The Song is Over

The Canes ended their postseason run in a 4-1 loss to the Penguins, allowing them to sweep the series.

Not the best of games. It started out well, with Eric Staal quickly scoring the first goal. (Remember, the Canes had won every game that he scored in... up until this one. Talk about giving us Caniacs false hopes...). Then, our defense repeatedly let us down and the Canes never got on the scoresheet again.

And, seriously, the second goal by the Pens nearly made me cry. Cam? Where the heck were you this series? The Cam Ward of rounds 1 & 2 would have never let that one slide...

This was just a series I would like to forget. There really was no good play in it (excepting Chad LaRose - he looked like the only one who remembered the previous two series).

And I, on the behalf of the Carolina Hurricanes, would like to apologize to the rest of the NHL fanbase who will now be subjected to a Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup Final (barring anything crazy happening in the West). And, of course, Pittsburgh touched the stupid Prince of Wales trophy (which all of us Caniacs around for '01-'02 know is a big no-no.) meaning that, if tradition/superstition holds, the stupid Wings will raise the Cup... again.

Argh. This series was frustrating. Everyone who watched the Canes knew that they could play better - but then they decided to revert back to December crappiness in the middle of May and here we are, swept out of the playoffs.

Well, at least we have the good memories against New Jersey and Boston, right? (That's what I'm telling myself at least...)

Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 5 assists

Pathetic.

For the love of all things good in the world, can we at least try to stop Evgeni Malkin?

Canes lost 6-2 and are now down 3-0 in the series.

Seriously, the only good thing about this game was the fact that I was able to snap a picture of Don Cherry and not have my camera break.
So, maybe you can't see the features very well - who else could pull off a jacket like that?

This game was just miserable to watch and is now even more miserable to recall. Every time I think of the goals scored by the Pens in rapid succession (in both the first and third periods) I just want to take my keyboard and slam it against the wall.

Game 4 is Tuesday. Canes play like this again and the season's over. Period. End of story.

Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 4 assists

That could have gone better

Well, crap.

Canes are down 2-0 in the series after losing 7-4 in Game 2. Definitely territory we haven't been in this playoff season. (However, for you optimists out there, don't forget Round 1 against Montreal in 2006).

The first period was a good one. I think. I didn't actually see it due to an awards ceremony running 40 minutes over. But the score was 3-2 in favor of the Canes (5 goals in a period! Of course I miss the most offense intensive period of the whole playoffs) with goals by LaRose, Jokinen, and Seidenberg.

Then came the second period, where the Canes didn't play as well. They looked to be going in the third with only a tied game, but they allowed the Pens to score with only eight seconds left in the period.

The third period just went downhill from there. Evgeni Malkin got a hat trick (Memo to Versus - nobody actually cares about his parents celebrating. Just FYI.) and the Canes let the game get away from them with sloppy play. The interesting part of the period was what happened with less than two minutes left. There was a huge scrum at the end boards, Bayda got a match penalty for high-sticking (I think?) and then was consequently fined $2,500. I don't really know what happened - I don't think Versus really went over it and if they did I didn't listen because I was just ready for the stupid game to be over.

The Canes certainly need to put out a better quality of game if they hope to beat the Penguins. The Pens driving offense (along with poor defense and effort on the Canes part) killed us in this game. We need to take it back to Raleigh and set the pace in our own building.

The Canes can do this. It'll be tough, but it can be just another comeback for them.

Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
Playoffs: 4 goals, 7 assists

Here we go again...

Well, the Canes are down 0-1 in another series, having lost last night's game 3-2.

This game wasn't quite as bad as the other first games, but it was still pretty horrible nonetheless. The Penguins first goal was scored after a pretty decent Canes powerplay - the puck got behind said powerplay and Miroslav Satan came out of the box right into a breakaway and scored on Cam.

Then our defense just decided to give up on the period. The Pens scored less than two minutes later, giving them a two goal lead in the first. The Canes never recovered from this early deficit, although they definitely tried, especially in the third period. But, sadly, even the fast last minute rush couldn't save the Canes in this one.

A bright spot for the Canes was definitely Chad LaRose. He had the Canes first goal (thanks to a nice drop pass from my man Erik Cole) and would have had another had that same Erik Cole not pushed Hal Gill into Fleury to prevent Fleury from stopping the puck. Oh well.

Erik Cole actually was playing a very good game - until he left with a possible knee injury. Add Tuomo Ruutu to the possible knee injury list and that's not a very good outlook for Game 2. As of right now, there's no info on either injury - no news is good news, right? Hopefully?

Game 2 is Thursday. Hopefully the Canes can continue their playoff winning pattern *knock on wood*.

Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 3 assists

Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
Playoffs: 3 goals, 7 assists

The major storylines

A lot to talk about on this Monday, the start of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Firstly, the series-winning goal by Scott Walker got a lot more significant, considering he announced that his wife had been recently diagnosed with cervical cancer. From the N&O article:

"The last couple [of] games, I don't even really remember playing them," Walker said. "I talked to [Maurice] about that. I played those games, and sometimes I would look up or at the end of the game, I'd be like, 'Wow, we just played a game.' I was trying to do my job and play as hard as I could and try and keep my mind as calm as I could. After that game [Thursday], so much emotion went out of me."

I know my thoughts are certainly with the Walker family as they deal with this. Luckily, his wife is expected to make a full recovery.

On a much more happier note, the Canes-Penguins series begins tonight! Let me tell you ahead of time what the Versus coverage will consist of (enabling you to put the TV on mute and instead listen to Chuck K):

- OMG! Sidney Crosby is in this game! Let me repeat that again - SIDNEY CROSBY IS IN THIS GAME! And guess who he beat in the last round? ALEXANDER OVECHKIN! Sidney Crosby had 8 goals in that series! SID CROSBY SCORED 13 POINTS IN A SERIES AGAINST AO! SIDNEY CROSBY!!!!!!!!

- Hey! There are two guys named Staal in this series! Isn't that wierd? And, get this, they're brothers! Wow, that's like the first time that's happened in like, ever! And, get this, they have two other brothers that play hockey! It's like, a whole family of hockey players! That's like a completely new concept!

- Remember that guy Erik Cole? You know the guy who checked him from behind? He's on the Penguins! And Cole's on the Hurricanes! And they're going to play at Mellon Arena, where Cole got hit! Wow, it's like they've never faced off against each other!

I think the most pathetic thing is that all of these subplots have been covered when these teams have played in the regular season (I should know, I've yammered on about them enough)- it's just all of a sudden they've been blown out of proportion because it's the playoffs - but you would think there would be new material for the playoffs, not just the same old storyline. But I guess that's too much to ask.

Anyways, here's some random Pittsburgh blogs I've run across:
Pensburgh
I Bleed Black 'n Gold
Igloo Dreams
The Pensblog

The series begins tonight!

Scott Walker wins it!

Canes win 3-2 in a thrilling Game 7 overtime!

And guess who scored the series-winner? Yes, our very own sucker-punching Scott Walker! Haha, Boston fans must be livid at that particular outcome.

This game was just great to watch. It was a very closely-played game, just as a Game 7 should be. Both teams played well, and a testament to that statement is the fact that neither team collapsed going down the stretch, and both pushed it to the extra period.

As for overtime? Well, I think this video can describe it better than I can:

Scott Walker's first playoff goal certainly came in a timely fashion, eh?

Now it's off to Pittsburgh to play the Sidney Crosbys the Penguins. First game is next Tuesday (long layoff, anyone?).

Eastern Conference Finals, here we come!

Another Game 7

Well, this sucks.

Canes lost 4-2 in Game 6. They came out slow in the first period, allowing Boston to score two in the first five minutes. They never recovered.

And now we have a Game 7 for the priviledge to advance on to play the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won their own Game 7 last night.

I don't even know what to think about this Canes team anymore. They had Boston where they wanted them - ready to eliminate in five games - and here we are, at Game 7 after two poorly played games.

Can the Canes win this? Of course they can. Will they show the fire and passion that they had in Games 2-4? That is the question.

Puck drops at the random time of 8:00. Watch it!

Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 2 goals, 7 assists

Well, that game was crap

Canes lost 4-0 in Game 5.

Let me put it like this - the Canes were playing so bad that I fell asleep during the third period. Of a playoff game. That, my readers, is pretty frickin' bad.

Of course, by sleeping through the last 15 minutes (the last thing I remember before being woken up with 25 seconds left was Erik Cole's stupid delay of game penalty), I missed the Scott Walker sucker punch on Aaron Ward. Walker wasn't suspended for that, only fined, which I guess is good. But it was a stupid, stupid play by Walker. Considering this is the same dude that has been previously suspended for headbutting, I would suggest that Walker take a few deep breaths before getting into it with anyone...

Anyways... yeah, this was a pathetic showing by the Canes. They didn't skate at all, they didn't pressure, they took lame penalties. Everything that the previous three games weren't.

But, the good news is that the Canes now can come back to Raleigh and have another chance to win it. I know the Caniacs will definitely be out in full force - hopefully the Canes will show up this time as well.

Canes win Game 4

Canes won 4-1 in Game 4 on Friday night.

Attempts at writing full coherent paragraphs are not working out today, so here's what I remember:

- Eric Staal played very good. At times he seemed like the only player truly trying out on the ice. His second goal of the night really drove the nail in the coffin for the Bruins.

- Jussi Jokinen scored again. Perhaps not as momentus as his other postseason goals, but it did break a 1-1 tie.

- Rod Brind'Amour finally got a point in the playoffs - assisting on the Jussi Jokinen goal with an excellent pass through the crease.

And, yeah, that's all that I can remember (give me a break, prom was last night and I'm working on four hours of sleep). Oh well. Game 5 is tonight in Boston - Canes can win the series!

Erik Cole stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 2 assists

Jussi Jokinen, I think I love you

Canes win Game 3 in overtime 3-2.

Jussi Jokinen is proving that he is the clutch-est player around. Yes, of course he got the key OT winner - with the way his playoffs are going, who else would it be?

And I'm trying to think of what to say for the rest of this post, but my mind just keeps turning back to Jokinen and how completely awesome he's been. A game-winner in .2 left in regulation, a game-tie-er in Game 7, and now another game-winner in OT. Dang, this guy is clutch.

As for the rest of the team, they played pretty well last night. The first period and some of the second was a little sloppy - they let Boston get out to a 1-0 lead. But the Canes came on in the late second, scoring two goals in less than a minute to get the lead. (Sergei Samsonov got his first playoff goal on a nice shot).

Oh, and by the way, the refs were absolutely horrible in this game. Couldn't call an obstruction penalty if their life depended on it. Look, I understand that you don't want to slow the game down unnecessarily with marginal penalties - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't call the blatant stuff!

The Canes then played pretty good in the third, but still let in a Bruin goal for them to tie it up. The game went to overtime, but luckily the Canes were able to stick to the overtime-is-only-for-winning rule.

Jussi Jokinen - just wow. Rutherford is looking like a genius for picking this guy up.

Game 4 is tomorrow at the RBC Center. Hopefully the Canes can win it - it would be nice to go back to Boston with a 3-1 series lead!

Cam has another shutout - Bruins go down

Canes won 3-0 in Game 2 last night!

This game was played much better than Game 1. And I'm going to say at this point that it is creepy how this series has so far mirrored the Jersey one. We're 1-1 after two games, the Game 1s both being the crappy losses, while the Game 2s have been the better played ones. Hopefully the Canes can win quicker than in the first series, although I wouldn't be too upset if round 2 mirrors round 1 completely. (In case you can't follow the choppy sentence, that would mean a Canes win...)

The first period was only okay, both teams being kept off the scoresheet. Which is probably a better sign for the Canes than the Bruins, seeing as that was the first time Boston had not scored in the first period (or something along those lines - I forget the exact stat from Versus.).

Second period opened up with scoring for the Canes - Joe Corvo scoring on a slapshot pretty early in the period (and Erik Cole finally - finally! - got on the scoreboard with an assist). But the best goal was the Matt Cullen shorthanded goal - Chad LaRose intercepted a pass at the blue line and ran it up the ice, missed his first chance, but then passed it to Cullen who zapped it in the net.

The second period was definitely the Canes' period in terms of outplaying Boston. It could have actually been 3-0 at the end of the period, thanks to Chad LaRose never giving up and catching pretty much everyone on Boston mentally heading to the locker room. Alas, they said it was no goal as there was not enough video evidence to overturn the no goal call on the ice (Apparently, someone in the Situation Room is completely color blind because I saw white in between the puck and the goal line - but whatever). I think it wasn't a goal because scoring with .2 seconds left in anything is totally Jussi Jokinen's gig, not LaRose's.

The Canes also came out strong in the third period, but took some stupid penalties. Either their penalty kill is excellent or Boston's power play is crappy, but either way the Canes managed to keep it a two-goal game (with a lot of help from Cam Ward, of course), until Staal's empty net goal.

I am really glad the Canes were able to win this one, as I did not like the prospect of going back to Raleigh down 2-0 in the series. But, they played better than they did in the first game and now it's a whole new ballgame!

Next game is Wednesday at the RBC Center!

Erik Cole stats: 1 assist

Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist
Playoffs: 2 goals, 6 assists

Canes drop first game.

Right now I'm "studying for Statistics", so I'll make this post short, okay?

Canes lost 4-1 to the Bruins last night, which, oddly enough, is the exact same score they lost in Game 1 against the Devils last series.

Unlike the first Game 1, the second wasn't anywhere near the level of lameness. The Canes played okay last night - a few good chances, but a few poor plays as well, specifically the Tuomo Ruutu intercepted pass across the middle that led to the Bruins' third goal.

The bright spot of the night was Jussi Jokinen's goal in the first period. This guy is on fire of late. If only some of his other teammates would step up as well... *cough*ErikCole*cough*

To win Game 2, I think the Canes need to, well, play better. Playing merely okay will not win them a game against this Bruins team. They need to play some of their best hockey - and maintain it!

Game 2 is tomorrow on Versus, so that means that we finally can get coverage outside of our own market.

Onwards to Boston!

So the second round starts tomorrow and the Canes are going up against the #1 seed, the Boston Bruins. Looking at this matchup, let's just say that I was hoping for a New York Rangers win so we would play Pittsburgh in this round. But the Rangers crapped out in the last three games so here we are.

Yeah, Boston totally kicked our butt during the regular season. They swept all four games and none of them were exactly close games (Two games were 4-2 losses, the others by a margin of 5-1).

Of course, we haven't played the Bruins since February, and the Canes are certainly a changed team since then. For one, the Canes hadn't gone on their crazy-long winning streak at that point (obviously). And, after watching the series against Jersey, you can't tell me that the Canes don't have the "intestinal fortitude"^† to beat a team like Boston.

Boston, like Jersey, has an insanely good goalie (although perhaps without the starpower of Brodeur) in Tim Thomas. Dude was in the top of the league in the goaltender stats for pretty much the entire season. I predict that Cam Ward will have to outplay him just as he outplayed Brodeur in the last series.

This, I think, is going to be a majorly tough series. Boston is extremely good and they definitely didn't show and weaknesses in the series against Montreal. But as long as the Canes play as well as they did in the Jersey series (excluding poor showings in Games 1, 3, and everything except the two minutes of 7) they should have a chance of winning games. Winning four? Well, that'll be difficult considering the opponent. But it's definitely possible.

For the Bruins spin on things (I'll add more blogs to the sidebar eventually), I've found these blogs:
WickedBruinsFan's Blog
Here Come the Bruins
Hockey Blogging Adventure
Boston Rink Rats
CLS mini-blog: Bruins v. Canes
(Psst! I'm a contributor for the last one! And I don't always just copy and paste from this blog either!)

And, I would like to say that I hope, no matter what happens, that the games in this series are better than the games in the Penguins-C[r]apitals series, just to prove to the mainstream media that good hockey can be played without Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby. (Personally, I think it would be hilarious if they both got injured and couldn't play, if only to see the whole star-studded promo fall apart and the commentators actually have to talk about the game for once.)

Game 1 is TOMORROW!

^† Repeated phrases like this is why I love Tripp Tracy. In case you didn't watch Game 7, I think he said this about 10 times in the third period.

So long New Jersey...

...and hello Boston!

Last night the Canes defeated the Devils in a thrilling 4-3 Game 7 win that they totally pulled out of their butt at the last minute.

Seriously, there was less than a minute and a half remaining and the Canes were down 3-2. Then BAM!, Jussi Jokinen and Eric Staal strike and the Canes are advancing to the second round.

The game started out on an excellent note, with Tuomo Ruutu notching his first point of the postseason at the 1:02 mark of the first period. Of course, I was enthralled by this goal because that meant the Canes were coming out fast and taking the Jersey fans out of the game early.

Then, of course, the Devils score a minute and a half later, thereby getting the crowd back into it.

Throughout the game I didn't think the Canes were playing well enough for them to win. Like so many other games in this series, they weren't playing bad, they just weren't playing hard enough to win a elimination game. Cam Ward kept them in the game in the third period, preventing Jersey from going up two goals instead of just one.

Then came the last rush, and Jussi Jokinen cemented his status as my bestest friend evah by scoring yet another needed goal in regulation:

Jokinen is like the Secret Weapon of Regulation - how he somehow is scoring these goals at just the right time is unknown to me - but whatever he's doing, he needs to keep it up!

So the game was tied. Then less than a minute later Eric Staal just gains the zone and shoots - flat out beating Martin Brodeur. I don't think Brodeur looked that bad on a goal the entire season. Granted, it was tipped or something, but still.

I just can't believe we won the game. Seriously, just thinking about it now just blows my mind. Why the heck wasn't scoring goals as easy as that the entire series?

And I must commend the New Jersey Devils. They played the toughest first round I've ever seen. These teams were so even, the series came down to a couple of bounces and tips here and there.

But now we must say goodbye to Jersey and face the upcoming second round opponent - The Boston Bruins. I'll leave the preview for another post (maybe? hopefully?) - just know that Game 1 starts this Friday.

Chad LaRose stats: 2 assists
Playoffs: 2 goals, 5 assists

We're going to 7!

Canes force a Game 7 by winning 4-0 in Game 6.

The Canes finally pulled their offense out in this one - no stupid one goal differences last night!

I attribute the offensive reawakening to the awakening of Ray Whitney - Whitney factored in all of the goals last night, scoring the first and then assisting on the other three.

Cam Ward, as always, played extremely well, notching a shutout.

And now we're on to Game 7! I think, to win, the Canes need to be able to continue to flaunt their offensive prowess. And, they also need to break this lose one-win one streak that's gone on this whole series.

Yeah, this post is kind of lame. Defintely doesn't give justice to the great game that was played last night. But I can't seem to think coherently right now. So whatever, watch the game tomorrow.

Chad LaRose stats: 2 assists
Playoffs: 2 goals, 3 assists

Stupid one goal games...

Canes lost 1-0 in Game 3.

This game frustrates me as a fan because there was nothing that the Canes did wrong, necessarily. Okay, the Jersey goal was scored on a power play, so they shouldn't have taken the penalty, but other than that there was nothing wrong with their play. They played well offensively and defensively, had a total of 44 shots on goal, but still lost the game. Martin Brodeur is looking pretty much unstoppable now, although Cam Ward looked exactly the same way. It's not a coincidence that the game was so low scoring with those shot totals. Both goalies are on fire, and it will take a tip or a stupid bounce to beat either one. Which is how Cam was beat last night, on a David Clarkson tip in front of the net.

If Brodeur wasn't playing so well, I think Chad LaRose would've had at least three goals. LaRose is making our first line look like our fourth line with the plays he's had. I can't believe how he's blossomed in this series.

Speaking of blossoming, or rather anti-blossoming, Erik Cole, I am officially calling you out. What have you done this entire playoff series? Diddly squat, that's what. And I find that unacceptable for the player I call my favorite. So wake up and score one on Sunday!

Canes have to win on Sunday to force a Game 7 and then, of course, win that one to advance in the postseason. The good news? Game 6 is back at the RBC Center!

Jussi Jokinen is my new best friend

I don't think there are any words to describe the exhiliration felt after that goal.

Jussi Jokinen tips it in with 00.2 left on the clock.

Wow.

I think everyone in the RBC Center had that game going into overtime. I certainly did. Then - the puck goes in, but 00.0 is what the clock reads. After a brief conference, the referees deem it a goal - Martin Brodeur flips out about it, but whatever, he can just deal.

This sets an NHL record for the latest goal scored in regulation. I mean, it doesn't get much closer than that, does it?

Although, despite the AMAZING ending, the Canes really should have never been in that position anyway. They came out skating and got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period. It was 3-0 for most of the second, but then Jersey scored three consecutive goals to tie it up.

Three consecutive goals. Certainly not cool, and certainly something the Canes don't want to let happen again in the series. But as lame as the Canes performance late in the game was, the end was just too awesome for me to complain too much.

Momentum for Game 5, anyone?

(As an aside, props go to Chad LaRose and Ryan Bayda - both are making the most of their playoff minutes, both notching another goal in last night's game.)

(And as another aside, I just found the NHL Situation Room blog, and I think it is excellent - a perfect way to get the exact ruling on any certain reviewed play.)

Chad LaRose stats: 1 goal
Playoffs: 2 goals, 1 assist

Overtime losses suck

Canes lost 3-2 in overtime in Game 3 last night.

Okay, Canes, I'm going to make a rule right now. If you go into overtime, win. If you're going to lose, please at least do me the decency of losing in regulation, so I don't lose an hour of sleep in the process of watching you crap out. Thank you.

Ugh.

Well, this game was okay. Not enough to win, obviously, but not horrifically bad, either. Definitely not near the control that they had of the second game. Power play was positively horrific, although the Canes managed to cut down on the stupid penalties taken.

Chad LaRose scored, which was cool. So did Ryan Bayda, representing the fourth line, which didn't play too bad.

I feel like there's nothing to analyze - both teams played hard but that's about it. And the Canes didn't win, which makes it miserable to watch them play so hard and then fail in the end. Because there's no big excuse to pin the loss on. All the Canes need to do is play just a little bit better, and the game is theirs.

Here's to playing a little bit better in tomorrow's game.

Chad LaRose: 1 goal
Playoffs: 1 goal, 1 assist

Tim Gleason!

Well, that game was a lot better. Canes won the second game against Jersey 2-1 in overtime.

This game had everything the first game lacked. The Canes came out with a fire in their step, and created a huge physical presence from the first minute. The only problem was that the huge emotional burst translated into a lot of stupid penalties taken by the Canes, one of which led to Jersey's only goal.

But, really, I'll take a few penalties in exchange for the fast-paced, in-your-face style of game that was played last night. It was very exciting to watch, and was extremely close throughout.

And, of course, props to Tim Gleason, scoring his first goal of the year to win the game in overtime. Talk about great timing!

I feel really good about this series coming to the RBC Center at 1-1. The Canes got of their postseason jitters out in the first game, and if they can carry the momentum and firey style of play into tomorrow's game, then I really think that we'll be heading back to Jersey with a 3-1 series.

*knock on wood* Of course, this is dependent on the Canes coming out as hyped up as the fans in the stands tomorrow. If the Canes slip back into the Game 1 lethargy, then it won't be very easy to win (or as fun to watch, for that matter).

Game 3 is tomorrow at 7:30!

So much for that game...

Canes lost 4-1 in Game 1 last night.

They just didn't play well. It almost seemed during the first period that they were tentative, not willing to press for goals.

Really, to me, the atmosphere of the game didn't seem like a playoff game. There wasn't any physicality, there was no fast pace. At least the Philly-Pittsburgh blowout had the feeling of a playoff game, even if it had the same end score.

So, I wan't impressed by this game whatsoever. Cam Ward looked okay, but he certainly didn't get any help from the offense in this one. The Canes definitely need to come out with a fire in Game 2, because more of this nonsense will not win them a playoff hockey game.

Chad LaRose stats: 1 assist