Quite a bit has happened over the last week and a half - and it doesn't look like the news is going to slow down anytime soon, so let's get caught up, shall we?
The amazingly wonderful Jeff Skinner won the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year. I heard the Awards ceremony was pretty horrible to watch, so I'm glad I wasn't quite that bored this year to suffer through it. But I am very happy for Skinner - us Caniacs knew how awesome he was this season, so it's nice to see him get some credit from the rest of the league as well.
The 2011-2012 schedule was released. I'm excited because I'll get to see the Opening Night game for the first time in a few years.
I think I'll take this opportunity to mention the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets move. In short, not a fan. I like the South. I like hockey. I get really really really tired of people cracking jokes about hockey not belonging in the South. So I feel for Atlanta because their fans got screwed and nobody really seems to care. I'll always remember the Thrashers playoff games I was able to attend back in 07 - definitely a lot of fun.
From a scheduling standpoint, the city change completely throws a wrench into the NHL's regional divisions, meaning the Canes and the rest of the Southeast are going to have to make huge trips to Winnipeg multiple times throughout the season. There are rumors that the NHL plans to rearrange the league after this season, which will make a lot of sense. Hopefully the current rivalries are preserved, but I guess we'll see what happens with that later.
The day after the schedule was released, the Canes selected Ryan Murphy with the 12th pick of the Draft. Apparently he's a steal at number 12, but I certainly wouldn't know. His stats show that he could be an offensive powerhouse on the d-line... but he's also a 5'11" d-man. Rutherford, apparently, dislikes drafting size. It worked out with Skinner last year, hopefully it will do the same this year.
Finally, the first day of free agency is approaching, and the Canes are wrapping up some of their players before they hit the market. The two notable signings are Joni Pitkanen at $4.5 million over three years and Chad LaRose for $1.5 and $1.9 mil for two years.
I like the Pitkanen signing - I do like him on the blueline and I think the contract is the going rate for defenseman. I don't think the Canes would have been able to get anyone much better for the same price through free agency, so I like the deal. Of course I like the Chad LaRose deal, and it seems like the right amount for him as well - hopefully he can rebound from this less than stellar past season.
The fact that Erik Cole has not yet been signed is very concerning for this Caniac. I would have thought that he would have struck a deal by now - in my last post it seemed like negotiations were coming along well... apparently not? I hope he and the Canes will still be able to work it out.
Whatever happens with that, we'll find out in a few days. I'll definitely update with what occurs during free agent signing day!
Showing posts with label Atlanta Thrashers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta Thrashers. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 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.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Canes are looking good
Last Sunday the Canes defeated the Thrashers 4-3 in overtime, Erik Cole scoring the most excellent game winner. The above picture is from his second game star nomination - needless to say, this Caniac was rather excited to see her favorite player play an excellent game.
Honestly, though, the Canes should never have allowed Atlanta to get back into the game - up two goals at 3-1 and they just seemed to let off the gas pedal in the second and third periods. And then the game goes into overtime, which gives a division rival a point... but Erik Cole scored, so I guess that makes it all better.
Then on Tuesday the Hurricanes beat the Flames 6-5 in a shootout. The good news is, again, that the Canes got two points, but the bad news is that they allowed the Flames to score three straight goals to tie up the game.
The Canes then lost to the Sabres 3-2 on Thursday, breaking their eight game point streak. Yeah, that stretched back to December.
To finish up the week, the Canes won against the Southeast-leading Lightning 6-4. This was a really fun game to watch - definitely a lot of offense. There were memorable goals on both sides - Chad LaRose coming out of the box to score a power play breakaway goal stands out for the Canes. For the Lightning, well, that Stamkos kid made the Canes look silly, skating straight up the ice and scoring an easy goal.
So this leaves the Canes at 22-16-6, decidedly over .500 with 50 points, good enough for fourth in the Southeast and ninth in the Conference. So, yeah, still no playoff spot, but we have three games in hand on Atlanta and we're only one point behind them in the eighth spot - so the gap has closed and I would say that the Canes are firmly in the playoff race. Providing, of course, that they continue to play as well as they have.
So now that I'm back at school and my period of being able to view games is over, I think I'll give a list of my collected observations over the winter break.
- Jeff Skinner is amazing. Period. End of story.
- Erik Cole also looks really good. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a fangirl. He looks almost back to his 05-06 form - he's driving the net, creating chances and scoring.
- The Canes have serious issues with momentum. They seem to decide to play one and a half periods during a game. This means they start out great and allow the other team to get back in the game after being dominated, or the Canes play like crap in the first two periods and then storm back to victory in the third. Granted, I've become used to this after watching this team for so many years, but it does become frustrating to watch this team go into a defensive shell after they get a two goal lead.
- The call-ups from Charlotte (Dalpe, Boychuk) looked really good. Finally, we have a farm system with useful players!
- The NHL really should consult with me before scheduling games during football season. Missed my half of my team's bowl game and half of the NFL games this past week.
Overall, I'm feeling optimistic for the second half of the season. It seems like things are beginning to click for this team and they're beating teams they need to. This next week will be a test for the Canes, as they play Boston, the Rangers, and Pittsburgh - all teams currently above them in the playoff standings. The points streak has gotten them in the position to compete, now they need to continue their success.
Also, expect an All-Star Game related post sometime soon. In other words, no, I didn't gloss over the fact that Staal and Ward were named our All-Stars this week.
Erik Cole stats (Sunday): 1 goal
(Tuesday): 1 goal
(Saturday): 3 assists
On the season: 12 goals, 13 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Tuesday): 1 assist
(Saturday): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 9 assists
Monday, December 20, 2010
Things are looking up... or at least above .500
The past two weeks were pretty kind to the Canes - in the six games since my last post, Carolina went 4-1-1. Yes, that means that finally the Canes have had a win streak and managed to get above .500 on the season.
Let's recap:
- Canes lost to the Stars 2-1 in a shootout. No one scored in the SO for the Canes.
- In their next game the Canes were finally victorious in the shootout, winning 2-1 over the Blues. Jussi Jokinen scored the only goal in the shootout.
- Canes won 4-3 over the Panthers in a come-from-behind victory. They had gone down three goals early in the game - Ward was pulled from goal after letting two goals in the first two minutes. But, for probably the first time this season, they didn't give up and they powered back for the victory in regulation.
- The Canes also came from behind the next night, winning 3-2 in a shootout over the Atlanta Thrashers. Cam Ward was a complete beast in this one, stopping 45 shots on the night.
I actually watched the game against the Ducks (finals are over, haha!), and I think that the 4-2 win was entertaining enough to earn its own bulleted section of the post. So, my observations:
- The end of the game was INSANE. Yeah, that's the only word that even begins to describe what happened. Three successive penalties called against the Canes resulting in a full two minute six-on-three that the Canes had to kill off. Yes, that's six-on-three due to the fact that Anaheim pulled their goalie. First time in a long time that I've been on the edge of my seat to watch any sort of hockey that the Canes have played. Cam Ward was absolutely stellar to keep the Ducks from scoring more than one.
- Speaking of Ward, he looked amazing. AMAZING. If he can keep up this kind of play, the Canes definitely have a chance for the playoffs. He is a top-notch goalie and he definitely showed all of his skill in this game.
- As for the penalties called to put Cam Ward in the position to have to make those saves... Joe Corvo pretty much lost his mind going after Corey Perry (although he deserved it, but let's just say that Corvo has to be a little less blatant in roughing next time if he doesn't want to get called). Brandon Sutter I guess closed his hand on the puck - debatable, but I'll give the ref credit. Eric Staal's crosscheck, however, was nonexistent. Definitely absurd that the refs should call something like that when a team is already down two men. Talk about trying to decide the game.
- I loved that Corvo went after Perry after he scored the empty netter. Not so happy that Perry started something because his team lost, but I'm glad that Corvo stuck up for himself and didn't just take the crap.
- Eric Staal had a natural hat trick. Yeah, kind of an afterthought after the excitement at the end. But his first goal particularly was a beauty - Staal just took the puck straight up the side during a powerplay - a very pretty goal, although I'm sure the nonexistent Anaheim defense would think otherwise.
So, with this win, the Canes had a four game win streak. That ended pretty ignominiously with a 5-1 loss to the Lightning tonight. Let's just say I'm not crying that this one wasn't televised.
So where does this leave the Canes? They currently have a 15-13-4 record and 34 points on the year, good enough for 9th in the East and 4th in the Southeast. So, if you're keeping track, same as it was last post. The good news, or at least, what could be good news in the future - the C[r]apitals no longer have a stranglehold on the division. Thanks to their recent struggles, they are actually third in the Southeast. In our position it probably doesn't mean much - we're eight points behind them - but hopefully the Canes will continue to win and take advantage of our rival's poor play.
Upcoming this week is Montreal, who is leading their division, and the aforementioned C[r]apitals. I'm hoping for a continuation of the good play of the past two weeks - hey, the Penguins recently went on a twelve game tear, why can't the Canes do the same?
Erik Cole Stats (Dec 15th): 1 goal
(Dec 18th): 1 assist
(Tonight): 1 assist
On the season: 6 goals, 8 assists
Let's recap:
- Canes lost to the Stars 2-1 in a shootout. No one scored in the SO for the Canes.
- In their next game the Canes were finally victorious in the shootout, winning 2-1 over the Blues. Jussi Jokinen scored the only goal in the shootout.
- Canes won 4-3 over the Panthers in a come-from-behind victory. They had gone down three goals early in the game - Ward was pulled from goal after letting two goals in the first two minutes. But, for probably the first time this season, they didn't give up and they powered back for the victory in regulation.
- The Canes also came from behind the next night, winning 3-2 in a shootout over the Atlanta Thrashers. Cam Ward was a complete beast in this one, stopping 45 shots on the night.
I actually watched the game against the Ducks (finals are over, haha!), and I think that the 4-2 win was entertaining enough to earn its own bulleted section of the post. So, my observations:
- The end of the game was INSANE. Yeah, that's the only word that even begins to describe what happened. Three successive penalties called against the Canes resulting in a full two minute six-on-three that the Canes had to kill off. Yes, that's six-on-three due to the fact that Anaheim pulled their goalie. First time in a long time that I've been on the edge of my seat to watch any sort of hockey that the Canes have played. Cam Ward was absolutely stellar to keep the Ducks from scoring more than one.
- Speaking of Ward, he looked amazing. AMAZING. If he can keep up this kind of play, the Canes definitely have a chance for the playoffs. He is a top-notch goalie and he definitely showed all of his skill in this game.
- As for the penalties called to put Cam Ward in the position to have to make those saves... Joe Corvo pretty much lost his mind going after Corey Perry (although he deserved it, but let's just say that Corvo has to be a little less blatant in roughing next time if he doesn't want to get called). Brandon Sutter I guess closed his hand on the puck - debatable, but I'll give the ref credit. Eric Staal's crosscheck, however, was nonexistent. Definitely absurd that the refs should call something like that when a team is already down two men. Talk about trying to decide the game.
- I loved that Corvo went after Perry after he scored the empty netter. Not so happy that Perry started something because his team lost, but I'm glad that Corvo stuck up for himself and didn't just take the crap.
- Eric Staal had a natural hat trick. Yeah, kind of an afterthought after the excitement at the end. But his first goal particularly was a beauty - Staal just took the puck straight up the side during a powerplay - a very pretty goal, although I'm sure the nonexistent Anaheim defense would think otherwise.
So, with this win, the Canes had a four game win streak. That ended pretty ignominiously with a 5-1 loss to the Lightning tonight. Let's just say I'm not crying that this one wasn't televised.
So where does this leave the Canes? They currently have a 15-13-4 record and 34 points on the year, good enough for 9th in the East and 4th in the Southeast. So, if you're keeping track, same as it was last post. The good news, or at least, what could be good news in the future - the C[r]apitals no longer have a stranglehold on the division. Thanks to their recent struggles, they are actually third in the Southeast. In our position it probably doesn't mean much - we're eight points behind them - but hopefully the Canes will continue to win and take advantage of our rival's poor play.
Upcoming this week is Montreal, who is leading their division, and the aforementioned C[r]apitals. I'm hoping for a continuation of the good play of the past two weeks - hey, the Penguins recently went on a twelve game tear, why can't the Canes do the same?
Erik Cole Stats (Dec 15th): 1 goal
(Dec 18th): 1 assist
(Tonight): 1 assist
On the season: 6 goals, 8 assists
Friday, June 25, 2010
Draft Day 2010
Today is draft day!
As I mentioned in my previous post, the Canes have the 7th overall pick in tonight's draft. It looks like they're pretty content with staying at that spot, so I doubt they'll move up at all.
The Canes site has been previewing the prospects likely to be on the board when the Canes draft, and I have picked out my choice if I was the one making the picks tonight.
Nino Niederreiter. No, I don't know how to pronounce the name, but comparisons to ERIK COLE will definitely get my attention and approval. Apparently he plays a physical game and scored 60 goals in 65 games with his junior team - a power forward for sure. Please, Rutherford, draft this guy. You can always use a power forward.
Anyways, the Canes site also has what amounts to a summary of what's going on with the team. To do a summary of a summary, they might trade some of their later picks for another first rounder, but it would have to be a significant player to do that. Ray Whitney, sadly, seems to ready to part with the team, but Rutherford is still keeping the door open. Justin Peters looks to be the backup goalie and any buyouts will occur after the draft.
Making a splash around the league, the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks traded Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and a prospect to the Thrashers for a first and second rounder, Marty Reasoner, a prospect, and another forward. Which means that the Canes will have to regularly face Byfuglien's presence in front of the net - likely not a fun situation.
Draft starts at 7 tonight!
As I mentioned in my previous post, the Canes have the 7th overall pick in tonight's draft. It looks like they're pretty content with staying at that spot, so I doubt they'll move up at all.
The Canes site has been previewing the prospects likely to be on the board when the Canes draft, and I have picked out my choice if I was the one making the picks tonight.
Nino Niederreiter. No, I don't know how to pronounce the name, but comparisons to ERIK COLE will definitely get my attention and approval. Apparently he plays a physical game and scored 60 goals in 65 games with his junior team - a power forward for sure. Please, Rutherford, draft this guy. You can always use a power forward.
Anyways, the Canes site also has what amounts to a summary of what's going on with the team. To do a summary of a summary, they might trade some of their later picks for another first rounder, but it would have to be a significant player to do that. Ray Whitney, sadly, seems to ready to part with the team, but Rutherford is still keeping the door open. Justin Peters looks to be the backup goalie and any buyouts will occur after the draft.
Making a splash around the league, the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks traded Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and a prospect to the Thrashers for a first and second rounder, Marty Reasoner, a prospect, and another forward. Which means that the Canes will have to regularly face Byfuglien's presence in front of the net - likely not a fun situation.
Draft starts at 7 tonight!
Friday, April 02, 2010
Happy 4 years!!!!
So the Canes' season is slowly winding down. Amazingly, they're not yet eliminated from the playoffs, and their recent play seems to just be staying that inevitability for the longest possible time.
Cam Ward came back for Monday's game against Atlanta, and stopped 26 of 27 for the 4-1 win against the Thrashers. From what I could tell from the radio broadcast, it sounded like the Canes were playing sloppily in the first period, but then turned on the afterburners in the second and third.
The consolation prize of this game? Atlanta's playoff chances significantly dropped after this loss to us. So I guess winning isn't all that bad.
The Canes also won 2-1 against the Canadiens on Wednesday. I think I listened to part of this game, but I honestly can't remember much of it. Other than the fact that Cam Ward looks just as sharp as he did before his prolonged injury leave, which is a good thing.
Then came the 4-3 shootout loss against the Senators last night. The Canes looked to have this one wrapped up, but let Erik Karlsson score with 7.7 seconds left in the third period. His goal assured the Sens of a point and a spot in the playoffs. The Canes then proceeded to lose in the shootout.
And, now for something completely different...
So I had this whole thing typed up about what made me start blogging and how my life has changed over the past year with college and lack of time and lack of Canes-game viewing and how I don't post a lot but I still love blogging, blah blah blah. But I couldn't end it very well, and to be honest the beginning wasn't that great, so here's a bulleted list:
- This blog is awesome. It's been going since April 2nd, 2006. That's four years!
- My readers are awesome. I may not get bazillions of visitors each day, but even the fact that one person wants to read what I write is amazing. Keep on rockin' you guys.
- I am awesome. I think four years is a pretty cool accomplishment.
- The Canes are awesome and hockey is awesome. Okay, maybe this year the Canes aren't that awesome, but hockey makes my day, every day.
- And, finally, Erik Cole is awesome. Do I seriously have to qualify this statement?
Thanks for visiting, everyone. How about four more years?
Erik Cole(Monday): 1 goal
(Wednesday): 1 assist
On the season: 10 goals, 4 assists
Chad LaRose(Monday): 1 assist
(Wednesday): 1 assist
(Thursday): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 12 assists
Cam Ward came back for Monday's game against Atlanta, and stopped 26 of 27 for the 4-1 win against the Thrashers. From what I could tell from the radio broadcast, it sounded like the Canes were playing sloppily in the first period, but then turned on the afterburners in the second and third.
The consolation prize of this game? Atlanta's playoff chances significantly dropped after this loss to us. So I guess winning isn't all that bad.
The Canes also won 2-1 against the Canadiens on Wednesday. I think I listened to part of this game, but I honestly can't remember much of it. Other than the fact that Cam Ward looks just as sharp as he did before his prolonged injury leave, which is a good thing.
Then came the 4-3 shootout loss against the Senators last night. The Canes looked to have this one wrapped up, but let Erik Karlsson score with 7.7 seconds left in the third period. His goal assured the Sens of a point and a spot in the playoffs. The Canes then proceeded to lose in the shootout.
And, now for something completely different...
So I had this whole thing typed up about what made me start blogging and how my life has changed over the past year with college and lack of time and lack of Canes-game viewing and how I don't post a lot but I still love blogging, blah blah blah. But I couldn't end it very well, and to be honest the beginning wasn't that great, so here's a bulleted list:
- This blog is awesome. It's been going since April 2nd, 2006. That's four years!
- My readers are awesome. I may not get bazillions of visitors each day, but even the fact that one person wants to read what I write is amazing. Keep on rockin' you guys.
- I am awesome. I think four years is a pretty cool accomplishment.
- The Canes are awesome and hockey is awesome. Okay, maybe this year the Canes aren't that awesome, but hockey makes my day, every day.
- And, finally, Erik Cole is awesome. Do I seriously have to qualify this statement?
Thanks for visiting, everyone. How about four more years?
Erik Cole(Monday): 1 goal
(Wednesday): 1 assist
On the season: 10 goals, 4 assists
Chad LaRose(Monday): 1 assist
(Wednesday): 1 assist
(Thursday): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 12 assists
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Giant Week Recap
Sorry, guys. I've been a bad blogger of late. Unfortunately I have been positively swamped and I haven't been able to keep up with a rapid rate of games this past week.
So, let's kick it back 8 days to the Canes OT W over Pittsburgh 3-2. They won the game on a wicked shot from Jamie McBain with about a second left in overtime. Considering the fact that McBain has 6 points in 7 games with the team, I'd say he's looking to be an asset on defense.
Then the Canes lost to Buffalo at home the next day 5-3. Buffalo scored three goals in 7 minutes in the second to turn the tide their way. I wasn't able to catch any of this game, but any loss to theBanana Slugs Sabres leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The Canes also lost to the Lightning 3-2 in overtime. I wasn't happy with the outcome (St. Louis only 29 seconds into OT), but I was extremely pleased when both Erik Cole and Chad LaRose scored within 20 seconds during the second period.
Tuomo Ruutu's season ended on Thursday with shoulder surgery. He had apparently been playing through the pain for a while, and he's expected to be out 4-5 months. I guess it's a good thing that we're not in the playoffs - his loss would be devastating.
Then came the Canes victory over the C[r]apitals in a shootout - a game I got to watch! And let me just say that I find it amazing that we can play Washington like this and then lose immediately afterwards.
An interesting theme of the game was rookie defensemen scoring. The Canes came out fast in the first period with a nice shot by Jamie McBain, and then followed it up with Bryan Rodney's first NHL goal about seven minutes later. Getting a 2-0 lead in the first is always a good thing when you're going up against the best team in the East. For the C[r]apitals, John Carlson also scored his first goal, although unfortunately it had to be the tying goal in the third.
Then came the hero of the night - Chad LaRose won the game by scoring on his first ever shootout attempt. After much jubilation my reaction was: Seriously? This guy has never had a shootout attempt in his career? I mean, a few seasons ago you would have thought that the Canes would've tried anything to get a shootout goal.
Maybe this means LaRose will be a regular in the shootout rotation? Doubtful - but wouldn't that be awesome?
And then, after that great win against Washington, the Canes lose 4-0 to the menial Thrashers. I guess they felt they should keep someone's playoff dreams alive, since their poor play crushed ours in November.
So what did we learn after this week? The Canes like to either win in a tight OT/SO game, preferably beating a giant, or they like to be blown out by teams.
Oh, and, despite my fervent adoration for Chuck Kaiton (he's the man!), watching games on TV is still superior (for both attention span and remembering what happened). Even if I do have to put up with the Washington announcers.
Erik Cole stats (Tuesday): 1 goal
On the season: 9 goals, 3 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Last Saturday): 1 assist
(Tuesday): 1 goal
On the season: 7 goals, 10 assists
So, let's kick it back 8 days to the Canes OT W over Pittsburgh 3-2. They won the game on a wicked shot from Jamie McBain with about a second left in overtime. Considering the fact that McBain has 6 points in 7 games with the team, I'd say he's looking to be an asset on defense.
Then the Canes lost to Buffalo at home the next day 5-3. Buffalo scored three goals in 7 minutes in the second to turn the tide their way. I wasn't able to catch any of this game, but any loss to the
The Canes also lost to the Lightning 3-2 in overtime. I wasn't happy with the outcome (St. Louis only 29 seconds into OT), but I was extremely pleased when both Erik Cole and Chad LaRose scored within 20 seconds during the second period.
Tuomo Ruutu's season ended on Thursday with shoulder surgery. He had apparently been playing through the pain for a while, and he's expected to be out 4-5 months. I guess it's a good thing that we're not in the playoffs - his loss would be devastating.
Then came the Canes victory over the C[r]apitals in a shootout - a game I got to watch! And let me just say that I find it amazing that we can play Washington like this and then lose immediately afterwards.
An interesting theme of the game was rookie defensemen scoring. The Canes came out fast in the first period with a nice shot by Jamie McBain, and then followed it up with Bryan Rodney's first NHL goal about seven minutes later. Getting a 2-0 lead in the first is always a good thing when you're going up against the best team in the East. For the C[r]apitals, John Carlson also scored his first goal, although unfortunately it had to be the tying goal in the third.
Then came the hero of the night - Chad LaRose won the game by scoring on his first ever shootout attempt. After much jubilation my reaction was: Seriously? This guy has never had a shootout attempt in his career? I mean, a few seasons ago you would have thought that the Canes would've tried anything to get a shootout goal.
Maybe this means LaRose will be a regular in the shootout rotation? Doubtful - but wouldn't that be awesome?
And then, after that great win against Washington, the Canes lose 4-0 to the menial Thrashers. I guess they felt they should keep someone's playoff dreams alive, since their poor play crushed ours in November.
So what did we learn after this week? The Canes like to either win in a tight OT/SO game, preferably beating a giant, or they like to be blown out by teams.
Oh, and, despite my fervent adoration for Chuck Kaiton (he's the man!), watching games on TV is still superior (for both attention span and remembering what happened). Even if I do have to put up with the Washington announcers.
Erik Cole stats (Tuesday): 1 goal
On the season: 9 goals, 3 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Last Saturday): 1 assist
(Tuesday): 1 goal
On the season: 7 goals, 10 assists
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
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Captain Staal nets a hat trick
So, uh, apparently Staal should have been made captain earlier. Because, in his first night as captain, he tallied a hat trick in the Canes 5-2 win over the Thrashers.
Three of the Canes goals came on the powerplay, and watching the highlights I can say that the Canes completely dominated the Thrashers on their goals. The Thrashers looked absolutely horrible, and I think I'll attribute the Canes' prowess more to Atlanta playing poorly than anything else. But, man, it was nice to see all of this offense by the Canes.
Hopefully this captaincy post will motivate Staal beyond just the first game. There's been flashes this year, but Staal has really had a down year comparatively. Perhaps the "C" on the jersey will motivate him to play like this every night?
Or every afternoon, in the case of today's game against the Flyers. 1pm puck drop, so you can be certain I won't listen to any of it because I have ACC basketball tickets for 1:30. But hopefully the Canes will continue playing better than they had been in the past.
Three of the Canes goals came on the powerplay, and watching the highlights I can say that the Canes completely dominated the Thrashers on their goals. The Thrashers looked absolutely horrible, and I think I'll attribute the Canes' prowess more to Atlanta playing poorly than anything else. But, man, it was nice to see all of this offense by the Canes.
Hopefully this captaincy post will motivate Staal beyond just the first game. There's been flashes this year, but Staal has really had a down year comparatively. Perhaps the "C" on the jersey will motivate him to play like this every night?
Or every afternoon, in the case of today's game against the Flyers. 1pm puck drop, so you can be certain I won't listen to any of it because I have ACC basketball tickets for 1:30. But hopefully the Canes will continue playing better than they had been in the past.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
Erik Cole had a goal and an assist tonight in the 6-4 loss against the Thrashers. To me, his play is the bright ray of sunshine that got covered up by the dark clouds that was letting 5 goals against in the third period.
I don't think I've ever seen a team implode before my eyes like the Canes did tonight.
Because, really, things were flying high for the Canes. They looked excellent in the first and second periods, storming the net, having good chances. Matt Cullen missed a wide open net in the second, and there were several other times that Canes players were inches away from scoring another goal.
Then came the third period, which started off with two absolutely dreadful powerplays. After those the momentum quickly swung Atlanta's way and the Canes let in their trademark of rapid goals against.
Let me just say that this game killed whatever optimism I had for this team. I thought that, if the Canes continued to improve, they might not be so bad after all. But then this game - I just can't believe how the Canes appeared to firing on all cylinders and then just suddenly lost it. It was like someone flipped a switch in the dressing room and everything that was going good just turned off. How can you be optimistic that your team will turn it around when they can't even finish off a game with a three goal lead?
Next game is tomorrow against the Sabres. On the road, so you can pretty much chalk up another loss, if their current record holds.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 3 goals, 2 assists
I don't think I've ever seen a team implode before my eyes like the Canes did tonight.
Because, really, things were flying high for the Canes. They looked excellent in the first and second periods, storming the net, having good chances. Matt Cullen missed a wide open net in the second, and there were several other times that Canes players were inches away from scoring another goal.
Then came the third period, which started off with two absolutely dreadful powerplays. After those the momentum quickly swung Atlanta's way and the Canes let in their trademark of rapid goals against.
Let me just say that this game killed whatever optimism I had for this team. I thought that, if the Canes continued to improve, they might not be so bad after all. But then this game - I just can't believe how the Canes appeared to firing on all cylinders and then just suddenly lost it. It was like someone flipped a switch in the dressing room and everything that was going good just turned off. How can you be optimistic that your team will turn it around when they can't even finish off a game with a three goal lead?
Next game is tomorrow against the Sabres. On the road, so you can pretty much chalk up another loss, if their current record holds.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 3 goals, 2 assists
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wrapping up the preseason
Awesome news, guys: THE SEASON STARTS IN TWO DAYS!!!!
Crazy, isn't it? But before we roll into the regular season, let me recap the waning moments of the preseason.
The Canes finished their preseason on a 2-0 winning streak, winning 4-3 against Atlanta last Friday and then 5-2 against Nashville on Saturday. It's always good to see that the team is winning when the roster is pretty much set - hopefully that will be a sign of the regular season (I'm going to ignore the fact that the Atlanta win came against a team playing without Ilya Kovulchuk - a win is a win). The roster didn't turn out too different than expected - Brandon Sutter and Zach Boychuk were sent down to finalize the roster. Apparently Brandon Sutter played very well in the games he was in, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of the first call-ups once someone goes down (and someone will go down, unless the Canes have miraculously gotten rid of their injury tendencies over the offseason).
The BIG news today was that Cam Ward signed a gargantuan contract extension - 6 years for $6.3 mil per. I'm glad Cam is wrapped up - the last thing we need is for him to hit free agency and possibly lose our goaltender. Although I am slightly wary of the length, but I think I'll always be wary of long contracts after seeing how Rick DiPietro's contact went down like a lead zeppelin. As long as that doesn't bite the Canes, I think it's a good signing, as that's what top-notch goalies are going for these days.
And finally, I must cast a farewell to the Acid Queen, who is closing down her blog. Her blog was one of the first Canes ones that I read and was actually an inspiration to both turn my blog down the avenue of hockey and to have no qualms about saying what I truly think. So happy trails and good luck, AQ.
7pm Friday. Canes v. Philadelphia Flyers. Attend it, watch it, or listen to it. I don't care which, just do it and welcome in the new Canes season!
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 1 assist
Crazy, isn't it? But before we roll into the regular season, let me recap the waning moments of the preseason.
The Canes finished their preseason on a 2-0 winning streak, winning 4-3 against Atlanta last Friday and then 5-2 against Nashville on Saturday. It's always good to see that the team is winning when the roster is pretty much set - hopefully that will be a sign of the regular season (I'm going to ignore the fact that the Atlanta win came against a team playing without Ilya Kovulchuk - a win is a win). The roster didn't turn out too different than expected - Brandon Sutter and Zach Boychuk were sent down to finalize the roster. Apparently Brandon Sutter played very well in the games he was in, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of the first call-ups once someone goes down (and someone will go down, unless the Canes have miraculously gotten rid of their injury tendencies over the offseason).
The BIG news today was that Cam Ward signed a gargantuan contract extension - 6 years for $6.3 mil per. I'm glad Cam is wrapped up - the last thing we need is for him to hit free agency and possibly lose our goaltender. Although I am slightly wary of the length, but I think I'll always be wary of long contracts after seeing how Rick DiPietro's contact went down like a lead zeppelin. As long as that doesn't bite the Canes, I think it's a good signing, as that's what top-notch goalies are going for these days.
And finally, I must cast a farewell to the Acid Queen, who is closing down her blog. Her blog was one of the first Canes ones that I read and was actually an inspiration to both turn my blog down the avenue of hockey and to have no qualms about saying what I truly think. So happy trails and good luck, AQ.
7pm Friday. Canes v. Philadelphia Flyers. Attend it, watch it, or listen to it. I don't care which, just do it and welcome in the new Canes season!
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 1 assist
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Preseason update
Well, we're right in the swing of the preseason now. On Monday the Canes dropped a game to Atlanta 4-2, with Brandon Sutter and Bryan Rodney notching scores. Considering I wasn't able to listen to the game and the recap is all of four paragraphs, I'm going to assume nothing exciting happened.
The goal by Rodney couldn't keep him in the big leagues, as he along with four others got sent to Albany on Tuesday.
Not reporting to Albany this year will be Anton Babchuk, who has supposedly signed in Russia for this season. Essentially the news of this was greeted by a *shrug* and a whatever from Jim Rutherford because that means Babchuk still doesn't have arbitration rights. So I'm thinking the Canes sit on his rights until a trade comes along or Babchuk wants to play under the contract the Canes give him. Either way the Canes have the upper hand and seem content to wait it out (especially because it looks like we might have a defense this year!).
Aaannndddd... that's all for now, folks! Canes play Atlanta again tomorrow at the RBC Center!
The goal by Rodney couldn't keep him in the big leagues, as he along with four others got sent to Albany on Tuesday.
Not reporting to Albany this year will be Anton Babchuk, who has supposedly signed in Russia for this season. Essentially the news of this was greeted by a *shrug* and a whatever from Jim Rutherford because that means Babchuk still doesn't have arbitration rights. So I'm thinking the Canes sit on his rights until a trade comes along or Babchuk wants to play under the contract the Canes give him. Either way the Canes have the upper hand and seem content to wait it out (especially because it looks like we might have a defense this year!).
Aaannndddd... that's all for now, folks! Canes play Atlanta again tomorrow at the RBC Center!
Friday, July 10, 2009
News from the offseason
News from the offseason (complete with stilted sentences because coherent thinking is totally not made for when school is out):
Signs that the next season is getting closer (but still dreadfully far away) were seen in the past few days. The Canes released their preseason schedule, which consists of four games with the Predators and Thrashers being the opponents. The full regular season schedule will be released on the 15th (Wednesday!), which coincidentally is the start of the prospect conditioning camp.
The Canes are continuing to try and solidify the ranks for the next season, signing Jay Harrison to a two-way contract. There is also talk of buying out Frank Kaberle to help save the team some money. If the Canes would manage to sign someone good I wouldn't be against such a move - as of now I really don't see that our defensive depth has improved since the last season (especially with Anton Babchuk looking to take his wicked slapshot back to Russia), so currently I don't think Kaberle being on or off the team really makes a difference.
You may have seen that the Canes made the 1st-of-the-NHL, 2nd-overall position in ESPN the Magazine's Ultimate Team Rankings. Rutherford has some nice things to say about us fans in an open letter about the rankings.
All I have to say is finally - FINALLY! - the Canes are getting some respect from a national source. We Caniacs have known all along how awesome hockey in the Triangle is - it's nice to see other people wising up to that fact as well.
Signs that the next season is getting closer (but still dreadfully far away) were seen in the past few days. The Canes released their preseason schedule, which consists of four games with the Predators and Thrashers being the opponents. The full regular season schedule will be released on the 15th (Wednesday!), which coincidentally is the start of the prospect conditioning camp.
The Canes are continuing to try and solidify the ranks for the next season, signing Jay Harrison to a two-way contract. There is also talk of buying out Frank Kaberle to help save the team some money. If the Canes would manage to sign someone good I wouldn't be against such a move - as of now I really don't see that our defensive depth has improved since the last season (especially with Anton Babchuk looking to take his wicked slapshot back to Russia), so currently I don't think Kaberle being on or off the team really makes a difference.
You may have seen that the Canes made the 1st-of-the-NHL, 2nd-overall position in ESPN the Magazine's Ultimate Team Rankings. Rutherford has some nice things to say about us fans in an open letter about the rankings.
All I have to say is finally - FINALLY! - the Canes are getting some respect from a national source. We Caniacs have known all along how awesome hockey in the Triangle is - it's nice to see other people wising up to that fact as well.
Monday, March 02, 2009
A game they should have won...
Canes failed to keep a two goal third period lead in a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday.
This team is incredibly frustrating. Once you think they're heading in a positive direction, they just abruptly throw it in to reverse. (And, really, it goes both ways - you think the season's over and then they begin to win. No wonder we're fighting for eighth place).
Just thinking about this game and what should have been depresses me.
Next game is tomorrow against the C[r]apitals.
This team is incredibly frustrating. Once you think they're heading in a positive direction, they just abruptly throw it in to reverse. (And, really, it goes both ways - you think the season's over and then they begin to win. No wonder we're fighting for eighth place).
Just thinking about this game and what should have been depresses me.
Next game is tomorrow against the C[r]apitals.
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, January 04, 2009
Mega-Recap-Post!
Didn't have time to post this week - wasn't near a computer and I've felt under the weather this weekend.
So it's time for a Mega-Recap-Post!
New Year's Eve the Canes beat the Thrashers 3-1 in a very sloppy game. The only reason I think the Canes won this one is because they were playing a crappy team like the Thrashers.
New Year's Day the Detroit Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks outside at Wrigley Field. I only saw the third period of this one, which means I really only saw Detroit whoop up on the Blackhawks - Chicago certainly lost that one. I really hope they continue to do these outdoor games - they are definitely fun to watch!
The next day the Canes beat the Blues 2-1. And, even though I attended the game, I can't remember anything important about it. Which says more about my current state of health than the game itself. But it was $1 popcorn night. So I feasted on some popcorn. Which was delicious. Especially at a dollar.
Then the day after that (aka yesterday) the Canes beat Tampa 3-2, which I also watched but can't remember a thing about now. Oh well, whatever.
If you want a laugh, (as if this meandering post wasn't enough), check out Alex Semin's "fight" against Marc Staal. I can guarantee you, my loyal readers, I can certainly throw a better punch than that nonsense...
Next game for the Canes is Tuesday against the Devils.
Chad LaRose stats (Saturday): 1 goal
On the season: 9 goals, 3 assists
So it's time for a Mega-Recap-Post!
New Year's Eve the Canes beat the Thrashers 3-1 in a very sloppy game. The only reason I think the Canes won this one is because they were playing a crappy team like the Thrashers.
New Year's Day the Detroit Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks outside at Wrigley Field. I only saw the third period of this one, which means I really only saw Detroit whoop up on the Blackhawks - Chicago certainly lost that one. I really hope they continue to do these outdoor games - they are definitely fun to watch!
The next day the Canes beat the Blues 2-1. And, even though I attended the game, I can't remember anything important about it. Which says more about my current state of health than the game itself. But it was $1 popcorn night. So I feasted on some popcorn. Which was delicious. Especially at a dollar.
Then the day after that (aka yesterday) the Canes beat Tampa 3-2, which I also watched but can't remember a thing about now. Oh well, whatever.
If you want a laugh, (as if this meandering post wasn't enough), check out Alex Semin's "fight" against Marc Staal. I can guarantee you, my loyal readers, I can certainly throw a better punch than that nonsense...
Next game for the Canes is Tuesday against the Devils.
Chad LaRose stats (Saturday): 1 goal
On the season: 9 goals, 3 assists
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Eric Staal is a Beast!
Two games to catch up on. First was on Christmas Eve Eve against the Wild - Canes lost that one 3-2.
I only saw the first two periods of the game, and the Canes looked really good to begin with, going up 2-0 early in the second period. Then they just kind of lost their momentum and the Wild scored three unanswered in that period, and then the Wild won the game.
Then there was last night's game, which I feel really stupid for forgetting to watch it. Mainly because the Canes won 5-4 and it sounds like it was an entertaining game.
There were two hat tricks in this game, the career first for Atlanta's Bryan Little, and Eric Staal's career sixth. Staal scored all three goals within 4:31 of the third period.
And I watched the game highlights online - Eric Staal just had Johan Hedberg's number in that game. The second goal was just a rifle of a shot.
And Chad LaRose started off the scoring for the Canes, breaking out of the slump he was in. YaY!
Canes play tonight against Boston. Hopefully it'll be as entertaining as that one was - even just to watch the highlights!
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 2 assists
I only saw the first two periods of the game, and the Canes looked really good to begin with, going up 2-0 early in the second period. Then they just kind of lost their momentum and the Wild scored three unanswered in that period, and then the Wild won the game.
Then there was last night's game, which I feel really stupid for forgetting to watch it. Mainly because the Canes won 5-4 and it sounds like it was an entertaining game.
There were two hat tricks in this game, the career first for Atlanta's Bryan Little, and Eric Staal's career sixth. Staal scored all three goals within 4:31 of the third period.
And I watched the game highlights online - Eric Staal just had Johan Hedberg's number in that game. The second goal was just a rifle of a shot.
And Chad LaRose started off the scoring for the Canes, breaking out of the slump he was in. YaY!
Canes play tonight against Boston. Hopefully it'll be as entertaining as that one was - even just to watch the highlights!
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 2 assists
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Improvement seen
Canes drop another to Atlanta, losing 3-2 last night.
The difference between this loss and the previous ones was the actual energy the Canes showed throughout the game. Especially in the third period, where the Canes had a sustained drive at the Atlanta net, looking for that elusive tying goal.
Also, Eric Staal showed up, only getting an assist, but playing a heckuva lot better than he had the previous games (Of course, that wasn't hard to accomplish...). And Rod Brind'Amour made an appearance as well, albeit only in the third period. But he came through when the team needed a goal to get back in it, and I suppose that's all that matters.
And we had two powerplay goals!
Speaking of powerplays... please, Wallin, next time you decide you need to argue with the refs and get a unsportsmanlike penalty - don't give the other team a 5-on-3 for two full minutes in the process...
The next game is tomorrow against Tampa. Maybe we can *gasp* win this one?
Oh yeah, speaking of Tampa, it's back to ESPN for Barry Melrose - he was fired after only 16 games with the team...
The difference between this loss and the previous ones was the actual energy the Canes showed throughout the game. Especially in the third period, where the Canes had a sustained drive at the Atlanta net, looking for that elusive tying goal.
Also, Eric Staal showed up, only getting an assist, but playing a heckuva lot better than he had the previous games (Of course, that wasn't hard to accomplish...). And Rod Brind'Amour made an appearance as well, albeit only in the third period. But he came through when the team needed a goal to get back in it, and I suppose that's all that matters.
And we had two powerplay goals!
Speaking of powerplays... please, Wallin, next time you decide you need to argue with the refs and get a unsportsmanlike penalty - don't give the other team a 5-on-3 for two full minutes in the process...
The next game is tomorrow against Tampa. Maybe we can *gasp* win this one?
Oh yeah, speaking of Tampa, it's back to ESPN for Barry Melrose - he was fired after only 16 games with the team...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Canes get Capped
Yes, I stole that headline from the Canes' website, and, yes, I took a screenshot of it, because I feel it is such a headline that should be saved for our posterity's sake.
Actually, I find it hilarious. And I need a laugh after the turn this season has taken...
I believe the "Laviolette Watch" has begun. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a new coach soon. I'm not advocating this - I like Laviolette, don't think he's done anything wrong, necessarily - but something has to get the Canes going in the right direction again.
*sigh*
Two crappy losses against two division rivals. What more can I say?
The Canes just appeared to implode on Sunday against the Thrashers: Luckily, I wasn't watching it, as the game wasn't televised. Listening to it was no walk in the part, though.
We finally have everybody back from injury - Pitkanen, Cullen, and Sutter returned - but they certainly didn't do anything to stop the 5-1 rout by the C[r]apitals. The only one who bothered to show up at all was Scott Walker - at least he has a goal to show for it.
I'm at a loss here. Something needs to happen - somebody needs to pull Staal's head out of his rear, specifically - but we can't go on like this. We have more talent than this - why can't we show it?
Next game is tomorrow against Atlanta. I predict the seat gets extremely hot for Lavi if the Canes have another blowout. Hopefully they won't...
Actually, I find it hilarious. And I need a laugh after the turn this season has taken...
I believe the "Laviolette Watch" has begun. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a new coach soon. I'm not advocating this - I like Laviolette, don't think he's done anything wrong, necessarily - but something has to get the Canes going in the right direction again.
*sigh*
Two crappy losses against two division rivals. What more can I say?
The Canes just appeared to implode on Sunday against the Thrashers: Luckily, I wasn't watching it, as the game wasn't televised. Listening to it was no walk in the part, though.
We finally have everybody back from injury - Pitkanen, Cullen, and Sutter returned - but they certainly didn't do anything to stop the 5-1 rout by the C[r]apitals. The only one who bothered to show up at all was Scott Walker - at least he has a goal to show for it.
I'm at a loss here. Something needs to happen - somebody needs to pull Staal's head out of his rear, specifically - but we can't go on like this. We have more talent than this - why can't we show it?
Next game is tomorrow against Atlanta. I predict the seat gets extremely hot for Lavi if the Canes have another blowout. Hopefully they won't...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Canes win and lose - C[r]apitals not far behind...
So, on Friday, the Canes absolutely steamrolled the Thrashers, winning 7-1.
And, man, this game was extremely chippy. I find it interesting, that with the return of losing to Atlanta, returns the crap that made Caniacs hate this team even when we were beating up on them. Altogether 115 penalty minutes on the game.
So, yeah, Canes absolutely kicked butt in this one. Ruutu got two, Hamilton got two - 5 goals were on the power play, one was shorthanded. A really great game to watch, if you were on the Canes side.
But, then, last night the Canes dropped one to Tampa 2-1, allowing the C[r]apitals to come within 2 points of the Canes in the standings.
Is anyone else just a tad bit concerned that the C[r]apitals are so close with only three games left?
Anyways, the Canes were leading when I switched to the Tar Heels game, Chad LaRose having scored on a "three way passing play" in the words of Chuck K. It's great that Chad is back to his old self - no lack of energy there!
So, Canes play said C[r]apitals on Tuesday - can anybody say "must win"?
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 2 assists
On the season: 22 goals, 27 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 1 assist
Saturday: 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 11 assists
And, man, this game was extremely chippy. I find it interesting, that with the return of losing to Atlanta, returns the crap that made Caniacs hate this team even when we were beating up on them. Altogether 115 penalty minutes on the game.
So, yeah, Canes absolutely kicked butt in this one. Ruutu got two, Hamilton got two - 5 goals were on the power play, one was shorthanded. A really great game to watch, if you were on the Canes side.
But, then, last night the Canes dropped one to Tampa 2-1, allowing the C[r]apitals to come within 2 points of the Canes in the standings.
Is anyone else just a tad bit concerned that the C[r]apitals are so close with only three games left?
Anyways, the Canes were leading when I switched to the Tar Heels game, Chad LaRose having scored on a "three way passing play" in the words of Chuck K. It's great that Chad is back to his old self - no lack of energy there!
So, Canes play said C[r]apitals on Tuesday - can anybody say "must win"?
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 2 assists
On the season: 22 goals, 27 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 1 assist
Saturday: 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 11 assists
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