Maurice: Canes need to be sharp

After the Hurricanes’ practice at the RBC Center Saturday, coach Paul Maurice said his team’s inability to score in Thursday’s 1-0 shutout wasn’t for a lack of effort.

“We watched those games over and over again,” said Maurice. “In the stretches when they’re good, they’re working as hard as they can.”

Maurice said that clean puck movement is one of the keys.

“When both teams are going at their times, passing around the tape, there’s that sharpness,” he said. “Whoever struggles is the team that bobbles it a little bit because the other team’s on them.”

Maurice noted that while both teams run different schemes, both are disciplined about sticking to their approach.

“So when you get to the end of it, it’s the team that’s the sharpest,” said Maurice.

And that’s where either team can take advantage of the other.

If the Canes bobble the puck, “they’re on you,” said Maurice.

And if it’s the other way around, “that’s a key for us to go and be aggressive and push with five guys.”

Of course, either team can be sharp and still not be able to get the puck past either Martin Brodeur or Cam Ward.

“Either one of them have made both team’s best plans look somewhat foolish at times,” admitted Maurice. “And there’s the challenge. You don’t want to change the way you shoot the puck based on the guy standing between the pipes.”