Can Mrazek and Reimer give the Hurricanes an advantage in the condensed season?
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour likes stopping practice from time to time for a shootout shot, calling out the player.
A few days ago, Brind’Amour picked defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who beat goalie Petr Mrazek with a nasty top-shelf shot. A little later, Brind’Amour called on forward Ryan Dzingel, who beat goalie James Reimer. Then, defenseman Brett Pesce, who blasted a shot past Mrazek.
One of the more interesting one-on-one shootouts had forward Martin Necas testing Mrazek on Sunday. Necas bolted in and lifted a smooth backhander past the goalie in the duel of Czech mates who are good friends off the ice.
Brind’Amour’s reaction? No worries. He has said he likes seeing his guys score goals. Besides, he has trust in both Mrazek and Reimer, a goaltending duo who teamed up well to make the Hurricanes a playoff team last season and could decide if they will be Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL’s 2020-21 season.
The Canes open Thursday in Detroit against the Red Wings and play the Wings again Saturday. With the NHL doubling up on games to reduce travel during the pandemic, and with the Canes set for 10 back-to-back sets in the 56-game regular season, having the two experienced, dependable goalies should work to their advantage.
“It’s tough to ride one goalie in this schedule,” Brind’Amour said. “I don’t see how you could do it. It’s good to know we’ve already done this rotation with these two guys and feel real confident in it, and they both look good and ready to go.
“It sets up good for us. This type of schedule is not going to be an issue for us because we have two guys we like.”
Reimer said it could be much like 2013, when the NHL played a condensed 48-game regular-season schedule once the league’s labor issues were settled and the lockout ended. Or, he added, any season after the all-star break when the games seem to quickly escalate.
“It’s kind of a sprint and that’s what this season will be,” Reimer said on a media call. “If your guys can be fresh, and especially goaltenders, if you can have your legs every night and you’re getting in there regularly, I think it bodes well.”
The NHL will require teams to carry three goalies this season — there will be no emergency backup goalies in arenas — and Anton Forsberg could be the No. 3 goalie for the Canes after the Swede was acquired on waivers Tuesday.
The Canes placed goalie Alex Nedeljkovic on waivers while claiming Forsberg from the Edmonton Oilers. If Nedeljkovic goes unclaimed by noon Wednesday, he could be the Canes’ No. 3 goalie. If Nedeljkovic is claimed, Forsberg is set to be the Canes’ taxi-squad goalie.
With NHL rosters due Tuesday afternoon, the Canes announced forward Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz and Max McCormick; and defensemen Jake Bean and Joakim Ryan had been named to the taxi squad.
The Canes also assigned 13 players to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, including forward Seth Jarvis, their first-round draft pick in 2020, and forward Ryan Suzuki, their 2019 first-round selection.
Forsberg and Nedeljkovic spent last season with the Charlotte Checkers, then the Canes’ AHL affiliate. Both were needed in games for the Canes after the jolt of having Mrazek and Reimer injured in the Feb. 22 game against Toronto — the one that David Ayres entered as the emergency goalie and became an instant celebrity. Forsberg signed a free-agent contract with Edmonton after the season.
It will be interesting to see how Brind’Amour splits the goaltending workload. Mrazek played in 40 games and Reimer 25 last year before the pandemic brought the regular season to a halt, and Reimer’s numbers — a 2.66 goals-against average and .914 save percentage — were shade better than Mrazek’s 2.69 and .905.
In the playoffs held in the Toronto bubble, Mrazek had a 2.08 GAA and .929 save percentage in five games and Reimer 2.36 and .934 in three. The Canes swept the New York Rangers, allowing four goals in the three games of the qualifying round, but again were ousted by the Boston Bruins for a sour ending.
Both Mrazek, 28, and Reimer, 32, are due to become unrestricted free agents after this season. Another, deeper playoff run would add to their value if both perform well.
Mrazek said he returned to Raleigh from the Czech Republic in October. He soon was training five days a week with Canes strength and conditioning coach Bill Burniston leading up to training camp, saying, “I feel good physically.”
There have been no exhibition games to use as warmups. It’s go in net and play for keeps Thursday, which added to the need to make each day of training camp count. Camp ends Wednesday with a final team practice at PNC Arena.
“The key for me is to make sure that every day you have that high level of intensity,” Reimer said. “You try to be dialed (in) for every shot, every scenario.”
Canes acquire Lajoie from Senators
The Canes announced Tuesday they had acquired defenseman Maxime Lajoie from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Clark Bishop. Lajoie, 23, has played 62 NHL games with the Senators and offers defensive depth.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 4:17 PM.
