Canes at Sens Preview
by Bob Wage on Jan 13, 2009 1:27 PM EST
20 comments
The Carolina Hurricanes are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you will get. After going on a four game winning streak and looking like a team paving a legitimate road to the playoffs, they have now lost two games in a row and have looked like anything but a playoff team.
The Ottawa Senators on the other hand have been much more consistent in their losing ways. Their local media is calling them out big time and everyone from the equipment manager to the general manager could be on the chopping block. Highly paid goaltender Martin Gerber has been healthy scratched of late and is rumored soon to be on the waiver wire as AHL call up Brian Elliott will make his second consecutive start tonight.
The game brings added drama as Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves return to familiar haunts for the first time since Ottawa traded them to Carolina last year. Eaves has nothing but good things to say about his time in Ottawa, but Corvo couldn't have been happier with his departure. In his two previous games against his former mates, he has clicked for two game-winning goals and even had a hat trick in the game last year.
In this article, Corvo mentions that you need to have a thick skin to play in that town and even calls some of the fans "fair-weather".
It takes guys with thick skin to play here," Corvo said. "It takes a lot of restraint for me to sit here and not go crazy about some of the [media]."
Corvo said he wasn't surprised to get to Ottawa and discover front-page headlines Sunday devoted to the Senators' struggles -- and the "excuses," as one headline put it.
"That's the way it is," he said. "It's especially tough here in Ottawa. We're going to get a lot of fair-weather fans, too, because a lot of fans around here were fans of Montreal before [the Senators] were here. When we played Montreal or Toronto, there was maybe more fans for them than for us."
The media does seem to take things to more of a personal level up there. In any event, look for the defenseman to get booed every time he touches the puck tonight.
There is still no official word about who will start in goal, but according to John Forslund, Tim Gleason has recovered and will most likely play tonight.
((Update 16:00)) Cam Ward will start in net according to Canes Now.
Justin Williams and Sergei Samsonov are both getting hot. Williams has four points in his last four games while Samsonov has seven points in his last six games.
Rod Brind'Amour continues his slump. His NHL worst (-27) is now getting league-wide recognition and The Hockey News talks about it a bit here.
The Sens have lost five in a row and will be more than desperate. Will the Canes have an answer to Chris Neil? They better keep their heads up, Carolina could be entering a real hornet's nest tonight. Game starts at 7:30 and will be broadcast by FS Carolinas.
For more information about Ottawa, Adam has supplied another scouting report. Thanks Adam!
Only the New York Islanders have fewer points than the Sens. They are a desperate group, but the main problem is they're not playing that way. The team has been surrounded by rumors of the GM being fired, the coach being fired, players being traded and $3 million-a-year goalies being scratched. You can see in their play on the ice that the rumors are affecting them. For the Hurricanes to win, they will need to get shots on goal — from anywhere — with Brian Elliott expected to make his second NHL start. He did not play poorly in his first game — a loss — but he is a rookie NHL goalie in a hockey-crazed city on a team searching for an identity. If the Canes can get to him early, there's a good chance they will win.
Carolina also needs to contain the Daniel Alfredsson-Jason Spezza-Dany Heatley trio. Coach Craig Hartsburg has decided to reunite his top line with the hope that he will get some offense out of a team that has produced little to none. While Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice is not much for matchups, it makes you wonder if he'll try to get the tandem of Joe Corvo and Tim Gleason (if he plays) against that line. If the Canes can contain those three, half the battle will be won.
What to watch: More than anything, watch the Senators effort in the first period. When they score first, they only win about half the time, and when are trailing after one, they have the worst winning percentage in the NHL. Carolina can benefit by getting to them fast and then pouring it on — this has not been a come-from-behind team. The lack of offense from the blueline is also worth keeping an eye on, especially if they are without their best all-around defenseman, Anton Volchenkov.
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I read on Forslund where they say brookbank wont be in again tonight. Big mistake. This is a team who can get physical, if nothing else. Is Jarko still serving suspension for his thumb chomp on Peters?
by wylde4canes on Jan 13, 2009 2:10 PM EST reply actions
between Neil and JayRoot I think tonight would have been one of those times I played Brookbank. Seems like a good chance for goonery to me!
by wylde4canes on Jan 13, 2009 2:55 PM EST reply actions
Ha, nice cliche to start that one off.
It makes me a little nervous seeing the way we’ve played the last couple of games combined with the Sens (I’m assuming) eagerness to win a game. Hopefully they can pull it off. I think Joe’s got another good game coming to him though. I have loved watching him play against them ever since we got him. Oh no Corvo!!
Oh yea, I agree with the Brookbank thing too wylde. Although I think we should have put him in a long time ago.
Hopefully nobody will get their hand bit off tonight ;-)
by T-Leaf on Jan 13, 2009 3:09 PM EST reply actions
I don’t get it w/ the Brookbank issue… they need to play him.. he has exactly the same # of goals as Eaves… And Eaves is not going to hit anyone or stand up for anyone…
The Boston game should have taught us…. Word travels fast in the NHL… I remember in the 2001 playoffs the word around was that we were a team that did not play very physical and it resulted in a first round exit to the Devils… (the next season we got more physical and went all the way to the finals with it)
I don’t think we want to be known as the “Candy Cains” again… But it’s happening.
We need to be tougher than we are….
by Mateo on Jan 13, 2009 3:14 PM EST reply actions
Yes this is their 1st game against Ottawa in Ottawa, but I will never forget Corvo’s first game against Ottawa in the RBC and getting that hat trick after being traded. Sweet redemtion, of course doing this in Ottawa would have probably been better for him in front of those fans. Of course I’m glad I was there for us. One of my very favorite games last season, I still have this game on DVR and will probably never erase it. I will never forget when Corvo was asked at the end of last season what his best moment in playing the NHL was and he didn’t say his hat trick against Ottawa after being beraded and traded by Ottawa, but it was beating Buffalo in the playoffs the year before. He is so cool to not even carry a vendicive grude—-had that been me, I would have never let Ottawa live it down. He’s so cool.
Hopefully Corvo and Eaves will both play well and do us proud. Go Canes!
by Caron on Jan 13, 2009 3:17 PM EST reply actions
I’d be tickled pink if Eaves started to play well every night, period. I’d like to see our Ruutu smack his brother. I don’t like him.
Gotta be a better game than the last one I hope…).
Bonzai!!!
A
by Paladin6 on Jan 13, 2009 3:44 PM EST reply actions
This is a monumentally important game. A loss tonight could trigger a downward spiral. I have to think Cam will go for that reason.
by Cory on Jan 13, 2009 3:53 PM EST reply actions
Cory,
I totally agree with you. I wasnt sure if there has been a confirmation on that or where that will be posted.
by Jonathan on Jan 13, 2009 3:55 PM EST reply actions
And Chip says it will be Cam (Gleason still up in the air):
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/canes-expect-tough-physical-test
by Cory on Jan 13, 2009 3:55 PM EST reply actions
Thanks Cory, just updated the article. I also expect a physical one tonight. As a matter of fact, it could get ugly.
by Bubba on Jan 13, 2009 4:12 PM EST reply actions
As TylerA pointed out last week, there is a Staal vs. Staal drinking game – could easily be modified to Ruutu vs. Ruutu for tonight…
http://puckhuffers.blogspot.com/2009/01/puck-huffers-staff-vs-staal-brothers.html
And I gotta say, I think our Jaws (Conboy) handled his biting incident better than Sharkko. It irritates me that he would try to deny that he was biting the guy’s thumb off, especially when it drew blood. At least Conboy owned up to the fact that he momentarily went a little nuts…
Anyways, let’s hope we get the good box of chocolates tonight!
by Andrea on Jan 13, 2009 4:25 PM EST reply actions
I wish Conboy was on the big team… and that he would have been there on Saturday to momentarily go nuts on the Bruins… we got our collective @sses handed to us…
by Mateo on Jan 13, 2009 5:16 PM EST reply actions
being beraded and traded by Ottawa, but it was beating Buffalo in the playoffs the year before. He is so cool to not even carry a vendicive grude—had that been me, I would have never let Ottawa live it down. He’s so cool.
Spellcheck, dude.
Corvo ASKED to be traded. Why would he be upset he got what he asked for?
by GeeIWonder on Jan 13, 2009 7:04 PM EST reply actions
Damn, this tastes like turkish delight
I hate when they do that!
by Andrea on Jan 13, 2009 7:59 PM EST reply actions
Right on! Go Corvo!!!
Who said he was mad about being traded anyways – he was berated by the media and fans, and I would hold a grudge about that too…
So maybe ottawa fans still say ‘uh-oh, corvo’
by Andrea on Jan 13, 2009 8:49 PM EST reply actions
berated by the media and fans, and I would hold a grudge about that too
Actually he said he wanted to move to a hockey market where he could go shopping and walk down the street without being recognized.
In short, a hockey market that doesn’t really know hockey too well.
Seems he quite likes North Carolina. Go figure.
by GeeIWonder on Jan 13, 2009 8:58 PM EST reply actions
Another goal by Joe, looks like he likes shopping for twine up there…
Somebody shoot Wallin, man, even when he was playing well this year, I still wish they would of traded him.
A
by Paladin6 on Jan 13, 2009 9:04 PM EST reply actions
Oh, and the refs only really suck here at the end of the second. Miss a clear trip by them. Call Joni on marginal hold and the call on Babchuck was bogus. I also am watching off the dvr on a good 15 minute delay (dinner ran long and I like to watch the whole thing). The offsides calls are stupid, Canes have eaten several that weren’t and they have gotten away with bloody murder. We are playing pretty good, just not getting goals. Ward has been doing alright, but too many goals, Wallin….
Breaking up Cullen from that line and chucking Rod back in was a mistake.
I’m not pleased.
A
by Paladin6 on Jan 13, 2009 9:20 PM EST reply actions
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