Emotional Rescue
Dec 2, 2008
Emotional Rescue...
I closed out Sunday's blog by saying that the Canes would make a statement in their game against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Well, they did. Unfortunately, it's not the one we all wanted or expected. However, it's the same one we have been looking at for weeks. The Canes play sporadically well. The come hard, go away, come hard again. In some games the efforts have been relatively complete. In others goal tending has camouflaged spotty defensive play. Others, well just not that good. There's has been much said over the last twenty four hours about the power play, coaching, everybody searching for reasons. One thing that I notice with this group is the "sameness" of their emotional make-up. They seem to be a team that comes up flat when the chips are down. Sure there are responses like the one Friday afternoon in Philadelphia. But for the most part when you analyze the entire body of work, the Canes don't measure up in the department of physical intensity.
Getting Scott Walker and Tim Gleason back in the line up will certainly help this intangible. But do the Canes need something else ? Are the really tough to play against ? Is there enough grit ? I'm not certain. You see this league is really close player for player. I know many of you are tired of hearing that. As cliche as it is, it's bang on ! There is a line that needs to be crossed every game and it come with "grit". Even teams like Detroit and San Jose who have boatload of talent will lean on this. Ask anyone in the Red Wing locker room and they will tell you that they have to out work the other side, not out talent them. Ryan Clowe, Mike Grier or Douglas Murray will launch a huge hit to augment the talents of Thornton, Marleau and Boyle in San Jose. Are the Canes getting enough of this ? When the chips are down do the Canes have the impetus to change the emotional tenor of that game ?
Maybe (again just a humble opinion) the Hurricanes should look at changing this mix. A trade to bring in some size and jam to the forward ranks might be needed. Maybe it's a recall of Tim Conboy. The Hurricanes have already placed Joe Melichar on waivers and with no takers he appears to be a spare part. Possibly an infusion of the same voracity he displayed last season is needed. Give Wade Brookbank a riding mate. Change the fourth line dynamic. Make it grinding force. That can play meaningful minutes.
Again, this has nothing to do with Eric Staal finding his game, the power play finding rhythm, the man behind the bench (who I say should stay) or surviving Cam Ward's injury. All of which I would rank in that order in terms of matters of importance. But this team is not clicking in the hardest, most identifiable trait of any hockey team, emotion.
If they can change that, maybe it's a start.
Just a thought
