Nino Niederreiter
If I had to pick just one, this guy right here, Nino Niederreiter, is probably the biggest factor in the Canes’ success moving forward. He was absolutely essential down the stretch for the team last season, and a repeat of that performance would be a massive boost for this team.
It’s been a struggle this year for Nino, who’s been a victim of bad luck and an inconsistent role at times – but he’s actually already started to pick it up recently. He’s got 3 goals in his last 6 games, and he’s looked like a more confident player out there. The Canes need consistency from him.
Remember, when Nino came over from Minnesota last year he scored 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games with Carolina – and then scored the playoff clinching goal against New Jersey. They need that guy to show up again.
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Nino alluded to his struggles earlier in the season:
"“You want to be the best player you can be every night. You want to be on the board and you want to score and you want to help the team win. When they’re not going in … it’s frustrating.”"
Coach Rod expressed that Nino is effective even when the goals aren’t going in for him, but acknowledged his important role as a finisher:
"A lot of the things [he does] away from the puck [don’t] even translate to points. He’s got a little grit to him and he needs to bring that every night. … He’s had a tough year as far as a lot of really good looks that haven’t gone in. It’s tough when you’re a goal-scorer and expected to score and you feel like you need to score to contribute [and] you’re not.”"
Niederreiter was a key factor in the Canes’ win against New Jersey on February 14th. He scored a goal and added an assist, and has been in much better form since then, likely acquiring some confidence from his effort in that game – in which he was named the first star.
"“When you’re struggling you have to go back to the little things.” Niederreiter said. “I know I’m a shooter and know I have to make sure to get my shot off quick. [Scoring a goal] felt great.”"
The hope is that Niederreiter can really find his groove heading down the stretch, where he was critical for Carolina last year. He’s got just 3 goals on the powerplay all year – so that unit would be a starting point for him to get more involved with.
If Niederreiter can step-up his production in a big way (I’m talking like 7-10 goals in his final 20 games) his impact would be a vital piece of the Hurricanes’ playoff destiny. Regardless, the team needs more from El Nino, and there’s optimism that he can deliver.