Two Goals by McBain Not Enough: Penguins 3, Hurricanes 2
by Bob Wage on Dec 3, 2011 10:40 PM EST
in Carolina Hurricanes Game Recaps
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PrintDefenseman Jamie McBain, who was listed on the official game roster as a healthy scratch, scored twice, but that was not enough for the Carolina Hurricanes as they dropped their sixth straight game, 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the RBC on Saturday night.
The Canes have now lost 13 of their last 16 games.
Coach Kirk Muller decided to go with seven defensemen in this game and captain Eric Staal was double shifted a bit of the time. Staal finished with a team high, 26:57 of ice time and finished with three hits, three shots, and three takeaways, but zero points for his efforts.
The home team came out fired up and put a lot of pressure on in the Pittsburgh zone in the first period, but they were unable to light the lamp.
Craig Adams started off the scoring for the visitors midway through the second period with a seeing eye shot that found it's way past Hurricanes goalie, Brian Boucher.
Carolina tied it up later in the period when McBain fired one in from the point during a delayed call on the powerplay. It was the blueliner's first goal of the season.
But another fourth line player, Arron Asham would give the Pens the lead about eight minutes into the third. Then just a minute and change after that goal, the Canes would be burned again when Pascal Dupuis earned a hard working goal in front of the Carolina net.
With the score 3-1, the Canes were benefits of some powerplay opportunities and they were able to take advantage when McBain knocked in his second, later in the third period.
But the home team was unable to beat Brent Johnson again, even as they turned a two man advantage into a three man, after they took Boucher out of net in the last minute of the game. Jussi Jokinen had a great chance with seconds left, but hit the post. The puck skittered along the goal line, but Johnson covered it up before a Cane was able to knock it home.
The Canes will hit the road for their next four games.
Game Notes:
- After outshooting the Pens the first period, 12-8, the Canes were outshot the next two, 13-6, and 19-14. For the game, the disadvantage was 40-32.
- While they could not score with the two man and three man advantage near the end, the Canes did score a rare powerplay tally and officially went 1 for 4 for the game.
- Jeff Skinner had a game high four shots on goal.
- The team blocked 24 shots led by Kaberle, Allen, Gleason, and Sutter with three each.
- They won 56% of their faceoffs. (Staal 56%, Sutter 45%, Jokinen 67%).
- Tim Brent was the last minute healthy scratch, to make room for McBain. Muller said that he told Staal to let it all go for this one, knowing that they would double shift the center. The coach was not concerned about wearing down his captain, knowing that they had a couple of days off before the next game.
- Of the seven defensemen, Justin Faulk led them all with 21:37 of ice time. Derek Joslin had a low of 10:16.
- Fourth liners Stewart and Nodl played a bit over five minutes each. The lowest time on ice for Pittsburgh was Asham with 8:07. Top forward time was Evgeni Malkin with 19:34 and Sidney Crosby with 19:27.
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i put this in the game thread.....
GREAT game to watch. We played hard and may have run out of gas a bit in the 3rd but they rebounded well and scored. I really thought we would tie it. I will watch that kind of hockey every night. The wins will come.
I concur. This one was anyone’s game right to the last moment. The wins will come for sure if we play like we did last night. Cudo’s to all the players and coaching staff.
by FoxtrotSierra on Dec 4, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
If they are going to lose, they should lose like that. And they are definitely going to lose a lot of games. I think we can all admit we have no offensive talent.
I will make another goat sacrifice tonight in the hopes that some GM loses his mind and trades for Kaberle.
No I think he said, “I’m ugly no matter how pretty the win.”
Not to be confused with CoastalCane.
by coastalcaniac on Dec 4, 2011 3:31 AM EST up reply actions
I wouldn’t stay the powerplay let us down because they created 8 chances with the man advantage and nearly had the game tying goal. Had Jokinen elevated that puck just a little bit, the game would have gone to OT. The bounces weren’t quite going our way and we were outplayed at even strength.
Thought the team came out strong but Pittsburgh woke up in the second period and took control, unfortunately.
www.shutdownline.com
a 6 on 3 powerplay that cant score is a let down, imo.
5 on 3: pass wide across the ice and the goalie will have a hard time going across the net to keep up with the puck. i dont think you need 6 people to manage that.
that being said, I enjoyed the game and saw some good things. Hopefully the fire that got lit under their ass wont peter out before they get a win and can get some momentum to help them move forward.
I am not a heavy drinker. I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop --Noel Coward
by DaveLovesBier on Dec 4, 2011 8:07 AM EST up reply actions
I’m just waiting for the typical Staal bash by Paladin.
"We've got to risk implosion. We may explode into the biggest fireball this part of the galaxy has seen, but we've got to take that one in a million chance."
-- Captain Kirk in Star Trek 'The Naked Time'
by PackPride17 on Dec 3, 2011 11:17 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Staal had a solid, stud-ly game. He however continues to shy away from the front of the net. As does everyone else.
Harrumph
Hey he let it all hang out and looked like he tried. Also didn’t make a point, sorta makes my point, so wait no longer.
On the other hand, lot’s a good effort. You and I had talked about Staal beingstreaky, what you think about McBain? I like his game from time to time. Tonight the kid was on fire. I think he is a keeper or at worst good trade fodder.
Also I would really like to see Sutter center Skinner and Ruutu For enough games to see if they click. If they clicked I think that would be the top line, whether the Canes call it 1 or 2.
I have also noticed the team just peters oput in the third, is there maybe a mental or physical condirioning issue? Also in that vein, if they run Staal like that with any regularity you can kiss him goodbye, no forward can run that many minutes even Brindy who was Joe Super fitness. That seemed almost unfair in trying to get him going. My thoughts would of been to drop his time on ice back a few minutes to give him higher quality minutes. I love blaming the guy, but last night being tired in third wasn’t on him.
A
Getting old sucks!
Skinner didn’t “make a point” either, so is he a bum also? Just given you a little bit there.
And I think because of our lack of top 6 talent, that Sutter centering Skinner & Ruutu might need to be tried. I’m not the the same boat as many of you; I think Sutter is a great 3rd line center, but I’m not sure he is more than that. But we are lacking in top 6 talent now and Sutter would be the best fit at present.
"We've got to risk implosion. We may explode into the biggest fireball this part of the galaxy has seen, but we've got to take that one in a million chance."
-- Captain Kirk in Star Trek 'The Naked Time'
by PackPride17 on Dec 4, 2011 9:16 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I don’t understand the obsession here with Sutter being a first line or second line center. He’s a good defensive forward but he isn’t nearly talented enough for that to happen. We tried the Sutter as a first line center experiment already and it didn’t work too well. And speaking of Sutter, what’s been up with him lately? Turnovers in our own zone, poor passing, not skating as fast. I’m guessing he’s injured.
I think the problem with the team slowing down in the third is mostly a conditioning issue. For the first couple of months of the season, they have been playing a very slow, deliberate system. Now they are suddenly playing a 100% effort 100% of the time system where speed is important. Going to have to give them time to build their legs up to do it the entire game.
Sutter has offense, maybe enough to be on the top 2 lines. He had 40 points a couple of years ago here (i dont remember who else he played with on a line though) which isnt too shabby, and looks to have had some 40+ season in the WHL. Hell, he had almost 30 points last year on the 3rd line, he’s hardly worthless offensively.
Thing is with him, the 3rd line is set as a checking line…so who centers the 3rd line if you move him up? Youre not going to move ruutu or the juice down to do that, thats for sure. I’m not sure he would work well with staal. I wouldnt mine seeing him center the 2nd line, but it screws the 3rd line up so bad Im not sure it would be worth it.
I am not a heavy drinker. I can sometimes go for hours without touching a drop --Noel Coward
by DaveLovesBier on Dec 4, 2011 7:56 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, he had 40 points two season ago. But he had 29 points last season. I’m sure a reason for that is because he was told to be more defensive last season. On our team, that is probably suitable production for a top 6 forward, but only because we are devoid of talent.
I never said he was worthless offensively, but I don’t see him as being a consistent top 6 scorer for some time. I think the organization hopes he will so that Nash or someone similar can slide into the 3rd line center role, but we will have to see.
Kaberle and Thoughts on Plus/Minus
I was not able to watch until into the second period. Some positive steps forward. McBain and Faulk had fine games. Stewart continues to score points in limited use. Excellent effort by the team, although again the team ran out of gas in the third period. The power play is slowly improving; but still not enough consistent net presence.
My take on playing Kaberle is that the Hurricanes need to play him in order to try to get his game to the point some GM will trade for him. It’s a win-win situation. The more Kaberle plays well, the better the chance he can be traded for something. The worse Kaberle plays the greater the chances the Hurricanes get a lottery pick. The Hurricanes are now in sole possession of 28th with the 5 to 4 win by the Islanders. If the Hurricanes get a top 3 pick, they are going to be much, much improved next season because any of the top three picks should be able to come in and contribute. I think Yakupov, Grigorencho, and Galchenyuk presently look like the top three forwards. All three will soon be young stars in the NHL.
The Hurricanes under Muller are on the right path. As long as the Hurricanes play hard and spend the season learning the system, it won’t be a wasted season. There probably are not going to be a huge number of wins this season; but this style of play is fun to watch.
The Hurricanes are 99.4% likely to miss the playoffs as things stand now. It’s a season to rebuild and to put new systems into place. Kaberle’s poor play tonight helped the Pens to a victory; however, his plus/minus is better than both LaRose and Staal. Staal is minus 19 (the worst in the NHL), LaRose is minus 15 (tied for second worst in the NHL) and Kaberle is minus 14 (tied for third worst in the NHL). Plus/Minus statistics have their usefulness; but it’s a statistic that can be somewhat misleading. It does give an idea who is struggling on a team and any time a player is among the cellar in the NHL, it’s indicative of a player either not being a good player, being over-slotted or misused, or a good player in a bad slump.
by abramsdoug on Dec 3, 2011 11:20 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I agree with most of what you’re saying Dough although I thought Faulk had a really rough third period. He had his body in a bad position on the play where he had his stick lifted hustling back and Boucher had to bail him out. Also, he go outworked in front of the net for the Penguins third goal. I expect these mistakes out of him; he’s still young.
Are all 3 of the top ranked guys in the draft Russian? After watching Malkin last night and Datsyuk always this fights my argument but man alot of these Russians seem to be flaky.
Yakupov and Girgorenko are Russian born and maintain their Russian citizenship as far as I can tell. Yakupov plays for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. Girgorenko plays for the Quebec Ramparts. Galchenyuk plays for the Sarnia Sting, but had a serious knee injury and is out. His father was an outstanding hockey player. Galchenyuk is American.
New Year's Eve
We have 13 games remaining until the first game in 2012. 8 of these games are against teams currently out of playoff position. The remaining 5 are Toronto twice (6th), Vancouver (8th) Pittsburgh (1st) and Florida (3rd).
This stretch will leave us at the halfway mark of the season and give us 16 Muller lead games vs. 25 Maurice lead games to compare. Muller’s 16 games will be nearly evenly split between playoff (8) and non-playoff (7) teams.
Like Carolina Panther fans, we have watched games that were lost, but were much easier to stomach in the last 3. I suspect the reality of trades in the salary cap era will keep us with the same squad until the last half of the season. If that is the case there are at least 4 burning questions that will be largely answered by the Islander game on Jan 3rd.
1. Can the current defense play to it’s pre-season potential? No one imagined that the defense would lead the league in goals allowed. Not even Kaberle’s prolonged Stanley Cup hangover and resulting level of conditioning begins to explain the cluster that our defense has been.
2. Can special teams be improved from bad to average? At least in the last 3 games our PP did not look like a PK. There will be five 2 day breaks in December and new systems may yield new results.
3. Can individuals turn around their career worst seasons? Staal and Kaberle stand out in this category bu they are not alone. This will likely be the toughest test for Muller and may determine the answers to questions 1 and 2. Hopefully they can be more productive by New Years Day.
4. How much of this years debacle is talent and how much is coaching? It will be interesting to see how often “square peg round hole” is written in December. Our 5 on 5 play is almost as disconcerting as our defensive play. Raising the compete level of the squad will show us how much talent is really the culprit in the teams lack of scoring
I DVR’d the game. It’s now 2 am and I just finished watching it. Just to prove I’m psychic I decided to get on here, before retiring for the night, to predict that the posts below me, all 200+ of them, will bash the hell out of Kaberle.
While there will be numerous examples of bad play on his part, I wanted to point out one thing I saw that pretty much sums him up as a player this season: early in the 1st Kaberle and Craig Adams, both traveling at about the same speed, reached the puck behind our net at exactly the same time. Adams threw a hit. Kaberle covered up. And by covered up I mean his midsection, maybe a little lower, brought his knee up, involuntary reaction. The collision wasn’t going to be major even if Kaberle hit back, more like 2 guys kind of running into each other with the puck equidistant from their skates. Adams skated away with the puck while Kaberle recovered = stood behind the net watching Adams skate away with his puck. No harm came of it, the Pens didn’t score as a result, but I guarantee you Adams noticed. And went on to have a nice game.
The other day when JR called Kaberle out publicly, he said in effect, Kaberle took the summer off and didn’t show up ready to play, but he’s improving (actually JR said Kaberle was improving in an interview a couple days before, but the two separate comments taken together equal my synopsis). I don’t believe JR believes he’s good to go. It’s trade chatter. JR’s comments didn’t feel motivational.
Kaberle has gone soft. Not just in the body, but in his mind. He’s afraid of getting hit and of hitting. His miscues are a result of his fear he’s gonna get walloped. And, as a result, he’s setting up his teammates to get roughed up. Very unprofessional.
He made a lot of mistakes tonight that were noticed by scouts from other teams. But wussing out behind the net with Adams is what got the KHL scout to leave early.
AD – Come on man. Statistics? Statistically, Kaberle’s heart just isn’t in it.
But who knows? maybe I’m wrong about him. Maybe JR told him to get out there, showcase his talents, and above all, to not get hurt. And it’s killing Kaberle to hold back, compromise his principles. JR, sir, it’s backfiring. No one is going to take Kaberle at this point and get beaten up, on the ice, and in the press, like you have these last few weeks.
I love playing the Canes, they’re fast, and creative, and just keep coming at you. It’s fun at a very high proficiency level. – Sid the Kid years ago (I think in a Tripp interview)
I think Sid could probably still say that after tonight. What a great game. If we played like that every night, and lost every game for the rest of the season, I would still be perfectly happy and proud to call myself a Caniac…………and would put on my Roddy jersey to watch us pick first in the draft.
God I can’t wait for the McBain, Joslin, Faulk discussion to come below. Whatever are you going to do?
Not to be confused with CoastalCane.
Holy Cow, I just reread what I wrote and it came to me in a flash. Kaberle isn’t wearing a cup !!! It’s an equipment issue. I am so sorry for questioning his commitment. My apologies.
Not to be confused with CoastalCane.
by coastalcaniac on Dec 4, 2011 3:35 AM EST up reply actions
Honey Badger's reign of pain continues...
Honey Badger Muller’s NHL winless streak drones on-and-on. He’s really putting the “bad” in “Badger”. The quotes from last night’s game were something like this: "We played well enough to win…:, “It was a moral victory…”Building for the future…", “The team is starting to gel…”. Its the same song, different singer. The Badger and his new coaches (“the badgerettes”) don’t know how to make this team play-to-win. I say fire the Badger and bring back Paul Maurice – at least he new how to win some games.
And, Kaberle;s only problem is he’s a fat pig and totally out of shape. So the coach should give him MORE ice time to work him self into shape. Its not like we’re winning games anyway.
Please explain...I guess I am slow on the wit here...
What is your continual reference to Honey Badger with a negative connotation? Everywhere in sports that I hear it used, it is a term of recognition for tenacity, defensive ability, and toughness. I am confused.
"Forget about style; worry about results."
Bobby Orr
Honey Badger Genesis
See Carolyn Christian’s fanpost here:
http://www.canescountry.com/2011/10/28/2522115/cam-ward-shuts-it-down-hurricanes-3-blackhawks-0#81476474
She compares LaRose to the Honey Badger in the video that went viral and has 26 million hits (see joni355 for link, below, and after watching the video, click the links in the comments for great SWAG and a talking stuffed animal badger).
Then 1 month later CrunchyGranola, for some mysterious reason, tags Muller with the moniker, instead of LaRose, as Carolyn originally intended. The Honey Badger meme for Muller is a subcampaign to Crunchy’s “Muller Must Go” main campaign that he originated the day after Muller was hired. Layers and layers of humor.
Why Crunchy did this has never been explained, but apparently joni355 gets it (at least he seemed like he got it a couple days ago, but now, he seems to have doubts about what it all means). Crunchy looks to be someone who wants to leave a legacy of facetiousness by being the first to start something, like nicknaming the coach, or making fun with his Mu Must Go bid. And it appears that he plans on accomplishing this with aggressive fanpost marketing.
If Crunchy is ever successful getting us all to pick up one of his ideas and it goes viral across CC, that would be truly funny and the joke would be on us (but it would have to be an original idea for it to be funny – he can’t troll Ms. Carolyn and claim it – she owns this one). Maybe that’s what Joni355 gets, or doesn’t. Nevertheless, Joni seems to have the best insight into the mind of the enigma that is CrunchyGranola and if he is still sometimes confused, I think there may be no hope for the rest of us.
What a huge waste of time this whole thing was.
Not to be confused with CoastalCane.
by coastalcaniac on Dec 4, 2011 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
Good for you…….great research!
It appears he is one of those “stir the pot” kind of bloggers with a mean streak….never satisfied with anything but upsetting others.
I agree……maybe just Ignore him……it takes away his perceived power. A mean spirited stir the pot blogger without an audience is a small person indeed.
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 10:32 AM EST up reply actions
“Arguing on the internet is like running at the special olympics. Even if you win, you’re still retarded.” – Its not a new quote but it is appropriate to your comments.
In my posts I strive for something called “h u m o r”. Try it some time. Life is too short to be mired down in self-righteousness, so you can post your comments and I’ll post mine: I’ll respect you and your opinions even if I disagree with them – and I hope you do the same for others.
And if I want to refer to Muller as “The Honey Badger” then I’m just going to go ahead and do it. :) By the way, I don’t t read all the posts at this site and missed Carolyn’s earlier reference to the Honey Badger. Oh well. But it is nice to see that you have mastered the art and skill of “searching”. Well Done!
by CrunchyGranola on Dec 4, 2011 6:17 PM EST up reply actions
No, that quote is NEVER appropriate, here or anywhere else.
by Jamie Kellner on Dec 4, 2011 6:30 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agree wholeheartedly – That’s not appropriate in any place or in any situation. This is a public forum and bigotry in any form is against the Community Guidelines. So there you are, CrunchyGranola.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Dec 4, 2011 6:40 PM EST up reply actions
Wow
It appears I’ve stirred up a bees-nest with that last post…Kinda like a Honey Badger.
In all earnestness, I apologize for the earlier post – bad form.
by CrunchyGranola on Dec 4, 2011 6:49 PM EST up reply actions
Crunchy,
For some of us your irreverence, sarcasm, cynicism and facetiousness are greatly appreciated. Your point about the stupidity of taking internet exchanges as something more than idle chatter is well made. There is little nuance in the process of typing into a computer. Intent cannot be read without that nuance .Your use of the word retarded was insensitive but the point of the entire quote was appropriate. For me the apology is enough. Would you join me in the campaign to get Luke DeCock fired? He clearly isn’t worthy of being a real hockey reporter.
Then I look forward to future posts that are in good form…………………
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 5, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
Wow – I had no idea I was setting such an important precedent. Maybe we should have a poll? Who on the Hurricanes most embodies the Honey Badger? Twould never be Muller, though I could see Skinner could challenge, but he’s more like a real top predator (tiger, lion, shark) How’s about Dwyer?
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Dec 4, 2011 6:46 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think a team that has accomplished so little can claim a honey badger sadly.
by efrancis on Dec 4, 2011 7:51 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Likely not negative just facetious
Facetious: 1. not meant to be taken seriously or literally. 2. amusing; humorous.3. lacking serious intent.
Kinda like “Promote Mo”, and “Fire Luke DeCock” I suspect. But CrunchyGranola is the only one who nows for sure.
Apropos of nothing but today’s Urban Dictionary Word of the Day is Honey Badger Limit.
by Jamie Kellner on Dec 4, 2011 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
I think he is referencing a youtube video that went viral. I’m not sure of the connotation either but it sort of works as a moniker since Kirk played like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
Also, strangely, I almost like the Kaberle idea.
What is the only letter in the Canadian alphabet, eh? Need a hint, eh?
I still want Two-Face
and I still insist that the Honey Badger nickname has become hackneyed. This would be the third one in the NHL, and all of them are shadows of the most famous instance in Tyrann Mathieu.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Bolts, Preds, Canes (childhood team, home state team, hometown team). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on Dec 4, 2011 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
I_S, You are the total expert on popular culture. After looking up hackneyed, Tyrann Mathieu and the use of Honey Badger as descriptive metaphor you nailed the lack of originality in the use of that label for Muller. But in defense of Crunchy Granola he has become the Honey Badger of bloggers on this site. At the risk of being labeled hackneyed as well, we now have Honey Badger Crunchy Granola on this site. I hope he is flattered.
Pardon the pun…..but that is so sweet!
Kudos to IS for connecting the dots and to surgalt for getting it. I finally get it now.
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Good Morning Everyone...
I had to smile at a latenight tweet i saw and it said in so many words..we caniacs are a wee bit spoiled..and i have to admit the speaker of those words has it right…and yet we of the caniac nation are for the last 3 sason expecting the cup type of play out of what we know are NOT cup type of players as a “group” and that is the key…as a group…in the last day or 2 many of our better players have been labeled as nothing better than 2-4 th line players on the best teams in both conferences…I at first didn’t want to believe that but lets be honest…we are a bargin basement team and if anyone needs raises and bonuses…it is and ought to go to the promotions department for feeding all if us a set of goods that we as fans have NOT refused to accept…so are we all just a wee bit spoiled because we do have have a cup banner in the rafters from NOT so long ago ?? I believe so…now for the really rotten talk…Skinner,Staal,Faulk,Rosie and some others looked tired…as they despite a lack of pucks in the net worked their butts off…and i as a fan have to wonder how long can they carry on like this…after the puck to the head shot Jordan Staal took to the head many of us at home got a second look at Jordan’s & Eric’s parents..the first time they looked worried..the shot to jordan’s mug had them both looking rather pale…now if we as fans are getting worried and upset about our team..imagine what they must have felt like. Yes we want a winning team and so far Capt.Kirk has not been abl;e to produce a winner with what he has had to work with…but by his body language he isn’t giving up ..nor should we…even though all we fans & STH’ers have is Faith & Hope at the moment…but remember this much of what we say here and now will be somewhat forgotten if again IF the canes can rip off a 12 game win streak…after all we fans still have 54 games to hope so don’t we ? Well that’s all i can say..asside from out of three teams (the Canes,Checkers, and Chiefs) that played last night..On The Spokane Chiefs won..6-3 …Like Obiwon said we are out of choices…but yoda said there is yet another…but can we caniacs wait for Rask & what will the canes look like when he gets here..but that’s another topic for another day isn’t it ? Have a good day…Merry Christmas Everyone
9/11/01 - Never Forget !!
Long Live #63 The Condor
Go Canes & Checkers !!!
No horsepower
There is no argument regarding Kaberle and his lack of worth to the team right now, but I wouldn’t say he was the singular reason for last nights loss. The Canes played well for the most part. Bottom line is that the Pens just have more horsepower. If last nights game was a drag race, I’d say the Canes got off the line well, didn’t spin their tires, made all their gear changes smoothly, and kept their foot to the floor all the way to the finish line. The other car just had more power.
Effort
As a general comment: the boys played hard, the effort was there. I have never seen a perfect game where no mistakes were made and every shot went in the net by the same team. No one should realistically expect a perfect game.
The effort last night from everyone was clearly visible…..and yes I do mean everyone. Why? Because the Coach said he wanted everyone to just play just a little bit better every game. In my opinion from a game to game basis that has happened. Don’t know if it will continue but so far it is happening.
Now that is not to say there is not room for improvement which might also take the form of a trade or two before the trade deadline……..there is room for improvement in several ways. At minimum a top line winger should certainly be the priority. However, until JR finds a willing dance partner, there is no “Calvary” coming as the Coach said yesterday.
Muller is playing with the cards he is dealt and once the vets and youngsters have had their “audition” we will see what kind of team finally evolves.
I for one was highly entertained last night….just because it resulted in a loss did not change that……it just stung a little at the end……..really looking forward to more of the same with a different outcome.
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
NHL Rule Change
Okay, this is not sour grapes: The end of the game got me thinking. Shouldn’t there be a rule that the game can not end with any unserved penalties on the board? In the game last night Cooke takes a penalty (his punkness is another conversation) late with no impact on his team. Wouldn’t a great rule be that teams have to finish killing their penalties if they are winning? Specifically if a penalty is taken that does not change the on-ice numbers in regulation like last night.
The thing is this could lead to a reluctance to call penalties in the last few minutes. Plus it could have the chance of significantly extending games that get out of control towards the end (there was a Canes game against NJ years ago that comes to mind). Neither of these is completely appealing.
Now maybe the league would think that the possibility of drawing the game out would discourage taking penalties in the final minutes, but it also seems like a team that was loosing would just start being reckless to possibly goad the other team into committing undisciplined penalties.
That all being said, the logistics are also messy. What happens if the Canes score 10 seconds into the extended time? Do you go straight to overtime? Do you keep going until those penalties are killed? What happens if the down team commits more penalties? Does the rule go away for overtime?
The downsides are just much bigger than the upside of punishing the team or players that game. If you really want to put a stop to it there has to be a rule that has less downside would be to carry over to the next game. (Which I don’t think is a good idea either.) That may put a stop to it, but I think you’re solving a phantom problem. I get the feeling this kind of stuff evens out over time anyway (i.e. for every game you have someone in the box there will be one where your opponent does). And anything really bad the league will suspend the guy.
by iamafirehazard on Dec 4, 2011 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
An intersting idea, but no, I wouldn’t want it. It would seem to put more power in the hands of referees to impact the game. It could lead to even more conspiracy theories.
by drifterscape on Dec 4, 2011 12:58 PM EST up reply actions
Cooke and the Unrepentant Psyche
Cooke is simply unfit to be an NHL player. His latest punk move of trying to go knee to knee with Staal is a move he has clearly rehearsed. If one goes to youtube, you’ll find Cooke has committed that penalty on many, many occasions. He also has a history of using the slewfoot. It is a travesty that he is allowed to continue to play in the NHL.
Matt Cooke is the dirtiest player in the NHL.
Fun game to watch. Canes skated extremely hard. Skill and size beat us. Faulk is learning what experienced skilled players can do to lift your stick and move the puck all in one motion. But no excuse for LaRose to have his pocket licked that way. he has been in the Pros long enough. We got outmuscled down low in both ends several times. It cost us at least two goals in their end where the puck was just sitting there and we couldn’t muscle to it.
I hate 6 on 3s. The other team has no option but to throw up a very tight triangle and the offensive players get drawn in. Basically you have 4 goaltenders and lots of legs and bodies out front. Odds are if you go for that high slot shot it will hit something. Most goals I’ve seen scored in that situation are with big bodies in front of the net that box out the defenders and you get a clearer shot or a rebound. Again….. we don’t have enough of those skilled big guys. Our best option would be Stewart and Poni out front plus Staal. Sutter is tall but not strong.Contrast that with what the Pens would have thrown out there down low. Malkin, Jordan Staal, Neal and Crosby ( very strong compact guy).
We have a definite talent/size gap (not just good enough to have big guys… they have to have the right level of skill) against most top teams and in one goal games that often is the difference. Not something you are going to fix overnight.
That is very funny…………I can see the new motivational slogan as they make their way onto the ice……“Lick Their Pockets Before They Lick Yours!”
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 12:10 PM EST up reply actions
Rask and The Ultimate Bet
Rask had a two goal night in his last game (Dec. 2nd). He wound up in overtime making a truly superb backhand at the end of a long, tough, excellent shift. Rask is up to 15 goals already. Do you see Rask as a possible Getzlaf kind of player?
(I hope the good nature of the comment/ribbing is apparent. It is intended to make you smile and laugh).
My take is that Muller will be an excellent coach for the young forwards. I am ready to see how Muller teaches and handles Boychuk in particular. Muller played with an edge and with intensity. If he can get Boychuk to play 150% every shift it would be great for everybody concerned.
Good nature comment……yes……..humor intended……yes
Boy, I have made my share of boo-boos over the years.
I learned long ago not to take myself too seriously. Besides if we sprout dissertations all the time it might get a little boring.
I welcome jabs when I fall on my sword : )
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 12:49 PM EST up reply actions
The Ultimate Bet
I have a bet with sittler27 that Rask will make it to the Canes at least at the same time as Hofmann. Loser pays for dinner at Lucky32 w/ me supplying (buying the wine). That’s the ultimate bet I am referencing. sittler27 and I had a friendly discussion when Rask was drafted whether he was overrated or underrated. Hofmann is going to be a prize/steal even so. He has tremendous acceleration and plays a Ruutu kind of game. If he can add about 15 pounds and still keep his speed, he’s going to make noise.
Rask is tearing up the WHL as a rookie. I’d love to see him drop the gloves and also to learn some open ice hitting. Even so, people bounce off of him when they try to knock him off his skates, especially when handling the puck behind the goal. A summer of Gary Roberts would seal the deal for Rask. I hope the Hurricanes pull strings to make that happen. Rask is a worker.
My bad……..I came in this blog recently and did not think it may be references to other things.
Good bet…….I really like Rask and think you might have the edge right now but since Hofmann is in Europe I am not sure how he is doing for any current comparison.
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
Either way I win. If Rask makes it my team will be better and I get an evening of some good hockey conversation with a new friend.
Atta boy…….that’s the spirit…….oh yes…..that’s on AD too!
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 1:13 PM EST up reply actions
Do you think Rutherford will take the courageous step of trading Gleason and LaRose? It’s hard to do; but to me it’s so obviously necessary. Allen could be traded instead; but the leadership in the room isn’t where it needs to be. Whitney is probably the most missed for his ability to say what needs to be said to kick players into gear.
I really had thought Cooke had turned a new leaf and finally straightened out, guess that looked like the same old Cooke.
Kend of off- topec but since you’ve been so involved in hockey what are your thoughts on this instigator rule, ala Stewart the other night?
"I'm not going to waste my time with Tuukka Rask" - Cam Ward
by anonymousJ on Dec 4, 2011 12:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’m sure everyone has a different take on this. Personally I don’t like it.
Whether he intended an elbow or forearm to the head, it was a hard high hit to one of the premier skill players in the league. They need to be defended and in essence Boyle extended an invitation and Stewart answered. So an extra 2 minutes for roughing to Stewart and the 5 and all good on both fronts. Had this been earlier in the game Stewart would have been gone for the game. In some games that allows the other team to keep taking liberties and that leads to all kinds of potential ugliness that could be avoided.
Take last night…. Cooke’s knee to knee on Staal. Had the outcome been worse would you not have wanted someone to go after Matt. Not only would that have been an instigator but because that was with less than 5 minutes to go it would have resulted in a one game suspension. That could mean open season on your skill players if it is a onesided game by the likes of the Cooke’s because they know the the retaliatory instigator will be hesitant due to the suspension.
Cooke again
I don’t understand why the Players leaguewide, for their own protection, don’t declare war on Matt Cooke and someone fight him every shift. I don’t understand why all the GM’s can’t get together for their common good and convince Pittsburgh to release Matt Cooke and just leave him un-employed.
Lots of players make bad hits. Tuomo Ruutu has his share. But over the years Cooke has hurt so many players, so obviously intentionally, that he makes the entire NHL look stupid for tolerating his continued presence.
Reality
Canes are now dead last in the East. Every team ahead of them has games in hand. To get into the playoffs they would have to go on an extended win streak and win 36 out of their final 54 games. With all those 3 point games and having to leap over 7 teams, the odds are very remote.
Now is the time to assess who the team wants as the long term core of this team. What prospects have the highest probability of making the team and which assets need to be traded now or in March for the highest return. Add to that mix the odds of re-signing players in the last year of their contracts.
Good news is that we have a big mean D prospect in Dumoulin. Danny Beiga continues to play lights out for Harvard. And Rask is looking more and more like he should have been a 1st rounder last year. You would have to assume that Dalpe will eventually stick. Hopefully Murphy will recover from his concussion and continue to develop in Kitchener. And we will no doubt harvest a high draft pick in a top end talented draft. Add to that the odds we will bring back either more drafts picks and prospects when we clean house in March and this team has the potential to rebuild with quality. There are also an abundance of those bottom 6 forwards either on the team currently or in Charlotte.
Now here is the key….. JR stop shopping at the talent Walmart this summer and go get some real quality players to flush out this roster. You have the prospects. You have the coach. You have a small nucleus of franchise players. You have an abundance of CAP space. Priority needs to be on free agent skilled players with some size and the ability to finish.
by sittler27 on Dec 4, 2011 12:26 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Trade Rumors
Two interesting thoughts on Spector’s blog:
Red Wings interest in Ruutu and Chicago in Gleason. These originally come from columnists in their home markets. Those thoughts are often wishful thinking but sometimes they come via a comment from someone close to the team. I find both interesting since Ruutu is the type of player the Wings like and it looks they are preparing for another cup run. Chicago has a lot of offensive minded D and could use an affordable Gleason type player.
It is what they have to offer in return that puzzles me since both would not want to give up key roster guys.
As the Dec. deadline approaches I think we will hear more and more of these types of rumors…. but more coming from teams that now have a clear assessment of whether they are a contender or pretender and what pieces they need to finish near the top and go deep into the playoffs.
Trading Ruutu would be a huge mistake; irreplaceable
Ruutu has no replacement in the Canes system. If the Hurricanes have any intention of building for next season, they need to keep him. The Hurricanes don’t have enough forwards who are hitting machines. On the other hand, Gleason for a first round pick and a prospect would be a deal Rutherford should make. Allen and Gleason are equivalent players. Gleason has had his ups and downs as has been discussed in detail; but he’d help a team in the playoffs. The Hurricanes would miss Gleason, but with Pitkanen, Faulk, McBain, Murphy, Allen, Harrison, and Joslin, he’s replaceable.
With all due respect, I seriously doubt Gleason would fetch a 1st rounder AND a prospect.
"I'm not going to waste my time with Tuukka Rask" - Cam Ward
by anonymousJ on Dec 4, 2011 1:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I really like Ruutu and the Canes do not currently have a replacement for him in the system, but his future here is in question to me. He is a UFA at the end of the year and is currently making $4.4 million. What does that mean for his new contract negotiations? He has only scored 20+ goals in 1 season in his career, but I’m sure he will not be taking a salary reduction. Is he worth $4.5 million a season?
The Canes current system is not working (not making the playoffs consistently); I think it might be time for a change and I think Ruutu will be in a new home next season. Of course I believe a lot of player changes are needed for next season. We need to change the organization’s philosophy for accepting mediocrity.
"We've got to risk implosion. We may explode into the biggest fireball this part of the galaxy has seen, but we've got to take that one in a million chance."
-- Captain Kirk in Star Trek 'The Naked Time'
by PackPride17 on Dec 4, 2011 4:08 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
It would seem to me a trade with these two would have to be for either a draft selection or a prospect, likely a draft selection. With both of those teams being in the playoffs, nothing is coming off those rosters to solve the Staal riddle this year.
Here is what surprised me recently. JR, by all accounts, was at the table with the Ducks about Ryan. If true, that is a significant step for JR to have taken. It would suggest he has the green light to go after someone similar or maybe make a run at Ryan again later. With PK being a little more cash flushed with the new investors and perhaps more coming on board with more new cash this may have been a good time to move to the steps of Saks Fifth Avenue rather than Walmart. Pure speculation on my part but again if true maybe he would want to use his surplus assets for a bigger move rather than a salary dump.
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.
Sun Tzu circa 4th Century BC
by hurricanefever on Dec 4, 2011 1:54 PM EST up reply actions
McBain!
someone please bench Kaberle and play Harrison.
I wish I could have seen more of Noodle
I just want to throw this one out there… I love Ruutu. I have since the Hawks drafted him. He only has 13pts. My question is this: are his linemates struggling or is he struggling? It possible he’s part of the problem and not the solution?
Fun with stats
Points vs PP minutes
Kaberle has 3 points in 106m
Harrison has 2 points in 49m
Faulk has 1 point in about 32min
Joslin has 1 point in 2:26 min
Top 3 players to be on the ice when a goal is scored – Skinner, Ruu & Staal
Leads the team in giveaways – Ruu
Ruu
That’s the weakness in Ruu’s game—not a good puck handler. The guy shoots very well—but has to receive a pass or jump on loose pucks, his main issue is he’s not good at creating his own shot (i.e. can’t stick handle to a shooting position).
Ruu can jar pucks loose, pass the puck on, and score with shots, but he can’t manuever with the puck well, hence the turnovers….
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