The Carolina Hurricanes have undergone considerable change in the offseason
Custom Anaheim Ducks Jerseys , with the makeover creating heightened expectations going into the season.That description perhaps relates to perhaps an even larger degree for the New York Islanders.After all, fresh off coaching the Washington Capitals to a Stanley Cup championship, Barry Trotz is on board directing the Islanders.Article continues below ...New York and the Hurricanes begin the season with a clash Thursday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.Trotz became the Islanders coach two weeks after he guided the Capitals to the Stanley Cup in June. He has offered solid reviews for how his new team has responded during the preseason.“They’ve been fantastic,” Trotz said of his players. “They’ve been listening and doing the right things.”Former Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour is the Carolina coach, taking over after Bill Peters opted out of his contract and landed as the coach of the Calgary Flames.Brind’Amour had been serving as an assistant coach, but he’s most recognizable as the captain of the 2006 team that that captured the franchise’s only Stanley Cup.“I like how young guys are playing,” Brind’Amour said. “They’re going to take some time to develop. As far as talent, I don’t feel we’re short anything. We want to play aggressively.”Another throwback to that title team is winger Justin Williams, who was named the Hurricanes’ captain.“I see us trending upward,” Williams said.The Islanders, who have missed the playoffs the past two seasons, have Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner as goalies. Now it’s a matter of blending the roster.“We’ve got a lot of new players on the hockey club,” said Trotz
www.officialcoyotes.com ;, whose team will carry seven defensemen to start the season. “I’m a big believer in team building. If the group is strong, all that stuff becomes a tighter bond. We’ve got some guys getting an identity and I think we’ve got some guys going in the right direction.”The Hurricanes haven’t reached the postseason since 2009, so the drought is notable and comes with change.The roster makeover included the departure of former NHL Rookie of the Year Jeff Skinner, a forward who was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for prospects.After a splendid 5-0-1 preseason, the Hurricanes were forced to scramble when goalie Scott Darling suffered an injury in the last preseason outing that might keep him out for a couple of weeks. Carolina claimed Curtis McElhinney off waivers from Toronto.The opening-night starter in net for the Hurricanes will be Petr Mrazek.Darling, who was largely disappointing in his first season with the Hurricanes, had made an impression in recent weeks.“I hate it for him more than anything because he put in the work this summer,” Brind’Amour said. “In the little time we got to see him, he looked to different to me.”Carolina also is carrying seven defensemen at the start. One of them is newcomer Calvin de Haan, who played last season for the Islanders. New York winger Andrew Ladd, who began his career with Carolina, begins the season on injured reserve.The Islanders were 2-2 against Carolina last season, with Greiss in net for both the victories.This is the Islanders’ 47th season, but only the second time they’ll face the Hurricanes in an opener. In 2014
Arizona Coyotes T-Shirts Authentic , New York began the season by defeating Carolina.The Islanders are 9-19-8 when opening the season on the road. Overall, they are 11-23-11 in openers for the third-worst mark among current NHL franchises — with Carolina at 9-20-9 even worst (counting time as the Hartford Whalers).This marks the first opening of the season for Carolina under new team owner Tom Dundon, whose purchase of the team became official last winter. Daniel Sprong is expected to get regular shifts Monday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, with a chance to perhaps be a difference-maker in an NHL game. Sprong, however, will be doing that as a visiting player with the Anaheim Ducks, not for the team (the Pittsburgh Penguins) that drafted him in the second round in 2015.After failing to find his footing in Pittsburgh — and apparently never gaining the trust of two different head coaches there — Sprong has fit in well so far in Anaheim. The Ducks acquired Sprong on Dec. 3 in a trade that sent defenseman Marcus Pettersson to Pittsburgh.Article continues below ...Sprong, 21, had four goals and five assists in 42 games with the Penguins, but he never cracked the lineup as a regular. He often played among the bottom-six forwards, and spent much more time back in junior hockey or in the American Hockey League, where he was prolific.The Penguins (15-11-6) have expressed satisfaction with the performance of Pettersson, who is playing regularly, and Sprong has so far made it a productive move for Anaheim (18-11-5).Sprong has three goals in five games with Anaheim — a seeing-eye tally in his first game with the Ducks while displaying a shooting skill reminiscent of Pittsburgh star center Sidney Crosby. Sprong recorded both goals Saturday in a 2-1 win at Columbus
Arizona Coyotes Hoodies Authentic , one to tie it and one in overtime.“I think (the success is based on) the coaching staff and management giving me an opportunity to play the role I think I can play,” Sprong told Fox Sports West in pretty obvious contrast to what he experienced with the Penguins.“Playing with (Adam Henrique) and (Nick Ritchie), those two guys have really been helping me out. We’re getting comfortable, and we’re creating good chances. I’m getting the looks and putting pucks in the net.”The Ducks have won four straight and 10 of their past 12 games. They have won five straight road games.“We’ve been able to grind out points when it looked grim,” Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’ve found ways to score timely goals.”Pittsburgh is in the midst of a busy stretch — 11 games in 19 days leading into the NHL’s Christmas break. The club is looking to sweep a three-game homestand with a win against Anaheim before playing Wednesday at defending Stanley Cup champion and rival Washington.The Penguins have not said who will start in goal against the Ducks.Matt Murray, who helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, made 38 saves Saturday in a 4-3 overtime win against Los Angeles. It was his first game in nearly a month after recovering from a lower-body injury.Casey DeSmith, in filling in for Murray and before that serving as his backup, has put up better numbers this season.“I thought Matt was really good,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said of Murray’s game against the Kings. “For his first game back, after as long as he’d been out, I thought he was really sharp. I thought he got better as the game went on.”
