In a bit of a surprise start to everyone except their own GM, the Hurricanes are off to a 5-0 start this season and show no signs of slowing down.
AP - This follows a perfect preseason schedule as well where the Canes did not lose a game.
If there was a surprise for GM Jay Williams, it would be the play of the Canes second line who seem to be providing a bulk of the offense so far. Centered by newly acquired vet Eric Staal, wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Denis Gurianov are off to a hot start and the chemistry there can't be denied combining for 17 points in 5 games.
There was a lot of speculation surrounding bringing the aging vet back at the salary he signed for this offseason but so far the move seems to be paying dividends. The fans and brass are still waiting for John Tavares, Brayden Schenn, Victor Olofsson and Tyler Toffoli to start producing and this team should be really hard to play against once they start clicking.
The veteran D-corps seem to be holding their own led by All Star Goaltender Carey Price. A lot of negativity was deflected towards the Canes defense in that they were just too past their prime to be effective but they have been proving the naysayers wrong so far. Hopefully they have the stamina and endurance to keep playing sold D for the whole season.
Not only are the Canes playing well but their AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves also have a 5-0-1 record to start following a perfect preseason showing. Up and coming goaltender Adin Hill seems to be unbeatable so far and Taro Hirose leads the team in points with 5 goals in 6 games.
It's an exciting start to the season for the Hurricanes organization as both teams are definitely surging forward.
The Canes have some big games coming up against the Bruins, Blackhawks and Coyotes so wins might be a bit harder to come by. One thing for sure is that the fans are loving it, the owner and GM are loving it and we can't wait to see this team hopefully make the playoffs this year.