John Grahame will get the start once again between the pipes for the Carolina Hurricanes tonight as they take on the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. The Canes backup tender has won the past 2 games in a row and he will try to keep the streak going against Tomas Vokoun and kitty kats.
Grahame just started to don a new mask, (pictured above), replacing the somewhat controversial large bosomed Nascar Girl mask that he wore previously. Perhaps it was time for a new mask anyway since his old one hadn't given him any recent luck. John's save percentage and GAA were abysmal 2 games ago, and many Caniacs were trying to think of clever ways in which he and Albany goalie, Michael Leighton could exchange places.
While his past 2 games may not have been perfect, John did battle hard and they were very good showings for the beleaguered goalie. The dude's free-wheeling bachelor lifestyle and rumored womanizing have left some of the fanbase cold, but he showed this week that he has a heart of gold when it counts the most.
On Monday, the Hurricanes split up into several groups and went out in the community to bring some holiday cheer. Four groups of them went to different hospitals, but John was part of a group that took some needy children to a local Target for some shopping. Each child was supplied with a gift card of $150, but the players ended up chipping in much more. A source reported that John contributed more than $1,000 of his own money in order to complete his new buddies' shopping list!
John's partner, Jeremy said that the day was the best one in his entire life! To read more information about the special day, check out this article from carolinahurricanes.com.
Back to the game tonight! There is no change in status for Chad LaRose and David Tanabe. Both players remain in Raleigh recovering from concussions. Rod Brind'Amour is expected to play, hopefully fully recovered from his bout with the flu. Mike Commodore will play for the first time in over a month! We will see how long it takes Commie to shake off the rust. Andrew Ladd will also make a return. Of course Craig Adams will be serving the first game of his 2 game suspension and will not be available. I have not seen a report about anyone being recalled from Albany.
Caniacs can only hope that none of the other players are dealing with the same bug that knocked Brind'Amour out of the lineup Tuesday night. Game time is at 7:30 and will be televised locally on FSN!
(thank you Hyena for use of your pic)
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