Carolina Earns First Road Win: Hurricanes 3, Penguins 2
by Bob Wage on Dec 7, 2009 11:09 PM EST
122 comments
The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to a 3-0 lead, allowed two goals in the second period just 49 seconds apart, and then held on to beat last year's Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2 Monday night at Mellon Arena. The win was the first road victory, (1-10-3), for the Hurricanes in 14 tries this season.
Andrew Alberts scored his first goal as a Cane as he opened things up with a goal just 4:45 into the contest. The defenseman out-waited Marc-Andre Fleury and zipped a backhander by the unsuspecting goalie as he skated down low. Erik Cole had cleared the crease and was banging bodies in front of the net.
About seven minutes later, Joni Pitkanen found friend, Jussi Jokinen skating through the neutral zone with a head of steam up the middle of the ice. The tandem had combined for previous scores like this, but this time Jokinen used his strength to out-muscle the defense for the puck, then lifted a shot over Fleury to make the score 2-0.
It was the second powerplay goal for the Canes in the past two games. They finished the game 1-5 with the man advantage.
The second period started out well as Ray Whitney found an open spot and made the score 3-0, just two minutes and change into it. But the Pens would gather steam and scored two goals in just 49 seconds, the 13th time the Canes have allowed two goals inside of a minute this season.
Sidney Crosby out-muscled Brandon Sutter in front of the net for the first goal and Michael Rupp got a cheap one by Manny Legace to make the score 3-2. While Legace might want to have one or both of those goals back, the goalie played a solid overall game and finished with 30 saves out of 32 shots. The goalie earned his fourth win of the season. He is doing something right.
The third period went back and forth but each team only had an official six shots on goal as defense dominated for both sides. Credit must be given to the shot-blocking as the Canes blocked 17 shots to just 4 for Pittsburgh.
Game Notes:
- Joni Pitkanen led both teams with over 30 minutes of ice time. The defenseman chipped in with two assists and had three blocked shots, tied for most on the Canes.
- Stephane Yelle and Brett Carson also had three blocked shots each. Carson and Jay Harrison played solid games in their own ends. Harrison also showed good jump on offense and Carson played well on the powerplay.
- The team only had a total of 21 shots on goal as Ray Whitney had four and Eric Staal had three. The Canes were out-shot 15-4 in the second period as the Pens gained a lot of momentum.
- Carolina was given credit for 27 hits. Tim Gleason led the way with five.
- Eric Staal picked up another two assists tonight.
- Gleason dropped the gloves with Bill Guerin and might have had the best of it before Guerin took him down and was still punching away as Gleason lay on his back.
- Legace is now 4-0 lifetime against the Penguins. It might be worth keeping him for the stat alone.
It was a hard fought win for the last place team in the league and they know they have a long way to go before they can move up. But the Hurricanes now have two wins in a row and they are feeling a bit better about themselves.
The team played very hard in their own zone, perhaps the hardest they played all season. Did that have anything to do with their captain sitting in the pressbox with a league worst -19?
Next up will be New Jersey with Martin Brodeur in net at "The Rock". Brodeur just tied Terry Sawchuk tonight with 103 career shutouts.
Will Cam Ward return as planned?
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They played really good D tonight. Legace made some nice saves including that stick save on Crosby in the second which was amazing. This game makes me feel that we have some good D-men as well as Forwards coming forward. If we keep playing like this though we have more to look forward to this season! Go ’Canes!
Good lord, 1200+ comments in the last thread?? That has to be some kind of record!
Still not a crook!
Bingo
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Dec 8, 2009 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
sorry that came out wrong…not trying to be a smart a@@, promise
If you are the staff, here is what you have to be thinking -
you just played probably your best game of the season against a defending stanley cup champ on the road and won.
Fluery made two other unreal saves against TKO and Whitney (i think). We didnt outshoot them, but in terms of quality chances, the Canes held the advantage. So, IMO, that was as good as we can play (minus Legace’s brain-farts).
Why on earth would you mess with that…Wow, for Harrison BTW
I agree. Harrison was great tonight. I though he was doing fairly well even before he went down, but he must’ve found some chemistry with Carson. They did a great job together. Maybe Cory or Bob would know, but did Rodney hit the limit for games played up at the NHL level for waiver purposes? I mean JR should try as many combos as possible, but Harrison looks like he wants to play up at the NHL level again and more power to him for that.
No … there is no limit for him. They can shuttle him back and forth as they please. It is about getting a good look at a lot of different guys in different positions (with Rodney down, both Harrison AND Carson got some PP time).
by Cory Lavalette on Dec 8, 2009 8:34 AM EST up reply actions
Fantastic article Bob!
It was a great game to be at, but the pens fans were definitely not as involved as normal; it was probably because it was a Monday night game against (sorry/painful to admit) the lowly Canes.
Regardless, it was a fantastic win, and extremely enjoyable to watch firsthand at the Mellon. The pens seemed a little flat, and the canes in turn left Legace out to dry on numerous occasions. Kudos to Legace for not allowing the pens to score a third goal.
It just seems to me that the Canes truly have lost their winning touch. Instead of being up three goals, and poised to win, they become incredibly defensive. In doing so, they welcome the opposing team to attack, and the pens did tonight, and nearly tied it up in the final seconds of the third period. The final thirty seconds of this game were incredibly stressful, probably more so live than TV provided….it was really close at the end!!!!
Anyway, I am proud to have been at the first road win for the Canes this year, I just wish that it would have happened two months earlier. I really thought that this team could have achieved great things this season, but then again, there is still time, albeit limited, we can still come back. Great losing teams sell one thing- HOPE.
GO CANES!!!!!!!!
by PittsburghCaniac on Dec 8, 2009 3:02 AM EST reply actions
Great losing teams sell one thing- HOPE
Hope is all we got at this point, but if the guys can at least remotely resemble the team that played last night.. I like their chances.. coupled with a few other (eastern conf.) teams collapses, I know, sounds crazy.. but could very well happen! I’m a beleiver!! GO ’CANES!!!
by 3yrsnoplayoffs? on Dec 8, 2009 7:59 AM EST up reply actions
At this point I’m spending my playoff money on Christmas. I’ll be pissed if they try and make a run at something now, its just to late. This far into the season they’d be throwing away a top 3 draft pick.
A TRUE CANIAC......YES I AM........
by canescup on Dec 8, 2009 1:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not too late yet.....
But it is not a lot of time left either.
I’ll see what I’m doing with my playoff $$$$$ after this month.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
I hate to say it, but I agree.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Dec 8, 2009 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
I agree, the team played defense the entire 3rd period.
I hate when our D-men start skating backwards on pucks they can clearly get to. They didn’t play that way in the first period but started playing that way in the 2nd and 3rd. Luckily we held on to the lead.
by CanesFanFromLI on Dec 8, 2009 8:06 AM EST up reply actions
Roddy is to be respected..
and he will find his way back to the ice this season. However, he deserves to sit right now. The team had more speed and seemed stronger on the puck. I understand that 1 player does not change all of this, but perhaps it is a leadeship “now” thing. When Roddy was out before, the ALT A’s really stepped up…especially Staal. Maybe we are seeing a firat step in the changing of the guard. If RB is to be tradable near the TD, it would be good for us and the team for him to play a limited but effective role (PK..4th line..PP)
BTW I think Paladin owese somebody a pint. Eric Staal with @ assists and di you see him split the D in the last two minutes? I have not seen him do that in a while.
You just KNEW that Pittsburgh would bring it in the second period, especially after Whitney scored that sweeeet goal early on. It felt like the Canes were outshot 150-4. Even though there were moments of O Crap, here we go again, they boys hung on and got the win. Harrison looked like a completely different player from earlier this year. Lil Manny was strong again — maybe he knows it’s the last game he’ll play for a while? Kudos to Pits for two assists and his giant sweaty head in the post-game. Even though Sutter got stuck behind Crosby on his goal, he played another solid game on both ends.
Staal played hard, dug in the corners, and got 2 more assists. I hope he’s not getting frustrated about goals, because he plays better when he lets the game come to him instead of forcing it.
Game 1 of an extremely tough 4 game road trip goes to the good guys.
Was it me or after Mo called the time out.....
after the 2 Pen’s goals that the Canes went back to offense first and attacking?
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
I noticed this as well. We had stopped skating in the 2nd until the timeout. And there was not yelling on the bench just quite confidence from Mo.
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
Could it be that Mo is learning?
Or are many more games still needed that perhaps, just perhaps, the little light behind Mo’s glasses are lit up and the idea that this is an offensive first game with this team?
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
I notice Mo is up to 2% (4 votes!) of the vote on the Canes roadtrip Superhero poll. Putting Rod up in the pressbox may be his greatest act of bravery and leadership so far this season. Let’s give him a pat on the back for showing the courage of his convictions. (he also has been leaving his lines intact for entire games, yes?).
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
Yes, I believe he did
I guess I forgot all about looking for that last night as the game was great and the chat was just as great.
But I do think that Mo kept his line pretty much intact throughout the game last night.
Let us hope this is the start of what I consider a very promising trend.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
Tripp and John...
…talked the whole third period about attacking and how the ’Canes should not " Try to win this game 3-2. ". Me thinks JR is sending the stepson a message about offense.
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 8, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
This is the way I thought the Canes would be from the start of this season.
Plenty of driving to the net, pedal to the metal stuff.
I thought this game that the Canes survived their “let’s pull back” by stepping up their game the way it should be.
Hopefully, Coach Mo sees what I think we all see and that his team attacks first, second and third and that’s how they win.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
About Staal
If he never scores another goal in his life but has 2 or 3 assists every game, he’ll still be worth the $$$$$ JR dropped on him.
That goes for every and any character.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
If he never scores another goal in his life but has 2 or 3 assists every game, he’ll still be worth the $$$$$ JR dropped on him.
Then we would change his name to Marc Savard.
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 8, 2009 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
Or Joe Thorton
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
And this is the type of player he was drafted to be. The Cup year changed those expectations. Remember he was supposed to Ronnie Franchise 2.0, and Ronnie was a set up guy, not a finisher. If this is his game, I am happy. We have been missing a pure set up guy since stiller left.
That’s an interesting comment. I’ll have to remember that.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
When Staal was drafted he was projected somewhere between Ronnie or Joe Sakic
His reach and size make him the perfect candidate to be an elite set up man. His role did change after the cup year, and rightfully so.
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
See I don;t know that I agree with the last bit. Was he a goal scorer because of who was feeding him, or because his game changed? I think it is more the former. I think part of his problem is that everyone thinks he can still be that guy, so he tries to live up to it. I think he is a setup guy who can also score. And if he is used that way, and expected to play that way, his numbers go up.
This is the most productive line of discussion of Staal I’ve seen – seems like going back 5 years to remember his highest-and-best-use may be the key to understanding how this guy will earn his paycheck. I’ll take 1 or 2 assists a game, and if he pots 30 to boot, then that’s one hell of an asset on our top line. (actually anything close to 100 points would be over-the-top, right?)
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
Yeah 100 point mark would be sweet.
Hoenestly, when he was the most effective, his line had a TRUE setup man ( Stiller) and a Power Forward (Cole) and him serving as the Sniper.
If you replicate that formula With him as the set up guy, Cole or Ruu as the Power Forward and a sniper ( Boychuck, bowman? UFA?) I think you have a dangerous line, and you may even see an increase in goals for Staal as well. Right now, if you watch the games, Staal is drawing double coverage. If you add a sniper to his line, the opposition can not afford to do that, and I think if you put single coverage on Staal, his points go up in both columns.
If he is going to be a set up man...
…then he needs a finisher.
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 8, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
Good bye Roddy
Last night proved Rod must go. Yes he deserves respect for all he has done in the past but that is the past and this is now, I would bet that someone in the league needs someone to win them some faceoffs and we need to get rid of some people. I was SO SO SO SO HAPPY to see Rod as a healthy scratch. I never though Mo would do it now I just how HE KEEPS DOING IT. The canes play so much better without Rod.
i have to disagree.
i just isnt right to scratch a hall of famer, and then just let him float off into the sunset
well he ain’t riding off into the sunset under his own steam, so…
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 8, 2009 9:19 AM EST up reply actions
So he gets to take the train?
AKA, “Railroaded” out?
Sort of like “English Bob” from the movie “The Unforgiven” when the sheriff Gene Hackman gets to him?
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
What's not right, is that a player, any player, prevents his team from putting the best lineup on the ice due to loyalty from past deeds.
Roddy will get another shot a some point this season. Hopefully after sitting out a few games he will come back with more fire and better play. IMO, Roddy has been lacking two key things in his game…the fire and the smarts that made him great. Sure he’s a few steps slower and that hurts, but that is to be expected after his knee trouble. What was not expected, from me at least, was the lack of fire in his play and his penchant for bad decisions with the puck.
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
WHERE THE TEAM GOES FROM HERE
The Albany Rats, Harrison and Carson, played extremely well against one of the best teams in the NHL. As somebody who was pleading for Brind’Amour to be a healthy scratch, I thought the continuity of the lines was far better without Brind’Amour in the lineup.
While I recognize many people may differ with me, I think the absence of Wallin was helpful as well. For example, in a key sequence late in the third period, Carson fought off a Pens player in front of the net and battled the puck away. I am convinced, Wallin would not have had the quickness of foot or mind to make that play.
As has been the case all season, Aaron Ward was again the worse defender on the ice for both teams. He didn’t have his worst game, but he really is lost in the Maurice/Francis/Rowe defensive system. I’d much prefer to have A. Ward and Wallin healthy scratches or traded.
My reaction to the game was that Jim Rutherford had build this year’s team to be able to beat teams like the Penguins. Last night showed a preview of next year’s team and how the Hurricanes can develop into one of the top six NHL Eastern Conference teams. Despite everything that has gone wrong, I felt that if after the first four or five games, Maurice had put Brind’Amour as a healthy scratch and had put either A. Ward or Wallin as a healthy scratch, this season would have turned out much differently.
Disagree about Wallin.....
His play, IMO, has not been hurting the team. I leave that to A Ward and the Captain.
What specifically are you saying are the sins of Wallin?
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
Wallin -- pros and cons
I don’t mean to suggest that Wallin is a total disaster of a defenseman the way Aaron Ward is. In my view Wallin has a number of important skill sets:
a. He understands positioning well;
b. He is willing to absorb hits to make a pass;
c. He is a first class teammate;
d. He is a first class person;
e. He has a decent shot, even if he under utilizes it;
f. He has experience in playing big games.
He also has some significant limitations to his game:
a. He is slow footed in his footwork;
b. He has a difficult time mentally keeping up with rapid fire decisions that have to be made;
c. He is hypnotized by the puck too often and loses track of players shooting the gap;
d. Positionally close to the net, he has a hard time with coordination and often falls down and blocks his own goalie;
e. He makes too many poor choices on when to reverse the puck, when to try to skate out the puck, and when to pass the puck out of the zone;
f. He lacks the mean streak to play a physical, inside game;
g. He lacks self-confidence to stay with his man behind the net.
In some other defensive schemes, Wallin would be fine. I think he would also be fine if he were paired with a puck-moving, fast, agile, and experienced defenseman. In the Maurice/Francis/Rowe system his weaknesses are magnified.
In reference to this: I think he would also be fine if he were paired with a puck-moving, fast, agile, and experienced defenseman.
How did you like him with Pitkanen before Corvo went down?
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions
I like that pairing as well as any with Wallin. Wallin’s lack of speed and confidence worry me when he is on the ice. Maybe I am being too harsh with regard to Wallin because I had such high hopes and expectations for him when he was drafted. I thought he was going to be a game changer defenseman. The disparity between how I thought he was going to play and how he did play was so dramatic, perhaps I am over-emphasizing his weaknesses.
Interesting – maybe it is expectations. I wasn’t in NC when he was drafted so he’s always just been who he is. Yep he’s overpaid, but that was the post Cup summer when JR was generous to a fault. Bet he’ll handle it differently next time (for the #4 best GM of the decade).
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
I think Wallin does play with a mean streak. It’s similar to Joni’s IMO. You don’t see it often, it’s done quietly and without the bone crushing hits that we see with Ruu and Albe. He won’t fight like we see with Gleason, but it’s there. He gets in the corners, he battles along the boards. Is he Phaneuf or Pronger? No. But I wouldn’t want him to be and I don’t think that’s what he’s here to do.
Also I think his straight away speed is fine, but agree that it’s the mental speed that may be a bit slow. As for his game around his own net, I disagree wholeheartedly. IMO Babchuk was an example of screening your own goalie. I think Wallin often bails his goalie and teammates out by keeping a cool head. There was a play in the 7-2 win over Florida that comes to mind. The puck was for sure in the net (Ward was beat and so was everyone else), but Wallin made an excellent heads up play and batted it out of mid-air.
There is no doubt that he does have some weaknesses to his game, but for what he’s slotted to do I think he does just fine.
Did anyone else see that play in the second period. Where Ward had the puck with no one close to him. And most of the Penguins already out of the zone (maybe changing lines). Then Ward passes the puck behind the net where the one and only Penguin player in the picture is parked. Luckily that didn’t result in a goal.
by CanesFanFromLI on Dec 8, 2009 9:25 AM EST up reply actions
I noticed that….
And I also noticed at the end of the game when the Pens had already pulled the goaltender and the faceoff was in our end…. Mo took Ward off the ice (which was the move of the game)
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 8, 2009 10:16 AM EST up reply actions
Aaron Ward
I, too, was screaming at the tv for Maurice to get A. Ward off the ice at the end of the game. That’s too funny. I wonder how many Hurricanes fans were all screaming in unison as A. Ward skated off to the bench.
I know I was screaming “Why is Ward on the ice???” and then a huge sigh of relief when he went back to the bench.
Imagine if Ward had been there instead of Pitkanen or Gleason in the final seconds. One of those shots would have gone in.
I think that was a very clever stall tactic to give Pits a few minutes to catch his breath – at least that’s how Forslund saw it. Kind of faked “line confusion” – I think AWard played his role perfectly there. He knew what the game was (and he’s veteran enough to perhaps have been the one to suggest it: “Hey Mo – I’m going to take a spin out there and stall this faceoff so my man Joni can get the Oxygen back in his hamstrings. I’ll be back in a minute….” wink)
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 10:19 AM EST up reply actions
Drama 101.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 10:25 AM EST up reply actions
Is that AWard’s univalent skill ?
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 10:28 AM EST up reply actions
Which might happen
right after Paladin6 starts singing the praises of Trip, Staal and the Captain.
Not to mention his petitioning the US government to allow Coach Mo to run for US President.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
Sometimes I really don’t blame Scotty for popping him one. He is such a…
No. I will be nice. I said I’d be nice.
Poor dear, her composure is so challenged by
the total ineptness she sees her team sometimes and a few characters on said team display with frightening regularity.
When all else fails, read the instruction manual.
Yes, I noticed him pull Ward as well, I was thinking, Thank God.
by CanesFanFromLI on Dec 8, 2009 10:43 AM EST up reply actions
Go to the new puckdrops blog – they discussed this there and agree that this AWard stunt was all about buying time for Pitkanen.
This is one of their best podcast I’ve heard. Recorded this morning. Conversation with Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski about Lavi, Mo, and Rutherford. Then they move on to Brind`Amour. Pitkanen, Gleason. Find the time to listen. (Maybe it’s just cause of the win they have so much more enthusiasm for their topic).
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
Wysh gets a bad rap by association because Ross Mckeon and Ryan two line pass Lambert are both blowhards, and half the time no one reads the byline to know it isn’t Wysh spouting the nonsense. I have always thought he was interesting, and fair. Leahy, another contributor on Puckdaddy, is not bad either.
I agree with this rec of Wysh and Leahy. You have to keep track of the bylines before you start reading.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
If I know it’s that clown Lambert I don’t even open it. I don’t want to be ‘counted’ as looking at his drivel.
by drifterscape on Dec 8, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Oh I always check the byline. And I like Wysh’s writing, I just didn’t expect that he’d also be very good on-air.
Can’t listen to this now unfortunately, but I’ve caught Wysh on some of the shows on Home Ice XM204 while driving, and I’ve always found him to be an engaging on-air interview.
SISU
by LTD on Dec 8, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Dec 8, 2009 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
You could not be any more wrong about Nick Wallin.
A-Ward can get lost….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Dec 8, 2009 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
Oh my goodness, that photo! Lucky, indeed. DO NOT LIKE seeing a skate that close to the neck/face of ol’ blue eyes.
Looks to me like Cullen is just checking his temperature the old fashioned way!
"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill
I’m shocked! (in a good way) Rod sits, Albe scores, and we get our first road win of the season. And my oh my was Albe’s goal a pretty one! Where has he been all this time…?
Maybe he read our trash-talking of his and AWards scoring abilities. Maybe we need to trash-talk him some more…
:)
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 8, 2009 9:29 AM EST reply actions
Albe seemed highly motivated to beat the Pens. I know he was with the Flyers only one season, but it appeared he played with particular purpose last night.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
wish I could have seen it! Hey, you didn’t by chance DVR the game (and the interview) did you?
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 8, 2009 9:36 AM EST up reply actions
I think that would make my day/week/month/year!
(That’s my attempt at strikethru when it’s not an option)
I’ll buy you a pint!
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 8, 2009 11:13 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
If you can’t you may have to – I may just cry…
:’(
;-)
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 8, 2009 11:20 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I take back what I said about Harrison being a bad choice to bring up. I was wrong. He had an excellent game last night. As did Carson. Jeez even A.Ward didn’t make me want to throw things at the TV like he normally does. I hardly even noticed he was out there which is more than I can say for every game before now.
I am still hesitant to attribute this whole game to one player sitting in the press box as far as actual play goes. Mentally, there was probably a shake-up.
Yeah, all the rats had excellent games, and I’m with you, other than that one pass to the Pens player behind the net, A. Ward was not as bad as his usual self.
by Raccoon Fink on Dec 8, 2009 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
If the team did take it as hard as Forslund is suggesting, then one of two things happen.
1 Rod becomes the lightning Rod for this team to turnaround and make a a valiant run that will, no doubt, fall short of its mark.
2 The scratching of the captain creates a fissure in the locker room which widens with each day and every coaching decision, leading to the inevitable “Mo lost the room” rumors and ultimately the further decline of our beloved hockey team.
This was a risky move, one I won’t even pretend to know better about. This could either be a move in the right direction for next year, or it could be a case of digging the hole deeper. We’ll have to see.
The only thing I know for sure is that I have a ton of respect for Rod, and he will always be amongst my favorite Canes.
Wow – This is eye opening.
Brind`Amour needs a PR person to make this end the best way possible for him – the Canes Now discussion was painfu in the mainstream medial, coming from Chip Alexander of all people.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
by hockeymomof2 on Dec 8, 2009 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
And Chip Alexander just posted his conversation with JR on B’A at CanesNow :
No major decision on Brind`Amour
Concluding sentence:
“I have known Rod for a long time and have al ot of respect for him,” Rutherford said. "I do not know where this is going.
“We’ll have to see over time, if this is the way it keeps going and he’s not playing. It’s a tough time.”
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
TK
I noticed Tk pretty much took Samsonov’s minutes. And he looked good. Finally, a crash-the-net guy. Almost scored one. Is Sammy banged up or is this a new line combination ?
I may be wrong but I thought the 3rd line was Sutter with TKO and Sammy (LW). Then 4th was Yelle with Walker (RW) and Rosey (LW).
The current depth charts (with Brindy the healthy scratch – so I know this wasn’t like this yesterday) are here. They show Rosey and Sammi reversed.
I guess then LaRose took Sammy’s minutes.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
Samsonov's Minutes
I also noticed that Samsonov was not getting the usual amount of playing time. I thought he was playing one of his best games. Kostopoulos is really banging bodies around the net. It seemed like Samsonov and LaRose were somewhat sharing the third line wing position. If I had to guess, it would be that LaRose is being show cased in order to see if he can attract trade interest. As I look toward next year, I count Boychuk, Tlusty, Hall [Seguin or Kabanov], and Bowman as new additions to the forwards. I assume Walker and Yelle will not return; so that leaves two more forwards. Even if I assume Brind’Amour retires after this season, there is one more forward position that will have to be opened up next year.
I thought Kostopoulos was awesome last night, he made some dives at the puck to clear it when we desperately needed it. That was the hustle we haven’t been getting (from anyone) this season. And that’s the rep TKO had from his fans in Montreal, when the contract was announced. (like a larger tougher Chad LaRose still with all Rosey’s hustle and energy)
Pits dropping to the ice at the leftpost for the glove save in the last 10 seconds may have also been the first I’ve seen him make a move like that. I didn’t think he liked to get that close to the ice.
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
That feed from Sutter was breath-taking. I was thinking Jokinen would have made that…(but Fleury probably deserve full credit – I’ll look for it in next weeks top10 saves of the week.) today, there were 2 (out of 10) from the Canes vs Caps game last week. One from Leighton and one from Theodore (on Jokinen).
Hurricanes Hockey:
Never for the faint of heart.
Nor for the weak of stomach.
Dancing Sammy has looked strong — skating, forechecking, and in the defensive zone — the last two games.
Looked to me like Sammy pulled out of his funk four or five games ago, just hasn’t had the numbers catch up yet. It is funny, but when he plays physical the team seems to play better as well. As a Sammy fan I have mixed feelings about him playing well right now, I would really like to see him next year with a younger, faster crew. Also, he needs to be with Sutter more.
Sammy
has been playing a well rounded game. Maybe reading some kind of writing on the wall.
I think Kostopoulos is coming into form. He’s one with a contract next year, and if the Canes do get younger with the Albany boys, his scrappy game will be needed.
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