Clicks and Clippings: Wide World of Sports

The after-effects of the antics in Boston from the defending Stanley Cup Champions Bruins on Tuesday night were reverberating still yesterday. The Canes responded by bundling up and enjoying the first game of the MLB World Series. 

Twitter / @ice_chip: Looks like Staal, Ward, Sutter, Skinner and a few others are bundled up and headed to the game. Taking along the Finns. #worldseries 

Excellent: Cam Ward on NHL Live Wednesday  ★★★★★

Cam Ward is quoted around the world:

Zdeno Chara a Victim of His Size, With Cam Ward's Criticisms Providing Latest Reason Why - NESN.com ★★★★

It ain't easy being huge. Zdeno Chara can tell you that. The Bruins' 6-foot-9 defenseman is the biggest man to ever put on a pair of skates in the National Hockey League, and while that size works to his advantage, it also puts him constantly under unfair scrutiny. The latest bit came Tuesday night, when the B's captain rushed to teammate Nathan Horton's defense late in the second period of a 4-1 Hurricanes win. "The guy's 8 feet tall, and he's jumping a player," said Carolina goalie Cam Ward, who was referencing Chara's involvement with Jay Harrison. "That doesn't translate as being very tough in my eyes."

Meanwhile, from Oslo,  you don't need to speak Norwegian to read this paragraph: Fadesen i Boston | NHLNOR

Alt startet med at Zdeno Chara, som kaptein, ga Jay Harrison en skikkelig leiving i ansiktet da han var opptatt med Nathan Horton. Det resulterte i en ikke overraskende skeiv nevekamp, og et par minutter ekstra i boksen for Chara. Tuukka Rask trodde også han skulle få være med på moroa, men Cam Ward bare lo av det hele og responderte på følgende måte etter kampen; "I’m not gonna waste my time with Tuukka Rask".

Here's the Google translated link. Blunder in Boston

[Ed. note: I didn't rate them all, but the feature posts that are marked with ★★★★★ ratings are my Must-Read's for today. ★★★★ is worth making time for.]

Hurricanes put wild game behind them - Chip Alexander, NewsObserver.com Having survived the Tuesday night fights and escaped Boston with a 4-1 win, the Carolina Hurricanes are moving on. ★★★

I linked this in the comments late yesterday, but if you didn't catch it: Paul Maurice on NHLHomeIce (AUDIO: 11 minutes) From Wednesday afternoon, after the team arrived in St Louis.  ★★★★★

Upon further review, Maurice 'pretty pleased' | Canes Now

Couple more from here North Carolina

Canes Allen Wrench - David Droschak, HurricanesBeat.com With a crowded defensive corps now sorting itself out, Bryan Allen has emerged as a valuable piece, a top-notch penalty killer, a fearless shot blocker and a teammate who will stand toe-to-toe in protection mode.

We know that ACC Basketball is king in the Triangle. So I was surprised that even as the #1 and #3 top revenue producing teams in the NCAA, Duke and UNC combined revenues would not cover the Carolina Hurricanes 23-man payroll. Duke basketball No. 1 in revenue; UNC third - Triangle Business Journal Duke generated $26.7 million in basketball revenue in 2009-10 – the latest available EADA numbers. Add to that $20.6Million from UNC-Chapel Hill and you're at $47.3 million between the 2. That's revenues, not net after expenses.

The Canes salary cap hit that season was over $54million. Just an interesting way to compare apples and oranges, but which compete for sports and entertainment dollars from we consumers.

News from St Louis

Halak isn't Blues' only problem - Jeremy Rutherford, St Louis Post Dispatch Asked Tuesday night if he would consider starting Brian Elliott on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Payne said, "We'll take a look at everything."

Andy McDonald's injury calls NHL policy into question If a player passes the NHL's in-game testing procedure, the decision on whether he returns to the ice appears to be up to him. And since the symptoms don't show up instantly in most cases, at least one Blues player said that it's unlikely they would pull themselves from a game.

Charlotte Checkers

They have three games in three days this weekend in Charlotte. With Justin Faulk back on the minor league roster, and other prospects who are hoping for a call-up, keep an eye on the the Checkers this next week. The 10-11 Western Conference champion Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild affiliate) are in town.

UPDATE: Faulk's stay could be brief - Paul Branecky, gocheckers.com “Faulk’s here to play a lot of minutes, which is what he’ll do,” said Coach Jeff Daniels. “He’ll play on the power play, on the penalty kill and against the other team’s top players.”  ★★★★★

From last Friday: One-on-One: Checkers forward Zach Boychuk - News 14 Two videos - a standard interview and then a more off beat Q&A with Mike Solarte. ★★★★★

Shaya's 10 thoughts: Oct 18 - Jason Shaya, gocheckers.com ★★★

5) Daniels said this weekend that one of his biggest challenges early in the season is to try and get players to stop focusing on doing things individually and work as a team. The first two games of the season resulted in losses when too many guys tried to do it themselves. This weekend was a better example of the team working together. The difference between gaining one point or four points in two games.

Bowman Staying Positive, Scoring Goals - Paul Branecky, gocheckers.com ★★★★

"It’s been a roller coaster for sure," Drayson Bowman said. "Any of the guys here will tell you that they’d rather be playing in the NHL, and being sent down can affect your confidence. I maybe haven’t been the best at handling that the last few years, but I’m trying to stay positive now."

Audio with Checkers forward Jon Matsumoto as the top scorer in the AHL: Jon Matsumoto, Hockey Night in Canada Radio - CBC.ca, [3 mins] ★★★

Mike Murphy and Michal Jordan resume their Mailbag for the new season. Episode 1:

Prospects

Rask hat-trick powers Hitmen to road triumph - Calgary Herald Swedish snipeshow Victor Rask sparks Calgary to second straight win over Broncos. Rask now leads his team with 6g +4a for 10 points in 8 games.

Hurricanes Prospect Update: Mark Alt | Shutdownline.com Here is a well-written first-hand account on Carolina prospect Mark Alt - from a Minnesota Gopher blogger. ★★★★

Alumni

Erik Cole: Patience Required | Montreal Canadiens | The Checking Line Four years, $18 million, and a no-movement clause, and the Canadiens high profile UFA-day acquisition only has an assist in four games? What's more, he's barely been averaging 14:30 minutes of ice time? Something's not right here. ★★★

UPDATE: This one's even more blunt: Cole Mining: uncovering why the Erik Cole experiment is not working | Pro Sports Blogging I’m going to make my point right away so there is no confusion: a serious error was made by management when they decided to sign Erik Cole.

Scott Walker Named Team OHL Head Coach for SUBWAY Super Series - OHL.com Walker will serve behind the bench for both Team OHL contests beginning with Game Three of the series November 10 in Ottawa, ON, and then again in Game Four November 14 in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. 

Twitter / @AHLPR:

RT @TheFalconsAHL: Manny Legace signs PTO contract with Springfield Falcons.

Manny Legace, who signed a tryout with Springfield today, made his pro debut with the Falcons on Oct 1, 1994, vs. the Worcester IceCats