So, I attended my second game of the season this year, and the Canes won their second game in regulation. The last game I went to was the 7-2 romp over Florida... coincidence? I think not.
Anyways, the Canes beat the Lightning 3-1 in this one.
Some random observations in list form because paragraphs are too complicated during Thanksgiving Break:
- Yes, I do have thoughts concerning the shootout loss to the Canadiens and the shootout win against the Leafs. I also have thoughts about the current cap issue with the Canes and a few curse words concerning the injury bug this team had. No, you're not going to get them because who wants to talk semi-depressing stuff when you have a legitimate win on your hands?
- That being said, Canes have gotten points in their last five games. Infinitely better than their bazillion game losing streak. Is this the turnaround point for the team?
- Ruutu and Jokinen are awesome.
- Chad LaRose got his first goal and an assist in tonight's game. The goal was a result of him powering up the side of the ice, and it has been a long time overdue for one of my favorite forwards.
- Manny Legace made most of the stops tonight, but I didn't think he looked that great while stopping them. Cam Ward, please get healthy soon.
- Jussi Jokinen's goal was the result of what I called a "changeup". The puck, instead of coming off of Joe Corvo's stick at lightning speed, came off at an extremely slow rate and I think that's what fooled Mike Smith in net for the Lightning.
- The Canes had their ups and downs, but I actually think that they didn't play that bad. If we can sustain this current positive trend, I can't help but be optimistic for our final position. There's still three-quarters left in the season.
Just remember to tell me that if we begin to lose again.
The next game is Monday against the Stars.
Erik Cole stats (Tues): 1 assist
(Thurs): 1 goal
On the season: 2 goals, 1 assist
Chad LaRose stats (Thurs): 1 assist
(Sat): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 1 goal, 5 assists
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
WE WON!!!!
IT'S OVER!
THE STREAK OF DARKNESS IS OVER!
THE CANES ARE VICTORIOUS!
5-4 SHOOTOUT WIN, TAKE THAT MINNESOTA!
Anyone up for a 14-game win streak?
THE STREAK OF DARKNESS IS OVER!
THE CANES ARE VICTORIOUS!
5-4 SHOOTOUT WIN, TAKE THAT MINNESOTA!
Anyone up for a 14-game win streak?
Monday, November 09, 2009
We've got us a new goalie...
Well, it looks like Cam Ward's going to be out 3-4 weeks, so faced with the prospect of an extended period with Michael Leighton and Justin Peters, the Canes went and signed Manny Legace to a two-way contract.
Really, I think the Canes should apologize to Legace for taking him from the winning AHL Chicago Wolves (winning being a relative word, as they are 5-7-1 on the season... but that just about blows us out of the water) and planting him on a miserable last place NHL team.
Although, it's a complete no-pressure situation for Manny, for if the Canes lose with him in goal then there's no way he can be pinned as the problem... and if somehow the Canes begin to win, he'll be hailed as a hero.
So congratulations on the signing, Mr. Legace. Don't expect that 3.21 GAA from the AHL to get much better on this team.
Really, I think the Canes should apologize to Legace for taking him from the winning AHL Chicago Wolves (winning being a relative word, as they are 5-7-1 on the season... but that just about blows us out of the water) and planting him on a miserable last place NHL team.
Although, it's a complete no-pressure situation for Manny, for if the Canes lose with him in goal then there's no way he can be pinned as the problem... and if somehow the Canes begin to win, he'll be hailed as a hero.
So congratulations on the signing, Mr. Legace. Don't expect that 3.21 GAA from the AHL to get much better on this team.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
We hit rock bottom... and then we started drilling...
The Canes lost to Columbus 3-2 last night, Erik Cole scoring the first goal, then the Canes allowing three within three and a half minutes of the third to lose the game. Nothing new there.
The horrible news? Cam Ward got cut by Rick Nash's skate in the first period. He was immediately helped off the ice, and had to stay overnight in a Columbus hospital.
I said in my last post that the Canes couldn't get any worse. I was obviously not envisioning going without our Conn Smythe winning goaltender.
Hopefully he won't be out too long.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal
The horrible news? Cam Ward got cut by Rick Nash's skate in the first period. He was immediately helped off the ice, and had to stay overnight in a Columbus hospital.
I said in my last post that the Canes couldn't get any worse. I was obviously not envisioning going without our Conn Smythe winning goaltender.
Hopefully he won't be out too long.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Rock Bottom
Well, this is it. There's nowhere else for this team to go.
Last night the Canes lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2, cementing their spot as the worst team in the National Hockey League.
The game looked like it was going to swing Carolina's way after they knocked two goals in after one period. But apparently the Canes need a lot more than a two goal lead after the first to win a game nowadays. The Leafs scored three unanswered, and the Canes are left with a dismal losing streak.
The worst part? Looking at the highlights, those goals the Leafs scored were not good. At best they were mediocre, at worst they were pansy goals allowed by letting them skate all over us. Watching the first goal, I thought that the Maple Leafs were on a power play with the way they were directing the puck throughout our zone. Then I counted our players and realized, with some developing horror, that it was even-strength.
To pose a serious question, how long will this losing streak last? You must think that the Canes will snap out of it soon, they can't be that bad of a team, not with all of the good parts that they have.
But then you realize that this team just got beat by the Toronto Maple Leafs... the 29th team in the league. If the Canes can't manage to create a win against them...
And I say "good parts" slightly tongue-in-cheek, because obviously something has gone horribly rotten with this team. Zach Boychuk led the team in shots last night, and Brandon Sutter is the only player that has been consistently scoring. Where are the rest of our veterans? The people who, last year before the playoffs, if Eric Staal wasn't scoring, would step up and pull through for the team?
I am at a loss as to what to do about this team. There are two things that I can think of to begin to turn it around: either trade a well-liked player (which pains me to say, I know), or fire Paul Maurice. Maurice got a three-year contract this offseason, but I think that is looking more and more like a bad move after each game we lose. Something has got to wake up this hockey team - Rutherford has said that he's willing to make changes, hopefully for the sake of what's left of our season he'll pull something through.
The next game is tonight against Columbus. Hopefully the Canes will find a way to pull out of this streak.
Last night the Canes lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2, cementing their spot as the worst team in the National Hockey League.
The game looked like it was going to swing Carolina's way after they knocked two goals in after one period. But apparently the Canes need a lot more than a two goal lead after the first to win a game nowadays. The Leafs scored three unanswered, and the Canes are left with a dismal losing streak.
The worst part? Looking at the highlights, those goals the Leafs scored were not good. At best they were mediocre, at worst they were pansy goals allowed by letting them skate all over us. Watching the first goal, I thought that the Maple Leafs were on a power play with the way they were directing the puck throughout our zone. Then I counted our players and realized, with some developing horror, that it was even-strength.
To pose a serious question, how long will this losing streak last? You must think that the Canes will snap out of it soon, they can't be that bad of a team, not with all of the good parts that they have.
But then you realize that this team just got beat by the Toronto Maple Leafs... the 29th team in the league. If the Canes can't manage to create a win against them...
And I say "good parts" slightly tongue-in-cheek, because obviously something has gone horribly rotten with this team. Zach Boychuk led the team in shots last night, and Brandon Sutter is the only player that has been consistently scoring. Where are the rest of our veterans? The people who, last year before the playoffs, if Eric Staal wasn't scoring, would step up and pull through for the team?
I am at a loss as to what to do about this team. There are two things that I can think of to begin to turn it around: either trade a well-liked player (which pains me to say, I know), or fire Paul Maurice. Maurice got a three-year contract this offseason, but I think that is looking more and more like a bad move after each game we lose. Something has got to wake up this hockey team - Rutherford has said that he's willing to make changes, hopefully for the sake of what's left of our season he'll pull something through.
The next game is tonight against Columbus. Hopefully the Canes will find a way to pull out of this streak.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
This is just pathetic
Let me just say that I chose a very good season to go off to college. It's a good thing that I haven't watched any of the last nine games, I think I would be ready to kill right about now.
I mean, honestly, it's hard enough listening to Chuck Kaiton. Take the 5-2 loss to St. Louis. I turned on the game a little bit late... and the Canes were down by 3 goals. Who wants to even listen to a game when your team is already down by three goals, and considering their last few games probably has no chance of coming back?
Quite possibly the only good things about the 6-1 loss to Philly and the 5-1 loss to San Jose is that Brandon Sutter, who was called up after the Ruutu suspension, scored both goals in those games. That's more goals than he scored all of last season (1). Obviously someone doesn't want to go back to Albany - and with the way everyone else appears to be playing, I definitely don't think he should.
Nine losses. NINE LOSSES! Even typing that I can't belive how far we have fallen. What do you say after your hockey team has lost nine in a row? Well, golly gee, I sure hope we win the next one?
There are limits even to my optimism. We have to see a full 180-degree turnaround here. You don't lose nine in a row and just have a few things that need to be tweaked. Fundamentals need to be changed.
But I can't leave my loyal readers with that unhappy though. The Canes have depressed us enough. Here's the good news of the night: ERIK COLE IS BACK IN ACTION!!!!
I mean, honestly, it's hard enough listening to Chuck Kaiton. Take the 5-2 loss to St. Louis. I turned on the game a little bit late... and the Canes were down by 3 goals. Who wants to even listen to a game when your team is already down by three goals, and considering their last few games probably has no chance of coming back?
Quite possibly the only good things about the 6-1 loss to Philly and the 5-1 loss to San Jose is that Brandon Sutter, who was called up after the Ruutu suspension, scored both goals in those games. That's more goals than he scored all of last season (1). Obviously someone doesn't want to go back to Albany - and with the way everyone else appears to be playing, I definitely don't think he should.
Nine losses. NINE LOSSES! Even typing that I can't belive how far we have fallen. What do you say after your hockey team has lost nine in a row? Well, golly gee, I sure hope we win the next one?
There are limits even to my optimism. We have to see a full 180-degree turnaround here. You don't lose nine in a row and just have a few things that need to be tweaked. Fundamentals need to be changed.
But I can't leave my loyal readers with that unhappy though. The Canes have depressed us enough. Here's the good news of the night: ERIK COLE IS BACK IN ACTION!!!!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Canes have issues
Remember my last post, in which I said that if the Canes lost to the Islanders, they have all kinds of issues?
Well, issues are definitely what this current Canes team has. They lost in a shootout to the Islanders, then lost to the Avs in regulation, then lost in overtime to the Wild.
The Canes have not won a game on the road yet. The Canes are last in the NHL in penalties per game, taking an average of 22 minutes per game. They're 4th in the Southeast, 12th in the East, 26th in the league.
What is wrong with this picture? EVERYTHING!
But I'm not done yet. Eric Staal isn't producing, Rod Brind'Amour was moved to wing, Tuomo Ruutu was suspended 3 games for a nasty hit on Darcy Tucker against the Avs.
What happened to this team? They shouldn't be this bad!
But they are. And I don't think the current situation will last very long before Rutherford does something. What could he do? I can't even begin to imagine what can fix this sloppy play and bad chemistry. But something has to be done to stop the bleeding.
Well, issues are definitely what this current Canes team has. They lost in a shootout to the Islanders, then lost to the Avs in regulation, then lost in overtime to the Wild.
The Canes have not won a game on the road yet. The Canes are last in the NHL in penalties per game, taking an average of 22 minutes per game. They're 4th in the Southeast, 12th in the East, 26th in the league.
What is wrong with this picture? EVERYTHING!
But I'm not done yet. Eric Staal isn't producing, Rod Brind'Amour was moved to wing, Tuomo Ruutu was suspended 3 games for a nasty hit on Darcy Tucker against the Avs.
What happened to this team? They shouldn't be this bad!
But they are. And I don't think the current situation will last very long before Rutherford does something. What could he do? I can't even begin to imagine what can fix this sloppy play and bad chemistry. But something has to be done to stop the bleeding.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Entertainment, courtesy of Martin St. Louis
So, on Saturday, the Canes got shutout by the New Jersey Devils 2-0, making them the third former playoff foe to beat the Canes this season.
But that is not what got me off my lazy bum to post. Martin St. Louis playing a game of strip-shootout after a Tampa Bay practice is what got me off my lazy bum to post (props to Puck Daddy for bringing the vid to my attention).
Because laughing at an opponent in good fun is always better than looking at your current train wreck of a team.
Canes play tonight and if they lose to the Islanders, we have major issues to consider.
But that is not what got me off my lazy bum to post. Martin St. Louis playing a game of strip-shootout after a Tampa Bay practice is what got me off my lazy bum to post (props to Puck Daddy for bringing the vid to my attention).
Because laughing at an opponent in good fun is always better than looking at your current train wreck of a team.
Canes play tonight and if they lose to the Islanders, we have major issues to consider.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
