The Carolina Hurricanes, in what was probably the most important game of a starcrossed year so far, carried a 1-0 lead into the third period tonight, after a tight checking, evenly matched 40 minutes of hockey. Carolina came into the game having won 5 of 7. The Thrashers came in having lost 4 straight and 6 of 10. The Canes' record so far this year when carrying a lead into the third period? 21-0. Carolina was the only team in the NHL yet to lose a game when leading after 2. The keyword in that last sentence - WAS.
The two teams fought hard for every inch of ice through two periods, with Rod Brind'Amour's second period goal (his 3rd in the last 2 games) staking the Cane's to a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, Carolina played tonight's third period much like they have played the first period all to often this season. The result - a frustrating, crushing defeat.
Atlanta 3
Carolina 1
A few things that made my stomach churn about tonight's game, and that also seem to serve as a microcosm of the Cane's season so far:
1) Special Teams win tight games. The Cane's were 0-4 on the power play, including a pivotal 43 seconds of 5 on 3 in the third period when they could have salted the game away. To top it all off, they gave up a flukey short handed goal that gave Atlanta life in the third.
2) You've got to want it - and I'm talking to you in particular Eric Staal. On the Thrashers first goal, goalie Johan Hedberg cleared the puck out of his own zone with the Thrashers shorthanded. Marian Hossa skated hard to follow the puck into the Canes zone while Staal just seemed meander back from his position on the point, watching Hossa skate by him. Hossa corraled the puck in the corner and since Staal was still not on him, and showed no real interest in checking him at all, Marian simply through the puck at the net along the goaline. The puck somehow found a hole between Ward's pad and the crease, bouncing off his right skate and his stick. Just like that the game was tied. I watched the replay several times, and Staal's lack of effort was simply disgusting. It was a fluke goal that Ward probably stops 99 times out of a hundred, but the fact of the matter is that Hossa should have never have gotten the shot off. At the very least Staal should have been there on the check, and probably should've beaten him to the puck in the first place. A lazy, lazy play. And truth be told I probably would not have noticed if it were the first time Staal had seemed to be dogging it on this night. Not the sort of effort you need from your "star" in a big game. "The biggest game of the year".
3) Lazy passes in the neutral zone - Ray Whitney played hard all night and had a beautiful assist to Rod Brind'Amour on the Cane's only goal, but his lazy pass in the neutral zone during a Thrashers line change (what!?! - get the puck deep, don't try to get fancy!) led to Ilya Kovalchuk's wide open breakaway for the Thrasher's game winning goal.
4) Weak defense along the board - Denis Seidenberg, playing his first game in several weeks, gave away the puck not once, but twice behind his own goal, and then was beaten in front of the net By Eric Boulton (all on one play!) for the Thrasher's final goal in the final minutes. Boulton has two goals this season, both coming against Carolina, and both on plays where Carolina defensemen should have been given assists. The Cane's defense seemed to wilt a bit in the third. This despite dressing 8 defensemen for the game.
5) Cam Ward played well enought to win for most of the game, yet that effort is wasted once again. Hossa's goal was a complete fluke (and as stated before, would have never even gotten to the net with a little hustle from Staal), and Ward basically had no chance on Kovalchuk's breakaway. The third goal came on Siedenberg's giveaway to Boulton right in front of the net. Ward made several amazing saves, including 3 on one on short-handed breakaway early in the third to preserve the Cane's lead.
6) Erik Cole was a late scratch, missing his 4th out of the last 5 games. Cory Stillman remains on the shelf as well.
I'm trying to stay optimistic, but this one is tough to handle. The inconsistency is disappointing. Especially considering the stakes. This was a 4 point game. This is one we needed.
The Cane's now hold on to the 8th spot in the east by just 1 point over Toronto and the Islanders. They fall to 4 points of out of the top spot in the Southeast division, with Atlanta and Tampa Bay tied at the top. Tampa Bay hold the tie breaker at the moment with one more win.
As it has been all season long...One step forward, two steps back.
I'm trying to keep hope a live, but the frustration level is rising.
Nonetheless, I'll be up in the rafters for the Philly game on Thursday.
Let's go Canes. (Please?)
-m
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
The Canes storm into the "Mecca of Hockey"
Hey Hey whadda ya say? I'm baaaack....
Wow. That was quite a layoff. Not that anyone was likely to notice that I was gone. Still, over a full month between posts. Kind of got away from me there. Work has been crazy. Work is still crazy. The Holidays were crazy. Hopefully I'll be able to settle into a routine and write more frequently. We'll see. But enough about me. On with the hockey.
- To say that the Hurricanes have been up and down since I last logged in would be an understatement. A brutal west coast swing, followed a hot streak where they won 5 out of 6, leading into possibly their worst stretch of hockey since beofre the strike. But after tonight's 4-1 victory over Toronto on the road, perhaps things are on the upswing again. One can only hope.
- Coach Laviolette continued tonight in Tornoto with the line combinations that he tinkered with coming into the Islanders game last weekend. Cole was out with the Brind A'mour/Whitney line, and Staal was out with Williams and Stillman. The shake up of the lines seems to be working well over the last two games: Whitney has 4 points, and Staal, Williams and Cole all have 2 goals.
- Eric Staal scored a powerplay goal tonight, his second straight game with a goal after a brutal 9 game goal drought. He seems to be playing with energy and enthuisasm again. Very good sign.
- Scott Walker and Eric Belanger also scored goals for the Canes tonight against the Leafs, providing some much needed scoring punch from the third line. The final tally of the night was Justin Williams' empty netter with less than 30 seconds to play, his 21st of the season (tops on the team).
- Cam Ward was stellar in goal (again!) recording 29 saves and single-handedly keeping the Canes in the game through a lopsided first period that saw the Leafs dominate play. Carolina was able to rebound and take control in the second, scoring two goals and generally having their way with the Leafs over the final two periods. Their cause was helped by a Toronto parade to the penalty box in the second and third. Starting late in the first period, Toronto was whistled on 4 consecutive penalties before the Canes gave up their first power-play of the night. The Canes were called for 2 penalties in the game while Toronto sent players to the box 6 times.
- Dennis Seidenberg had a solid debut with the Canes, after what was an eventful couple of days since the Kevin Adams trade. Seidenberg logged just over 20 minutes in ice time for the injury depleted Canes defensive corp, getting a look on both the power play and the penalty kill. He finished the game at a +1, logging the 4th most ice time amongst 6 healthy defenders. Seidenberg arrived in Toronto just after 7am on Tuesday. After learning of the trade while in Nahsville on a road trip with the Coyotes, he had to catch a flight back to Phoenix, grab his passport and one would assume a change of clothes, and then jump on a red eye to Toronto.
- Kevin Adams has long been a favorite of UTTR, and while the trade did not come as a complete suprise, it was still a little bit of a bummer. Few (if any) players have played any harder, or left more of themselves on the ice, for the Hurricanes over the last few years, and Adams was a great ambassador for the the game and for the Canes in the community as well. He will be missed, but the need for something to be done to shore up the depeted blue line was pressing. Adams' ice time had dwindled this year and with a log jam of young players at the forward position both here in Raleigh, as well as down on the farm in Albany, it did not appear that more ice time was on the way, even as Kevin battled back from a wrist injury. I'm sure it was not an easy move for Rutherford and the Canes, but it was a prudent move. Here's wishing Kevin nothing but the best in Phoenix, and hope to see back in Raleigh again in the future (the Stanley Cup finals? haha).
- Got to love the mid-season Free Preview of the NHL Center Ice package. I went ahead and gave myself an early birthday present, and signed up for the second half of the season today. Had to clear it with the lady first, but she has come to accept my complete hockey geek-ness and I think she even finds it a little charming. I told her that the Canes were not on FSN for over a week and I just could not go that long without a hockey fix. And what could be better than watching the Canadians blitz past the Thrashers, with all the commentary in French. I have no idea what they are talking about, but it's pretty amusing. I also have no idea what penalty Koivu just got sent off for but whatever it is, it sounds a lot worse in French.
- The Canes should thank there lucky stars that so far this season, whenever they have gone into the tank, the Thrashers have been unable to pull away in the Southeast. After tonight the Canes are 6 points out with 7 straight games coming up against division foes. 5 of those 7 are at home including one against Atlanta. Time to make a statement and perhaps take back control of the division heading into the all-star break. Let's get it on!
- Man it's good to be back.
TSN recap of the Carolina/Toronto game HERE.
TSN recap of the Atlanta/Montreal game HERE.
-martin
photo courtesy of Getty Images and TSN.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Own The Period
Up and down week for the Hurricanes...and for your's truly (but that's another story completly)...
Got to check in on the Ottawa game online from work, and from the sound of it FSN made a good choice in not televising this stinker. Quick start for the Canes on an Andrew Ladd goal, and a stinker from there on out. Would be tempting and convienent to just file this one away as an "off day", if not for the other stinkers the Canes had posted in two of the previous 3 games. Since rallying to tie the Thrashers for the top spot in the East, the Canes went 1-3 and played some of their worst hockey of the season. Needless to say, I was bumming, with Montreal looming on the horizon.
Thursday's game against the Canadians at the RBC Center was quickly shaping up to be a "must win", if there could be such a thing in late November. The Canes were reeling, falling 5 points behind the Thrashers and seemingly skating in quicksand for the past week - 10days. The Canadians on the other hand came in having won 4 of 5 and having played some of the most consistent hockey in the NHL. Montreal blanked the Canes 4-0 earlier in the season on RBC ice, and the Canes had yet to beat a team in 2006 that they had elimated in their spring run to the Stanley Cup.
The atmosphere at the Big ATM was less than "rockin" as a sparse and damp crowd settled into their seats. The mood in the arena was less excitement and more anxiety and frustration. Here are my notes from the game:
- Both teams skated well in the first period. Hard hitting. You can tell these two teams can get a bit chippy with one another. Michael Ryder put the Habs on the board first, about midway through the period, and seemed to take a good bit of air out of the room. Folks seemed to settle back in their seats with a "here we go again" vibe.
- Cane's struck back with around 6 minutes left in the period as Erik Cole scored a charging gritty goal, knocking in his own rebound in a scrum in front of the net. For whatever reason, Colesey owns the Canadians. He would score a second goal on this night (later in the second period), and seems to play like a man possessed when he sees that Habs sweater across the ice. Overall this was probably the best game I've seen Cole play so far this season. Hard charging, agressive, physical...a threat whenever he was on the ice ... scoring goals, setting up teammates, drawing penalties....when Cole is on his game its a joy to watch.
- After Cole gave the Canes a 2-1 lead in the second, Montreal rallied to tie the score on a goal by Tomas Plekanec a few minutes before intermission.
- Third Period. OWN THE PERIOD. That was the Canes mantra last year where the third period was their own personal playground. After wearing down their oppenents for 40 minutes, the Canes would put the pedal to the metal in the third as defensemen and goaltenders wilted under the pressure. Not so much so far this season. Until Thursday night...
- Rock You Like A Hurricane. The team skated loose, skated fast and applied pressure throughout, peppering Montreal goal tender Cristobol Huet with over 20 shots. Huet's heroics in goal and some bad bounces were the only the things that keep this one from being a blowout. Now this was Hurricanes hockey, fast and relentless. The guys seemed to take Peter Laviolette's pre-game advice, "Skate hard, but remember to have fun", to heart in the third, and it was a joy to see.
- Justin Williams scored the game-winner in the third, and Eric Belanger scored again less than a minute later for insurance. It was good to see Belanger get a goal as his line (with Trevor Letowski and Andrew Ladd) were probably the Canes best line on this night from an effort and energy standpoint.
- The Canes got 48 shots on goal for the game, their highest total of the season, almost half of those coming in the third period.
- Cam Ward was solid in net after a three game layoff. He made 25 saves, and made some spectacular stops, especially in the second period. I'm sure he would like to have Plekanec's second period goal back, but overall a very solid performance. He had the best seat in the house for most of the 3rd period as he simply sat back and watched all the action at the other end of the ice. My unofficial count had him going over 12 minutes of the third without facing a shot.
- For most of two periods on Thursday, the Canes mirrored their season so far, there was some inspired play, some gritty play and some excellent scoring opportunities that slipped away...off a post, a key deflection, two wide open nets that could not be found...while at times they looked slow, lost and befuddled....the Canes would win a battle on the boards only to turn the puck over on a weak pass in their own zone...they would charge hard down the ice with a purpose, only to lose the puck and find themselves down 3 on 2 going the other way...they played well in spurts and awful in others, a lack of consistency that has plagued them all season...
- I turned to Stef at one point and comment that the Canes looked tired, and slow - not necessarily physically tired, but mentally tired, like their bodies just weren't in synch with what their heads were telling the to do. I wondered out loud of the mental toll of defending a Cup - the grind of the playoff coupled with a short offseason and then a regular season where everyone has a target on you - might be more significant than any physical toll. Even if you work to get your body back in shape and ready to go, the mind and the psyche are perhaps more fragile and more difficult to keep sharp. Let's hope this big win over Montreal (not just the win, but the way they won it in the third period) can re-engergize the team and launch them forward as they get ready for a big west coast road trip next week.
- A perfect example of this "tired" play seemed to be evidedent in from an unexpected source on this night. Rod Brind'Amour. After having taken a few practices off during the week , reportedly to "rest" (completely unheard of for the work-a-holic), Brind A'mour looked a step slow and at times hopelessly lost on the ice Thursday night. Nobody gets his body in better shape than Rod Brind A'mour, and he is having a terrific season so far, his best offensive season in over 5 years, practically carrying the Canes on his shoulders at times, but I could not help but wonder if the grind might be having its toll. Heck at times on Thursday, it looked as if he was having trouble staying up on his skates. But to his credit he did gut it out and picked up an assist on Justin WIlliams game winning goal. Perhaps I'm just overreacting, and I certainly hope that there is not an injury that we are not being told about. Brind A'mour is the heart and soul of this team, and I would never question his effort or work ethic. He just seemed noticiably out of synch on Thursday. Let's hope it's just a blip on the radar screen.
-m
Thursday, November 23, 2006
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