Canes Give Their Fans a Lump of Coal: Canadiens 5, Hurricanes 1
by Bob Wage on Dec 24, 2009 12:23 AM EST
146 comments
The Montreal Canadiens came into the RBC on Wednesday night and demolished the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-1. The visitors scored a powerplay goal just 1:29 into the game and chased goalie Cam Ward less than 10 minutes into the period as they built a 3-1 lead before the home team knew what hit them. By time the period was over, the score was 4-1 and the game was as good as over.
The Habs would score again in the second period on another powerplay goal, the second time that defenseman Aaron Ward was in the box while a powerplay goal was scored for the opposition.
Ward did not see the ice again after that penalty and finished with just 7:23 of ice time.
Coach Paul Maurice juggled the lines a bit and finally seemed to take some players to task for their lackluster play. Rod Brind`Amour and Scott Walker only had two shifts in the second period and none in the third. Both finished the game with about five minutes of ice time.
Eric Staal was moved off the first line and started the second period with Patrick Dwyer and Jussi Jokinen. Brandon Sutter, who showed more hustle and determination than any other Hurricane, was moved to the first line and centered Ray Whitney and Tuomo Ruutu.
The changes did not cause any immediate results, but there were several close chances. Jussi Jokinen was moved to center and Staal was moved to wing. Will the team continue with that experiment? How about having Staal play with Sutter as center?
At this point, any change seems worth a try.
Brandon Sutter scored the only Carolina goal of the game and showed great hands when he knocked in a rebound off of a Tim Gleason shot. The youngster was sniffing around the net all night long and seemed to generate the most chances on the team.
Head Coach Paul Maurice apparently agreed and said that Sutter was the best player on the ice for the team last night and he showed great leadership.
The coach also said that he took Cam Ward out of the game because he hoped that he could stop the first goal and expected him to stop the third. The third goal was scored when Sergei Kostitsyn beat Joni Pitkanen down the ice and tipped a Tomas Plekanec pass through Ward's 5-hole.
All fans can do now is wonder why the Hurricanes were out-hustled in their own rink? Why they would come out flat when they are dead last in the league and keep telling everyone who is listening that they have not given up on the season yet?
As Maurice said in the press conference, the team needs to show it on the ice. All the talk in the world is not going to change this train wreck of a season. They need to show up and actually out-work the team they are facing, and they sure did not do it on Wednesday night.
Next up Saturday night will be a hungry Flyers team with a new coach and a new goalie, Peter Laviolette and Michael Leighton. They just won 5-2 in Tampa Bay as Leighton made 31 saves on 33 shots.
Game Notes:
- This was one of those games where the shots on goal stat was meaningless. The Canes out-shot the Habs in every period and ended up with a 47-25 advantage. Only scoring 1 goal in 47 shots is unbelievable, especially when Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak did not need to break a sweat.
- Brandon Sutter was tied with the team lead and had seven shots. Tuomo Ruutu also had seven while Matt Cullen and Joni Pitkanen each had six.
- Cam Ward finished with four saves on seven shots. Replacement Many Legace fared a bit better and made 16 saves on 18 shots.
- Tim Gleason came close to dropping the gloves, something he simply can not do because his face is still healing. Mike Maniscalco and John Forlsund were wishing in the post game that someone would have taken the initiative to start a fight, (other than Gleason), to try to spark the team. The Canes were flat and seemed to stay flat.
- Andrew Alberts played in his 300th career NHL game. He leads the team with 124 hits which is currently fourth highest in the NHL. This includes a team high six from last night. Ruutu is next on the team with 109.
- The team had about 25 seconds of a two man advantage, but failed to score. They ended up 1-5 on the powerplay while the Habs were 3-5. The powerplay is now rated 29th best in the NHL. The penalty kill has dropped to 21st.
- Matt Cullen and Jussi Jokinen had good nights in the faceoff circle. Cullen was 13 of 18 for 72% while Jokinen was 10 of 14 for 71%. The team finished up at 60%.
- Pitkanen led both teams with 29:38 of ice time.
- Attendance was 14,820 and many had left before the end of the game. Those numbers are sure to go down unless the Hurricanes put forth better effort than they did for this game.
- Cory made a good note. Staal did not take any faceoffs tonight, possibly because of a hand or wrist injury?
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Wow, there’s a lot of material above with which to work. Impressive summary, Bob.
The first among your bullets that I “highlighted” was this one:
This was one of those games where the shots on goal stat was meaningless. The Canes out-shot the Habs in every period and ended up with a 47-25 advantage. Only scoring 1 goal in 47 shots is unbelievable, especially when Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak did not need to break a sweat.
A fun tool for post-game (or even during the game) is the NHL.com Gamecenter. Note the interactive (hover cursor over the rink) hockey rink graphic in the center of the page. The “All Hurricanes” tab is a dropdown menu that will let one select individual players and will then display their shots.
Now, take a look at where some of those 47 “shots” were taken. Note differences between Staal’s and Sutter’s. This is a fun tool that doesn’t do justice to the 3rd and 4th dimensions that are integral parts of the game, but it is illuminating.
Hallmark of a Mo-coached team is tons of ineffective “shots” on goal, shake of the head during the post-game interview and a muttered “hot goalie”.
They can’t all be that hot, Mo. Just sayin’.
Here’s another bullet of interest:
Matt Cullen and Jussi Jokinen had good nights in the faceoff circle. Cullen was 13 of 18 for 72% while Jokinen was 10 of 14 for 71%. The team finished up at 60%.
For whatever reason (injury? banned by the coaching staff?), Staal did not take a single faceoff all night, not even when a second option was needed for both of the lines to which he was assigned last night.
Any theories as to why?
Staal is likely playing through an injury at a last ditch effort to make Team Canada for the Olympics but his lackluster play is not helping him. It is sad to see him out there, you can see it in his eyes that he is trying so hard to make a big play and show he is still a star worthy of playing for his country.
Unfortunately to me it seems that every time he tries hard to make a play and it fails (which is most of the time lately) he will simply give up. I can’t be the only one seeing this, when Sutter goes out and makes a play and it doesn’t work he is right back on the puck trying again. You can literally just see the hope drain out of Staal when he can’t make the play, he will just shut down. He needs to get a good butt whoopin or something to wake him up.
start game in your rink FLAT?
i’ve said this before….how the hell do you come out flat? you’re getting paid millions….you’re reasonably young (no war veterans), you “want” to win, you’re in a beautiful area (RTP), and your fans still love and support you, and you come out flat??? are they so decimated by being yelled at, depressed, frustrated with the game strategy/power plays that they give up cause they know the management/coaching is useless? i wonder if sutter shows some jump cause he’s not jaded, hasn’t been under this coaching staff for that long and can still play his game whereas the others are so spent they don’t see the point of trying. i don’t hate mo or francis, but it’s like the team quietly rebels against their own team out of anger and sabotage themselves. i don’t know. and i’ve been saying forever that i do not get the fascination with staal when he just doesn’t deliver at all.
Even after a good nights sleep, that was a butt kicking in about every respect.
Sutter gets more minutes=Sutter best man on the team
Simple equation that has given results every time.
The Flyers game is going to be something….
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
This could be just what the Dr ordered for the Flyers. I can’t imagine how ugly it might be if that team, with that talent, can start executing Lavi’s system, you know the one where you actually try to score more than once. A night against this disasterpiece of a team and Wardo’s glove and five hole could go a long way to getting the Bullies on track.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 6:53 AM EST up reply actions
Being the best player during an awful game isn’t much of a prize. I do remember vividly one play in the first period during a rare cycle at our end — Sutter reached out one-handed and tried to curly-cue the puck to himself. Of course, Montreal got the puck and off they went. One in a hundred examples of the Canes getting out-worked and out-hustled.
Even during warm-ups the Canes looked flat, Sutter included. Maybe that’s just his style for getting loose, but I hope he’s not getting infected with some players bad attitudes.
An awful game all around, there’s really nothing positive to say. If we lose to Philly and Lavi and Leights on Saturday, we could be in for another long losing streak.
“Another” ain’t just like one big long one with an anomoly here and there?
As for Philly, yup I agree with you both.
Gonna be interesting on Saturday. I might just see if I can talk my son into going so I can watch and check out the crowd.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
And after Philly, we get to go up to DC. And then – 2 games vs the Rangers to bring us into 2010. What are the Canes thinking as they wake up this morning? How can they stand it?
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 10:10 AM EST up reply actions
+1
Great point. What, if anything do these guys feel like in the morning? A. Ward, while a good man should feel like falling on his sword. His whole career may be falling apart in front of him. Does he realize it?
Brandon Sutter has been the star game in a game out this year. He was the star during the joke of a camp/tryouts and when given the word from JR himself and got more minutes he shined bright. Mo demotes him and his star dims. He get’s more time and get’s the only goal in a limp effort from the rest of the team sans a few. Does he have some form a mantra like the Little Train That Could? “I know I can, I know I can, Iknow I can…”
Rod. Like A ward I don’t think he can look in the mirror and not want to shrivvle up and expire.
Mo..
Staal..what does Staal think?
Interesting point HM, the world may never know.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
They’ve got to hate it as much as the fans do. That’s why I’ve wondered what’s really going on in the locker room. If Roddy and AWard know their careers are nearly over, are they negatively impacting the rest of the team, especially the guys here for the first time and the Rats? There is something going on that the fans don’t see. There has to be a reason that they’re playing so poorly, without any passion or joy. I can imagine it’s tough having such a wasted year, but this team has pieces to be better than they’re playing. In this case, the sum is less than the whole of its parts, and to me that points to chemistry issues. It was weird watching the lines last night (we left after the second period). You would think that Staal and Sutter on the same line would get something going, but last night felt like a curse from the hockey gods. Everything that could go wrong did; every good set-up got whiffed, every good pass bounced over a stick, every bit of momentum got snuffed by Montreal tilting the ice against us.
Very well said Emma. The Staal backers just need a star to look to in this grim season. Others see him as he is, a slacker ( gliding off the ice during shift change= to many men on ice penalty) using that big body of his to gently lean into a half hearted check along the boards. Hey let me try my wrap around that every frickin goalie that has half a brain is expecting, because it is basically my only power move. Damnit I am a superstar you just knocked me on my ass behind the goal, I better lay here and and watch that ref give that bad man a penalty for hitting me, a star, how dare him…. Eric sorry but a few shinning moments, maybe 3 minutes of effort out of 20+ minutes of TOI just isn’t cutting it. Please spend this Christmas sitting in your million dollar plus home contemplating what a slacker you are, as you watch your child put maximum effort into soiling his diaper, then asking your wife to change it for you.
I hope Mo is finally pissed off enough to continue with the messages he sent to some of our veterans in this game. Put up, or I am gonna find a player that will. Merry Christmas Caniacs…. wow do I feel better,
Staal is a star player, no if ands or buts about it. He is easily top 10 in the league for goals scored over the past 5 years and has already won a cup. He is not playing well this season but to give up on him now after he is one of the main reasons we have been so good as a franchise is ridiculous.
I blame Maurice 100% for the demeanor of the team, including Staals. Staal hasn’t been trying hard all year, why has it gone on for HALF the season? That is ridiculous, any decent coach would have called out or demoted his superstar a LONG time ago to wake him up. Maurice has negative passion, he in fact seemingly sucks whatever passion left in the team out of it and drives it into the ground. Is anyone else tired of his stupid “Yeah we lost, but we had some moral victories, the other goalie played great, and we aren’t giving up yet”? Wake up and call out your own team! Be a coach!
Mo Must Go
And if Maurice is Problem #1 then Problem #2 is Aaron Ward. What a worthless defenseman, Can we as Canes fans just start a “Get Aaron Ward off of the Canes” fund? The city of Raleigh should just pay the $1.25 million to send him off of our team on reentry waivers and classify it as a natural disaster. How could someone go from a top pair D to barely an ECHL level player in one off-season?
I’m actually quite convinced that Boston is playing out some elaborate plan of revenge in which they are paying Ward an additional sum of money to tank our team because we knocked them out of the playoffs last year. I can’t comprehend any other reason.
To blame 100% of what a team does on the ice, on a coach thats isn’t is a joke. These players make millions are supposed to play with pride and integrity. Mo no doubt has to shoulder some blame, but to put 100% on him is ridiculous. Besides why on earth would you even have to send a wake up call to your star??? If he is a true star, he should bring the A game every time.
Everything starts at the top. A good coach can make a team full of mediocre players champions. A horrible coach, that sucks the life out of a team (Maurice), can turn a team full of winners into the laughing stock of the league.
A good coach is passionate about winning and committed to excellence. Maurice is quite obviously to me, not committed to excellence and is not passionate about winning. I have never heard Maurice be passionate about anything in any interview he has ever done with the Canes.
And where is your stars passion on the ice? Yes he shows moments of brilliance, but if he played every shift like it was his last, we could be a contender. A coach shouldn’t be able to ruin the head of superstar unless there is already a problem with said superstars head! This is the guy that is mostly likely going to get the “c” next year, I want to see leadership, passion out of him and damnit he isn’t showing any of it. He is playing like he has some feeling of entitlement, bullshit, step up and play like you mean it every shift.
Trust me I agree that Staal needs to pull his head out of his ass and play with some heart, my point was that a huge part of a coaches job is sparking that passion in his players. I feel that Mo does not do this, he does the exact opposite and sucks all the passion existing in the players. Everyone is playing slow, boring, uninspiring Mo hockey.
Superstars are usually one of the first players to get called out by their coaches if they are underperforming. Staal should be trying his heart out simply for the purpose of making the Canadian Olympic team. I think it will be a huge blow to his confidence. I think it will be a big turning point in which he will either fire up the afterburners and prove that they were wrong in not picking him or just shut it down and pout the rest of the year.
Eric Staal is officially Staaled
He like many was good in the past but when the going gets tough the star of the team needs to lead the way back. The moping Staal seems to have given up and the rest of the team has followed. I read about the stars on the other team and they score, they check, and they hustle. I’ve not seen that from our star.
I’m not paying to watch the start of the team pose in disbelief after every lame shot while the other team races toward the other end. I’m not paying to see our biggest scoring threat fire shot after shot into the goalies mid section. His only move is that lame wrap-around that ever one knows is coming.
Leaders lead, I’ve not seen any evidence of this from Staal this year. The past is just that.
by playwithpride on Dec 24, 2009 6:16 PM EST up reply actions
There was a Carolina Hurricane on the ice last night by name of Brandon Sutter. I don’t know why the rest of his team didn’t show up. All I saw was horrible passing, players falling on the ice and others standing around looking like a deer caught in the headlights. It was the worse game I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. However, I stayed until the final second ticked off the clock. I enjoy the sport, watching my team whether they win or lose, but last night it made me queasy because they played with no heart, no desire, except for Sutter. They should all give Sutter their paycheck from last night. He deserved it and deserves all the ice time he can handle from now on out.
Live & Learn
sutter knows this is his chance and hes made the most of it. he plays hard no matter the score, these so called vets can learn from a hungry rookie
by brassBonanza on Dec 24, 2009 8:47 AM EST up reply actions
Top NHL prospect Taylor Hall gets crack at Canada’s junior team
Nice piece on Hall, read up Caniacs this could be our gift for next Christmas!!
NHL Network Coverage of WJC this weekend
Sat 12/26 – 4 pm see Taylor Hall and the Canadian Jr Team (Seguin didn’t make the cut of course). Taylor is the only undrafted player on Team Canada IIRC
then at 8pm use can try the PIP function to see the US team and/or watch the ’canes take on the Flyers. There are several undrafted prospects on the US roster.
New Years Eve is the showdown between team USA and Team Canada, 8pm (or watch the Canes host the Rangers)
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah – I really want to see Hall play with my own eyes. I have a hard time with all the conversation about what he’s supposed to be “on paper” until I see it for myself. I got burned in the last few months by believing everything I read about how skilled a few local hockey players were. It takes more than previous displays of skill and a legion of cheerleaders and /or yes-men (of which I was unwittingly one I admit), I have found.
Similarly that’s why I enjoy seeing the Rats play. There are qualities that can’t be conveyed on paper (or would just be too unseemly for a reporter to state publicly) but are obvious within a few shifts of a few games.
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 1:17 PM EST up reply actions
Bleacher Report has a report on Taylor Hall
Interesting reading on Taylor Hall from the Bleacher Report — asserts Taylor Hall is the best player in the 2010 draft.
More Thoughts on Last Night's Beatdown
I am still fuming at Maurice/Francis/Rowe starting Wallin and A. Ward on the first shift. That is suicide. Took A. Ward less than 60 seconds to sink the team with as stupid a penalty as I’ve seen in the first 60 seconds of play. I am even more upset that after the Habs scored, Maurice/Francis/Rowe then put Wallin/A.Ward/Brind’Amour back on the ice together — with the timid trio of disaster flopped. The second goal never should have happened at all; and the puck should have been cleared.
If you want to know the outcome of a game involving the Hurricanes all one needs to know is (1) Did A. Ward play and if so when with whom, and for how long; (2) did Wallin play and if so when, with whom and for how long; (3) Did Brind’Amour play?
The simplicity of hockey is that it is a series of one on one battles. Maurice/Francis/Rutherford are sending small, quick, and mostly passive guys to try to manhandle big, fast, quick, angry guys. To everybody’s dismay, slow and quick and passive lose every time.
Sutter and Ruutu are having to be the beasts of the team and that is silly. I admire the warrior attitude of Sutter and Ruutu; and it bodes well for the future. I think Cullen hustles and has great skill and speed; but he is not going to win the meanest guy on the ice award.
I had to go back into my memory banks for some games in 2006-2007 where I saw a Hurricanes team mail in a performance (other than Sutter, Ruutu, Cullen, Carson, Jokinen, Pitkanen, and Dwyer). Pitkanen had 29:38 time on ice. That is crazy and it is unfair to blame him for being tired playing that much time.
I thought Whitney is having some unusually poor games. I wonder if all the trade rumors are getting to him. The fourth line is a joke at this point. It’s time for housecleaning and more Albany Rats.
I’ll give you 1 and 3 (for more than 7 mins). I have been endlessly frustrated with seeing the wrong people out on the ice at the wrong time or for the wrong amount of time…
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:21 AM EST up reply actions
what about Cam
im sorry ive said it once and ill say it again, sure the guy won us a cup but even a blind squirrel finds a nut, the guy is not a franchise goalie. He got lucky in 06 and got lucky down the stretch last year, if it wasnt for our ability to score with 2 seconds left Wards stats would have been a lot worse. If you were at the game last night you know 2 of those goals were nerf football soft
Other than last year, his save % has been " ho-hum" at best. I waffle on him, but I am now 70-30 with you. I think he has potential to be a really good NHL goalie, but not a superstar. His flashes or absolute brilliance are more than evened out by seasons worth of mediocrity. As time goes on I am more and more convinced that Wardo and Andrew Raycroft have a lot in common.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 9:44 AM EST up reply actions
Ward has never been very good in the regular season… You cannot forget what makes him a truly great goalie is his tendencies to play his very best in the playoffs when it counts. Undefeated in Game 7’s still, only ever lost one playoff round, and will not break down.
Some goalies cough Luongo cough are considered “franchise” goalies however always seem to have horrible meltdowns when the pressure is put on. Granted I am certainly not happy with how he is playing and I am actually a huge Mike Murphy fan and would not mind if he took over for Cam in a couple years but it’s hard to argue with Cam’s playoff results.
That’s the real issue. The dude is a playoff beast, the ECF last year being an aberration, but you have to actually get there. He has still not played full consistent regular season and we are now nearly 5 years into his career. At some point he is either going to have to do one of two things:
A) Put up quality numbers of a whole season, not just a few months or,
B) Play to the ex-keep in JR and beg him to go get the Big Baby a true scoring winger to take some of the pressure off the man between the pipes.
The more I think about, the more I believe that with good scoring, Wardo’s true potential is going to be a like Fluerry. His SV% is not going to really knock your socks off, his GAA is going to be ok, maybe a little below league average, and he is not really going to throw a lot of shut outs. To be fair to #30 he has not exactly had scoring machines in front of him at any time other than The Cup year.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 11:19 AM EST up reply actions
Excellent point. How about the idea that there is nothing wrong with the Hurricanes that (1) adding Taylor Hall; (2) having Erik Cole return; (3) losing A. Ward, (4) losing Wallin; (5) losing Walker; (6) losing Yelle; (7) adding Boychuk; (8) adding Tlusty; (9) keeping Brind’Amour’s time on ice to a minimum; (10) adding a scoring, puck moving defenseman or re-signing Corvo; and (11) adding one, if not two, young, big, fast, physical, hungry, and angry power forward prospects wouldn’t help.
So we have an 11 step plan in place! Great. Keeping with Franchise Tradition we will be back in the playoffs in two more seasons if we follow that.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 11:34 AM EST up reply actions
Blueprint for Next Season
It’s a blueprint. Let’s see how the blueprint is followed. I predict as follows:
This season:
(1) Cole returns;
(2) Tlusty gets time in Carolina;
(3) Boychuk gets time in Carolina;
(4) Walker is traded by the deadline;
(5) Brindy becomes the invisible man on the ice.
End of Season:
(1) Taylor Hall (or Tyler Seguin) is drafted;
(2) Wallin is not re-signed;
(3) A. Ward is not re-resigned;
(4) Yelle is not re-signed;
The unknowns or riding the wave of hope:
(1) Will Corvo be re-signed or will a scoring, puck-moving defenseman be part of a trade?
(2) Does Jim Rutherford feel in his heart of hearts that in the new NHL the prototype hulking beast power forward is critical? If so, there are a list of prospects available [see long post on the subject].
I just don’t know whether Jim Rutherford is on board about the need for the power forward. I can’t get a sense from his public statements on the subject. If Jim Rutherford puts his mind to solving a problem, he is excellent at doing so.
In short, it could be a one year return to the playoffs, IF the blueprint gets followed and IF the Hurricanes stay relatively healthy and IF Maurice is a playoff quality coach for this particular team. Otherwise, Maurice gets fired in December, 2010, and the Hurricanes are back in the playoffs in 2011-2012.
Deadline
I have a feeling we will see a lot more action than just Walker getting traded by the deadline.
Deadline Trades: A prediction
Ok, here is my prediction at the deadline.
1. Cullen is traded at the deadline;
2. Walker is traded at the deadline;
3. LaRose is traded at the deadline;
4. Corvo is traded at the deadline;
5. A. Ward put on re-entry waivers with a semi-trade or a trade of a late meaningless draft choice;
Other predictions:
1. Wallin won’t waive NTC; not re-signed
2. Whitney re-signed in one year deals like Wesley; as long as he wants to play (becomes an official player coach)
Right on the Money
My list looks identical to this although C-Leaguer makes a good point about LaRose.
The only move that I question is Corvo. Between his injury, our blueline, and his history with highly scrutinized teams I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays.
1. Yes.
2. No. Scotty’s an absolute champ and it’s gotta be making him sick to be around this group of underachievers. He’s making $2.5MM this year and despite what he can bring to a team no one will want to pay that for a 4th liner.
3. No — unless he comes back from the injury in 2010 and actually produces. No one is gonna take an undersized 4th liner for $1.7MM.
4. Yes.
5. No. JR is not going to put AWard through re-entry waivers unless he has a deal in his pocket. What have you seen from #4 this year that would make another team want to pick him up?
Other predictions:
1. Yes.
2. Whitney is the Canes best trade bait outside of Corvo. The team will field offers and see if Ray wants to move for a chance at another Cup run. They will resign him in the offseason.
1. Agreed
2. Agreed – people will want Walker. He is not just some 4th liner, he has been a character player in the NHL for 10+ years. He was the captain of the Predators for a while. He would probably play the shutdown third line on another team and provide leadership and depth.
3. I hope
4. I agree – Corvo is not just a Hurricanes unknown defenseman, he is pretty well known in the NHL and as a UFA rental at the deadline I’m sure there would be teams looking to shore up their top-4. Plus he will be well rested which is a luxury come playoff time.
5. I think he will be put up on re-entry waivers sometime in the next 2 weeks. They are confident in rolling with two of Rodney/Harrison/Carson for the rest of the season. I doubt they are still hoping for playoffs seeing as we would need to win like 90% of our games.
Other
1. He might. If he knew he would not be re-signed then why would he not accept a trade to a playoff contending team? Playoff time would significantly increase his value as an UFA, especially if he played well. I’d more question if there would be teams interested in him.
2. I hope Whitney gets traded. He is too valuable of an asset not to trade away and if he really liked it here he could just come back. In the mean time he gets a chance at another cup and/or playoff time to increase his value as an UFA.
Or we could get a defense that doesn’t resemble Swiss Cheese. Ward, Wallin, Alberts, and Carson are all currently bottom pairing defensemen. Pitkanen, Gleason, and Corvo are the only players I would consider top-4 and one of Pitkanen or Corvo has been out. Pretty much the whole year we have been rolling 2 top-4 guys and 4 bottom-6 guys and it has killed us both defensively and offensively.
Not a good formula for winning.
I wonder how Marty would have fared without the defensive style the Devils have implemented throughout his career. Its not Cam, its the defense. Notice, ‘down the stretch’ last year, Mo had the players thinking defense first and Cam flourished, not a coinicidence. Any goalie is only as good as the players in front of him.
Couple poor defensive support with very little offensive production and all the pressure to win is placed on his shoulders. If people are willing to adopt a wait and see what happens when the proper supporting cast is in place attitude on Staal, then you have to do the same with Cam.
"This guy is as meat and potatoes as there is of a man."
Gleason for Emperor!
I think the whole team probably reacted to AWard’s penalty at :34 in the 1st the way we did. It was hard to get past mentally. I suspect they all were even angrier than we were.
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
That may very well be true, but unfortunately no one saw that anger except for Cam’s hockey stick. No one saw a push back. Even after getting their butts handed to them during the intermission, they were (for lack of a better word) listless. That needs to be addressed.
I was talking more as a trend (not specifically about last night) though in regards to Cam and the support he gets. People are insistent that when Staal has a true elite winger, he’ll morph into the player we all thought we were getting (and some of us think we still have). I think that when Cam has a team that consistently plays sound defense in front of him (not one game or period of it) then he’ll be the goalie we see during the playoffs.
"This guy is as meat and potatoes as there is of a man."
Gleason for Emperor!
Cam Ward -- agree he was awful last night
Cam Ward was awful last night. One goal was absolutely soft. Another goal should have been stopped. I’ve changed my mind about Cam Ward. I was a huge skeptic and felt he was a loser — to be blunt. I felt he was like the kind of quarterback who would always throw the key interception an miss an open receiver. In short, I thought Cam was vastly overrated and would sink the team.
Over the course of the last two seasons, I have changed my mind. I think Cam Ward somebody will be a franchise goalie and is often the kind of goalie who steals games. In my view, C. Ward needs much more coaching and nurturing. He is not a prodigy like Miller, but he ultimately will be the real deal with enough time and training. At the moment, he is coming over a severe injury that has hampered his movement and his confidence. A. Ward and Wallin can make any goalie look incompetent.
All that being said on C. Ward’s behalf, he has some horrible games in which he seems ADD and off his mediation. A kitten playing with a toy mouse and string has more focus than C. Ward when he gets into those kinds of frame of mind. Last night was one of those miserable performances.
A superstar keeper makes the " Right save at the right time ". Wardo’s biggest drawback is that he gives up soft goals at the wrong time. The Edmonton game last year is one that really stands out in my mind. Sure he can get hot for flashes but he has never really been able to sustain that superstar play for more than a couple of months. I don’t think he will ever be a " franchise " keeper, but I do believe with proper coaching and a good D in front of him he could be a Turco type keeper who really is not going to steal games for you, but generally wont lose them either.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 9:48 AM EST up reply actions
Agree except, what’s the definition of a franchise tender? I’d say a bigass juicy contract. he’s got that now, so by just waking up and cashing a big check, he’s our franchise goal keeper. (or giver upper as of late).
I think ol’ Wardo may shine again. This is not the team infront of him to even give it a try. Next year, I expect will be a better environment (can’t be worse..). I also think he has not recovered from the slice. I too have been 50/50 on him and he has for the most part stole game or gave up a goal that was a back breaker. That said, since the injury, his return has been ugly, friggin fugly. Love him or hate him, I think it’s apparent that he has not returned to pre injury form.
A
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
The first two goals he gave up can be blamed on the defense…not should be blamed, but can be. The 3rd goal in the 5-hole pissed Mo off and he pulled him. CWard has the tools to be a top 5 goalie…don’t forget that before the season there were some pundits that rated him as first or second in the eastern conference. Ya, he’s still young and ya he has some improvements to make cough glove side high cough . He’s got the mentality and the skill set to be elite—and with Barasso coaching him he’ll only get better. Has he had a down year this season? Absolutely, but look at the team in front of him. Thor the Norse God of Thunder would have a GAA over three with this team.
and stop saying it can’t be worse.
We’ve been saying that all season and it has just gotten worse.
of course it can be worse. Please don’t ever let us find out just how it can get worse…
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:31 AM EST up reply actions
+1
A. Ward and Wallin can make any goalie look incompetent.
Particularly the 1st…
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:28 AM EST up reply actions
Wow, that was the worst effort I believe I have seen since they played the Coyotes at home and lost a few years ago — I think it was in 2007. I thought we hit bottom weeks ago, but boy was I mistaken. We usually stay for the whole game regardless, however, it was one of the few times we left early. I told the people with me that the organIzation should send everybody an apology for making us watch that. Why did the 4th line only play 5 minutes and none in the 3rd? They have been getting praises lately and I don’t think they were that much worse than the others.
by hotchipsnsalsa on Dec 24, 2009 10:44 AM EST reply actions
Guys, check with out, from the Twitter:
puckdrops Via @FriedmanHNIC: Teams who spoke to Rutherford have been told Pitkanen & Whitney are not available via trade. JR wants to re-sign Whitney.
And a link as source: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/2009/12/looking_back_10_years_and_30_t.html (scroll down to #11)
I like Whitney. I like him a lot. But it would be short sighted of this team not to try and move him. JR can say he’s not available all he wants to try and jack up the price, but it would be silly not to move him. I’m not sure what he could bring back, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him bring in Toronto’s second from Boston. He could also bring Calgary’s first, although they could use a center more than a wing.
Re-signing him next year would be great, but, it’s not without downsides for both parties. Again, Whitney would be an upgrade over Guerin on Crosby’s line. Also, that time could be better served going to younger players next year. This team isn’t going to be a cup contender next year, so if Whitney wants a good chance at doing it again he should give Pittsburgh a long hard look. I’m sure they’d give him the same 2 million dollars they gave Guerrin this season.
5 seconds left.
Do you believe in miracles?
YES!!
good observation.
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, it could be a “punt” move, to let the beauty pageant between Staal, Gleason, and Sutter (?) continue. Would buy a year or two of time before that decision needed to be made, allowing much more data to be collected on all nominees.
Ray would be a heady, intelligent Captain who would be good with the media.
Could also be JR’s way of playing hardball with inquirers (“Oh, you’re going to have to do MUCH better than that!”).
Beauty pageant? Is there a swimsuit portion?
In all seriousness, maybe I am missing something, but Rod still has one year left on his contract. How would you go about making Ray (or anyone else for that matter) captain? I suppose he could be traded or decide to retire, but I honestly don’t see either one of those things happening.
"This guy is as meat and potatoes as there is of a man."
Gleason for Emperor!
I guess I’m envisioning the buy-out (and therefore retired) scenario.
Honestly, I’m not sure what we do if Brind’Amour stays. Yzerman captained from the third line (I believe). But the fourth? That’s a stretch.
Awkward situation if the decision is to let him ride it out for another year.
Even harder to Captain from the press level unless another forward is injured.
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
It would definitely be awkward, but it’s something I think we all need to keep in mind as a possibility. Now, maybe he will surprise me and retire this off season a la Wesley and this team can move forward. But he made a comment last off season about having a commitment and planning to uphold his commitment. To me, that screams “I’m not retiring and I’m not done until my contract is up.” :shrugs:
"This guy is as meat and potatoes as there is of a man."
Gleason for Emperor!
I do NOT see him walking away from $3M. Nor, should he. It was the deal that the team and he signed in his 2006 contract extension.
So, straight retirement, without a buyout, I don’t expect. Whether or not the org considers the $1M saved and the 2-year payout worthwhile pursuing versus playing him is a decision to be made post-season.
Rod can’t walk if he wanted to, in a money way to help the team. I think the only option that changes the contract, other than a trade is the buy out. If he retires, he retires at full pay for the full term. Still better than him on the ice, but expensive.
A
The Canes are like a box of expired chocolates......
but still better than him on the ice…
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:36 AM EST up reply actions
Ward wasn't the only one who had a rough night.....
I think it’s tough to say Ward was responsible for that loss. Everybody who watched could see that it was a Team loss. Yes, Ward should have had some of those goals, but how many of you have witnessed many more nights where Ward got some….that should have been a goal! How soon we forget. The fact of the matter is …. even Patrick Roy had bad games…or several bad games in a row. Ward is still young, and IS a franchise goalie. Hockey is a Team game, and everybody is responsible for that train wreck of a performance.
Go Canes Go!
by HowieHurricane on Dec 24, 2009 10:54 AM EST reply actions
Even the third goal Cam gave up – the first two were the result of two very well executed plays by Montreal – cannot be put entirely on Cam. Koistitsyn beat him and Pitkanen on a breakaway. And why was he able to outskate Pitkanen? Because Pitkanen was all the way in the offensive zone when the breakaway started. So why was Joni the only one who even had a chance to get back on Koististyn? Because the other four skaters were standing around with their thumbs in their patoots.
I had a good view...
Of Cam breaking his stick on the wall when he walked to the locker room. I felt bad for him after that. :(
Yeah, I also have a view down that corridor. There was an assistant trainer picking up pieces of that stick afterward. Took him a while.
Cam Ward Unleashing the Fury
Cam Ward probably would have liked to have A. Ward and Wallin and Brindy on the business end of his hockey stick.
I admire tremendously Cam Ward’s tolerance of the situation. I put myself in his skates and I know full well that after that game it would be an ugly, ugly scene in the locker room if I had been humiliated in front of an unsuspecting and excited fanbase as a result of chump play by A. Ward, Wallin, and Brindy. Really, the entire team is trying to cope with this disaster and all are to be commended for their professionalism. I’d be in middle of a brawl I’m afraid which might make me feel better short-term but would only add fuel to the fire.
Full Tear Down Time
JR needs to press the " fire " button for the demolition this year. This season cannot be turned around and the quicker you kill it, the less lingering damage it can do.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 11:36 AM EST reply actions
The Key is to Keep What is Working and Not Add to the Chaos
I imagine Rutherford has already hit fire; but there have to be trade partners to get things going. We only have four tradeable assets: (1) Whitney; (2) Cullen; (3) Corvo (and he is injured); (4) Walker and (5) LaRose Whitney is the most valuable asset, followed by Cullen. Corvo’s injury means until he returns to action, he probably can’t be traded. Walker is a Doug Weight, Mark Recchi playoff team addition. LaRose, too, could help a run and gun team stay energized; but is a trade deadline player.
Until some more salary comes off the books, there is not much that can be done.
When we brought in Doug Weight as a statement piece to what JR considered to be a strong playoff team (later added Mark Recchi to really put us over the top), there was much talk about how early we were bringing in such a piece.
It was January 30th and the trade deadline was weeks away. Mark Recchi was acquired the day of that deadline, which was March 9th that year. The trade deadline for this season is March 3rd.
So, just saying it may be a few more weeks before anything happens, unless a team has a gaping hole somewhere that needs fixing fast.
I think the whole game was summed up in one moment. Aaron Ward took yet another penalty in the 2nd period, threw his hands up in the air and STOPPED PLAYING! What in the name of heaven was he thinking?
I’m ok with them losing games as long as the fight is there. Last night there was no fight, there was no hustle. They just didn’t give a darn. And that’s what frustrates me. They had better at least give a decent effort on the 26th.
"This guy is as meat and potatoes as there is of a man."
Gleason for Emperor!
Saw that too
A. Ward feeling sorry for himself for taking another penalty while Montreal gets to the puck and gets yet another prime scoring opportunity. Yelle got waived and came back better. Aaron Ward goes on waivers and comes back worse. Go figure.
Last night was the latest "Low Point" of the season, just when you think the team has hit bottom and is building on something....another Low Point.
This may be the Low Point of the franchise since moving to the Old North State.
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
I’ve never seen aftermath get a link. Here is the best place to find mid-day sports talk interviews on the Buzz or the Fan. Nothing up yet, but given it’s Christmas Eve, there may be a missing “link” in the station’s staff today of whoever is supposed to post those (no pun intended – sorry)
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
I just wanted to apologize to everyone on the thread last night. My druken rants were uncalled for. Adding alcohol to my bad day, frustration with this team and that game, and the stress of the Christmas season just seemed to be my tipping point. Again sorry and I hope I didn’t offend anyone. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and let’s hope the Canes beat the Flyers.
by PackPride17 on Dec 24, 2009 12:26 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Just glad you made it home OK, and didn’t get a lifetime BAN from the RBC
"That’s what happens when you suck" - Tim Gleason
yeah, um, I think you’re good…
not sure about your liver though…
:)
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:41 AM EST up reply actions
The Hurricanes will be extremely strong down the middle few years down the road.
Staal – Hall?? – Sutter – Ward
reminds me of Crosby – Malkin – Staal – Fleury
Perhaps not as good, but very close.
Hall is a wing and will play Wing in the NHL. Seguin would be the center if they drafted him.
5 seconds left.
Do you believe in miracles?
YES!!
didn’t know
all right. the bottom line is that you guys are really lucky you can afford to tank this season and add a top talent as a reward for being league’s worst. Not possible in markets like Montreal. We will have to attempt to win something without a top-5 pick unless we trade for one..
Glen Metropolit for ’Canes 1st in 2010?? Anyone?
Come oon!!
Saying we’re “tanking” a season will get your teeth re-arranged. While we may be a non-traditional hockey market, rest assured that we are just as passionate about winning as anyone. I will agree that Montreal has a storied history in the NHL and is one of the greatest franchises in all of professional sports. To imply that our market would be more tolerant of losing shows a general ignorance of the championships that have been forged in the Triangle. I guess not hoisting Lord Stanley’s chalice since 1993 may have made you a little peevish. Do not mistake the Canes struggles this year for giving up. As for your trade proposal, I am not currently aware of anyone on the Canadiens roster that’s worth the Canes pick for next year. Have a nice day.
Because it will be a lottery pick?
What if you’ll draft 4th and get another Andrew Ladd?
Has your GM/coach been fired? Has the media been all over your struggling hockey team?
I am pretty sure your GM would move heaven and earth to do something with the situation if you faced a relegation to the AHL or people would go beserk with the current standings. Instead, you can afford a luxury of letting this season go and get a top talent as a reward. That’s how NHL works and you will probably agree with me.
I am not peevish just because the Habs haven’t hoisted the cup for a long time. Some teams I support are not doing great, some are. I just enjoy sports in general and I discuss here because we played the Hurricanes last night and I have free time during the holidays
Merry Christmas
No doubt the Montreal media is much harder on your team than the Raleigh media. I apologize if I got carried away. We feel the same frustration with an underperfoming team as anyone. Merry Christmas!
I thought that was your intention. It is true that it would be difficult for a GM in Montreal to weather a year such as this year for the Hurricanes in large part to the nature of the media in Montreal as contrasted to Raleigh. It is a tremendous advantage that the Hurricanes organization has — the ability to fail for a season and to rebuild.
All of the Hurricanes fans are both highly competitive and proud of the Stanley Cup win. It’s been a miserable year for us, but the reward at the end will be worth the disastrous season. My hope is for Taylor Hall and if Taylor Hall is not available, then Tyler Seguin.
For the record.....
" Canes Give Their Fans a Lump of Coal: Canadiens 5, Hurricanes 1 " as a title implies that they " gave " anything at all.
it always burns within
the downward spiral never ends
when driven into sin
your salvation's found in a sinner's deed
by Douchebag St John on Dec 24, 2009 12:49 PM EST reply actions
The biggest embarrassment of all will be Lavi and Leights coming back into town….. and winning, beating us soundly.
I’m sure this will be another one of mo’s “hot goalie” scenarios.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
I’m sure this will be another one of mo’s "hot goalie" scenarios.
If Mo says that about Leights, I will throw something at the TV.
I put this elsewhere in a fanpost, but according to a Flyers blog, Boucher was expected to be ready by Saturday and the blog conversation was that of relief. Now with Leighton getting the win last night (which are few and far between there) I have to wonder if #49 will in fact be in goal for the game Saturday, no matter if Boucher can go. Not like Michael isn’t especially motivated to play the game of his life. And he does know these players tendencies.
Reality TV with a hockey theme. Never a dull moment for the Caniac Nation.
Other plotlines: Will AWard be scratched? (can they bring back Rodney or whomever with cap issues – I’d think so with Corvo on LTIR – not sure?) Will #4Ward be put on re-entry waivers Monday when the holiday freeze ends? Will Legace or Ward start Saturday? Where will Staal be? Where will Sutter be? What other changes might we see?
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
Chip Alexander is working Christmas Eve. Here’s some comments from Leighton on Saturday’s game in Canes Now.
Michael Leighton said today he’s not sure if he will start in goal Saturday for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Canes. That’s a decision he will leave to Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.
“I’m not sure but they told me to be ready,” Leighton said today. “It would definitely be exciting to play against them. I hope to play.”
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 3:24 PM EST up reply actions
Aaron Ward -- One way ticket to Florida Everglades and the ECHL
Poetic justice would be for Aaron Ward to be assigned to the Florida Everglades of the ECHL for a couple of weeks of bus rides. He has taken the Hurricanes for a similar bus ride with his atrocious play; maybe some ECHL games would add something on the karma balance sheet. It’s a fun thought, even if not possible. I feel a re-entry waiver coming on as soon as the holiday freeze ends.
yessir
I’d put at “99% likely” the paperwork for re-entry waivers for AWard Monday – if there was any doubt, his getting benched in the 3rd per, after the second penalty probably clinched it.
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 3:50 PM EST up reply actions
You would seriously think a vet would know not to take asinine penalties like he did the other night. Guess he just doesn’t care anymore. Well, neither do I.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
lies...
or are you really turning in your caniac card?
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:48 AM EST up reply actions
HM, you and I agree about a lot of things, but AWard is not going on re-entry waivers unless JR has a deal in the works. As much as I detest the “fragile psyche” theory, putting him on re-entry just to do it makes no sense. I firmly believe that if that happens it’s because JR already has a partner willing to take AWard for the rest of the year at a 50% discount.
We do seem to be of like minds often – must be why I consider you so eminently wise….;)
And I’m afraid you’re right about needing a partner to do the dance. Though I have heard more than one person in the area (Harwood on Puckdrops latest podcast IIRC?) suggest certainly at $1.25Mil AWard will have a taker. I do think a lot of #4-Ward’s problems are exacerbated by team/coach chemistry and just his total loss of confident decision-making (shocking for someone who’s accomplished so much in his long career – but it happens to the best). A fresh start may be a chance to recover some dignity. (or another know upside the head from Scotty – which must be captured on youtube for Caniac catharsis)
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 5:45 PM EST up reply actions
- oops – another knock upside the head….
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 5:45 PM EST up reply actions
Merry Christmas to you and yours…I am less wise than I am passionate, but thank you. This season seems to have been destined to be a struggle, no matter what the Pimp Hand does. We’ll get through it together, and enjoy the rewards in the future together.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 24, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions
If leights plays and beats us, and I hear mo say anything about meeting a hot goalie, I will personally puke on mo’s tie on new years. Don’t know how, but I will find a way…
(mutters: mo… leights… fair chance… expletive…)
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:47 AM EST up reply actions
One of those Metaphysical Hockey Questions
Here’s a metaphysical hockey question to ponder:
Who is the worse, knucklehead Aaron Ward for his pathetic play, or the coaches who start a knucklehead against one of the NHL’s fastest, biggest, and most explosive offensive teams?
Can’t Ward honestly say, “I only get to play when a coach puts me on the ice. If you have a problem with me, go speak to the guy in charge of ordering me to play.”
I thought Ward was playing well when he was a Bruin.. He was +16 last year, this year he’s -17..
That having said – you guys need a real No. 1 D. Like Bruins’ Chara, Pens’ Gonchar, Habs’ Markov (we won 3 straight to go back to .500 since he came back from the injury)
Cam Ward and E. Staal are 2 good building blocks, but the D needs a boost
Triangle Offense (The Independent Weekly)
I always enjoy Kate Shefte’s take on Canes games, and her latest is as fresh as usual.
Legace said he was ready to go, but his equipment wasn’t.
"I had to go in with my new set of pads, and they aren’t ready at all," Legace said. "I sort of panicked in the first period a little bit."
Ummmm…was Mo aware of this when he made the switch?
I thought the hobbit didn’t wear new pads…
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:51 AM EST up reply actions
Hurricanes Playoff Chances less than 1%; i.e. 99% chance of missing the playoffs
Hurricanes have a better chance of winning the NC Educational Lottery than making the playoffs.
Brindy, A.Ward, and Wallin are much like Humboldt’s Gift. By their massive sail on the seas of failure, they will gift to the Hurricanes as a remembrance of their underwhelming performances this year a tremendous player. Ironic how as their last acts before departing to other teams, other careers, or as with Wallin, other Countries, they bring a critically needed player to the Hurricanes. If Brindy, A. Ward, and Wallin were merely mediocre rather than horrific no such gift could be imparted to us.
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Eastern/Southeast/Hurricanes.html
Carolina Hurricanes Playoff Chances
Lost to Canadiens 1-5, playoff odds down 0.0 to 0.01344%
24 points 9-22-6
By their massive sail on the seas of failure
I thought we were sailing the seas of cheese…
:)
Taylor Hall, here we come?
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 25, 2009 1:53 AM EST up reply actions
Zach Boychuk Article --OT--
There is a great blog about Zach Boychuk that includes a video of a pretty amazing goal. I think Boychuk is going to make a Sutter-like improvement from this year to next season. I am hoping Bowman will also make similar progress; but he might need another year and the Hurricanes might need that year to clear out some more salary.
http://theriverrats.blogspot.com/
Zach Boychuk is putting together quite the highlight reel in his first professional season.
In Syracuse on Saturday, the 20-year-old rookie forward took a pass from Jerome Samson, weaved the puck between the legs of a Crunch defender, cut across the goal mouth and buried it on the short side.
The night before in Lowell, Boychuk went end-to-end, blew past two defenders, and out-maneuvered the sprawling Devils’ netminder for another beauty.
Against Providence the previous week, the youngster flew down the left wing and unleashed a shot so fast and accurate most on the arena never even saw it hit the top corner of the net.
Fast hands, a deadly release, tremendous acceleration, creativity with the puck, and continuous determination on the forecheck are just some of the traits that make Boychuk the natural-born goal-scorer and playmaker the Hurricanes were hoping for when they selected him in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Coming off a spectacular junior career, Boychuk is adapting quickly to the professional level.
Boychuk’s offensive talents were never really in doubt, but the limitations of his size and defensive play had some people questioning his ability to make the transition.
Zach Boychuk
(Photo by Jennifer Bock)
Now, nearly three months into the season, Boychuk has proven to be one of the top rookies in the league, tallying 20 points (9 G, 11 A) in 30 games, not to mention an assist in two games with the Hurricanes during a call-up in November.
Boychuk’s small stature rarely slows him down, as the shifty forward easily avoids and spins off checks. He has been lined up a few times, but absorbed the hits well and showed no signs of weakness.
Boychuk has even rattled the glass with a few checks of his own.
Knowing when and where to take chances and how to recover when things go wrong is an essential part of the game, one that Boychuk is picking up fast.
Boychuk held a team-low minus-9 rating after his first 22 games, underscoring a lack of defensive awareness.
Lately, however, Boychuk has demonstrated a new level of responsibility in his own end, staying aware defensively while remaining aggressive offensively.
In Boychuk’s last eight contests, he has a plus-7 rating. He has not registered a negative game in all of December.
Boychuk is equipped with all the tools of an elite player. He still requires some slight fine-tuning, but is developing well at the AHL level and is certainly in the running for a full-time NHL slot by next season.
For now, fans in Albany have a future star to watch. Boychuk is on the path to a long and prosperous career.
Posted by Rat Byte at 3:50 PM 0 comments
Labels: Albany River Rats, Carolina Hurricanes, Zach Boychuk
Boychuk held a team-low minus-9 rating after his first 22 games, underscoring a lack of defensive awareness.
See, this is what I think Forslund, and maybe others, was referring to when they made passing comments about Boychuk having “problems” adapting to the pro game. It wasn’t on the offensive side, it was on the defensive side.
And, none better to help shore up that aspect of his game than Jeff (“Jake”) Daniels. Mr. Utility was one of the steadiest and most reliable defensive forwards you could ever hope to have on a checking line or penalty kill.
Defensive responsibility is a teachable and correctable deficiency. Speed, heart, and goal-scoring is a bit tougher to teach. Thankfully, no shortage there.
What a nice Christmas present…a glimpse of the Future.
Commentator 24 Cups November, 2009 assessment of the Hurricanes
I looked back at commentators’ earlier reaction to the fall from grace by the Hurricanes. Here are the notes by Steve Kerley, otherwise known as 24 cups.
I would not blow up the team; but I’d err on the side of trading or not re-signing players under-performing, expensive, players who are 32 or older. I read a blogger on WRAL’s Hurricanes site (I think) say that the problem was the veterans think Maurice’s defensive style is stupid and aren’t buying in.
It is obvious to me that the Albany Rats are far more comfortable with Maurice’s forechecking and physical system than a number of the veterans in Carolina. I also noticed that the Albany Rats have quicker and better reactions to the puck at their feet in front of their own net. Maybe it is just that simple. The young guys like a system that emphasizes hitting, quick reactions, and soft hands; while some of the veterans resist expending the constant physical challenges and expenditure of extra energy it requires.
I’d relate it to how college athletes react to a new coach who comes in after they played a year or two; or perhaps what one would hear from junior college transfers. The discussion was often — under our old coach, we didn ’t use zone traps because they are too easy to pass through; under our old coach we never played a 2-3 zone, etc., etc.
I get the feeling some of the underlying problem is with veterans not being willing to make the leap of faith it takes to embrace fully another coaching scheme. It doesn’t help that in a forechecking system, it helps to be big, fast, quick, strong, and have great vision on the ice and have soft hands.
Defensively, speed of mental processing, great skating skills, excellent vision on the ice, and physicality behind the goal are required. in short, I don’t have any overwhelming skepticism toward the Maurice system; but with the personnel at Carolina at the present time, it doesn’t fit all the players well. By next season, the players on the team will fit the system better and we will then be able to tell whether or not it works as well as Maurice believes it will.
24 Cups looks at the Hurricanes permalink
Steve Kerley checks in with another scouting report:
How could a team that beat out two top seeds in last year’s playoffs (New Jersey and Boston), have fallen so far, so fast?
Tobacco Road, indeed.
Any high hopes that Carolina might have had for this year have Staaled indefinitely as the Hurricanes are now the cellar dwellers of the NHL. It appears that the team has gone to the well too often as many of its players have seemingly aged overnight.
It may well be time for a total rebuild in order to take advantage of the youthfulness of the team’s two main stars, Eric Staal and Cam Ward.
Hurricanes v. Flyers : An Old-Fashioned Thrown Down -- OT
I don’t want to hijack anybody’s post for the game tonight; but reading Chip Alexander’s twitter and Canes Now article that Staal has been moved to the second line wing, it strikes me that we have an old-fashioned thrown down tonight.
If Maurice loses to Laviolette, the pressure to make a coaching change could become enormous. If Leighton beats Cam Ward, it is going to be ugly. On the other hand, if the Hurricanes win, the same pressure applies to Laviolette; and the Flyers rightly will be humiliated by losing to the lowly Hurricanes.
The coaching staff for the Hurricanes is moving lines around:
Whitney/Sutter/Ruutu
Dwyer/Jokinen/Staal
Samsonov/Cullen/Kostopoulos
Brind’Amour/Yelle/Walker (hopefully with Brind’Amour getting four minutes of time on ice maximum)
Every line has a legitimate power forward. Staal I think is still hurt and I’d say it is a groin injury based on the change in his skating mechanics and his difficult accelerating quickly.
If Staal is hurt he needs to sit his ass in the press box. I don’t care if they put him on long-term IR and we don’t see him for a month. I am sick and tired of seeing him pouting out on the ice. I’m sure he came back too soon in the first place to try to prove he was good enough to represent his country in the Olympics. Once he finds his horrible play this year has caused him to miss out on the Olympics after being arguably one of the best players in the NHL for the past 5 years, he needs to pack it up, take the time off to heal, and come back at 110%… not 75%.
Staal has not played like a franchise superstar this year. He has not even been close to the best player on our team alone. He needs to become effective somehow which is probably why they have moved him to wing. If one were to look at overall play this year alone for our team (not just points), Staal would barely even make my top-5 of Canes players. Ruutu, Jokinen, Sutter, Whitney, and even Cullen have showed more skill, leadership, and game-changing play.
This season is already done for… everyone including the coaches/JR/players should probably at this point understand that it is impossible to get into the playoffs. Staal playing hurt
Players Playing Hurt
It’s really hard to draw the line with players who are hurt in figuring out who is hurt so badly they can’t perform well enough to continue to play, From what I gather, everybody in the Hurricanes is somewhat beat up. I know without a doubt that players don’t like it when their teammates take themselves out due to “minor” injuries.
For their own safety, NHL players minimize their injuries. I believe Staal has been hurt almost all this season. In the NFL they are more forthright about the nature of injuries and I know I admire players who suck it up and play. In the NHL, the players can be criticized for being silently courageous. I absolutely agree, however, that Staal needs to mature beyond the pouting. He is too good a player to act out his frustrations to the team’s detriment. We need his head in the game all the time.
And I’m not a big fan of people who want to trade Staal away. I still think he has great ability and could easily revert back into a 100-point player, however the great lack of passion and uninspiring play I have seen from him this year is very disappointing and not something I would like to see from any franchise player.
That being said, the way he has played and the attitude I see him carry night after night, I would certainly entertain offers from other teams for him.
Going to be reai interesting tonight, I don’t think Leighton is going to got the nod. If he does gonna hurt to see them beat our Canes tonight.
A TRUE CANIAC......YES I AM........
Actually
According to ice_chip’s tweet a couple hours ago, Leighton WILL be in net… such drama!
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 26, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
just confirmed by the Canes:
nhl_canes
Busy Saturday at the RBC Center – Laviolette and McCarthy back, Leighton starting and Staal on the wing – http://carhur.com/396
Gleason for the "C" :
Just what do we need to do to make this happen?
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 26, 2009 1:16 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, Leighton will likely be their starter for a stretch of games. Ray Emery their starter is badly hurt and will not be back for 4-6 weeks and backup Brian Boucher has a deep gash on his hand which will likely sideline him for at least a week. Leighton will get a shot to show he can be a reliable NHL backup. I’m sure he will take this game very, very seriously… We should keep in mind we can make just about any goalie look like a Vezina winner.
Good for Leights. Bad for us.
"This guy is as meat and potatoes as there is of a man."
Gleason for Emperor!
Leighton v. Hurricanes
I probably should not go on this limb, but I will anyway. I can’t imagine the Hurricanes not wanting to have their opportunity to shoot on Leighton. They have seen him in practice and know his mindset and skill set. If you can’t beat your own team’s former second team goalie, then if you are not at the bottom of the barrel, you are at least down so low you are into the dregs.
I hope there is a good crowd tonight. Ironically, I wouldn’t be surprised if Laviolette is cheered and that Maurice is not. It’s going to be a tough end of game press conference for somebody tonight.
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