Well, the opening of free agency has passed, and really, it doesn't seem like the blockbuster year some were making it out to be. Of course, my view is slightly skewed as the Canes did next to nothing, so perhaps that's why it seems so boring.
However, the Canes didn't do nothing, they signed Anton Babchuk to a one year $1.4 million deal. It seems like a little much money-wise to me for a guy who has left the team twice to go to Russia and at times is streaky. But, I suppose it's based on his potential, which hopefully he'll live up to. (I'm not sad that he's bringing his slapshot back to the US, that's for sure).
The other news with the Canes is who has left the fold. Matt Cullen (although he wasn't playing with the team at the end of the season) signed with the Wild for a 3-year $10.5 million deal. Ray Whitney, to no surprise, left as well, Phoenix signing him to a 2-year deal that should pay about $3 million dollars per. Both are slightly overpriced in my opinon, Cullen because he doesn't seem like he would produce the numbers for that sort of money and Whitney because, while he has had some excellent seasons recently, is getting up there in age. (For reference, his 58 point season last season was the lowest for him since '05-'06.)
Around the league the story was a high asking price for goaltenders and defensemen. My favorite laughable contract of the day was Derek Boogaard's 4 year deal with the Rangers that will pay him $1.65 million per. This is a guy whose last goal was in the '05-'06 season. Hey, I guess from that point of view, Anton Babchuk is a steal!
Showing posts with label Matt Cullen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Cullen. Show all posts
Friday, July 02, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Weekly Game Recap
So I'm smack in the middle of my Spring Break, and I will say that I am enjoying the nice weather around here. Some nice hockey too, believe it or not.
Starting with last week, the first game after the trade deadline, the Canes increased their winning streak to seven with a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Manny Legace had a shutout going until former Cane Matt Cullen scored on him.
Of course, every good thing must eventually end. The Canes lost the following game to the Florida Panthers 4-1. Of course, this is the first game in a month and a half where I had actually seen the Canes, and of course they were horrible.
I would also like to find out the stats of how many goals Cory Stillman has scored against us since going to the Panthers. It seems to me as if he has scored in almost every game - apparently he was taking notes while he was with the Canes.
The Canes rebounded by beating the snot out of Atlanta 4-0 on Sunday. It was the first shutout of the season for the Canes - which is incredibly depressing.
Tonight the Canes played an excellent game against the Washington C[r]apitals, forcing them to overtime. And, oddly enough, the last regulation loss for the Eastern Conference-leading team came against the Canes. Can you believe that? Are we the kryptonite to the C[r]apitals? That's actually kind of beast.
I was extremely surprised while watching this game. The Canes were playing with Washington - an action-packed end of the third period with many chances on both ends. I hadn't seen that kind of good hockey from the Hurricanes in an incredibly long time - and to think that this is happening with a good bit of our team traded away!
Hopefully the Canes can keep the mojo going for tomorrow night's matchup against Pittsburgh - I look forward to booing Sidney Crosby and his Canadian gold medal. Go America!
Chad LaRose stats (Thursday): 1 goal
(Wednesday): 1 assist
On the season: 5 goals, 9 assists
Starting with last week, the first game after the trade deadline, the Canes increased their winning streak to seven with a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Manny Legace had a shutout going until former Cane Matt Cullen scored on him.
Of course, every good thing must eventually end. The Canes lost the following game to the Florida Panthers 4-1. Of course, this is the first game in a month and a half where I had actually seen the Canes, and of course they were horrible.
I would also like to find out the stats of how many goals Cory Stillman has scored against us since going to the Panthers. It seems to me as if he has scored in almost every game - apparently he was taking notes while he was with the Canes.
The Canes rebounded by beating the snot out of Atlanta 4-0 on Sunday. It was the first shutout of the season for the Canes - which is incredibly depressing.
Tonight the Canes played an excellent game against the Washington C[r]apitals, forcing them to overtime. And, oddly enough, the last regulation loss for the Eastern Conference-leading team came against the Canes. Can you believe that? Are we the kryptonite to the C[r]apitals? That's actually kind of beast.
I was extremely surprised while watching this game. The Canes were playing with Washington - an action-packed end of the third period with many chances on both ends. I hadn't seen that kind of good hockey from the Hurricanes in an incredibly long time - and to think that this is happening with a good bit of our team traded away!
Hopefully the Canes can keep the mojo going for tomorrow night's matchup against Pittsburgh - I look forward to booing Sidney Crosby and his Canadian gold medal. Go America!
Chad LaRose stats (Thursday): 1 goal
(Wednesday): 1 assist
On the season: 5 goals, 9 assists
Friday, February 12, 2010
Canes win, deal Cullen
This has been a moderately busy week for the Canes so far. It started with a 4-1 win over the Panthers. I would attempt to give you more information about it, but I can't remember what happened despite listening to it on the radio, and the highlights online were boring. So, yeah, I'll say it was an unexciting game.
Then came the news that the Canes were moving their AHL team from Albany to Charlotte. It makes sense for the Canes minor league team to be close to the home arena, especially with the revolving door system that's been in place this season.
Last night the Canes managed to pull a win out of their butts against Buffalo in overtime. Brandon Sutter took advantage of a turnover to backhand pass it to Samsonov to win it. This was after the Canes were playing miserably for a lot of the first period, including letting in an extremely soft deflection goal.
This is the second time the Canes have beaten Buffalo in the past two weeks, which is something I like a lot. Again, why couldn't they have played like this earlier in the season?
Resulting from their early season poor play is the fire sale that Rutherford has started. Matt Cullen was today's casualty, being sent to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a second round draft pick. I don't know much about Picard, other than that he is 24 years old and a defenseman. This trade obviously doesn't hurt the Canes, as Cullen is a free agent at the end of this season, so he could in theory resign with the team, and the Canes get a player and a pick out of the deal.
I believe the Olympic trade freeze has just passed, so it looks like that will be all the Canes trade news for right now. The Canes play one more game and then it's the Olympic break for two weeks.
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Then came the news that the Canes were moving their AHL team from Albany to Charlotte. It makes sense for the Canes minor league team to be close to the home arena, especially with the revolving door system that's been in place this season.
Last night the Canes managed to pull a win out of their butts against Buffalo in overtime. Brandon Sutter took advantage of a turnover to backhand pass it to Samsonov to win it. This was after the Canes were playing miserably for a lot of the first period, including letting in an extremely soft deflection goal.
This is the second time the Canes have beaten Buffalo in the past two weeks, which is something I like a lot. Again, why couldn't they have played like this earlier in the season?
Resulting from their early season poor play is the fire sale that Rutherford has started. Matt Cullen was today's casualty, being sent to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a second round draft pick. I don't know much about Picard, other than that he is 24 years old and a defenseman. This trade obviously doesn't hurt the Canes, as Cullen is a free agent at the end of this season, so he could in theory resign with the team, and the Canes get a player and a pick out of the deal.
I believe the Olympic trade freeze has just passed, so it looks like that will be all the Canes trade news for right now. The Canes play one more game and then it's the Olympic break for two weeks.
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Cam has another shutout - Bruins go down
Canes won 3-0 in Game 2 last night!
This game was played much better than Game 1. And I'm going to say at this point that it is creepy how this series has so far mirrored the Jersey one. We're 1-1 after two games, the Game 1s both being the crappy losses, while the Game 2s have been the better played ones. Hopefully the Canes can win quicker than in the first series, although I wouldn't be too upset if round 2 mirrors round 1 completely. (In case you can't follow the choppy sentence, that would mean a Canes win...)
The first period was only okay, both teams being kept off the scoresheet. Which is probably a better sign for the Canes than the Bruins, seeing as that was the first time Boston had not scored in the first period (or something along those lines - I forget the exact stat from Versus.).
Second period opened up with scoring for the Canes - Joe Corvo scoring on a slapshot pretty early in the period (and Erik Cole finally - finally! - got on the scoreboard with an assist). But the best goal was the Matt Cullen shorthanded goal - Chad LaRose intercepted a pass at the blue line and ran it up the ice, missed his first chance, but then passed it to Cullen who zapped it in the net.
The second period was definitely the Canes' period in terms of outplaying Boston. It could have actually been 3-0 at the end of the period, thanks to Chad LaRose never giving up and catching pretty much everyone on Boston mentally heading to the locker room. Alas, they said it was no goal as there was not enough video evidence to overturn the no goal call on the ice (Apparently, someone in the Situation Room is completely color blind because I saw white in between the puck and the goal line - but whatever). I think it wasn't a goal because scoring with .2 seconds left in anything is totally Jussi Jokinen's gig, not LaRose's.
The Canes also came out strong in the third period, but took some stupid penalties. Either their penalty kill is excellent or Boston's power play is crappy, but either way the Canes managed to keep it a two-goal game (with a lot of help from Cam Ward, of course), until Staal's empty net goal.
I am really glad the Canes were able to win this one, as I did not like the prospect of going back to Raleigh down 2-0 in the series. But, they played better than they did in the first game and now it's a whole new ballgame!
Next game is Wednesday at the RBC Center!
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 2 goals, 6 assists
This game was played much better than Game 1. And I'm going to say at this point that it is creepy how this series has so far mirrored the Jersey one. We're 1-1 after two games, the Game 1s both being the crappy losses, while the Game 2s have been the better played ones. Hopefully the Canes can win quicker than in the first series, although I wouldn't be too upset if round 2 mirrors round 1 completely. (In case you can't follow the choppy sentence, that would mean a Canes win...)
The first period was only okay, both teams being kept off the scoresheet. Which is probably a better sign for the Canes than the Bruins, seeing as that was the first time Boston had not scored in the first period (or something along those lines - I forget the exact stat from Versus.).
Second period opened up with scoring for the Canes - Joe Corvo scoring on a slapshot pretty early in the period (and Erik Cole finally - finally! - got on the scoreboard with an assist). But the best goal was the Matt Cullen shorthanded goal - Chad LaRose intercepted a pass at the blue line and ran it up the ice, missed his first chance, but then passed it to Cullen who zapped it in the net.
The second period was definitely the Canes' period in terms of outplaying Boston. It could have actually been 3-0 at the end of the period, thanks to Chad LaRose never giving up and catching pretty much everyone on Boston mentally heading to the locker room. Alas, they said it was no goal as there was not enough video evidence to overturn the no goal call on the ice (Apparently, someone in the Situation Room is completely color blind because I saw white in between the puck and the goal line - but whatever). I think it wasn't a goal because scoring with .2 seconds left in anything is totally Jussi Jokinen's gig, not LaRose's.
The Canes also came out strong in the third period, but took some stupid penalties. Either their penalty kill is excellent or Boston's power play is crappy, but either way the Canes managed to keep it a two-goal game (with a lot of help from Cam Ward, of course), until Staal's empty net goal.
I am really glad the Canes were able to win this one, as I did not like the prospect of going back to Raleigh down 2-0 in the series. But, they played better than they did in the first game and now it's a whole new ballgame!
Next game is Wednesday at the RBC Center!
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 2 goals, 6 assists
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Canes close point gap by two
So, the Canes have managed to gain two points on eighth place in their last three games. Sound pretty bad, but it's actually good considering that means other teams had to lose in the process.
On last Friday, the Canes played Tampa and broke their home losing streak by winning 4-1. Really, they should have had more goals as they had numerous breakaways and opportunities (Ray Whitney can't hit a net if his life depended on it, it seems). Not to mention they outshot the Lightning by 28.
Although, my personal highlight was Tim Conboy's fight against Steve Downie. Not really good, but I love the wild haymaker at the end to bring them both down to the ice.
Next was the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Matt Cullen got his first career hat trick in the 5-2 win. And... I can't remember anything about that game. Oh well.
Then, last night, the Canes lost to the Senators 4-2, breaking their streak of beating teams they're supposed to beat and winning on the road. This game was not fun to watch, primarily because Cam Ward looked absolutely horrible for a good portion of the first period, and the third Ottawa goal just kind of ruined the night for me.
Yesterday was also the first day on the job for new Rangers coach, John Tortorella. For the good of the rest of the Eastern Conference, he really should just throw in the towel and let the Rangers continue on this slump they're in.
Today the Canes assigned Brandon Sutter to Albany for a conditioning stint. It's a shame because I liked him, but it will probably do him good to actually play in the games, rather than sit on the bench during them.
And, it looks like the current lineup is the one we'll have for the rest of the season. Rutherford essentially says here not to expect any sort of movement from the Canes.
Tomorrow the Canes play Buffalo. A pretty important game, both for fan pride, and for the fact that the Canes are only one point behind Buffalo in the playoff standings. Hopefully the Canes won't crap out like they did the last time they were in this situation.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 2 assists
On the season: 13 goals, 8 assists
On last Friday, the Canes played Tampa and broke their home losing streak by winning 4-1. Really, they should have had more goals as they had numerous breakaways and opportunities (Ray Whitney can't hit a net if his life depended on it, it seems). Not to mention they outshot the Lightning by 28.
Although, my personal highlight was Tim Conboy's fight against Steve Downie. Not really good, but I love the wild haymaker at the end to bring them both down to the ice.
Next was the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Matt Cullen got his first career hat trick in the 5-2 win. And... I can't remember anything about that game. Oh well.
Then, last night, the Canes lost to the Senators 4-2, breaking their streak of beating teams they're supposed to beat and winning on the road. This game was not fun to watch, primarily because Cam Ward looked absolutely horrible for a good portion of the first period, and the third Ottawa goal just kind of ruined the night for me.
Yesterday was also the first day on the job for new Rangers coach, John Tortorella. For the good of the rest of the Eastern Conference, he really should just throw in the towel and let the Rangers continue on this slump they're in.
Today the Canes assigned Brandon Sutter to Albany for a conditioning stint. It's a shame because I liked him, but it will probably do him good to actually play in the games, rather than sit on the bench during them.
And, it looks like the current lineup is the one we'll have for the rest of the season. Rutherford essentially says here not to expect any sort of movement from the Canes.
Tomorrow the Canes play Buffalo. A pretty important game, both for fan pride, and for the fact that the Canes are only one point behind Buffalo in the playoff standings. Hopefully the Canes won't crap out like they did the last time they were in this situation.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 2 assists
On the season: 13 goals, 8 assists
Monday, February 02, 2009
Well-formed thoughts and good comma use are overrated
Canes played really well against the Thrashers on Saturday, winning in a 2-0 shutout.
Although, I believe the key words to that sentence are "against the Thrashers". Not sure that beating the crap out of them really means anything in the way of the Canes' progression, but whatever, a win's a win - a well-played win even better.
And, really, the Canes should have scored more goals, but Kari Lehtonen was playing pretty well in front of the net. As was Cam Ward, but that kind of goes without saying in a shutout (third of the year for Ward!).
The Canes also picked up their second shorthanded goal of the year, thanks to the terrific penalty killing duo of Matt Cullen and Chad LaRose. That's two games in a row and I'm hoping that's a streak that lasts for a while.
Chad LaRose, by the way, has 2 goals and 2 assists in the last five games. Again, hoping that streak lasts.
And with this win, the Canes have gained possession of the all-important 8th spot in the East! YaY!
Here's other news, bullet-style, because I don't feel like forming full paragraphs. (Not that I really ever write in full paragraphs - they're overrated.)
Next Canes game is tomorrow against Vancouver. Not staying up for it, so expect a lame recap whenever.
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
On the season: 11 goals, 5 assists
Although, I believe the key words to that sentence are "against the Thrashers". Not sure that beating the crap out of them really means anything in the way of the Canes' progression, but whatever, a win's a win - a well-played win even better.
And, really, the Canes should have scored more goals, but Kari Lehtonen was playing pretty well in front of the net. As was Cam Ward, but that kind of goes without saying in a shutout (third of the year for Ward!).
The Canes also picked up their second shorthanded goal of the year, thanks to the terrific penalty killing duo of Matt Cullen and Chad LaRose. That's two games in a row and I'm hoping that's a streak that lasts for a while.
Chad LaRose, by the way, has 2 goals and 2 assists in the last five games. Again, hoping that streak lasts.
And with this win, the Canes have gained possession of the all-important 8th spot in the East! YaY!
Here's other news, bullet-style, because I don't feel like forming full paragraphs. (Not that I really ever write in full paragraphs - they're overrated.)
- The Canes now have a Twitter account. I'm following, are you?
- I would totally be dropping hints on here for this (Don't click if your computer freaks out about .pdf like the retarded ones at my school do) if I knew that any of my real-life guy friends checked this blog at all. Sadly, my friends are all losers, unlike you, my dear reader(s), and they don't read my blog. So I won't drop hints, because dropping hints to people you don't know is kind of creepy and/or depressing.
- Click here for pictures of some of the ugliest jerseys ever. I mean, Montreal has a perfectly fine jersey already. Why ruin it with that?
- Best commercial of last night.
Next Canes game is tomorrow against Vancouver. Not staying up for it, so expect a lame recap whenever.
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
On the season: 11 goals, 5 assists
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Canes play well, but lose...
Canes lost their game against the Bruins last night 4-2.
I didn't think that the Canes played that bad, really. I thought they had a pretty good pace for most of the game - they just didn't capitalize on the chances they had and they ended up losing.
The first goal was a Matt Cullen tip-in of an awesome Chad LaRose shot - maybe this is the beginning of another streak for my man LaRose? Hopefully.
The second Canes goal was a wicked shot by Anton Babchuk. He's another one I want to go on a scoring spree - he definitely still has his slapshot.
And, Tuomo Ruutu was a hitting machine last night - pretty much, if it had a Boston Bruins jersey on, he wasn't skating around it, but through it. I get more and more impressed with this guy as the season goes on - how could Chicago give up on him?
Hopfully the Canes good play will transfer into more wins against the big teams like Boston soon.
Next game is New Year's Eve against the Thrashers.
Chad LaRose: 1 assist
On the season: 8 goals, 3 assists
I didn't think that the Canes played that bad, really. I thought they had a pretty good pace for most of the game - they just didn't capitalize on the chances they had and they ended up losing.
The first goal was a Matt Cullen tip-in of an awesome Chad LaRose shot - maybe this is the beginning of another streak for my man LaRose? Hopefully.
The second Canes goal was a wicked shot by Anton Babchuk. He's another one I want to go on a scoring spree - he definitely still has his slapshot.
And, Tuomo Ruutu was a hitting machine last night - pretty much, if it had a Boston Bruins jersey on, he wasn't skating around it, but through it. I get more and more impressed with this guy as the season goes on - how could Chicago give up on him?
Hopfully the Canes good play will transfer into more wins against the big teams like Boston soon.
Next game is New Year's Eve against the Thrashers.
Chad LaRose: 1 assist
On the season: 8 goals, 3 assists
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Canes are annoying me right now...
The Canes are seriously disappointing me right now.
I did not watch Thursday's meltdown against the C[r]apitals - I chose to go instead to my school's play, an $8 that was worth it both for the quality of the production and the fact that it kept me from throwing something through the TV, as I surely would have done at home.
Yep, the Canes went from leading, to tied, to losing, all within a little under three minutes.
Over and over again, I have stressed that the Canes need to play a full sixty minutes. Here's a perfect case in point.
And my mom says that I should just be happy that the Canes won last night. Yes, they won. Good for them. Came back from a 1-0 deficit in the third period.
But what about the first two periods? They played like crap. That was an utterly lackluster hockey team on the ice last night. To be honest, I'm getting sick of it. I want to see well-executed hockey for the entire game, not just a one-period flurry and the other two periods being merely okay. That's not a way to win a championship, that's for sure.
Granted, the Canes are missing a lot of people due to injury. Hopefully when we get Cullen & Pitkanen back, our power play will finally connect. But Rod Brind'Amour seems completely non-existent on the ice (maybe after-effects of his knee surgeries?), and Eric Staal looked like he took some bad allergy medicine or something - he was not playing anywhere near his best, it just looked like he was going through the motions out there.
A positive thing I have to say today? Well, Peter Laviolette, with the unimpressive win by his hockey team last night, became the winningest American-born NHL hockey coach, surpassing John Tortorella Good for him!
The next game is Sunday against the Thrashers. Hopefully they'll be able to start opening up Lavi's lead on Tortorella...
I did not watch Thursday's meltdown against the C[r]apitals - I chose to go instead to my school's play, an $8 that was worth it both for the quality of the production and the fact that it kept me from throwing something through the TV, as I surely would have done at home.
Yep, the Canes went from leading, to tied, to losing, all within a little under three minutes.
Over and over again, I have stressed that the Canes need to play a full sixty minutes. Here's a perfect case in point.
And my mom says that I should just be happy that the Canes won last night. Yes, they won. Good for them. Came back from a 1-0 deficit in the third period.
But what about the first two periods? They played like crap. That was an utterly lackluster hockey team on the ice last night. To be honest, I'm getting sick of it. I want to see well-executed hockey for the entire game, not just a one-period flurry and the other two periods being merely okay. That's not a way to win a championship, that's for sure.
Granted, the Canes are missing a lot of people due to injury. Hopefully when we get Cullen & Pitkanen back, our power play will finally connect. But Rod Brind'Amour seems completely non-existent on the ice (maybe after-effects of his knee surgeries?), and Eric Staal looked like he took some bad allergy medicine or something - he was not playing anywhere near his best, it just looked like he was going through the motions out there.
A positive thing I have to say today? Well, Peter Laviolette, with the unimpressive win by his hockey team last night, became the winningest American-born NHL hockey coach, surpassing John Tortorella Good for him!
The next game is Sunday against the Thrashers. Hopefully they'll be able to start opening up Lavi's lead on Tortorella...
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Recaps and stuff
I have some overdue game recaps for you, my loyal readers.
First: Canes won 1-0 over Blues on last Thursday. The goal in that one was scored in Tuomo Ruutu, which I didn't see because I went to bed in the middle of the second period. I did realize in this game that, if you happen to be in a bad mood, John & Tripp on FSN South will absolutely cheer you up with their (sometimes useful, sometimes not) blabbering and random factoids.
Second: Canes lost 3-1 to the Oilers Saturday. I was receiving text messages about the score under a dinner table, so I can't really say how the Canes played in this one. I think Matt Cullen got injured, but I can't find an article easily to back that up, so whatever.
Third: The Canes picked up their first third jersey win 6-3 against Toronto. I watched this game, but can't really remember much except that the Canes started out looking like crap, but then they did a massive scoring flurry in the last four minutes of the second period to take the lead. Very good.
Then last night, the Canes won again against Toronto, this time in overtime 5-4. They should have won it in regulation, having gotten out to a 3-0 lead so quickly in the first, looking like they had completely demoralized the Leafs.
But nooooooooo, the Canes decided to mail it in, so the game had to be won by The Secret Weapon, Nic Wallin. Which was incredibly lucky.
So the next game is Thursday at Washington.
In random news: Brind'Amour, Staal, and Whitney made it onto the All-Star ballot.
And Marty Brodeur will be out 3-4 months after elbow surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon. And the description of what happened completely makes me cringe:
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 1 goal, 1 assist
(Tuesday): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 4 goals, 2 assists
First: Canes won 1-0 over Blues on last Thursday. The goal in that one was scored in Tuomo Ruutu, which I didn't see because I went to bed in the middle of the second period. I did realize in this game that, if you happen to be in a bad mood, John & Tripp on FSN South will absolutely cheer you up with their (sometimes useful, sometimes not) blabbering and random factoids.
Second: Canes lost 3-1 to the Oilers Saturday. I was receiving text messages about the score under a dinner table, so I can't really say how the Canes played in this one. I think Matt Cullen got injured, but I can't find an article easily to back that up, so whatever.
Third: The Canes picked up their first third jersey win 6-3 against Toronto. I watched this game, but can't really remember much except that the Canes started out looking like crap, but then they did a massive scoring flurry in the last four minutes of the second period to take the lead. Very good.
Then last night, the Canes won again against Toronto, this time in overtime 5-4. They should have won it in regulation, having gotten out to a 3-0 lead so quickly in the first, looking like they had completely demoralized the Leafs.
But nooooooooo, the Canes decided to mail it in, so the game had to be won by The Secret Weapon, Nic Wallin. Which was incredibly lucky.
So the next game is Thursday at Washington.
In random news: Brind'Amour, Staal, and Whitney made it onto the All-Star ballot.
And Marty Brodeur will be out 3-4 months after elbow surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon. And the description of what happened completely makes me cringe:
Brodeur extended his arm trying to make a save and ended up tearing the tendon that connects the bicep to the elbow off the bone.Owie! And that completely sinks the Devils chances this season, a bummer for them - because Brodeur is one heckuva goalie.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 1 goal, 1 assist
(Tuesday): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 4 goals, 2 assists
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Canes earn first preseason win
Canes went 1-1 against the Flyers this weekend.
They lost the first game 4-2, the Flyers being all emotional and whatnot because this was their last game at the Spectrum before its demolition, and they had all kinds of ceremonies and stuff.
Then there was today's game, which the Canes won 1-0. It was a lot more exciting than the score makes it seem - the Canes missing on tons of chances with an open or semi-open net. The Canes played a heckuva lot better than they did in the only other time I've seen them play this preseason (that being Wednesday). Staal, Cullen and Walker were some of the regulars in this game - Cullen didn't play the last two periods because he was hit hard and they were holding him out for "precautionary reasons". Samsonov was the one who scored the goal for the Canes.
I took my new digital camera to the game, and came back with 31 pictures. Most of them were blurry or pictures of the jumbotron so I could judge when in the game I took the pictures.
Anyways, this is the best picture of a string showing Scott Walker's fight with Nate Guenin.
And this is a random picture of Brandon Sutter. I have no idea when or why I took this (I think I was aiming at something else), but it's the best one of the bunch.
I debated taking a picture of the blood across the ice when Josef Melichar was struck by a high stick, but I didn't want to seem overly morbid.
And, the Canes have sent some people back down to juniors/Albany after this game. I'm bummed that Casey Borer didn't make it, and also Jakub Petruzalek, just because I think his name is completely awesome to say out loud a few times (try it!).
Making it through this round of cuts is Bryan Rodney, a defensemen who played really really well in today's game.
Next preseason game is Thursday at Nashville.
They lost the first game 4-2, the Flyers being all emotional and whatnot because this was their last game at the Spectrum before its demolition, and they had all kinds of ceremonies and stuff.
Then there was today's game, which the Canes won 1-0. It was a lot more exciting than the score makes it seem - the Canes missing on tons of chances with an open or semi-open net. The Canes played a heckuva lot better than they did in the only other time I've seen them play this preseason (that being Wednesday). Staal, Cullen and Walker were some of the regulars in this game - Cullen didn't play the last two periods because he was hit hard and they were holding him out for "precautionary reasons". Samsonov was the one who scored the goal for the Canes.
I took my new digital camera to the game, and came back with 31 pictures. Most of them were blurry or pictures of the jumbotron so I could judge when in the game I took the pictures.
Anyways, this is the best picture of a string showing Scott Walker's fight with Nate Guenin.
And this is a random picture of Brandon Sutter. I have no idea when or why I took this (I think I was aiming at something else), but it's the best one of the bunch.
I debated taking a picture of the blood across the ice when Josef Melichar was struck by a high stick, but I didn't want to seem overly morbid.
And, the Canes have sent some people back down to juniors/Albany after this game. I'm bummed that Casey Borer didn't make it, and also Jakub Petruzalek, just because I think his name is completely awesome to say out loud a few times (try it!).
Making it through this round of cuts is Bryan Rodney, a defensemen who played really really well in today's game.
Next preseason game is Thursday at Nashville.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Penguins game up next!
Canes won last night in OT 3-2.
The overtime period was absolutely unnessecary - Toronto scored a goal with 11 seconds left in the game to tie it up, forcing me to lose sleep and watch the OT.
In which Brind'Amour scored the winning goal, so it's all good.
I had a semblance of a post thought up in my mind, but it's all gone now. Probably because there's two Pittsburgh games coming up very soon, and I always look forward to those. (Boo Orpik!)
But here's an oddity for you: Jeff Hamilton was waived Wednesday, but still played for the Canes last night because Matt Cullen was out with vision problems after his concussion that wasn't a concussion but really was a concussion.
I get the feeling I'm not communicating very well today. I'm calling it Pittsburgh Anticipation Syndrome. I really love watching those games. They're always exciting and fast-paced and I get to boo Orpik.
Today the Canes traded David Gove for a Joe Jensen from those self-same Penguins. I guess it's a depth move.
Next game is tomorrow against (guess who?) the Penguins! I can guarantee I will be booing Orpik from the comfort of my own home.
The overtime period was absolutely unnessecary - Toronto scored a goal with 11 seconds left in the game to tie it up, forcing me to lose sleep and watch the OT.
In which Brind'Amour scored the winning goal, so it's all good.
I had a semblance of a post thought up in my mind, but it's all gone now. Probably because there's two Pittsburgh games coming up very soon, and I always look forward to those. (Boo Orpik!)
But here's an oddity for you: Jeff Hamilton was waived Wednesday, but still played for the Canes last night because Matt Cullen was out with vision problems after his concussion that wasn't a concussion but really was a concussion.
I get the feeling I'm not communicating very well today. I'm calling it Pittsburgh Anticipation Syndrome. I really love watching those games. They're always exciting and fast-paced and I get to boo Orpik.
Today the Canes traded David Gove for a Joe Jensen from those self-same Penguins. I guess it's a depth move.
Next game is tomorrow against (guess who?) the Penguins! I can guarantee I will be booing Orpik from the comfort of my own home.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Adams is gone...
The Canes had a net gain of 2 players today - Cullen, Walker, and Hedican have been taken off of IR, while Craig Adams has been sent to Chicago for "future considerations".
It's sort of a shame to see Adams go, but in this year he was nowhere near productive for the Canes. At least he'll be part of the "Adams Family" again (Kevyn Adams is in Chicago as well, although currently he's on IR with a torn ACL -ouch!).
Game is tonight against Ottawa.
It's sort of a shame to see Adams go, but in this year he was nowhere near productive for the Canes. At least he'll be part of the "Adams Family" again (Kevyn Adams is in Chicago as well, although currently he's on IR with a torn ACL -ouch!).
Game is tonight against Ottawa.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Canes play like crap
Wow, that game was crap.
Canes lost to the Islanders 4-1 yesterday. Here are my notes from the game:
- Refs were absolutely horrible. I swear the Islanders must've paid them off, because all the calls certainly seemed to go in one direction.
- The penalty kill was horrible. Which did not bode well, considering all the penalties the Canes took.
- Ice looked pretty bad in the second, Canes and Islanders slipping everywhere.
- Cullen started the game, but left early because he was "feeling ill".
- Cole needs to drink more coffee or something - it looks like he's missing a little of the jump in his step.
- Grahame didn't look good in goal, but I blame the guys in front of him. A little defense would help your goaltender, guys...
- Seidenberg needs a different hockey stick. I think I counted three sticks broken last night.
Hopefully the Canes got all of their lameness out of their system in 2007...
And in 2008, the first hockey game I watched was the "Winter Classic", which actually sort of lived up to the billing that the NHL gave it. The game was a close game (won in a SO by Sid Crosby) and actually had some offense to it, despite the steady amount of snow falling in Buffalo. I did not envy the players playing in that weather...
First Canes game of '08 is tomorrow against the Thrashers. Hoping for a win in the new year!
Canes lost to the Islanders 4-1 yesterday. Here are my notes from the game:
- Refs were absolutely horrible. I swear the Islanders must've paid them off, because all the calls certainly seemed to go in one direction.
- The penalty kill was horrible. Which did not bode well, considering all the penalties the Canes took.
- Ice looked pretty bad in the second, Canes and Islanders slipping everywhere.
- Cullen started the game, but left early because he was "feeling ill".
- Cole needs to drink more coffee or something - it looks like he's missing a little of the jump in his step.
- Grahame didn't look good in goal, but I blame the guys in front of him. A little defense would help your goaltender, guys...
- Seidenberg needs a different hockey stick. I think I counted three sticks broken last night.
Hopefully the Canes got all of their lameness out of their system in 2007...
And in 2008, the first hockey game I watched was the "Winter Classic", which actually sort of lived up to the billing that the NHL gave it. The game was a close game (won in a SO by Sid Crosby) and actually had some offense to it, despite the steady amount of snow falling in Buffalo. I did not envy the players playing in that weather...
First Canes game of '08 is tomorrow against the Thrashers. Hoping for a win in the new year!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Injury updates
The injury list gets a little less long tonight.
Chad LaRose has been cleared to play after his concussion, and Andrew Ladd will play with a cage mask after suffering a fracture in the bone under his left eye. Apparently he's going to need surgery to insert a plate in his face... Avery, you're a punk!
Matt Cullen didn't suffer a concussion, broke his nose, and is day-to-day.
This is good news for the game against Boston.
Chad LaRose has been cleared to play after his concussion, and Andrew Ladd will play with a cage mask after suffering a fracture in the bone under his left eye. Apparently he's going to need surgery to insert a plate in his face... Avery, you're a punk!
Matt Cullen didn't suffer a concussion, broke his nose, and is day-to-day.
This is good news for the game against Boston.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Cullen hurt; Canes lose
Canes lost 4-2 to the Rangers last night.
Matt Cullen got viciously hit by Colton Orr (who came all the way across the ice to hit Cullen - Orr was called for interference, but the puck was there so it should have been something else), probably has a broken nose and a possible concussion.
I watched some of the second on FSN, then switched over to Chuck K on the radio, so I didn't see the Rangers score 3 goals in the third (and I honestly wasn't paying too much attention to it, trying to get the new computer to recognize that, yes, it is connected to the internet - speaking of which, my blog looks really weird on a widescreen monitor...) and I didn't see Sean Avery be a punk and throw punches at Ladd when the linesman was in the way.
I was lucky enough to see the first shorthanded goal of the season by Scott Walker. That's pretty pathetic, into December and scoring only one shorthanded.
Next game is tomorrow against Boston. Will have to see if Cullen is out for that one - if so, injuries are certainly starting to take their toll...
Matt Cullen got viciously hit by Colton Orr (who came all the way across the ice to hit Cullen - Orr was called for interference, but the puck was there so it should have been something else), probably has a broken nose and a possible concussion.
I watched some of the second on FSN, then switched over to Chuck K on the radio, so I didn't see the Rangers score 3 goals in the third (and I honestly wasn't paying too much attention to it, trying to get the new computer to recognize that, yes, it is connected to the internet - speaking of which, my blog looks really weird on a widescreen monitor...) and I didn't see Sean Avery be a punk and throw punches at Ladd when the linesman was in the way.
I was lucky enough to see the first shorthanded goal of the season by Scott Walker. That's pretty pathetic, into December and scoring only one shorthanded.
Next game is tomorrow against Boston. Will have to see if Cullen is out for that one - if so, injuries are certainly starting to take their toll...
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Canes play well but lose another
Canes lost yesterday to Calgary 4-3.
The Canes actually played very well in this loss. The game was close until the very end, but the Canes just could not gain the lead.
The guy who did not play well was Cam Ward. He did not make the saves the Canes needed him to to win this game. I especially hold him at fault for the two goals in the third period.
Hey, I'm not hatin' on him. He admits it himself:
The guy who played really well last night was Matt Cullen who had a hand in every goal scored by the Canes (1 goal, 2 assists). Chad LaRose scored the first goal and at times looked pretty fiesty out there on the ice.
The best goal of the game was the Canes second, where Craig Adams shot a puck that trickled out behind Kiprusoff. Caught me by surprise, that one did.
Canes play their last game of the season against the Flyers tonight. Hopefully they can both play better and score. (A novel concept, I know...)
Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
On the season: 4 goals, 6 assists
The Canes actually played very well in this loss. The game was close until the very end, but the Canes just could not gain the lead.
The guy who did not play well was Cam Ward. He did not make the saves the Canes needed him to to win this game. I especially hold him at fault for the two goals in the third period.
Hey, I'm not hatin' on him. He admits it himself:
“I thought we deserved a better fate and I hold myself accountable,” Ward said. “I’ve got to make some saves to keep this team in hockey games. I can’t be giving up that third goal – even the fourth one.”
The guy who played really well last night was Matt Cullen who had a hand in every goal scored by the Canes (1 goal, 2 assists). Chad LaRose scored the first goal and at times looked pretty fiesty out there on the ice.
The best goal of the game was the Canes second, where Craig Adams shot a puck that trickled out behind Kiprusoff. Caught me by surprise, that one did.
Canes play their last game of the season against the Flyers tonight. Hopefully they can both play better and score. (A novel concept, I know...)
Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
On the season: 4 goals, 6 assists
Monday, December 03, 2007
Weekend Recaps
Yep, another couple of late recaps... wasn't feeling that great yesterday.
Right now the Canes are leading the Rangers 1-0 in the first at Madison Square Garden.
As for the weekend, the Canes won against the C[r]apitals 4-3 on Friday. The only thing really notable was Chad LaRose's failed penalty shot in the first (and AO's two goals - I really hope the dude separates a shoulder next time he celebrates a goal by slamming into the boards - absolutely unnecessary.)
Canes up 2-0 on a Matt Cullen goal now.
The other game was certainly a forgettable one, an 8-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The PK sucked, the PP sucked, John Grahame was absolutely horrible... this game was just miserable.
Luckily, the Canes do not appear to be furthering that trend in this Rangers game.
Right now the Canes are leading the Rangers 1-0 in the first at Madison Square Garden.
As for the weekend, the Canes won against the C[r]apitals 4-3 on Friday. The only thing really notable was Chad LaRose's failed penalty shot in the first (and AO's two goals - I really hope the dude separates a shoulder next time he celebrates a goal by slamming into the boards - absolutely unnecessary.)
Canes up 2-0 on a Matt Cullen goal now.
The other game was certainly a forgettable one, an 8-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The PK sucked, the PP sucked, John Grahame was absolutely horrible... this game was just miserable.
Luckily, the Canes do not appear to be furthering that trend in this Rangers game.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Canes win against Florida
Canes won 4-2 against Florida on Saturday.
Game was solidly played. Chad LaRose notched one and Trevor Letowski got the game winning goal. (!) The Canes powerplay connected twice, Cullen getting a goal, and then Stillman getting the other.
And, unlike the last Florida debacle, no diving penalties were called!
And, in completely unrelated news - I dyed my hair red again! YaY!
Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
On the season: 3 goals, 3 assists
Game was solidly played. Chad LaRose notched one and Trevor Letowski got the game winning goal. (!) The Canes powerplay connected twice, Cullen getting a goal, and then Stillman getting the other.
And, unlike the last Florida debacle, no diving penalties were called!
And, in completely unrelated news - I dyed my hair red again! YaY!
Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
On the season: 3 goals, 3 assists
Saturday, September 29, 2007
142 Penalty Minutes = Good Game
Wow, last night's game was exciting.
First of all, I have a hard time calling it a "game" because, in actuality, there was more fighting going on than actual playing. I mean, there were 142 penalty minutes handed out! One fight, with 22.6 seconds left in the second, caused the teams to go into intermission early, and play the rest of the second period after the second intermission!
As for the actal hockey - Columbus went ahead in the second 1-0, but Erik Cole tipped a shot in the third to tie it up! The game ended up going into a shootout - it took nine rounds to finally get a goal - luckily, it was Andrew Ladd that knocked in the winning shot!
This marks the first shootout goal in what, almost a year? Pretty pathetic, when you think about it.
Really disappointed that Matt Cullen didn't score in the shootout - um, isn't that one of the reasons we brought him back?
Other thoughts:
- Cam looked spectactular in goal - especially facing 9 shooters at the end.
- Man, #55 for Columbus (Ole-Kristian Tollefsen - what kind of name is that?) is a real punk. I swear half of those fights occured when he was out there.
- Power play's crap, as usual.
- Penalty kill looked pretty good.
- Another goal for Cole - it's looking to be a good season for him so far!
Well, that's it for now. Opening night's on Wednesday!
First of all, I have a hard time calling it a "game" because, in actuality, there was more fighting going on than actual playing. I mean, there were 142 penalty minutes handed out! One fight, with 22.6 seconds left in the second, caused the teams to go into intermission early, and play the rest of the second period after the second intermission!
As for the actal hockey - Columbus went ahead in the second 1-0, but Erik Cole tipped a shot in the third to tie it up! The game ended up going into a shootout - it took nine rounds to finally get a goal - luckily, it was Andrew Ladd that knocked in the winning shot!
This marks the first shootout goal in what, almost a year? Pretty pathetic, when you think about it.
Really disappointed that Matt Cullen didn't score in the shootout - um, isn't that one of the reasons we brought him back?
Other thoughts:
- Cam looked spectactular in goal - especially facing 9 shooters at the end.
- Man, #55 for Columbus (Ole-Kristian Tollefsen - what kind of name is that?) is a real punk. I swear half of those fights occured when he was out there.
- Power play's crap, as usual.
- Penalty kill looked pretty good.
- Another goal for Cole - it's looking to be a good season for him so far!
Well, that's it for now. Opening night's on Wednesday!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
21 Days!
When I saw the title "Canes resemble 2006 champs" on NHL.com, I eagerly clicked, looking both for some optimism, and for the reasoning behind that statement. Instead, I get this article, which merely states how similiar the rosters are, and which glorifies the return of Matt Cullen.
Yawn. Old news.
But, guess what's this Sunday? Start of pre-season! YaY! That means we're a trivial 21 days away from the start of the regular season!
Which brings me to the new poll in the sidebar: How psyched are you for the upcoming season? If you're anything like me, you started shaking with excitement back when they released the schedules!
Yawn. Old news.
But, guess what's this Sunday? Start of pre-season! YaY! That means we're a trivial 21 days away from the start of the regular season!
Which brings me to the new poll in the sidebar: How psyched are you for the upcoming season? If you're anything like me, you started shaking with excitement back when they released the schedules!
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