As frustrations mount, so does tension.

On Sunday, the Hurricanes were supposed to have the day off from practice. Instead, an angry coach Peter Laviolette put the boys through a "bag skate". Frustrated with the lazy penalties, the lack of discipline, the listless power play, and the overall lack of zeal displayed by the team so far, coach decided it was time for a punishment.

Luke Decock of the Raleigh News & Observer wrote about how tempers flared during the grueling skating drill, leading to a fight between Bret Hedican and Kevyn Adams (story). Adams required stitches, and neither player was available for comment. Rod Brind'Amour will now have his biggest challenge since being awarded the C last summer: he has to restore order to the room and get the team turned around. This is where he has to be "the Captain". It is absolutely imperative that he nips this in the bud instantly. I would imagine that there's been at least one "players only" meeting, and I would hope that Brindy really let them have it. Obviously, it's really early, but they simply do not look good thus far.

There have been two famous "bag skates" in Hurricanes history. Both occurred on Paul Maurice's watch. They had extremely different results. The first came in December of 2001 after a string of losses marked by lackadaisical play. After the session, the Canes went on a tear, winning their division and ultimately making a Cinderella run all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. The second had decidedly different results. It was late in the 2002-03 season, and the Canes had just lost a bunch of consecutive games. It was a common theme that season, and Maurice knew that his job was in grave danger. He rolled the dice, hoping his team would find itself and squeak into the playoffs. It turned out to be a disaster. It marked the beginning of the downward spiral of Jeff O'Neill and brought dissension to the troops. They only won 6 of the remaining 26 games. O'Neill, who had been a big producer, left the ice that day furiously cussing at Chairman Mo. From that point on, his desire to play hard wasn't there. His desire to practice hard, his desire to stay in shape. All gone. He had become a malcontent, which would ultimately result in the "trade" at the 2005 draft, sending O to the Leafs for a late round draft pick.

The bag skate brawl might spell disaster for this team. Or it might be just the wake-up call the team needed. The onus will be on Rod Brind'Amour to make sure it's the latter.