Canes can't win for losing

With our current losing streak now extended to 10 games, and no indication that we can turn things around, it seems clear that this team was never prepared for the start of the season. That was obvious from the drop of the puck back on October 2nd. I think enormously of Paul Maurice--he's a class act and a quality person. However, ultimately he is responsible for making sure his team is ready to play--and they weren't. I don't envy JR's position--and he admittedly had a role in this mess--but at some point changes likely need to be made, probably starting at the top.

Watching last nights game, I can say the Canes showed some promise. But what I don't understand is how Coach Mo said he was going to give the 4th line more ice time. I guess he did to start but it tailed off during the game. Now that Boychuck is recalled, start playing the young guys by giving them more ice time. The veterans sure don't need it. It's time to rebuild but when will JR do it. This team is better being small and faster not big and slow. If a trade is eminent hopefully JR will get his moneys worth by doing this. If this team misses the playoffs, hopefully this team can bounce back with the talent it has coming up and we can get some young talent by trade or draft picks next year. But if coach Mo is fired after the season who out there would come in and take over.

The fact that Mo still has a job.

I'm sorry, but if he were coaching any of the other 29 - he would be gone by now.

No. Not all his fault - but that is the risk of coaching - YOU are the fall guy in rough times. This IS a rough time.

Put the friendship aside and let's move forward to try and salvage this wreck.

It's pretty sad that we're not even through November and we're already in the Taylor Hall sweeps.

It's a common dilemma for any organization: when to begin the transition from one generation of well-respected but aging players to the younger next generation. The answer is patently and painfully obvious -- the time is now. Every time of adversity and crisis is a time of opportunity. Sutter has proven he deserves at minimum to center the third line and absolutely deserves more ice time. Jokinen performed quite well on the first line as a center and has played well and intelligently all year. For whatever reason, some key veterans have struggled this year and their time on the ice is marred by mental mistakes and a lack of will of compete in the hard, dangerous spots on the ice. The key is to use this time of disastrous play to honestly and objectively assess the type of players needed for long-term success. It's not rocket science: the power play is totally unproductive and kills the momentum of the team. This failure has gone on for almost four years. It will take some new personnel to fix the lack of potency. Babchuk's emergence as a scoring defenseman last year salvaged a power play that was in a word awful. In his absence, the Hurricanes did not find an offensive defenseman who scored goals on the power play. Despite his tendency toward becoming frustrated and taking bad penalties, Pitkanen is a huge talent; but his skill is not the 100 mph slap shot. Ray Whitney and Jussi Jokinen are the Hurricanes' net presence. Both are excellent forwards but no other NHL team would view them as the players to post up in front of a goalie -- which speaks volumes about the lack of a power play. It's time to move some well-loved and well-respected veterans and to bring in some hungry, fresh faces. It doesn't take a total rebuild, but it does involve some very painful decisions. Bring up some of the young players from Albany. Begin by putting Brind'Amour on the fourth line. Healthy scratch Wallin and bring up some speed and intensity from Albany -- even if players like McBain ideally would be allowed to mature a year in Albany. I'd try Boychuk on the third line and on power plays. If the experiment takes, I would bring up Bowman as well. The worst that could happen is the Hurricanes stay in the cellar and are able to get a top three pick next year -- hopefully a game changer forward who matches well with Staal. It's a low risk, high upside approach. It is also a critical time in the franchise's history. If the Hurricanes management choose the prudent course of re-vamping the team, Hurricanes fans have to embrace the decision and support the team. Inevitably younger players will make some amazing plays as well as some truly mind-bogglingly poor plays. I know I will be excited to see the raw talent on the ice and am ready to cheer for a team in the throes of transition. I prefer that approach to the present approach of a team struggling to get its veterans to crash the net and play each shift as if it were their last shift in the NHL.