Obviously it's been an eventful first half (almost) of the season for the Hurricanes and their fans. Some good, some bad, and some ugly. Here are few comments off the top of my head in catch up mode...
1) Doldrums...the Canes got off to a decent start this season, sitting atop the southest division standing for nearly a month before the November doldrums returned.
By late October the Canes seemingly returned to the uninspired inconsistent play that cost them dearly in 2007/2008. Soon the Caps had caught the Canes and left them in their rearview mirrors...leaving GM Jim Rutherford to pull the trigger on a coaching change that, to be honest, seemed inevitable before the season even started...
2) The surprise move...I was not at all surprised that coach Peter Laviolette was fired after a lackluster start to the season...the writing was on the wall for that one all the way back to the way things ended last season...I was sad to see Lavi go, but not surprised, and grudgingly admitted at the time that SOMETHING had to be done...but the re-hire of the once banished Paul Maurice took me (and presumably most of the hockey) world off guard...SAY WHAT??? Though I have to admit, I've been impressed with the turnaround in attitude and effort that Coach Mo has been able to foster so far.
3) Change begets change...I suppose the jury will be out on the coaching change until the season is over, but I have to admit that so far I have liked what I've seen from the Maurice Era Mach II...the team has played with grit, tenacity and defensive accountability...all things that were, for whatever reason, lacking under Laviolette. The power play continues to struggle and the team is definitely not lighting up the scoreboard...but both of those things were true under Lavi...the difference over the last month has been a team that plays hard over 60 minutes, does not beat itself on most nights, and gives their goaltender chances to steal games from time to time. 2-1 wins might not be as pretty as 5-4, but I'll take the wins for now.
4) Have I Become A Curse?...up until the 3-2 win over the Canadians on Dec 16th, I was 0 for 5 at games I attended this year. Let's hope that the partial season ticket package that I cannot really afford (BTW) sees more wins in the new year.
5) Where Did You Go Rod Brind A'mour?...to say that "The Captain" has struggled this season is an understatement. The two time Selke Award winner is last in the league in +/- and seems a shell of his former self. It's been more than a little depressing to watch. Sure, Roddy is coming off a serious injury, and seemingly is still a ways from being 100%, but he still racks up major ice time and it's difficult to watch at times. Turnovers, key faceoff losses, defensive miscues and a lack of any sort of physical play or speed have left many fans wailing for decreased ice time and (god forbid) a stripping of the "C". I wouldn't go that far, but I don't really have any answers. My boy Cullen has been playing really well of late, and might warrant some time on the second line. Brandon Sutter and the fourth line also seem to warrant some more ice time, perhaps at the captain's expense. Roddy's play has picked up a bit of late, but it's still nowhere near where he once was. Here's hoping that he finds some semblance of his old form in the new year.
6) The Return Of The Real Eric Staal...after getting off to a slow start...perhaps due to an injury that was never really reported???...the "future captain" has been a beast over the last few weeks. Back to his old form of playing with passion on both ends of the ice, and seemingly gelling with his new linemates, here's hoping that Staal continues to play like an all star in 2009. No matter what other players are doing, or what other factors are involved, this team cannot win without Staal playing at the top of his game on a consistent basis. He is "The Franchise", no and in the future.
7) The Death of Lord Stanley's Blog...RIP...just before the season started the folks over at the N&O announced that Canes beatwriter and blogmaster Luke DeCock had been promoted to columnist and that long time ACC writer Chip Alexander would be taking over the duties as hockey writer. Chip got off to a rough start with the Caniac Nation when his first post to Lord Stanley's Blog referenced how much more he knew about basketball than most Caniacs. I'm sure it was meant in good natured fun, but hockey fans who have had a chip on their shoulder about playing second fiddle to college basketball in the sports pages did not take kindly to the remark. I decided to hold off on passing any judgement. It obviously would be a whole new world for Mr Alexander, and Luke has developed over time into a respected and admired voice in the hockey world. Not easy shoes to fill, but I wanted to give the guy a chance. And who knows, Chip Alexander might still one day develop into a decent hockey writer, but the report card has to be a failing grade across the board at the half way point of his first season. Lord Stanley's blog has become nothing more than a posting board for press releases from the Canes, and Chip had done little to involve himself in the discussion and build credibility. It's really sad. Recently the N&O announced that they were changing the name of the blog to CANES NOW, which is just humorously ironic in that there is rarely anything on the blog that could even be considered "news" to anyone who reads any other Canes or NHL blog/website. Over the last month or so the natives on LSB have grown a bit restless and the whole thing has devolved into a cacophony of negative comments about the team or the coverage thereof. Sigh. Here's hoping that Chip or someone finds their stride at the N&O in the new year and at least improves their coverage of the Canes. If not, a valuable resources for fans will be reduced to irrelevance.
(That said, I would be remiss if I did not commend Bubba and Corey over at Cane's Country who have become an invaluable resource for Canes news and coverage. At least it's the first place I go each day. Great work guys! What does it say that a non-professional blog manages to scoop the area's major daily paper on Canes coveraqe? Kudos. Keep up the great work!)
Canes vs Thrashers tonight!!
Go Canes!
-m
Saturday, January 03, 2009
new year's resolutions...
I only made one real resolution this new years...and that was to start updating this blog more frequently. I've never been real good at keeping resolutions...but we'll see.
I've been away for a while. Half a season in fact. And what an eventful half a season it has been - both for the Canes and for yours truly. I could offer up a whole slew of reasons that I have been unable or unwilling to write but it all really boils down to two things - apathy and exhaustion.
Apathy because the Canes have not done an awful lot to inspire me...though things have been better of late. And exhaustion due to the fact that I've been working two and three jobs, just trying to make ends meet after I had the brilliant forsight to leave my previous job just as the economy went into the tank.
Whatever. Excuses excuses.
But the truth is, I realise that I've missed posting here. Missed the distraction and the release. Missed the feeling of being a part of something (Caniac Nation Network), and missed whatever interaction large or small that I've had with other Canes fans over the last couple of years as a result of this blog.
So, I'm back. And it feels good tog et started again.
We'll see how it goes.
Let's go Canes.
-m
I've been away for a while. Half a season in fact. And what an eventful half a season it has been - both for the Canes and for yours truly. I could offer up a whole slew of reasons that I have been unable or unwilling to write but it all really boils down to two things - apathy and exhaustion.
Apathy because the Canes have not done an awful lot to inspire me...though things have been better of late. And exhaustion due to the fact that I've been working two and three jobs, just trying to make ends meet after I had the brilliant forsight to leave my previous job just as the economy went into the tank.
Whatever. Excuses excuses.
But the truth is, I realise that I've missed posting here. Missed the distraction and the release. Missed the feeling of being a part of something (Caniac Nation Network), and missed whatever interaction large or small that I've had with other Canes fans over the last couple of years as a result of this blog.
So, I'm back. And it feels good tog et started again.
We'll see how it goes.
Let's go Canes.
-m
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Catching up...
Well, I decided to take a week off from the blog and it turned into a month...go figure.
Fortunately not a whole lot going on in the meantime. Here's some late summer house cleaning as we get ready to head into training camp. September cannot get here fast enough.
*****************************
Jeff O'Neal invited to camp. Former Hurricane Jeff O'Neal, who "retired" at the end of the '06/07 season after two somewhat lackluster campaigns in Toronto, has been offered an invitation to attend the Canes training camp. At the moment, no contract has been offered, but conventional wisdom is that if O'Neal shows flashes of his once immense potential, he could be offered a two-way contract between Carolina and Albany. Always a lightning rod during his previous stint with Carolina/Hartford (as demonstrated by the comments section over at Lord Stanley's Blog), O'Neal always had immense talent coupled with sometimes questionable work habits. He was Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford's first ever first round draft pick (Hartford Whalers - 1994) and currently ranks third in franchise history in points (416), fourth in games played (673) and goals (198) and fifth in fifth in assists (218). He posted 41 goals for the Hurricanes in 2000-2001, a number that has been topped only once since (Eric Staal - 45 - 2005/2006). O'Neal was traded to the Maple Leafs in August 2005, not long after the death of his brother - a traumatic event that led Jeff to consider retiring back then. His two seasons with the Maple Leafs were largely uninspiring. During his Hurricanes tenure, O'Neal seemed to enjoy the local nightlife a bit more than he did practice, leading to several run-ins with then head coach Paul Maurice (who, ironically, was also his coach in Toronto). But Jeff was a always talented player, whose apparent battles with a few personal demons sometimes affected his performance on the ice (or so the story goes). All in all this seems like a no-lose situation for the Canes. They invite him to camp without a contract and see if his skills are still there, and his head is in the right place. If so, they sign him for depth. If not, no harm done, and you've done right by giving a former player a shot.
***************************************
- Lord Stanley's All-Time Hurricanes. All summer Luke DeCock of the News & Observer has been opening up the discussion every Monday on his Lord Stanley's Blog to topics suggested by readers. It has been incredibly successful based on the number of contributions/comments. Recently the topic was selecting an All-Hurricanes team based on the franchise's history in NC (all-time great Whalers were excluded). Here's what the readers came up with:
First Team:
C Ron Francis
LW Sami Kapanen
RW Erik Cole
D Glen Wesley
D Aaron Ward
G Arturs Irbe
Second Team:
C Rod Brind'Amour
LW Ray Whitney
RW Jeff O'Neill
D Sean Hill
D Bret Hedican
G Cam Ward
Honorable Mention: Kevin Dineen, Martin Gelinas, Sergei Samsonov, Ray Sheppard, Eric Staal, Niclas Wallin, Justin Williams
Pretty tough crowd putting Eric Staal on the honorable mention (though obviously Francis and Brind A'mour are tough competition if you are selecting by position) and Cam Ward on the second team with a Con Smythe (but I guess if you go by overall career so far, Irbe is more solid than Ward, who is still growing into an everyday goal tender). Overall I think the second team could definitely give the first team a run for it's money. This week's debate/topic is "What Made You A Fan", so join in if you are so inspired.
***********************************************
Ron Francis NHL Insider Interview. Ronnie Franchise recently did a Q&A with NHL.com that, while not featuring any breaking news or saucy tidbits, was an interesting read nonetheless. Two things that relate to the Hurricanes immediate past, present and future:
NHL.com: It’s been two straight seasons now that the Hurricanes have missed the playoffs. What has to change this season for the team to get back?
RF: “I think there is so much parity in the League now and it’s so tough to get from October to April and accomplish what you want to do. We got off to a tremendous start last year and we struggled through November, December and half of January. That is ultimately what cost us, but along the way we also lost Rod Brind’Amour, Justin Williams, Chad LaRose, Matt Cullen and numerous other guys. We used 40 different guys on the roster last year and it came down to losing the last game of the season to miss the playoffs. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup and anything short of that is not successful. We feel we got better on the blue line, where we needed to get better. And, we have enough firepower up front to score goals and our goaltending is good. At least on paper we’re comfortable where we’re at.”
NHL.com: People want to know if Brandon Sutter is going to make the team. Do you think he will?
RF: “I think he can do it. Whether he does or not, we’ll have to see that at training camp. He is an exceptionally smart player. His hockey sense is tremendous and he’s played at some pretty high levels at the World Junior Championship and in the Canada-Russia series last year, which was pretty unique. He stepped into Albany after his junior season was done and looked like he had been there all year. He worked hard to put some muscle on. He’s up in the 180s. We think he’s big enough. He’s gotten strong enough. We think he’s ready.”
-m
Fortunately not a whole lot going on in the meantime. Here's some late summer house cleaning as we get ready to head into training camp. September cannot get here fast enough.
*****************************
Jeff O'Neal invited to camp. Former Hurricane Jeff O'Neal, who "retired" at the end of the '06/07 season after two somewhat lackluster campaigns in Toronto, has been offered an invitation to attend the Canes training camp. At the moment, no contract has been offered, but conventional wisdom is that if O'Neal shows flashes of his once immense potential, he could be offered a two-way contract between Carolina and Albany. Always a lightning rod during his previous stint with Carolina/Hartford (as demonstrated by the comments section over at Lord Stanley's Blog), O'Neal always had immense talent coupled with sometimes questionable work habits. He was Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford's first ever first round draft pick (Hartford Whalers - 1994) and currently ranks third in franchise history in points (416), fourth in games played (673) and goals (198) and fifth in fifth in assists (218). He posted 41 goals for the Hurricanes in 2000-2001, a number that has been topped only once since (Eric Staal - 45 - 2005/2006). O'Neal was traded to the Maple Leafs in August 2005, not long after the death of his brother - a traumatic event that led Jeff to consider retiring back then. His two seasons with the Maple Leafs were largely uninspiring. During his Hurricanes tenure, O'Neal seemed to enjoy the local nightlife a bit more than he did practice, leading to several run-ins with then head coach Paul Maurice (who, ironically, was also his coach in Toronto). But Jeff was a always talented player, whose apparent battles with a few personal demons sometimes affected his performance on the ice (or so the story goes). All in all this seems like a no-lose situation for the Canes. They invite him to camp without a contract and see if his skills are still there, and his head is in the right place. If so, they sign him for depth. If not, no harm done, and you've done right by giving a former player a shot.
***************************************
- Lord Stanley's All-Time Hurricanes. All summer Luke DeCock of the News & Observer has been opening up the discussion every Monday on his Lord Stanley's Blog to topics suggested by readers. It has been incredibly successful based on the number of contributions/comments. Recently the topic was selecting an All-Hurricanes team based on the franchise's history in NC (all-time great Whalers were excluded). Here's what the readers came up with:
First Team:
C Ron Francis
LW Sami Kapanen
RW Erik Cole
D Glen Wesley
D Aaron Ward
G Arturs Irbe
Second Team:
C Rod Brind'Amour
LW Ray Whitney
RW Jeff O'Neill
D Sean Hill
D Bret Hedican
G Cam Ward
Honorable Mention: Kevin Dineen, Martin Gelinas, Sergei Samsonov, Ray Sheppard, Eric Staal, Niclas Wallin, Justin Williams
Pretty tough crowd putting Eric Staal on the honorable mention (though obviously Francis and Brind A'mour are tough competition if you are selecting by position) and Cam Ward on the second team with a Con Smythe (but I guess if you go by overall career so far, Irbe is more solid than Ward, who is still growing into an everyday goal tender). Overall I think the second team could definitely give the first team a run for it's money. This week's debate/topic is "What Made You A Fan", so join in if you are so inspired.
***********************************************
Ron Francis NHL Insider Interview. Ronnie Franchise recently did a Q&A with NHL.com that, while not featuring any breaking news or saucy tidbits, was an interesting read nonetheless. Two things that relate to the Hurricanes immediate past, present and future:
NHL.com: It’s been two straight seasons now that the Hurricanes have missed the playoffs. What has to change this season for the team to get back?
RF: “I think there is so much parity in the League now and it’s so tough to get from October to April and accomplish what you want to do. We got off to a tremendous start last year and we struggled through November, December and half of January. That is ultimately what cost us, but along the way we also lost Rod Brind’Amour, Justin Williams, Chad LaRose, Matt Cullen and numerous other guys. We used 40 different guys on the roster last year and it came down to losing the last game of the season to miss the playoffs. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup and anything short of that is not successful. We feel we got better on the blue line, where we needed to get better. And, we have enough firepower up front to score goals and our goaltending is good. At least on paper we’re comfortable where we’re at.”
NHL.com: People want to know if Brandon Sutter is going to make the team. Do you think he will?
RF: “I think he can do it. Whether he does or not, we’ll have to see that at training camp. He is an exceptionally smart player. His hockey sense is tremendous and he’s played at some pretty high levels at the World Junior Championship and in the Canada-Russia series last year, which was pretty unique. He stepped into Albany after his junior season was done and looked like he had been there all year. He worked hard to put some muscle on. He’s up in the 180s. We think he’s big enough. He’s gotten strong enough. We think he’s ready.”
-m
Friday, July 18, 2008
WINTER CLASSIC 2009
With today's unveiling of the complete 2008/2009 league schedules, the NHL made official what had been reported unofficially for a few weeks now - the 2009 NHL Winter Classic will take place at Wrigley Field in Chicago on January 1st. Two original 6 teams, Chicago and Detroit, will take part.
Coming off one of their better seasons in years, with a talented young nucleus of players and some eye opening free agent signings - Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet, for example - fortunes are looking up for the Blackhawk faithful. Many of the early prognosticators look for the Hawks to contend in the Central Division this year. The awarding of the Winter Classic seems to be the icing on the cake in an eventful offseason for Blackhawks fans.
Long time rivals, the Blackhawks and the Red Wings have played 701 times in their storied histories, more than any other two teams in the NHL.
2008's inaugural Winter Classic was met with some skepticism when it was first announced, but turned out to be a ratings and PR bonanza. The Buffalo Sabres (natch, Banana Slugs) and Pittsburgh Penguins (natch, Chosen Ones) played to a shootout in the snow in front of a record crowd of over 71,000 fans at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium, with the NHL's golden boy Sidney Crosby scoring the game winner for Pittsburgh. Afterwards, the reviews were raves as skeptical media members who attended or (more likely) watched the game on TV, suddenly forgot their complaints about the folly of the NHL trying to stage such an event on the Hallowed Day of big college football bowl games (seemingly these same folks forgot that the silly BCS bowl system has led to most "big" college bowl games - with the exception of the Rose Bowl, which by law has to be referred to as "the grandaddy of them all - being moved away from New Year's Day). The NHL had seemingly scored a coup, despite itself. And besides, those snowflakes looked pretty on TV.
Anytime you commit to playing a hockey game outdoors south of the U.S./Canadian border, your biggest concern is the weather and how well the ice will hold up (don't look for this game to be held at Carter Findley Stadium or in Phoenix anytime soon). In Buffalo, the ice held up relatively well, but the snow became a bit of a problem. But all in all things went well. Chicago in January promises average temperatures between 18 and 32 degrees (fahrenheit), which if it holds true, should be just about perfect for the ice. Of course, there's always the chance of snow, but the more likely to have a possible adverse effect on the conditions in Chicago are the winds howling off of Lake Michigan. But that's part of what makes these sort of things fun - for the fans at least.
Wrigley Field is a bit more intimate ("the friendly confines") at around 40,000 seats, than Ralph Wilson Stadium, but obviously has a bit more character and history than most NFL stadiums. Overall I think this is a good choice. I know I will be watching.
Most of all, I'm very glad that this tradition is continuing as I think it's a fun thing to do for the fans, both those who attend the game and those watching from the warmth of their homes while nursing a hangover. If this Winter Classic concept was originally Gary Bettman's idea (which I somehow doubt), it has to be the best one he has had in his reign as commissioner - not that there's a lot of competition. Let's just hope they don't try to cash in on a good thing and start scheduling a whole slate of these games every season. Sometimes novelty is a good thing.
NOTES:
- Bettman, ever the (slimy?) politician, tried to make nice with the folks in NYC who had also been bidding to host the game at either Yankee Stadium or The Meadowlands. He was quick to "acknowledge the interest and efforts of the New York Yankees and the City of New York throughout the NHL Winter Classic 2009 site selection process. We look forward to continuing discussions regarding the possibility of a future Winter Classic game at the new Yankee Stadium." Thanks Gary. Now what about that All Star Game you promised to the Hurricanes? Gary? Hello. Gary? You still there?
- Brian Campbell of the Blackhawks will be playing in his second straight Winter Classic having taken the ice for Buffalo on New Years Day 2008. Maybe if the Rangers want to host the 2010 Classic they should look at a trade deadline deal. Campbell gave a thumbs up to NHL.com in regards to taking part in last January's festivities:
"The city was all wrapped up in it. It was, 'How do you get tickets?' 'What are you doing to get prepared?' 'What's your tailgate going to be like?' It was mayhem, a lot of fun, and something you take a lot of pride in."
"I was on the ice for a goal against (21 seconds into the game) because my defensive partner tried to pass it and there was too much snow on the ice and it wasn't going anywhere. I personally did not like the game at that point. Then I scored and the game was the best thing ever."
-m
Thursday, July 17, 2008
NHL/CANES announce 2008/2009 Schedule
The NHL officially released its 2008/2007 schedule this afternoon. The Canes open the season on Oct 10th, 2008 at home against the Florida Panthers. For the full story and a downloadable PDF of the schedule you can check out the Hurricanes' Website.
Quick Initial Observations/Comments:
- The Canes get to kick off the season against the team that essentially assured that they would stay home from playoffs last season. The Florida Panthers' won in Carolina and then lost in DC the following evening sealing the Canes' fate on the last weekend of the regular season. The Carolina/Florida division rivalry has had a lot of spark over the last few years, even though the Canes have dominated for the most part in the W-L column, especially at home. Unfortunately, Cane hater and all around cry baby Olli Jokinen has been traded away to Phoenix, but there still should be some juice between these two teams. This game will see the return to Raleigh of former Cane Cory Stillman, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent this summer.
- 14 back-to-backs on the schedule, which seems a bit more manageable that in seasons past. But the Canes get their first one right out the gate as they open the season with Florida and then quickly hop on a plane for a game at new-look Tampa Bay on Saturday 10/11/08.
- The Canes will get to test their meddle early as the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings visit the RBC Center on 10/13/08. Immediately after that, the Canes head out of town for 6 straight road games - their traditional early season road trip to make way for the State Fair. This year's opponents on the swing: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, Montreal and St. Louis. A tough trip for sure, with lots of frequent flyer miles. Should provide a stern early test. Supposedly this is the annual trip where the team "really comes together as a unit" (or at least that's what John Forsland and Tripp Tracy tell me every year).
- Canes fans will not have to wait long to see Erik Cole back on the RBC Center ice as the Edmonton Oilers pay a visit to Raleigh on November 1st for a 3pm Saturday Matinee. Something tells me that might be a sellout, and I'm sure Cole will receive a warm welcome.
- The first match up between the Hurricanes and last year's SE Division Champion Washington Capitals will come on the road 11/6/08. The Caps then travel to Raleigh the very next week for a tilt on 11/12/08. The final regular season match up between the two will come on March 21st, in Raleigh.
- Personally, I always look forward to the Philadelphia Flyers coming to town, and this year the two teams first meet on 11/26 in Raleigh. The teams then clash in Philadelphia two days later (11/28) with the Thanksgiving Holiday sandwiched in between. In fact, all 4 games between the Canes and Flyers this season occur over a two week span.
- FIVE Sunday home games for the Canes in November (Toronto, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Nashville and Anaheim).
- The Canes will be hosting their annual New Year's Eve game, with division rivals Atlanta Thrashers providing the opposition this season.
- The Buffalo Banana Slugs do not show up on the Canes' home schedule until February 26th, and then return for the final home game of the regular season on April 9th. The Canes end the season on the road with a 4/13 tilt against the NJ Devils. I would recommend that the Canes not put themselves in a position to have to win a game against Martin Brodeur on the road in order to make the playoffs. If memory serves, the last time we finished our home schedule with Buffalo, the Canes went on to win the Cup. I'm just sayin'.
- Looking at the stretch run: 5 of Carolina's first 7 games in March are on the road, but they finish out the season with 8 of 11 at home. In an interesting twist, of the Hurricanes final 34 games, after the All-Star Break (Jan 25th), only 10 are against the Southeast Division, and only 2 of the last 10 games are against Southeast foes. This is probably in large part due to the NHL adjusting it's schedule and reducing inter-divisional games from 8 to 6 in order to make room for additional games against the opposing conference. It's interesting in that should the Canes be in a tight divisional race down the stretch, they will have to do a lot of scoreboard watching and not count on head-to-head 2 (or 4) point games.
- As part of the new expanded Eastern Conference vs Western Conference play this season, the NHL assigned each team 3 "wildcards" from the opposing conference. A team plays it's "wildcard" opponents twice in a home and home series. The Canes' wildcard opponents for 2008/2009 are Anaheim, Phoenix and St. Louis. That's a pretty boring slate if you ask me, but then again, no one asked me. The Canes will play one game against every other team in the Western Conference, 4 games against each Eastern Conference (non-divisional) team and 6 games against each divisional rival.
I'm sure I'll come up with more useless anecdotes and comments regarding the schedule once I've had a chance to absorb it a bit more. I've become just that much of a geek. Until again...
-m
Quick Initial Observations/Comments:
- The Canes get to kick off the season against the team that essentially assured that they would stay home from playoffs last season. The Florida Panthers' won in Carolina and then lost in DC the following evening sealing the Canes' fate on the last weekend of the regular season. The Carolina/Florida division rivalry has had a lot of spark over the last few years, even though the Canes have dominated for the most part in the W-L column, especially at home. Unfortunately, Cane hater and all around cry baby Olli Jokinen has been traded away to Phoenix, but there still should be some juice between these two teams. This game will see the return to Raleigh of former Cane Cory Stillman, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent this summer.
- 14 back-to-backs on the schedule, which seems a bit more manageable that in seasons past. But the Canes get their first one right out the gate as they open the season with Florida and then quickly hop on a plane for a game at new-look Tampa Bay on Saturday 10/11/08.
- The Canes will get to test their meddle early as the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings visit the RBC Center on 10/13/08. Immediately after that, the Canes head out of town for 6 straight road games - their traditional early season road trip to make way for the State Fair. This year's opponents on the swing: Los Angeles, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, Montreal and St. Louis. A tough trip for sure, with lots of frequent flyer miles. Should provide a stern early test. Supposedly this is the annual trip where the team "really comes together as a unit" (or at least that's what John Forsland and Tripp Tracy tell me every year).
- Canes fans will not have to wait long to see Erik Cole back on the RBC Center ice as the Edmonton Oilers pay a visit to Raleigh on November 1st for a 3pm Saturday Matinee. Something tells me that might be a sellout, and I'm sure Cole will receive a warm welcome.
- The first match up between the Hurricanes and last year's SE Division Champion Washington Capitals will come on the road 11/6/08. The Caps then travel to Raleigh the very next week for a tilt on 11/12/08. The final regular season match up between the two will come on March 21st, in Raleigh.
- Personally, I always look forward to the Philadelphia Flyers coming to town, and this year the two teams first meet on 11/26 in Raleigh. The teams then clash in Philadelphia two days later (11/28) with the Thanksgiving Holiday sandwiched in between. In fact, all 4 games between the Canes and Flyers this season occur over a two week span.
- FIVE Sunday home games for the Canes in November (Toronto, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Nashville and Anaheim).
- The Canes will be hosting their annual New Year's Eve game, with division rivals Atlanta Thrashers providing the opposition this season.
- The Buffalo Banana Slugs do not show up on the Canes' home schedule until February 26th, and then return for the final home game of the regular season on April 9th. The Canes end the season on the road with a 4/13 tilt against the NJ Devils. I would recommend that the Canes not put themselves in a position to have to win a game against Martin Brodeur on the road in order to make the playoffs. If memory serves, the last time we finished our home schedule with Buffalo, the Canes went on to win the Cup. I'm just sayin'.
- Looking at the stretch run: 5 of Carolina's first 7 games in March are on the road, but they finish out the season with 8 of 11 at home. In an interesting twist, of the Hurricanes final 34 games, after the All-Star Break (Jan 25th), only 10 are against the Southeast Division, and only 2 of the last 10 games are against Southeast foes. This is probably in large part due to the NHL adjusting it's schedule and reducing inter-divisional games from 8 to 6 in order to make room for additional games against the opposing conference. It's interesting in that should the Canes be in a tight divisional race down the stretch, they will have to do a lot of scoreboard watching and not count on head-to-head 2 (or 4) point games.
- As part of the new expanded Eastern Conference vs Western Conference play this season, the NHL assigned each team 3 "wildcards" from the opposing conference. A team plays it's "wildcard" opponents twice in a home and home series. The Canes' wildcard opponents for 2008/2009 are Anaheim, Phoenix and St. Louis. That's a pretty boring slate if you ask me, but then again, no one asked me. The Canes will play one game against every other team in the Western Conference, 4 games against each Eastern Conference (non-divisional) team and 6 games against each divisional rival.
I'm sure I'll come up with more useless anecdotes and comments regarding the schedule once I've had a chance to absorb it a bit more. I've become just that much of a geek. Until again...
-m
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