Cardiac Cane
Fansided

3 takeaways as Canes lose matinee on HFC night 4-2 to the Capitals

By Conor Power

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Jordan Staal #11 talks with Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of a game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on November 18, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Jordan Staal #11 talks with Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of a game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on November 18, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 22: Jesper Fast #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates for the puck during the first period of their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena on February 22, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 22: Jesper Fast #71 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates for the puck during the first period of their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena on February 22, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Carolina’s wasteful offense cost them

If you want a major reason the Canes could not defeat the Washington Capitals in this game, the first thing you point to is their inability to score on their best chances early in the first period. Multiple times they had the Washington netminder confused as to where the puck was or just lost at sea, and they missed the net or fired the puck right into the logo of the goalie to make it easy.

Carolina could have had three goals by the five-minute mark of this one, and it was just not good enough from the offense of what was the best team in the NHL. Things looked like they were going to start flowing after the high-scoring matinee game in Philadelphia, but the Canes offense has struggled with putting the rubber in the goal and it’s clearly a lingering issue for the team.

It’s not to say that the team isn’t generating chances. If they were not generating scoring opportunities, this would be a whole lot more concerning. It’s just annoying to watch such talented players get such great chances and watch them squander them. There’s no denying that every forward on this team can put the puck in the goal, with maybe one exception for the guy who ain’t got one.

Carolina’s offense has the ability to score 6 in a game as they did in Philadelphia. They have the ability to score on mass, they’ve done it a lot this year. It’s just concerning that when the team has all these great chances, they cannot put the puck in the goal and put a game to rest. It’s annoying for the fans, and we all know the coaching staff would love it if the team could win 10-0 every game.

Home/NHL News