Carolina Rally Falls Short: Senators 3, Hurricanes 2
by Bob Wage on Oct 14, 2010 11:23 PM EDT
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The Carolina Hurricanes fell behind 2-0, put on a furious rally in the third period to tie it up 2-2, but then allowed a goal during a four minute Ottawa powerplay as they lost to the Senators, 3-2.
The Canes started the game out pretty well and put some early pressure on starting Sens goalie Pascal Leclaire, but the netminder had to leave the game due to what appeared to be a pulled muscle. Brian Elliott took over and looked very good for the home team the rest of the way.
The first period was fairly evenly played, although Ottawa outshot Carolina 16-9. The visitors still created several scoring chances, but were unable to convert. Cam Ward was solid in net and kept the score tied until a late period shot by Mike Fisher took an unlucky bounce up into the air and went over the goalie to make the score 1-0.
The second period was one the Canes would like to forget as they turned the puck over repeatedly, messed up zone coverage in their own end, and could get nothing going in the Ottawa zone. The Sens put another 13 shots on Ward and the Canes could only generate 4 of their own as they were absolutely dominated by the home team.
The Sens made it 2-0 when Milan Michalek received a perfect pass from Daniel Alfredsson and deked out Ward at his doorstep. Joni Pitkanen was out of position on the play and lost track of Michalek. Ward made several more outstanding saves during the period to keep things close.
The Canes woke up in the third period and started to exert some consistent pressure on the Sens. This was helped with a bit of line juggling by Paul Maurice, who switched up Chad LaRose and Jeff Skinner, putting the young rookie on Eric Staal's line.
At 7:20 into the period, Sergei Samsonov scored a powerplay goal, then just 1:39 later, Eric Staal would chip in a goal to tie things up. The Canes were buzzing and had the Sens on their heels, but a four minute high sticking call against Jussi Jokinen killed the momentum.
During the first two minutes of the prolonged kill, the Canes generated a couple of nice opportunities. Erik Cole broke into the clear but could not get the puck past Elliott. Then Brandon Sutter stole the puck and had an open shot of his own which was denied. It looked like the Hurricanes might kill it off, but shortly after that, Mike Fisher found himself alone on the attack and beat Ward on a nice shot straight on, from about 25 feet.
Fisher had an excellent game and was named first star.
Carolina really could not get much going after that and ended up skating to the locker room with their first loss of the season.
The team will next battle with Vancouver on Sunday night.
Quick Hits and Stats:
- Eric Staal was named the second star and broke out with a goal and an assist. He had a very good game other than in the faceoff circle, as he won just 25%.
- The team was outshot by the Sens 39-24 and obviously can not allow that big of a difference every night. Erik Cole had several good scoring chances and had a team high 5 shots. Jeff Skinner was next with 4.
- Joni Pitkanen did not have the best of nights but led both teams with 28 minutes of ice time. He also had a team high 3 blocked shots.
- The team was credited with 18 hits, led by Erik Cole with 4.
- In the third period, Patrick Dwyer was laid out with a blind side hit to the head by Nick Foligno and the hit looked like a classic example of what not to do under the league's new "zero tolerance" head hit policy. Paul Maurice said after the game that the refs thought Foligno's hit was shoulder to shoulder. "Unless Patty's head is growing out of his armpit, that's impossible", the coach replied. To his credit, Dwyer got right back up and didn't miss a shift.
- Once again, the faceoffs were not good and the club finished winning 41%. Staal had 25%, (5 of 20), Sutter had 59%, (10 of 17), Jokinen had 36%, (4 of 11), and Dalpe was 2 out of 3.
As with most games, there were plus's and minus's to take away from it.
The good news is that the Canes never gave up and made a real exciting game of it in the third period. If not for the Jokinen penalty, it really looked like they could have come away with at least a point. Also, Cam Ward played extremely well. Cole and Staal looked better in this game and the addition of Skinner had a positive affect. LaRose also looked better once moved to Jokinen and Ruutu's line. Perhaps without the pressure of performing on the first line, he can do better focusing on his typical game. (Sounds like last year?)
The bad news is that the defensive coverage often looked like a mess. Ward had to stop several grade A chances. In the second period the team had trouble passing the puck and looked like they were killing a penalty most of the time as Ottawa held the puck in the Carolina zone seemingly at will. The team needs to tighten up in their own end, if they can.
Following are some links to post game interviews:
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Game Night Report Card
This may not include everybody, just those that stood out one way or another:
A+ Cam Ward
A: Staal, Samsonov, Skinner, Bowman
B: Sutter, Babchuk
B-: Jokinen, Gleason, Dwyer, The Power Play, The Penalty Kill
C: Corvo, LaRose
C-: Cole (FINISH!!!), Ruutu (was he on the ice?), McBain (it’s okay to hit people), Harrison
D: Pitkanen, Coaching
Pitkanen, again, looked disinterested all game. Bad decisions, slow skating, no hitting, out of position, and pass rather than shoot mentality. I know he had a butt-load of ice team, but was it quality ice time? Ruutu is a ghost, a shell of his former self. I think he’s nursing a major injury or something. Offense didn’t get going until we started pinching defenseman down low (Lavi system, anyone?) in the third. All in all, Cammie deserved much better than that.
sorry, i meant “butt-load of ice TIME” not team…
by Capt. Stinky on Oct 15, 2010 6:47 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d swap Cole and Jokinen on your report card. Not a good to say the least by Jokinen and I saw Cole actually hitting people and making some things happen.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.
yeah, cole’s energy and hustle were there but good god, please finish when you have a breakaway instead of slowing down and losing the puck or shooting off-net.
by Capt. Stinky on Oct 15, 2010 8:27 AM EDT up reply actions
have to agree…he should be on the first line as the Canes needs scorers on that line. He hustled a lot and that was about it.
Energy and hustle that can’t finish (Eric Cole incarnate) belongs on the 4th line. That’s why they call it an “energy line”.
Except for the fact that you have to cycle to perform a fourth line’s function, which means puck control and stick work is paramount.
Third line for Mr. Cole is a better fit for skill set, in my opinion.
Here we are now...entertain us.
I’m sure one of the reasons Cole and LaRose look so awful offensively is because they really are not good enough to play the other teams best players and defenders. Put them down on the 3rd and 4th lines and they will look much better, in comparison.
Pitkanen, again, looked disinterested all game.
I think he’s struggling with the new defensive pairings like Cory mentioned in his piece (I hope it’s Cory, can’t check right now). He’s missing that comfort level and forcing things a bit too much at times and other times he’s sitting back making sure the defense is covered.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
Mo taking notice
It appeared that Mo finally adjusted the first line and moved Larose down and Skinner up. I think this is a no brainer. Either Jokinen or Skinner need to be with Staal. Although Sammy could be, arguably, another good choice because of the right shot, I prefer one of the other two I mentioned.
2 years to the Cup
The LaRose Experiment
As well-intentioned as the LaRose experiment was due to Rosey’s many intangibles, it’s time to turn the page and move LaRose down to the third line. The Hurricanes have traditionally had issues with being able to finish, and particularly at even strength. LaRose simply doesn’t have the hockey skill to play on the first line; and no amount of heart, North/South speed, and intangibles can compensate for his lack of polish and inability to finish off the pass.
Skinner is a prodigy and it was and has been a no-brainer to move Skinner up with Staal. Cole is not a traditional first line forward because he too suffers from a lack ability to finish off the pass; but he is skating as well and with as much determination as I’ve seen in years. Ultimately, I would be inclined to move Jokinen up to the first line to skate with Skinner and Staal; but I think having Cole around to provide speed and physicality around the net makes sense as well. Cole can be the set up man for Skinner and Staal even as we watch Cole miss scoring opportunities on a somewhat consistent basis.
I also think it is time to move Bowman up to play with Jokinen and Ruutu; and therefore LaRose I much prefer LaRose on the third line. In time as the young forward prospects develop, I’d like to see LaRose on the fourth line and on penalty kills because I think that use of LaRose would maximize his hockey talent.
+1
I agree with the line shuffling. Sad for LaRose, but we’re already seeing Staal throw pass after pass into the shooting lanes and Rosie struggle to get a shot off. When he does, it’s a light, low slapper right at the goalie’s pads/stick. Cole is definitely flying around, wonder how long his body can keep that up. I am really, really worried about the defense. No hitting, no puck movement, waaaaaaaay too many shots getting through. Good thing is, we have some time to adjust during this road trip.
by Capt. Stinky on Oct 15, 2010 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
They looked awful last night, McBain, Gleason, Corvo, and Pitkanen looked completely lost. There’s nothing they can take positive from that game, forget it and move on. I actually thought Harrison looked ok, at least he was able to clear the puck, granted a couple ended up as icings, but at least the puck cleared the zone. If they play the same way on Sunday they’re going to get hammered, it will be a points night for the Sedins.
Sad for LaRose, but we’re already seeing Staal throw pass after pass into the shooting lanes and Rosie struggle to get a shot off. When he does, it’s a light, low slapper right at the goalie’s pads/stick.
Don’t forget Rosey is playing on the opposite side of the ice from his usual. I’m not saying LaRose should be a first line guy. I was pretty opposed to him being on the first line last year and I’m opposed to it now. That said, I think part of the reason he’s struggling is because most of the feeds to him require precise timing to get good shots on net and Rosey hasn’t played enough on that side to do that.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
+1
Skinner – Staal – Jussi
Bowman – Sutter – Ruutu
Cole – Dalpe – Samsonov
LaRose – Dwyer – Kostop
Corvo – Gleason
Pitkanen – Babs
McBain – Harrison
If it sounds good to us, Mo will make sure it never happens.
I agree with these lines except maybe switch Cole and Sammy and I would still like to see Carson in there on the 3rd pairing.
You know what would be the best roster move / lineup change? Replace Mo with someone good!
Please Mo, take those POS's off Staal's line and put the more skilled POS with Staal!
by PackPride17 on Oct 15, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
+1 on replacing Mo. It is going to happen, just a matter of time.
I’d love to see Carson up too, but I’ve just accepted the fact that Harrison is here to stay as long as Mo is coach.
I had the “No, not Mo again” sign up since the 08/09 season, but I had to replace it. I know its negative and for that I apologize, but I am not a Mo fan and never have been. The only reason I think it worked in 08/09 is because a hybrid Lavi/Mo system was implemented and that was good. But after a full offseason to put his system back into place, the Canes struggled.
I know he’s an assistant with LA now, but I think John Stevens would be a good coach to bring in. I think he would work well implementing the young guys into the NHL.
Please Mo, take those POS's off Staal's line and put the more skilled POS with Staal!
by PackPride17 on Oct 15, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
There are plenty of viable options…
This isn’t a “We lost 1 game and now Mo has to go” issue. This is a “We are never going to have long-term success with Maurice as our coach” issue. Last year was classic Maurice hockey, and what we should come to expect in the future as long as we keep him around. Completely uninspired, boring, passionless play that is the opposite of what our young team needs.
He was lucky to ride Laviolette’s coattails 2 years ago and the mesh of their 2 systems created a Playoff team. After one offseason, he completely sucked the life out of the team which resulted in an awful start and therefore a wasted season. The one and only reason he is our coach right now is because he is BFFs with the management. You honestly think he deserved the job here after his terrible 2 seasons with the Leafs? How is this guy still a coach?
Not on either side here … but have you see the Toronto roster the past five years? That was management, not coaching, problems.
by Cory Lavalette on Oct 15, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
To be fair they were a pretty good team pre-lockout. Everything I have ever seen from Toronto fans regarding Mo has been highly negative (granted, they are critical of everything and hind-sight is 20-20).
I remember plenty of Canes fans dreading his return when they heard we had rehired him. If he hadn’t had such a successful Playoff run (which I believe was a product of Lavi and Mo’s combined system, not Mo alone) I doubt he would have any supporters at this point.
Sutter's line problems
Did anyone else notice Sutter and Dwyer offsides again and again? Sutter looked a bit lost, as if he wasn’t clicking with his linemates. Would hate to see him go into a funk. What about the big experiment of letting him center Staal on the first line a couple shifts per game?
While watching the game last night I was wondering if Mo was mad that Whitney was not resigned. I think Skinner, Sammy, or even O’Sullivan (maybe) Could have played better on the firs line, but I don’t think any are as yet a good replacement. I like Cole’s game last night, but on his breakaway during the power play I was wondering if the sens were even going to bother trying to cover him. Unfortunately, no need. Hard to reconcile with the pass he made to Staal for the second Goal.
I liked Samsonov’s goal. He put it into the top of the net, the only place that wasn’t covered after the pass from Captain wraparound.
Pitkanen was a mess for some reason. Too many pucks bounced over his stick. Did the ice look lumpy to anyone else? Several people on both teams, especially in the third had the puck jump their sticks.
I’m now convinced faceoffs are an issue, Staal simply has to get better, he needs to choke down on his stick and get lower (like Spezza, Fisher, and every other centermen). He takes draws sometimes like it’s rec league. I also think we need to structure our forwards lines like a lot teams: top 6 and bottom 6.
+1
I don’t get why they don’t just move Staal over to a wing and let Jokinen have him and Skinner on both sides.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.
After the puck drops Staal is still our best centermen in both ends of the ice and needs to be. He was pretty awesome last night and at times looked like the best player on the ice, especially after they moved LaRose. He needs to change the way he takes faceoffs and simply get better at that facet of his game.
I’ve noticed that Staal has his stick in a very unusual position for faceoffs. I think someone could actually teach him how to hold it differently and he would improve. But he’s got to want to be the best he can be and improve.
I also agree that we need to structure our lines differently. Stop trying to balance everything. Put the best players together to maximize their talents.
Please Mo, take those POS's off Staal's line and put the more skilled POS with Staal!
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Here is my assessment of last night’s game.
The Good
Cam – he had another strong game and kept it close. That 1st goal was just a fluke, but Fisher was really firing rockets all night. He pretty much did all he could with a weak defensive performance.
Staal – I thought Staal skated well and put forth a very good effort all night (except in the FO Circle). He also made a couple of very good passes. The Sammy goal was a very good play by Staal; getting the goalie out of position and finding the open Russian. His goal was also a good play.
Cole – he played well last night, getting a lot of scoring opportunities. But his finishing ability has much to be desired. A true top line player would have gotten one of those opportunites pass the goalie. He played a pretty good game, but still IMO doesn’t belong on the top line.
Bowman – he didn’t have any shots on goal, but I thought he played quite well. That play that almost gave Sutter a breakaway was very good. If he would have had his stick, that would have been a 2 on 1 with a good scoring chance. Also the pass across the crease that Dwyer missed was beautiful. That was almost perfect position, but Dwyer isn’t a goal scorer and didn’t have his stick all the way down to the ice. I can’t blame Bowman for being teamed with a grinder.
Skinner – he continues to impress me. He has areas of his game to work on, but the kid is a player. I liked that Mo finally put him with Staal and he had an assist on the Staal goal and also a pretty decent scoring opportunity. He deserves top line minutes.
The Bad
Jussi – that was one of the worst games I’ve seen Jussi play. I’ve seen him be somewhat invisible, but last night he was making mistakes. His passes were off, his faceoffs were bad, and his penalty probably cost us at least 1 point.
Pitkanen – this guy is not yet playing like it is a contract year. I know he has a couple of assists, but if I played 30 minutes a night I could probably get an assist from the puck touching my stick. He is playing like he doesn’t care; out of position and his passes are no where near his passing ability.
Babchuk – I really didn’t notice him a whole lot last night, but when I did it was for the negative. He pinched at the wrong time, made a mistake along the boards and always seemed to be chasing the puck in the defensive zone.
The Ugly
The Defense – they played horribly last night. They pinched at the wrong time, were constantly out of position, allowed Ottawa to cycle the puck with ease, and were physically manhandled by the Sens.
FaceOffs by Staal & Jussi – a combined 9 of 31, a freakin’ combined 9 of 31! That is unacceptable. You can’t sustain offensive pressure if your two offensive line centers can’t win a flippin’ faceoff in their own zone.
The Coaching – a games results are on the players also, but the coaches are responsible for getting the team prepared and matching the right players together. The game started again with Staal and Sutter paired with people that are not up to their abilities. Mo finally got Skinner on a line with Staal & Cole and a goal was scored, wow. But Sutter is still playing with a 4th line player and a kid with now 5 games NHL experience. Bowman is good, but throw Ruutu or Cole in the other slot to help Sutter out. Also, it’s Mo a “defensive” coach? If so, why does our defense look so lost? It wasn’t great in Finland, but we got by; that’s not going to happen throughout the season. He limits the offense for defense, but if not for “The Amazing Wardo” this game would have been a blow out. Francis also deserves some criticism. Yeah the PP scored a goal, but that was just a good play by Staal and Sammy. The PP still looks ineffective and Francis needs to figure out a system to run or go back to the front office.
Overall we played a pretty decent 1st, a horrible 2nd, and a hungry 3rd. There are going to be games like this throughout the season. The question is how do we respond? I’m looking for an inspired effort against a tough Vancouver team on Sunday. I don’t expect a win, but I do expect a better game from start to finish.
Please Mo, take those POS's off Staal's line and put the more skilled POS with Staal!
I understand your comments about the coaching, and I don’t terribly disagree, but I’m not sure what else the Canes can do. A full quarter of the team is rookies, and four are on offense. It’s going to take some time to sort out, and I think the best way for the young kids to get good enough to play with Staal and Sutter is to have them play with them now. They need to see what it’s going to take.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
I believe only 3 rookies are on offense and 1 on defense. Harrison and Tlusty are not rookies, but they do have limited NHL experience.
Either way, I believe the coaching staff needs to line up the players better and if that means some growing pains, fine. But give the kids a shot at where they can eventually fit in, so we’re still not trying to figure everything out come February. Also, you have to admit that our PP is disasterous. I don’t know how many comments I read about how we look better 5 on 5 than the PP. Francis was a great player, but I’m not sold on him yet as a coach.
Please Mo, take those POS's off Staal's line and put the more skilled POS with Staal!
I believe only 3 rookies are on offense and 1 on defense. Harrison and Tlusty are not rookies, but they do have limited NHL experience.
The number of five came from either John or Trip last night or a recent interview (maybe JR on the radio in Ottawa?). I was thinking maybe Dwyer was a rookie too, but I just checked and see he had about 70 games of NHL experience prior to this season. Thanks for the clarification.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
Dwyer is actually eligible for UFA this summer, if you can believe it.
by Cory Lavalette on Oct 15, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d have to agree with PP here… Maybe Maurice sees something that everybody else is missing, but his line combos just seem stupid. Corvo/Pitkanen being the biggest question mark, I just have no idea what he is thinking here (especially after JR specifically said during the off-season that Corvo/Gleason would be a lock). I also agree with just about everyone that it wasn’t a coincidence that moving LaRose off the 1st line led to lots of offense and a goal, but why was LaRose where he didn’t belong in the first place?
It’s not as if Mo has ever been hailed as a master tactician when it comes to line combos. I think a monkey picking names out of a hat could put together better lines.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Maurice should go. But there are two other coaches on the bench. I find it hard to believe that Maurice is not listening to Francis and Rowe. I am led to assume that those two are “seeing” the same “things” that Maurice sees, or they are not speaking up. I don’t think we can pin the poor coaching just on Maurice, even though he is the head coach (he does deserve much of the blame though).
I completely agree, that is why I also called out Francis and the PP. To be honest, isn’t Rowe the coach that leads the defense? He should be called out also after the first 3 games. Everybody will say that we won 2 of the 3 and thats great, but it was a lot about Cam Ward standing on his freakin’ head. You need your goalie to win some games for you throughout the season, but you cant expect him to win all the games for you.
I want to see a Skinner-Jussi-Staal line! SJS, SJS, SJS!
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