Jim Rutherford realizes it's a long season, that the Carolina Hurricanes will have the inevitable highs and lows and that injuries -- and then players returning from injury -- can affect performance.
But the Canes' listless 5-2 loss to Atlanta on Sunday at the RBC Center, followed by the 5-1 beating by the Washington Capitals on Wednesday at home has Rutherford very much concerned about his team's work ethic and effort.
"You never know year to year how a team will come together or how the chemistry will be," Rutherford, the Canes' president and general manager, said today. "We don't know yet how things will be and we have not had a majority of our team together because of the injuries.
"But that doesn't excuse how you go about playing the games. There's no excuse for visiting teams to come into our building, in front of our fans, and outwork us in all parts of the game.
"We have enough good players to have a good season. I want to see a team that will go to war together and that's determined to win at all costs, to do whatever it takes, as we said when we won the (2006 Stanley) Cup. I did not see that the last two games."
Last season, a slide in late-November into December eventually cost the Canes a playoff berth. Rutherford said the team should have learned its lesson and do all it can to avoid a repeat.
"Last year we got off to a good start and then for some reason in November and December our work ethic changed," he said. "Our games against Detroit and Edmonton (at the RBC Center this season) I thought were well-played and we got a great effort. We lost those two games but the team gave everything it had.
"But in the last two games, I have not liked our work ethic. The visiting team has outworked us on both ends, offensively and defensively. I'm very concerned about our play the last two games."
Rutherford did not say what changes, if any, would be made.
"It's still too early to say how I feel," he said.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
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Why we got beat!
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 21:34 — in2jazzSadly a couple of reasons...no passion, no work ethic, no physical play because we are too small (lots of heart but that will only win you a few games) and one that has stood out for a few years now, no size. The now successful Caps have been made by three key ingrediants-highly skilled players, speed and size. They are all over 6'. The Canes are skilled and fast and have NO SIZE! Thus no physical presence either. Teams will beat us with size and physical play all the time. They all have our number now.
We have no one that plays in front of the net, a few that have the heart to be there (Walker, Williams). Why is it we give all the size and space to a Semin and NOT hit him. WHy does Sutter coming off a concussion have to be the guy to take away Semin's space with a hit when we are already in the tank 5-1? Time to incorporate skilled, fast players with size into our lineup JR!
solution
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 15:44 — guppyman45one suggestion..... put together one line. jesse boulerice, brookbank, gilles. let one em go after somebody every period.
well crap, boulerice just signed with edmonton
I looked at the Detroit
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 08:29 — ctillI looked at the Detroit roster for comparison. Their forwards weigh 199 average and stand 6'0'', ours 193 and 6'0". Their Ds weigh 199 average and stand 6'0", ours 209 and 6'2". About par!
When the Canes had a better work ethic in 2005-06, they skated the opposition into the ice and owned the third period. Remember how many breakaways we used to get?
Sure I'd like to see Chara and Getlaf on our roster, but a better work ethic is what matters at this point.
Sick of the whining and fair weather fans
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 19:22 — _10acgirlI read all these comments about how the canes suck. Yea they stunk up the place against the trashers and the caps but I will never leave a game early just because we're losing (no matter how bad)--that is poor sportmanship. They are still my team and I will support them win, lose or draw!
I also read and hear fans talking about Staal being in a slump but no one mentions Roddy. Wonder why? Check his stats, he's -13 and hasn't been winning the crucial faceoffs. At the end of last season he wasn't winning the crucial faceoffs either. It's deja vu all over again.
Huh?
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 01:13 — CanarseUmmm...Rod wasn't playing at the end of the season last year.
Glad you're a fan, but it's even more fun when you pay attention.
I stand corrected on the
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 11:03 — _10acgirlI stand corrected on the fact that Roddy wasn't playing at the end of last season. However, my point is correct that before he got hurt last year he wasn't winning the must-win faceoffs. When we needed to win the faceoffs in our own zone, he wasn't winning!!! His win %s were high though. John Forslund even talked about this after a couple of games on 99.9. Even TSN mentioned it the other night.
Isn't it funny how you dog the players (except Brind'amour of course) all you want but start bringing the fans into the mix and people start getting pissed?!?!
It isn't being a fair
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 19:54 — IggyReillyIt isn't being a fair weather fan to bemoan the lack of effort from this team. It has been a consistently inconsistent effort ever since the cup win.
Also, if you are going to pick out ONE THING brind'amour is doing right, it would be face offs. He is second in the league in win % with 63%, but if you look at face offs taken, and face offs won, he has twice as many face offs won as the first place guy based on win %. The only other player in the league with at least 300 face offs is Paul Stastny, and he has 314. Brind'amour has taken 351. If you watched the game last night, our lone goal came off a Brind'amour face off win. Brind'amour is having issues on the ice, but face offs are not one of them.
The Canes' talent is about
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 18:35 — ctillThe Canes' talent is about average in the league. This is salary-cap parity, like we see in the NFL. The Carolina Panthers are well above .500 this season because they've been playing hard. When they haven't played hard, they got their clocks cleaned... quickly and decisively. The NHL works likewise. Given the Canes' average talent, an average work ethic means they will finish near .500 every year. That's what we are seeing right now.
They are as good or as bad or as mediocre as they want to be.
Good Point
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 19:16 — CanarseYou make a good point, but there are teams with significantly more talent than the Canes. Pittsburgh, Washington and the Rangers immediately come to mind. That's just in the Eastern Conference.
You have to hand it to Washington. They have built their team through the draft. They have turned their top picks into all-star calibre players. Rutherford turns the #4 pick into Tuomo Ruutu and the #2 pick into Tim Gleason. I'm not saying these guys are bad, but I don't think anyone confuses them with all-stars.
JR called it last year
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 14:25 — s2lrbarnAfter our season ended early last year, JR said we actually lost the season in November of the '07-'08 season. He was exactly right. If we had been more consistent in the fall, we wouldn't have had 92 points to Washington's 94 last year. To borrow a political phrase, "It's the fall, stupid." We can lose the season right now, and JR knows it—and Staal should know it (he slumped heavily last fall), and our entire team needs to know that RIGHT NOW. It's now or never, really.
Well now
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 14:18 — esteban1949If we the fans are disappointed...Could JR be far behind ?
As much as i may Not like Jr and some of His Coices, He is in the GM seat, and not me or anyone else here either. we can speculate all we want and desire, but sadly that won't help the Carolina Hurricanes,the stock market or the person who is about to lose a life's work in owning a small business anywhere here in North Carolina. With That said, I'll close with this...and it is to the person who said here" Try and leave some of the lines together for more than 5 mins.maybe on to something...after all when the "odd line" as together...they did out play everyone else...how about they try to do that again? or is that hoping and asking too much ?
Go Canes!!! Please !!!!
Glad to see JR talking
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 13:42 — ynotagainGlad to see JR talking honest and straight to the point ... the Canes were definetely "outworked in all parts of the game" last night.
I normally hate to see the early mass exits from the arena but I must admit that last night, for the first time in 3 years, I was one of them.
As I got the the top of the lower bowl steps and looked back I wished the whole lower bowl was leaving. The teams didn't show up to play so why should the fans stay and watch. Too bad there's not a ticket refund policy for games when the team doesn't show up !
Shameful and embarassing
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 13:39 — CharlotteCaniacI think Laviolette has done a good job in his tenure with the team, and I have always supported him. Coaching changes happen too often in professional sports without addressing other problems.
Having said that, I'm not sure a coaching change isn't what is necessary. For the last two season we have become accustomed to watching this team give a 20 minute effort. Last night they were pathetic. We have had our moments this season, but we have been outworked in 80% of our games. I'm tired of watching other teams work so smoothly out on the ice, making tic-tac passes to set up goals, and looking like a cohesive unit. Meanwhile, we go out there looking like a rec-league team, constantly out of position, and trying to improvise in every situation.
On paper we are better than most teams in the league. We have some very skilled players. On paper, our forwards should have been able to pour through both the Atlanta and Washington defenses. Instead, it was the other way around.
The lack of effort is crystal clear on the ice. We only had one or two players really hustling. I was ashamed to watch them embarass themselves last night.
I don't know what the solution is, but they better find it fast. It might be early in the season, but you don't want to spend 60 games trying to play catch up. If it takes bringing in someone who can effectively light a fire under the teams rear-end, then do it. We all want to see some playoff hockey this year.
JR Comments on Work Ethic
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 12:15 — abramsdougI think JR got right to the point. It is completely unacceptable for the Hurricanes to get outworked and particularly on their home ice. Laviolette has to figure out how to motivate the team and instill confidence in the team. Two games don't make a season; but in light of the bad experiences from the past two years plus, the alarm bells are pounding loud. It looks like more of the same. I am glad JR is responding quickly.
Ouch
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 12:15 — kimeyerSomeone, on the way out, said "They should have let the storm squad play, instead"
Lines
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 12:15 — VMaybe if Laviolette would leave the lines alone for 5 minutes the guys would have time to gel.
Starting to agree
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 14:02 — GoShelfWhile juggling lines is a widely accepted practice throughout the NHL, I am starting to think that it would not hurt to keep our top 2 lines consistent. Despite the fact that Staal missed three marquis chances, they're line did create the most offense - keep them together. Staal is not going to miss three empty nets every night.
Whitney-Staal-Ruutu
Cullen-Brindy-Samsonov
Larose-Sutter-Bayda
Brookbank-RotateCenter-Dwyer/Eaves/Lacouture
Congratulations on the
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 11:35 — EKWCongratulations on the purchase of another year of uninspired hockey JR! You raised prices which I can understand but your team continues to put out a bad effort. Pick an excuse for the poor performance- Coach's fault, players, injuries. It doesn't matter because your losing your fan base with this play and shortly my 4 season tickets.
hmm
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 11:06 — rmmeliI read it as an uninspired response to an uninspired team. Nothing like leading from the back.
POW!
Thu, 11/13/2008 - 11:04 — figaroThe first shot has been fired over the bow of the good ship Laviolette.