The Carolina Hurricanes kicked off the 2023-24 season with an exciting win at home. In what was a slow start against the Ottawa Senators, the Hurricanes settled into their game in the second period, then gave up a 3 to 1 lead, to turn around and ultimately win 5 to 3. Captain Jordan Staal was awarded the game’s first star with one goal and one assist. But as exciting as the win was, the Hurricanes have a long road trip upcoming that presents its own challenges and opportunities.
The Hurricanes Season Opener in the Rearview Mirror
The Hurricanes 2023-24 season is finally upon us. And it all started with game one. Will the team pick up where they left off last year? How will the new guys fit? Will weak points see improvement? We like to jump to assess these questions after opening night but the reality is it was game one of a long season. But that also doesn’t mean winning at home to kick off the season isn’t good for the team.
Rod Brind’Amour preaches taking every moment one by one and enjoying it while in it. You enjoy it, then move to the next one. And the Hurricanes have their eyes set high. Every point counts and every game matters, absolutely. But winning at home to open the season is arguably more important for the fanbase and was an exciting way to kick off the season in front of a truly impressively sized crowd.
NHL Attendance, games on 10/11/23#CauseChaos – 18,893 (101.1%)#LeafsForever – 18,948 (100.7%)#NHLBruins – 17,565 (100%)#GoKingsGo – 18,145 (99.5%)#Canucks – 18,706 (99.1%)#Flames – 17,414 (90.2%)
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) October 12, 2023
Brief Observations from the Season Opener
There were certainly some highs and lows from the game as Carolina’s skill and experience ultimately shined through. The power play wasn’t overall more impressive than last year’s (including giving up a shorthanded goal) BUT newcomer Michael Bunting showed that this area may be seeing an improvement this year. In the second period, Bunting got the tieing goal playing down low on the power play. He drove the net after receiving the puck from Sebastian Aho and stuffed the puck in far side. A positive sight to see.
Meanwhile, other newcomers in Dmitry Orlov and Anthony DeAngelo had decent games but weren’t without some gaffs. With the first game jitters and adjustments to a new team, this is somewhat expected. One of the highlights, however, of Orlov’s game was his old-school hip check on Mathieu Joseph. This hit was somewhat reminiscent of another Russian in the Hurricanes system in Alexander Nikishin.
The Dmitry Orlov Booty Bump?
Mathieu Joseph goes flying after trying to go outside-in on the new #Canes defender. pic.twitter.com/DCwUzeDtZr
— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) October 12, 2023
One other positive from the opening night win was Teuvo Teravainen‘s play. He looked more like himself and scored a big goal in the second period. Teravainen’s resurgence is going to be a big part of Carolina’s success this season.
The Looming Long Road Trip
As exciting and fun as opening night was for the Hurricanes, the team will travel to the West Coast next for a five-game swing while ending in Tampa Bay to conclude the road trip. This road stint is a yearly tradition for the Hurricanes as the North Carolina State Fair occurs in October each year right next to PNC Arena, necessitating its parking space for fairgoers. Coming out of preseason and game one, this road trip presents both opportunities and challenges for the Hurricanes.
The list of opponents includes the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning. Each team will present a different city and challenge to the Hurricanes.
The Kings are a budding team on the rise following a return to the playoffs last season. The Ducks and Sharks are teams in the midst of rebuilds but could prove troublesome if overlooked. The Kraken are also on the rise and have a fairly solid team from top to bottom looking to improve on their first-ever postseason appearance last year.
Then there is Colorado, the Stanley Cup Champions from two seasons ago with one of the top forwards in the league in Nathan MacKinnon and defencemen in Cale Makar. And even though they are going through some adjusting following their years of Stanley Cup success, the Lightning still have the star power to prove deadly, even if Andrei Vasilevskiy remains out with injury.
Challenges of the Hurricanes Road Trip
The challenges that come with an early road trip are firstly self-evident. A different city every day or two, with a different bed, different routine, and so on. There is always a degree of fatigue associated with travel so mental toughness becomes essential. But the Hurricanes road trip is not specific to Carolina in these challenges. Every team faces it. And they are professionals who (mostly) have done it before. If there is a coach to show the team mental toughness, it is Brind’Amour.
While each game is just one game, the cumulation of the results of the road trip can set the team up early for success or start them in a hole. It may not be major, but the pressure to perform well on the road can add to the road trip struggles.
Fortunately for Carolina, most of the team has been together for a while. But getting the new players acclimated quickly to the system may be somewhat difficult with the distractions of road travel and pressures mentioned. With that said, the Hurricanes road trip may also actually help in this regard (see below).
The Opportunity from an Early Road Trip
The Hurricanes road trip could also be a benefit to the team, believe it or not. It’ll certainly be tough for the players to be away from their routines and families. But while the road trip provides its own distractions, it also provides a time period where essentially the sole focus for the players is hockey. This is especially beneficial for the newcomers. The road trip forces the players to spend lots of time together and rally through the challenges mentioned above. It can build chemistry. And as much as physical health is essential for the year, mental fortitude is equally vital. Especially come playoff time.
The focus on hockey can also provide the team with opportunities to figure out specific aspects of the game such as the power play and line combinations. For Carolina, Andrei Svechnikov missed the season opener and is questionable for this road trip. The team ran with an 11-7 lineup against Ottawa but may utilize this road trip to rotate Brendan Lemieux into the lineup too. The time away from home may act as a bubble-type atmosphere for the team to work out some kinks and try different things early.
If the Hurricanes come out of this road trip swing with a winning record their season will be off to a great start. But even if not, it provides the team with learning lessons to carry throughout the year. This is the benefit of getting the road trip done early. And speaking of getting it done early, the team will knock out matchups with many West Coast teams early. As the season comes closer to a close, rest will become more important. Last season’s early road trip ended 3-1-1 for Carolina. Hopefully, Carolina can see a winning record over the next six games again.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
