine with one heck of a cannon. This describes both Lieutenant Colonel James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes and one Dougie Hamilton of the Carolina Hurricanes. While Rhodey isn’t as fun loving and loose as Dougie, he has been finding a sense of humor in the most recent films. The kind of humor that would make Hamilton proud.

But when it is go time, both men put the humor aside and get to work. Both are great defenders and can counter attack with some huge missiles that tend to do a lot of damage. Both seem to also be forgotten about as they are overshadowed by their partners when in reality they can probably do a better job. Like being Ironman or on the powerplay.

Black Widow-Brock McGinn

Now I know what you are thinking. McGinn is Thor! He has to be after that storm surge! I mean sure, if the only qualifications of this article is simply mimicking another character’s move, then yes Brock McGinn would be Thor. But it isn’t. Simply put, Brock has more heart and hustle than Thor Odinson. The kind of heart and hustle more fitting of Natasha Romanoff, The Black Widow.

So who is Thor? Read on to find out, for now lets get back to Brock McGinn, who has seen his fair share of hard work in the first two series. He basically single handedly won the series against Washington when he saved a goal at one end of the ice in the third period and scored a goal in the other end during the second overtime.

What does this have to do with Black Widow? Simply put, they both come in the clutch when needed and take shots as needed to protect their teammates. The only way these two can be more similar is if they had the same hairstyle.

Spiderman- Andrei Svechnikov

Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can. Spins a web any size, catches thieves just like flies. Look out, here comes the Spiderman! Or in this case, here comes Andrei Svechnikov. Second overall pick of the 2018 NHL entry draft and ace in the hole for the Carolina Hurricanes. Just when you think there is a chance in the game, here comes Svech to shut it down.

Just yell out “under-roos!” and watch as the russian phenom comes skating out of nowhere clad in red and black to save the day. Both him and Peter Parker are teenagers hell bent on proving themselves and doing a swell job at it. And both aren’t afraid to take on opponents that tower over them.

While Spiderman managed to take down Ant-man in his giant form (giant-man?), Svechnikov took on 6 foot 9 inches Zdeno Chara to task and bullied the puck off him many times. Don’t need spider sense to figure out that Svechnikov really is a superhero.

Team Captain America

On the other side of the argument about the Slovakia Accords was Captain America and his band of freedom fighting heros. Together they gave Tony one heck of a fight and almost ended the conflict before Zemo made things a lot worse.

But now the conflict is over and the Heroes on both sides need to band together and make another playoff run. Let’s find out which of our on ice heroes match up with those on Team Cap.

Antman- Jordan Martinook

No matter how small Antman got, he always left his mark on the battlefield. The same can be said about Jordan Martinook who saw time on both the third and fourth lines of the roster and always made his mark felt. Both on the scoreboard and in the locker room.

Martinook was the first Carolina Hurricane this season to record a Hat Trick in november against the Florida Panthers. Not unlike how Antman was the first into the fray in the airport battle riding on Hawkeye’s arrow.

They both have extremely addictive personalities that makes you love them for them and how they bring joy to all those who watch their antics. Martinook will always be a beloved Character just like Scott Lang.

Falcon- Haydn Fleury

On your left. There goes Haydn Fleury zooming past yet another opposing player to stop a potential odd man rush. While both he and Falcon seem to be living in the shadows of better men, they both leave their marks in their respective fields. And while Fleury is still struggling to find the back of the net in the Majors, he is playing way too well in Charlotte to stay there.

Just like Falcon, once he gets going and scores once, he will probably earn his own wings and soar above the competition. At this point its not a matter of “if” but a matter of “when”. And soon enough both of them will be their own full fledged heroes.

Winter Soldier- Brett Pesce

If Fleury is Falcon, Brett Pesce is Sergent “Bucky” Barnes, the Winter Soldier. It is no secret that the two of them are excellent blue line defenders. But where Fleury is a little raw, Pesce is more refined thanks to a couple of years in the league that has given him an outlook at the team and the league that Fleury has yet to come by, much like the grizzled Winter Soldier.

Not unlike Bucky, many wondered if Pesce was really the answer we needed and if he was a help or a hindrance to the team’s defensive core. But just like how Bucky turned out to be a hero after all, Pesce turned out to be a much sought after staple of the Carolina Hurricanes defense. The future is bright with him in our top 4 pairings.

Scarlet Witch- Petr Mrazek

While Curtis McElhinney is the cool and collected Vision on team Ironman, Petr Mrazek is the hot and vicious Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch. Signed to a one year contract and asked to compete against Scott Darling for the number one spot in net, Petr has competed strongly to earn that spot not only against Darling but also against McElhinney as well.

When both of them get started, there is no stopping them, there is no denting them, and there is no getting past them. Wanda had the power to stop Thanos, albeit for a short period. Mrazek had the power to stop some of the best stars in the game to help lead the Carolina Hurricanes to their first playoff berth in nine seasons.

It doesn’t hurt that both are from the eastern portion of Europe. All this makes you wonder, is Scott Darling perhaps the fallen Quicksilver?

Hawkeye- Calvin de Haan

Hawkeye doesn’t seam like one of the most useful avengers, but he has been there from the beginning and seen it all. He has also been key at points when you would never admit that a bow and arrow would seem ideal. The same can be said about Calvin deHaan.

On paper he doesn’t seem to play a huge role in the success of the team, but to those who keep their eyes open to his style of play will realize that he brings more than can ever be written down on paper. His defensive style of play always improves the play of whomever is paired with him and his offensive style is very calculated, when he shoots, he shoots to score or not at all.

Hawkeye Accuracy.

The Revengers

While Captain America and Ironman were quarreling it out about earth laws, Thor and his ragtag band of heros were defending Asgard from an army of undead warriors and his evil older sister, Hela. And he brought some real help with him.

Quickly dubbed the Revengers by the God of Thunder, they took it saving Asgard from Ragnarok. Along the way made plenty of friends and even more enemies. But which heroes match up with these unlikely allies?

Loki- Sebastian Aho

Slick-backed raven hair, devastating smile, fan favorite, cunning skill, Nordic. All of these terms can describe both Sebastian Aho and the God of mischief, Loki. Both of these men break hearts and wills on their respective battle fields. And when both get fired up and going, they both are almost impossible to stop.

Aho has managed to collect the attention of the entire league as one of the best players in his position, and it even isn’t his position. Moved from the wing to the center this year, Aho has managed to razzle, dazzle, and magically explode his way to the top of the team in points and goals. On a team this deep, that’s one heck of an accomplishment.

One can say that his skill with the puck and his ability to magically make it appear behind the netminder, is very tricky, perhaps even trickster like.

Hulk- Jordan Staal

You won’t like me when I’m Angry. When Jordan Staal gets angry he ends up scoring and to top it off he almost always celebrates with a roar that would make the Hulk proud. They call him the incredible Hulk. Incredible is exactly the word to describe Staal when he switches gears into his play-making ability and turns nothing into goals.

A great example of this is game 1 of the Islander series. Scoreless game going into overtime and Staal turns a harmless pass that bounced into the boards and behind the net into the only shot to get past Robin Lehner the whole night. An absolute bazooka of a shot that would be worthy of a Hulk Clap. Just like that the game is over and Carolina moved one game closer to the sweep.

Smashing.

Valkyrie- Clark Bishop

Not much is known really the last of the Valkyries other than she kicks a lot of butt and looks good doing it, and even though she has only appeared so far in two movies, she has left her mark on the Marvel Universe. The same can be said about Clark Bishop. In his few games with the Carolina Hurricanes this season he has already managed to get into a physical conflict and net a goal.

His play and talent has impressed Rod Brindamour enough that he was called up during the playoffs as a possible relief for a few injured players, but ultimately ended up getting sent back to Charlotte where he continues to impress at the AHL level. Sometimes you need a hero who doesn’t take any slack from anyone can rock with the best of them. Bishop is one of those.

The Original Three

Ironman. Captain America. Thor. The original three. The ones that started it all. The ones that have seen the team from humble beginnings to the vast roster it now contains. These are the heroes that set the precedent for all those who came after them. And all those who will continue to come and join the growing roster of superheros in the Marvel Universe.

Without these three there is no Avengers. Without them the rest doesn’t happen. The same goes for the three players who match up with these three players. Without them this season is not as successful as it has been.

Thor- Teuvo Teravainen

Thats right, the God of Thunder is Teuvo Teravainen. One of the other Nordic players on the roster and one of the three that has suffered a few seasons of playoff drought with the team. Together with Loki, Thor has managed to be a powerful ally to his fellow Avengers. Teuvo and Aho have become quiet the impressive pair.

No matter how troubled his Avenger brethren are, Thor has come to their aid. His very presence on the battlefield has shifted the tide. The same can be said about Teravainen who took a pass from Aho in game 4 of the first round to score the game winner and force a game six that the team would go on to win en route to a game 7 overtime win that saw the Capitals bow out early.

Captain America- Jaccob Slavin

Now I know what many of you are thinking, shouldn’t the Captain of the team be Captain America? While that would be the easy solution to this, it’s not the correct one. We will get to Justin Williams later, for now the Star Spangled Man is American born Jaccob Slavin.

When Captain America throws his mighty shield, All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield. Jaccob Slavin has been the shield of this team. Too many times to count has he played goaltender and saved a goal from going into the net. Too many times has he single-handedly stopped an odd man rush.

He has also carved his piece offensively and when he throws the puck at the net, the netminder who opposes him must yield. He might not be the captain of this team (yet), but he is definitely the Captain America of this team.

Ironman- Justin Faulk

Epic facial hair? Check. Wicked laser of a shot? Check. Been around from the very beginning? Check. All systems go. Justin Faulk is the Tony Stark of The Carolina Hurricanes. There really isn’t much to argue about here. Both have come into scrutiny about how they use their powerful shot. Both have been argued that they do not contribute as much as they think they do.

But most importantly both have not allowed injuries to hold them back. Tony has not allowed a lingering arm injury stop him from continuing his mission as Ironman. And almost every season so far has shown that Justin Faulk will battle through any injury to stay on the ice and help his team when needed.

Tony has relied on both his mind and his army of suits and has demonstrated that his mind is the real weapon. Faulk has arguably been relying on both his wicked shot and his ability as a offensive defender. In reality his best shots have come from the wrister and his best goals have come from simply being in the right place in the right time. Like Ironman.