 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Nothing to lose 'Canes won't hold anything back in elimination gamePosted: Thursday June 13, 2002 3:12 AMDETROIT (AP) -- There hasn't been much pressure on the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs. Why start worrying about it now? Few picked the Hurricanes to beat the New Jersey Devils in the first round, let alone predict they would be in the Stanley Cup finals. So, in some ways, the pressure remains on Detroit in Game 5 on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena as hockey's version of an all-star team holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. "Now we're at a point that you can sort of let it loose," Rod Brind'Amour said Wednesday, with the Hurricanes on the brink of elimination. "There is probably less pressure now, less tension than there has been. We can throw everything at them. We're going to try to do that within our system. We want to rally and show Detroit what we're made of." After looking at tape the last few days, captain Ron Francis said the Hurricanes haven't played a complete game against the Red Wings. 'It's one thing if we're throwing our absolute best at them and we haven't been able to win, but there is room for us to improve,' Francis said. 'That's the signal that gives us hope - we know we can play better. Now, we're going to have to go out and execute it.' That could be difficult, with the Red Wings intent on ending the series at home and Carolina struggling on offense. The Hurricanes have just 16 goals in 10 playoffs games since their three-game, 17-goal outburst against Montreal in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Carolina hasn't scored in more than 127 minutes to fall into its hole against Detroit. Coach Paul Maurice knows something must be done. "I need to give them something they can sink their teeth into for this game," he said. Carolina's offense is centered on quick puck movement from its defense, which creates speed through the neutral zone and leads to a nagging forechecking game. That worked for Carolina in Game 1, a 3-2 win in overtime. Detroit, however, has changed tactics. The Red Wings have pressured Carolina's defenders more, slowing movement out of the zone. That has made the Hurricanes tentative in the neutral zone, not in attack mode. "The bottom line is we've got to start scoring some goals," Glen Wesley said. "For us to forecheck we've got to be getting to the red line with a lot of speed. That's where our forecheck and our cycle game can create a lot of havoc and opportunities." Maurice tried to jump-start his offense in a 3-0 loss in Game 4 by breaking up the BBC line of Brind'Amour, Bates Battaglia and Erik Cole, swapping Battaglia and Sami Kapanen. The results weren't eye-opening Saturday night. The coach refused to say if he would stick with that change. "It's all top secret now," Maurice said. For Carolina to avoid elimination, Arturs Irbe must have a good game. He has a 1.65 goals-against average in what has been a stellar playoff run for the Latvian goalie. Irbe was in net when San Jose upset the Red Wings in a Game 7 of a first-round series at Joe Louis Arena in 1994. "I have been one of the guys who has had to carry part of the load for us," Irbe said. "So, I can't really change my game or start to sweat because it's not going to do any good. I've got to do what I do the best and everything else will fall into place." Maurice, for one, wants his team on edge heading into the season's most important game. "There is pressure every day and when you don't have any you've got a problem," the coach said. "I would be far more concerned with a lack of pressure than us feeling it too much. You need that pressure. It comes with knowing you're still in the fight." |
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||||
