Start on time like what should have happened against Washington
Who remembers the last time the Canes had a normal 7 PM Eastern puck drop? It was against St Louis at PNC Arena. That is now 3 weeks ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, but hey, that’s how the NHL schedule goes sometimes. Now, Carolina gets to go home and settle into some form of normality after this game before they get shipped off to Western Canada again.
With the Canes custom to a non-traditional start time, it’s their finishing skills that have let them down time and again. They need to find a steady way to get the puck behind the netminder and into the goal behind them if they want to win and the best way to do that is to start on time. Pressure from the opening puck drop and you’ll give yourself a chance to win this one from the start.
Obviously, the Hurricanes will have to be ready from the drop of the puck in the American Airlines Center. This is still a team just two years removed from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and they can and will still clobber the Canes if given the chance. Carolina needs to stay alert and be ready for the push the Dallas Stars will have in front of their fans in the Lone Star State.
There are no easy games in this league, but Dallas has the making of a very beatable opponent. With half of the defensive unit missing, it’s not going to be fun or easy, but the Canes will be tasked with getting through this regardless of what the Stars do. You cannot worry about what isn’t at the game with you, you need to find a way to win with the 18 skaters and 2 netminders you have.