Clicks and Clippings: Canes' Canadian Roadie

by Carolyn Christians on Dec 5, 2011 5:34 PM EST in Hurricanes Newsstand

As Anthony Stewart put it two hours ago: Calgary. #brrrr

The Carolina Hurricanes 4 ½ - hour charter flight landed in Calgary a short while ago and the team is headed to an unusual late afternoon practice at 3:30 Mountain Time today. Tomorrow they face Brent Sutter's Calgary Flames, then head a couple hours due north (north!?) for the second of this back-to-back vs the youthful Edmonton Oilers. Friday, they're in Winnipeg and then, following a day off over the weekend in Toronto, they'll wrap up their Canadian tour in the Maple Leafs Air Canada Centre next Tuesday night.

Nine and a half days

Canadian road trip timely for Canes - Chip Alexander, NewsObserver.com ★★★★ "A lot of these guys will see their families and get some reassurance and comfort and all that," [Coach Kirk] Muller said. "But it's always good games up there. It's a good time to get the guys out."

Also per Chip, On Sunday, they will be at Ramsden Rink in Toronto for an outdoor practice, which could be a refreshing change. For more on this outdoor practice facility, here's the Maple Leafs' rink link. ★★★★

Travel key to realignment + 30 Thoughts - Elliotte Friedman, CBC Sports ★★★★★ focuses on what's new with Jim Rutherford. Including this proposal from the realignment debate:

"If we shorten the exhibition season, we could end the regular season a week and a half earlier," Rutherford said last Friday. "And that way, the first weekend would have the teams ranked 13 through 20 playing a best-of-five series."

He also addresses the longterm career paths for Rutherford and Ron Francis in #7.

7. Front-office rumour ..: That Rutherford will focus on the Hurricanes presidency and cede the GM job to Ron Francis. "That may happen at some point," Rutherford said. "But it's not just around the corner." He is skipping the board of governors meeting to go on Carolina's road trip that starts in Calgary and Edmonton. Those aren't the actions of someone planning on easing up.

More on the Canes, Flames, Checkers, and a visit from Santa and his helper get the Holiday season started right.

The Flames may be even more messed up than Carolina

It was open season on Flames goalies last night | ProHockeyTalk Neither Henrik Karlsson nor Miikka Kiprusoff were spared being run over by oncoming Canucks forwards last night. ★★★ This afternoon we hear that AHLer Leland Irving recalled, Karlsson placed on the IR.

From the 5-1 meltdown vs the Canucks last night, check out Brent Sutter accepts fate, utters what all Flames fans were thinking | The Province specifically for this animated GIF. ★★★★★ (Really, you have to click on the GIF)

Meanwhile, your Charlotte Checkers are doing just fine

At 15-7-2 on the season, the Charlotte Checkers have won 6 of their last 7 going into tonight, and sit atop of the Midwest Division, and only one point in the standings behind the AHL's Western Conference co-leaders, the OKC Barons and Abbottsford Heat. Those Barons will be in town later this month by the way; they're the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. Perhaps Linus Omark will be back in action?

The Checkers released this pretty awesome video from a practice hosted by Zach Boychuk. "Do you know the Muffin Man? Yeah you do" ★★★★★

Prospects

Great look at the Canes top prospect Ryan Murphy and his ups and downs with Team Canada the last few years: Team Canada hopeful Murphy back from concussion - CBC.ca ★★★★★ Also a bit more on how his helmet has changed following last month's scary collision.

Murphy will look a little different on the ice as he has ditched his standard CCM helmet for Reebok’s new 11K model, designed to absorb the scary high impact hits. Reebok’s lightest and most protective helmet to date adjusts 360 degrees to a player’s uniquely shaped head and will not pop off once locked into place.

Love this video after his first game back last week, in which it becomes very evident he doesn't like to lose.: Post game video w/Ryan Murphy - Kitchener Rangers ★★★★ (And pleased to report he did score his first goal of the season this weekend.)

Sweden’s World Junior roster - IIHF includes Victor Rask - and he'll be playing in his WHL home rink.

This kid apparently can finish. Hitmen deck Chiefs in OT - Calgary Herald Victor Rask with 2 goals last week, including the OT gamewinner.

Perhaps Rask and Edmonton Oil King Keegan Lowe will get some time with the Hurricanes while they're near this week?

Finally, it was just announced that both Austin Levi and Justin Faulk have been invited to the U.S. National Junior Team camp for the World Juniors Tournament. [Full list] Like Team Canada and Jeff Skinner this year and last, USAHockey is aware that Faulk's services may be required in Raleigh hence making him unavailable to play with the kids. As USAHockey blogger Chris Peters just put it over at twitter: @chrismpeters:

Just as the last two years, USA named 29 players to camp. Justin Faulk's seat will be kept warm. They'll wait as long as they can for him.

Alumni

Erik Cole paid for Louis Leblanc’s parents to see his first NHL game - Puck Daddy ★★★★ This was an interesting tale of the $18million NTC man.

Realignment: pros and cons

What the NHL will lose in four-conference realignment - Puck Daddy The divisional playoff format has been romanticized to the point where we've forgotten its flaws: Inequity and predictability. ★★★★

Radical Realignment Could Boost Local, National Television Numbers for NHL - Steve Lepore, Puck The Media There are a lot of reasons to stick with the status quo, but to me, the benefits of giving every team an even playing field in terms of television ratings and attendance makes too much sense. ★★★

According to Bob McKenzie, it's looking like we might actually have a decision by 10pm ET tonight. Really.

Twitter / @TSNBobMcKenzie: There is a reasonable chance, if all goes well, that NHL realignment will be concluded by day's end.

Looking around the League

NHL coaches remain ‘hired to be fired’ - The Globe and Mail Today’s bench bosses increasingly have fewer levers with which to manipulate, motivate players. ★★★★

Who is the NHL’s sophomore of the year? - Puck Daddy Through the season's first quarter, it's clear that Jeff Skinner is the real deal, but if the Calder was a trophy you defend, would he retain it? Would one of last year's runners-up displace him? Or would it be someone else entirely? Here are my three early nominees for sophomore of the Year. ★★★★

Young gym rats taking over the NHL - thestar.com Includes a poll (so you can vote for Jeff Skinner!) and a Top 5 list of "the five best young players who have emerged in the last three NHL seasons". ★★★

And on the subject of National Rosters, Jeff Skinner and those ever-present Staal brothers, this story popped up just now: Team Canada set for drastically different look from Vancouver - Canadian Press in which the pundits choose to include Jeff Skinner but not Eric Staal. In fact, Staal things considered, they believe Jordan and Marc seem more likely than Eric, who will be 29 by the Sochi Games in 2014. ★★★★

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Finally, in case you missed this Friday night, Anthony Stewart and then Patrick Dwyer were kind enough to tweet a picture of their own kids at the team's Annual Childrens' Christmas party with two special guests. @PattyDwyer39's yfrog is here. But for some reason, I kinda liked this one more.

From @EhStew13: Ma$ons 1st Santa visit #lookfamiliar

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Comments

Ruutu and his expiring contract

I realize Ruutu’s contract expires at the end of this season; however, I can’t think of more difficult player to replace other than Cam Ward. The idea of trying to improve by jettisoning the team’s most able hitter seems like an extremely ill-conceived one. Right wing has been a problem for the Hurricanes with the loss of Cole. It will be interesting to see how Jim Rutherford handles the Ruutu situation.

by abramsdoug on Dec 5, 2011 6:44 PM EST reply actions

Nuts on

Gotta love the gladiator. Even Luke de Cock would agree.

by surgalt on Dec 5, 2011 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

When Scotty Bowman lists him as one of our few official top six guys (Staal, and Skinner only other two…) kind means he’s a keeper to me. We have to keep someone to build around and add to. You lose Ruu and add another scoring forward we’re still minus a top six winger. Makes the math easy on this one.

Guess that means he’s gone??

by Squeaky83 on Dec 6, 2011 10:17 AM EST up reply actions

Interesting indeed!

I for 1 think he can be replaced but I do love his game. My only Ruutu gripe is he cant stay on his skates, that mystifies me nightly.

by RobbinDollar on Dec 6, 2011 11:31 AM EST up reply actions

I agree with ya AD

changes in players is neded as what the Canes have are NOT quite up to the task evidently..And Miss Carolyn another great effort.Thank You

9/11/01 - Never Forget !!
Long Live #63 The Condor
Go Canes & Checkers !!!

by CaniacSteve on Dec 5, 2011 7:23 PM EST reply actions

Ruutu

I agree that we should keep Ruutu! He likes to hit, seems to keep a positive attitude, and is a legitimate second line winger on the Canes.

by dskad on Dec 5, 2011 8:16 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

And most other teams

by Squeaky83 on Dec 6, 2011 10:18 AM EST up reply actions

Nice Job CC

My takeaways:

From DeCock: Team culture and chemistry. Never a Mo strongpoint. Lavi had to change/build a better winning culture, now so does Muller. I look at Toronto who needed the same. Perhaps this is Mo’s worst issue—the culture/attitude/acceptance by the players of mediocrity.

About Crosby:

After scoring twice in his first game back, Crosby hasn’t found the net since — although he has 12 points in just seven games.

“Finishing is one thing that takes a lot of focus,” he said. “You’ve got a split second to put a shot where you want to and you’ve got guys on you. It takes time getting into those areas and comfortable. That’s something I want to improve on. I know it’s going to take some time getting back into things.”

This goes to my major complaint about Mo’s handling of prospects and how he killed offensive talent. A generationally talents player, who was previously lighting up the net prior to his down time isn’t scoring. Why? when you aren’t playing that role against full speed top NHL talent, it decays. It is worse for young prospects. We’re seeing Dalpe not scoring anywhere near his previous pace even down in Charlotte. It will take time to get back—if he does. We saw Boychuk and Dalpe losing it while playing limited minutes, fourth line time. Boychuk looks good again in the AHL, he should be called up before Dalpe right now, even though I think Dalpe’s talent and upside as a scorer are better. Dalpe needs more time for his game to come back…

Lastly, From Puck Daddy:

When the NHL adjusted its playoff format in 1993, it was celebrated for offering teams that might be left out of the playoff picture within their divisions a chance to qualify in a conference format. (Keep in mind we have several years of four divisions and conference seeding, before the NHL realigned into six divisions in 1998-99.)

The trap a divisional playoff format presents: Repetition. The same teams, for five or six years, battling in the same divisional playoff rounds. On one hand, it’ll make for intense rivalry; on the other hand, it’s like a cafeteria that only serves hamburgers and pizza

This will change the playoff—the first two round will wind up being against the same ooponents year to year, maybe one team changes and makes a new fourth seed, but the opponenets will be the same you battled all year. I don’t like that. I like how today you battle the best eight teams in the east, more chance of variety, more chance to play someone you haven’t seen so much all year. but, I guess it is what it is…

by Squeaky83 on Dec 6, 2011 10:28 AM EST reply actions

It could also spark some interesting stylistic differences within the Divisions. More physical vs. fast/skill vs. trap etc etc.
The point is you will have to win your Division not just play for a higher seed.

by drifterscape on Dec 6, 2011 11:11 AM EST up reply actions