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Carolina Hurricanes vs. Nashville Predators: The Chase

By Christopher Highe

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 8: Mike Fisher #12 of the Nashville Predators and Elias Lindholm #16 of the Carolina Hurricanes await the drop of the puck by linesman Mark Shewchyk #92 at Bridgestone Arena on October 8, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Sanford Myers/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 8: Mike Fisher #12 of the Nashville Predators and Elias Lindholm #16 of the Carolina Hurricanes await the drop of the puck by linesman Mark Shewchyk #92 at Bridgestone Arena on October 8, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Sanford Myers/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 19: Referee Chris Rooney #5 explains to Brett Pesce #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes to be careful, or he will draw a penalty against the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Hurricanes 8-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 19: Referee Chris Rooney #5 explains to Brett Pesce #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes to be careful, or he will draw a penalty against the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Hurricanes 8-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

The Carolina Hurricanes Treat the Penalty Box Like Its Groundhog Day (the movie, not the actual day).

The Carolina Hurricanes rank second, second in short-handed time-on-ice within the National Hockey League, with 342:33 across 205 times short-handed. That’s an average of a minute and forty-five seconds, and three-to-four penalties per game. That adds up ridiculously quickly. That’s on top of a slightly above average penalty kill percentage, 82.4% (169/205). In the Edmonton game, this was the game-changer.

The Hurricanes forfeited a two-to-nothing goal lead thanks to penalties, in a game they were outplaying their opponent. They cannot continue to do so! I, as a fan, do not know what the team has to do discipline-wise to stay away from the penalty box. At this point, I don’t think even Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour knows, with the frustration we’ve seen behind the bench at times.

We could blame the officiating, but for this to be a season-long problem? No. It isn’t the officiating (for the most part). There has been a systemic on-ice discipline problem that, despite all efforts, hasn’t been nipped in the bud. Forty-three and a half percent of the 23-man roster (10/23) has twenty or more penalties in minutes, and six of those have greater than thirty.

One of those is Hurricanes All-Star Dougie “Is A Forward” Hamilton, who’s injury took him out for the rest of the regular season, so in reality, we have nine active players over twenty penalty minutes. It is still indicative of the team having a scandalous love affair with the sin bin over disciplined play.

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