Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Marek was right about the Flyers episode, on the Carolina Hurricanes and how things aren’t going well and is it because of their goaltending?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Okay, Carolina Hurricanes. The Canadian swing, not good. Oh for four …”
Friedman: “Ungood.”
Marek: “… the Vancouver game. Yeah, ungood. A players only meeting.
Is it too simple to say that the Carolina Hurricanes are being undone by their goaltender?”
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Friedman: “First of all, I was going to say that this is the worst swing through Western Canada since Henry Hudson. And I thought I was so smart, except that some friends of mine who are actual students of history, said that Henry Hudson didn’t even get to Western Canada. They were like, Elliotte, where’s Henry Hudson on a map? It’s an Ontario. It doesn’t qualify as a trip to Western Canada. So anybody who’s got a better solution? Let me know.
I think goaltending is at the root of it. There’s no question and I. did you think (Antti) Raanta was that bad on Saturday? I didn’t.”
Marek: “Okay.”
Friedman: “Four goals, but I don’t think he was that bad. But goaltending is definitely at the root of it. And then like I said, I think they’re under the impression that or at least they are prepared for the eventuality that (Frederik) Andersen won’t play this year. Hopefully, that’ll be proven to be wrong, but I think they know that that’s a possibility. So, you know, we’ll see where that goes.
They, they might have to go out and get another goalie. I think what Brind’Amour is trying to say is, we can’t just use goaltending as an excuse. You know, even if the goaltending is undermining our game, we have to play a lot better than this.
And the other thing is, the reason for the team meeting, Brind’Amour, he ripped them in that interview on the bench in Edmonton. He was critical after the game in Calgary. You know, ultimately you reach a time where coaches can’t keep doing this over and over and over again. So I think the team meeting was like, we’ve got to take ownership.
And I think one of the things he’s trying to impress upon them and I have no doubt this was one of the messages, that even if our goaltending is terrible, and I’m sure they’re not saying that in front of the goalies, we have to be a lot better individually. Like Carolina, and it’s not just the losses, they don’t look like Carolina right now.
To me, the loss in Edmonton was bad. You know, Calgary, you’re up 2-0. I don’t care if you’re on the road, you should win that game. And Vancouver they didn’t play well. They looked awful in the first period, better in the second and Ron Maclean to his credit called it, it was 3-2 after two and he’s like, I think Vancouver is in trouble because Carolina is right there and they haven’t played well. They go right out and they tie it in they lose the game.
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This is not the Hurricanes we are used to seeing. And you can’t, like no matter what’s going wrong in goal, you can’t use it as an excuse to throw up your hands and say okay, we’re doomed and I think that’s what this is about.”
