Learning from Regular Season Mistakes
It is critical for the Carolina Hurricanes to take in the lessons learned before
The Rangers swept the Hurricanes in their regular-season matchups, which presents plenty of learning opportunities for the Canes. With the season still on pause, the Hurricanes have time to study the mistakes each game and make the necessary adjustments.
One such mistake is giving up pucks close to the goal. The lesson here folks is to play every single puck until the whistle. While James Reimer and Petr Mrazek have both been excellent for most of the season, rebound control was something that Mrazek certainly struggled with at times. The D line must be ready to capitalize on any loose pucks whether the netminder makes contact or not.
The shot chart below shows just how telling this issue is. This shot chart looks very similar to the other three regular-season contests with the Rangers. While Mrazek’s rebound control could and should be better, the D line must also focus on seeing each puck through until the whistle.
Here are the shot shots for the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers in their last match-up in PNC Arena. Petr was in the net. They lost that game 5-2. Notice the trend of where New York scores from?
— Cardiac Cane (@CardiacCane) May 24, 2020
(Courtesty of @hockey_ref) pic.twitter.com/TEQ3yUfg3O
I believe that the Hurricanes will learn from these mistakes and that the healthy return of Mrazek, Reimer, and defensive key Dougie Hamilton will make the difference in the postseason.