Hurricanes open with return to playoffs as goal

The Carolina Hurricanes will again award the red fireman’s helmet to the player deemed most valuable in a victory.

This season, they plan to give it out before November.

“We’d definitely like to hand that out some time in October,” goalie Cam Ward said this week. “Best-case scenario is this week, this Thursday.”

That is, by winning the season opener. The Hurricanes begin the 2015-16 season with a road game Thursday, facing the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena, then return for their home opener Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings at PNC Arena.

A year ago, the Canes lost their first eight games, going 0-6-2 in October. It wasn’t until Nov. 1, when Ward shut out the Arizona Coyotes 3-0, that Canes coach Bill Peters earned his first victory as an NHL head coach and finally took the helmet out of his office, giving it to Ward.

The Preds, led by former Canes coach Peter Laviolette, were 47-25-10 last season and had the best home record in the Western Conference (28-9-4). They reached the Stanley Cup playoffs only to be ousted in the opening round by the Chicago Blackhawks, the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

The Canes, last in the Metropolitan Division last season, believe the addition of such players as forwards Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom, defenseman James Wisniewski and goalie Eddie Lack has made them a stronger team and perhaps a contender to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

“That’s my goal every year – I want to make the playoffs,” general manager Ron Francis said. “I think we’ve got a team that can do that. You need an invitation to the dance. Once you get there anything can happen.

“I’m not naive. I know how tough it is to get there. Only one team wins the Cup and nearly half our league, 14 teams, don’t make the playoffs. I know how tough it is but there’s a lot of parity in the league and a lot of games decided by one goal. … Hopefully the breaks go our way this year and we end up on the right end of those one-goal games.”

The Canes played the first 35 games last season without center Jordan Staal, who suffered a broken leg in the preseason. That was a gut-punch, causing a ripple effect through the lineup, and while Staal recovered the Canes never did.

Though the final record was 30-41-11, the Canes played better after Jan. 1, after getting a full grasp of the systems put in place by Peters and his staff. The power play and penalty kill were better last season, but there was one lingering problem: the Canes simply couldn’t score enough goals.

Carolina was 27th in the NHL in scoring with 2.23 goals a game, and one of the worst teams in five-on-five scoring. Ten of the games ended with 2-1 losses and the Canes were shut out eight times.

Peters believes the addition of Versteeg, with continued improvement from forwards Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask and a bounce-back season from winger Jeff Skinner – who dipped from a career-high 33 goals in 2013-14 to 18 last season – that should change.

Peters also expects more offensive help from the back end. Justin Faulk, named an alternate captain Wednesday, had a career-high 49 points last season and could push for 60. Wisniewski should help on the power play and Noah Hanifin, the fifth overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, may be ready at 18 to be a contributor.

“And if we can have a power play that starts off and is consistently good all year, then that will help also,” Peters said.

Nearly everyone has mentioned a more positive “vibe” in the locker room in preseason. Versteeg and Wisniewski are chatty types and Eddie Lack hardly bashful, but there has been more overall banter in the room.

“When I walk in the locker room they seem to be all excited and happy,” Francis said. “It doesn’t always translate to success on the ice but it certainly helps.

“I like that we’re a year into the new coach and have a better understanding of what we’re trying to do and the details we’re trying to put in our game and the accountability we’re asking from our players. I think that bodes well, knowing we’re going to get a good effort each and every night.”

The Canes have not won a season opener in North America since October 2008, winning only in Finland in 2010. Ward, who competed against Lack in training camp and earned the first start, hopes to change that.

“We all know Nashville is an electrifying atmosphere and their building will be loud,” Ward said. “It should be a tough challenge but I like the tough challenge right from the get-go. Hopefully it brings out the best in us.”

And the helmet gets handed out quickly.

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Hurricanes open with return to playoffs as goal."