Hurricanes, Panthers built to maintain success after fast starts

The Coaches Room is a regular feature throughout the 2021-22 season by one of two former NHL coaches and assistants, who will turn their critical gaze to the game and explain it through the lens of a teacher.
In this edition, Rocky Thompson, who was an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15 and an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21, takes a closer look at the Carolina Hurricanes, who are the only undefeated team in the NHL, and Florida Panthers, who were undefeated before a shootout loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

It's no accident that the Carolina Hurricanes (8-0-0) and Florida Panthers (8-0-1) have started the season strong; and the underlying factors in how they've raced out of the gate suggest optimism for their early success to continue.
The Hurricanes entered the season with several changes among their defensemen after Dougie Hamilton signed a seven-year contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 28. It was a significant loss; but trying to minimize the damage, the Hurricanes signed right-shot defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a one-year contract the same day. DeAngelo has scored nine points (two goals, seven assists) in eight games so far, which has lessened the blow of losing Hamilton.
Also, the additions of defensemen Ian Cole and Ethan Bear have been helpful with Cole bringing a physical edge and championship experience and Bear continuing to grow as an effective puck mover. Combine them with No. 1 defenseman Jaccob Slavin, No. 2 Brent Pesce, and No. 3 Brady Skjei, who are each 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, and that's a solid group.
The Hurricanes traded forward Warren Foegele to the Edmonton Oilers for Bear on July 28 and lost forward Brock McGinn, who signed a four-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on the same day. Those are two significant losses in their bottom six because they were possession players who provided consistent secondary offense.
Still, the integrity of their forward group is intact. It's a skilled group with players coming into their primes who can play a structured game. Coach Rod Brind'Amour has them playing very aggressively in all three zones. They mix in physicality to go with their overall speed, and they pressure pucks hard. They're not a big banging team but they do finish checks and they're smart about it, trying to take away a lot of time and space. Rarely, if ever, will they be outworked.
One thing that really helps them is back pressure and tracking from forwards. That pops for me; from the first line to the fourth they are hunting the puck carrier. This helps their defensemen by disrupting so many plays by back checking hard through the neutral zone.
Carolina's five-man connection and the transition to offense has also been excellent early in the season. I expect their skill and strong net presence to continue making an impact. Players like Jordan Staal, Vincent Trocheck, Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen, they all have a nose for the net complemented by their elite skill which makes each difficult to defend.

Perhaps the most important factor for Carolina's continued success this season is the play of goalie Frederik Andersen (7-0-0, 1.29 goals-against average, .956 save percentage). He's on fire. The Hurricanes probably should have lost a game or two, but Andersen has been lights out so far.
With the Panthers, I see a similarly deep roster, without a big superstar, though forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad are fast approaching that status. What Florida has done is insulate its young, or previously unwanted or under-appreciated players from other teams, with their core pieces and created four powerful attack lines.
The Panthers are using Barkov with Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair. Sam Bennett centers the second line with Huberdeau and Owen Tippett. Verhaeghe's three goals and three assists, Duclair's six goals and one assist and Bennett 's four goals and three assists in eight wins and one overtime loss are like found money and help illustrate why Florida has had so much early success this season.

Not to be ignored is the addition of forward Sam Reinhart, who's arguably a first-line player. Along with linemates Mason Marchment and Eetu Luostarinen, the Panthers' third line has provided considerable production early on, combining for five goals.
The Panthers' two pillars on defense are Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar. They play in all situations and are one of the best defense pairings in the League. On the second pairing with Radko Gudas, I see some more found money with the way Gustav Forsling is playing.
With seven assists in nine games, he's utilizing his biggest weapon, speed, to fuel quick transition and offensive zone activation. His ability to close distance is also noticeable in eliminating time and space for the opposition.
With all that depth, Florida's style is a little different than Carolina's, but no less successful. Their forecheck relies on pressure, stick positioning and anticipation more than physicality. Marchment throws the body around but he's really the only one. The reality is they don't have to because they have the puck most of the game. It's a small sample size but Florida is generating chances and has the best shot-attempts percentage, 56.0, in the NHL.
All that said, one of Florida's biggest strengths this season that was less so last season is that the real Sergei Bobrovsky has showed up (6-0-0, 1.81 GAA, .944 save percentage). The goalie is locked in and appears he wants to silence his critics. Spencer Knight (2-0-1, 1.95 GAA, .929 save percentage) has also played well. Goaltending has been a huge benefit for the Panthers and helps to build team confidence early.
The Panthers do, however, have a unique challenge in front of them with Andrew Brunette taking over after Joel Quenneville resigned as coach in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks' sexual assault investigation involving Kyle Beach and then-video coach Brad Aldrich. With Brunette, they will have consistency in messaging, which is important. They do have a crucial decision on who will lead this team moving forward, but the goaltending, the possession numbers and the eye test all lead in one direction, that Florida appears to be the real deal to me.