The Blueline.....

[Nielson11]

I'm kind of ticked off that I'm moving away from Lethbridge in a season where the Hurricanes are expected to atleast be an exciting offensive squad.

Led by Boychuk and Fadden this Hurricanes team has a chance to lead the league in goals.

Looking at Red Deer (rebuild) and Edmonton (Expansion) you have to think if the Hurricanes don't make the playoffs it will be time for heads to roll.

With that said...they should make it...rather easily. I'm not sure about the goaltending....Maniago seemed to be up and down last year and we just won't know about Metsola until the season gets rolling.

The big question....The Blueline.

In the Herald today as certain someone was quoted saying he believes the Canes top four is as good as any in the division, HUH? Did Calgary all of a sudden stop playing in the central??

Canes Top Four - Wright, Craige, Kerr, Sbisa ?

Hitmen Top Four - Alzner (1st rounder), Plante (1st rounder), Seabrook (Drafted prospect) and Michael Stone (looked good last year at 16)

The bottom line is as talented as the forwards are this teams success will depend upon a very iffy defense.

I think Mike will have to do a great job working with his young blueliners this year. I think Mike is a pretty good coach so heres hoping.

Enjoy the season Lethbridge!

[shushu]

I'm kind of ticked off that I'm moving away from Lethbridge in a season where the Hurricanes are expected to atleast be an exciting offensive squad.

Led by Boychuk and Fadden this Hurricanes team has a chance to lead the league in goals.

Looking at Red Deer (rebuild) and Edmonton (Expansion) you have to think if the Hurricanes don't make the playoffs it will be time for heads to roll.

With that said...they should make it...rather easily. I'm not sure about the goaltending....Maniago seemed to be up and down last year and we just won't know about Metsola until the season gets rolling.

The big question....The Blueline.

In the Herald today as certain someone was quoted saying he believes the Canes top four is as good as any in the division, HUH? Did Calgary all of a sudden stop playing in the central??

Canes Top Four - Wright, Craige, Kerr, Sbisa ?

Hitmen Top Four - Alzner (1st rounder), Plante (1st rounder), Seabrook (Drafted prospect) and Michael Stone (looked good last year at 16)

The bottom line is as talented as the forwards are this teams success will depend upon a very iffy defense.

I think Mike will have to do a great job working with his young blueliners this year. I think Mike is a pretty good coach so heres hoping.

Enjoy the season Lethbridge!
thought you were very good on shaw............
dmen ... with brandon sitting on 3 very good 20's, maybe it time to purchase one before the rest of the league grabs them...the tigers, rebels and a number of other team seem to grab 20's before the deadline to ensure they get what they want.maybe we should to, even if it is expensive......also the canes report said this isnt our strong year "next year" is. god i hope that this doesn;t mean bringing in more player like knudsen as our third 20 so we can save up for my favorite word "next year"................................

[Tiger Trauma]

Tigers don't need 20's unless they were to trade straight up for one. I only see that happening if its for a defenceman.

Everyone is pegging calgary for first, and Edmonton for last. I think in between it should be fairly competittive.

But were not only competing with our own division this year. 4 teams in the Eastern Conference are now gonna miss the playoffs, with the new format.

Good Luck tonight, cant wait for tomorow!!

[Porkchop]

I thought after a very slow start that most of the guys played well against another good fast tigers team. The D looks better than last years! and thats a big bonus. Thank god many of the cane internet gm's don't call the shots. I vote that we need a big nasty winger.

[grainbear]

Again tonight our speed was neutralized by Medicine Hat by plugging the lanes in the center ice area. Call it what you want to me it is simply another version of a trap. The difference today was the Hat did it for 3 periods not just 2 1/2 . I come back to what I said previously we need more size to win those battles in the middle area of the ice. We talked about our speed pretty obvious that the Hat has there own brand of speed also . When over 50 % of our penalties are by the d-men and for the most part for holding and interference it is telling you that either our own d are struggling with the speed or that the wingers are not effectively assisting in the center ice area of the rink. We are still struggling on the power play and it is time for Dyck to at least modify his approach. Too often we have lanes open and no one shoots. This part of our game sucked last year and we are still seeing it . You can not win many games with under 20 shoots. If we are not going to have an enforcer on this team then we need to make teams pay for the transcretions on the power play. Oh well a least we now have a few days to correct our ways

[Porkchop]

an enforcer? This team needs more team players first. There are probably only 3 or 4 players on this team that would back up a team mate. I'd say only king, bancks, wright , and kerr would ever come to a team mates aid or try some kind of pay back. Its like last year again, shinny anyone. They better start to play as a team and back each other up. "Pass the Puck", that would be a good start and less shinny.
Can that desjardins ever coach. New players and same style, team play, and work ethic. If you don't work hard then he doesn't play you - hhmm.

[shushu]

an enforcer? This team needs more team players first. There are probably only 3 or 4 players on this team that would back up a team mate. I'd say only king, bancks, wright , and kerr would ever come to a team mates aid or try some kind of pay back. Its like last year again, shinny anyone. They better start to play as a team and back each other up. "Pass the Puck", that would be a good start and less shinny.
Can that desjardins ever coach. New players and same style, team play, and work ethic. If you don't work hard then he doesn't play you - hhmm.
desjardin and dyck, dycks the better man ;) ............ there doesn't seem to be improovement in dycks style of coaching, what you seen 2 years ago is what you will see 2 years from now. . . hopefully the canes do good this year ,but its starts to look like this is as good as its going to get from dyck, this is all he has to offer and all the time in the world ain't going to make it better...............

[grainbear]

I will agree with you that this team needs to step up and back each other up . That is not there , when I speak of an enforcer it should be enforcers in that if any one takes liberties with a teammate they are made to pay for it not by a goon but either putting the puck in the net on the insuing penalty or else delivering a message to the individual responsible everytime he touches the puck. To me the talent is there but if we have a lane to shoot we have to shoot the puck on the power play . The key word is lane and similar to last year we are wasting too many power plays not shooting enough . Yes cycle the puck but if you have a lane and traffic in front shoot the puck . Part of this also involves teaching players based on the angle of the shot where the puck is most likely to go if blocked by the goalie without corralling the rebound. If the goalies square it is coming straight back if not get the angle of rebound based on the angle shot from . We also need to win or tieup the puck on faceoffs particularly in our own zone .With the new rules with the faceoff going to the circle each time it allows the d-men way more space in the offensive zone to unload quickly from the point . Thus the need to at least delay the pass back to the d-man by tying up the puck or legally delaying the smooth transition from the centers stick to the d-man so that goaltenders and others can get to the appropriate spots based on the pucks postion Oh well , enough for this post