Capitals at Hurricanes: Game Day Preview
by Bob Wage on Nov 30, 2009 1:39 PM EST
78 comments
The Washington Capitals, (15-5-6) are in town to take on the Carolina Hurricanes, (5-16-5) in a game between Southeast Division rivals. Many thought these two teams might be battling each other for the division crown. Instead, the Caps are running away with things. Not only do they lead the division with 36 points, they are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference as well, while the Canes are wallowing in last place with 15 points.
The Canes are coming off two consecutive, disastrous third period meltdowns where they allowed 5 goals to both Buffalo and Atlanta. They have lost four games in a row, but have a 5-6-2 record at home. The Caps have won two games in a row and have a 7-3-3 record away from the Verizon Center.
Cam Ward is still out but has been working with goalie coach, Tom Barrasso. He is eligible to return to the lineup on December 5 and could be in action against Vancouver. Chad LaRose is still out with a lower body concern. He took a nasty spill into the boards a few games ago and is still bothered by the injury.
Scott Walker and Joni Pitkanen were on the ice at the morning skate. Bryan Rodney was reassigned to Albany, so Pitkanen will definitely be on the blueline against the Caps, but Walker is doubtful.
After getting the nod in Buffalo, Michael Leighton will get the start again tonight. Leighton had played well up until the last period against the Sabres. Although, there does not seem to be much difference in his game versus Manny Legace's at this point.
This weekend when (or if) Ward comes back, the team will have to make a decision which goalie to keep as a backup. This game could be vitally important to Michael Leighton's future.
The Hurricanes are still led by Ray Whitney, Jussi Jokinen, and Tuomo Ruutu, although Matt Cullen is hot at the moment and has a three game point streak.
Of course, the Caps are led by league MVP Alex Ovechkin. But there is plenty of other talent to help him out on the scoresheet.
The Caps had been missing goalie Jose Theodore, who took time off for personal reasons. But he is expected to start tonight. For more information about the Caps, check out one of the best hockey blogs on the net, Japers' Rink.
Paul Branecky had an update this morning on Carolina's lines:
Staal-Samsonov-Cole
Cullen-Ruutu-Jokinen
Sutter-Whitney-Dwyer
Yelle-Kostopoulos-Brind'Amour
The defensive pairings could be mixed again.
QUICK LINKS:
There are a lot of rumors out there about the team, some believable, some not. The Fourth Period is reporting that the Canes are trying to move players without any success. (Aaron Ward, Joe Corvo, and Niclas Wallin) Spector talks more about that here. Eklund has a couple of absurd and ridiculous rumors not worth repeating. And Ray Ferraro can't figure out what's wrong with the Canes and Rod Brind'Amour at this TSN link. (Welcome to the club, Ray!)
Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford has given his coach, Paul Maurice, a vote of confidence, regardless of this year's record.
"I stand firmly behind him," Rutherford said. "We all have contributed to what's happened. It's everybody, from me to the coaches to the players. We all share in the responsibility."
Standing behind him and out of the line of fire, might be a perfect spot for the GM to be standing. Some fans are less than thrilled with the team's performance year to date, which is very reminiscent of 2002-03 when Maurice led the Canes to a last place finish in the NHL as well as last in scoring, and they are looking for someone to take the fall. It will be interesting to see how long the GM will be loyal to his coach if ticket sales decrease substantially from an already disappointing start.
This game will be telecast locally in HD by FS Carolinas starting at 7. Also, Chuck will be on 99.9 The Fan. The Aftermath has been interesting with Mike Maniscalco after the game and is worth checking out if you have the time.
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1st Post
Looks like cooler heads prevail and the Canes remain intact in their state of rigormortis. Perhaps it is best to flounder and wait till trade deadline to sell the valueable UFAs for picks. Hopefully the fringe fans will not lose total interest impacting the gate. Even us die hards may not be as “wallet” committed if the org does nothing.
by Caniac233 on Nov 30, 2009 1:48 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I don't expect sweeping changes...
but if there were ever a time to tweak/lose some deadweight, it’s now. Of course I understand it’s hard to move players that either don’t want to be moved or nobody wants.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 1:54 PM EST reply actions
Tonight will be interesting, though the next couple days should be even better. The last time JR expressed confid. in MO, Mo got fired. Same with Lavi and a couple players. Wonder who’s head is on the block?
Leights is an interesting choice tonight, wonder if it means anything in the big picture? Man I hope the guys at least make a showing and play for 60.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Pass the yardstick, please
Although our team can certainly play down to the level of talent they are facing at times, much to our frustration and chagrin, it can equally play upward to match talent at times.
I don’t hold out much hope for tonight, but this is truly an opportunity to see where we stack up against first-class offensive talent. Unfortunately, our defensive system (see league’s worst Goals Against status for confirmation) is not exactly first-class at the moment, so the mismatch may be painfully obvious before the night is over.
Having said that, Washington’s defensive system is no jewel, either, so this is a case of who can score the most goals, most likely. Should be a display of offensive finesse from at least one team on the ice, if nothing else.
I’ll be there.
The 'Canes are in first place!
When I read the first line
The Washington Capitals, (15-5-6) are in town to take on the Carolina Hurricanes, (5-16-5)I thought I had dreamed up this horrible season and became gleefully joyous seeing that we were in first place, but then my eyes became uncrossed and I realized I wasn’t dreaming after all and that I momentarily transposed the Caps record with our record seeing that they are almost identical in the opposite way. Carry on boys and I hope you at least put a good fight. If we are winning after the 2nd period I am going home so I don’t have to watch the ending debacle.
I am going home so I don’t have to watch the ending debacle.
Heh, not so dissimilar here, except the Caps give up enough goals to go down by one, not 5 goals against.
by red army line on Nov 30, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
Is it wrong for me to start crying now? I would start drinking, but I’m still at work…
by Andrea's evil twin on Nov 30, 2009 2:14 PM EST via mobile reply actions
But I still have to drive home…
by Andrea's evil twin on Nov 30, 2009 2:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Did this just go from a flippant-joking suggestion to actually trying to figure out the dynamics of heavy drinking and not driving? Not that it’s surprising…
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
No still flippant.
However if I suggested that she take a cab home or remind her that there are some (although limited) forms of public transportation in the area, then it would become a serious discussion. ;)
I’m glad to hear you’re safe when it comes to Canes related sorrow-drowning. :)
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 2:43 PM EST up reply actions
And would also require me to actually have alcohol in my possession, which I do not…
by Andrea's evil twin on Nov 30, 2009 2:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Get a cab, then tell them to send the bill to JR and the Carolina Hurricanes FO.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
LOL
Don’t worry, I made it home, now I can start drinking…
by Andrea's evil twin on Nov 30, 2009 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
Sure, if ya wanna hang out with Dr. Cranky! Listening to the canes get their behinds handed to them on a platter yet again while trying to keep up with the game thread on a computer that has crapped out on me and will probably cost me much $$$$ to get fixed is not my idea of fun…
:’(
by Andrea's evil twin on Nov 30, 2009 6:23 PM EST up reply actions
I think the coaching staff missed an excellent message sending opportunity here. Since it’s clear they expect Joni to return tonight, why not keep Rodney up and sit A.Ward for a game?
As far as I know it wouldn’t carry any additional salary issues (if I’m wrong on this one, please correct me) and it wouldn’t have taken more than 5 seconds to make the switch. I understand Rodney isn’t exactly a Norris trophy winner yet, but IMO neither is A.Ward. Where is the harm in giving it a shot?
May just be in penny-pinching mode, although I agree it’s not much of a price to pay (Rodney’s NHL rate for one game, so less than $7K, I believe for a $550,000 NHL salary).
However, we are in serious trouble with the cap until we shed some salary (within $300K did I see somewhere?), and revenue projections are not going to be met for this year.
So, dollars may have trumped message. Or, Mo loves his vets too much to turn loose of them. Or, maybe Jeff Daniels added “pretty please” to his request to have Rodney returned. :-D
Sadly, I think it’s that Mo loves his vets too much. I think they truly hope A. Ward is gonna turn it around. I don’t think any of us share that hope.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 2:34 PM EST up reply actions
Hoping and expecting are different things.
I doubt anyone truly wishes ill of A. Ward, but I sure as hell think he looks done as an NHLer
Good point. I hope he does, I certainly don’t expect it.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
Was discussing with a friend about an hour ago whether or not A. Ward’s warranty is up.
Surely this should be Walker’s responsibility, tracking down the receipt and all.
After all, it was Scotty that broke A. Ward.
The other night I think we were discussing whether Scotty should pop him again and maybe set it straight.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
I hope AWard forgets how to get to the RBC but expect him to find his way there anyway.
by Canes Pucknut on Nov 30, 2009 3:17 PM EST up reply actions
If they’re shopping AWard they certainly don’t want to scratch him..Just a thought.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 30, 2009 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
I’d think scratching him would be the best thing they could do. Any GM worth his weight in feathers isn’t going to trade for a guy who’s on the ice for 70% of the goals against (thinking back to the last two games).
Yeah, his value declines every time he rolls onto the ice for a -1. But HM is right, scratching him looks even worse.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Nov 30, 2009 3:14 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah she probably is (as is the case a lot of the time). It may serve as a nice wake up call to him though and get him more focused. Not in an effort to turn the season around (see HM-I am in acceptance), but more to get him playing better so someone will want him.
I understand. There’s also putting him on waivers – did wonders (keeping in mind that everything is relative) for Yelle. His 2nd 10 games were WAY better than his first 10 (pre-waivers).
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Nov 30, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
It sure was a wake-up call to Martin Gelinas in ‘01-’02. No one picked him up when he was placed on waivers, but he sure elevated his game for the remainder of the season.
Ended up scoring the game-winning goal against Toronto in Game Six of that series to take us to the Stanley Cup Finals that year.
I guess I can’t really fathom “penny pinching” in terms of thousands of dollars, but that’s probably the poor college kid thing talking. :) I guess I was thinking that weren’t any salary issues because they already paid Rodney his NHL salary last game and somehow sitting in the press box eating hot dogs doesn’t seem that far from what they’re getting out of A.Ward anyway.
I think it’s probably more that Mo likes his vets too much to dare sit them which may be the saddest part of all of this.
Hey, maybe Rodney is on a one-way contract, and you’re right about it costing us the same regardless for which team he plays. I just assumed he’s on a two-way contract, with a differential pay rate as to whether he’s up or down.
Anyone have any hard info on Rodney’s contract status?
No, he’s on a two way deal.
My point was this:
We paid Rodney, AWard and Pits last game. Pits was hurt and AWard did nothing.
Why not pay Rodney, AWard and Pits again this game? Pits isn’t hurt (at least as of right now) and AWard can sit and still do nothing.
Maybe there are cap contingencies I’m unaware of (like if Rodney stays for a certain number of games, his NHL salary counts more?).
Semin is a Cane killer to be sure. Hopefully keeps the craps out of a double digit scoring night..
I wonder if the game gets chippy or not. Penalty’s will be huge for us tonight. We go on a penalty spree and we will get sodomized.
Good excuse to drink tonight, i rteckon, as mentioned previously.
A-looking for the vodka..
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Ovechkin
I’ve had the pleasure of having some good conversation with a few of our defensemen over the past couple of years, thanks to a Kids ’N Community luncheon held each year. In particular, I had the opportunity to ask both Tim Gleason and Andrew Alberts who in the NHL it is that they most worry about seeing coming down the ice at them.
Both did not hesitate long before answering “Ovechkin”. When pressed as to why, they both interestingly gave the same answer: “Because you never know what he’s going to do next.”
Captain Obvious
I just want to play Capt. Obvious and point out that AO has 18 goals in 20 games and our top 3 goal scorers have a combined 18 goals in 72 games. Dang.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
by drifterscape on Nov 30, 2009 2:58 PM EST up reply actions
Only way they'd be better is if all were scoring at 9G/10GP
But yeah, so roughly 18 goals in 24 GP for those guys. (72 man-games)
by red army line on Nov 30, 2009 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
"...the Caps are running away with things"
Well they’ve run away from the Hurricanes anyhow. A long ways away. Atlanta can still see them.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
Leighton
I would guess they are playing Leighton tonight because they are expecting to lose. Washington’s offense has been on fire and unless Staal decides he wants to show up huge tonight against Ovi (which in past seasons he has actually done), I’m not realistically expecting a win either.
Over at PuckDaddy
Wysh says the Flyer’s coach is on the hot seat.
Comment #1 is from a Flyers’ fan:
Lavi! Lavi! Lavi! Peter Laviolette, hopefully, will be the Flyers Bylsma.;
Comment # 2 is from Carolina (someone here?)
@1…and then the canes can fire maurice and hire a semi-competent coach!!!!!
Lots of moving parts for JR to consider.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
Thanks for the link!
Best quote of them all IMO-
“I want to make the NHL,” said Bowman, who notched 6 goals and 6 assists in his first 18 games with Albany. “And I don’t want the slow road.”
I like that the young guys seem to have a lot personality-makes it easier to market them (and the team) to fans.
Pressure!
1) Talk about pressure on a goalie! Leighton has to face one of the best teams in the NHL and this will decide his NHL future!?!
2) Of course he has had quite a few second chances altready. He may not have to win tonight to keep his job, but if he can’t stop more than 90% of the shots he might be toast!
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
Tonight's lines
The depth chart lineup tweeted by the org and linked by Bob above may only be good for only a few shifts, as long as Mo is behind the bench, but I do like it on paper.
The Cullen plus two Finns line, a version of the all-Euro line, is intact and has been effective. Similarly the recently formulated fourth line is intact, and with the recent accomplishments of both Yelle and Kostopoulos (and even Brind’Amour, with his shortie attempt last game) bode well for some scoring off that line, too.
I’m personally a fan of the shift-disturbing, chaos on the ice, pin the other team down in their zone and either draw penalties or roll the first line on ‘em kind of approach to the fourth line, but even though we have pieces galore for such a line, it just doesn’t seem to be in vogue with the brain trust right now.
As for the top line, Staal is a black hole with the puck. Definitely a shoot-first, if he’s in front of the net, passing only from behind the red line when he’s out of reach for a stuff attempt. So, pairing him with two pass-first wingers, who both have shots, if needed, is a good idea. At least they both have the speed to stay with him on the attack.
Similarly, pairing Sutter with his adopted mentor, Whitney, and the Captain of the Rats, Dwyer, would seem to maximize his comfort zone. Anyone know whether or not Sutter and Dwyer spent time on a line together in Albany?
All in all, I’m okay with this permutation, assuming that they’re going for four scoring lines…at least until Mo saws off a fourth of the bench in the third period, that is.
Don’t even count on the lines staying the same for the first 10 minutes of the game. Mo will switch them up like crazy even if we are winning.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
4 scoring lines? WTF, did I miss something this year? We don’t have 4 scoring players let alone lines!!!
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
I think the sentiment is that we are spreading out our supposed talent over a few lines.
(I.E. in a sane world Sergei Samsonov would not be on an NHL team’s line one)
Sentiment huh? Yea, I get that stuff in my coffee when the filter flops over.
“Spreading out” plays to Staal and Binky’s super power…invisibility!
It seems that it would be wiser to group the scorers and make one line that is effective rather than scrambled shit like we have been watching.
I’m sorry, i watched the news today and I’m in a grumpy mood.
Just disregard me as you always should.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
Samsonov
Sammy’s a decent third line winger. But he’s playing first line with Staal and then people complain Staal’s not producing. Sigh.
Carolina Hurricanes...2011 Stanley Cup Champions
by drifterscape on Nov 30, 2009 6:38 PM EST up reply actions
I’m thinking this is all about feeding Staal. Decent skaters that think pass first (Cole/Samsonov) and can thread one between legs.
And, if rebounds occur, both of these wingers have finishing skills.
Admittedly, not a prototypical “first line”. But one customized to, as Ray says, get the big guy going.
spreading out. haha
very sad we have to spread out what we have
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