Beantown Brawl: Canes Face Bruins

by Cory Lavalette on Dec 19, 2008 10:18 PM EST

The Hurricanes start a four-game road trip Saturday afternoon in Boston, meeting the Eastern Conference's top team for the first time this season.

Carolina is coming off a 2-1 overtime victory vs. division rival Florida Thursday, giving them two consecutive wins and points in six straight (3-0-3). The recent run has put the Canes back into eighth place in the conference with 35 points, leading Buffalo (33 points, with one game in hand) and the Panthers (32, one game in hand) for the final playoff slot.

With Brett Carson reassigned to Albany, Anton Babchuk will be reinserted into the lineup. That should be the only lineup change for the Canes. That leaves just Nic Wallin injured for Carolina.

The Bruins also notched another win Thursday, beating Toronto 8-5 in a game that saw three goalie changes. Manny Fernandez earned the win for Boston after replacing Tim Thomas, while Vesa Toskala struggled for the Maple Leafs and was pulled, only to be reinserted for Curtis Joseph later in the game. The Bruins have won eight of their last nine and have only two losses and one extra-time defeat in their past 20.

With 48 points (22-5-4), the B's — through Thursday's games — are tops in the East and have scored more goals (114) than any team in league while allowing just 72 (only Minnesota, with 69, has allowed fewer).

Boston is led by behemoth blueliner and captain Zdeno Chara, assist machine Marc Savard and young sniper Phil Kessel. But the star of Beantown — and perhaps the entire league — has been Thomas, who may finally have convinced all his doubters that he's an elite, Vezina-level netminder. At 13-3-3, Thomas has been nearly unbeatable most nights. Fernandez — the team's No. 1B — has been as good, going 9-2-1. According to the Boston Globe's depth chart, Fernandez was the top guy in practice Friday, so it looks like Carolina could face him. Also, winger Marco Sturm will not play after suffering an injury vs. Toronto, and ex-Cane Aaron Ward and Petteri Nokelainen are out.

A game against Boston also offers up a chance to see rugged throwback Milan Lucic, who leads the NHL in hits and has Bruins fans thinking they have found Cam Neely Jr. Surely, the B's fans and Lucic also remember Tim Gleason.

Kessel is perhaps the NHL's hottest player, registering points in 16 straight games and ranking third in the league in goals with 21. Savard is fourth in the NHL scoring with 38 points, and rookie Blake Wheeler is fifth among all first-year players with nine goals and nine assists.

But the Canes have fared well against the Bruins recently, going 3-0-1 vs. Boston last season. The team also has points in all six of their games vs. the Northeast Division (5-0-1) this year.

And there are some players finding their groove.

Although pointless against Florida, Eric Staal has re-emerged as a threat every shift and has six points in the last four games. He also has a history of lighting up the Bruins, scoring nine goals and adding 12 assists in 16 career games against the B's, all while registering a gaudy plus-16 in those games.

Captain Rod Brind'Amour has assists in five straight and also has a good past against Boston, with 19 goals and 32 assists in 63 career games.

Defenseman Joe Corvo has gotten the game-winning goal in back-to-back outings — the first blueliner in franchise history to notch the clincher in two straight. But perhaps most importantly, goalie Cam Ward has been rock solid since returning from a groin injury, allowing five goals in three games and helping the Canes earn five points in that stretch. He's also had Boston's number over his career, going 6-1-0-2.

The game begins at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on FSC and 99.9 The Fan.

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Comments

Should be an interesting game. The b’s are a wicked good team this year, I have watched several of the games. They have really good flow and can score from anywhere. Our boys are going to have to be in top form and physical. If they show up and Cam is a wall, we should give a good showing. We are faster and when Cams on we have better twine protection. Factor in Staal is a better skilled big lanky dude than Chara and I have noticed when Chara’s back on his heels and shut down the team doesn’t perform nearly as well. I think Ruutu’s skill set makes him a guy the B’s don’t like to play against. He’s gonna throm them off that real nice rythem they get going. If Rod owns the face offs and Cullen and Williams keep rolling….

I can’t wait to watch.

I hope Kessel get’s the flu…

by Paladin6 on Dec 20, 2008 6:59 AM EST reply actions

well as Center Ice fans now know, the game is broadcast in HD on the GAMEDAY channel. The problem is we don’t know if the FSC feed will block the boston feed of the game.

Because that isn’t cool to show a non-HD version of the game over a High-Def version. I can live without Tripp and John for one game if I can watch it clearly.

by neaux on Dec 20, 2008 9:54 AM EST reply actions

neaux,

Seems like that would be just too much to ask. I’ve yet to see a Canes game in HD. BTW, watching “A Day in TT’s Life” just confirmed how vacuous the guy is. I wonder if John really likes him or if he just puts up with it. All the name dropping and his man-crushes on the team, especially Rod and Justin are just embarrassing. He gives me the creeps.

by AD on Dec 20, 2008 10:48 AM EST reply actions

AD,
I am glad someone finally said it. What is up with that guy? He has a lot of Freudian slips that make you wonder…

He knows hockey but please. He always says…. “No problem” after an interview too. It is a habit now…annoying.

John has been more excited about our goals lately and not as boisterous when the opposition scores. Thank you for that subtle change John. It makes the games more fun to watch when the fans think you are seeing the game through our eyes too.

In general, they do a good job. I still haven’t figured out who thought a day in the life of TT was a good idea….??

by Ken on Dec 20, 2008 12:52 PM EST reply actions

Watching Stormy standing would have been more interesting.

by A.M. Davis on Dec 20, 2008 1:55 PM EST reply actions

Hey guys, I’m back ‘home’ visiting for the holidays in western upstate NY and can’t get the Canes game since they don’t have FSN or NESN here….anyone know where I might be able to catch it online? Thanks. Enjoy the game.

by Nik on Dec 20, 2008 1:56 PM EST reply actions

Try this

http://www.atdhe.net/

by A.M. Davis on Dec 20, 2008 2:07 PM EST reply actions

Nik

Just clicked on the link and it is working, so you should be able to see the game. Have fun!

by AD on Dec 20, 2008 2:10 PM EST reply actions

Thanks AD!!! It’s working like a charm.

by Nik on Dec 20, 2008 2:28 PM EST reply actions

Fantastic!! Just found out about this site during the Canes/Ducks game.

I’ve bookmarked it. Seems to always work…..unless neither team is broadcasting the game…..as was the case with Canes/Ducks.

by AD on Dec 20, 2008 2:39 PM EST reply actions

So are we glass half full or empty?

I’m pretty stoked and was pretty sure this was the way it was going to go. I guess i expected more out of the b’s in the first and more from our guys later, but it sorta even’d out. These guys can play and play together. I sorta hate to harp, but, we shoulda had a goal from Staal, Roddy had enough assists to earn his check. Joni is showing what he’s all about. Corvo is on. I saw great goaltending on both ends. Cullen, Ray, Ruutu all played well. The whole team looked like a team. Then they let off. They don’t remember how to keep it up and transition, they are still trying to find “the style”. You stop to think with the b’s and you lose. Like I said in an earlier post a close game if handled well will be a victory. We shall see. That was some of the best efforts from these guys I have EVER watched. I wish Sammi would shoot more…

All in all, I thought it was a good game. See what happens on the 27th, they won’t sit back and wait next time.

Eaves looking like he’s coming around?

Sutter and LaRose need more ice time.

I thought our D for our style was fantastic. The forward core is still doing a little hunt and peck. Staal get’s paid for goals, he needed to come up bigger. Anyone else catch him slashing repeatedly, I mean over and over on I think it was Kessels stick away from the puck? Lucky it didn’t break, I heard the hits on the TV. I think he’s frustrated.

I dunno, best team in the East and we owned at least 30 minutes of the game.

I missed the presser anyone catch Mo?

by Paladin6 on Dec 20, 2008 4:47 PM EST reply actions