Improvement seen

Canes drop another to Atlanta, losing 3-2 last night.

The difference between this loss and the previous ones was the actual energy the Canes showed throughout the game. Especially in the third period, where the Canes had a sustained drive at the Atlanta net, looking for that elusive tying goal.

Also, Eric Staal showed up, only getting an assist, but playing a heckuva lot better than he had the previous games (Of course, that wasn't hard to accomplish...). And Rod Brind'Amour made an appearance as well, albeit only in the third period. But he came through when the team needed a goal to get back in it, and I suppose that's all that matters.

And we had two powerplay goals!

Speaking of powerplays... please, Wallin, next time you decide you need to argue with the refs and get a unsportsmanlike penalty - don't give the other team a 5-on-3 for two full minutes in the process...

The next game is tomorrow against Tampa. Maybe we can *gasp* win this one?

Oh yeah, speaking of Tampa, it's back to ESPN for Barry Melrose - he was fired after only 16 games with the team...

Overtime, retirement, and firings

So apparently I missed a pretty good game last night. Game 3 went into triple OT, after the Pens scored two in the first, let in three consecutive and were ~35 seconds away from watching the Red Wings lift the Cup when Maxime Talbot saved the day. Then Petr Sykora won it in triple overtime.

But, I wasn't watching (didn't want to see the Red Wings win, as the Pens performance on Saturday didn't leave me with a lot of hope), and I wouldn't have stayed up for it anyways.

This game does increase the probability of me tuning in tomorrow, but considering all the games I've watched the Pens have lost, and all I haven't they've won...

In other news: Sami Kapanen, the Cane from long ago, has announced his retirement today. He was a fast little skater, and was a part of that special season of 2001-2002.

John Tortorella will not be coaching Tampa Bay next year, being canned from the job today. I'm happy because I thought he was a little arrogant and I didn't like his coaching style - but that happiness depends on the Lightning hiring someone that will enable the Canes to win. Not that having only one line on their won't help with that, it just is beneficial to the Hurricanes if the Lightning can pick up someone moronic.

And rumors are that Barry Melrose, the guy known to me as the ESPN hockey analyst that wears pinstriped suits and gets very little face time since the network dropped hockey games, will be taking the job. Which sounds weird because it doesn't look like he's coached in the last ten years, but it's just a rumor... But, hey, if he makes his team lose to the Canes, I'm all for it.

Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much my outlook on anything that happens in the NHL. Don't steal my players, don't beat my team, anything else is cool. And, if you can hurt Buffalo in any way, that's doubly fine.

Onwards to Game 6!