Magic
Jan 15, 2009
Magic...
So the Hurricanes start a very long one game home stand tonight. You can put tonight's game in the" vital" category for me. Coming off a 0-3 roadie the Canes have forced themselves into a position of a "must have" tonight. Here come the Toronto Maple Leafs, losers of four straight and eight of their last ten. They are coming off a 2-0 home ice blanking by the "boys from Music City" and appear to be a mark the Canes can ill afford to let slip by at home. The Canes are in "TO" next week and in this parity party it's tough to beat a team twice in less than a week unless you are that much superior. The Leafs are too well coached and play too hard to put them in "inferior" state as opposed to our local heroes. So how do the Canes find the "magic" tonight. How do they snap the skid ? How do they score more than fours goals over the last three efforts. Here is one opinion on two ways to see it happen.
During the road trip it was quite evident in the offensive drought the Canes experienced that two of their best offensive players were hard to find. Both leading scorer Ray Whitney and best player Eric Staal were held in check. Tonight, if that happens they will be side by side. Staal and Whitney will play together on a line for the first time since November 6th. The last time the Leafs saw the Carolina crew the line was Whitney, Staal and Ryan Bayda. The last time Toronto was here in the first weekend of November it was Big 12 between the Wizard and Tuomo Ruutu, you will that see tonight. The Canes were not that bad then and it created a way two of the team's best offensive players could find their way. That was certainly the case in the off season and at the beginning of this one. Ray Whitney was excited about the opportunity to play along with Staal. Whitney's injury of last season (foot) and his ailments during training camp did not give ample time for what could be a dynamic duo a chance to jell. They played along side each other for a grand total of four games. After the Canes loss in LA on October 17th, they were split. The reemerged on October 30th in St. Louis and stayed together until November 6th and then 'splitsville". Now part of this change was the fact Sergei Samsonov did start to find a rhythm with the 'big man" and that worked for a long stretch. Ruutu, has been arguably been Carolina's most consistent forward. The fit was natural. Whitney, to his credit continued his scoring ways with Rod Brind'Amour and most recently an attempt was made with Matt Cullen. But the formula here is simple. The scoring has dried up. Your two best scorers don't seem to have the "magic" so why not give it a shot. This little hocus pocus act could do the trick.
Secondly, there has been something missing over the last two that has nothing to do with magic. It has everything to do with the Canes willingness to be ready to play. As a group they have talked about a lack of jam, passion, intensity. The coach has referred to "bad habits" of their past creeping into their game. Well, tonight they play their 20th game (9-7-3) under Paul Maurice. That's plenty of time for new habits to be instilled. The Canes have been victim of some lapses and breakdowns which have led some to believe it is a" ghost" of their past. Well in this opinion it's a product of their own abilities to get to the proper mindset to put in the work. The Canes have to get an edge back to their game. Play with a bite. Be honest with themselves and their work. At their best under this coach they worked very hard at a system which made them a far better fundamental team. Maybe their systematic win over New Jersey before the road demise was a tease. Without hard work and energy they will break down and make mistakes on their own accord. That has nothing to do with the past.
The Canes can get back to where they want to be tonight. There is an opportunity to find the magic. One way could be through a magical equation of combining two of their best players. The other, well there is nothing magical about it. Finish a check or two, play like you mean it and magic...it happens.
Enjoy !
