Hockey is finally here, which is great because it means the start of a brand new season, where fans all across the league can forget about the past and look forward to the future and a clean slate.
Or, if you're a Canes fan, you can be horribly reminded of exactly what kept you out of the playoffs last season. Namely the Tampa Bay Lightning beating the snot out of us in our own building.
Yep, it was the same old same old in Raleigh on Friday night, when the Canes lost 5-1 to the Lightning.
The good things:
- Tailgating is amazing, and Friday provided a great day for it. Warm temperatures, sunny skies, and absolutely delicious food on the grill. It was definitely nice to be back and tailgating before the game.
- Jeff Skinner is so awesome. He pretty much created the entire scoring play of the game by himself. He is the shining light among darkness when I think about this game and our chances for the season.
The bad things:
- Eric Staal played like crap. He didn't seem to really be pressing for the puck at all, ever.
- Jussi Jokinen took a stupid penalty that gave Tampa a goal. Unsportsmanlike conduct is always stupid, but shooting the puck at the ref is several kinds of stupid.
- The Canes appeared to give up after Tampa got their third goal. Actually, overall, this game did not have the effort I'd have liked to see from a team that was supposedly still fuming about being knocked out of the playoffs.
Luckily (I suppose), the Opening Night game was not the only one that the Canes played this weekend. They also played last night against the C[r]apitals, losing in overtime 4-3.
The Canes looked a lot better in this one, showing a lot of fire in parts. Eric Staal, for one, picked up his game significantly, scoring the first two goals for the Canes. I'm really glad the Canes were able to play so closely with Washington, as Washington is supposed to be one of the better teams in the East this year. That being said, stupid penalties did the Canes in again, the game winner coming off of a power play goal.
So what do I think of these new 2011-2012 Canes? They look a lot like last year's Canes. Which isn't ideal. During the Washington broadcast I caught Tripp Tracy saying something along the lines of "that's the Cardiac Canes again". And honestly, I don't think that's a good thing. Is a little bit of consistency too much to ask? Apparently so.
So, yeah, I guess Opening Night didn't really put me in an optimistic mood for the Canes this season. But that's to be expected, when the first hockey you see of a team is the same kind of hockey that was a let down last season.
Showing posts with label Tampa Bay Lightning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tampa Bay Lightning. Show all posts
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Not a happy ending
I guess it's about time I recap the end of the season?
The first round of the NHL playoffs is well under way, two teams having already been eliminated. The Canes are the lucky ones who get an even worse disgrace - not making the playoffs at all.
At the time of my last post the Canes needed to win both games to secure a place in the postseason. They did what was necessary in the game against Atlanta, stomping on the Thrashers 6-1.
Then came the Tampa Bay game. The Canes were required to win due to the Rangers winning earlier in the day. All they needed was a win.
They lost 6-2. And not just lost, they completely tanked, allowing Tampa to get a 4-0 lead to start off the game.
You might think I'm a pretty lame blogger for not posting about this until two weeks after the fact. But, honestly, I really couldn't bring myself to write about it unti now - I'm getting mad even as I think about it.
It's unfathomable to me how a team can lose under pressure so regularly. All they needed to do was win. And they didn't even play a close game. Barely put up a fight. I'm not sure how many teams could lose all the "must-wins" that the Canes had and still be in the playoff race in the last game of the season, but the cards continued to fall in the Canes favor - and they still managed to blow it.
I'm really frustrated with this team. I'm sick of missing the playoffs, sick of having to choose among other teams to hoist the greatest silver trophy in the world (Cheering for the Bruins, by the way). The Canes can't play consistently enough to get anything out of their seasons - they can't win enough to get into the playoffs and they can't lose enough to get a good draft pick.
I suppose I should say all sorts of good and moderately cheerful things about how it was great to see the young team grow and we have a good future, blah blah blah. But I'm not feeling it. I'm going to be bitter about this ending for a while. Because, really, if you're going to raise my hopes and get me to believe in you, at least do me the courtesy of trying to win.
Anyways, the playoffs are actually pretty entertaining. I've been paying attention to the Boston-Montreal one the most because it seems to have the most interesting storyline - man, those fans hate each other. And I'm seeing parallels in the Bruins' two game comeback to our own two game comeback against Montreal in 2006, and who doesn't like being reminded of that?
Unfortunately, I'm hitting that lovely stage of the semester called finals (this post is a break from me panicking about the end of the year), so I'm not sure how much I'll be posting. Maybe once I calm down a bit more I'll put up more analysis on the Canes. I will try and put up something, even something non-Canes related because, really, NHL playoff time is the best time of the year, and there are so many good games going on.
Erik Cole season stats: 26 goals, 26 assists
Chad LaRose season stats: 16 goals, 15 assists
The first round of the NHL playoffs is well under way, two teams having already been eliminated. The Canes are the lucky ones who get an even worse disgrace - not making the playoffs at all.
At the time of my last post the Canes needed to win both games to secure a place in the postseason. They did what was necessary in the game against Atlanta, stomping on the Thrashers 6-1.
Then came the Tampa Bay game. The Canes were required to win due to the Rangers winning earlier in the day. All they needed was a win.
They lost 6-2. And not just lost, they completely tanked, allowing Tampa to get a 4-0 lead to start off the game.
You might think I'm a pretty lame blogger for not posting about this until two weeks after the fact. But, honestly, I really couldn't bring myself to write about it unti now - I'm getting mad even as I think about it.
It's unfathomable to me how a team can lose under pressure so regularly. All they needed to do was win. And they didn't even play a close game. Barely put up a fight. I'm not sure how many teams could lose all the "must-wins" that the Canes had and still be in the playoff race in the last game of the season, but the cards continued to fall in the Canes favor - and they still managed to blow it.
I'm really frustrated with this team. I'm sick of missing the playoffs, sick of having to choose among other teams to hoist the greatest silver trophy in the world (Cheering for the Bruins, by the way). The Canes can't play consistently enough to get anything out of their seasons - they can't win enough to get into the playoffs and they can't lose enough to get a good draft pick.
I suppose I should say all sorts of good and moderately cheerful things about how it was great to see the young team grow and we have a good future, blah blah blah. But I'm not feeling it. I'm going to be bitter about this ending for a while. Because, really, if you're going to raise my hopes and get me to believe in you, at least do me the courtesy of trying to win.
Anyways, the playoffs are actually pretty entertaining. I've been paying attention to the Boston-Montreal one the most because it seems to have the most interesting storyline - man, those fans hate each other. And I'm seeing parallels in the Bruins' two game comeback to our own two game comeback against Montreal in 2006, and who doesn't like being reminded of that?
Unfortunately, I'm hitting that lovely stage of the semester called finals (this post is a break from me panicking about the end of the year), so I'm not sure how much I'll be posting. Maybe once I calm down a bit more I'll put up more analysis on the Canes. I will try and put up something, even something non-Canes related because, really, NHL playoff time is the best time of the year, and there are so many good games going on.
Erik Cole season stats: 26 goals, 26 assists
Chad LaRose season stats: 16 goals, 15 assists
Monday, January 17, 2011
Canes are looking good
Last Sunday the Canes defeated the Thrashers 4-3 in overtime, Erik Cole scoring the most excellent game winner. The above picture is from his second game star nomination - needless to say, this Caniac was rather excited to see her favorite player play an excellent game.
Honestly, though, the Canes should never have allowed Atlanta to get back into the game - up two goals at 3-1 and they just seemed to let off the gas pedal in the second and third periods. And then the game goes into overtime, which gives a division rival a point... but Erik Cole scored, so I guess that makes it all better.
Then on Tuesday the Hurricanes beat the Flames 6-5 in a shootout. The good news is, again, that the Canes got two points, but the bad news is that they allowed the Flames to score three straight goals to tie up the game.
The Canes then lost to the Sabres 3-2 on Thursday, breaking their eight game point streak. Yeah, that stretched back to December.
To finish up the week, the Canes won against the Southeast-leading Lightning 6-4. This was a really fun game to watch - definitely a lot of offense. There were memorable goals on both sides - Chad LaRose coming out of the box to score a power play breakaway goal stands out for the Canes. For the Lightning, well, that Stamkos kid made the Canes look silly, skating straight up the ice and scoring an easy goal.
So this leaves the Canes at 22-16-6, decidedly over .500 with 50 points, good enough for fourth in the Southeast and ninth in the Conference. So, yeah, still no playoff spot, but we have three games in hand on Atlanta and we're only one point behind them in the eighth spot - so the gap has closed and I would say that the Canes are firmly in the playoff race. Providing, of course, that they continue to play as well as they have.
So now that I'm back at school and my period of being able to view games is over, I think I'll give a list of my collected observations over the winter break.
- Jeff Skinner is amazing. Period. End of story.
- Erik Cole also looks really good. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a fangirl. He looks almost back to his 05-06 form - he's driving the net, creating chances and scoring.
- The Canes have serious issues with momentum. They seem to decide to play one and a half periods during a game. This means they start out great and allow the other team to get back in the game after being dominated, or the Canes play like crap in the first two periods and then storm back to victory in the third. Granted, I've become used to this after watching this team for so many years, but it does become frustrating to watch this team go into a defensive shell after they get a two goal lead.
- The call-ups from Charlotte (Dalpe, Boychuk) looked really good. Finally, we have a farm system with useful players!
- The NHL really should consult with me before scheduling games during football season. Missed my half of my team's bowl game and half of the NFL games this past week.
Overall, I'm feeling optimistic for the second half of the season. It seems like things are beginning to click for this team and they're beating teams they need to. This next week will be a test for the Canes, as they play Boston, the Rangers, and Pittsburgh - all teams currently above them in the playoff standings. The points streak has gotten them in the position to compete, now they need to continue their success.
Also, expect an All-Star Game related post sometime soon. In other words, no, I didn't gloss over the fact that Staal and Ward were named our All-Stars this week.
Erik Cole stats (Sunday): 1 goal
(Tuesday): 1 goal
(Saturday): 3 assists
On the season: 12 goals, 13 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Tuesday): 1 assist
(Saturday): 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 9 assists
Monday, December 20, 2010
Things are looking up... or at least above .500
The past two weeks were pretty kind to the Canes - in the six games since my last post, Carolina went 4-1-1. Yes, that means that finally the Canes have had a win streak and managed to get above .500 on the season.
Let's recap:
- Canes lost to the Stars 2-1 in a shootout. No one scored in the SO for the Canes.
- In their next game the Canes were finally victorious in the shootout, winning 2-1 over the Blues. Jussi Jokinen scored the only goal in the shootout.
- Canes won 4-3 over the Panthers in a come-from-behind victory. They had gone down three goals early in the game - Ward was pulled from goal after letting two goals in the first two minutes. But, for probably the first time this season, they didn't give up and they powered back for the victory in regulation.
- The Canes also came from behind the next night, winning 3-2 in a shootout over the Atlanta Thrashers. Cam Ward was a complete beast in this one, stopping 45 shots on the night.
I actually watched the game against the Ducks (finals are over, haha!), and I think that the 4-2 win was entertaining enough to earn its own bulleted section of the post. So, my observations:
- The end of the game was INSANE. Yeah, that's the only word that even begins to describe what happened. Three successive penalties called against the Canes resulting in a full two minute six-on-three that the Canes had to kill off. Yes, that's six-on-three due to the fact that Anaheim pulled their goalie. First time in a long time that I've been on the edge of my seat to watch any sort of hockey that the Canes have played. Cam Ward was absolutely stellar to keep the Ducks from scoring more than one.
- Speaking of Ward, he looked amazing. AMAZING. If he can keep up this kind of play, the Canes definitely have a chance for the playoffs. He is a top-notch goalie and he definitely showed all of his skill in this game.
- As for the penalties called to put Cam Ward in the position to have to make those saves... Joe Corvo pretty much lost his mind going after Corey Perry (although he deserved it, but let's just say that Corvo has to be a little less blatant in roughing next time if he doesn't want to get called). Brandon Sutter I guess closed his hand on the puck - debatable, but I'll give the ref credit. Eric Staal's crosscheck, however, was nonexistent. Definitely absurd that the refs should call something like that when a team is already down two men. Talk about trying to decide the game.
- I loved that Corvo went after Perry after he scored the empty netter. Not so happy that Perry started something because his team lost, but I'm glad that Corvo stuck up for himself and didn't just take the crap.
- Eric Staal had a natural hat trick. Yeah, kind of an afterthought after the excitement at the end. But his first goal particularly was a beauty - Staal just took the puck straight up the side during a powerplay - a very pretty goal, although I'm sure the nonexistent Anaheim defense would think otherwise.
So, with this win, the Canes had a four game win streak. That ended pretty ignominiously with a 5-1 loss to the Lightning tonight. Let's just say I'm not crying that this one wasn't televised.
So where does this leave the Canes? They currently have a 15-13-4 record and 34 points on the year, good enough for 9th in the East and 4th in the Southeast. So, if you're keeping track, same as it was last post. The good news, or at least, what could be good news in the future - the C[r]apitals no longer have a stranglehold on the division. Thanks to their recent struggles, they are actually third in the Southeast. In our position it probably doesn't mean much - we're eight points behind them - but hopefully the Canes will continue to win and take advantage of our rival's poor play.
Upcoming this week is Montreal, who is leading their division, and the aforementioned C[r]apitals. I'm hoping for a continuation of the good play of the past two weeks - hey, the Penguins recently went on a twelve game tear, why can't the Canes do the same?
Erik Cole Stats (Dec 15th): 1 goal
(Dec 18th): 1 assist
(Tonight): 1 assist
On the season: 6 goals, 8 assists
Let's recap:
- Canes lost to the Stars 2-1 in a shootout. No one scored in the SO for the Canes.
- In their next game the Canes were finally victorious in the shootout, winning 2-1 over the Blues. Jussi Jokinen scored the only goal in the shootout.
- Canes won 4-3 over the Panthers in a come-from-behind victory. They had gone down three goals early in the game - Ward was pulled from goal after letting two goals in the first two minutes. But, for probably the first time this season, they didn't give up and they powered back for the victory in regulation.
- The Canes also came from behind the next night, winning 3-2 in a shootout over the Atlanta Thrashers. Cam Ward was a complete beast in this one, stopping 45 shots on the night.
I actually watched the game against the Ducks (finals are over, haha!), and I think that the 4-2 win was entertaining enough to earn its own bulleted section of the post. So, my observations:
- The end of the game was INSANE. Yeah, that's the only word that even begins to describe what happened. Three successive penalties called against the Canes resulting in a full two minute six-on-three that the Canes had to kill off. Yes, that's six-on-three due to the fact that Anaheim pulled their goalie. First time in a long time that I've been on the edge of my seat to watch any sort of hockey that the Canes have played. Cam Ward was absolutely stellar to keep the Ducks from scoring more than one.
- Speaking of Ward, he looked amazing. AMAZING. If he can keep up this kind of play, the Canes definitely have a chance for the playoffs. He is a top-notch goalie and he definitely showed all of his skill in this game.
- As for the penalties called to put Cam Ward in the position to have to make those saves... Joe Corvo pretty much lost his mind going after Corey Perry (although he deserved it, but let's just say that Corvo has to be a little less blatant in roughing next time if he doesn't want to get called). Brandon Sutter I guess closed his hand on the puck - debatable, but I'll give the ref credit. Eric Staal's crosscheck, however, was nonexistent. Definitely absurd that the refs should call something like that when a team is already down two men. Talk about trying to decide the game.
- I loved that Corvo went after Perry after he scored the empty netter. Not so happy that Perry started something because his team lost, but I'm glad that Corvo stuck up for himself and didn't just take the crap.
- Eric Staal had a natural hat trick. Yeah, kind of an afterthought after the excitement at the end. But his first goal particularly was a beauty - Staal just took the puck straight up the side during a powerplay - a very pretty goal, although I'm sure the nonexistent Anaheim defense would think otherwise.
So, with this win, the Canes had a four game win streak. That ended pretty ignominiously with a 5-1 loss to the Lightning tonight. Let's just say I'm not crying that this one wasn't televised.
So where does this leave the Canes? They currently have a 15-13-4 record and 34 points on the year, good enough for 9th in the East and 4th in the Southeast. So, if you're keeping track, same as it was last post. The good news, or at least, what could be good news in the future - the C[r]apitals no longer have a stranglehold on the division. Thanks to their recent struggles, they are actually third in the Southeast. In our position it probably doesn't mean much - we're eight points behind them - but hopefully the Canes will continue to win and take advantage of our rival's poor play.
Upcoming this week is Montreal, who is leading their division, and the aforementioned C[r]apitals. I'm hoping for a continuation of the good play of the past two weeks - hey, the Penguins recently went on a twelve game tear, why can't the Canes do the same?
Erik Cole Stats (Dec 15th): 1 goal
(Dec 18th): 1 assist
(Tonight): 1 assist
On the season: 6 goals, 8 assists
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Today is a good day for Caniacs
Some BIG news at the end of this post... but for now, let's get caught up on the past games that the Canes have played.
The Canes laid a big fat egg on Saturday, losing 4-0 to the New Jersey Devils. It was Martin Brodeur's 109th career shutout. This loss also eliminated the Canes from the playoffs - yes, it truly did take that long for this team to be mathematically eliminated, which I suppose is an accomplishment in itself.
On Tuesday the Canes won in a flurry of offense, defeating the Lightning 8-5. Drayson Bowman, Rod Brind'Amour and Eric Staal all had two goals apiece in that game.
And now on to the main event for today:
The Canes held a super-special press conference at their "Caniac Cookout" today. Special guests Gary Bettman, Jim Rutherford, and Peter Karmanos were there.
And so Gary Bettman said the best words to ever come out of his mouth:
The Carolina Hurricanes will be hosting the 2011 All-Star Game!
If you're like me, your response most likely is "Finally!". Bettman had promised the area the game a while ago - well, he has finally followed through on his promise.
And then, if you're me, your follow-up response to the satisfaction of this market finally getting something it has deserved was a girlish scream of delight - THE ALL STAR GAME IS COMING TO RALEIGH!!!!
I'm already excited for it - only 9 months away! At least this will make the doldrums of this non-playoff year a little more satisfactory!
Canes play tonight against Montreal, then finish up the season in Boston on Saturday. If there's any more cool All Star Game news I will definitely post it!
Erik Cole stats (Tuesday): 1 assist
On the season: 10 goals, 5 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Tuesday): 1 goal, 2 assists
On the season: 9 goals, 14 assists
The Canes laid a big fat egg on Saturday, losing 4-0 to the New Jersey Devils. It was Martin Brodeur's 109th career shutout. This loss also eliminated the Canes from the playoffs - yes, it truly did take that long for this team to be mathematically eliminated, which I suppose is an accomplishment in itself.
On Tuesday the Canes won in a flurry of offense, defeating the Lightning 8-5. Drayson Bowman, Rod Brind'Amour and Eric Staal all had two goals apiece in that game.
And now on to the main event for today:
The Canes held a super-special press conference at their "Caniac Cookout" today. Special guests Gary Bettman, Jim Rutherford, and Peter Karmanos were there.
And so Gary Bettman said the best words to ever come out of his mouth:
The Carolina Hurricanes will be hosting the 2011 All-Star Game!
If you're like me, your response most likely is "Finally!". Bettman had promised the area the game a while ago - well, he has finally followed through on his promise.
And then, if you're me, your follow-up response to the satisfaction of this market finally getting something it has deserved was a girlish scream of delight - THE ALL STAR GAME IS COMING TO RALEIGH!!!!
I'm already excited for it - only 9 months away! At least this will make the doldrums of this non-playoff year a little more satisfactory!
Canes play tonight against Montreal, then finish up the season in Boston on Saturday. If there's any more cool All Star Game news I will definitely post it!
Erik Cole stats (Tuesday): 1 assist
On the season: 10 goals, 5 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Tuesday): 1 goal, 2 assists
On the season: 9 goals, 14 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
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Canes win!
So, I attended my second game of the season this year, and the Canes won their second game in regulation. The last game I went to was the 7-2 romp over Florida... coincidence? I think not.
Anyways, the Canes beat the Lightning 3-1 in this one.
Some random observations in list form because paragraphs are too complicated during Thanksgiving Break:
- Yes, I do have thoughts concerning the shootout loss to the Canadiens and the shootout win against the Leafs. I also have thoughts about the current cap issue with the Canes and a few curse words concerning the injury bug this team had. No, you're not going to get them because who wants to talk semi-depressing stuff when you have a legitimate win on your hands?
- That being said, Canes have gotten points in their last five games. Infinitely better than their bazillion game losing streak. Is this the turnaround point for the team?
- Ruutu and Jokinen are awesome.
- Chad LaRose got his first goal and an assist in tonight's game. The goal was a result of him powering up the side of the ice, and it has been a long time overdue for one of my favorite forwards.
- Manny Legace made most of the stops tonight, but I didn't think he looked that great while stopping them. Cam Ward, please get healthy soon.
- Jussi Jokinen's goal was the result of what I called a "changeup". The puck, instead of coming off of Joe Corvo's stick at lightning speed, came off at an extremely slow rate and I think that's what fooled Mike Smith in net for the Lightning.
- The Canes had their ups and downs, but I actually think that they didn't play that bad. If we can sustain this current positive trend, I can't help but be optimistic for our final position. There's still three-quarters left in the season.
Just remember to tell me that if we begin to lose again.
The next game is Monday against the Stars.
Erik Cole stats (Tues): 1 assist
(Thurs): 1 goal
On the season: 2 goals, 1 assist
Chad LaRose stats (Thurs): 1 assist
(Sat): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 1 goal, 5 assists
Anyways, the Canes beat the Lightning 3-1 in this one.
Some random observations in list form because paragraphs are too complicated during Thanksgiving Break:
- Yes, I do have thoughts concerning the shootout loss to the Canadiens and the shootout win against the Leafs. I also have thoughts about the current cap issue with the Canes and a few curse words concerning the injury bug this team had. No, you're not going to get them because who wants to talk semi-depressing stuff when you have a legitimate win on your hands?
- That being said, Canes have gotten points in their last five games. Infinitely better than their bazillion game losing streak. Is this the turnaround point for the team?
- Ruutu and Jokinen are awesome.
- Chad LaRose got his first goal and an assist in tonight's game. The goal was a result of him powering up the side of the ice, and it has been a long time overdue for one of my favorite forwards.
- Manny Legace made most of the stops tonight, but I didn't think he looked that great while stopping them. Cam Ward, please get healthy soon.
- Jussi Jokinen's goal was the result of what I called a "changeup". The puck, instead of coming off of Joe Corvo's stick at lightning speed, came off at an extremely slow rate and I think that's what fooled Mike Smith in net for the Lightning.
- The Canes had their ups and downs, but I actually think that they didn't play that bad. If we can sustain this current positive trend, I can't help but be optimistic for our final position. There's still three-quarters left in the season.
Just remember to tell me that if we begin to lose again.
The next game is Monday against the Stars.
Erik Cole stats (Tues): 1 assist
(Thurs): 1 goal
On the season: 2 goals, 1 assist
Chad LaRose stats (Thurs): 1 assist
(Sat): 1 goal, 1 assist
On the season: 1 goal, 5 assists
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?
Friday, October 09, 2009
Canes win first game
A very quick recap of the past game:
Canes won their first of the year against the Lightning on Tuesday. They won it 2-1 in a shootout, with Samsonov and Ruutu connecting in the shootout to win it.
Good that it's a win, bad that Tampa played us to a shootout.
Next game is tonight (!) against Florida.
Canes won their first of the year against the Lightning on Tuesday. They won it 2-1 in a shootout, with Samsonov and Ruutu connecting in the shootout to win it.
Good that it's a win, bad that Tampa played us to a shootout.
Next game is tonight (!) against Florida.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Goals galore!
Canes beat the Lightning 9-3 on Saturday.
Yeah, I don't know where this team has been hiding all season, either. I mean, I realize that Tampa is not that good - but that didn't stop four out of the six in the season series being one goal games.
Eric Staal had four goals (a hat trick +1) on the night, a performance that helped him to win the NHL's first star of the week.
Seriously, I stopped paying attention in the third period. This game was pretty much over after the first, let alone the second period.
A game that will probably prove to be much more of a challenge is tonight's game against the Rangers. I look forward to booing Sean Avery.
Erik Cole stats: 4 assists
With the Canes: 1 goal, 4 assists
On the season: 17 goals, 15 assists
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
On the season: 14 goals, 11 assists
Yeah, I don't know where this team has been hiding all season, either. I mean, I realize that Tampa is not that good - but that didn't stop four out of the six in the season series being one goal games.
Eric Staal had four goals (a hat trick +1) on the night, a performance that helped him to win the NHL's first star of the week.
Seriously, I stopped paying attention in the third period. This game was pretty much over after the first, let alone the second period.
A game that will probably prove to be much more of a challenge is tonight's game against the Rangers. I look forward to booing Sean Avery.
Erik Cole stats: 4 assists
With the Canes: 1 goal, 4 assists
On the season: 17 goals, 15 assists
Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
On the season: 14 goals, 11 assists
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Canes close point gap by two
So, the Canes have managed to gain two points on eighth place in their last three games. Sound pretty bad, but it's actually good considering that means other teams had to lose in the process.
On last Friday, the Canes played Tampa and broke their home losing streak by winning 4-1. Really, they should have had more goals as they had numerous breakaways and opportunities (Ray Whitney can't hit a net if his life depended on it, it seems). Not to mention they outshot the Lightning by 28.
Although, my personal highlight was Tim Conboy's fight against Steve Downie. Not really good, but I love the wild haymaker at the end to bring them both down to the ice.
Next was the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Matt Cullen got his first career hat trick in the 5-2 win. And... I can't remember anything about that game. Oh well.
Then, last night, the Canes lost to the Senators 4-2, breaking their streak of beating teams they're supposed to beat and winning on the road. This game was not fun to watch, primarily because Cam Ward looked absolutely horrible for a good portion of the first period, and the third Ottawa goal just kind of ruined the night for me.
Yesterday was also the first day on the job for new Rangers coach, John Tortorella. For the good of the rest of the Eastern Conference, he really should just throw in the towel and let the Rangers continue on this slump they're in.
Today the Canes assigned Brandon Sutter to Albany for a conditioning stint. It's a shame because I liked him, but it will probably do him good to actually play in the games, rather than sit on the bench during them.
And, it looks like the current lineup is the one we'll have for the rest of the season. Rutherford essentially says here not to expect any sort of movement from the Canes.
Tomorrow the Canes play Buffalo. A pretty important game, both for fan pride, and for the fact that the Canes are only one point behind Buffalo in the playoff standings. Hopefully the Canes won't crap out like they did the last time they were in this situation.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 2 assists
On the season: 13 goals, 8 assists
On last Friday, the Canes played Tampa and broke their home losing streak by winning 4-1. Really, they should have had more goals as they had numerous breakaways and opportunities (Ray Whitney can't hit a net if his life depended on it, it seems). Not to mention they outshot the Lightning by 28.
Although, my personal highlight was Tim Conboy's fight against Steve Downie. Not really good, but I love the wild haymaker at the end to bring them both down to the ice.
Next was the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Matt Cullen got his first career hat trick in the 5-2 win. And... I can't remember anything about that game. Oh well.
Then, last night, the Canes lost to the Senators 4-2, breaking their streak of beating teams they're supposed to beat and winning on the road. This game was not fun to watch, primarily because Cam Ward looked absolutely horrible for a good portion of the first period, and the third Ottawa goal just kind of ruined the night for me.
Yesterday was also the first day on the job for new Rangers coach, John Tortorella. For the good of the rest of the Eastern Conference, he really should just throw in the towel and let the Rangers continue on this slump they're in.
Today the Canes assigned Brandon Sutter to Albany for a conditioning stint. It's a shame because I liked him, but it will probably do him good to actually play in the games, rather than sit on the bench during them.
And, it looks like the current lineup is the one we'll have for the rest of the season. Rutherford essentially says here not to expect any sort of movement from the Canes.
Tomorrow the Canes play Buffalo. A pretty important game, both for fan pride, and for the fact that the Canes are only one point behind Buffalo in the playoff standings. Hopefully the Canes won't crap out like they did the last time they were in this situation.
Chad LaRose stats (Sunday): 2 assists
On the season: 13 goals, 8 assists
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Not Brookbank!
The Canes have traded Wade Brookbank, Josef Melichar, and a 4th round pick for Jussi Jokinen of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
I'm not sure what to make of this. I don't really know much about Jokinen, despite him playing for the Lightning this year. Checking his career stats, it looks like he's having a little bit of a down year compared with his other seasons in the NHL. According to Rutherford:
But I'm definitely going to miss Brookbank. He was essentially the only person who would fight on our team. Oh well...
Game is tonight at nine against Phoenix.
I'm not sure what to make of this. I don't really know much about Jokinen, despite him playing for the Lightning this year. Checking his career stats, it looks like he's having a little bit of a down year compared with his other seasons in the NHL. According to Rutherford:
“Jussi is a skilled, two-positional player that can be used in all situations,” said Rutherford. “He will add depth to our team at an important time of the season.”In reality, the Canes didn't give up too much for him - Brookbank hadn't played in a game since December, and Melichar's been down in the minors for most of the year.
But I'm definitely going to miss Brookbank. He was essentially the only person who would fight on our team. Oh well...
Game is tonight at nine against Phoenix.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Game Recaps and Stuff
Haven't posted in a while, and I don't really have that great of an excuse, so let's just go to the recaps, eh?
Last weekend was the All-Star Game. Saturday was the skills competition (which I wasn't able to watch) and Sunday was the game itself, which the East won 12-11 in a shootout. Our very own All-Star, Eric Staal, scored one goal in the victory.
Then on Tuesday came the 3-2 loss against the Rangers. I thought the Canes played very well in this game - they just couldn't pull out the win. It was a rather well-paced game - there was no stoppage in play for 15-ish minutes in the third period!
Last night the Canes pulled one out against Tampa 3-2. Definitely didn't play as well in this one, although Chad LaRose notched the first shorthanded goal of the year! Cam Ward played very well, which covered up the Canes lameness on many accounts. Really, the Canes looked to be coasting to overtime in the third period, until Staal's lucky goal in the third.
Next game is tomorrow against Atlanta - starts at 8:00 for reasons unknown to this Caniac. Anyways, Atlanta's way out of the playoff picture, but a win would be nice because the Canes are the odd man out in ninth place right now.
Chad LaRose stats (Tuesday): 1 assist
(Thursday): 1 goal
On the season: 11 goals, 4 assists
Last weekend was the All-Star Game. Saturday was the skills competition (which I wasn't able to watch) and Sunday was the game itself, which the East won 12-11 in a shootout. Our very own All-Star, Eric Staal, scored one goal in the victory.
Then on Tuesday came the 3-2 loss against the Rangers. I thought the Canes played very well in this game - they just couldn't pull out the win. It was a rather well-paced game - there was no stoppage in play for 15-ish minutes in the third period!
Last night the Canes pulled one out against Tampa 3-2. Definitely didn't play as well in this one, although Chad LaRose notched the first shorthanded goal of the year! Cam Ward played very well, which covered up the Canes lameness on many accounts. Really, the Canes looked to be coasting to overtime in the third period, until Staal's lucky goal in the third.
Next game is tomorrow against Atlanta - starts at 8:00 for reasons unknown to this Caniac. Anyways, Atlanta's way out of the playoff picture, but a win would be nice because the Canes are the odd man out in ninth place right now.
Chad LaRose stats (Tuesday): 1 assist
(Thursday): 1 goal
On the season: 11 goals, 4 assists
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Mega-Recap-Post!
Didn't have time to post this week - wasn't near a computer and I've felt under the weather this weekend.
So it's time for a Mega-Recap-Post!
New Year's Eve the Canes beat the Thrashers 3-1 in a very sloppy game. The only reason I think the Canes won this one is because they were playing a crappy team like the Thrashers.
New Year's Day the Detroit Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks outside at Wrigley Field. I only saw the third period of this one, which means I really only saw Detroit whoop up on the Blackhawks - Chicago certainly lost that one. I really hope they continue to do these outdoor games - they are definitely fun to watch!
The next day the Canes beat the Blues 2-1. And, even though I attended the game, I can't remember anything important about it. Which says more about my current state of health than the game itself. But it was $1 popcorn night. So I feasted on some popcorn. Which was delicious. Especially at a dollar.
Then the day after that (aka yesterday) the Canes beat Tampa 3-2, which I also watched but can't remember a thing about now. Oh well, whatever.
If you want a laugh, (as if this meandering post wasn't enough), check out Alex Semin's "fight" against Marc Staal. I can guarantee you, my loyal readers, I can certainly throw a better punch than that nonsense...
Next game for the Canes is Tuesday against the Devils.
Chad LaRose stats (Saturday): 1 goal
On the season: 9 goals, 3 assists
So it's time for a Mega-Recap-Post!
New Year's Eve the Canes beat the Thrashers 3-1 in a very sloppy game. The only reason I think the Canes won this one is because they were playing a crappy team like the Thrashers.
New Year's Day the Detroit Red Wings played the Chicago Blackhawks outside at Wrigley Field. I only saw the third period of this one, which means I really only saw Detroit whoop up on the Blackhawks - Chicago certainly lost that one. I really hope they continue to do these outdoor games - they are definitely fun to watch!
The next day the Canes beat the Blues 2-1. And, even though I attended the game, I can't remember anything important about it. Which says more about my current state of health than the game itself. But it was $1 popcorn night. So I feasted on some popcorn. Which was delicious. Especially at a dollar.
Then the day after that (aka yesterday) the Canes beat Tampa 3-2, which I also watched but can't remember a thing about now. Oh well, whatever.
If you want a laugh, (as if this meandering post wasn't enough), check out Alex Semin's "fight" against Marc Staal. I can guarantee you, my loyal readers, I can certainly throw a better punch than that nonsense...
Next game for the Canes is Tuesday against the Devils.
Chad LaRose stats (Saturday): 1 goal
On the season: 9 goals, 3 assists
Monday, November 17, 2008
A win!
So I'm writing down on all of these college applications and scholarship forms that I started my own blog, when it suddenly occured to me that I want to actually, y'know, update said blog.
Of course, the last time I posted was only Saturday, so really this is the normal turnaround for me.
But this is not what I'm supposed to be rambling about. What am I supposed to be rambling about?
Ah, yes, the Canes. They won! Granted, it was a shootout win, but any win is good to stop the losing slide they had been on.
And, now that I think about it, any shootout win is a thing to celebrate, considering the unsuccess rate† of recent ones.
Anyways, I didn't actually see the game, as, yet again, the game was not on TV. But it looks like the Canes went down by two goals early, then powered back to tie it.
And Wade Brookbank got a goal! YaY! Maybe this will end up getting him some more ice time...
And the Canes were wearing their black jerseys, pushing that particular record to 2-1 on the season.
Next game is tomorrow against Montreal. Maybe we can now have a regulation win?
† Best phrase evah!
Of course, the last time I posted was only Saturday, so really this is the normal turnaround for me.
But this is not what I'm supposed to be rambling about. What am I supposed to be rambling about?
Ah, yes, the Canes. They won! Granted, it was a shootout win, but any win is good to stop the losing slide they had been on.
And, now that I think about it, any shootout win is a thing to celebrate, considering the unsuccess rate† of recent ones.
Anyways, I didn't actually see the game, as, yet again, the game was not on TV. But it looks like the Canes went down by two goals early, then powered back to tie it.
And Wade Brookbank got a goal! YaY! Maybe this will end up getting him some more ice time...
And the Canes were wearing their black jerseys, pushing that particular record to 2-1 on the season.
Next game is tomorrow against Montreal. Maybe we can now have a regulation win?
† Best phrase evah!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
And so the season has started...
Canes are 2-0 after their first two games. They won their opener on Friday 6-4 and won last night in overtime against Tampa 4-3.
What disturbs me about both of these wins is the crappy start the Canes got off to. Down 2-0 to Florida and 3-0 to Tampa, they had to power back to get the wins.
Which, I suppose, is setting a better precedent than getting off to a bad start and losing, but I really would rather the Canes come out strong and finish strong.
I didn't think Ward (who played Friday) or Leighton (who played Saturday) looked very good. Both let in some goals that they should have stopped.
Dan LaCouture proved why the Canes gave him a contract, scoring one on Friday. Brandon Sutter also got his first NHL point in that game - he's looking good so far.
Eric Staal looked good in the Tampa game, scoring two of the four goals, including the OT winner.
If the Canes can stop digging themselves a multi-goal hole, I think they look to be in good shape for the season - although the real test will be against Detroit tomorrow...
What disturbs me about both of these wins is the crappy start the Canes got off to. Down 2-0 to Florida and 3-0 to Tampa, they had to power back to get the wins.
Which, I suppose, is setting a better precedent than getting off to a bad start and losing, but I really would rather the Canes come out strong and finish strong.
I didn't think Ward (who played Friday) or Leighton (who played Saturday) looked very good. Both let in some goals that they should have stopped.
Dan LaCouture proved why the Canes gave him a contract, scoring one on Friday. Brandon Sutter also got his first NHL point in that game - he's looking good so far.
Eric Staal looked good in the Tampa game, scoring two of the four goals, including the OT winner.
If the Canes can stop digging themselves a multi-goal hole, I think they look to be in good shape for the season - although the real test will be against Detroit tomorrow...
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Overtime, retirement, and firings
So apparently I missed a pretty good game last night. Game 3 went into triple OT, after the Pens scored two in the first, let in three consecutive and were ~35 seconds away from watching the Red Wings lift the Cup when Maxime Talbot saved the day. Then Petr Sykora won it in triple overtime.
But, I wasn't watching (didn't want to see the Red Wings win, as the Pens performance on Saturday didn't leave me with a lot of hope), and I wouldn't have stayed up for it anyways.
This game does increase the probability of me tuning in tomorrow, but considering all the games I've watched the Pens have lost, and all I haven't they've won...
In other news: Sami Kapanen, the Cane from long ago, has announced his retirement today. He was a fast little skater, and was a part of that special season of 2001-2002.
John Tortorella will not be coaching Tampa Bay next year, being canned from the job today. I'm happy because I thought he was a little arrogant and I didn't like his coaching style - but that happiness depends on the Lightning hiring someone that will enable the Canes to win. Not that having only one line on their won't help with that, it just is beneficial to the Hurricanes if the Lightning can pick up someone moronic.
And rumors are that Barry Melrose, the guy known to me as the ESPN hockey analyst that wears pinstriped suits and gets very little face time since the network dropped hockey games, will be taking the job. Which sounds weird because it doesn't look like he's coached in the last ten years, but it's just a rumor... But, hey, if he makes his team lose to the Canes, I'm all for it.
Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much my outlook on anything that happens in the NHL. Don't steal my players, don't beat my team, anything else is cool. And, if you can hurt Buffalo in any way, that's doubly fine.
Onwards to Game 6!
But, I wasn't watching (didn't want to see the Red Wings win, as the Pens performance on Saturday didn't leave me with a lot of hope), and I wouldn't have stayed up for it anyways.
This game does increase the probability of me tuning in tomorrow, but considering all the games I've watched the Pens have lost, and all I haven't they've won...
In other news: Sami Kapanen, the Cane from long ago, has announced his retirement today. He was a fast little skater, and was a part of that special season of 2001-2002.
John Tortorella will not be coaching Tampa Bay next year, being canned from the job today. I'm happy because I thought he was a little arrogant and I didn't like his coaching style - but that happiness depends on the Lightning hiring someone that will enable the Canes to win. Not that having only one line on their won't help with that, it just is beneficial to the Hurricanes if the Lightning can pick up someone moronic.
And rumors are that Barry Melrose, the guy known to me as the ESPN hockey analyst that wears pinstriped suits and gets very little face time since the network dropped hockey games, will be taking the job. Which sounds weird because it doesn't look like he's coached in the last ten years, but it's just a rumor... But, hey, if he makes his team lose to the Canes, I'm all for it.
Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much my outlook on anything that happens in the NHL. Don't steal my players, don't beat my team, anything else is cool. And, if you can hurt Buffalo in any way, that's doubly fine.
Onwards to Game 6!
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Hats off to LaRose!
Canes beat the Lightning 6-2 last night!
Chad LaRose got a hat trick!
YaY!
Canes are now either one win (Friday against the Panthers) or a Washington loss away from being champions of the Southeast Division!
They definitely played better in this game than the one on Tuesday. The powerplay was pretty good - and the Canes showed life throughout the whole game. Of course, Tampa didn't really play well, but whatever.
But, hopefully Tampa will play better tonight, as they are playing the C[r]apitals - and if Washington loses we are definitely in the playoffs!
Erik Cole stats: 2 assists
On the season: 22 goals, 29 assists
Chad LaRose stats: 3 goals
On the season: 11 goals, 11 assists
Chad LaRose got a hat trick!
YaY!
Canes are now either one win (Friday against the Panthers) or a Washington loss away from being champions of the Southeast Division!
They definitely played better in this game than the one on Tuesday. The powerplay was pretty good - and the Canes showed life throughout the whole game. Of course, Tampa didn't really play well, but whatever.
But, hopefully Tampa will play better tonight, as they are playing the C[r]apitals - and if Washington loses we are definitely in the playoffs!
Erik Cole stats: 2 assists
On the season: 22 goals, 29 assists
Chad LaRose stats: 3 goals
On the season: 11 goals, 11 assists
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Canes win and lose - C[r]apitals not far behind...
So, on Friday, the Canes absolutely steamrolled the Thrashers, winning 7-1.
And, man, this game was extremely chippy. I find it interesting, that with the return of losing to Atlanta, returns the crap that made Caniacs hate this team even when we were beating up on them. Altogether 115 penalty minutes on the game.
So, yeah, Canes absolutely kicked butt in this one. Ruutu got two, Hamilton got two - 5 goals were on the power play, one was shorthanded. A really great game to watch, if you were on the Canes side.
But, then, last night the Canes dropped one to Tampa 2-1, allowing the C[r]apitals to come within 2 points of the Canes in the standings.
Is anyone else just a tad bit concerned that the C[r]apitals are so close with only three games left?
Anyways, the Canes were leading when I switched to the Tar Heels game, Chad LaRose having scored on a "three way passing play" in the words of Chuck K. It's great that Chad is back to his old self - no lack of energy there!
So, Canes play said C[r]apitals on Tuesday - can anybody say "must win"?
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 2 assists
On the season: 22 goals, 27 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 1 assist
Saturday: 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 11 assists
And, man, this game was extremely chippy. I find it interesting, that with the return of losing to Atlanta, returns the crap that made Caniacs hate this team even when we were beating up on them. Altogether 115 penalty minutes on the game.
So, yeah, Canes absolutely kicked butt in this one. Ruutu got two, Hamilton got two - 5 goals were on the power play, one was shorthanded. A really great game to watch, if you were on the Canes side.
But, then, last night the Canes dropped one to Tampa 2-1, allowing the C[r]apitals to come within 2 points of the Canes in the standings.
Is anyone else just a tad bit concerned that the C[r]apitals are so close with only three games left?
Anyways, the Canes were leading when I switched to the Tar Heels game, Chad LaRose having scored on a "three way passing play" in the words of Chuck K. It's great that Chad is back to his old self - no lack of energy there!
So, Canes play said C[r]apitals on Tuesday - can anybody say "must win"?
Erik Cole stats (Friday): 2 assists
On the season: 22 goals, 27 assists
Chad LaRose stats (Friday): 1 assist
Saturday: 1 goal
On the season: 8 goals, 11 assists
Monday, March 03, 2008
Canes win
Canes won 5-1 on Saturday over Tampa.
Sorry for the lateness/briefness of the last two recaps, but I have had absolutely no time to post recently between tailgaiting and homework (another Calulus essay and painting an endangered species poem on the back of a shirt...).
So... yeah... Canes play tomorrow against Atlanta.
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
On the season: 17 goals, 24 assists
Sorry for the lateness/briefness of the last two recaps, but I have had absolutely no time to post recently between tailgaiting and homework (another Calulus essay and painting an endangered species poem on the back of a shirt...).
So... yeah... Canes play tomorrow against Atlanta.
Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
On the season: 17 goals, 24 assists
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