Carolina Hurricanes: It's Time For Jeff Skinner to Step Up
The Carolina Hurricanes are in a dire situation. To get out, Jeff Skinner needs to return to form and lead his team out of the abyss.
Here on Cardiac Cane, we have beaten all of our readers over the head about the Carolina Hurricanes poor run of games. We are as tired writing about it as everyone is reading about it. Even so, this piece had to be written. If the Canes want any real chance of climbing out of this hole they’ve dug themselves, it has to start with the stick of Jeff Skinner.
For a guy who many pegged as the rightful Hurricanes All-Star Game representative, Skinner has turned in a rather awful last month of hockey for his high standards. In the month of January, Skinner has 8 points from 12 games. That isn’t terrible, however, when you consider that 6 of those points came from just 2 games, it makes his month look a lot worse.
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After that two game scoring run in the middle of month, the former rookie of the year has hit a major wall. He is pointless in his last 6 contests. Even worse, his shot totals have been dropping on average over this stretch. That includes him laying an egg against Los Angeles. Incredibly, that was his first game all year he failed to register an attempt on goal, but it’s still a worrying sign from a guy who biggest contribution is shots and goals.
It would not be a revolutionary thought to say that the Hurricanes go as Jeff Skinner goes. For the last few years, Carolina has been buoyed or sunk by the play of Skinner. When he is hot, there are few players in the league that can compete, making the Canes a very tough team to play against. However, when he isn’t producing, the Canes are many times exposed due to lack of offense produced by Skinner and his line mates. Even if he isn’t scoring, just the zone time Skinner creates gives Carolina a distinct advantage on the ice that they don’t have when he isn’t up to snuff.
The answer is easy then. Just get Skinner firing again and all is saved. Perhaps its just that easy. Or maybe it isn’t. Bill Peters has tried throwing out numerous different line combos over this losing streak in an attempt to jump start Skinner and Victor Rask. Everyone from Ty Rattie to Derek Ryan has had their shot on the top line and nothing has really worked at all this past month.
In order to truly get Skinner back on his game, he might have to see some time with someone else at center. Skinner and Rask have been inseparable all season. For the good of the team though, they might need to be split. Maybe letting Skinner skate with Jordan Staal or even Elias Lindholm at center might give Carolina a new look that could let Skinner find his stride.
No matter how it happens, it simply needs to happen if Carolina has a pray of making the postseason. Jeff Skinner is perhaps the most key part of the Hurricanes offensive identity. Without Skinner producing, the offense and the team just doesn’t operate as it should. At the beginning of the season, Skinner was given an alternate captaincy role. It’s time for him to prove he deserves that ‘A’.
