Canes are in good position at the season’s halfway point. Can they stay there?
For the Carolina Hurricanes, the numbers are telling at the halfway point of the season.
The Canes were 19-17-5 at the midpoint of the 2018-19 season and 10th in the Eastern Conference with 43 points. They were seven points out of playoff position, and that after winning four straight games.
This season the Canes are 24-15-2 and in the sixth spot in the East after the 4-3 loss Friday to the Washington Capitals. Through Saturday’s games, they held the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference with 50 points and were fourth in the Metropolitan Division.
“It’s pretty tight out there, especially in our division,” forward Teuvo Teravainen said Friday. “Everyone is just winning every game.”
The Canes made the Stanley Cup playoffs with 99 points last season. Barely. But it may take more than 100 points to get it done this year.
The Canes are 3-8-1 against Metro teams at the midpoint (6-6-2 in 2018-19). That has to change in the second half.
“Our division is stacked,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We’re going to have to just keep winning and stay on pace.”
A look at the Canes’ first half:
Best player
Defenseman Dougie Hamilton is headed to the NHL All-Star Weekend and among the league leaders for D-men with 13 goals and 37 points. He’s putting together a career season, no doubt, and has had Canes fans chanting “Doug-ie, Doug-ie” at PNC Arena.
But the most valuable player of the team has been forward Teuvo Teravainen. He leads the team in assists (33), points (41) and power-play points (17). He’s the Canes’ candidate for the “Last Men In” All-Star fan balloting and would be a worthy addition to the Metro team in St. Louis.
Best game
In terms of entertainment value, the Canes’ 6-4 home win over the Capitals three days after Christmas might have been the best. Big festive crowd, a lot of up-and-down skating. Warren Foegele, who has become something of a Caps killer, scored two goals and set up Hamilton for another.
Then again, a clutch road victory came Dec. 19, wrapping up a 4-0-1 trip that set a franchise record for points. Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho scored in the last 1:39 of regulation as the Canes shocked the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in Denver.
Best play
Is there any doubt? “The Svech” made its debut this season in the NHL as forward Andrei Svechnikov became the first player in league history to successfully score off a lacrosse move. And he did it twice.
The first, against Calgary at home on Oct. 29, took everyone but his teammates and coaches by surprise. Even with league goaltenders on alert, Svechnikov then beat Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck on Dec. 17 in a 6-3 road win.
Analytics, anyone?
In some ways the Canes are analytics darlings. According to Natural Stat Trick, the hockey analytics web site, Carolina leads the league in 5-on-5 Corsi percentage (55.2) and scoring-chance percentage (55.3).
They’re sixth in power-play percentage (24.2), which Brind’Amour calls the biggest improvement on the team from last year, and eighth in overall scoring (3.34 goals a game).
The flip side? The Canes are 26th in 5-on-5 shooting percentage (7.5).
What’s up with the PK?
The Canes can look air tight in killing penalties and then look very leaky. Overall, they were 10th in the league at 81.3 percent after Saturday’s games. They had a stretch of 19 games in November and December where they killed off 62 of 68 penalties but have allowed two power play goals in five of the past six games, including two against the Caps on Friday.
“When we’re not as aggressive and kind of let teams set up and play catch and we give their good players time and space, that’s not good for our kill,” defenseman Brett Pesce said Saturday. “The more aggressive we are and the more we’re up on our toes, the better we are. We’ve gotten away from that a little bit, so we definitely need to get back to that.”
As Brind’Amour said, the P.K. has to be a “difference-maker” for the Canes.
Quirky schedule (again)
There is never much rhyme or reason behind NHL scheduling when it comes to the Canes, it seems. The Canes have played the Florida Panthers of the Atlantic Division three times and face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday for the third time. They have yet to play the Pittsburgh Penguins, a Metro divisional opponent.
Pens star Sidney Crosby has had sports hernia surgery, been sidelined seven weeks and should soon return to the lineup. Several others, including Evgeny Malkin and Kris Letang, have missed games for Pittsburgh, second in the Metro after Saturday’s games.
“The first half was weird how the schedule was or whatever and we didn’t play a lot of division games,” Brind’Amour said. “Now, we’re loaded with them. The second half of the season is really where you’re going to see some things probably shake out.”
Biggest worry
Erik Haula’s right knee. The versatile center, who had major knee surgery last season, missed 15 consecutive games and 19 of 21 in November and December. Will knee problems continue to flare up, causing more missed time?
It has been a most challenging year for Haula, 28, and his wife, Kristen. This week, the couple posted on Instagram that they had lost their baby girl, whose due date was in May. As Brind’Amour said, “It’s one of those things in life that happens and it certainly takes on a lot more importance in the grand scheme of things than the game of hockey.”
Biggest need
A reduction in odd-man rushes against is a must, Brind’Amour said Saturday.
“I’d like to see us not give up as many Grade-A chances,” he said. “We seem to have a tendency to give up a few too many. If we can eliminate a couple of those a game it takes a little stress off our game.
“We’re certainly creating enough offense every game to win, so I like that. But we’ve got to do a better job of not letting guys get behind us. We can’t give up Grade-A chances out of nothing, where they really haven’t had to work for it.”
Biggest question
Is Justin Williams coming back? That question has been asked often since September. All signs point to last year’s captain returning soon but where would he best fit in the lineup once up to speed?
This story was originally published January 5, 2020 at 10:29 AM.
