The Net of Stormbringer: Issue #18, Volume One

In the Mark Recchi edition of my Net, I will not cover chemistry, believe it or not. BUT, I am going to cover something that has been bugging me since at least Saturday night AND *really* bugging me since yesterday, especially after another pee-poor effort against the Crapitals.

There is a flaw in Peter Laviolette's system.

And the funny thing? That flaw is not a single player NOR an assistant coach...but instead it happens to appear to be the head coach himself.

Not convinced? Let me then present Exhibit A...a part of a Scout.com Canes MB thread that started out innocently enough with the following by one RaleighLion:

http://mb3.scout.com/fcarolinacanesfrm1.showMessage?topicID=6030.topic&index=10

"Pretty funny yesterday when Tripp (the Canes' TV color commetator, for those of you not familiar with all out in Canes-Land) interviewed coach Lavi, that you may or may not know is on tape. So when Tripp asked coach the first question, Lavi looked him dead in the eye and said...

"Tripp thats the dumbest &^%&in' question I have ever heard."

The look on Tripp's face was priceless! Everyone was laughing so hard they barely got the real interview done in time."

Just like the two or three people who responded to that...

http://mb3.scout.com/fcarolinacanesfrm1.showMessage?topicID=6030.topic&index=12

http://mb3.scout.com/fcarolinacanesfrm1.showMessage?topicID=6030.topic&index=14

I thought Tripp Tracy had asked something about food, or hell, even groins...hey, it's not exactly such a stretch that he would pull such mess off camera. BUT, it was revealed that that was not exactly the case...

http://mb3.scout.com/fcarolinacanesfrm1.showMessage?topicID=6030.topic&index=15

"Sorry, the question was -

-After a flat game against the Caps, what do you tell the team to get them ready for tonight?"

Kidding or not, that's a pretty crappy attitude and way of going about how to handle non-playoff bound teams. And pretty interesting how the kidding around amongst posters stopped there.

(a few hours later) AND NOW, Exhibit R: A scale model of the ENTIRE RBC CENTER!! And here is the locker room, and right next to it is where the interview took place! *laughs maniacally*

Oh...*clears her throat* Sure, Lavs acted like he got all tough on the boys before last night's game when talking to Chuck and the letter K AND the Comcast Sportsnet Caps coverage crew. But we don't know what is *really* going on with those locker room talks...especially if Lavy is saying gems like the following to reporters:

http://mb3.scout.com/fcarolinacanesfrm1.showMessageRange?topicID=6047.topic&index=168

"It was a frustrating night for the players, myself, the fans -- it was frustrating to fire that much offense at a team, hit the post half a dozen times, and walk away with nothing to show for it."

That's all you can say? "It was frustrating."?! Lavs, THAT is effing stupid. I am sorry dude, but to paraphrase Dave Barry, have aliens from the Planet Twinkie invaded your brain?

Just because the Canes are officially in the playoffs does not mean that it is time to slack off AND submit to the lower competition. And it has just dawned on me how the Canes amazingly beat the Lightning this past Monday...they're simply playing down to their competition. The Lightning are a good team, hence why the Canes actually played pretty good, despite scoring low. The Caps on the other hand are a sucky team, and apparently, the Canes have done so well this season that they wonder what it is like to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. In addition to Lavy's interesting behavior as of late, that's the only other theory I can think of behind the Canes' uber-stinky play.

And for those of you getting ready to jump on me and say "They don't have Cole with them...DUH!!!!!!!11!!!111!!", I'll just repeat a little something I said in the previous issue of my Net...

Anyhoo, not to mention how the Canes seem to be *really* thriving on the Caniac Nation's fears of not doing nearly as well without Colesey...AND I know they can play without the guy. As much as I love my Canes, it really pains me to say this, but they are not the best of the best of the best (SIR!) if they can't seem to get into their heads that one player a team does not make. I think the Canes' lack of physical play AND emotion as of late is due to them *really* missing Cole. And the thought of that is touching, BUT as much as I hate blaming a team and/or coach(es), someone, be it Lavy or Brindy, has got to hammer home that they *can* play without #26. Even without Cole, they *still* have the guns to make a great playoff run AND get that Cup.

Again, with or especially without Erik, the Canes *can* win Lord Stanley's Prize...but they must learn two valuable lessons in not only that, BUT ALSO that they cannot take ANY team lightly...to do the opposite, well, that is simply effing stupid.