Sound the Alarm

‘Canes country, it is almost time to hear the air raid siren once again. While the preseason thus far has been a little sub-par, there is no reason to get worried at all in Raleigh. In fact, after shocking the NHL with a surprise, Cinderella-esque run to the Eastern Conference Finals, there is a lot to be positive about Carolina hockey.

First of all,  Carolina’s offense in 09-10 is going to be stellar. All eyes are on Eric Staal, Carolina’s 40-goal center- with the likely linemates of veterans Eric Cole and Ray Whitney, the Hurricanes’ first line has the firepower and experience to light the lamp and score goals. However, the most remarkable thing about Carolina’s offense is simply the depth and how much talent is present on the team. That reason alone makes it hard to predict lines and combinations, because of the other forwards that are on the team:  Matt Cullen, Chad LaRose,  Jussi Jokinen, Rod Brind’Amour, Tuomo Ruutu all provide the offensive prowess that gives Carolina the goal-scoring they need.

Head coach Paul Maurice (as well as Canes Country) should be thrilled to see Aaron Ward and Eric Cole back to the team. They both have been welcomed back with open arms, and will be sure to produce this upcoming season. Heading into 2009, Carolina has 9 players from their Stanley Cup win in 2006. I’m looking to this veterans to lead the young guns of the squad.

Carolina’s blue line has not changed drastically, with the glaring exception of the re-acquired Aaron Ward. Not only is he back in Carolina, but he brings some veteran leadership and a commanding presence to the line. The other defensemen on the team, namely offensively-minded Pitkanen and Corvo (who led the defense in points, with 38) along with Wallin and Alberts to provide depth that Carolina can certainly brag about- this kind of talented spread is rare in the rest of the league.

Photo Credit: Conor Patrick (Raleigh, NC)

The Hurricanes’ ace in the hole, predictably, is the team’s other Ward, Cam. While the  NHL and the media do not give Cam Ward the kind of publicity that Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas get, ignoring him is a dire mistake that too many teams do. Underestimating Carolina’s goaltending is inadvisable. Ward has proved himself not only to be reliable (starting more than 60 games in the last two seasons) but as one of the league’s best, sporting stats such as a .916 save % and a GAA of 2.44.

In my opinion, the biggest goal that this team needs to achieve is to prove to the NHL that their playoff run last season was for real, and not a lucky fluke as some think. I can understand why people may interpret the two Game-7, sudden-death eliminations that the Hurricanes handed to Boston and New Jersey as lucky breaks, but the depth and skill that Carolina boasts is undeniable. This team is poised to steal the division title from Washington, but not without staying in the game all 60 minutes.

It may seem unfair, but the Hurricanes must prove themselves over and over as a Southern team- and they have the tools to rise to the challenge.