Last week, Dom (“copy and paste from Google”) Luszczyszyn wrote about the Carolina Hurricanes’ recent skid.
CAR has been a dominant shot volume creator under Rod Brind’Amour. Its success was primarily driven by relentless puck pursuit that allowed the team to play shoot-and-retrieve hockey until the opposition cried “uncle.”
Analyst Corey Sznajder’s tracking data revealed a troubling trend that may explain the Hurricanes’ struggles: they’ve given up more chances off the rush, which prevented them from getting back on offense and doing what they do best in the OZ.
2023-24 CAR Entry Defense
Last season, two CAR Dmen were below-average at denying rush chances: Brent Burns and Tony DeAngelo (unmarked).
2024-25 CAR Entry Defense
So far this season, the entire D corps has sagged, with only the sheltered pair of Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker remaining above league average. Note the positioning of Jalen Chatfield and Jaccob Slavin.
Carolina is comfortably in a playoff spot with a 17-9-1 record, but one tactical element needs to be addressed immediately: its neutral-zone forecheck.
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