Oh. My. Goodness. Best hockey of the season tonight.
I've been able to see two games so far under the Muller regime, and I have to say I love it. The hockey I saw was absolutely amazing. It was entertaining, it actually used our offensive talents, it's creating a chemistry within the team that I hadn't seen up to this point.
Love love love love love it!
Tonight's game was great. The Canes beat the Canucks 4-3 - and the Canucks are no slouch of a team this season. Drayson Bowman had two goals and the offense overall seemed to be clicking and getting legitimate chances. Cam Ward was amazing. Finally I see the Ward that Caniacs have come to expect - making the tough saves to keep his team in the game.
Everything would appear to be coming together for this team system-wise. Finally! If only this had happened before the Canes were deep into a 'rebuilding season'.
Unfortunately, everything isn't coming together on the injury front. Both Joni Pitkanen and Jeff Skinner are out with concussions - I'm very disappointed, as I always love to see Skinner do his work on the ice. I really hope that they both come back soon. There seems to be a rash of concussions in the league recently, especially those which put players out for long periods of time.
I'm still in awe about tonight's play though. For the first time in a very long while I felt excited watching this team play. I've definitely missed this look from my favorite team.
Showing posts with label Cam Ward. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cam Ward. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
All-Star Game Preview!
The All-Star Game in Raleigh is next week! It's hard to believe that after waiting so long for it, it's finally almost here!
I suppose the first thing that needs to be addressed is the All-Star format this year. This is the first year with the new "Fantasy Draft" where two All-Star captains will pick à la grade school who is on their team. When the format was first announced, I wasn't overly impressed with it, but as we get closer to next weekend I must say I'm getting excited. The Canes own Eric Staal and the Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom will be the captains (with Patrick Kane and Martin St. Louis as the alternate captains for Team Lidstrom and Ryan Kesler and Mike Green as the alternates for Team Staal), and there are a lot of ways that this draft could play out. Will Staal go with kin and pick his brother? Will either player favor teammates above other players?
And, of course, the question that I can't wait to be answered - who will be Mr. Irrelevant? Having been picked close to the bottom of quite a few gym class drafts, I'll take a sort of morbid pleasure in watching the greatest of the great squirm as they hope that they're not the last one.
The toughest question to answer is who should we, as fans, cheer for? I suppose since Staal is one of the captains I will end up cheering for his team. (Also, I always by default choose red over blue - even though in this case I think the blue jerseys look more stylish than the red ones.) However, I think I'll relish the opportunity to cheer if someone like Dustin Byfuglien scores - something I could never do when he plays for Atlanta - no matter what captain's team he is on.
The roster that the captains have to pick from is pretty stacked as well. There's always grumblings about who was/wasn't picked, but let's just gloss over that. From a Canes perspective, I'm not surprised to see the tandem of Staal and Cam Ward picked, because both have been the better players on the team this year. (Minus Jeff Skinner, of course, but he was nominated to the rookie squad). I'm a little surprised that Cam did make the cut, as there are a few goalies that probably have a little better numbers and have looked a little better - but I suppose that this is when having the game in Raleigh helps out a lot.
Of course, the game itself is not the only thing going on that weekend. The Skills Competition occurs on Saturday, and I am really excited to see this as well. Specifically the "Breakaway Challenge" - because who knows what kind of moves Ovechkin is going to pull this year? The twelve rookies named to the squad will participate in the skills segment, and I'm also really curious to see how the Jeff Skinner will do - I'm betting that he's better than some of the "real" All-Stars.
And, yeah, there's this other thing going on during the All-Star weekend. The Guardian Project. If you somehow haven't heard of this (don't worry, it probably just means you don't read as many hockey blogs and/or satire as me), well, I'm sorry to have to be the one to explain it to you. Apparently the NHL teamed up with Stan Lee and created a superhero for each of the NHL teams. Which kind of maybe sounds cool to the half of me that's still stuck as a middle schooler, but to the skeptical adult side it just sounds lame. Because hockey is cool as it is... why exactly do we need superheroes to bring across the awesomeness?
Anyways, the Canes one looks like this and gains points from me for having "the calculating mind of an intellectual". And also not looking like he's carrying around a Big Wheel, like the Red Wing one. But the whole project loses major cool points for not having a woman superhero. Girls can kick ass and like hockey too, ya know...
Guardian Project aside, I am really excited for next weekend. Finally the Caniac Nation is showcased as a host, and I can not wait to see the game and experience the fun atmosphere that I know will be present.
I suppose the first thing that needs to be addressed is the All-Star format this year. This is the first year with the new "Fantasy Draft" where two All-Star captains will pick à la grade school who is on their team. When the format was first announced, I wasn't overly impressed with it, but as we get closer to next weekend I must say I'm getting excited. The Canes own Eric Staal and the Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom will be the captains (with Patrick Kane and Martin St. Louis as the alternate captains for Team Lidstrom and Ryan Kesler and Mike Green as the alternates for Team Staal), and there are a lot of ways that this draft could play out. Will Staal go with kin and pick his brother? Will either player favor teammates above other players?
And, of course, the question that I can't wait to be answered - who will be Mr. Irrelevant? Having been picked close to the bottom of quite a few gym class drafts, I'll take a sort of morbid pleasure in watching the greatest of the great squirm as they hope that they're not the last one.
The toughest question to answer is who should we, as fans, cheer for? I suppose since Staal is one of the captains I will end up cheering for his team. (Also, I always by default choose red over blue - even though in this case I think the blue jerseys look more stylish than the red ones.) However, I think I'll relish the opportunity to cheer if someone like Dustin Byfuglien scores - something I could never do when he plays for Atlanta - no matter what captain's team he is on.
The roster that the captains have to pick from is pretty stacked as well. There's always grumblings about who was/wasn't picked, but let's just gloss over that. From a Canes perspective, I'm not surprised to see the tandem of Staal and Cam Ward picked, because both have been the better players on the team this year. (Minus Jeff Skinner, of course, but he was nominated to the rookie squad). I'm a little surprised that Cam did make the cut, as there are a few goalies that probably have a little better numbers and have looked a little better - but I suppose that this is when having the game in Raleigh helps out a lot.
Of course, the game itself is not the only thing going on that weekend. The Skills Competition occurs on Saturday, and I am really excited to see this as well. Specifically the "Breakaway Challenge" - because who knows what kind of moves Ovechkin is going to pull this year? The twelve rookies named to the squad will participate in the skills segment, and I'm also really curious to see how the Jeff Skinner will do - I'm betting that he's better than some of the "real" All-Stars.
And, yeah, there's this other thing going on during the All-Star weekend. The Guardian Project. If you somehow haven't heard of this (don't worry, it probably just means you don't read as many hockey blogs and/or satire as me), well, I'm sorry to have to be the one to explain it to you. Apparently the NHL teamed up with Stan Lee and created a superhero for each of the NHL teams. Which kind of maybe sounds cool to the half of me that's still stuck as a middle schooler, but to the skeptical adult side it just sounds lame. Because hockey is cool as it is... why exactly do we need superheroes to bring across the awesomeness?
Anyways, the Canes one looks like this and gains points from me for having "the calculating mind of an intellectual". And also not looking like he's carrying around a Big Wheel, like the Red Wing one. But the whole project loses major cool points for not having a woman superhero. Girls can kick ass and like hockey too, ya know...
Guardian Project aside, I am really excited for next weekend. Finally the Caniac Nation is showcased as a host, and I can not wait to see the game and experience the fun atmosphere that I know will be present.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Canes continue points streak
The Canes managed to get points in each of their three games this week, but I wasn't too impressed with their play in any of the games.
It started with a 4-3 overtime loss against the Panthers. The Canes came out incredibly flat in the first period, and it was a testament to Cam Ward that Florida didn't manage to score more than one goal. The second period wasn't much better, and Carolina only began to look good when they were down by two goals. That being said, it was rather depressing when Bryan Allen scored in overtime, putting to rest any sort of comeback idea.
The next game was also an overtime loss, this time losing by a tally of 2-1 to the New York Rangers. This was one of those games where, despite watching it in its entirety, I don't remember a thing about it. (Except, of course, yelling angrily at my television whenever Sean Avery touched the puck). So I'll gloss over this and go on to the next game.
The Hurricanes managed to win the next game, beating Florida 5-3. Yet again the Canes came out flat and allowed Florida to get out to a quick 2-0 lead. Luckily, Jeff Skinner is on the roster, and he scored the next two in the second to get the Canes back into it. A lot has been said about Skinner, and as far as I can tell, he deserves all the accolades. At times you think that he could be the only person on the ice and still manage to beat five opponents and the goaltender - and make it look easy to boot! Not only can he score, but his assist on Cole's goal later in the game was an absolute beauty of a pass.
So this stretch of games leaves the Canes with 44 points, which at this point is good enough for 9th in the East and 4th in the division - 5 points behind Montreal for the last playoff spot, but with two games in hand. Our record is 19-15-6 - finally above .500! And, yes, I furiously just knocked on some wood after that statement. The Canes have fixed themselves a nice little points streak, but I think they could definitely look better. They struggled early in both games against the Panthers, who are not exactly leading the league. While it is wonderful that they can flip a switch and get themselves back in a game, the question remains as to why the switch wasn't "on" to begin with.
This next week has games against Atlanta and Tampa, two divisional rivals who always give us problems - okay, what divisional rival doesn't? - and Buffalo and Calgary. Hopefully the Hurricanes will continue to get points out of these games - although I would prefer that they do it in a slightly more convincing fashion.
Erik Cole stats (Monday): 2 assists
(Friday): 2 goals
On the season: 10 goals, 10 assists
It started with a 4-3 overtime loss against the Panthers. The Canes came out incredibly flat in the first period, and it was a testament to Cam Ward that Florida didn't manage to score more than one goal. The second period wasn't much better, and Carolina only began to look good when they were down by two goals. That being said, it was rather depressing when Bryan Allen scored in overtime, putting to rest any sort of comeback idea.
The next game was also an overtime loss, this time losing by a tally of 2-1 to the New York Rangers. This was one of those games where, despite watching it in its entirety, I don't remember a thing about it. (Except, of course, yelling angrily at my television whenever Sean Avery touched the puck). So I'll gloss over this and go on to the next game.
The Hurricanes managed to win the next game, beating Florida 5-3. Yet again the Canes came out flat and allowed Florida to get out to a quick 2-0 lead. Luckily, Jeff Skinner is on the roster, and he scored the next two in the second to get the Canes back into it. A lot has been said about Skinner, and as far as I can tell, he deserves all the accolades. At times you think that he could be the only person on the ice and still manage to beat five opponents and the goaltender - and make it look easy to boot! Not only can he score, but his assist on Cole's goal later in the game was an absolute beauty of a pass.
So this stretch of games leaves the Canes with 44 points, which at this point is good enough for 9th in the East and 4th in the division - 5 points behind Montreal for the last playoff spot, but with two games in hand. Our record is 19-15-6 - finally above .500! And, yes, I furiously just knocked on some wood after that statement. The Canes have fixed themselves a nice little points streak, but I think they could definitely look better. They struggled early in both games against the Panthers, who are not exactly leading the league. While it is wonderful that they can flip a switch and get themselves back in a game, the question remains as to why the switch wasn't "on" to begin with.
This next week has games against Atlanta and Tampa, two divisional rivals who always give us problems - okay, what divisional rival doesn't? - and Buffalo and Calgary. Hopefully the Hurricanes will continue to get points out of these games - although I would prefer that they do it in a slightly more convincing fashion.
Erik Cole stats (Monday): 2 assists
(Friday): 2 goals
On the season: 10 goals, 10 assists
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Canes are looking great against bad teams
It looks like the Canes are looking a little streaky at this point in the season. A four game win streak, followed by a three game losing streak, and now we're in the midst of stringing three wins together.
Win #1 came Tuesday against the Maple Leafs. The Canes really didn't look that spectacular in this one, trading goals with the Leafs in the first period. Which wouldn't be too bad except, come on, it's the Leafs. The News and Observer had an interesting article about Rutherford actually going down to talk to the team during the second intermission - somehow I suspect that "come on, it's the Leafs" was an extremely tame version of what was being said.
Perhaps the talk from the GM will have lasting impressions on the season - a convincing win came in the next game, 4-0 over the Ottawa Senators. This is the second blowout this season against the Sens, however, this time the opposing team was not coming off of an emotional day. No, I'm not entirely sure why Ottawa was so lame this time around - although Brian Elliott in goal looked absolutely horrendous. Or perhaps the Canes just looked really good? Either way, Cam Ward earned his second shutout of the season.
Win #3 came as a 6-3 win against the lowly New Jersey Devils. The Canes came out on fire in the first period, opening up with a quick 4-0 lead. Zac Dalpe earned his first NHL goal in the period, although Martin Brodeur had already been pulled by that point. Let's just say that Brodeur looked nothing like he used to in net.
After the marvelous first period, the Canes came out slow and sloppy in the second, only notching five shots on net. Their play probably would have been an issue in any other game - but it's pretty hard to play worse than the Devils this year, and the Canes recovered well in the third period.
So the Canes have fixed themselves a nice three game win streak... against teams that are 10th, 13th, and 15th in the Eastern Conference. Which is good, as it signals that the Canes are beating the teams that they should - and besides the Toronto game, they're beating the teams quite handily. Their upcoming schedule for this week isn't quite as easy - two games against the Panthers, who aren't that great but seem to give the Canes trouble, and one against the Rangers who are currently 6th in the East. Hopefully the Canes can continue their win streak and gain the four points that would put them tentatively in the playoffs.
Erik Cole stats (29th): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 8 assists
Chad LaRose stats (1st): 2 assists
On the season: 6 goals, 8 assists
Win #1 came Tuesday against the Maple Leafs. The Canes really didn't look that spectacular in this one, trading goals with the Leafs in the first period. Which wouldn't be too bad except, come on, it's the Leafs. The News and Observer had an interesting article about Rutherford actually going down to talk to the team during the second intermission - somehow I suspect that "come on, it's the Leafs" was an extremely tame version of what was being said.
Perhaps the talk from the GM will have lasting impressions on the season - a convincing win came in the next game, 4-0 over the Ottawa Senators. This is the second blowout this season against the Sens, however, this time the opposing team was not coming off of an emotional day. No, I'm not entirely sure why Ottawa was so lame this time around - although Brian Elliott in goal looked absolutely horrendous. Or perhaps the Canes just looked really good? Either way, Cam Ward earned his second shutout of the season.
Win #3 came as a 6-3 win against the lowly New Jersey Devils. The Canes came out on fire in the first period, opening up with a quick 4-0 lead. Zac Dalpe earned his first NHL goal in the period, although Martin Brodeur had already been pulled by that point. Let's just say that Brodeur looked nothing like he used to in net.
After the marvelous first period, the Canes came out slow and sloppy in the second, only notching five shots on net. Their play probably would have been an issue in any other game - but it's pretty hard to play worse than the Devils this year, and the Canes recovered well in the third period.
So the Canes have fixed themselves a nice three game win streak... against teams that are 10th, 13th, and 15th in the Eastern Conference. Which is good, as it signals that the Canes are beating the teams that they should - and besides the Toronto game, they're beating the teams quite handily. Their upcoming schedule for this week isn't quite as easy - two games against the Panthers, who aren't that great but seem to give the Canes trouble, and one against the Rangers who are currently 6th in the East. Hopefully the Canes can continue their win streak and gain the four points that would put them tentatively in the playoffs.
Erik Cole stats (29th): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 8 assists
Chad LaRose stats (1st): 2 assists
On the season: 6 goals, 8 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
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Special Double Issue!
I didn't do a weekly recap last week NOT because I was lazy, but because I wanted to provide my loyal readers with a special double issue - twice the amount of information packed into one week!
(Don't you hate when print magazines pull that crap? I do. But I wouldn't be too optimistic that the next post will be next week - unfortunately college has these things called exams...)
So, let's enter the time machine and recap what's happened since the day before Thanksgiving:
- Canes lost to the C[r]apitals 3-2, despite coming back and scoring two goals in the third period to tie it up.
- Canes won 3-0 over Boston. They looked pretty awesome, which was surprising, as the Canes have generally looked like crap when they play against teams that are above us in the standings this season. Cam Ward also walked away with his first shutout of the year. All three goals came on the power play, which was remarkable because at the time Boston had the best penalty kill in the league.
- Canes lost to the C[r]apitals 3-2, despite coming back. And, no, I didn't get lazy and just copy the first bullet - this game the Canes lost in a shootout. Canes haven't been looking too good in shootouts of late - almost no goals scored in them. I'm hoping this isn't like two seasons ago where the Canes had an abysmal time in the shootouts. I'm too lazy to look up the exact facts, but I believe Rod Brind'Amour had the only shootout goal for about three-quarters of the season. Isn't it sad that I'm just hoping that this season isn't as bad as previous ones?
- Canes then lost 4-1 to the Stars, a game where I just kind of shook my head listening to Chuck Kaiton described the rapid succession of goals for Dallas early in the second period.
- Canes won in OT over Colorado 2-1, the winning goal being scored by Brandon Sutter.
- Finally, the Canes lost 5-2 against the Predators last night. Depressing fact: Cam Ward has not won a game against Nashville in his career.
So where does this leave the Canes? They're currently 4th in the Southeast and 9th in the Conference with 25 points. However, they're not really that close to the 8th place Thrashers who have 31 points, and their record is decidedly mediocre at one game under .500. Pretty much, if you were to look up "meh" in the dictionary, the definition would certainly reference this team. They play decently, but most of the time not amazing - but they're definitely not anywhere near as poor as last season. Really, I think they need to go on some sort of win streak, just to get them over the hump of being a .500 team.
Will it happen this week? They play Dallas again and the Blues after a long five day break. I wouldn't be surprised if we continue our crappy play against them, but hopefully the Canes will win over the Blues. So, nope, I'm not predicting anything remarkable this week.
Erik Cole stats (Nov 28th): 1 goal
On the season: 5 goals, 6 assists
(Don't you hate when print magazines pull that crap? I do. But I wouldn't be too optimistic that the next post will be next week - unfortunately college has these things called exams...)
So, let's enter the time machine and recap what's happened since the day before Thanksgiving:
- Canes lost to the C[r]apitals 3-2, despite coming back and scoring two goals in the third period to tie it up.
- Canes won 3-0 over Boston. They looked pretty awesome, which was surprising, as the Canes have generally looked like crap when they play against teams that are above us in the standings this season. Cam Ward also walked away with his first shutout of the year. All three goals came on the power play, which was remarkable because at the time Boston had the best penalty kill in the league.
- Canes lost to the C[r]apitals 3-2, despite coming back. And, no, I didn't get lazy and just copy the first bullet - this game the Canes lost in a shootout. Canes haven't been looking too good in shootouts of late - almost no goals scored in them. I'm hoping this isn't like two seasons ago where the Canes had an abysmal time in the shootouts. I'm too lazy to look up the exact facts, but I believe Rod Brind'Amour had the only shootout goal for about three-quarters of the season. Isn't it sad that I'm just hoping that this season isn't as bad as previous ones?
- Canes then lost 4-1 to the Stars, a game where I just kind of shook my head listening to Chuck Kaiton described the rapid succession of goals for Dallas early in the second period.
- Canes won in OT over Colorado 2-1, the winning goal being scored by Brandon Sutter.
- Finally, the Canes lost 5-2 against the Predators last night. Depressing fact: Cam Ward has not won a game against Nashville in his career.
So where does this leave the Canes? They're currently 4th in the Southeast and 9th in the Conference with 25 points. However, they're not really that close to the 8th place Thrashers who have 31 points, and their record is decidedly mediocre at one game under .500. Pretty much, if you were to look up "meh" in the dictionary, the definition would certainly reference this team. They play decently, but most of the time not amazing - but they're definitely not anywhere near as poor as last season. Really, I think they need to go on some sort of win streak, just to get them over the hump of being a .500 team.
Will it happen this week? They play Dallas again and the Blues after a long five day break. I wouldn't be surprised if we continue our crappy play against them, but hopefully the Canes will win over the Blues. So, nope, I'm not predicting anything remarkable this week.
Erik Cole stats (Nov 28th): 1 goal
On the season: 5 goals, 6 assists
Monday, November 01, 2010
Weekly Recap - Canes apparently can't score at home
Yesterday was the end of the first month of hockey (perhaps the only good thing of fall, in my opinion - temperatures really shouldn't ever go below 70). October has left the Canes at an even .500, 10th in the East and 4th in the Southeast Division with ten points. In other words, leaps and bounds above last year (do you sense a theme this year?), but overall not spectacular.
This past week we saw the Canes first two games at the RBC Center, and, uh, let's just say that it may not be a bad thing that tonight's game is on the road against Philadelphia. Goose eggs were lain in both the opener against the C[r]apitals and Saturday's game against the Penguins.
Perhaps the Washington game wasn't as bad as the 3-0 score would allow you to believe - I was able to view it thanks to living in C[r]apital country. The first goal was kind of a fluke, Cam Ward being run over outside the crease (and, yes, unfortunately he was outside of the crease, resulting in no goalie interference). Niklas Backstrom put Washington up by two just over midway into the third and then sealed the game with an empty net goal. Michal Neuvirth also looked really good for being Washington's fourth goalie or some similar absurd number.
However, while the game was closer than the score would indicate, I didn't really see anything to write home about from a Canes' perspective. Jeff Skinner continues to impress, but not much else really stood out. Pretty lackluster for a home opener performance, to be honest.
Speaking of Jeff Skinner, he really broke out in Friday's game against the Rangers. Skinner scored two goals and had an assist on Erik Cole's game winner. He seems to be a player that whenever he's on the ice he does something noticeably beneficial to the team (Granted, I've watched all of two games, but the point still remains that this guy looks to be a beast).
Finally, to wrap up the week, the Canes lost by another 3-0 tally at home to Pittsburgh. Let's just say that our current 0-2 home record is not really thrilling this Caniac right now. Yes, it is extremely early in the season, but I, and I think most of the Caniac Nation, would prefer the Canes to not become a road-only team. Especially when I think back to the season we won the Cup - let's just say that the 31-8-2 home record definitely helped. But I think that might be reading way too far into things.
But attempts to improve the home record (or, heck, score a goal at home) will have to wait until Wednesday against the Islanders. Tonight the Canes face Philly away - a Daniel Briere-less Flyers team as Briere was suspended three games for cross-checking an Islanders players straight in the mouth. Look at the YouTube video if you, like me, love to dislike Briere (and Carcillo as well). Hopefully the Canes can stay away from any Flyers thuggery and continue with their good away record.
Erik Cole stats (Thursday): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 2 goals, 4 assists
This past week we saw the Canes first two games at the RBC Center, and, uh, let's just say that it may not be a bad thing that tonight's game is on the road against Philadelphia. Goose eggs were lain in both the opener against the C[r]apitals and Saturday's game against the Penguins.
Perhaps the Washington game wasn't as bad as the 3-0 score would allow you to believe - I was able to view it thanks to living in C[r]apital country. The first goal was kind of a fluke, Cam Ward being run over outside the crease (and, yes, unfortunately he was outside of the crease, resulting in no goalie interference). Niklas Backstrom put Washington up by two just over midway into the third and then sealed the game with an empty net goal. Michal Neuvirth also looked really good for being Washington's fourth goalie or some similar absurd number.
However, while the game was closer than the score would indicate, I didn't really see anything to write home about from a Canes' perspective. Jeff Skinner continues to impress, but not much else really stood out. Pretty lackluster for a home opener performance, to be honest.
Speaking of Jeff Skinner, he really broke out in Friday's game against the Rangers. Skinner scored two goals and had an assist on Erik Cole's game winner. He seems to be a player that whenever he's on the ice he does something noticeably beneficial to the team (Granted, I've watched all of two games, but the point still remains that this guy looks to be a beast).
Finally, to wrap up the week, the Canes lost by another 3-0 tally at home to Pittsburgh. Let's just say that our current 0-2 home record is not really thrilling this Caniac right now. Yes, it is extremely early in the season, but I, and I think most of the Caniac Nation, would prefer the Canes to not become a road-only team. Especially when I think back to the season we won the Cup - let's just say that the 31-8-2 home record definitely helped. But I think that might be reading way too far into things.
But attempts to improve the home record (or, heck, score a goal at home) will have to wait until Wednesday against the Islanders. Tonight the Canes face Philly away - a Daniel Briere-less Flyers team as Briere was suspended three games for cross-checking an Islanders players straight in the mouth. Look at the YouTube video if you, like me, love to dislike Briere (and Carcillo as well). Hopefully the Canes can stay away from any Flyers thuggery and continue with their good away record.
Erik Cole stats (Thursday): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 2 goals, 4 assists
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Good start in Finland!
Well, we're 2-0 after two games in Helsinki! Which already means that this season is better than last season - is the cure for a bad start to play two games overseas? Not for the Wild, haha.
But, let's continue.
I was not able to view the Thursday game, which the Canes won by a tally of 4-3. But, viewing was not necessary to tell that Brandon Sutter had a great game, scoring two goals in the season debut. Babchuk and Jokinen scored the other goals for the game.
I was lucky enough to be able to see the Friday game, which the Canes won in a shootout 2-1. My thoughts:
- Minnesota came out with a jump in their step, as evidenced by their early goal. They controlled most of the first period, and were out for blood - several scrums after the whistle and a fight by Tom Kostopoulos.
- The Wild lost their step in the final two periods, which ultimately benefited the Canes. The Canes had something like six straight minutes (a double high-sticking minor and a minor called after that) on the penalty kill in the second period that the Wild squandered. Had Minnesota been able to connect, that could have been deadly for Carolina.
- Cam Ward is the man, at times holding the team's collective head above water. Without him, the Canes would have easily lost the game.
- Jeff Skinner is the real deal. Not only did he score the only shootout goal (and look pretty sweet while doing it), he was an integral part of the play that led to the Canes' regulation goal scored by Tuomo Ruutu.
So, overall, I think it was a successful overseas venture for the Canes. Hopefully the jet-lag won't kill them too much as they come back to the States - after a game against the Senators, they head out West to face the Canucks and Sharks, teams who are both expected to do very well this year. Major test to start off the season? I'd say so. Although, if these two games are any indication, if Cam Ward continues to play well, we definitely will have a good chance at winning.
Erik Cole stats (Thursday): 1 assist
But, let's continue.
I was not able to view the Thursday game, which the Canes won by a tally of 4-3. But, viewing was not necessary to tell that Brandon Sutter had a great game, scoring two goals in the season debut. Babchuk and Jokinen scored the other goals for the game.
I was lucky enough to be able to see the Friday game, which the Canes won in a shootout 2-1. My thoughts:
- Minnesota came out with a jump in their step, as evidenced by their early goal. They controlled most of the first period, and were out for blood - several scrums after the whistle and a fight by Tom Kostopoulos.
- The Wild lost their step in the final two periods, which ultimately benefited the Canes. The Canes had something like six straight minutes (a double high-sticking minor and a minor called after that) on the penalty kill in the second period that the Wild squandered. Had Minnesota been able to connect, that could have been deadly for Carolina.
- Cam Ward is the man, at times holding the team's collective head above water. Without him, the Canes would have easily lost the game.
- Jeff Skinner is the real deal. Not only did he score the only shootout goal (and look pretty sweet while doing it), he was an integral part of the play that led to the Canes' regulation goal scored by Tuomo Ruutu.
So, overall, I think it was a successful overseas venture for the Canes. Hopefully the jet-lag won't kill them too much as they come back to the States - after a game against the Senators, they head out West to face the Canucks and Sharks, teams who are both expected to do very well this year. Major test to start off the season? I'd say so. Although, if these two games are any indication, if Cam Ward continues to play well, we definitely will have a good chance at winning.
Erik Cole stats (Thursday): 1 assist
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
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, January 31, 2010
Another win!
The Canes managed to get another win last night against the Blackhawks 4-2. Which I find positively amazing, due to the fact that the Blackhawks are one of the premiere teams in the league this season.
I was able to catch the game from the second period onwards on the radio and I must say that this is the first game all year where I wished I could have watched the game. The Canes sounded like they were playing well and it sounded like an exciting game, the Canes and Blackhawks trading goals until the Canes finally pulled away. Watching the highlights, I must say that Cam Ward also looked spectacular, stopping several good chances.
I almost can't believe that the Canes are playing this good now. This is they way I had imagined them playing at the beginning of the season - skating well with effort all game long. I guess this is a legitimate upswing for this team - I can no longer attribute the wins to the lack of skill on the other team, as that is certainly not the case for this opponent.
The next game is tomorrow against Edmonton, who is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum from the Blackhawks. I wonder how long we can stretch these winning ways?
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
On the season: 3 goals, 6 assists
I was able to catch the game from the second period onwards on the radio and I must say that this is the first game all year where I wished I could have watched the game. The Canes sounded like they were playing well and it sounded like an exciting game, the Canes and Blackhawks trading goals until the Canes finally pulled away. Watching the highlights, I must say that Cam Ward also looked spectacular, stopping several good chances.
I almost can't believe that the Canes are playing this good now. This is they way I had imagined them playing at the beginning of the season - skating well with effort all game long. I guess this is a legitimate upswing for this team - I can no longer attribute the wins to the lack of skill on the other team, as that is certainly not the case for this opponent.
The next game is tomorrow against Edmonton, who is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum from the Blackhawks. I wonder how long we can stretch these winning ways?
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
On the season: 3 goals, 6 assists
Friday, January 29, 2010
A week's worth of games!
Massive week recap: initiate
Canes lost their only game of the past week last Saturday against the Flyers 4-2.
Yes, that means they won more games than they lost in the last seven days. Of course, all of those games they won were against teams that aren't in playoff contention, but that is trivial information.
The next game was a 5-1 win over the Bruins, in which Cam Ward became the franchises' leading goalie in wins! The game was a shootout until David Krejci spoiled it a little over halfway into the third period. A real accomplishment for Ward, and I think it's a good sign that he still has so much of his career ahead of him. (Or at least, he better, due to the massive contract he'll be getting...)
Then came Wednesday's game against the Rangers, also a 5-1 tally in favor of the Canes. Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal both had two goals apiece in that one.
Finally, the Canes knocked off the Islanders 4-1 last night.
Why couldn't we play this well earlier in the season? Why is this team suddenly having a spurt of wins when really we don't need them at all? Is this the aftereffects of the change in captaincy? If so, that move should have been done a long time ago, perhaps when we still had an outside shot at the playoffs.
Speaking of our captain, Eric Staal has 9 points in the five games since he became captain, 8 of them goals. Seriously, was the key to the lock on the dam of offensive talent a different letter stitched on your jersey? Dang.
So it's great that we're playing well, but this Caniac is slightly miffed that, in reality, it means nothing. We're still the second worst in the league (not even the worst anymore, what a consolation prize).
I guess this little winning streak can show to everyone that, see, all of us weren't crazy for rating this team higher in the preseason. This team can score goals. They just decided not to for the first half of the year.
We'll see how good this mini turnaround truly is when the Canes play the Blackhawks this Saturday. If the Canes win, well, I'd say we've got something going on here. If we lose, well, I won't be overly surprised.
Chad LaRose (Sunday): 1 goal
On the season: 3 goals, 8 assists
Canes lost their only game of the past week last Saturday against the Flyers 4-2.
Yes, that means they won more games than they lost in the last seven days. Of course, all of those games they won were against teams that aren't in playoff contention, but that is trivial information.
The next game was a 5-1 win over the Bruins, in which Cam Ward became the franchises' leading goalie in wins! The game was a shootout until David Krejci spoiled it a little over halfway into the third period. A real accomplishment for Ward, and I think it's a good sign that he still has so much of his career ahead of him. (Or at least, he better, due to the massive contract he'll be getting...)
Then came Wednesday's game against the Rangers, also a 5-1 tally in favor of the Canes. Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal both had two goals apiece in that one.
Finally, the Canes knocked off the Islanders 4-1 last night.
Why couldn't we play this well earlier in the season? Why is this team suddenly having a spurt of wins when really we don't need them at all? Is this the aftereffects of the change in captaincy? If so, that move should have been done a long time ago, perhaps when we still had an outside shot at the playoffs.
Speaking of our captain, Eric Staal has 9 points in the five games since he became captain, 8 of them goals. Seriously, was the key to the lock on the dam of offensive talent a different letter stitched on your jersey? Dang.
So it's great that we're playing well, but this Caniac is slightly miffed that, in reality, it means nothing. We're still the second worst in the league (not even the worst anymore, what a consolation prize).
I guess this little winning streak can show to everyone that, see, all of us weren't crazy for rating this team higher in the preseason. This team can score goals. They just decided not to for the first half of the year.
We'll see how good this mini turnaround truly is when the Canes play the Blackhawks this Saturday. If the Canes win, well, I'd say we've got something going on here. If we lose, well, I won't be overly surprised.
Chad LaRose (Sunday): 1 goal
On the season: 3 goals, 8 assists
Thursday, January 14, 2010
So, we're winning now?
Remember that last post where I said that the Canes had to maintain a .780 winning percentage to get close to making the playoffs? Yeah, well, guess which team has won four of the last five? No, not the New Jersey Devils, you moron. The Canes!
The only loss in this past stretch was against the Nashville Predators last Thursday. It's been a week so I don't remember the details, but pretty much just picture the normal underwhelming offence and pathetic defense and there's the game.
The Canes played the next night against the Colorado Avalanche, winning the game 2-1. Ray Whitney scored both Canes goals, including a laser that took Budaj off guard to open the second period. Cam Ward had a shutout going until Colorado scored with 16 seconds left in the game.
The main story in this one, however, was the multitude of fights that peppered the first period - 15 penalties assessed in the first period alone, with 8 of them being for fighting or roughing. The bad news for the Canes was that Tuomo Ruutu, who fought with Darcy Tucker to settle things (Tucker was the guy Ruutu hit from behind to get suspended earlier in the year), injured something in the fight and did not return to the game. Not good news for this injury-plagued team, as Ruutu will be out for a few weeks.
The Canes then won 4-1 against the Senators and 4-2 against the Leafs. Neither game was on TV, so I can't give you much of a recap other than, uh, we won.
Interesting fact: Rod Brind'Amour has 3 points and a +3 in the past four games - perhaps his contributions are the reason the team has been winning? I sure it certainly doesn't hurt the team.
So the Canes head into tonight's game in Detroit on a 3 game winning streak. Unbelievable, isn't it?
The only loss in this past stretch was against the Nashville Predators last Thursday. It's been a week so I don't remember the details, but pretty much just picture the normal underwhelming offence and pathetic defense and there's the game.
The Canes played the next night against the Colorado Avalanche, winning the game 2-1. Ray Whitney scored both Canes goals, including a laser that took Budaj off guard to open the second period. Cam Ward had a shutout going until Colorado scored with 16 seconds left in the game.
The main story in this one, however, was the multitude of fights that peppered the first period - 15 penalties assessed in the first period alone, with 8 of them being for fighting or roughing. The bad news for the Canes was that Tuomo Ruutu, who fought with Darcy Tucker to settle things (Tucker was the guy Ruutu hit from behind to get suspended earlier in the year), injured something in the fight and did not return to the game. Not good news for this injury-plagued team, as Ruutu will be out for a few weeks.
The Canes then won 4-1 against the Senators and 4-2 against the Leafs. Neither game was on TV, so I can't give you much of a recap other than, uh, we won.
Interesting fact: Rod Brind'Amour has 3 points and a +3 in the past four games - perhaps his contributions are the reason the team has been winning? I sure it certainly doesn't hurt the team.
So the Canes head into tonight's game in Detroit on a 3 game winning streak. Unbelievable, isn't it?
Friday, December 25, 2009
It's an Erik Cole Christmas!
As you can see, it's been an Erik Cole kind of Christmas around these parts. I would like to think that the bobblehead turned out looking than those horrific pictures that were released earlier - but that might be the endless optimism talking.Unfortunately, that optimism doesn't extend to how the Canes played in the 5-1 loss to Montreal. Two facts stand out that help to describe how poorly the Canes played:
1) Cam Ward was pulled after 10 minutes with the score 3-1.
2) The Canes had 47 shots on goal and one goal. That's a .979 save percentage for Mr. Jaroslav Halak.
Cam looked terrible on the third goal - a breakaway by Sergei Kostitsyn that should've been stopped - and didn't look that good on the first one, either. Our superstar Eric Staal was dropped to second line winger. There was pretty much nothing good by any player on our team - the fact that we had that many shots with so few goals should tell you that by itself.
Watching games like this, it is obvious that this team deserves to have less than ten wins this season. And it makes me want to cry, as it seems that any time there is any glimmer of this team beginning to play well they put out a performance like this, which crushes any seeds of optimism that were beginning to foster.
But this is not talk for Christmas Day! I'll save the whining for another day (probably soon, if the Canes play the same against the Flyers tomorrow). I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and that Santa brought many Canes-related gifts to place under your tree!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Canes are playing better
Canes lost 3-1 to the Rangers last night.
From what I was able to see, it is evident that this team is playing a lot better than they had been previously this season. Are they playing well enough to beat the 9th place team in the Eastern Conference? Apparently not. But they do look better.
The lone goal in this game was scored by Sergei Samsonov on a nice wrap-around. Of course, half a minute later the Canes let the Rangers kill all momentum by tying it up. But, to the Canes' credit, they didn't collapse completely and allow a bazillion goals after that. See, I told you they were playing better.
The one person who isn't playing better is Cam Ward. On the above goal he had slid waaaaay out of the crease, giving an open net to Marian Gaborik (who definitely does not need an open net to score). There have been several times in the past few games that I've seen him out of position and it led directly to a scoring chance, if not to a goal.
I'm not sure what would be causing this sort of play by Cam - maybe he's still recovering from the injury? If that's the case (although I find it tough to believe that a leg laceration messes up your awareness of the crease), then I hope he gets better soon because this team does not need its goaltender screwing up.
The next game is tomorrow against Montreal. It's Erik Cole bobblehead night!
From what I was able to see, it is evident that this team is playing a lot better than they had been previously this season. Are they playing well enough to beat the 9th place team in the Eastern Conference? Apparently not. But they do look better.
The lone goal in this game was scored by Sergei Samsonov on a nice wrap-around. Of course, half a minute later the Canes let the Rangers kill all momentum by tying it up. But, to the Canes' credit, they didn't collapse completely and allow a bazillion goals after that. See, I told you they were playing better.
The one person who isn't playing better is Cam Ward. On the above goal he had slid waaaaay out of the crease, giving an open net to Marian Gaborik (who definitely does not need an open net to score). There have been several times in the past few games that I've seen him out of position and it led directly to a scoring chance, if not to a goal.
I'm not sure what would be causing this sort of play by Cam - maybe he's still recovering from the injury? If that's the case (although I find it tough to believe that a leg laceration messes up your awareness of the crease), then I hope he gets better soon because this team does not need its goaltender screwing up.
The next game is tomorrow against Montreal. It's Erik Cole bobblehead night!
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Canes won two in a row : Baby Steps
Well, how about this?
The Canes won their first game on the road on Monday, beating none other than the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2.
The Canes got out to a 3-0 lead in the game, letting the Pens score two in 49 seconds to make the game close again. But, really, we all should be used to that by now, and it's a sign of the Canes' improving play that they didn't actually relinquish their lead completely.
Notably, Andrew Alberts scored his first Canes goal in that one as well.
The Canes followed up that road win with a 4-2 road loss against New Jersey tonight, which can be considered a victory from the perspective that we did not allow Martin Brodeur to overtake Terry Sawchuck's shutout record. Not that I dislike Brodeur or that I don't want him to get the record - I'm just glad it didn't happen against us.
The scoring was almost opposite of the Penguins game; they allowed the Devils to score three, then the Canes came back to score two but were finally put away by an empty netter at the end.
This game also marked the return of Cam Ward from that nasty laceration injury. No word on what's going to happen with our two backup goaltenders - Michael Leighton was put on waivers earlier this week, so I assume that he'll be going down.
Finals week for me starting Friday, so expect either no posts or spacey random rambling thoughts about the upcoming games. In other words: business as normal. Which apparently people are attracted to, as this blog was able to advance to the second round in the Canes Blog-Off. Currently I'm tied for second (or last, but I'm feeling optimistic tonight), so maybe go over there and vote for me? Because, as we all know, "If you ain't first, you're last".
(And, yes, I just mentioned that quote so I could post a clip of that movie.)
Speaking of video clips, I plan on entering this contest, as soon as I get a mind-bogglingly awesome idea for it. So be prepared.
Canes are on the road again Friday in Washington. I think it's on Comcast, so I should be able to watch it once I get out of my Calculus exam.
The Canes won their first game on the road on Monday, beating none other than the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2.
The Canes got out to a 3-0 lead in the game, letting the Pens score two in 49 seconds to make the game close again. But, really, we all should be used to that by now, and it's a sign of the Canes' improving play that they didn't actually relinquish their lead completely.
Notably, Andrew Alberts scored his first Canes goal in that one as well.
The Canes followed up that road win with a 4-2 road loss against New Jersey tonight, which can be considered a victory from the perspective that we did not allow Martin Brodeur to overtake Terry Sawchuck's shutout record. Not that I dislike Brodeur or that I don't want him to get the record - I'm just glad it didn't happen against us.
The scoring was almost opposite of the Penguins game; they allowed the Devils to score three, then the Canes came back to score two but were finally put away by an empty netter at the end.
This game also marked the return of Cam Ward from that nasty laceration injury. No word on what's going to happen with our two backup goaltenders - Michael Leighton was put on waivers earlier this week, so I assume that he'll be going down.
Finals week for me starting Friday, so expect either no posts or spacey random rambling thoughts about the upcoming games. In other words: business as normal. Which apparently people are attracted to, as this blog was able to advance to the second round in the Canes Blog-Off. Currently I'm tied for second (or last, but I'm feeling optimistic tonight), so maybe go over there and vote for me? Because, as we all know, "If you ain't first, you're last".
(And, yes, I just mentioned that quote so I could post a clip of that movie.)
Speaking of video clips, I plan on entering this contest, as soon as I get a mind-bogglingly awesome idea for it. So be prepared.
Canes are on the road again Friday in Washington. I think it's on Comcast, so I should be able to watch it once I get out of my Calculus exam.
Monday, November 09, 2009
We've got us a new goalie...
Well, it looks like Cam Ward's going to be out 3-4 weeks, so faced with the prospect of an extended period with Michael Leighton and Justin Peters, the Canes went and signed Manny Legace to a two-way contract.
Really, I think the Canes should apologize to Legace for taking him from the winning AHL Chicago Wolves (winning being a relative word, as they are 5-7-1 on the season... but that just about blows us out of the water) and planting him on a miserable last place NHL team.
Although, it's a complete no-pressure situation for Manny, for if the Canes lose with him in goal then there's no way he can be pinned as the problem... and if somehow the Canes begin to win, he'll be hailed as a hero.
So congratulations on the signing, Mr. Legace. Don't expect that 3.21 GAA from the AHL to get much better on this team.
Really, I think the Canes should apologize to Legace for taking him from the winning AHL Chicago Wolves (winning being a relative word, as they are 5-7-1 on the season... but that just about blows us out of the water) and planting him on a miserable last place NHL team.
Although, it's a complete no-pressure situation for Manny, for if the Canes lose with him in goal then there's no way he can be pinned as the problem... and if somehow the Canes begin to win, he'll be hailed as a hero.
So congratulations on the signing, Mr. Legace. Don't expect that 3.21 GAA from the AHL to get much better on this team.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
We hit rock bottom... and then we started drilling...
The Canes lost to Columbus 3-2 last night, Erik Cole scoring the first goal, then the Canes allowing three within three and a half minutes of the third to lose the game. Nothing new there.
The horrible news? Cam Ward got cut by Rick Nash's skate in the first period. He was immediately helped off the ice, and had to stay overnight in a Columbus hospital.
I said in my last post that the Canes couldn't get any worse. I was obviously not envisioning going without our Conn Smythe winning goaltender.
Hopefully he won't be out too long.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal
The horrible news? Cam Ward got cut by Rick Nash's skate in the first period. He was immediately helped off the ice, and had to stay overnight in a Columbus hospital.
I said in my last post that the Canes couldn't get any worse. I was obviously not envisioning going without our Conn Smythe winning goaltender.
Hopefully he won't be out too long.
Erik Cole stats: 1 goal
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Canes drop two
Since my last post the Canes have gone 0-1-1. Awesome.
The Canes lost 5-2 to the Lightning, allowing them to get their first win of the year. I was able to watch a lot of the third period, which means I was able to tune in just in time to see the Canes give the game away by letting Tampa score 3 goals in succession. Ryan Malone got a hat trick in that one.
Then yesterday the Canes lost in a shootout to the Penguins. Again, I tuned in just in time for the third period - although this one had somewhat of a better experience. Ray Whitney single-handedly tied the game with his two goals. Unfortunately, he couldn't knock in another one (in regulation or in the shootout) and the Canes lost in the shootout, despite pushing the Pens to 6 rounds in the shootout.
Watching the highlights online, I must say that, first of all, Ray Whitney should be in front of the net more often, as both of his goals were redirects off of his stick out in front of the net.
Secondly, Cam Ward is a beast. I was going to post a clip of one of his saves, but at the end of the game he had so many. The goals were not his fault, mainly a lack of defense there - but this game easily could've been won outright by the Penguins if it wasn't Ward making the stops there.
Some concerning news for Caniacs is that, according to the Canes' Twitter feed, this is the second time Eric Staal has been held out of practice. He played in the game last night, but I think there must be some kind of injury if he's not practicing. Why else would you hold your star player off the ice?
The next game is Saturday against New Jersey. I know it's early in the season, but I haven't been overly impressed by the Canes... perhaps they can begin to turn it around?
The Canes lost 5-2 to the Lightning, allowing them to get their first win of the year. I was able to watch a lot of the third period, which means I was able to tune in just in time to see the Canes give the game away by letting Tampa score 3 goals in succession. Ryan Malone got a hat trick in that one.
Then yesterday the Canes lost in a shootout to the Penguins. Again, I tuned in just in time for the third period - although this one had somewhat of a better experience. Ray Whitney single-handedly tied the game with his two goals. Unfortunately, he couldn't knock in another one (in regulation or in the shootout) and the Canes lost in the shootout, despite pushing the Pens to 6 rounds in the shootout.
Watching the highlights online, I must say that, first of all, Ray Whitney should be in front of the net more often, as both of his goals were redirects off of his stick out in front of the net.
Secondly, Cam Ward is a beast. I was going to post a clip of one of his saves, but at the end of the game he had so many. The goals were not his fault, mainly a lack of defense there - but this game easily could've been won outright by the Penguins if it wasn't Ward making the stops there.
Some concerning news for Caniacs is that, according to the Canes' Twitter feed, this is the second time Eric Staal has been held out of practice. He played in the game last night, but I think there must be some kind of injury if he's not practicing. Why else would you hold your star player off the ice?
The next game is Saturday against New Jersey. I know it's early in the season, but I haven't been overly impressed by the Canes... perhaps they can begin to turn it around?
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Canes storm all over the Panthers.
Canes beat the crap out of Florida 7-2 last night at the RBC Center.
This was the first game I went to in person this season and it was somewhat unfortunate that such a beatdown went on in front of such a paltry crowd... but, then again, Florida wouldn't have been my top choice to view either.
The score is not so much a result of how great the Canes played, but how bad Florida played. There were tons of turnovers by the Panthers - specifically Jussi Jokinen's goal off of a poorly played puck behind the net.
The good thing for the Canes was the fact that all seven goals were scored by seven different people - definitely a variety of contributors from several lines, with Tom Kostopoulos getting his first Canes goal (a shorthanded steal) and Jay Harrison getting his first goal as well.
The two goals scored by Florida came far too late to actually make a difference in the score, and weren't really Ward's fault at all. Cam played very well in net the few times he was challenged.
I feel actually sort of bad for the Florida fans. Essentially the only players on their team are Nathan Horton, David Booth, and Cory Stillman. That's it. That's their depth. Pretty pathetic, actually.
Canes play again tonight against Tampa. Hopefully their success against Florida-based teams will continue.
This was the first game I went to in person this season and it was somewhat unfortunate that such a beatdown went on in front of such a paltry crowd... but, then again, Florida wouldn't have been my top choice to view either.
The score is not so much a result of how great the Canes played, but how bad Florida played. There were tons of turnovers by the Panthers - specifically Jussi Jokinen's goal off of a poorly played puck behind the net.
The good thing for the Canes was the fact that all seven goals were scored by seven different people - definitely a variety of contributors from several lines, with Tom Kostopoulos getting his first Canes goal (a shorthanded steal) and Jay Harrison getting his first goal as well.
The two goals scored by Florida came far too late to actually make a difference in the score, and weren't really Ward's fault at all. Cam played very well in net the few times he was challenged.
I feel actually sort of bad for the Florida fans. Essentially the only players on their team are Nathan Horton, David Booth, and Cory Stillman. That's it. That's their depth. Pretty pathetic, actually.
Canes play again tonight against Tampa. Hopefully their success against Florida-based teams will continue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
