It didn’t take Eric Staal long to show how well he can lead the Carolina Hurricanes.
Staal scored a season-high three goals in his first game since becoming Carolina’s captain and the Hurricanes beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2 on Thursday night for a rare road victory.” (Source: TSN)
As I talked about when Eric Staal was named the new captain of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday (link to Wednesday’s article), this was a move that made sense for the Hurricanes. Staal responds to his new role with a hat trick (3 goals..just in case) in his first game as the official leader of the ‘Canes, which you know is a huge confidence boost in the dressing room right when they needed it, and cemented his status in the eyes of his teammates.
This is the best case scenario for the young captain. The motivation for naming him captain might have been nothing more then to shake things up without spending money, show the fans that they’re trying to make changes but the net gain for the Hurricanes could be much greater if Staal can continue to lead with this kind of confidence.
On a side note, Eric Staal was somewhat of a surprise pick (Canada is very deep in talent, especially at center) for the Canadian Olympic team, given his mediocre season so far. If he can elevate his game in his new role in Carolina he could be a real contributor for Canada’s efforts in Vancouver next month.