The Detroit Red Wings have come out of the gate like lava through the streets of Pompeii. They, however, are expected to be a juggernaut. They are every season, and will be expected to have a stellar season every year until the end of time.
This, though, is fun. Nobody outside this state has ever taken us seriously. Unless you are actually a Canes fan, or your name is James Mirtle, you probably said at some point during the preseason words to the effect of "I can't believe they still have a team ... They should get demoted to the AHL" or "Do they actually have fans?". True, we don't have a very good history with bringing in fans. From the Whaler days, playing in the shopping mall, to the Greensboro days, when we literally couldn't give tickets away.... That, however, isn't my point.
We're off to a terrific, and yes, (even to me) surprising start. We earned our 17th point in our 11th game. We have won five in a row, and have earned at least one standings point in seven straight games. By comparison to the 2003-04 season:
- We didn't get our 17th standings point until a 0-0 tie with Tampa on November 23 (our 21st game)
- We didn't get our eighth win until a 3-2 win at Edmonton on December 9 (our 28th game)
- Our longest win streak was two games
- Our best standings-point streak was five points is four games (tie, tie, tie, win)
Also, we have set an NHL record by overcoming two goal deficit in four straight games. Ideally, we'd like that to stop, but it's neat for trivia.
People around the league are starting to whisper about us, and they're starting to shout about Eric Staal. He's won the NHL offensive player of the month award, and has been the talk of many pundits, bloggers and fans. I can't say enough about the guy, how much he's improved, and how much good he's done for the organization and for the promotion of the sport in this decidedly non-traditional market. I just hope that our newest fans will still be there if we go on a long losing streak.
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