Hey, Hey, What Do You Say: Canes Are 4-0, and Here to Play

Coming into the 2019-2020 NHL season, Carolina Hurricanes fans expected their team to get off to a hot start. They are coming off the historic season that saw them run all the way to the 2019 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Bruins, who ultimately lost to the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Not only are the Canes off to a hot start, they are 4-0-0 (eight points), which is good enough for the current best record in the entire National Hockey League. They have scored 17 goals and only allowed 11. They are coming off of a dominating 6-3 win over the Florida Panthers that saw five different guys score, including new acquisition Ryan Dzingel, who chipped in two (led all goal scorers on the night). In this game, former Florida Panthers goalie James Reimer, who was acquired by the Canes in the offseason, made 47 saves. Not bad for a guy in his third start with his new team.

So, what is different about this Canes team? So far, they look really good, just like last year’s team, but why are they better? It is a variety of factors.

One, it is the chemistry. While I have not yet had the chance to watch the Canes live on television this year, I have watched highlights from every game. In the overtime win against the Caps, you can tell the chemistry was there. Guys understood each other’s place on the ice, which led to crisp passes and golden shot opportunities. Even more so this year than last year, the guys are even more close-knit. They enjoy being teammates day-after-day.

Two, the goalie play is exceptional. As mentioned in my second paragraph, the Canes have only allowed 11 goals, with three being the most amount of goals allowed in a single game this season. The Canes brought back Petr Mrazek, who was instrumental in last year’s run to the playoffs, and traded for Reimer, a former starter for the Toronto Maple Leafs who split time with the now-retired Roberto Luongo in net for the Florida Panthers last year. The Canes have two starting-caliber goalies, and those two goalies have played like starters.

Three? The power play. On a team as good as the Canes, their one weak link in the past has been their power play production, which has typically ranked near the bottom of the league. This season? Much different. The Canes have a power play goal in each game they have played this season, which includes five power play goals in four games.

There are more factors outside of the three I have listed above that have contributed to the Canes’ hot start. The Canes will look to continue that hot start tonight, as they host the New York Islanders at 7:30 P.M. You can watch that game on Fox Sports Carolinas or ESPN+.

Take Warning.