Deprecated: Automatic conversion of false to array is deprecated in /var/www/hockeybuzz.com/classes/clsBlog.php on line 243 HockeyBuzz.com - Ben Shelley - Penalty kill and goaltending struggles among biggest issues for Hurricanes
Surprisingly, it’s been a tough start to the season for the Carolina Hurricanes.
After steadily improving year after year, the Hurricanes have developed a reputation as a hard-working, defensively-responsible group that’s going to be tough to beat every night. Especially with offseason additions factored in, the Hurricanes looked pretty set on paper.
But while a 3-3-0 record to start the season doesn’t look too bad, there are reasons for concern.
Heading into Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, the biggest issue for the Hurricanes was that they were allowing goals at an alarming rate. Coming off a 7-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken, in which they allowed two power play goals and a shorthanded goal, it would’ve been great to see them rebound for a defensively-sound outing.
The first period wasn’t bad, with the Hurricanes opening the scoring late in the frame. However, while it looked like they’d take the lead to intermission, the Avalanche managed to tie the game with just seconds left in the period on the power play. It wasn’t exactly what you wanted to see after concerns about their penalty kill were already present, but regardless, a 1-1 tie through 20 minutes against a strong team on the road isn’t the worst spot to be.
However, it was the second period where things fell apart. Despite allowing only eight shots, the Hurricanes gave up five goals in the frame, including one shorthanded tally, and two more power play goals, to find themselves down 6-3 after 40 minutes. While they got one back in the third period, it was a really ugly loss, falling 6-4 thanks to the nightmare second period.
Obviously, the biggest factor is the Hurricanes just can’t keep the puck out of their net. With 30 goals allowed across their first six games, their average of five goals against per game is higher than any other team in the league.
To start, the penalty kill has been terrible. As of now, the Hurricanes have the fourth-worst penalty kill in the NHL, sitting at 68 percent. After allowing only 40 goals while shorthanded through all of last season (and having the second-best penalty kill in the league), the Hurricanes have already allowed nine power play goals through just six games. Seven of those goals have come just over their last three games.
I do hesitate to say the Hurricanes have been significantly worse defensively at even strength than past years. There have been more breakdowns, but they’re still allowing an average of just 27 shots per game, the third-fewest in the NHL this season. Especially looking at the individual impact of defensemen, every member of the top-four group also has an expected goals percentage of above 50 percent at even strength (according to NaturalStatTrick.com).
However, it’s difficult to draw positives from the play of Dmitry Orlov and Tony DeAngelo. Say all you want about plus-minus as a stat, but it can tell a story at times. Each member of the top-four group has a plus-minus ranging from plus-2 to plus-5. In contrast, DeAngelo sits at a minus-six, while Orlov sits at a minus-10 already.
The Hurricanes have been using Jalen Chatfield as a seventh defenseman for much of the season, but hopefully, the team does continue to use him more and considers scratching DeAngelo altogether. Perhaps a more defensively-stable partner could help to turn things around for Orlov.
But goaltending also plays a huge factor and at the end of the day, you need saves.
Frederik Andersen played well in the season opener (despite allowing one weak goal), and then didn’t have much of a chance on a lot of the goals allowed in the win over the Los Angeles Kings. But then he got hurt, turning the net over to Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov.
Through three games, Raanta holds an .818 save percentage, with 10 goals allowed on 55 shots. Kochetkov wasn't much better between his start and a relief appearance, with an .822 save percentage, stopping 37 of 45 shots. A combined 18 goals allowed on 100 shots is tough to overcome.
On the bright side, one of the main concerns for the Hurricanes this season was their ability to bury their chances, and this just hasn’t been an issue so far. Carolina ranks second in the NHL in goals per game, and their power play has actually been reasonably effective. Teuvo Teravainen has bounced back, Michael Bunting has fit well, and key young talent in Martin Necas, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Seth Jarvis are all off to hot starts.
Carolina is also still without key players, as Andrei Svechnikov works his way back to game action, while the Hurricanes have been without Sebastian Aho for half their games thus far as well.
But between the penalty kill, their additions on the blue line struggling, and poor goaltending, it’s going to be tough to win games if they continue to allow goals at this rate. It’s still very, very early in the season, and a 3-3-0 record itself really isn’t all that bad, but the Hurricanes’ performance across the early stretch of the season has raised concerns.
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