Ronnie's Axe

Ron Francis flexed his new-found general manager muscles last week, firing Carolina Hurricanes Kirk Muller as well as assistants John MacLean and David Lewis. Having gone 80-80-27 in his 3 years as the Canes' head coach, Muller found himself the inevitable target of Ronnie's axe. Wasting no time in the mere week that he has been the GM, Francis swung the axe swiftly and directly, like aiming a slapper toward the top shelf. Fellow Hurricanes legend Rod Brind'Amour avoided the axing as Francis explained, "Roddy really didn't have a prominent role on this staff." (What exactly does that mean?)

Ronnie alerted those who may have been tempted to breathe a sigh of relief that they had been spared that, "nobody on the roster is untouchable." Whoa now Ronnie. You can't mean Eric Staal or brother Jordan or Cam Ward or Alexander Semin. Think of how much you are paying them. Let's not get carried away with that axe.

Does it really matter that this is the 3rd coach and assistants that "the core" has successfully led to the unemployment line? A friend and reader of this blog emailed me a question that seriously needs to be answered: "At what point is "the core" responsible for the Hurricanes' failure to make the playoffs?" Questions like that may just have Ronnie sharpening that axe sooner than later, if he truly is going to stand by his "nobody is untouchable" assertion.

I am not suggesting that E or J Staal need to be axed. I certainly feel like Semin is a huge asset to the team. And I'm not really in favor of lopping off Cam Ward, even though it would potentially free up cap space. The hockey media seem content to give Eric a pass due to his injury and possibly coming back to soon at the beginning of the season. Rutherford said that Jordan had a better season than what it may have seemed. And what's better than having Cam in the mix along with Khudobin in goal? But the question remains about this team and its recent run of coaching changes. Whose fault is it really?

(I'd really be bummed if GM Francis swung the axe at Chuck Kaiton. Even if nobody is untouchable, certainly the Hall of Fame voice of the Carolina Hurricanes is safe. I mean who else could pronounce all those French and Russian names?)

As to the hiring of the new coach, Ron Francis says that the team hopes to have someone in place prior to the draft. My friend also affirmed what a lot of Caniacs believe in telling me that "the new coach should have NHL head coaching experience." I agree. For all of his on-ice success, Muller had never head-coached in the league, and perhaps it led to his inability to get consistency out of his players. It's been said that he tried to get Eric Staal to play out of his normal comfort zone. The new guy will hopefully be able to draw out the best of the team's individual players without trying force them into roles for which they are not best-suited.

So Ron Francis is large and in charge. He is now "the man" in Carolina hockey. For fans, it could be just what the doctor ordered to end the long playoff drought. (Someone be sure to tell the new coach on day 1 that we are not "re-building" and don't care to wait 3-5 more years for playoff tickets.) I think undoubtedly Francis has the respect of the Hurricanes nation for his on-ice legend. We are hoping that he will engender the same respect for his off-ice management of this team. By the way, can someone tell him to axe the "Aftermath" radio show, or at least have them stop repeating themselves 6-8 times after a game, and calling it a post-game show. Take a tip from television, MM, 30 minutes is more than enough. I mean if nobody is untouchable...

Looking Ahead...Patiently

Yesterday was the last game of the season for the Carolina Hurricanes. As is usual, season's-end gives way to much opining from all corners - the fans, the media, the pundits, and last week even the owner of the Canes, Peter Karmanos himself. Everyone has an opinion, including yours truly. At the end of the day, however, the common thread is a desire to have a winning team again here in Carolina.

In an interview with Carolina television play-by-play talent, John Forslund, owner, Peter Karmanos raised plenty of eyebrows and even more hackles when he announced that the Canes are a pretty good team and that the fans just need to be "more patient than they have been." After years of missing the playoffs, there are few things he could have possibly said that would have been less well-received than imploring fans' patience.

In Peter's defense, rare is the owner who will publicly berate his team. Most are rarely heard from, and certainly do not make a habit of bemoaning their teams' performance in front of a microphone. Those fans wanting to hear Karmanos say, "This team sucks," are likely in for a long wait. However for him to play the "patience" card was lame at best.

Canes fans are some of the most loyal in the NHL. They have and will continue to be patient. But, it would be easier to extract this virtue if management gave some indication that they are not content with the status quo. Had Peter been forthright and said something akin to, "I know we are not living up to expectations," fans may have been a bit more understanding, and patience would have been a natural by-product. His statements instead gave rise to visions of just another owner with his head up his aspirations of personal success, with no sense of reality regarding his fan base.

So in the spirit of opining, here is my take on state of the Carolina Hurricanes. I love the potential. No really. I think that the young stable of talent has enormous potential. "Skins" had a career-high 33 goals this season, and has shown that he is a legitimate scoring force when he is on his game. Elias "Lindy" Lindholm has shown skating magic at times, a nose for the net, and a maturity beyond his youth. If Carolina can keep him and develop him over the next few years, I see a real star in the making.

Other young talent is on this team, and I think this is where management needs to focus its building efforts. Justin Faulk at 22, Anton Khudobin at 27, Brett Bellemore at 25, Nathan Gerbe at 26, Andrej Sekera (out 6 weeks with abdominal surgery) at 27 are just a few of the young guns I would try to build around. Riley Nash and Ryan Murphy and even Jordan Staal (shock!) are also keepers in my opinion. Today's agreement with Boston College center Patrick Brown could be a promising move. We'll see.

And I like the "30+ club guys" Jay Harrison, Ron Hainsey a lot. 30-year old Alexander Semin is about to have wrist injury - (is that "upper body")? I think he has a lot to offer this team. In my mind, he is definitely a key to the Canes' future.

This brings us to the Captain, Eric Staal. At 29, is he still technically a "young gun?" Much has been made of his less than superstar-caliber season. But he still led this team in points, and can still deliver. I agree he has not lived up to expectations of late. The overriding question is, "Whose fault is that?" It's been asserted that Coach Muller has tried to force him into a style of play that is not his strength. Maybe so. But Staal IS a superstar-caliber player. I told a friend last week that it would not surprise me one bit if the Canes traded him and he went on to have his best season ever. This team needs the Captain. Coach Muller - if he is still the coach - needs to adapt his game-plan and put E. Staal in the best possible position to play his best.

Regarding goal-tending, I think that Anton Khudobin is the future of this franchise between the pipes. Do the Canes keep Cam Ward as a strong second - if he wanted to stay? Or, do they shop his fat contract and hope for something viable in return? If it were me, I'd thank him for all he has done, shop him, and see what's out there. If there are no takers, then worse things could happen then having him as a backup to Khudobin.

Certainly there are other issues to address beyond the scope of this one article. The biggest of which is related to management. Rumors are swirling that Muller is out. If true, who will be the new coach? Is it time for another Peter Laviolette run? John Tortorella of the Canucks might be looking soon.

Furthermore, will Jim Rutherford give the GM duties to Ron Francis? If so, will Ron smile for the first time since moving to the management side of the ice? How much will Rutherford try to hold onto if he stays on as president? Will he stay on as president?

The summer will certainly be interesting for Canes fans. Let's hope it will bear witness to the start of a new culture of wining in Carolina. I said management is the biggest issue, when in reality the culture is what needs help more than anything. I guess we will have to be patient.

Question: Should Kirk Muller be let go? If so, who should the 'Canes hire as their new head coach? Make your vote in the comments section below.

Back to the Future

Well whaddya know. The Carolina Hurricanes actually look like a playoff-caliber hockey team. After a disappointing shoot-out loss Monday night to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Canes squared off against a very strong Pittsburgh Penguin team, which was a win away from securing the Metropolitan Division crown. No way the Carolina would beat the Pens in Pittsburgh, right? Not so fast. The Canes left the Steel City with a 4-1 win, having turned in a very solid performance against one of hockey's big boys.

Carolina came out flat as has been their norm for weeks. But instead of mailing it in after Chris Kunitz' goal in the first, they tied it up on a Justin Faulk goal a few minutes later. The Canes were playing much better and appeared more focused than they were at the beginning of the game.

The 2nd period belonged to the young guns; one could argue the future of this franchise. With two assists by Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm drilled in two goals and put the Canes up 3-1. Skinner was playing unusually well front to back all game. It is easy to love Jeff

Skinner, and even easier to get frustrated with him. When he shines like he can and did last night, his subpar play at times is hard to tolerate. Jeff Skinner is definitely past of the future success of the Carolina Hurricanes - if he can be coached to play with heart every night.

Elias Lindholm is a freakishly good talent. Yes, he is young. But I am convinced that alongside Nash and Skinner, Lindholm can be a part of the Canes' future as much as Skinner. His on-ice flashes of footwork and ability to go top-shelf with ease make him a real threat to score. As with Skinner, can he be coached up to the full development of his talent as he matures? Will he be with Carolina long-term? If so, I think the Hurricanes have a solid block on which to build.

Anton Khudobin was excellent in goal, stopping 30 of 31 shots and notching his 17th win. He definitely has to be included in conversations about the Canes' future. Cam Ward is by no means, "old," but Khudobin is proving himself to be a solid force in-goal. He stopped 11 in the 3rd period when the Penguins were really getting after it.

Jay Harrison is a keeper, in my opinion. Canes fans have to love his grit. He hit Sid the Kid a bit too hard and they were on. Crosby had him pinned but Jay was not rolling over for the Penguins' captain. If the refs hadn't come when they did, Harrison would have landed some serious blows to #87. Harrison is showing real heart for this team, and is not afraid to scrap it up.  He could be another important piece of the future.

So while it looks like there will be no playoffs for this year's edition of the Carolina Hurricanes, the play of late by the younger members of the team could be the boost they need for the future. If true to form, however, the front office can make moves that upset the potential playoff apple cart for next year. So we will watch, wait, and hope that good things are ahead for the Canes.

Who Are These Guys?

Here we are, 9 points out with 10 games left to play. The Carolina Hurricanes are inching closer and closer to playoff exclusion with each passing day. After looking strong on their recent road trip, hopeful fans felt a glimmer that maybe the words "mathematically possible" were not too daunting - maybe the Canes would make the playoffs after all.  The team seemed to be finding its groove, responding to Coach Muller's exhortations, and taking each game seriously.  Then there was last night...

Who are these guys? The New York Islanders jumped onto the ice ready to compete. The Hurricanes - not so much. After blasting Cam Ward out of the net with 3 quick goals, the Islanders went up 4-0 in the first period. They had fired 10 shots before the Canes registered 1, forcing Ward to watch from the bench and Khudobin to try and stop the bleeding.


Period one ended with Carolina cutting the lead in half, 4-2.  Shot totals had evened a bit at 14-9. Visions of a 15-0 Islanders win were thankfully dissolved.  A more typical hockey game ensued in the 2nd period, with the Canes getting 2 more goals, and the Isles notching 1 more. Period 3 was hard fought defensively and the Canes eventually lose 5-4.  The final shot total was 32-28 in favor of New York. All in all, not a bad game if the Hurricanes could ignore the first 10 minutes. But they can't.

So who are these guys? Showing up for a few games, and being horribly down the next, makes it impossible to know which the is the real Carolina Hurricanes team. Even Coach Muller lamented, "It's a mystery why we come out so hesitant and afraid to play in the first period." If the head coach can't explain it, how are the fans going to be able to have any confidence in the team?  Jay Harrison said, "We clearly weren't ready to go...this can't be tolerated." I agree, Jay. Most if not all Hurricanes fans agree, too. This can't be tolerated. But what is the answer?

Cam Ward getting run after nine shots was horrid. Was it all his fault? Islanders coach Jack Capuano said, "...I don't think he (Ward) could have done anything." While the spotlight was on Cam, clearly the puck had to get through his teammates before getting past him. To be candid, defensively the Canes flat out stunk. Period.

Next up for Carolina is the Florida Panthers tomorrow night. Let's hope that the team shows up and plays hard from the opening puck-drop. Time is running out, as are the mathematical possibilities. Whatever the ingredient is that is missing from the fortitude of this team, not finding it could lead to more that JR stepping aside as general manager. It could lead to a very real scenario where we are literally asking, "Who are these guys" as the current team winds up torn down and rebuilding begins from scratch. I for one don't necessarily agree that a wholesale makeover is what the Canes need, but something is just not right.

Thanks, Coach

Head Coach Kirk Muller of the Carolina Hurricanes let his team know in no uncertain terms this past Monday that he was not happy with the team's effort, attitude, and what he described as "playing for the scoresheet." A good old-fashioned fiery rant from the coach, meant to inspire, motivate, and get guys thinking about the team instead of themselves. Great job, coach! But, where was this a few months ago?

I agree that the "the culture needs to change." Absolutely. The Canes have accepted mediocrity for far too long. However the seeds of winning are best sown in the pre-season, not with a handful of games left and only a "mathematically possible" chance of making the playoffs.

The team did respond Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, posting a 3-1 victory. Anton Khudobin stood on his head, making 46 saves - 18 of which were in the 3rd period while the Canes' offense launched 0 shots on goal. A new top line combination of the two Staal brothers and Semin seemed to have good chemistry, as have other line combinations over the past few weeks. The question remains as to what -if any - consistency we will see regarding line combinations during the remainder of the season.

The team did look much more inspired as compared to the dismal, lax effort over the weekend in Boston, and even worse at home against Edmonton. Losing to the last place team in the Western Conference, especially at home on military appreciation Sunday was painful - not so much due to the loss, but due to the noticeable lack of effort.

The long-term results of Coach Muller's colorfully inspirational speech remain to be seen. But there is one certainty that the fans loudly echo from his speech - the culture has to change. Winning is an attitude, but unfortunately so is losing. It's past time for the Carolina Hurricanes to develop and maintain an attitude and team culture of winning.

Perhaps they can keep the winning momentum going Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that has shown in the recent past that it is possible to foster a winning culture. For the fans who Coach Muller said "really care about you guys," if not for the sake of personal and team pride, the Hurricanes must take a long look in the mirror and determine if they really believe and really want to win. That's where it starts.

'Canes Win!

The Carolina Hurricanes have won their last two games. Wow! Where has this team been? They have looked really sharp this week in their wins over the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. Launching 55 shots on net against Buffalo, the long-awaited offense has seemingly come alive. Cam Ward has returned, looking serious about staying between the pipes. And Jordan Staal is scoring. What is going on!

The "mathematical possibility" is still a reality as far as the 'Canes making the playoffs.  They trail Montreal with Detroit, Washington, New Jersey, and Ottawa all ahead of them - trying to catch the Habs for the last wild-card spot. With 16 games left, it may be "possible" but "miraculous" is likely a better description of their chances. And dropping the puck this afternoon against the Bruins - the NHL's hottest team at the moment, means they Hurricanes will have to bring their A game for all 3 periods not only today, but in every remaining game.

We will enjoy the rest of the season. Canes fans are loyal even if frustrated. And we will hope for the miraculous. Should the "math" turn against this team and vanquish them to their respective sofas for the playoffs, we will eagerly look to next year, hoping something good is being built in Raleigh.

If It Were December...

This past weekend brought us another round of Carolina Hurricanes hockey. Friday night the Canes took on the New York Rangers, and Saturday night made a trip to New Jersey to face the Devils. Carolina lost both games 4-2 and 5-4 respectively. More of the same sad results for an otherwise promising team.

Getting that all important first goal was something that pundits stressed the Canes had to do, but alas it was not enough against the Rangers. Allowing them to tally 4 goals in the 3rd was probably not in the pundits' "Keys to the Game" analysis. If it matters, Jordan Staal did score, lending an air of credence to Jim Rutherford's statements earlier in the day that, "Jordan's had a better season than it looks like."

Saturday night, the Hurricanes showed great resolve, fighting and scratching their way to a 4-4 tie in the 3rd against the Devils. Having run Anton Khudobin at 12:51 in the 2nd, the Devils were unable to get past Cam Ward until late in the 3rd period. Suddenly, it was the Tuomo Ruutu show. I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I said I heard John Forslund and Tripp Tracy say "Tuomo Ruutu" 12-15 times in the space of about 5 minutes. As a Canes fan, I was thrilled that the trade made a few days prior was working so well. Not only did the recently departed Hurricane score the winning goal, but he was everywhere, checking and passing and cutting off passes. It was his time on the ice, confirming yet again that the front office is on its game.

With 18 games remaining, it is a shame it is not December. The Canes showed flashes of some really good game this weekend, something that could have been built on early in the season. The type of game they actually did have earlier. They even scored on the power play. But now it is too little too late.

It's that time of year that has been all too familiar for the past several years for hockey fans in Carolina, playing out the schedule and hoping that next year will be different. At least if it were December we'd have Christmas to look forward to. In JR's world, that's known as the upcoming draft...Christmas is June.