Vacation is over for this blogger and it's time to get caught up on Hurricanes news. But is there any? It looks like the entire staff at "Canes Now" went on permanent vacation and there is nothing new to report from Carolina Hurricanes.com. We will start digging and see what we can find. The draft is coming up in a couple of weeks and July 1st will be here before you know it. The Canes have plenty of work to do, so there must be some kind of life over at Edwards Mill Road.
The Stanley Cup Finals have been pretty interesting. Remember back when Jussi Jokinen tapped Zdeno Chara in the back of the leg with his stick during the series between the Bruins and Hurricanes? Pierre McGuire and the other Versus announcers were beside themselves and repeatedly called it a "cheap shot" and a "dirty" play. Well, that was a love tap compared to what the Penguins were handing out on Saturday night when they suffered a complete meltdown after falling behind early in the second period. Evgeni Malkin elbowed Johan Franzen in the head, Sidney Crosby slashed Henrik Zetterberg in the leg, and Maxime Talbot attempted to take out Pavel Datsyuk, (his first game back after a prolonged foot injury). And that was just part of the nonsense that went on.
Not once were the words "cheap shot" or "dirty play" used by the announcers during the fiasco. Instead, the Pens showed a "lack of composure" and were just venting "frustration". If the Carolina Hurricanes or most other teams were doing the exact same things, they would have been labeled as a bunch of cheap shot artists. And some wonder why the darlings of the NHL are disliked by most of the league?
Eric and Tanya Staal are enjoying their summer in the local area so far and reportedly took in the Brad Paisley concert this past week. Here is an article from a lucky couple who sat next to them during the event. Apparently, Staal was recognized and was greeted by several fans asking for autographs and photos. So much for hockey players being able to mingle incognito while being out and about in Raleigh.
Finally, a huge congratulations to the South Carolina Stingrays, who won the ECHL's Kelly Cup this weekend. That makes the third championship for the franchise. Tremendous job!