Another Night, Another Donut: Sabres blank Canes 1-0
by Brian LeBlanc on Nov 18, 2011 10:42 PM EST
in Carolina Hurricanes Game Recaps
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PrintIt was October of 2007 when the Hurricanes last beat the Buffalo Sabres in regulation at home. Friday night, Jhonas Enroth did his best to make sure the streak would not be broken.
The Sabres took an early lead on a Jason Pominville power-play goal, and that was all Enroth needed. Enroth, playing in relief of the injured Ryan Miller, made 34 saves for his second straight win against the Hurricanes, this one a 1-0 shutout in front of 15,072 at the RBC Center.
The only goal of the night was nothing more than a fortunate bounce. Midway through the first period while the Canes killed off a Jussi Jokinen slashing penalty, Thomas Vanek centered the puck to no one in particular from behind the net, and the puck bounced off Bryan Allen and in on Canes goalie Brian Boucher, a surprise starter in place of Cam Ward. Boucher unknowingly made the save, but the puck bounced right to Pominville who fired it past Boucher at 13:04 before the goaltender even knew where the puck was.
From there, the next 46-plus minutes belonged to Enroth, who singlehandedly kept the Canes at bay despite playing what coach Paul Maurice called "the best all-around team game we've played this year." Carolina outshot Buffalo 34-20, including eight-shot advantages in the second and third period.
The line pairings, a point of discussion over the past week, were remarkably constant and evenly distributed. Among the Canes' forwards, only Eric Staal (23:20) played over 20 minutes, and the Canes' fourth line of Jiri Tlusty, Tim Brent and Zach Boychuk each tallied double-digit shifts. Defenseman Justin Faulk, recalled from Charlotte (AHL) on Thursday, played just over 22 minutes alongside Jay Harrison most of the night.
Allen, in particular, looked more comfortable alongside Tim Gleason than he had in the previous games since the Canes' shutdown pairing was broken up about a week and a half ago. His sliding block of a Luke Adam centering pass attempt late in the second period was the type of defensive play that's been noticeable by its absence during Carolina's most recent three-game losing streak.
Of greater concern now is the Canes' punchless offense, which has gone a stretch of 135:24 without a goal. Their last lighting of the red lamp came on Patrick Dwyer's penalty shot on Monday against Philadelphia, and have now been shut out in consecutive games for the first time in the second Paul Maurice administration. The last time the Canes suffered back-to-back bagels was in January of 2007. Interestingly, the Canes' franchise had not suffered a 1-0 defeat on home ice since December 21, 1984, when Kelly Hrudey of the New York Islanders made 25 saves in a 1-0 blanking of the Hartford Whalers.
Speaking of Dwyer, he took an unpenalized forearm from Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers with eight minutes left in the third period and headed to the locker room. Dwyer did not return to the game, and Maurice said that the team would have to wait until tomorrow to find out the extent of Dwyer's injury.
The Canes now continue their on-again, off-again November schedule with a practice day tomorrow, then a matchup with the surprising Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon at the RBC Center.
Click for postgame audio from Brian Boucher, Jay Harrison, Eric Staal and Paul Maurice.
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Much, much better effort tonight; but we still have problems scoring. A loss is a loss, but other than the score; that is how I would like to see the Canes play more often. After a slow 1st, we really attacked and had some good shifts by all the lines. I looked back at the DVR and there was a Staal & McBain shot that were almost perfectly place, a couple of inches and we would have come out with the victory.
Kaberle really disappointed me with 2 memorable turnovers that lead to Buffalo odd man rushes. This guy has left whatever game he had in Toronto, what a waste. I also noticed that LaRose got to the right spots, but he continues failing at finishing. He is going to make me pull all of my hair out. And last, we need to practice shooting on goal! I can’t believe how many shots we missed and how badly some of them missed.
I will also add that Faulk looked good, not great, but good. The thing I notice is how much better he handles the puck than McBain. McBain is a good player with potential, but he fumbles the puck too freakin’ often. If JR can trade him for a nice return, and I’m NOT meaning Gagner from Edmonton, go ahead and make the move. I think we would have to package him with something to get a good player back, but as Gologski showed last season; young, puck-moving defensemen have good value.
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 18, 2011 11:20 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I think Faulk looked great considering the circumstances.
19 year old kid called up for his second shot in the NHL, to a struggling team with a sinking coach.
At the same time, I disagree about giving up on McBain. I know we desperately need a forward, but I’m honestly hoping we can fail our way to a lottery pick and get some return on a guy like Allen closer to the deadline. (Or now.)
by Iggy Reilly on Nov 18, 2011 11:27 PM EST up reply actions
Allen, Gleason, Ruutu, and Ponikarovsky are all pending UFAs and should all be headed out the door at the trade deadline (LaRose too if we can find someone who will take him).
Although if we have even a 0.1% chance of making the Playoffs, I doubt JR will make the moves to better the team moving forward (see: Whitney, Cole, Pitkanen, etc.). That potential extra $2-3 million in Playoff revenue is far more important to PK.
On the plus side, Nail Yakupov and Mikhail Grigorenko both look absolutely dynamite and will be future 1st line stars in the NHL. Alex Galchenyuk is also projected in that range, ranking #2 in the OHL according to CSS rankings despite being injured this whole year so far.
great point on the ufa situation
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Nov 19, 2011 7:09 AM EST up reply actions
Chad’s a favorite scapegoat this year but I have to admit the guy is consistently at the right place at the right time. But he just does not possess the skills necessary to make a pass, receive a pass or make a shot that justify his TOI.
by drifterscape on Nov 18, 2011 11:31 PM EST up reply actions
exactly how i see him. i like him, they get their moneys worth from him….its just a really odd choice. the reason i think hes always at the right place at the right time is because people realize he isnt a threat, and treat him as such, especially when staal is on the ice.
I am not a heavy drinker. I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop --Noel Coward
by DaveLovesBier on Nov 18, 2011 11:47 PM EST up reply actions
The team did show a good effort, just no FINNISH! We played decent defensively by limiting their number of shots and we did that by creating offensive pressure. Of course we didn’t score and that sucks, but the game the team played against Montreal & Buffalo was night & day except the score.
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 19, 2011 7:12 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I Like Faulk but McBain is much better at handling the puck. His ability to move the puck and see pass in the neutral zone during a regroup are sometimes amazing.There is a real art to making the short pass. All defenseman will make some mistakes, they are on the island. The thing about McBain is that he make difficult plays look easy. I also like that he had 3 blocked shots
Faulk did handle the puck better than Kaberly last night. Kaberle was fighting the puck all night long. Faulk does tend to get lost in his own zone. To sum up his game it was the first time that he was not a minus and he did hit the post. He made one rush up into the offence and the attacked was three players in a straight line. No Depth and no width and then was caught and we gave up an odd man rush. He may be a great NHL defenseman some day but he is very young and the NHL is a tougher than a college schedule, playing only on Friday and Saturday and limited travel. So I would say lets watch and hope.
I do not see the wisdom of Harrison and Faulk getting that many minutes more than Gleason and Allen. Those to have been the most solid. Gleason has done an excellent job of being solid on D and knowing when to jump up into the offense this season.
In the end Pitkanen and Kaberle are the two the have me scratching my head.
One of the biggest problems that no wants to talk about are the number of turnovers the are coming from Staal and Skinner. Not enough team play!!! They are great players but they are constantly turning over the puck going straight to the net rather than gaining the zone and allowing the play to develop from behind and letting all five players get in the zone. Insted they al ways turning everything into a one on one battle end in way to many turnovers.
Here is an idea… use the points more and spread out the play. Make the other team have to work in the own zone. Instead of all the turnovers
I’m sorry, but I respectably disagree about McBain’s puck handling. He constantly fumbles the puck when on the boards. He is still young and has upside, but if faced with a choice; I would take Faulk over McBain. And if McBain (+ something else) can net a true top 6 player in return, then I say do it. If going back to last year, we could trade McBain + for James Neal; I would do it in a heartbeat!
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 19, 2011 7:17 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
to me this typifies how the org already handles d-man prospects: throw them away for something else.
you say that about mcbain now (to me, his worst aspect has always been his passing, his defense has gotten better). but do you say it next year when faulk is doing so-so and we need another backup goalie or winger or something?
carson was supposed to be a d-man in development, and they threw him to the wind to make room for allen. is it a good strategy, ditching d-men left and right to get something else? how often does a team develop a defensive prospect and it ends up being worth it?
Id like to see a coaching change first and foremost. TOI is so unbalanced, and lines get juggled so often that Im curious as to what would happen if the prospect forwards got a chance to work on the top 2 lines regularly as well as see how the defense would look without mo involved.
I am not a heavy drinker. I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop --Noel Coward
by DaveLovesBier on Nov 19, 2011 7:38 PM EST up reply actions
McBain has had years to develop and he hasn’t. At the moment, yes, it is a better idea to throw him away. You can’t keep every defensive prospect sadly. There are only 6 open slots on a team. Gleason is probably guaranteed a spot going into the future due to his captaincy and “leadership”. Pitkanen is guaranteed a spot, bar any sudden rash trade, as he is our best defenseman. Harrison will probably stick around, and so he should. Kaberle is going to be playing here by virtue of his contract, unless bought out. And there we are, left with 2 open slots. We have tons of options for a couple slots, and the team has to decide which two players are the best choices for those two slots. IMO, the best two choices would be Faulk and Murphy (hoping he recovers) going forward.
McBain’s chance to be a top 4 forward has been given to him on a platter. He’s been given time with Pitkanen, had powerplay time, had penalty kill time, has had over a full season of NHL experience, yet a raw defenseman basically straight from college is outplaying him at the moment.
And Carson would not thrown away at all. That is a completely wrong statement.
JR said before this year that we were stockpiling offensive D because that is the direction that the NHL is going. I hope he has change his opinion, we are in dire need of a couple shutdown presences, having Faulk and Murphy in the pipeline (along with Pits and Kabs) makes McBain redundant.
Hopefully Dumoulin can come surprise us all with a strong 2-way game in the next year or 2, we need someone like that.
by JussiJuice on Nov 20, 2011 8:23 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
What D-Men has this organization throw away? Carson was a 6th defenseman at best. Yeah it sucked losing him for nothing, but he wasn’t really worth a whole lot. He also had been given years to develop and didn’t make a tremendous amount of progress.
Regarding McBain; I like him, he’s pretty good. But if we can get something of REAL value for him, then we need to do it because we have pieces (some IMO better than he) that can replace him.
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 20, 2011 1:19 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I know he wasn’t a home grown prospect, but what did we get in the Andrew Alberts trade? I can’t remember. Sure would be nice to have him back in my opinion.
The only easy day was yesterday.
They got Vancouver’s third round draft pick in 2010 – so that turned into a defenseman – Austin Levi.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 20, 2011 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
I agree here. Mr. Joshua is the first person I have heard say that McBain has amazing puck handling since probably the short stint he played here two years ago (two years?). The kid is terrible with the puck IMO. Not only along the boards (where he is a turnover machine…watch the Flyers game), but in the middle of the ice. He can be all alone in our defensive zone receiving a puck from a forward and still fumble the puck. And when he is on the point on the powerplay, he will never be able to one-time it because he has to take a few seconds to settle the puck done. To me, he always seems to receive the puck in a way that it ends up on its edge. Not sure how he does that, but I would suspect he is tilting the blade in the wrong direction.
Shit sandwiches
Kaberle, Larose, Gleason, Poni. You pick one. Go ahead blame him for the loss. Or, blame Mo, Lewis, JR or the owner. Pick somebody. Blame my favorite. puck luck. Promote Mo or fire Mo. Promote Lewis, Brindy, Francis, Daniels or the guy who sharpens skates. This will get better, but not soon, not this season.
I want ownershio to do one thing and one thing only. Show the way that in 2 or 3 years our trend is up not down.
Gleason with one shift in the final ten minutes of the third. Total of 3:53 in the third period.
Similar to the ’10 Olympics, where the Americans desperately needed a goal and Gleason sat on the bench for most of the third while Wilson went with two pairings (Suter-Rafalski and JJ-EJ).
What I’ve learned is that when you desperately need a goal to keep your job or your team’s hopes alive, you bench Tim Gleason.
I have no problem with Gleason sitting. He started the season strong and was a mean machine during our Boston games and Caps away game. Since then he has not performed well. He absolutely cannot pass. And I’m glad you brought up the Olympics. While I don’t remember him sitting for long stretches, I do remember him being responsible for several icings in the 3rd period due to errant passes up the side boards. And on that Olympic team there was Jack Johnson. Say what you want about him, he is a mighty fine passer and played solidly that game.
I’d pick Gleason over Joslin right now, but do not mind giving Timmy a few games off to either heal up something that’s ailing him.
Harrumph
'Canes played hard
but still no clue what they’re doing on the ice, at either end. Buffalo had its s**t together, they are a good team.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Nov 19, 2011 7:09 AM EST reply actions
Of all the things you have ever posted here this may well be the most misinformed. This game was televised and I sat through two periods with one of the most respected analysts in hockey, who has played, coached and provided commentary on NHL hockey for a combined 55 years.
I don’t follow Buffalo except for a few games so I listened intently to his take. He stated that this was one of the few games the Sabres this season where they were almost completely shut down offensively 5 on 5. You will recall the only goal came on a fluke defection on the PP off Gleason’s shin pad direct to Pomminville.
At the other end he complimented the Canes on their ability to get to the net and put shiols on goal. He felt that the Canes had a disciplined well thought out system of attack that was giving the Sabres defence fits which hasn’t happened often. But here is the key and I think it may well sum our entire predicament. He had only seen us a couple of times this year and he was amazed at how poorly our forwards finish. While had enough shots they were of poor quality. Poor shooting decisions, badly placed d shots, completely missing the net ( we both agreed that if the Canes had hit the net with their chances the shots would have been about 45), etc.
His assessment is that we have a lot of hard working players who skate very well, are good positionally but have limited finishing skills. That boils down to TALENT. That boils down to the type of players that JR signs and the team drafts. That boils down to how much money the team is willing to spend.
A game like Montreal is a throw away and rarely lingers with teams. But games last night where you work hard, play within a system where you shut down the other team and generate lots of scoring chances plays on the collective minds of the team. It demoralizes more than anything else because you question whether even with your best efforts, you can score and win. When that happens there absolutely need to be changes and often the easiest is the coach.
I have been a proponent for Paul to go for some time now. Last night he played his younger talent; he benched Gleason most of the third because for whatever reason he was battling the puck all night; he relied on his young gun D, Faulk, who delivered an excellent game. And he kept the team focused and disciplined throughout. But too little too late and if they had lost 1-0 while in 6th place or without the current losing streak, you chalk it up to just one of those games. But unless the team can retool and bring in the finishers it needs ( and there are not many out there to be had without a blockbuster, or giving up blue chip prospects or high draft picks), we will see more of the same. JR probably now knows this and better to put lipstick on a pig for a while and fire the coach. It might give the team a bump for a while, but it will not correct the core problems. It was never totally the coach ( although his stubbornness in slotting certain players should be on his mind while collecting his severance)….. it is more on PK and his tight wallet and more on JR for the type of players he has assembled.
Off season pickups contributed nothing. Stewart was totally unimpressive; Kaberle the weakest of our D; Brent ok but as a 4th line checker, Poni worked hard but can’t finish. No difference makers in the bunch and we needed difference makers. Cole was a difference maker. But owners, and GMs who are part owners, are rarely fired. And trades are hard to come by when you don’’t have expendable talent that other teams want.
Lets bring in a new coach but it will still be a long season for the hard suffering fans until we make some deep surgical changes to the make up of this team.
by sittler27 on Nov 19, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I am just a fan, not someone who has played, but these comments about finishing resonate with the soccer fan in me. In soccer a major difference between good teams and average ones is how well they finish. Games average only about 2.5 goals, both teams combined. Even the best teams don’t get a lot of chances, with shots on goal per team averaging more like 3 than 30, and more shots missing the target than hitting it (10 attempts per team, perhaps). A team like Arsenal, for all they make lots of chances, would be ordinary without Robin van Persie, who is presently the most deadly finisher in the game. Anyone can get a lucky shot occasionally, but in soccer there is no substitute for guys who can shoot accurately.
Mo’s philosophy of “drive the net and hope for garbage goals” suits a team with too many poor finishers. But he doesn’t suit the team otherwise.
van Persie is the Marion Gaborik of the EPL.
by drifterscape on Nov 19, 2011 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
I noticed the same thing about the lack of finishing talent. We can pass all day, work hard to cycle the puck, get in the right positions, but in the end, no one can finish. Staal could be the best finisher, but he is stuck playing with two line mates who can’t get him the puck. More often than not, it is Staal dishing the puck to LaRose who then fails miserably. Skinner can also finish, but he’s being double- or tripled- teamed now.
I was thinking it last night during the game and Mike Maniscalco said it during the post-game show: we missed Cole last night.
Jeff Carter is up for grabs apparently. There is a finisher for ya. That is a huge move that would put the Canes back in Playoff contention, maybe one of the few… but does the org have the cajones to pull it off? Would be expensive.
by JussiJuice on Nov 19, 2011 12:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
One other thing and this may be another of those examples where Paul’s decision making confuses. Faulk was playing a very strong game. Great passes out of his zone. Good decisions at both ends. And we all know he has a bomb from the point. Yet he gets 2nd unit PP time and we continue with McBain at the point who has developed an annoying hesitancy in getting his shot off and it is no where as hard and accurate as Faulk’s. Why not try Faulk with the 1st unit at the end of the game when you know you may need to overpower Enroth or a hard shot through traffic to beat him?
Yes, that (lack of) decision making was strange. Faulk should have been out there on the 1st PP unit. We assumed that was one of the reasons why he was brought up. To me, that sums up Maurice. An inability to quickly adapt to changing situations.
And the overwhelming propensity to go with what he is comfortable with above all else.
by JussiJuice on Nov 19, 2011 12:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
An inability to quickly adapt to changing situations.
An inability to quickly adapt to changing situations
That phrase captures the Maurice dilemma. He has a great hockey mind. He knows all the Xs and Os and statistics. He can develop strategies that are very impressive; but in the end, he has a problem in adaptation to the facts on the ice. It’s too bad. He’s by all accounts a very fine person, well-respected by his players and his peers. The combination of stubborn adherence to his plans and the lack of willingness or capability to feel the game is likely to end his career as an NHL coach.
As nice as he may be...his career as an NHL coach would already be over if not for JR and PK
all these excuses for why Mo’s teams never seems to have enough talent is getting old
There are two great examples of this IMO:
Our powerplay: Our PP relies a lot on our defenseman. Our defensemen bring the puck into the zone or dump it in, our defensemen are supposed to create chances by shooting, and our defensemen are supposed to set up the half-boards. In theory, this is perfect. It makes perfect sense. But the problem is that this is all we do. Other teams adapted to this weeks ago, and now every time our defenseman carries the puck into the neutral zone, one of the opposing defensemen immediately starts skating back behind his net. Inside the zone, as soon as a defenseman gets the puck, the opposing forward immediately rushes the player aggressively. Despite this obvious adjustment, nothing has been done to change up what we do. Find new methods of entry, shift the playmaking to the half-boards or behind the net, just do something different.
Forechecking: This was very evident in the Buffalo game. With 10 minutes or so left, it’s a 1-0 hockey game. You could say it was pretty tight, but really, Buffalo had gone into the shell and was playing for the 1-0 lead. They weren’t attacking, they weren’t being aggressive, they were getting the puck and clearing it out. This is when you adjust and become more aggressive to take advantage of this. Other teams do it to us all the time. When we start trying to protect the puck behind our net to waste time, we suddenly have two or three forecheckers on us. If we are just playing a clearing game, we have all three forwards going for the defensemen to break the clears. Us, we don’t change at all. We stay with the one high fore checker and four guys into the neutral zone (1-2-2). The forechecker never goes below the goal line and the other team is safe to skate it around their own zone. Maurice needs to adjust…put two forecheckers on, keep one forward high, and make sure the defensemen are responsible (2-1-2). No reason to be conservative, especially when your job is on the line.
Building Talent Without Crushing the Foundation; Deep Surgical Changes
The Hurricanes clearly need more upper end talent; but the issue is made far worse with the recalcitrance of Maurice in giving more responsibility to young players. Zac Dalpe is a highly talented scorer. I realize he has been fighting a knee injury for some time; but prior to his knee injury, he should have been played as the high end talent he is. I think Boychuk is much improved this call up.
The elite talent that is so desperately needed won’t come via trade. The Hurricanes don’t have the surplus of young, recognized elite talent in the system. The UFA market isn’t going to be the source of adding that talent either due to the budget constraints. The elite talent is, however, waiting to be taken in the 2012 draft. Deep surgical changes in exchange for draft choices will help the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are heading straight for a pick between 2 and 5. In this year’s draft, the top five to six players are very impressive. The top three or four forwards have elite potential.
This year doesn’t have to be a wasted season. It’s time to retool with the young players who are the Hurricanes future. It’s time, as well, to change some of the locker room dynamic. Surgical changes rather than blowing up the team will accomplish that goal without setting the Hurricanes back five years.
"elite talent that is so desperately needed won’t come via trade"
great point. i think everyone who is thinking, “who out there is available for staal’s line?” is hoping someone fantastic is available cheap, when it likely isn’t possible w/o trading 2-3 top guys from our own squad. you have a great point about starting to retool; i think the hardcore fanbase will understand and appreciate it, but i wonder about the casual fan. will they lose interest if a bunch of checkers make their way up from charlotte? i guess it all depends on the results, and for 2 years now we haven’t had any playoffs, so competitive games with actual goals from our team might do the trick.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Nov 19, 2011 8:08 PM EST up reply actions
.Fail for Nail. Go stinko for Grigorenko. These two are being compared to Ovechkin and Malkin respectively
Elite talent is out there, we just have to follow the mold of Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tampa, Edmonton, etc. and take the plunge for a top-5 Draft pick. It is the only way we can acquire that kind of talent… especially on a budget.
Going into next year with Skinner, Ward, Sutter, Yakupov/Grigorenko, and Staal (if he ever gets his act together) gives us a very strong core. Let Gleason/Allen walk, add a true top-pairing shutdown D and we are contending next year.
by JussiJuice on Nov 20, 2011 8:35 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Time for Positive Failure
Grigorenko has been judged by some hockey scouts to have more upside potential than Taylor Hall. I kid you not. Yakupov is one of the most exciting young prospects in years according to hockey scouts. I like both Gleason and Allen; but given the depth of the 2012 draft, I’d trade both Gleason and Allen if I could get first round picks for either one. Gleason has been a disappointment in November. He had an excellent October, I thought, so I wonder if his back is giving him problems. Maybe Gleason wants to win so badly he is gettting out of position trying to help. I like Gleason and would be pleased if he re-signs; but I don’t think he is dramatically better than Allen. In some ways I prefer Allen to Gleason as far as what he brings to the table.
In any event, I would second the call to follow the Pittsburgh, Chicago, Tampa, Edmonton model and play the young kids now. A top five pick this draft is the prize. If the Hurricanes could also accomplish one or two more first round picks, the talent gap would be rapidly closed by the draft.
Ryan Murray (Only Draft Eligible asked to Canada’s U-20 camp which is hard to do) and Matt Dumba (Compared to Dion Phaneuf with a penchant for huge hits and elite offensive ability) would be two pretty decent concession prizes on the back end as well.
The top-5 of this Draft is extremely solid. Nail Yakupov absolutely destroyed Steven Stamkos’ 92 point CHL Rookie scoring record with 102 points last year on one of the worst teams in the OHL last year. At this point he looks to be more Crosby/Ovechkin caliber than Hall/Stamkos/Nugent-Hopkins.
definitely a better defensive effort, and shooting the puck is important.
It’s also important to actually position yourself for rebounds as Enroth had plenty. Unfortunately having 3 guys crash the net and be behind the net when the puck lands 4 foot in front of the goal every play isn’t going to help.
Remember when Staal used to actually stand in front of the goalie and cash in those loose pucks? What happened to that guy?
Yes, that confounds me too. We had powerplays with no body screening the goalie. I know who USED to do this on our team….but he currently plays for Montreal.
Harrumph
I thought part of the reason for signing Sterwart and Poni was to have big bodies in front of the goal. What happened to that thinking?
The only easy day was yesterday.
by CoastalCane on Nov 19, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
Whats less comforting is that this half a person has more points than staal. Something needs t change, but god only knows what it will be, and if it will be anything that can make a difference.
I am not a heavy drinker. I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop --Noel Coward
by DaveLovesBier on Nov 19, 2011 2:50 PM EST up reply actions
“back to back bagels” +1
That cliche is about the only highight. For what I believe is a team that has to have a minimum of three goals per game to be competitive the effort was lost on me. It was like watching the Mites and just happy your kid stayed on his feet more than on his butt. Not NHL level hockey. Maybe PK neds to buy JR a Mite team to run so “good effort” counts. In the NHL teams are expected to win. An NHL team that gets skunke twice in a row should be ashamed. I wonder if this team has enough pride left to be ashamed?
A
Getting old sucks!
A 30-52 season will be difficult now
Following the week where we let Cole go, and then basically traded Corvo for “Kaberle plus $3 Million dollars”, looking at the proposed roster I predicted a 30 win and 52 loss season. It will be hard to get to 30 wins at this point.
A lot of empty lower-level seats for a Friday night game. When the Sabres scored, even on TV, you could hear the rumble of Buffalo fans in the building. Can’t recall the last time visiting fans were heard above the Caniacs.
It would be nice if Canes Management would issue a statement to let us know what they were thinking during this period. Did someone truly believe this roster had a chance of being successful? Did they truly believe this roster was better than last years? Who made the decision in terms of Kaberle?
Used to be the Canes fielded a legitimate NHL-class team. This year’s squad is stacked with 4th line talent. When 4th liners are playing on the 1st line, you’ve got a problem.
Gambles
I’d think Kaberle was a gamble that, so far at least, has failed. Gambles of this kind occur when you’re on a small budget. Gambles of a bigger kind occur on a big budget, such as Montreal signing Cole. How will that expenditure look in the 3rd-4th year of his contract?
Cole is now one of hottest players for Montreal
After going the first 8 games with basically no PP minutes, Cole is now getting significant PP minutes, and playing a major role for the Habs. He now has 5 goals and 10 points, all the while playing on the 3rd line. So the Cole move has worked out pretty well for them. Kind of ironic that one of our core 1st line players would be positioned on the 3rd line of another team, while we now fill his vacated role with 3rd and 4th line players.
As a small market, we pay Staal and Ward a lot of money. Fortunately, they are worth it. Paying Tomas Kaberle 4 million? Crazy. I’d put his worth somewhere in the $1.5 range.
Slugs won..Canes lost
that was yesterday…toronto will be in town and the canes should make every effort to all but strip the leafs of their pride…will it happen ? Only the canes and hockey gods know for sure..but i still have Faith & Hope…and if that’s all one has..you use what you have..right ?
9/11/01 - Never Forget !!
Long Live #63 The Condor
Go Canes & Checkers !!!
A better game
Maybe Mo has started reading the criticisms of the way he coaches, he actually did roll 4 lines (at least for a while) Boychuck looked good every time he was out there. We seemed to have a little more jump and actually won some of the battles on the boards.
Yes, 4 lines were rolled and it didn’t hurt us. So, maybe lesson learned for coaches. Defense re-adjusted in 3rd (Gleason sitting). Faulk came in with confidence and played VERY well. (Maybe bringing up some winning, confident Checkers can add some energy and give our guys a shot in the arm). However, our jump is still not a quick jump. What I’ve noticed is that for some reason, this team sure looks S L O W. Maybe my mind is still reeling from how freaky fast Philly is.
Harrumph
Someone mentioned yesterday that the worse thing in the world would be for the ’Canes to sweep this weekend and then Management could feel all warm and fuzzy. Well, no worries there now.
The second worst thing would have been for Maurice to play some people last night like you said and for things to have gone badly (like 0-5 bad).
by drifterscape on Nov 19, 2011 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
Inactivity on the scoreboard reflected inactivity by Rutherford. If that game is what people think will be in the casual fan, good luck. When will Rutherford actually do something?
Trades aren’t going to provide great improvement, especially if you have no money. It’s hard to get something important without giving up something important.
So do we have goal scorers from Charlotte? Are they playing on the top lines here to see if they can do the same thing here? That’s what JR can do, and it will also help bring fans to the games. But Mo won’t do it on his own initiative, no matter what.
Only NHL ready goal scorer in Charlotte is likely Dalpe. But he has to play top 6 to be in a position to make a difference. This may sound radical but we are at that stage….. Staal between Boychuk and Dalpe.
There are rumors Edmonton is looking for a Dman with all their injuries. And also reports Linus Omark is not happy in OKC. Would he be an option?
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 11:44 AM EST up reply actions
5’9" and 170 lbs. Not sure we need another smallish forward. I think Dalpe may be the better prospect.
Now if we could get Paajarvi out of Edmonton….. I can dream.
I don’t know much about Omark other than what I read, but I can see that size plus young age would definitely be an issue.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
Omark was injured I believe, out for weeks+.
by JussiJuice on Nov 19, 2011 1:32 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Well then – That’s certainly relevant. Appreciate that update.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
BB
A big sigh of relief for Brian Boucher. He finally played a game where he didn’t look like Justin Peters-Leighton.
Welcome. Now if you want a point, pitch a shutout, slacker.
Reports from practice have McBain and Faulk on the 1st unit of the powerplay (w/12, 15, 53)
Faulk didn’t get to practice with the team before last night’s game so that might be the reason Maurice didn’t have him on the 1st unit last night.
Also:
@MSmithCanes: Looks like we’re missing LaRose, Dwyer, Sutter and Jokinen. And Joni Pitkanen, still out with a lower-body concern.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 12:22 PM EST reply actions
Interesting that Sutter is getting a rest day. He looked a bit off last night. Very un-Sutter like.
Harrumph
I thought the same thing. Wondered what was up. (actually been slow, w/o jump for a couple games I thought, starting in the Philly game)
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 1:13 PM EST up reply actions
More after practice:
Dwyer gametime decision. Canes will call up a forward. Pitkanen will skate for first time tomorrow by is day to day.
Ward will start vs TOR. Sutter, Jokinen, LaRose all fine to play tomorrow.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
No decision who the Fwd will be that is called up yet. Will decide by 5pm.
Checkers have night off but play again tomorrow (they lost in a shootout to a terrible team last night)
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 1:17 PM EST up reply actions
Any preference from you on whom the Canes should call up?
And yes, Rockford is a terrible team and a pretty terrible town. I spent 3 undergrad years there. Ugh.
Harrumph
Assuming it’s for 4th line play, I’d say Samson or Sutter and let Bowman, Dalpe get big minutes and confidence, timing, etc in Charlotte.
Wonder how Brent, Poni and Kaberle are approaching a game vs the Leafs?
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these posts......
It was eye opening to read all of your opinions. I especially liked the soccer comparison (my background too) in that you have to have someone who can FINISH. Like we can move the puck up but our PP is lacking because we cannot FINISH. so NO GOALS. so we LOSE. How do we look as tight as we did last night but 2 games ago we looked in a shambles? It’s like our team has a split personality. Very odd. I like Mo still but he does coach defensively in that he wont’ take chances when things are starting to pick up and stubbornly plays players who are not up to the challenge. Since we’ll probably miss the playoffs this season, I don’t know what to tell anyone. Scrap the whole organization?
when we had lavi coaching
he placed a premium on puck possession and a strong cycle game. we’d often get the puck deep, have a man behind the net, and keep cycling until we had someone coming free toward the net. this season i’ve seen dump, dump and chase, dump again, etc.
point is, it’s easier to finish when you are set up well and moving toward the net. not sure we know who is a finisher and who isn’t partly because of the style of play we’ve been using this year.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Nov 19, 2011 1:25 PM EST up reply actions
Lavi
what were JR’s and Karmanos’ issues with Lavi anyway? I actually do like Mo, but Lavi did help them win a Stanley Cup and then they dump him and he’s doing pretty dang well with the Flyers. He has to be given credit at some point. So why did they ditch him? And why are we making this team play dump and chase when it DOES NOT WORK?
Well, we do the dump pretty well, it’s the chase that needs a little work. An effective dump-chase has guys going full out into zone when the puck is dumped in. So far, the puck gets dumped when the guys aren’t skating hard. Chicago does a great dump and chase…..when they do it, which isn’t often.
Harrumph
I know I’m picking at you today but there are times when to someone who has actually played this game, your comments are just so off.
It is actually easier to finish off the rush. Everyone is moving and lanes are often full and goalies are guessing as to where eventual shot will come from. When they move they open and there are holes. As well more rebounds from shot off the rush. Cycling is often a man’s game and requires patience until the other team overcommits and space is created. But the goalies are usually on the puck and it can be harder to score. Philly has size up front and can play a cycling game. We often break down just because we over matched. There is nothing wrong with dump and chase against a bigger slower D like Buffalo’s that challenges you at the blue line and has forwards coming back hard, as long you have the speed to retrieve the puck. Canes actually did that very well last night and created lots of chances, but we didn’t finish some great scoring opportunities.
But maybe I’ll defer to your assessment over someone who, as I said played, coached and reported on this game for 5 decades. Hint…. you can his jersey in Toronto in the Hall of Fame.
Yesterday….the cup semed so far away…and sadly it has yet to stay…that’s why i belive in yesterday..why it had to leave..i don’t know…but hat ever the reason..i want it back…at least bfore i die..and i be 64 now..and
“My Biological Clock” is tickin baby !! :-O
9/11/01 - Never Forget !!
Long Live #63 The Condor
Go Canes & Checkers !!!
he got a goal and an assist in charlotte, so they probably brought him up here to get some rest.
I am not a heavy drinker. I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop --Noel Coward
by DaveLovesBier on Nov 19, 2011 5:42 PM EST up reply actions
Sam Gagner
Rumors out of Edmonton have Sam Gagner available. Not so much a sniper but good set up man. Possibility as line mate for Staal. Not sure how I’d feel about that. He has had injury issues and has never reached his potential. But very highly touted coming out of Juniors.
I wouldn’t touch Gagner if I were the Canes. He’s a 2nd/3rd line tweener; we have plenty of those guys already.
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 19, 2011 7:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
That’s really all we are going to get. A 2nd/3rd liner who could play on the first line if his career suddenly revitalizes.
That’s is why we have to package players/picks together, so the return wouldn’t be some other team’s disappointment.
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 20, 2011 10:02 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Agree!
With this!
I believe in strength. I believe in unity. And if that strength, that unity of purpose, demands a uniformity of thought, word and deed then so be it.
by Douchebag St John on Nov 20, 2011 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
In my opinion, there is virtually nobody outside of an established 1st line talent that could get this team back on track.
Staal is the #1 problem here and could be the #1 solution, but he clearly needs help. For whatever reason he can’t get it going himself. Since it is clear to just about everybody in the universe that playing LaRose on his wing results in Staal getting constantly double teamed, we need to add to the top-line without subtracting.
Put Jeff Carter or Jerome Iginla next to Staal and we might be able to sneak back into the race. How likely is this to happen? Pretty damn close to 0%. My worst fear is that we overpay or mortgage the future for a bandaid like Ales Hemsky or Sam Gagner. This will not do much help the team compete, short or long term.
The Hurricanes would have to give up a #1 draft choice to get a true first line wing. I don’t endorse that idea at all. I think there are only limited choices available to the Hurricanes and none are perfect choices:
1. Give up players and a #1 pick for somebody like Carter;
2. Give up a 2nd round pick and a prospect for somebody’s underachieving player like Penner, for example;
3. Stick with LaRose in the top six’
4. Play the kids and hope either Dalpe or Boychuk make a statement.
I take choice 4. The pay day of a top 5 or better draft pick would be well worth it if the kids don’t improve the scoring situation and they’ll be getting much needed NHL game experience.
One guy that really interest me is Evander Kane in Winnipeg. I really see a lot of similarities in his & Erik Cole’s game, but Kane has higher offensive upside. I don’t think the Jets would move him or what it might take, but I think he would be a real nice addition in a dream world.
It's time for change! "If you want to change the culture, you will have to start by changing the organization." - Mary Douglas
by PackPride17 on Nov 20, 2011 1:28 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
we really need a Ray whitney of player for staal
who’s out there ?
and don’t say ray whitney
Mi piace l'hockey su ghiaccio.
l'hockey è buono qui .. sì?
That’s supposed to be Boychuk kinda sorta, but I don’t think Boychuk sees/thinks the game nearly that well yet.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Nov 19, 2011 7:38 PM EST up reply actions
Ray’s game is all about distributing the puck. I don’t see that this will ever be the primary strength to Boychuk’s game. However with time, hopefully Boychuk’s shooting and finishing skills will make him a threat on whatever line he lands on.
Boychuk is not as cerebral as Ray Whitney, or at least not at this point; but watching him in the AHL he does manage some great passes. He is more a shoot first, ask questions later kind of forward; but he also makes some very nice centering passes. Whitney sees the ice with such clarity and anticipation it’s a joy to watch him when he’s on his game. As you say, Whitney was a sniper who found the soft spots in defenses and who also could pass a puck through a a rosebush and not disturb a petal.
what about #72 for les canadiens?
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Nov 19, 2011 8:05 PM EST up reply actions
see, i didn't say ray whitney
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Nov 19, 2011 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
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