I see it, you see it, they feel it, they're going through a rough patch right now.
The only solace I can provide right now is that there's no way this can last forever. I know it didn't cure all frustrations but at least they got on the board in the third. Yes, it was almost a tease, but it was some life. Especially for the power play. The power play isn't going to go 1-for-21 repeatedly. The team isn't going to only earn three goals on 89 shots often. A lot of coaches (and players) will say that hockey is a game of bounces. They just aren't going the Canes way right now. But it won't be that way for much longer.
Key guys are] out. I'm holding off on freaking out until everyone is back. Just gotta hang in there a little longer. [@Timberguy871
Refreshing take given the current climate, Nathan. Thanks for this.
Perhaps I'm too much of an optimist, blame it on me not being here during some of the more difficult times for this franchise - but I'm with you.
Similar to what I was referencing above in terms of getting the bounces, it's very possible some start to kick the Canes way Saturday, whether any of the three recent absences (Ethan Bear, DeAngelo, Brett Pesce) are back in the lineup. I'll go into more in just a second, but Jalen Chatfield and Max Lajoie have actually been more than fine.
I think we all saw given how this team played during the first month of the season that that is more of the true identity of this team, not the way the last two weeks have gone. As Antti Raanta said last night, "it's not like we're playing bad, bad hockey". Bad hockey teams don't put up 49 shots on goal. Especially two nights after putting up 40.
Can we talk about how much the defenders we lost to COVID-19 play a role in setting up the offense? Huge blow to this team right now. - @WxCane
Good observations, Ryan. There's two points regarding this that I want to make.
As I just typed out above, Chatfield and Lajoie have provided that they are capable through their first two games. Now, have they provided the same production stats as those who they are filling in for? No, but that's a little unfair to expect. They were thrown in with little heads up and both have had to play minutes. For those who are interested in the analytics side of things, the two have actually been