Writers Roundtable: Approaching The Final Stretch

RALEIGH, NC. -Welcome to mid-March. Five months ago yesterday the Carolina Hurricanes hosted the New York Islanders, kicking off their 2021-22 regular season.
Now, we've got just six weeks to go and the trade deadline is literally days away from this writing.
The true stretch run to the 2022 playoffs will officially be on when the dust clears from the 3 p.m. ET March 21 deadline.
It's an exciting time for the game with the urgency building as the playoffs come more and more into focus. At least for those teams that will be in the 16-team mad scramble for the big silver cup, like the Hurricanes.
Let's take a look at the state of the team and several other items.

Scott Burnside: Well, Walt, the let's start at the top or rather the race for the top which is a discussion the Hurricanes have been in on since blazing out of the gate back in October. As I pen this the Hurricanes are the top team in the Eastern Conference and are two points behind Colorado in the race for the Presidents' Trophy with a game in hand. They are two points ahead of Florida with the same number of games played. Of course this changes seemingly by the hour but it's a great stretch-run narrative. A little history lesson. Since 2002 three teams have won the Presidents' Trophy and gone on to win the Stanley Cup, Detroit in 2002 and 2008 and Chicago in 2013. So, do you actually believe in the 'race' for the Presidents' Trophy? Is it a worthy pursuit? For me I like the idea that striving to be the top regular season team which then means home ice advantage as long as you're in the playoff tournament adds some needed urgency for a team that is more or less assured a playoff spot. What say you on this matter?
Walt Ruff: I'll be honest, I don't see the Presidents' Trophy as a high-ranking honor. Few remember who finishes the regular season with the best record, it's all about who is the last team standing at the end of the postseason, right?
Burnside: Let me follow that up with this. The only team with fewer home regulation losses than Carolina's four (they are 23-4-2 at this moment) is Colorado with three. And having watched on the edge of my seat the recent Hurricanes 2-0 win over the powerful Avalanche in Raleigh, the first time the Avs were shut out this season, I think there is a distinct value in having home ice advantage for this Carolina team. Some teams it doesn't really matter home or away. And you can make the argument that starting on the road in a playoff series is actually desirable because the pressure is always on the home team especially early in a series. And of course the Hurricanes had home ice against Tampa in the second round last playoff year and dropped the first two games creating a hole from which they could not emerge. In other words home ice is an advantage unless it's not. Does any of that make sense or more to the point what sense do you make of this?
Ruff: I think the Canes are in a win-win position here. PNC Arena is one of the best home environments in the league, and even when they're not playing there, the team's 18 road wins rank tied for second in the league right now. They're just fine, home or road. Jordan Martinook offered a strong quote about the Raleigh-faithful after Saturday's win over Philadelphia, so you know the guys enjoy having the crowd behind them. On the other hand, when Rod Brind'Amour was asked earlier this year about why his team has had so much success on the road, he highlighted consistency as the reason. He shared that he likes his team to play the same way, home or road. Seems like it's worked out pretty well on both sides of the coin.

Burnside: I guess that's why they call them rookies, but it's been interesting to see how the head coach has handled promising first-year player Seth Jarvis. There was a time during one of our earlier roundtables when we might have been discussing Jarvis's place among the best rookies in the NHL but as is the case with lots of teenagers who make the jump from junior to the NHL the learning curve is steep and hitting the wall is a frequent rite of passage. Jarvis just turned 20, he's proven on many nights he's a skilled player who belongs in an NHL lineup. But he's also managed just two assists since Jan. 30 and hasn't scored since Jan. 21 and has missed the last couple of games resting a minor hip injury. These are crucial times for a young player and the great thing for Jarvis is that he has done the work to begin with as a responsible player on both sides of the puck which is critical to getting and keeping a place in Brind'Amour's lineup. But it won't hurt him to see some games from the press box and continue to work with Jeff Daniels and Brind'Amour as we hit the dog days of a long, long NHL season. The team's depth is going to be tested and tested again if the Canes are to go on the kind of playoff run their regular season suggests is possible. I'm positive the coaching staff are reinforcing to Jarvis that he's going to be a part of that, and maybe a big part. You spent time with Jarvis and spoke to
his family about his assimilation in a fine piece
Walt, what is your take on what happens down the stretch for the young forward and this current stretch for him?
Ruff: The recent injury is obviously a bummer, but anything that happens the rest of the way is a good learning experience for Seth. Him getting and staying healthy is the first priority. If he can contribute when in the lineup, that's fantastic too. Keep in mind though, this is just year one of what will hopefully be a 20-year career for Jarvis. Not many rookies get to experience the playoffs in their first year, but he will. That's not something that is going to leave him either. He's part of a group that will most likely be expected to make the playoffs again next year and the next several years, given the youth of their current core of players.

Burnside: At one point not too long ago you and I were talking about players poised to have a strong second half and I think I highlighted captain Jordan Staal. (Do you like how I subtly dropped in a rare solid prediction victory by me?) Since February 10 Staal has picked up six goals and added four assists including a game-winning goal against Columbus and a two-goal performance against his old mates from Pittsburgh. Staal, for me, is one of those rare players whose value far exceeds his presence on the score sheet. Still, it must feel good to be contributing on that level for Staal. Have you seen anything in Staal's play that has been different in recent weeks Walt? And by extension it's hard to explain how important Staal's line that includes Jesper Fast and Nino Niederreiter has been in shutting down opposing teams' top players while contributing offense on a regular basis thanks to their relentless forechecking and puck pursuit. That's a playoff line if ever there was one. By the way, that line needs a good name Walt. Will you get on that please?
Ruff: Jordan's playing with confidence now, which, is something of course that is a lot easier to achieve when the numbers are there. Isn't it funny that we've seen the top six rotate pieces as of late, but there's been zero change to the third line? That's how good they've been. Production-wise, could you make the argument that Nino Niederreiter deserves a shot on one of the top two lines? Definitely. But the third line has just been so vital that and consistent that you can't split them up.

Burnside: And finally from my end Walt, just a nod to the effervescence and general upbeat nature of netminder Antti Raanta a.k.a. Father Finn who has proven himself of late not just to be a great mentor but a terrific yin to Frederik Andersen's yang. The playoffs are, of course, where everything gets proven. There is no doubt but when you look around the NHL and see the number of teams, especially contending teams, who have goaltending conundrums. The tandem of Anderson and Raanta, who have a Jennings Trophy awarded for the fewest goals allowed in the league within their sights, is a welcome security blanket. Not sure you could have drawn it up any better especially with Raanta going 7-3-1 in his last 11 decisions including the sparkling shutout in the aforementioned win over Colorado when Andersen wasn't feeling 100%. Walt, what do you make of Raanta's role of late and his overall importance on and off the ice?
Ruff: He's been simply fantastic. Especially when you remember that prior to the All-Star break he'd only played one game since returning from a pair of injuries. Everything in the six weeks since then has stemmed from Whalers Night against the Devils on January 29. He said it himself. He had a strong outing in that win, stopping 24 of 25, allowing him to feel like he was back to his game. He's kept that rolling in practice, then got a big opportunity to start a stretch of games. Now he, like we talked about with Staal above, is playing with a ton of confidence. Until he has a bad outing, I don't see that changing. That's a really good sign for the Canes.
Worth A Click:
Stepan's Ride To Raleigh & Fit With The Canes
Canes, Caps Rivalry Going Outdoors
Jarvis Adjusting To Life In The NHL
Hurricanes March Schedule