I’ve read a couple of places that the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t getting the respect they deserve. Puck Daddy wrote about it after the Hurricanes stole the home-ice advantage in Game 2, and the guys over at Canes Country picked up on it before Game 4 (good site for the Hurricanes, by the way). By all accounts, they’re probably right. The Canes won a Cup 3 years ago, they have one of the best young money goaltenders in the league and they’re up on the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. But I don’t think that’s an altogether BAD thing. Sometimes, it’s those teams that fly under the radar that win the biggest prize. So forget about the lack of publicity and hype and enjoy the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes are a darkhorse to come out of the East.
So what if people don't appreciate Brind'Amour like they should-- winning is all that matters.
But you know what, that might not be such a bad thing for Hurricanes. There are some serious advantages to being the little guy. You know Paul Maurice is playing up the underdog role every chance he gets. Can’t you picture him in the locker room saying things like “No one expects you to win,” “they’re not respecting you,” and “you weren’t supposed to beat the Devils and you’re not supposed to beat the Bruins”? You know he is—and as cliché as it is, I’d be disappointed in my coach if he wasn’t doing the same!
Never underestimate the power of motivation. Undermanned teams have won throughout the history of sports because they felt like they were slighted and they weren’t being taken seriously. Take a professional athlete, then place a rather large chip on their shoulder and watch them perform at the highest level.
If you don’t think that it’s an advantage, just think about to some of the biggest upsets in sports. In the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, who had all the pressure? If the American team lost, it was expected—if the Russians lost, it would be a story. What about when the New York Giants beat New England in Super Bowl XLII after constantly hearing how great the Patriots were for 2 weeks straight? In fact, you just have to go back to the 1st round and look at the Sharks/Ducks series. Who had more pressure in that series, the President’s Trophy winning San Jose Sharks who had a well-publicized reputation for gagging in the playoffs or the 8th seeded Ducks that snuck into the playoffs?
How many times have you seen guys after winning a championship say something like, “No one thought we could do it” or “the only guys that believed were the guys in this locker room.” First of all, it makes me sick when I hear that from a team that was the FAVORITE to win the game—but it just goes to show the power of motivation. A manufactured motive is just as powerful as a genuine purpose.
Something else to think about is there’s a lot less pressure when you’re team is flying under the radar. Whenever the Bruins lose a game in this series, they’re constantly barraged with questions about what went wrong and why they aren’t able impose their will on the “inferior” Hurricanes. You don’t think this negative reinforcement takes its toll on a team? Meanwhile, the Canes are able to focus on their game plan and mindset with minimal distractions from the media. If you can’t handle questions from The News & Observer in Raleigh, then maybe the NHL and the Stanley Cup playoffs aren’t for you!
Aside from the specifics of the Bruins/Canes series, let me give a little perspective before the Hurricanes fans go off the deep-end thinking that no one cares about their team. The Pens and Caps match-up is the series that the NHL has been dreaming about since Crosby and Ovechkin entered the league. It wouldn’t matter if the Rangers were playing the Red Wings in Yankee Stadium, all of the focus would still be on the almighty OvieCros. So don’t think that you’re the only ones that are being largely ignored by the National media—everyone else is in the OvieCros shadow as well. Just think about the Blackhawks—the biggest story they’ve had in the playoffs is how electric their fans are during the National Anthem! Maybe that’s it; maybe the Hurricanes fans need to start cheering during the Star Spangled Banner?
Just remember that laying low isn’t always the worst thing in the playoffs. I’d much rather be winning series after series with no love from the press than getting all the love in the world and lose. I’m sure you’d want your team to be leading SportsCenter every night—but if you could choose, would you rather have your team on the golf course? Ask San Jose Sharks fans, and they’d gladly trade positions with the Carolina Hurricane fans that aren’t getting any respect. At least they’re still playing!
Matt Reitz is the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com and former NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports. When he’s not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he’s usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It’s a never-ending job.
