Quickie quiz: Who did Paul Maurice replace as head coach of the Hartford Whalers in 1995?

You don't remember, do you?

	Maurice thinks he's found the cure for the Canes' Cup hangover.

Well, don't feel too bad. The old Zamboni has been around the rink quite a few times since Maurice replaced Paul Holmgren (currently, the Flyers' assistant GM) as the franchise's bench jockey on Nov. 6, 1995. At the time, Maurice was just 28 years old, making him the youngest coach in the league. To put that hiring in context, imagine Chris Pronger being named the head coach of the Blues. The injured blueliner just celebrated his 28th birthday in October.

A day short of seven years later, Maurice, now 35, remains the youngest coach in the league. And, with the retirement of Scotty Bowman, Maurice also has the longest current tenure.

In that time, Maurice lived through numerous rumored firings, a franchise relocation, the club's two-year stay in a temporary home, the tragic death of veteran defenseman Steve Chiasson and, of course, last spring's stunning run to the Stanley Cup final.

This year, after a painfully slow start that many have attributed to some sort of Stanley Cup hangover, Maurice seems to have his troops back in gear. The Hurricanes, who went winless in the preseason and just 1-3-0-1 in their first five regular season games, are 4-1-2 in their last seven. And, they bring a four-game (2-0-2) unbeaten streak into Tuesday's tilt -- the third game of a nine-game homestand -- with the visiting Flyers.

For Maurice, the key has been staying positive and not getting too bent out of shape in the early going. He figured that would be the best approach after reaching out to several successful coaches in the offseason. After doing his summer homework, he wasn't too surprised that his club didn't just pick up where they left off last season.

"Before the season, our goaltending coach, Donnie Edwards, had a good conversation with (Ex-Devils coach) Larry Robinson," Maurice said. "Larry (who experienced Cup hangover in New Jersey) told Donnie what we could expect this season in various stages. And, so far, Larry's description has been dead on."

For now, Maurice seems to have come up with the remedy for the 'Canes Cup hangover. And, he knows, the turnaround comes none too soon.

"It'll be just as tough for us to make the playoffs this year as it was last season," Maurice said. "Nothing has changed."

The same can be said for spot behind the Whalers/Hurricanes bench over the last seven years (minus one day). Nothing has changed.

This just in...
Calgary captain Craig Conroy could miss Tuesday's game at New Jersey after suffering a bruised left foot in the first period of the Flames' 4-2 win over the Islanders on Monday. Conroy, who was injured when he blocked a Roman Hamrlik slap shot, didn't play in the final two periods. Initial X-rays, taken at the Nassau Coliseum, did not show any broken bones.

E.J. Hradek writes hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.