Canes Drop "Practice Game" to Predators, 4-2
by Bob Wage on Sep 19, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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PrintThe Carolina Hurricanes opened their preseason schedule at the RBC with a 4-2 loss Friday night to the Nashville Predators. The team had more bad moments than good, but the results ended up making the coach happy because he now has something to use as a tool. You have to work hard in order to win hockey games.
The Preds started out with more jump early in the game, but the Canes drew a couple of penalties and Erik Cole opened the scoring on a rebound play. Just 58 seconds later though, Nashville tied the score.
It was an ugly second period for the home team as the Preds scored twice to open up a 3-1 lead. But early in the third, Eric Staal knocked in a missed Ray Whitney shot and the Hurricanes finally started to put on some consistent pressure in the Nashville zone. They were unable to score again though and the Predators buried an empty netter with just 16 seconds left to close out the scoring.
Game Notes:
- It was one of the smallest crowds I remember seeing at the RBC. Official attendance was 8,495.
- The powerplay had mixed results and at times looked very good and at other times looked completely disorganized. Matt Cullen and Joe Corvo started at the points with Bryan Rodney, Aaron Ward, and Brett Carson also taking turns. They ended up 1 for 6 with the man advantage.
- Paul Maurice was not totally unhappy with the game because he now has an example of "what not to do". When asked if four preseason games were enough to prepare the team, he quipped, "ask me again three to four games into the regular season".
- Tim Conboy left the game early but it is a minor injury and he should not miss any time.
- Nicolas Blanchard fought Triston Grant to a draw as neither player left their feet during a long bout.
- The kids, Zach Boychuk and Brandon Sutter, both finished with a -2. Boychuk had a bad turnover leading to the second Preds goal early in the second period. But both of them had jump and had positive moments while playing offense.
- Cory gave the new video scoreboard, "First star of the game", but it does have some numbers in odd places that will take time getting used to. The graphics and videos though are tremendous.
- Next up for the Canes is a game in Atlanta on Monday night.
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Scoreboard
The powerplay time location is really odd. It’s too high and too small. The score that low is sort of odd, but I’m never looking for the score since it’s fairly easy to keep track of in my head.
Who was #18 on the preds? His name didn’t sound familiar, but he was out on the ice with Hamhuis and Erat quite a bit. I have to admit, I did not watch a lot of preds games last year so I don’t know if he’s a rookie or if he played on the team last year. He seemed to be all over the ice though and did finish with two points.
Staals goal was nice. He was behind the red line and used his long reach.
Also, you may have talked about it in the game thread, but the more time I reflect on last nights game the better game I think Erik Cole had. He looked healthy. He played well. He was in position. He had good chemistry with his line mates. He was trying a number of moves last night that I have never seen him try. He was big and used his size but was also showing a lot of finesse. He looked like some odd combination of Eric Lindros (or another prototypical power forward) and Ray Whitney.
18 was rookie Michael Santorelli, and yes, he had an excellent game.
Agree that Cole’s speed looked good. Cory and I both noted that Cullen’s speed seemed off.
GM of CanesCountry.com
I checked Santorelli’s stats, looked like he played a few games on the big club last year. He looks ready to make an impact, at least after one pre-season game. Kudos to Nashville who always seems to be able to draft well.
Word out of Nashville is that he's got an early leg up on a second-line spot after that game.
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 19, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Did anyone hear the interview on 99.9 w/Cullen, pre-game? I had it on while fixing dinner for my kids, (so there was background noise – and no Rewind button), but I swore they said Cullen broke his ankle over the summer and the guys (Mike M et al) were kidding him that it was important that’s it’s healed, since you do kinda need your ankles to play hockey. “hardi har har” (Sheez!)
That is the one and only mention I heard, but in the radio piece, it was the main topic.
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 19, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I hadn’t heard that, but he did break his ankle toward the end of the season when he missed so many games last year. He was just starting to get back to form near the end of the playoffs. Obviously, Jokinen filled in nicely for him in his absence.
I’ll try to find out more tomorrow.
GM of CanesCountry.com
Cole and Staal really stuck out to me…. They both looked like they already had a purpose for being there (still a tad rusty thought).
Boychuck and Sutter had good moments…. But It’s a hard lesson (I guess) to learn that you can’t come in as a rookie and try to make all pretty plays all the time…. And I think that ultimately that is what put them at -2. They need to just keep it simple… otherwise I really REALLY liked the chemistry between the two of them….
I enjoyed the fight…. it seemed to end pretty even….
The new scoreboard is annoying…. The picture quality is amazing…. but it was a total cluster trying to keep up w/ power-play/penalty-kill time…. I know the goaltenders use the power-play clock during the game…. so I wonder if they will consider fixing that….
all in all… it was a pre-season game…. I’ve seen much worse for sure :-) no worries….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Sep 19, 2009 9:55 AM EDT reply actions
Scoreboard
Seems like the SOG stat is oddly prominent…..maybe they can move the PP time to that spot so the goalies can see it better.
by NoVa Caniac on Sep 19, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah… I thought that also…..
I guess I’m just “set in my ways…”
I should just accept changes…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Sep 19, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Opener
1) Scoreboard needs some work. Screens are dynamite but the presentation
needs some help.
2) The young lady doing the mic work in the stands has a voice like fingernails
on a chalkboard. By the third period fans near me were visibly cringing every
time she has a “hot” microphone.
3) The entire storm squad is blond (or blond in a bottle). What’s up with that?
Well brunettes are busy having, you know, actual jobs.
(Becase they have the intellect to have them.)
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 19, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Hard to make that call.
There is no such thing as an average redhead. She’s either real pretty, or hideous.
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 20, 2009 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Well – here’s one strawberry blond I’m partial to:
(Doesn’t he look good? )
Hockeymom question: any word on the baby up in the pressbox, Harwood? Hopefully it won’t effect him the way it did Chara back in April, born 3 days before the Canes series. He was a mess there for awhile. Who was it that wondered if they taught them how to count to 9 in Slovakia?)
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 19, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
are they saying “boy or girl”?
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 21, 2009 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions
they aren’t. guys don’t talk about stuff like that..L they were talking about hockey and football.
GM of CanesCountry.com
I wasn’t asking if they said if she was dilated and how much, or if they were going to induce, or if the baby had turned or dropped, or if she has passed the mucous plug…Maybe even if they’ve discussed whether the OB will strip her membranes to help things along……THAT"S what girls talk about. (Grossed you out yet?)
I thought Gender was pretty interesting to both genders…=D
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
by Carolyn Christians on Sep 21, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions
OK, not related to the game, but I spent some time tonight reviewing NHL salaries on http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=CAR
Is anyone else concerned that we are paying Staal 8.25 mil this season? That is almost Malkin/Crosby money. I know that he is the face of our organization, along with Wardo…but 8.25….geesh, that sounds a little high. Anyway, if I am off base, please let me know, I would like to know some of y’alls thoughts on this.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 20, 2009 12:28 AM EDT reply actions
Staal’s worth it but lets see how much Ward will get some time this season. I’m sure they are talkin to his agent everyday.
sorry, see below, meant to post that underneathe your comment.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 20, 2009 2:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Hmmmm...
Does it make you feel any better to know that we’re actually only paying Staaly $6.0m this season? He doesn’t make $8.25 until the 12/13 season.
Hurricanes salary stats on nhlnumbers.com
$8.25 is his cap hit.
Completely in line with the market and his talent IMHO.
by Jamie Kellner on Sep 20, 2009 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions
nah, I could care less how much he takes home :) What matters to me more is how much of a percentage he is taking up against our total cap amount. That affects the team, not his wallet.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 20, 2009 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions
But is Staal really worth it? If he is worth 8.25, then he needs to be at least 90% as good as Crosby and Malkin, maybe 80% as good as Ovenchicken.
On the other hand, Wardo was on the ice for nearly 70 games last season…he is amazing under pressure, and at a mere 2.667 mil per year as of recent, he has been a steal. Honestly, I would rather have Wardo at 5 or 6 mil a year than Stallsy at 8.25.
I am a HUGE Staalsy fan, but, if he fails to score at least 80 points this year, I will be one of the first people in line to say get rid of him. We cannot spend “superstar” money for “great” players….
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 20, 2009 2:02 AM EDT reply actions
This has been my argument about Staal all along. Fans need to look around the league and see how an 8 million dollar player should be playing.
If Staal doesn’t give 8 million dollars worth of hockey to this team, I will join you in that line of getting rid of him (of course we know that will never happen). Fans need to get off the “he’s the face and franchise of this team”, if he doesn’t give us 8 million bucks worth of hockey, if he doesn’t then he’s nothing but a hockey team grave robber. He kills the future of other players to be able to come to this team because of the cap space he eats up. No player in hockey deserves a pardon for just being a face on a team with half their salary production on the ice. Someone at the end of the season will need to show me where he’s worth 8 million dollars worth of cap space with something besides fancy words on how great he is and blistering words on fans who don’t tnink he’s the greatest thing since Gretsky on ice. I find it funny that he is being tried as a Winger for the Olympic team and not a Center, makes you want to go hmmm…
The score board definitely needs some work. The SOG is too prominent, it’s a annoying large center constant in your view, taking your attention away from the game. It should be moved where the power play/power kill time is and they should be large and prominent since they are not a constant during the entire game. The HD video of the game was fabulous especially with the replays and the fight.
Just being back in the RBC was fun and exciting since the game was, well disorganized to say the least. Ugh, yea they definitely have a “tool” to work with now. I’m ready now to see our organized veterans back on the ice again
The crowd was understandable small which I fault the organization with the empty seats. It was their ignorance for thinking they would sell those seats at full price. They lost money and concession sales with that crowd. With no red and white scrimage game today, I don’t see the Carnival being as large a crowd as Caniac Carnival’s in the past. A scrimage game would have only helped them with some more organizational play instead of a practice watching them do drills for an hour.
I still can’t wait for Friday’s home game to see Brindy, Yelle and Alberts on the ice. Hopefully they will play a better game.
C
.
Seriously?
bqHe kills the future of other players to be able to come to this team because of the cap space he eats up.
I mean Seriously?
by SouthernHockeyFan on Sep 20, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
It wasn't ignorance.
It was the fact that nobody wants to see preseason hockey. If they gave those tickets away, they still wouldn’t sell out.
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 20, 2009 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions
This is old news, PC since the Staal contract was signed over a year ago. I also have all the Canes salaries on this site right here.
http://www.canescountry.com/pages/canes-salary-chart
I know some don’t agree with me, but I feel Staal is one of the top talents in the league and if the Canes "got rid of him" the franchise would suffer tremendously. There might only be 10 players better than him in the league and you are not going to get them to come to Raleigh at a cheaper price. (The Hockey News puts him in the top 10)
Search this site a bit, and you will find an article I posted showing that during the past 4 years, Staal’s goals scored production is in the top 5 in the league. (153 goals)
The people who say "get rid of Staal" should offer up some names of players who can take his place who are not already locked up by their respective teams.
By the way, there are a few players around the league making Staal type money with a fraction of the production.
Last year alone:
Danny Briere – 8 million – 11 goals
Marian Gaborik – 7.5 million 13 goals
Wade Redden – 8 million 3 goals, defenseman considered by most to be a complete bust
I could go on, but I don’t have time at the moment.
ciao!
GM of CanesCountry.com
Yeah…. If you want to compare Staal to Malkin…. Malkin will score more goals and Staal will do way more to help his team win…. I take Staal any time….
I don’t really think anyone compares to Crosby when you look at it from an all-around-play point of view….
That was painful…. I hate Crosby!!!
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Sep 20, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions
How are you just figuring this out?
As previously stated salary is 6 million, cap hit is 8.25 million.
Staal is one of the top ten players in the league. IMO Staal has gotten better, as a hockey player, every year in the league. He may never reach the 100+ points of ’06 again, but he has increased his value to the organization every year since. There is that small thing about not having missed a game since his rookie year.
And forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but Staal carries a heavier scoring burden than any other player in the league. Rick Nash is the only other player that is even close to comparing.
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/sort.php?pos=none&type=salary0910
This coming season Staal is tied with 13 other players for the 41st highest salary in the league. 41st!!!!!!!!
Does anyone honestly believe that there are 41 other players in the league that are better then Staal! If you do then you are just not paying attention.
by SouthernHockeyFan on Sep 20, 2009 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not just figuring this out; just setting up expectations for him this season.
As Bob stated, “offer up some names of players who can take his place who are not already locked up by their respective teams.” The key term here is “playerS.” I don’t have any thoughts on which players I would replace him with if he stinks this year, but, if he doesn’t produce, I would rather redistribute the wealth to other key areas. I don’t believe it is a matter of replacing him for another highly paid player, it is a matter of making our TEAM better. Not taking intangibles into account, if he only scores 60-80 points this year, I would rather take that money elsewhere and cover a BUNCH of different needs.
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 20, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions
That doesn't work.
If Staal can’t put up 80 points for this team, there is no way either of two $4 million players can do it.
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 20, 2009 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Huh?? Maybe you are missing my point…spend 8 mil cap on two players, and you can get over 60-80 points combined…..easy….
Rutuu (3.8 cap hit this year) had 54 points last year and Whitney (3.55 cap hit this year) had 77. Staal (8.25 cap hit this year) had 75 Heck, even Rosie had 30+ last year and we only signed him for less than 2 mil.
So, we are now balancing less than 7.4 in cap dollars for 131 points versus 8.25 for 75…..I am not saying get rid of Staal, but I am saying, if he does not perform to value, trade him and REDISTRIBUTE the wealth elsewhere. More depth in the scoring lines.
It is pathetic that Staalsys cap hit is almost as high as Crosby, Malkin (and within 2M of OV) considering his statistics are at least 25% less (and don’t even bother to bring up on ice impact….the latter three are much scarier on the ice).
Anyway, I would rather have a more balanced team.
This is my last post on this, as Bob said earlier…and correctly, I am at least 4 months late in this conversation…as such, I wont waste any more blog space but will reserve my beliefs and thoughts until the end of the season….lets revisit this late next year after we win the cup again :)
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 21, 2009 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions
What do you mean, more depth?
If we get rid of a top-tier first line player and replace him with two decent second-liners, then we’re just sunk on the top line instead. Who else are you going to put on the ice to score when we’re down a goal in an elimination game? Who else is going to be on the ice in any PP situation where we need a goal?
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 21, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Frankly, Ward will get that from somebody, if not more.
Remember when the Panthers had a good offensive line? Yeah, me too.
--Darin Gantt
by MichaelProcton on Sep 20, 2009 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
True, but I wish you were wrong….we gotta keep him!
by PittsburghCaniac on Sep 21, 2009 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Scoreboard
Just wanted to say that there are going to be some minor issues here and there with the new scoreboard. The people at Canesvision are still working on content and graphics for the games as well.
When I was at the game, I noticed that it was hard to tell what player took a penalty and that there was no power play clock. From what I heard, they are still working on stuff like that. Give it time people. Also keep in mind that since these are preseason games they aren’t going to show too much on the scoreboard……gotta save something for opening night!
by Caneshockey1712 on Sep 20, 2009 4:48 PM EDT reply actions
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