Going into my Thanksgiving break, I was not expecting to see anywhere near good hockey. The Canes were coming off of a 4-0 Montreal loss that was by all accounts absolutely horrendous. Paul Maurice's hot seat was positively scalding and it seemed as though the Canes had hit the hardest rock at the bottom.
Now that I'm two games in... well, the hockey I saw wasn't horrible. I won't go so far to say that it was good, but it wasn't terrible.
That being said, I still think Mo should go. Both games that I saw (Friday's 1-0 loss to Buffalo and today's 3-2 win over Toronto) consisted of some of the most boring hockey I've ever seen. There's nothing exciting about this hockey team, nothing spectacular. The offense is, at best, lackluster - consider that there were very few decent chances against Buffalo and that one of tonight's goals was a fluke, not to mention Toronto played bad hockey of their own.
Maurice said after the Buffalo game that "That was the best all-around team game that we've played this year" - if that was the best game this year, then I am certainly glad to have not seen any Canes hockey since opening weekend. I find it appalling that the best game of the year (so far, hopefully) can have the Canes score zero goals and look pretty pathetic on offense. Yes, they did battle a bit more and played defense - something they couldn't do previously - but that does not make them a good team. I saw a very mediocre team on the ice these past two games.
And that's why I still think Maurice should go. I don't see this team getting any better under his reign - leading up to these past two games most of his quotes consisted of not knowing what was wrong, not knowing how to motivate the team... that's not the voice of someone I want leading my team. I suppose there might be some burgeoning optimism for him as coach after these games that didn't completely suck - but this team is going to have to rattle off about a six game win streak for me to feel anything other than doubt about this season.
Not everything is doom and gloom, however. Jeff Skinner still looks amazing - although he does seem to get beat up around the boards a lot. Tuomo Ruutu impressed me with his fire. And... well, that's all I can think of right now. But it's a start. I guess.
Tomorrow is another game, this time in Philly. We'll see if this 'better' play continues and if it can save Maurice's job.
Showing posts with label Buffalo Sabres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buffalo Sabres. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 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
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
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
Friday, February 12, 2010
Canes win, deal Cullen
This has been a moderately busy week for the Canes so far. It started with a 4-1 win over the Panthers. I would attempt to give you more information about it, but I can't remember what happened despite listening to it on the radio, and the highlights online were boring. So, yeah, I'll say it was an unexciting game.
Then came the news that the Canes were moving their AHL team from Albany to Charlotte. It makes sense for the Canes minor league team to be close to the home arena, especially with the revolving door system that's been in place this season.
Last night the Canes managed to pull a win out of their butts against Buffalo in overtime. Brandon Sutter took advantage of a turnover to backhand pass it to Samsonov to win it. This was after the Canes were playing miserably for a lot of the first period, including letting in an extremely soft deflection goal.
This is the second time the Canes have beaten Buffalo in the past two weeks, which is something I like a lot. Again, why couldn't they have played like this earlier in the season?
Resulting from their early season poor play is the fire sale that Rutherford has started. Matt Cullen was today's casualty, being sent to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a second round draft pick. I don't know much about Picard, other than that he is 24 years old and a defenseman. This trade obviously doesn't hurt the Canes, as Cullen is a free agent at the end of this season, so he could in theory resign with the team, and the Canes get a player and a pick out of the deal.
I believe the Olympic trade freeze has just passed, so it looks like that will be all the Canes trade news for right now. The Canes play one more game and then it's the Olympic break for two weeks.
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Then came the news that the Canes were moving their AHL team from Albany to Charlotte. It makes sense for the Canes minor league team to be close to the home arena, especially with the revolving door system that's been in place this season.
Last night the Canes managed to pull a win out of their butts against Buffalo in overtime. Brandon Sutter took advantage of a turnover to backhand pass it to Samsonov to win it. This was after the Canes were playing miserably for a lot of the first period, including letting in an extremely soft deflection goal.
This is the second time the Canes have beaten Buffalo in the past two weeks, which is something I like a lot. Again, why couldn't they have played like this earlier in the season?
Resulting from their early season poor play is the fire sale that Rutherford has started. Matt Cullen was today's casualty, being sent to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a second round draft pick. I don't know much about Picard, other than that he is 24 years old and a defenseman. This trade obviously doesn't hurt the Canes, as Cullen is a free agent at the end of this season, so he could in theory resign with the team, and the Canes get a player and a pick out of the deal.
I believe the Olympic trade freeze has just passed, so it looks like that will be all the Canes trade news for right now. The Canes play one more game and then it's the Olympic break for two weeks.
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Big Ultimate Mega Recap!
I'm really sorry for not posting this past week, but unfortunately this whole "college" thing isn't going away. A lot of stuff has happened, so I think it's time for a...
Big Ultimate Mega Recap!!!!
The Canes played 4 games over the past week, coming out with a 2-2 record, which isn't too shabby for this season.
They lost to the Oilers, which is pretty pathetic although it does help their quest for the lowest pick. (Which, by the way, the Canes are losing, allowing the Maple Leafs and Edmonton to slip between them and the bottom.)
They lost to the Flames.
They managed to win against Buffalo.
And they won against the Islanders - Justin Peters started his first game in that one - good for him to notch his first NHL win!
And through all this Erik Cole still hasn't managed to play a game! Are they keeping him in a storage shed a la Mike Leach?†
Tim Gleason was named to Team USA (which should have happened in the first place, not as an injury replacement... but whatever). The Canes Twitter feed provided this photo, which is absolutely amazing. Now I have a favorite player to cheer for on the team!
The Canes also traded the Secret Weapon, shipping Niclas Wallin and a fifth round pick to San Jose for a second round pick. A shame, because Wallin was always an asset in the times it mattered most (check the nickname), but I'm not overly surprised because Wallin had been in trade rumors for the past bazillion years. Hope San Jose goes well for him.
Cam Ward is out with some kind of back injury. Which is, y'know, just what you want your franchise goaltender to have. We'll get to see more of Justin Peters, which is nice, and this is making the Legace signing look a bit better.
I think that's all the news that has gone on over the past week... This is the last week of games before the Winter Olympic break - and I cannot wait until that begins!
†... too soon?
The Canes played 4 games over the past week, coming out with a 2-2 record, which isn't too shabby for this season.
They lost to the Oilers, which is pretty pathetic although it does help their quest for the lowest pick. (Which, by the way, the Canes are losing, allowing the Maple Leafs and Edmonton to slip between them and the bottom.)
They lost to the Flames.
They managed to win against Buffalo.
And they won against the Islanders - Justin Peters started his first game in that one - good for him to notch his first NHL win!
And through all this Erik Cole still hasn't managed to play a game! Are they keeping him in a storage shed a la Mike Leach?†
Tim Gleason was named to Team USA (which should have happened in the first place, not as an injury replacement... but whatever). The Canes Twitter feed provided this photo, which is absolutely amazing. Now I have a favorite player to cheer for on the team!
The Canes also traded the Secret Weapon, shipping Niclas Wallin and a fifth round pick to San Jose for a second round pick. A shame, because Wallin was always an asset in the times it mattered most (check the nickname), but I'm not overly surprised because Wallin had been in trade rumors for the past bazillion years. Hope San Jose goes well for him.
Cam Ward is out with some kind of back injury. Which is, y'know, just what you want your franchise goaltender to have. We'll get to see more of Justin Peters, which is nice, and this is making the Legace signing look a bit better.
I think that's all the news that has gone on over the past week... This is the last week of games before the Winter Olympic break - and I cannot wait until that begins!
†... too soon?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Your 2009-10 Hurricanes: finding new lows every game.
These third period things aren't really working out for us, are they?
The second game in a row that the Canes let five goals in the third period.
Canes lose 5-1 to the Sabres. Alert me when the play of our team stops making me want to gouge my eyes out.
The second game in a row that the Canes let five goals in the third period.
Canes lose 5-1 to the Sabres. Alert me when the play of our team stops making me want to gouge my eyes out.
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
Friday, February 27, 2009
Peanut Butter Jellytime!
Canes won in a shootout last night against Buffalo.
Which is both good and bad - bad that we didn't win outright and gave Buffalo a point in the standings, good that we actually won the game despite looking lackluster in the first two periods.
This win leaves the Canes tied with the same Buffalo Sabres for eighth, although Buffalo has the nod right now, as they have a game in hand over the Canes.
Although, seriously, how could the Canes lose when this was the clip played before the game:
I was nearly rolling in the aisles watching that. Now that's how you get into an opponent's head.
Next game is tomorrow against Atlanta.
Which is both good and bad - bad that we didn't win outright and gave Buffalo a point in the standings, good that we actually won the game despite looking lackluster in the first two periods.
This win leaves the Canes tied with the same Buffalo Sabres for eighth, although Buffalo has the nod right now, as they have a game in hand over the Canes.
Although, seriously, how could the Canes lose when this was the clip played before the game:
I was nearly rolling in the aisles watching that. Now that's how you get into an opponent's head.
Next game is tomorrow against Atlanta.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Canes win one and lose one
Well... I'm not sure what to think of this weekend.
On Valentine's Day, the Canes got their butt kicked for the second game in a row, losing 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This game wasn't much better than the previous shutout, except, of course, that this time the Canes managed to score a goal. And there were some better chances than in the Florida game, but that doesn't change the fact that the Canes handily lost this one.
Then, last night, the Canes had a shutout of their own, beating Buffalo 3-0. Wasn't able to watch this game, as it wasn't on TV, but from what I've gleaned from the highlights and recap, it looks like the Canes got out to an early lead and were able to keep it for the entire game. Watching some of the saves made, the Canes probably could have scored some more goals.
The bad news following this win is that Justin Williams broke a bone in his hand and will be out at least a month. Man, this guy just can't stay healthy! (Although, this development makes the Jussi Jokinen trade look particularly good.)
The next game is tomorrow against the Bruins. Hopefully the Canes will put on a good show, as it's Glen Wesley night, with the number 2 being raised to the rafters.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 1 goal
On the season: 13 goals, 6 assists
On Valentine's Day, the Canes got their butt kicked for the second game in a row, losing 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This game wasn't much better than the previous shutout, except, of course, that this time the Canes managed to score a goal. And there were some better chances than in the Florida game, but that doesn't change the fact that the Canes handily lost this one.
Then, last night, the Canes had a shutout of their own, beating Buffalo 3-0. Wasn't able to watch this game, as it wasn't on TV, but from what I've gleaned from the highlights and recap, it looks like the Canes got out to an early lead and were able to keep it for the entire game. Watching some of the saves made, the Canes probably could have scored some more goals.
The bad news following this win is that Justin Williams broke a bone in his hand and will be out at least a month. Man, this guy just can't stay healthy! (Although, this development makes the Jussi Jokinen trade look particularly good.)
The next game is tomorrow against the Bruins. Hopefully the Canes will put on a good show, as it's Glen Wesley night, with the number 2 being raised to the rafters.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 1 goal
On the season: 13 goals, 6 assists
Monday, January 19, 2009
Canes lose. Again.
Canes extended their losing streak to 5 games on Saturday with a loss against Buffalo.
They didn't play as bad as they did against the Leafs on Thursday, but they still didn't do enough to get a win.
And that's all that matters to me right now. Because if they continue on this slide they're on, we can kiss the playoffs good bye.
So, maybe a win tonight against the Leafs?
They didn't play as bad as they did against the Leafs on Thursday, but they still didn't do enough to get a win.
And that's all that matters to me right now. Because if they continue on this slide they're on, we can kiss the playoffs good bye.
So, maybe a win tonight against the Leafs?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Lameness
Wow that was crap.
Canes lost 7-1 to Buffalo last night.
Yeah, with college basketball on, I definitely didn't really pay attention past the first period, where Buffalo was leading 4-0.
Game did get really chippy at the end, with a bunch of fights and roughing and whatever.
Scott Walker scored the lone Canes goal.
And, Ray Whitney will have surgery to remove a bursa sack in his ankle - out 2-3 weeks.
Just what we need, another forward out with injury.
Next game is tomorrow against the Senators.
Canes lost 7-1 to Buffalo last night.
Yeah, with college basketball on, I definitely didn't really pay attention past the first period, where Buffalo was leading 4-0.
Game did get really chippy at the end, with a bunch of fights and roughing and whatever.
Scott Walker scored the lone Canes goal.
And, Ray Whitney will have surgery to remove a bursa sack in his ankle - out 2-3 weeks.
Just what we need, another forward out with injury.
Next game is tomorrow against the Senators.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Late recap, whatever.
Y'know they really shouldn't have ominous headlines like this one on the Canes website:
Why? Because it sends speed readers like me into a tizzy thinking "NOOOO!!!! Rutherford traded them? Wait... it's past the trade deadline... Oh, we're playing Chicago tomorrow... oops"
Anyways... the last game was against Buffalo, which the Canes won 4-3 in overtime. The "reason" for me not posting earlier is because I really wanted the title of this post to stay at the top of my blog for as long as possible.
Riiight...
Well, the things I remember about this game are:
- Cam needs to save more easy goals
- Canes looked awesome in first, sluggish in rest of game
- 0-for-7 in regulation on the power play? ¡Ay Caramba!
- Buffalo fans are punks.
Next game is tomorrow against Chicago.
Why? Because it sends speed readers like me into a tizzy thinking "NOOOO!!!! Rutherford traded them? Wait... it's past the trade deadline... Oh, we're playing Chicago tomorrow... oops"
Anyways... the last game was against Buffalo, which the Canes won 4-3 in overtime. The "reason" for me not posting earlier is because I really wanted the title of this post to stay at the top of my blog for as long as possible.
Riiight...
Well, the things I remember about this game are:
- Cam needs to save more easy goals
- Canes looked awesome in first, sluggish in rest of game
- 0-for-7 in regulation on the power play? ¡Ay Caramba!
- Buffalo fans are punks.
Next game is tomorrow against Chicago.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Weekend Recaps
Yep, another couple of late recaps... wasn't feeling that great yesterday.
Right now the Canes are leading the Rangers 1-0 in the first at Madison Square Garden.
As for the weekend, the Canes won against the C[r]apitals 4-3 on Friday. The only thing really notable was Chad LaRose's failed penalty shot in the first (and AO's two goals - I really hope the dude separates a shoulder next time he celebrates a goal by slamming into the boards - absolutely unnecessary.)
Canes up 2-0 on a Matt Cullen goal now.
The other game was certainly a forgettable one, an 8-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The PK sucked, the PP sucked, John Grahame was absolutely horrible... this game was just miserable.
Luckily, the Canes do not appear to be furthering that trend in this Rangers game.
Right now the Canes are leading the Rangers 1-0 in the first at Madison Square Garden.
As for the weekend, the Canes won against the C[r]apitals 4-3 on Friday. The only thing really notable was Chad LaRose's failed penalty shot in the first (and AO's two goals - I really hope the dude separates a shoulder next time he celebrates a goal by slamming into the boards - absolutely unnecessary.)
Canes up 2-0 on a Matt Cullen goal now.
The other game was certainly a forgettable one, an 8-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The PK sucked, the PP sucked, John Grahame was absolutely horrible... this game was just miserable.
Luckily, the Canes do not appear to be furthering that trend in this Rangers game.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Canes beat Buffalo! Ha!
Canes slaughtered Buffalo last night 6-2.
The scoring opened up real fast in the first - 38 seconds in Rod Brind'Amour took the lead. Sadly, the lead didn't last long, as Buffalo tied it back up at 2:52. With Buffalo's goal, the Canes lost some of their momentum, not getting anything done on the 3 powerplays that period.
The Canes took the lead again in the second period, but Buffalo tied it up at the end of that period after the Canes took two penalties on the same shift.
Then came the totally awesome 3rd period. The Canes exploded with offense, scoring 4 goals in that period. One of them was a laser of a shot on the power play from Jeff Hamilton - who I've nicknamed the power play savior! due to the fact that, since he came, our powerplay has kicked some serious behind.
This was an awesome game. It's always nice to see the Canes score a bunch of goals against a rival like Buffalo.
Next game is tomorrow against the Canadiens - again! This is the third time in October that we've seen them - the NHL scheduler needs to be fired...
The scoring opened up real fast in the first - 38 seconds in Rod Brind'Amour took the lead. Sadly, the lead didn't last long, as Buffalo tied it back up at 2:52. With Buffalo's goal, the Canes lost some of their momentum, not getting anything done on the 3 powerplays that period.
The Canes took the lead again in the second period, but Buffalo tied it up at the end of that period after the Canes took two penalties on the same shift.
Then came the totally awesome 3rd period. The Canes exploded with offense, scoring 4 goals in that period. One of them was a laser of a shot on the power play from Jeff Hamilton - who I've nicknamed the power play savior! due to the fact that, since he came, our powerplay has kicked some serious behind.
This was an awesome game. It's always nice to see the Canes score a bunch of goals against a rival like Buffalo.
Next game is tomorrow against the Canadiens - again! This is the third time in October that we've seen them - the NHL scheduler needs to be fired...
Monday, May 21, 2007
Things are right in the hockey world
Things just seem right in the hockey world today.
Case #1: Buffalo was eliminated from the playoffs by Ottawa in 5 games.
Case #2: I got 2 hits today from keywords "buffalo sabres carolina hurricanes hatred" and "Carolina Hurricanes hate Buffalo Sabres". This just makes me laugh.
Case #3: I am wearing my Erik Cole shirt today. Need I say more?
I managed to see the part of the Ottawa-Buffalo game that was on NBC. (Have I mentioned how much I hate horses? I mean, it is a sad, sad world when a stupid horse race gets precedence over an elimination overtime playoff game.) I would like to mention my evergrowing dislike for the Sabres fans. I mean, their team is only down one goal after two and the "fans" are booing them? Come on!
The game-winning goal by Alfredsson (which I had to see on the evening news no thanks to you NBC!!!!) was pretty sweet. Or pretty lame for Ryan Miller. I mean, the guy scores on a 1-on-3? Pretty pathetic.
So, yeah. That's about it. Anaheim's up 3-2 in their series, and I'm hoping they win that one. Not that it really matters, because I'm going to cheer for Ottawa anyways, but it's just the principle.
Case #1: Buffalo was eliminated from the playoffs by Ottawa in 5 games.
Case #2: I got 2 hits today from keywords "buffalo sabres carolina hurricanes hatred" and "Carolina Hurricanes hate Buffalo Sabres". This just makes me laugh.
Case #3: I am wearing my Erik Cole shirt today. Need I say more?
I managed to see the part of the Ottawa-Buffalo game that was on NBC. (Have I mentioned how much I hate horses? I mean, it is a sad, sad world when a stupid horse race gets precedence over an elimination overtime playoff game.) I would like to mention my evergrowing dislike for the Sabres fans. I mean, their team is only down one goal after two and the "fans" are booing them? Come on!
The game-winning goal by Alfredsson (which I had to see on the evening news no thanks to you NBC!!!!) was pretty sweet. Or pretty lame for Ryan Miller. I mean, the guy scores on a 1-on-3? Pretty pathetic.
So, yeah. That's about it. Anaheim's up 3-2 in their series, and I'm hoping they win that one. Not that it really matters, because I'm going to cheer for Ottawa anyways, but it's just the principle.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Post-age!
Yikes! I haven't posted since Monday! That's an all-time worst for me.
Sadly, these playoffs just aren't as exciting to me. (I wonder why?...) Western Conference games just bore me, and I only can bear watching the East because I love to see Buffalo lose. (They won last night, avoiding elmination. (I swear, if they had been swept, I would've started dancing in the streets...) I saw the last 3 minutes, which included Ottawa's last rush being cut short by a high-sticking penalty courtesy of Dany Heatley. Idiot!)
Sorry for the lack of post-age (get it?), but I don't see it getting any better until I get out of school, as exams and other nonsense will be coming up soon. (And to think I studied for Biology in the parking lot of the RBC Center... *sigh*...)
Sadly, these playoffs just aren't as exciting to me. (I wonder why?...) Western Conference games just bore me, and I only can bear watching the East because I love to see Buffalo lose. (They won last night, avoiding elmination. (I swear, if they had been swept, I would've started dancing in the streets...) I saw the last 3 minutes, which included Ottawa's last rush being cut short by a high-sticking penalty courtesy of Dany Heatley. Idiot!)
Sorry for the lack of post-age (get it?), but I don't see it getting any better until I get out of school, as exams and other nonsense will be coming up soon. (And to think I studied for Biology in the parking lot of the RBC Center... *sigh*...)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Ominous smoke
You know you're not paying attention when you don't notice the foot and a half of smoke floating ominously in your living room.
And I'll just leave that at that.
Today, Canada advanced to the Gold Medal round of the World Championships. Cam Ward got the win and Eric Staal got a goal.
Detroit won last night to take the lead in their series.
Ottawa stunned Buffalo 5-2 on Thursday night. They had a pretty nice three goal third period.
Currently, I'm watching the second Buffalo-Ottawa game. Buffalo leads 1-0. Booooooooooo!
Er... Make that 2-0. Double boo!
And I'll just leave that at that.
Today, Canada advanced to the Gold Medal round of the World Championships. Cam Ward got the win and Eric Staal got a goal.
Detroit won last night to take the lead in their series.
Ottawa stunned Buffalo 5-2 on Thursday night. They had a pretty nice three goal third period.
Currently, I'm watching the second Buffalo-Ottawa game. Buffalo leads 1-0. Booooooooooo!
Er... Make that 2-0. Double boo!
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