Unlikely contenders scratching and clawing toward playoff berths
It was obviously warm enough — and the atmosphere was casual enough — that Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell could get away with wearing a T-shirt to the NHL general manager meetings this week.
But it wasn’t the T-shirt you’re thinking of.
You know, the one that Don Cherry inspired when he criticized the Hurricanes for being a “bunch of jerks” because they celebrated wins with choreographed dances, games, and recently, a fake boxing match with Evander Holyfield.
Well, those so-called jerks now have the third-best record in the Metropolitan Division. And a lot of it is because of the work that Waddell did this summer, when he swapped out 13 different players, including Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, after taking over the team in June.
“Somebody called me the head jerk,” said Waddell, smiling. “But the guys are having a lot of fun, not just with their post-game celebrations, but they’re together all the time. This is a great group of guys. When the guys want to play with each other and for each other, that’s how you’re going to have success.
“I think people sometimes underestimate that we’re in a market where we need to win hockey games, but we also need to entertain. What we have going on right now is a positive in the marketplace.”
Right now, Carolina is doing both. And though the Hurricanes still have the fourth-worst attendance in the NHL, the real success has come on the ice, where their us-against-them mentality has led to a somewhat unexpected surge up the standings. And they’re not alone.
This is a year where we’ve seen Father Time and the salary cap finally catch up to the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. Even the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are clinging to a wild-card spot, don’t look as fearsome as they did a year ago. But like last season, when the Vegas Golden Knights’ group of “Golden Misfits” literally came out of nowhere to win the Pacific Division and then reach the Stanley Cup final, this has also been a year of unexpected breakthroughs.
The John Tavares-less New York Islanders are second in the Metropolitan Division and a Montreal Canadiens team that had the fourth-worst record last year is holding down a wild-card spot, while the St. Louis Blues, who were the worst team in the Western Conference on Jan. 1, are ranked third in the Central Division.
With a little luck, Arizona could be up there, too.
The Coyotes finished third last a year ago. This year, they’re missing top-six forwards Nick Schmaltz, Derek Stepan, Michael Grabner and goalie Antti Raanta, and have lost a ridiculous 323 man-games to injury. But heading into Thursday night’s game against the Calgary Flames, the 10th-place team was only three points back of a playoff spot.
How have they done it? Well, not by being jerks. But like those Bunch of Jerks from Carolina and last year’s Golden Misfits in Vegas, the Coyotes have a T-shirt-ready slogan.
“Our phrase is scratching and clawing, and that’s what they’re doing right now,” said GM John Chayka. “It’s a special group, to be honest with you. It’s not only the number of games we’ve lost (to injury), it’s the quality of the players in their core positions.
“To get back to playoff hockey — and even right now getting back to playing meaningful hockey — you see the crowds, you see excitement. We’re trying to build something here that’s sustainable. That would be a good step.”
Sometimes it’s easier to exceed expectations than it is to meet them. At the start of the season, no one expected the Islanders, Hurricanes or Canadiens to do much other than compete for a lottery pick. But it’s not as simple as proving people wrong.
If there’s a constant with all three teams, it’s that each is getting all-star goaltending. In some cases, it’s been surprising to say the least.
The Islanders’ Robin Lehner, who is the early favourite to win the Masterton Trophy, has combined with Thomas Greiss for a league-best .927 save percentage, while the Hurricanes’ Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney — both discarded by their former teams — are ranked sixth with a 2.47 goals-against average. The Blues took off just as Jordan Binnington, who is making a push for the Calder Trophy, was called up from the minors.
As for the Canadiens, they have Carey Price back to playing like Carey Price.
“Our goaltending has been very good, which was a question mark going into this season,” said Waddell. “Even when it wasn’t going well in November, when we weren’t winning as much as we thought we should be, we felt good about our group and where it was going.”
So where is this going? A playoff appearance would certainly be a good first step. After that, who knows? But chances are, we haven’t seen the last of those socalled bunch of jerks just yet.
“This doesn’t work in a lot of markets,” Waddell said of embracing the hate. “But in our market — especially because our players came up with it — we’ve been able to capitalize from a financial standpoint on some people’s remarks. It’s all done in fun, not to embarrass anybody or show off.”
Not yet, anyway.
When the guys want to play with each other and for each other, that’s how you’re going to have success.