I guess it's about time I recap the end of the season?
The first round of the NHL playoffs is well under way, two teams having already been eliminated. The Canes are the lucky ones who get an even worse disgrace - not making the playoffs at all.
At the time of my last post the Canes needed to win both games to secure a place in the postseason. They did what was necessary in the game against Atlanta, stomping on the Thrashers 6-1.
Then came the Tampa Bay game. The Canes were required to win due to the Rangers winning earlier in the day. All they needed was a win.
They lost 6-2. And not just lost, they completely tanked, allowing Tampa to get a 4-0 lead to start off the game.
You might think I'm a pretty lame blogger for not posting about this until two weeks after the fact. But, honestly, I really couldn't bring myself to write about it unti now - I'm getting mad even as I think about it.
It's unfathomable to me how a team can lose under pressure so regularly. All they needed to do was win. And they didn't even play a close game. Barely put up a fight. I'm not sure how many teams could lose all the "must-wins" that the Canes had and still be in the playoff race in the last game of the season, but the cards continued to fall in the Canes favor - and they still managed to blow it.
I'm really frustrated with this team. I'm sick of missing the playoffs, sick of having to choose among other teams to hoist the greatest silver trophy in the world (Cheering for the Bruins, by the way). The Canes can't play consistently enough to get anything out of their seasons - they can't win enough to get into the playoffs and they can't lose enough to get a good draft pick.
I suppose I should say all sorts of good and moderately cheerful things about how it was great to see the young team grow and we have a good future, blah blah blah. But I'm not feeling it. I'm going to be bitter about this ending for a while. Because, really, if you're going to raise my hopes and get me to believe in you, at least do me the courtesy of trying to win.
Anyways, the playoffs are actually pretty entertaining. I've been paying attention to the Boston-Montreal one the most because it seems to have the most interesting storyline - man, those fans hate each other. And I'm seeing parallels in the Bruins' two game comeback to our own two game comeback against Montreal in 2006, and who doesn't like being reminded of that?
Unfortunately, I'm hitting that lovely stage of the semester called finals (this post is a break from me panicking about the end of the year), so I'm not sure how much I'll be posting. Maybe once I calm down a bit more I'll put up more analysis on the Canes. I will try and put up something, even something non-Canes related because, really, NHL playoff time is the best time of the year, and there are so many good games going on.
Erik Cole season stats: 26 goals, 26 assists
Chad LaRose season stats: 16 goals, 15 assists
Showing posts with label playoff race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playoff race. Show all posts
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 08, 2011
The Canes are zombies. In a good way.
The Canes are apparently like the undead of the hockey world this season. Just when you think they're gone, they come back craving your brains. Brains meaning playoffs, in this extended metaphor.
So, last post it pretty much seemed that the Canes didn't have a snowball's chance in a furnace on the equator if they didn't win against Buffalo. They lost 2-1 in OT. So, therefore, it should pretty much be over, right?
Nope. Guess again. Turns out, by freak circumstances including the Hurricanes shutting out Detroit (Crazy, right?) and the Rangers laying an egg in their game against the Thrashers, the Canes now control their own destiny.
HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?! WHY MUST THERE BE SO MUCH DRAMA?!
Essentially, if the Canes win out (but not in shootouts!) they're in, due to the fact that they have a tiebreaker in the season series over the Rangers. Other, more complicated, scenarios are listed here, but for simplicity's sake I like the first one.
Now there's not much else you can say here. If the Canes want to be in the playoffs, they'll win. If they don't, they'll lose. Simple as that. Yes, somehow the 82 game season boils down to these last two games. Either the Canes find a way to victory and an extended postseason or they don't. Period. End of story.
Do they deserve it? Questionable, considering their repeated inconsistent play. But now is the time to prove that they won't crumble under pressure and that they do deserve a shot in the postseason.
Two games. Atlanta tonight, Tampa Bay tomorrow. Two wins? We'll just have to see. Maybe this team isn't quite dead yet.
So, last post it pretty much seemed that the Canes didn't have a snowball's chance in a furnace on the equator if they didn't win against Buffalo. They lost 2-1 in OT. So, therefore, it should pretty much be over, right?
Nope. Guess again. Turns out, by freak circumstances including the Hurricanes shutting out Detroit (Crazy, right?) and the Rangers laying an egg in their game against the Thrashers, the Canes now control their own destiny.
HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?! WHY MUST THERE BE SO MUCH DRAMA?!
Essentially, if the Canes win out (but not in shootouts!) they're in, due to the fact that they have a tiebreaker in the season series over the Rangers. Other, more complicated, scenarios are listed here, but for simplicity's sake I like the first one.
Now there's not much else you can say here. If the Canes want to be in the playoffs, they'll win. If they don't, they'll lose. Simple as that. Yes, somehow the 82 game season boils down to these last two games. Either the Canes find a way to victory and an extended postseason or they don't. Period. End of story.
Do they deserve it? Questionable, considering their repeated inconsistent play. But now is the time to prove that they won't crumble under pressure and that they do deserve a shot in the postseason.
Two games. Atlanta tonight, Tampa Bay tomorrow. Two wins? We'll just have to see. Maybe this team isn't quite dead yet.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
The life of a bubble team...
This team just can't make up it's mind, can it?
Last post I was talking about how crappy the Canes were looking, and how I didn't really think that the playoffs were possible. Right now they're ONE POINT behind the Rangers who are in eighth, and two behind Buffalo, all three teams with four games left to play. And OBTW, the Canes play Buffalo tomorrow.
And, they actually seem to be playing pretty well. I was able to watch part of the Washington game this Tuesday and the Canes definitely had a bit more pep in their skate than they had previously. Not to mention - they've gone 6-1 in their past seven games.
The question, of course being, is this a case of too little too late? It's nice, I suppose, that the Hurricanes aren't giving up on their season and sitting back - but I can't help that feel that play like this would have helped had they started it a week or two earlier. The chance is still there for a playoff spot, but the fact still remains that the Canes are on the outside looking in and have to both play amazingly and get help from some of the other teams. (Check out Sports Club Stats for a nice breakdown of the percentages.)
Obviously the game tomorrow against Buffalo is key. All of the remaining games are must-wins, but it would seem that the Sabres game is the must-win of the must-wins. If they can't win this one, well, they probably don't deserve to be in the playoffs anyways - a playoff team needs to be able to deliver under pressure, after all.
Is it too much to ask to not be on the bubble one year? Like, just decide that you're going to tank or win at the beginning of the season and stick with it. This is far too much uncertainty at the end of the season for my liking.
Season ends in four games... at the end of this week we'll see if the Canes are going to play more games than that.
(By the way, check out Erik cole's statline from the past seven games below. Dude is en fuego. Much to this Caniac's delight, of course.)
Erik Cole stats (18th): 1 goal
(22nd): 1 assist
(25th): 2 goals
(26th): 1 goal
(30th): 1 assist
(1st): 1 goal
On the season: 24 goals, 26 assists
Chad LaRose stats (22nd): 2 goals
On the season: 15 goals, 13 assists
Last post I was talking about how crappy the Canes were looking, and how I didn't really think that the playoffs were possible. Right now they're ONE POINT behind the Rangers who are in eighth, and two behind Buffalo, all three teams with four games left to play. And OBTW, the Canes play Buffalo tomorrow.
And, they actually seem to be playing pretty well. I was able to watch part of the Washington game this Tuesday and the Canes definitely had a bit more pep in their skate than they had previously. Not to mention - they've gone 6-1 in their past seven games.
The question, of course being, is this a case of too little too late? It's nice, I suppose, that the Hurricanes aren't giving up on their season and sitting back - but I can't help that feel that play like this would have helped had they started it a week or two earlier. The chance is still there for a playoff spot, but the fact still remains that the Canes are on the outside looking in and have to both play amazingly and get help from some of the other teams. (Check out Sports Club Stats for a nice breakdown of the percentages.)
Obviously the game tomorrow against Buffalo is key. All of the remaining games are must-wins, but it would seem that the Sabres game is the must-win of the must-wins. If they can't win this one, well, they probably don't deserve to be in the playoffs anyways - a playoff team needs to be able to deliver under pressure, after all.
Is it too much to ask to not be on the bubble one year? Like, just decide that you're going to tank or win at the beginning of the season and stick with it. This is far too much uncertainty at the end of the season for my liking.
Season ends in four games... at the end of this week we'll see if the Canes are going to play more games than that.
(By the way, check out Erik cole's statline from the past seven games below. Dude is en fuego. Much to this Caniac's delight, of course.)
Erik Cole stats (18th): 1 goal
(22nd): 1 assist
(25th): 2 goals
(26th): 1 goal
(30th): 1 assist
(1st): 1 goal
On the season: 24 goals, 26 assists
Chad LaRose stats (22nd): 2 goals
On the season: 15 goals, 13 assists
Friday, March 18, 2011
The playoff forecast is not looking too sunny...
Well, the Canes have tanked, haven't they?
Currently they're 9th in the East, two points behind Buffalo with one more game played. 3-4-1 since I last posted, they're not looking too hot.
I was on spring break last week, enabling me to catch a few of the games, both in person and on the television. Let me say, they don't look good. Honestly, they don't look like a playoff team. I'm not sure they have the 60 minutes of passionate play that is required of them each game night. They definitely don't look like a team playing with the season on the line. I was fairly optimistic that the Canes would get into the playoffs, but after seeing them play, I feel like it's a pipe dream.
I mean, really. What playoff-caliber team goes 0-for-28 on the powerplay? The Columbus game was some of the most depressing hockey I've seen in a very long time. 0-for-9 in that one, with long two man advantages. Playoff teams do not do that. Period. End of story. The Canes have had chances, but it seems they want to blow them and miss the playoffs again.
Granted, while the prospects are looking slimmer with every loss, the Hurricanes still do have hope to get into the playoffs. They did beat Buffalo twice in the past three weeks - gaining them precious points on a rival for a playoff spot. But, honestly, with the way this team is looking, I think it'll be a first round exit if they do manage to make it in. This is coming from me, the perpetual optimist - that's how bad of an impression this team left on me last week.
But, I don't want to be too much of a Negative Nancy, so to lighten the mood this clip describes exactly how I feel about the playoffs:
Obviously the Canes have to win most of their remaining 11 games to make it in. It's gut-check time, to use a cliché, and all we can do as Caniacs is wait and see what happens.
Erik Cole stats (1st): 1 assist
(4th): 1 assist
(9th): 1 goal
(12th): 1 assist
On the season: 19 goals, 24 assists
Chad LaRose stats (3rd): 1 goal
(15th): 1 assist
On the season: 13 goals, 13 assists
(16th): 1 goal
Currently they're 9th in the East, two points behind Buffalo with one more game played. 3-4-1 since I last posted, they're not looking too hot.
I was on spring break last week, enabling me to catch a few of the games, both in person and on the television. Let me say, they don't look good. Honestly, they don't look like a playoff team. I'm not sure they have the 60 minutes of passionate play that is required of them each game night. They definitely don't look like a team playing with the season on the line. I was fairly optimistic that the Canes would get into the playoffs, but after seeing them play, I feel like it's a pipe dream.
I mean, really. What playoff-caliber team goes 0-for-28 on the powerplay? The Columbus game was some of the most depressing hockey I've seen in a very long time. 0-for-9 in that one, with long two man advantages. Playoff teams do not do that. Period. End of story. The Canes have had chances, but it seems they want to blow them and miss the playoffs again.
Granted, while the prospects are looking slimmer with every loss, the Hurricanes still do have hope to get into the playoffs. They did beat Buffalo twice in the past three weeks - gaining them precious points on a rival for a playoff spot. But, honestly, with the way this team is looking, I think it'll be a first round exit if they do manage to make it in. This is coming from me, the perpetual optimist - that's how bad of an impression this team left on me last week.
But, I don't want to be too much of a Negative Nancy, so to lighten the mood this clip describes exactly how I feel about the playoffs:
Obviously the Canes have to win most of their remaining 11 games to make it in. It's gut-check time, to use a cliché, and all we can do as Caniacs is wait and see what happens.
Erik Cole stats (1st): 1 assist
(4th): 1 assist
(9th): 1 goal
(12th): 1 assist
On the season: 19 goals, 24 assists
Chad LaRose stats (3rd): 1 goal
(15th): 1 assist
On the season: 13 goals, 13 assists
(16th): 1 goal
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Ramblin' Recap
A lot of games have happened in the past week, and once again I find myself apologizing for a late recap. Unfortunately they don't schedule physics test around breaks in the hockey schedule.
Let's go back to last week, where the Canes, coming off of an overtime win over the C[r]apitals, also managed to somehow pull out another overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning by a tally of 4-3. I say "somehow" due to the fact that the Canes came out extremely sluggish and got behind 2-0 only 6 minutes into the first period. It looked like the Canes were feeling effects from playing hard the night before, but luckily they snapped out of it with goals by Whitney and Boychuk to end the period 2-2.
The Canes kept it close, and Brian Pothier knocked in a quick goal in the overtime period to win the game (off of a nice pass by Ray Whitney - Ray is certainly shining especially bright now that there's little other starpower on this team).
Before I go on to the next recap, let me vent a little. Hey, Pittsburgh fans who attended the game at the RBC Center (there were a lot of them, probably because the game was matched up against ACC basketball involving a team wearing blue...): Wearing Steelers gear does not equate to wearing Penguins gear. Yes, I get it, all of your city's teams have the same colors. But maybe you could wear paraphernalia for the game which you're actually attending? I'm especially talking to the people waving the football-specific Terrible Towel. If you want to show up and cheer for the opposing team, that's cool, but maybe you could at least try and look like you didn't stumble into the wrong stadium?
So, of course, with back-to-back wins against Washington and Pittsburgh, some people immediately get the idea that this is a playoff team and we can run the table, blah blah blah. For those of you who think that, please look at the next two games as evidence to the contrary: A 4-0 beatdown against Phoenix and a 5-2 loss to the Bruins. Both were poorly played games against teams the Canes needed to beat to keep their playoff hopes *snort* alive. The Canes especially needed to play well against the Bruins, as Boston is holding on to the 8th seed - but apparently only Erik Cole got that memo, contributing both goals for the Canes.
But, not a team to quit, which after this season I'm not sure is a good thing anymore (goodbye, good draft pick... although I seriously doubt we could have out-tanked the Oilers for the number one...), the Canes pulled out another win against the C[r]apitals, winning in overtime 4-3 in a wild one last night. It looked like Chad LaRose had put the dagger in with 1:35 left, but Washington had to score with 9 seconds left to send it into OT, where Ray Whitney scored the winner.
I understand optimism, and most of the times I am hopelessly optimistic when it comes to my sports team, but let's be real. The Canes are not a playoff team. They do not deserve to be in the playoffs. If by some miracle from above they make it in, it says more about the weakness of the rest of the Eastern Conference than it does about this team. Yes, apparently they are kryptonite to the C[r]aptials this year. But for every win against Washington, there's a blowout to an opponent they should have beaten. This season is not something that I'll want to look back on, and I don't want to extend the misery with an ill-conceived playoff run. Harsh words, perhaps, but true ones.
(Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?)
Erik Cole stats (Last Thursday): 1 assist
(Tuesday): 2 goals
On the season: 8 goals, 3 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Thursday): 1 goal
On the season: 6 goals, 9 assists
Let's go back to last week, where the Canes, coming off of an overtime win over the C[r]apitals, also managed to somehow pull out another overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning by a tally of 4-3. I say "somehow" due to the fact that the Canes came out extremely sluggish and got behind 2-0 only 6 minutes into the first period. It looked like the Canes were feeling effects from playing hard the night before, but luckily they snapped out of it with goals by Whitney and Boychuk to end the period 2-2.
The Canes kept it close, and Brian Pothier knocked in a quick goal in the overtime period to win the game (off of a nice pass by Ray Whitney - Ray is certainly shining especially bright now that there's little other starpower on this team).
Before I go on to the next recap, let me vent a little. Hey, Pittsburgh fans who attended the game at the RBC Center (there were a lot of them, probably because the game was matched up against ACC basketball involving a team wearing blue...): Wearing Steelers gear does not equate to wearing Penguins gear. Yes, I get it, all of your city's teams have the same colors. But maybe you could wear paraphernalia for the game which you're actually attending? I'm especially talking to the people waving the football-specific Terrible Towel. If you want to show up and cheer for the opposing team, that's cool, but maybe you could at least try and look like you didn't stumble into the wrong stadium?
So, of course, with back-to-back wins against Washington and Pittsburgh, some people immediately get the idea that this is a playoff team and we can run the table, blah blah blah. For those of you who think that, please look at the next two games as evidence to the contrary: A 4-0 beatdown against Phoenix and a 5-2 loss to the Bruins. Both were poorly played games against teams the Canes needed to beat to keep their playoff hopes *snort* alive. The Canes especially needed to play well against the Bruins, as Boston is holding on to the 8th seed - but apparently only Erik Cole got that memo, contributing both goals for the Canes.
But, not a team to quit, which after this season I'm not sure is a good thing anymore (goodbye, good draft pick... although I seriously doubt we could have out-tanked the Oilers for the number one...), the Canes pulled out another win against the C[r]apitals, winning in overtime 4-3 in a wild one last night. It looked like Chad LaRose had put the dagger in with 1:35 left, but Washington had to score with 9 seconds left to send it into OT, where Ray Whitney scored the winner.
I understand optimism, and most of the times I am hopelessly optimistic when it comes to my sports team, but let's be real. The Canes are not a playoff team. They do not deserve to be in the playoffs. If by some miracle from above they make it in, it says more about the weakness of the rest of the Eastern Conference than it does about this team. Yes, apparently they are kryptonite to the C[r]aptials this year. But for every win against Washington, there's a blowout to an opponent they should have beaten. This season is not something that I'll want to look back on, and I don't want to extend the misery with an ill-conceived playoff run. Harsh words, perhaps, but true ones.
(Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?)
Erik Cole stats (Last Thursday): 1 assist
(Tuesday): 2 goals
On the season: 8 goals, 3 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Thursday): 1 goal
On the season: 6 goals, 9 assists
Thursday, January 07, 2010
A statistical moral dilemma
So it's halfway-ish in the hockey season and I've been thinking recently of what we, as the Caniac Nation, should be cheering for. Should we hope for a massive winning streak for a chance at the playoffs, or should we be cheering for losses so that we can pick up the #1 pick?†
Let's explore the first option. Currently the Canes are dead last in the NHL with an abysmal record of 11-23-7 and a measly 29 points. To compare, the Montreal Canadiens, who currently hold the last place in the Eastern Conference, have a record of 21-21-3 and 45 points.
Since the lockout the average number of points needed to make the playoffs was 92.75 points, so let's round that up to 93. By this benchmark, the Canes would need to gain 64 points in the last half of the season. That equates to 32 wins (ignoring OT losses and all of that nonsense). That means that the Canes would need to win 32 games out of the last 41 to even get close to the playoffs. That's a .780 winning percentage, or winning roughly 4 out of every 5 games.
Who seriously thinks that this team can pull that together? True, the Canes have been playing better of late, but "better" is still a 4-5-1 record in the last ten games, nowhere near the .780 that they would need.
I believe that means that the Canes are still mathematically alive but realistically out of the playoffs (not groundbreaking news, for certain).
What does that mean for us Caniacs? Do we cheer for trying our best and perhaps moving up a few spots in the standings to make this season look better - or at least the same as the other pathetic seasons we've had? Or do we want our team to lose, to ensure that prime draft position?
Let's look at that possibility. Again, the Canes are 11-23-7 with 29 points. The next closest losing team is Edmonton, loftily sitting at 16-22-5 and 37 points. That would mean that the Canes would need to win 4 straight games and have the Oilers lose 4 straight for the Oilers to "catch up" in this losing race. Unfortunately, the Oilers are 1-8-1 in their last ten, so it could be possible for that to happen.
Since the lockout, the last place team has had an average of 61.25 points, but that varies widely from the rather pathetic '06-'07 Flyers with 56 points to the comparatively successful Lightning of '07-'08 with 71 points. So, if we are to take that average of 61 as the maximum allowed number of points for the first draft pick, then the Canes would be allowed to gain 32 points in 41 games, or to have a winning percentage of .390. That's winning about 2 out of every 5 games or less.
Is anyone else beginning to get a sick feeling at the realization of how realistic it is that our Canes will finish in last place? If you look back at our schedule, I believe the only time we've won more than 2 out of any five games is the period between 11/15 and 11/ 21, where the Canes won 3 out of the four games in that week. That's it.
But, recently, the Canes have been playing more like a .500 team than a sub-.400 team. If you're following my logic this would put the Canes in the ugly limbo position that's not near the playoffs, but not worst in the league. What are we, as fans, supposed to cheer for here? Are we supposed to hope for wins that are possibly hurting our chances at a better future through the draft?
I do not know the answer to this question. It feels wrong to hope for my team to lose, no matter what the other consequences are, but it also feels hollow to cheer for victory when the likelihood of it doing the team any good is minuscule. Watching every loss and every poorly played game is agonizing - but I think that looking back at the standings and seeing that we were so close to [enter next 1st pick superstar here] will be painful as well.
My solution? Well, I'm certainly not going to stop cheering for my team - those who do so are just tacky. But, perhaps, looking forward at next season will make the losses seem like wins - winning the best draft position instead of the Stanley Cup.
What does that mean? I present a true win-win situation - a win means, well, a win. But a loss is now really a win in the duel of the bottomfeeders.‡
† Yes, I know that being last in the league does not guarantee the first pick in the draft due to the draft lottery. But it certainly helps.
‡ If this sounds like hopeless optimism, I assure you, it is.
Let's explore the first option. Currently the Canes are dead last in the NHL with an abysmal record of 11-23-7 and a measly 29 points. To compare, the Montreal Canadiens, who currently hold the last place in the Eastern Conference, have a record of 21-21-3 and 45 points.
Since the lockout the average number of points needed to make the playoffs was 92.75 points, so let's round that up to 93. By this benchmark, the Canes would need to gain 64 points in the last half of the season. That equates to 32 wins (ignoring OT losses and all of that nonsense). That means that the Canes would need to win 32 games out of the last 41 to even get close to the playoffs. That's a .780 winning percentage, or winning roughly 4 out of every 5 games.
Who seriously thinks that this team can pull that together? True, the Canes have been playing better of late, but "better" is still a 4-5-1 record in the last ten games, nowhere near the .780 that they would need.
I believe that means that the Canes are still mathematically alive but realistically out of the playoffs (not groundbreaking news, for certain).
What does that mean for us Caniacs? Do we cheer for trying our best and perhaps moving up a few spots in the standings to make this season look better - or at least the same as the other pathetic seasons we've had? Or do we want our team to lose, to ensure that prime draft position?
Let's look at that possibility. Again, the Canes are 11-23-7 with 29 points. The next closest losing team is Edmonton, loftily sitting at 16-22-5 and 37 points. That would mean that the Canes would need to win 4 straight games and have the Oilers lose 4 straight for the Oilers to "catch up" in this losing race. Unfortunately, the Oilers are 1-8-1 in their last ten, so it could be possible for that to happen.
Since the lockout, the last place team has had an average of 61.25 points, but that varies widely from the rather pathetic '06-'07 Flyers with 56 points to the comparatively successful Lightning of '07-'08 with 71 points. So, if we are to take that average of 61 as the maximum allowed number of points for the first draft pick, then the Canes would be allowed to gain 32 points in 41 games, or to have a winning percentage of .390. That's winning about 2 out of every 5 games or less.
Is anyone else beginning to get a sick feeling at the realization of how realistic it is that our Canes will finish in last place? If you look back at our schedule, I believe the only time we've won more than 2 out of any five games is the period between 11/15 and 11/ 21, where the Canes won 3 out of the four games in that week. That's it.
But, recently, the Canes have been playing more like a .500 team than a sub-.400 team. If you're following my logic this would put the Canes in the ugly limbo position that's not near the playoffs, but not worst in the league. What are we, as fans, supposed to cheer for here? Are we supposed to hope for wins that are possibly hurting our chances at a better future through the draft?
I do not know the answer to this question. It feels wrong to hope for my team to lose, no matter what the other consequences are, but it also feels hollow to cheer for victory when the likelihood of it doing the team any good is minuscule. Watching every loss and every poorly played game is agonizing - but I think that looking back at the standings and seeing that we were so close to [enter next 1st pick superstar here] will be painful as well.
My solution? Well, I'm certainly not going to stop cheering for my team - those who do so are just tacky. But, perhaps, looking forward at next season will make the losses seem like wins - winning the best draft position instead of the Stanley Cup.
What does that mean? I present a true win-win situation - a win means, well, a win. But a loss is now really a win in the duel of the bottomfeeders.‡
† Yes, I know that being last in the league does not guarantee the first pick in the draft due to the draft lottery. But it certainly helps.
‡ If this sounds like hopeless optimism, I assure you, it is.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
And so the season ends...
Happy Easter everyone! Today marks the end of the regular season - that means all of the playoff matchups are determined (although the dates are going to be released whenever...). The Canes have ended up as the sixth seed - not too shabby - with an upcoming series against the New Jersey Devils.
But before I get too far into the future, the immidiate past wasn't that great for the Canes. They could have ended up with a higher seed if they had just won one more game. But that wasn't to be.
The Canes put out a pretty poor showing in the game against the Sabres, losing 5-1. Eric Staal scored with less than thirty seconds left to nullify a Ryan Miller shutout. Otherwise the Canes looked pretty sluggish throughout the game.
Which made it pretty miserable because losing to Buffalo is never fun. And losing on Fan Appreciation Night isn't fun either. So altogether it was a pretty sucky night.
Then on Saturday, the Canes lost to the Devils 3-2. Which might seem somewhat alarming, as that's the team the Canes are set to play for at least the next four games. But, when you factor out the flukey goals that bounced off the endboards right in front of an open net (Yes, there were two of these goals in the same period because apparently Michael Leighton is a slow learner...) the Canes actually won this game 2-1.
So the Canes ended their crazy-long winning streak and got a lesser playoff seed. But I'm not feeling too concerned about it now - I mean, after all, we are in the playoffs! And that's a heckuva lot better than the previous two seasons.
Final season stats:
Erik Cole (With the Canes): 2 goals, 13 assists
(Total): 18 goals, 24 assists
Chad LaRose: 19 goals, 12 assists
But before I get too far into the future, the immidiate past wasn't that great for the Canes. They could have ended up with a higher seed if they had just won one more game. But that wasn't to be.
The Canes put out a pretty poor showing in the game against the Sabres, losing 5-1. Eric Staal scored with less than thirty seconds left to nullify a Ryan Miller shutout. Otherwise the Canes looked pretty sluggish throughout the game.
Which made it pretty miserable because losing to Buffalo is never fun. And losing on Fan Appreciation Night isn't fun either. So altogether it was a pretty sucky night.
Then on Saturday, the Canes lost to the Devils 3-2. Which might seem somewhat alarming, as that's the team the Canes are set to play for at least the next four games. But, when you factor out the flukey goals that bounced off the endboards right in front of an open net (Yes, there were two of these goals in the same period because apparently Michael Leighton is a slow learner...) the Canes actually won this game 2-1.
So the Canes ended their crazy-long winning streak and got a lesser playoff seed. But I'm not feeling too concerned about it now - I mean, after all, we are in the playoffs! And that's a heckuva lot better than the previous two seasons.
Final season stats:
Erik Cole (With the Canes): 2 goals, 13 assists
(Total): 18 goals, 24 assists
Chad LaRose: 19 goals, 12 assists
Sunday, April 05, 2009
We're in!!!!
The Canes clinched a playoff spot with an overtime win over the Penguins last night!
Unlike other recent games, the Canes didn't look as well put together in this one, relying heavily on Cam Ward to bail them out. Luckily, Ward was up to the task, blocking 35 shots (including an Evgeni Malkin penalty shot that shouldn't have been called because he got a shot off on the powerplay - but whatever) and just generally looking spectactular.
Chad LaRose notched another one, and Anton Babchuk blasted one in overtime to win the game and the playoff berth.
YaY! It's been far too long in Carolina without a postseason - I am so looking forward to it!
Oh, and video proof that Sean Avery is a punk (if you needed it, that is). Respect for Tim Thomas just went up about five notches after that.
Next game is Tuesday against the Islanders.
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 9 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 20 assists
Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
On the season: 19 goals, 12 assists
Unlike other recent games, the Canes didn't look as well put together in this one, relying heavily on Cam Ward to bail them out. Luckily, Ward was up to the task, blocking 35 shots (including an Evgeni Malkin penalty shot that shouldn't have been called because he got a shot off on the powerplay - but whatever) and just generally looking spectactular.
Chad LaRose notched another one, and Anton Babchuk blasted one in overtime to win the game and the playoff berth.
YaY! It's been far too long in Carolina without a postseason - I am so looking forward to it!
Oh, and video proof that Sean Avery is a punk (if you needed it, that is). Respect for Tim Thomas just went up about five notches after that.
Next game is Tuesday against the Islanders.
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 9 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 20 assists
Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
On the season: 19 goals, 12 assists
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
I can hardly believe it
Wow.
Have you guys looked at the standings lately? Can you believe it? I can't. I mean, I was doubting we were even going to make it into eighth, let alone fifth!
So, while I was gone (two weekend trips to colleges and two class presentations due in consecutive weeks will zap the drain any blogger), the Canes won three in a row, making it five overall? Six? I don't even know anymore. All I know is that the Canes are winning when they need to be, and in games they don't necessarily dominate.
Anyways, links to recaps because I'm lazy:
3-2 OT win in Florida
2-1 win over the Senators
2-1 win in Jersey
The next game is Thursday. Four out of the last five are at home! Hopefully the Canes can keep up their winning ways!
Have you guys looked at the standings lately? Can you believe it? I can't. I mean, I was doubting we were even going to make it into eighth, let alone fifth!
So, while I was gone (two weekend trips to colleges and two class presentations due in consecutive weeks will zap the drain any blogger), the Canes won three in a row, making it five overall? Six? I don't even know anymore. All I know is that the Canes are winning when they need to be, and in games they don't necessarily dominate.
Anyways, links to recaps because I'm lazy:
3-2 OT win in Florida
2-1 win over the Senators
2-1 win in Jersey
The next game is Thursday. Four out of the last five are at home! Hopefully the Canes can keep up their winning ways!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Canes win two, get into 6th place
The Canes won both back-to-back games this weekend at home, putting them into 6th place in the standings.
The first game was a 5-4 win over the Islanders Friday. I did not see this game, but apparently the Canes gave up four consecutive goals to the Islanders in the second period. Yep, four goals to the worst team in the league. Good thing I wasn't watching. Luckily, they pulled it out, which I suppose is all that matters at this point in the season.
Then came the 4-1 win over the C[r]apitals last night, which was a very well-played game. Washington came out hitting, but the Canes were able to withstand the storm and score in the second period. Then they just took over in the third period, scoring three to put the game out of reach.
Might I say that Anton Babchuk is looking spectacular as of late? Not only has he scored with his excellent slapshot, he also has had a few right down in front of the net, like his in this game. I almost can't believe how good he's looked recently (I mean, seriously, a good defenseman playing consistently for the Canes? Doesn't that sound weird to you?).
The bad news, as it has been for the last few days, is that pretty much everyone around the Canes has two games in hand. But, if everyone wins out (which they won't, but hypothetically), the Canes would still be in eighth place even with the two less games - certainly some good news, as it means the Canes are in a much better place than they had been.
The next game is tomorrow against Florida - a big game for sure.
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 8 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 19 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 2 goals
(Saturday): 1 assist
On the season: 16 goals, 12 assists
The first game was a 5-4 win over the Islanders Friday. I did not see this game, but apparently the Canes gave up four consecutive goals to the Islanders in the second period. Yep, four goals to the worst team in the league. Good thing I wasn't watching. Luckily, they pulled it out, which I suppose is all that matters at this point in the season.
Then came the 4-1 win over the C[r]apitals last night, which was a very well-played game. Washington came out hitting, but the Canes were able to withstand the storm and score in the second period. Then they just took over in the third period, scoring three to put the game out of reach.
Might I say that Anton Babchuk is looking spectacular as of late? Not only has he scored with his excellent slapshot, he also has had a few right down in front of the net, like his in this game. I almost can't believe how good he's looked recently (I mean, seriously, a good defenseman playing consistently for the Canes? Doesn't that sound weird to you?).
The bad news, as it has been for the last few days, is that pretty much everyone around the Canes has two games in hand. But, if everyone wins out (which they won't, but hypothetically), the Canes would still be in eighth place even with the two less games - certainly some good news, as it means the Canes are in a much better place than they had been.
The next game is tomorrow against Florida - a big game for sure.
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 8 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 19 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 2 goals
(Saturday): 1 assist
On the season: 16 goals, 12 assists
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Anton Babchuk Strikes!
Canes were victorious over the Devils last night, winning 4-2.
Really, I think they were somewhat lucky in the win, with Martin Brodeur having gotten the all-time wins record the night before, and Kevin Weekes getting the spot in goal.
Not that the Canes wouldn't have won againt Brodeur - I just think it would have been a lot harder (for example, I don't think Brodeur would have gone in on the crappy pokecheck on Samsonov's goal).
The powerplay looked absolutely spectactular, going 3-for-5 on the night, two of the goals coming from Anton Babchuk.
The good news is that the Canes are still in eighth spot - tied for seventh with Montreal at 81 points. Most of the teams around them still have games in hand, though.
Canes play twice this weekend - back to back at home, first against the Islanders (which I won't see) and then against the C[r]apitals (which I might see). Hopefully they can get four points out of them, which would put the Canes in an even better spot for the playoffs.
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 7 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 18 assists
Really, I think they were somewhat lucky in the win, with Martin Brodeur having gotten the all-time wins record the night before, and Kevin Weekes getting the spot in goal.
Not that the Canes wouldn't have won againt Brodeur - I just think it would have been a lot harder (for example, I don't think Brodeur would have gone in on the crappy pokecheck on Samsonov's goal).
The powerplay looked absolutely spectactular, going 3-for-5 on the night, two of the goals coming from Anton Babchuk.
The good news is that the Canes are still in eighth spot - tied for seventh with Montreal at 81 points. Most of the teams around them still have games in hand, though.
Canes play twice this weekend - back to back at home, first against the Islanders (which I won't see) and then against the C[r]apitals (which I might see). Hopefully they can get four points out of them, which would put the Canes in an even better spot for the playoffs.
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 7 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 18 assists
Monday, March 16, 2009
Canes let a point slip away
Canes lost in a shootout to the C[r]apitals on Saturday. They didn't play too bad, but it was another case of a point they should have had with a win.
Erik Cole had a very nice goal in the first period to start off the scoring, but the Canes let Washington score three in a row. Luckily they were able to scramble back to a tie, thanks to an excellent Niclas Wallin goal. Unfortunately, that's all they could do, and the C[r]apitals outshot the Canes in the shootout.
Now they don't play until Wednesday, and we have to play the waiting game to see who will win and lose in the East. The Canes still have more games played than most of the others in the East, and are currently in eighth.
*sigh* Why couldn't they win more games earlier in the season?
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal, 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 6 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 17 assists
Erik Cole had a very nice goal in the first period to start off the scoring, but the Canes let Washington score three in a row. Luckily they were able to scramble back to a tie, thanks to an excellent Niclas Wallin goal. Unfortunately, that's all they could do, and the C[r]apitals outshot the Canes in the shootout.
Now they don't play until Wednesday, and we have to play the waiting game to see who will win and lose in the East. The Canes still have more games played than most of the others in the East, and are currently in eighth.
*sigh* Why couldn't they win more games earlier in the season?
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal, 1 assist
With the Canes: 2 goals, 6 assists
On the season: 18 goals, 17 assists
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
A Very Somber Mood
Canes lost 3-2 to the Lightning last night, thereby knocking them out of the playoffs.
The game was... well, they were leading 2-1 going in the third, and then let the Lightning score two unanswered goals to take the lead in the third. (Hey... isn't this like deja vu?)
I watched the game, but managed to miss both of the Canes goals... the first one because FSN's feed suddenly decided to die about two seconds beforen the puck went in, and the second one because I was trying to rid the house of spiders.
The Canes played pretty well for the first half, and then they just imploded. It's pretty much what this whole season amounts to - not playing a full 60 minutes of hockey at 100%.
The worst part about them missing the playoffs is that the Canes let it slip away. If they had won games like the Toronto and Philadelphia games, they would be in right now. But, no, they had to go into a nuclear meltdown to end the year, and look where we are.
They have no one to blame but themselves.
Erik Cole stats: 2 assists
On the season: 28 goals, 32 assists
The game was... well, they were leading 2-1 going in the third, and then let the Lightning score two unanswered goals to take the lead in the third. (Hey... isn't this like deja vu?)
I watched the game, but managed to miss both of the Canes goals... the first one because FSN's feed suddenly decided to die about two seconds beforen the puck went in, and the second one because I was trying to rid the house of spiders.
The Canes played pretty well for the first half, and then they just imploded. It's pretty much what this whole season amounts to - not playing a full 60 minutes of hockey at 100%.
The worst part about them missing the playoffs is that the Canes let it slip away. If they had won games like the Toronto and Philadelphia games, they would be in right now. But, no, they had to go into a nuclear meltdown to end the year, and look where we are.
They have no one to blame but themselves.
Erik Cole stats: 2 assists
On the season: 28 goals, 32 assists
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
We win. You lose. End of story.
So... Canes play tonight against Tampa Bay, who is four points ahead of the Canes at 7th place in the standings.
The N&O paints a relatively bleak picture of the Canes chances of getting into the playoffs.
I'll sum it up: We win. Everyone else lose.
The N&O paints a relatively bleak picture of the Canes chances of getting into the playoffs.
I'll sum it up: We win. Everyone else lose.
Monday, April 02, 2007
News and stuff
News today in the NHL: The New Jersey Devils fired coach Claude Julien with less than a week left in the season. GM Lou Lamoriello will step in as coach.
Why? I have no idea. No one actually addresses the "why" factor in the article.
As for the Canes, things aren't so tumultuous, but they certainly are coming down to the wire. They are currently in 10th place with 86 points, two behind Montreal, one behind Toronto, and two ahead of the Islanders.
I have made a pact with myself that I will not think about the future on this matter. I will only report on what has happened. This way I don't get my hopes too far up - if you're negative, you feel even better when things go positively, right?
Oh... and the N&O reports that Tim Gleason will more than likely be out with a broken finger. Great. Just what we need, another defenseman out.
Anyways... today is the first birthday of this blog. Yes, on April 2, 2006, I posted my first post evah!
Thanks to all those read this blog - it makes me feel special to know that people actually read what I write.
Why? I have no idea. No one actually addresses the "why" factor in the article.
As for the Canes, things aren't so tumultuous, but they certainly are coming down to the wire. They are currently in 10th place with 86 points, two behind Montreal, one behind Toronto, and two ahead of the Islanders.
I have made a pact with myself that I will not think about the future on this matter. I will only report on what has happened. This way I don't get my hopes too far up - if you're negative, you feel even better when things go positively, right?
Oh... and the N&O reports that Tim Gleason will more than likely be out with a broken finger. Great. Just what we need, another defenseman out.
Anyways... today is the first birthday of this blog. Yes, on April 2, 2006, I posted my first post evah!
Thanks to all those read this blog - it makes me feel special to know that people actually read what I write.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Perhaps there is hope?...
Canes won over Florida 4-3 in overtime.
I saw absolutely none of this game, as I was in Martinsville, Virginia watching the NASCAR Nextel Cup race. Had awesome seats, and the race was pretty exciting.
Anyways... Canes were down by two in the third, came back to tie it up, and then Ray Whitney scored in OT. Sounds like a come-from-behind-victory to me.
Hey! Chad LaRose scored one of the goals for the Canes! Good for him!
Hmm... with three games left, the Canes are 2 points out of a playoff spot... perhaps we have some hope? Although, we'd need at least two wins to get the same number of wins as Montreal...
Need to win 'em all.
I saw absolutely none of this game, as I was in Martinsville, Virginia watching the NASCAR Nextel Cup race. Had awesome seats, and the race was pretty exciting.
Anyways... Canes were down by two in the third, came back to tie it up, and then Ray Whitney scored in OT. Sounds like a come-from-behind-victory to me.
Hey! Chad LaRose scored one of the goals for the Canes! Good for him!
Hmm... with three games left, the Canes are 2 points out of a playoff spot... perhaps we have some hope? Although, we'd need at least two wins to get the same number of wins as Montreal...
Need to win 'em all.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
A Heartbreaker
Canes lost 4-2 to Tampa last night.
*sigh*
Four words: David Tanabe Own Goal.
That just about sums up my disappointment right there.
The game wasn't that badly played by the Canes - they led for good amounts of the first and second. I'm not even sure if you could call the third a "collaspe", because they still played decently - just not good enough to stop Tampa...
Erik Cole was a force to be reckoned with in this game, scoring the first goal of the game, and driving to the net several times.
Losing this game makes the playoffs... an unlikely possibility. My conscious can not let me say that the Canes are out of it until they are mathematically eliminated... but... I don't think we'll be playing past April 7th.
You don't know how much it pains me to type that.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal
On the season: 28 goals, 30 assists
*sigh*
Four words: David Tanabe Own Goal.
That just about sums up my disappointment right there.
The game wasn't that badly played by the Canes - they led for good amounts of the first and second. I'm not even sure if you could call the third a "collaspe", because they still played decently - just not good enough to stop Tampa...
Erik Cole was a force to be reckoned with in this game, scoring the first goal of the game, and driving to the net several times.
Losing this game makes the playoffs... an unlikely possibility. My conscious can not let me say that the Canes are out of it until they are mathematically eliminated... but... I don't think we'll be playing past April 7th.
You don't know how much it pains me to type that.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal
On the season: 28 goals, 30 assists
Thursday, March 29, 2007
What You Should Know About Drinking Water and Lead
Yes, the title has nothing to do with the post. But I like it.
Sadly, I would rather be talking about water and lead rather than discussing the 5-1 loss to the Flyers the Hurricanes suffered last night.
Painful to watch, the game was. Ray Whitney scored the only goal for the Canes at the end of the second period. That was probably the only bright spot for the Canes.
Some of the bad:
- Justin Williams missing the penalty shot. Why do we even bother? A Canes player hasn't connected on a penalty shot/shootout attempt since what, November?
- The Canes going 0-5 on the power play. Seriously, Canes, take a page from the NFL and just decline the penalty. Not that going 5-on-5 would've helped them in this game...
- Craig Adams' hit on Denis Gauthier. It looked like a shot from behind, which is horrible...
- The refs. Instead of calling a boarding penalty on Adams in the above bullet point, they give a double minor to the Flyer that went to defend Gauthier. Granted, I'm glad the call went in the Canes favor (not that it did them a lot of good)... but what the heck? (Refs were Tim Peel and Wes McCauley, both are previous owners of a spot on the "Bad Refs List".)
Anyways... this deplorable loss by the Canes keeps them tied for ninth place in the standings, but with the tiebreakers they're 11th. Honestly, with this loss went some of my hope for a playoff spot. I think the Canes can still make it, but the road gets a lot harder from here. So hard, that I think they have to win out to get in. I think they can do it... just as long as they don't play like they did these past two games.
Next game is tomorrow against Tampa. Every game is a must win from here on out.
Sadly, I would rather be talking about water and lead rather than discussing the 5-1 loss to the Flyers the Hurricanes suffered last night.
Painful to watch, the game was. Ray Whitney scored the only goal for the Canes at the end of the second period. That was probably the only bright spot for the Canes.
Some of the bad:
- Justin Williams missing the penalty shot. Why do we even bother? A Canes player hasn't connected on a penalty shot/shootout attempt since what, November?
- The Canes going 0-5 on the power play. Seriously, Canes, take a page from the NFL and just decline the penalty. Not that going 5-on-5 would've helped them in this game...
- Craig Adams' hit on Denis Gauthier. It looked like a shot from behind, which is horrible...
- The refs. Instead of calling a boarding penalty on Adams in the above bullet point, they give a double minor to the Flyer that went to defend Gauthier. Granted, I'm glad the call went in the Canes favor (not that it did them a lot of good)... but what the heck? (Refs were Tim Peel and Wes McCauley, both are previous owners of a spot on the "Bad Refs List".)
Anyways... this deplorable loss by the Canes keeps them tied for ninth place in the standings, but with the tiebreakers they're 11th. Honestly, with this loss went some of my hope for a playoff spot. I think the Canes can still make it, but the road gets a lot harder from here. So hard, that I think they have to win out to get in. I think they can do it... just as long as they don't play like they did these past two games.
Next game is tomorrow against Tampa. Every game is a must win from here on out.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Canes lose pathetically; play again tonight
Canes lost to Toronto 6-1 last night.
I only watched the first period, in which Eric Staal scored the only goal of the night. After that, the team was sloppy and had tons of turnovers. Something tells me that I didn't miss much...
With this pathetic loss, the Canes are now in a three way tie for ninth. Yes, with 6 games left, the Canes are not in the top 8th of the Eastern Conference, and this particular Caniac is feeling a little nervous...
So, the Canes try to rebound tonight against the Flyers. The bad news is, that, even if they win, they'll still be in 9th, as they'll lose the tiebreakers with the teams two points ahead of them.
They definitely need the 2 points tonight.
*EDIT 1:50PM* A big thanks to CasonBlog for profiling me! I am now known as the President of the "American Erik Cole Glow Association of America"!!!!
Convieniently, I'm wearing my Erik Cole shirt today! Total awesomeness!
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
On the season: 27 goals, 30 assists
I only watched the first period, in which Eric Staal scored the only goal of the night. After that, the team was sloppy and had tons of turnovers. Something tells me that I didn't miss much...
With this pathetic loss, the Canes are now in a three way tie for ninth. Yes, with 6 games left, the Canes are not in the top 8th of the Eastern Conference, and this particular Caniac is feeling a little nervous...
So, the Canes try to rebound tonight against the Flyers. The bad news is, that, even if they win, they'll still be in 9th, as they'll lose the tiebreakers with the teams two points ahead of them.
They definitely need the 2 points tonight.
*EDIT 1:50PM* A big thanks to CasonBlog for profiling me! I am now known as the President of the "American Erik Cole Glow Association of America"!!!!
Convieniently, I'm wearing my Erik Cole shirt today! Total awesomeness!
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
On the season: 27 goals, 30 assists
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Big Night on the East Coast
Canes play Toronto tonight.
Currently, Toronto is only two points behind us in the playoff race (we're still in 8th!), making this game magnified for both teams. Especially because all the other teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race are playing tonight.
Good news for those fighting with the Islanders for a spot (we're tied with them): Rick DiPietro, their goaltender, will be out indefinitely due to the effects of a concussion.
I believe the TSN article put it in the best words:
Currently, Toronto is only two points behind us in the playoff race (we're still in 8th!), making this game magnified for both teams. Especially because all the other teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race are playing tonight.
Good news for those fighting with the Islanders for a spot (we're tied with them): Rick DiPietro, their goaltender, will be out indefinitely due to the effects of a concussion.
I believe the TSN article put it in the best words:
"The New York Islanders' playoff hopes have suffered a significant blow."I think that that's due to the fact that their backup, Mike Dunham, is 4-8-3 compared to DiPietro's 32-19-9. Yikes.
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