from Luke DeCock of the News & Observer,

After mustering only one goal in a shootout loss to the worst team in the NHL, with the annual Thanksgiving standings-lock less than three weeks away, the Carolina Hurricanes are in the danger zone. It’s time to wonder whether the status quo, whether that’s on the coaching staff or on the roster, is going to get the job done....

The easiest and most obvious fix is a coaching change. Bill Peters is clearly a good hockey coach, but the way the team is playing, it’s fair to wonder whether his message is getting through. Even the best hockey coaches have limited shelf lives, and Peters spent the first three years of his tenure grinding blood out of a stone. Even good coaches can go stale. Is anyone still listening at this point?

Certainly, Peters made his own bed with the ridiculous co-captaincy – and picking two guys who were passed over last year – and his distrust of Jeff Skinner has kept him from getting the most out of the team’s most talented player. With all the ex-Blackhawks added, Peters has as many fingerprints on the roster as Francis.

But it’s hard to say it’s entirely Peters’ fault. When Karmanos said this team had “four No. 2 centers” who did he think the other three were? This team is weak down the middle and has too many perimeter wingers, and Peters has so far been unable to fix that. Where the blame lies is open for debate, but not the results.

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