SB Nation - Carolina Hurricanes

Canes Give Their Fans a Lump of Coal: Canadiens 5, Hurricanes 1

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:23:15 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

about 5 hours ago: Montreal Canadiens' Sergei Kostitsyn (74) slips the puck past Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) with Hurricanes' Brett Carson (27) nearby during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

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The Montreal Canadiens came into the RBC on Wednesday night and demolished the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-1. The visitors scored a powerplay goal just 1:29 into the game and chased goalie Cam Ward less than 10 minutes into the period as they built a 3-1 lead before the home team knew what hit them. By time the period was over, the score was 4-1 and the game was as good as over.

The Habs would score again in the second period on another powerplay goal, the second time that defenseman Aaron Ward was in the box while a powerplay goal was scored for the opposition.

Ward did not see the ice again after that penalty and finished with just 7:23 of ice time.

Coach Paul Maurice juggled the lines a bit and finally seemed to take some players to task for their lackluster play. Rod Brind`Amour and Scott Walker only had two shifts in the second period and none in the third. Both finished the game with about five minutes of ice time.

Eric Staal was moved off the first line and started the second period centering Patrick Dwyer and Jussi Jokinen. Brandon Sutter, who showed more hustle and determination than any other Hurricane, was moved to the first line and centered Ray Whitney and Tuomo Ruutu.

The changes did not cause any immediate results, but there were several close chances. Eventually, Jussi Jokinen was moved to center and Staal was moved to wing. Will the team continue with that experiment? How about having Staal play with Sutter as center?

At this point, any change seems worth a try.

Brandon Sutter scored the only Carolina goal of the game and showed great hands when he knocked in a rebound off of a Tim Gleason shot. The youngster was sniffing around the net all night long and seemed to generate the most chances on the team.

Head Coach Paul Maurice apparently agreed and said that Sutter was the best player on the ice for the team last night and he showed great leadership.

The coach also said that he took Cam Ward out of the game because he hoped that he could stop the first goal and expected him to stop the third. The third goal was scored when Sergei Kostitsyn beat Joni Pitkanen down the ice and tipped a Tomas Plekanec pass through Ward's 5-hole.

All fans can do now is wonder why the Hurricanes were out-hustled in their own rink? Why they would come out flat when they are dead last in the league and keep telling everyone who is listening that they have not given up on the season yet?

As Maurice said in the press conference, the team needs to show it on the ice. All the talk in the world is not going to change this train wreck of a season. They need to show up and actually out-work the team they are facing, and they sure did not do it on Wednesday night.

Next up Saturday night will be a hungry Flyers team with a new coach and a new goalie, Peter Laviolette and Michael Leighton. They just won 5-2 in Tampa Bay as Leighton made 31 saves on 33 shots.

Game Notes:

This was one of those games where the shots on goal stat was meaningless. The Canes out-shot the Habs in every period and ended up with a 47-25 advantage. Only scoring 1 goal in 47 shots is unbelievable, especially when Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak did not need to break a sweat.
Brandon Sutter was tied with the team lead and had seven shots. Tuomo Ruutu also had seven while Matt Cullen and Joni Pitkanen each had six.
Cam Ward finished with four saves on seven shots. Replacement Many Legace fared a bit better and made 16 saves on 18 shots.
Tim Gleason came close to dropping the gloves, something he simply can not do because his face is still healing. Mike Maniscalco and John Forlsund were wishing in the post game that someone would have taken the initiative to start a fight, (other than Gleason), to try to spark the team. The Canes were flat and seemed to stay flat.
Andrew Alberts played in his 300th career NHL game. He leads the team with 124 hits which is currently fourth highest in the NHL. This includes a team high six from last night. Ruutu is next on the team with 109.
The team had about 25 seconds of a two man advantage, but failed to score. They ended up 1-5 on the powerplay while the Habs were 3-5. The powerplay is now rated 29th best in the NHL. The penalty kill has dropped to 21st.
Matt Cullen and Jussi Jokinen had good nights in the faceoff circle. Cullen was 13 of 18 for 72% while Jokinen was 10 of 14 for 71%. The team finished up at 60%.
Pitkanen led both teams with 29:38 of ice time.
Attendance was 14,820 and many had left before the end of the game. Those numbers are sure to go down unless the Hurricanes put forth better effort than they did for this game.
Cory made a good note. Staal did not take any faceoffs tonight, possibly because of a hand injury?

Harrison Reassigned - Canadiens at Hurricanes, Game Day Preview

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:13:51 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Atlanta Thrashers forward Bryan Little battles Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin (7) for the puck during the second period of an NHL preseason hockey game, Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, in Atlanta. Wallin will return for the Canes tonight.

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Defenseman Niclas Wallin will return to the lineup for the 7 p.m. matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes, (9-21-6) and the Montreal Canadiens, (17-18-3) tonight at the RBC. Jay Harrison will be the odd man out. (UPDATE: The Hurricanes just announced that they reassigned the defenseman to Albany today).

The blueline is still a bit of a patchwork as Brett Carson remains in the lineup. Tim Gleason continues to be bothered by the injury to his face suffered in Washington a couple of weeks ago. He tried wearing a cage at the morning skate, but hated it and will go back to a visor tonight. On Monday night he started out wearing a visor, but had it removed during the first intermission.

In the meantime, Joni Pitkanen continues to garner major minutes of TOI. As Cory reported yesterday, he has over 700 minutes logged so far this season, more than any other Carolina player, even though he has missed 10 games due to various injuries.

I asked the defenseman today if there was a limit as to how many minutes he could, or should play? "It varies from game to game," Pitkanen said. "Some nights 26 minutes seems like a lot if I do a lot of skating. Other nights, I can do more. It depends on each game."

I asked him how he felt about going over 30 minutes, like has has done at least a couple of times this season. "Oh no, that is too much," Pitkanen shook his head as he answered. "I am not at my best when that happens, it is too tiring."

Other than the change on the blueline, the Canes will ice the same lineup they had on Monday against the Rangers. Carolina goalie Cam Ward will be facing Jaroslav Halak in net for the Habs. Ward is 9-2-2 in 13 career starts against Montreal.

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Cam Ward	21	1173	4	12		60	3.07	589	529	.898	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jaroslav Halak	14	782	8	5		35	2.69	418	383	.916	1

While Eric Staal and Sergei Samsonov missed yesterday's practice, both will play tonight. Ray Whitney took this morning off and missed the morning skate. Paul Maurice joked that he felt the winger had probably attended enough morning skates during the course of his career. Whitney will play tonight as well.

This is the third contest in a four game homestand for the Canes. They are 1-1 so far and have an overall record of 8-8-2 at home. They finish the homestand on Saturday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. That one should be interesting.

Montreal is coming off an overtime win in Atlanta on Monday night. They shut out the Islanders, 3-0 just before that, but were riding a five game losing streak prior to facing the Islanders. For more information about the Habs, check out Habs Eyes on the Prize and Habs Inside/Out.

Interestingly enough, the Canadiens have not won a game on December 23 since 1945. When told of that little tidbit during the press conference, Paul Maurice quipped, "Let's hope the streak continues."

The Canes lost in a shootout in their only previous meeting with the Habs this season.

Undecided about going to the game? Erik Cole bobbleheads will be given out to the first 10,000 fans. Also, there is a holiday "two-for-one" ticket promotion for those who bring in can goods for the poor. Don't miss this game, Caniacs.

FS Carolinas will have the television broadcast and even though John Forslund worked in Chicago last night and flew into town at 6 a.m. this morning, he will be fresh and ready to go with his partner in crime, Tripp Tracy. Mike Maniscalco will host the Stormfront and Aftermath on 99.9 The Fan.

Oilers vs. Wild, 12/23/09 - Looking up at the rest of the conference

Derek Zona — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:29:01 -0000

via www.sportslogos.net

SBNation's Oilers vs Wild coverage

Hockey Wilderness

For a glimpse into the world of Minnesota hockey life, visit SnagFilms at the "Pond Hockey" link, or watch the movie below.

Hockey Wildnerness takes on the near-putrid Abel2Yzerman and enrages the natives. Ugga bugga boo. Then HW lays into their gods and really annoys them.

In an "it ain't your year" sign, the Wild lose their equipment. Cal Clutterbuck's panties go up in smoke.

Apparently the NHL is punishing the Finns, because they've chosen the Wild vs. Hurricanes matchup for the Finnish game. Poor, poor Finns.

Derek Boogaard is a useful player. Alright, he's a good guy to have around. Okay, he's useless.

Minnesota Wild Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Guillaume Latendresse	other-excused	12/23/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Martin Havlat	other-excused	12/23/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brent Burns	concussion	11/19/2009
Pierre-Marc Bouchard	concussion	10/04/2009
Petr Sykora	concussion	11/09/2009

Rangers Analysis: Links, quotes and fights!

Joe Fortunato — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:02:43 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

2 days ago: New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) blocks a shot from the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. The Rangers won 3-1. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

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The Rangers look to go for four wins in a row tonight, when they host the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden. Here are some links for you all.

Andrew Gross over at Rangers Rants takes a quick look at the Brandon Dubinsky Brian Boyle heavyweight fight that occurred in practice last night. Here are some highlights from the full story:

One thing to remember: hockey players fighting is not like you fighting with somebody, even a friend. For the most part, it’s a very swift current taking the water under the bridge. So Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky lobbing a couple of punches at each other at today’s optional skate is not headline material. The two were quickly separated, even as Aaron Voros tried to get in on the action, and joked about it together soon after in the dressing room.

"We’re giving you stuff to write about," Dubinsky told the media as he passed by Boyle’s stall. "The stuff you write is so stale."

Not a big deal, this happens all the time. Literally nothing to look into or analyze, best to forget that it even happened.

Andrew Gross also has a nice quote from Tortorella about what he expects from his team:

"I think sometimes it’s a misconception on the team concept," Tortorella said. "We want to forecheck. But when we talk about it as far as getting up the ice and forechecking and pressuring, people say they just want to go. That certainly hasn’t been our philosophy from Day 1 because you have to play defense in this league. We have changed a little bit in the neutral zone where it’s kind of a hybrid right now. When we have chances to go, we’re going. When we’re not, we’re going to be a little bit smarter as far as filling the middle. That was probably a couple of weeks ago we changed into that. But I think we’ve gotten better defensively, too. When you’re having problems scoring goals, you fall into that trap of just scoring goals and you forget about the details of playing defense. We have always talked about playing defense first and when we say defense first, it doesn’t mean we’re falling back and playing in our end zone. Defense is when you don’t have the puck, just being on the right side of the puck. We’ve gotten better and better on the odd man rushes and that’s just being cognizant of being on the right side of the puck."

Again not sure I can add too much here. Join me after the jump.

Should be a fun one tonight where the Rangers take on the 8th place in the East Panthers. The Panthers are two points ahead of the Rangers with one less win--so a win tonight propels the Rangers to a playoff spot. The last time these two teams met the Rangers beat the Panters 2-1 in the skills competition in Florida.

On some personal notes I would expect the line-up to stay the same as it did against the Hurricanes. Expect Henrik Lundqvist in goal and both Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik in the line-up. The Rangers are going to have to play a very solid gae to be the Panthers, who are a very good team this year.

Prediction time here but I have a gut feeling that Michael Del Zotto has a huge game tonight. Just a thought. What are your thoughts on all of this?

Secret Santa: Handing Out Holiday Gifts To Each Of The Hurricanes

Cory Lavalette — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:21:31 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

8 months ago: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward celebrates with Rod Brind'Amour (17), Eric Staal (12), and Erik Cole (26) after beating the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in overtime in an NHL first-round hockey playoff game Friday, April 17, 2009 in Newark, N.J. The series is tied 1-1. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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It's been a difficult season for the Carolina Hurricanes, but that doesn't mean anyone of the team has been naughty. So, without further ado, we're handing out some gifts to the boys who have suited up in red and black this season.

Players

Andrew Alberts — A pat on the back. In a year where the team and it's offseason signees have been much maligned, Alberts has played as advertised. He's just minus-2 on the season, right near the top of the team among the players who have suited up from opening night, and is one of three Canes to play all 36 games.

Zach Boychuk — A March plane ticket to Raleigh. Boychuk hasn't blown the doors off the AHL this year, but in his two-game stint in Carolina he showed the explosiveness that make him such an intriguing prospect. With Carolina's playoff hopes all but over, Boychuk can expect to finish the season with the Hurricanes once some of the team's expiring contacts are dealt at the deadline.

Rod Brind'Amour — A fitting farewell. Brind'Amour has been, arguably, the most important player in the history of the Carolina Hurricanes. We all know he's not happy playing seven, eight or nine minutes a night, so here's to hoping he has some nice moments the rest of the way, then hangs up his skates with the class in which he always laced them up.

Brett Carson — A goal. Carson will never be a huge offensive threat in the NHL, but it's always a joy to see a young player get his first NHL goal. Here's to hoping Brett gets that some time this year.

Erik Cole — A redo on his bobblehead. I'm guessing union man Erik leans more toward the left than the right, so he probably isn't thrilled with his bobblehead looking more like George W. Bush than it does him.

Tim Conboy — One more call-up. Once upon a time, Conboy being in the lineup meant Carolina wins. That wasn't the case this season, and he's been in Albany for more than a month. Maybe a return to Raleigh could bring some old-time results in the win column.

Joe Corvo — A speedy recovery. Corvo is in the final year of his contract, so surely he'd like to get back on the ice so he's not viewed as damaged goods by the Canes or the rest of the NHL when it comes time to test the free agent waters. Plus, Carolina could probably get a nice deadline return for him if they decide not to re-sign him.

Matt Cullen — The same two wingers. Cullen has played with just about every Hurricanes forward this season. Most recently, he and Patrick Dwyer have struck up some chemistry, but they will likely be broken up once Cole or Chad LaRose returns from injury. Hopefully he gets a chance to play with the same two guys for an extended period of time in 2010.

Patrick Dwyer — A Chad LaRose trade. Nothing against LaRose, but Dwyer seems capable of filling LaRose's spitfire role at a third of the cost.

Tim Gleason — A hotel room in Vancouver. If Brian Burke likes old-school hockey as much as he claims to, Gleason should be penciled in for a spot on Team USA's blueline at the Winter Olympics. And they may even mean a spot ahead of Jack Johnson. Irony?

Jay Harrison — A fight-free 2010. Give it up for Harrison: when he fights, he doesn't pick on the wimpy guy. Harrison has tussled with Milan Lucic, Brad Winchester and Ian Laperriere this season. He held his own against some of the game's toughest, but if he keeps piling up names like this he'll find he's playing with fire.

Jussi Jokinen — More shootout magic. Through Dec. 21, Jokinen has four shootout goals, just one behind league leader Sidney Crosby. He's proven he's the best at hockey's skills competition, and he's always a joy to watch.

Tom Kostopoulos — More top-nine duty. TKO, along with Alberts, has been a bright spot among the players receiving contracts this offseason. His consistent play has earned him more ice time, and here's to hoping there's more of that to come.

Chad LaRose — A fresh start. When LaRose was making less than a million dollars a year, he was the underdog — an overachiever who became a fan favorite. But at an average of $1.7 million this year and next, LaRose hasn't lived up to his deal, whether it be due to injuries or heightened expectations. He'd be a great fit on a contender's third line.

Manny Legace — A one-year deal. Carolina has not had a reliable backup since Cam Ward was No. 2 to Martin Gerber in 2005-06. With Legace, they get a veteran presence who can spell Ward when needed and fill in as the top guy if an injury should occur. While Justin Peters continue to make strides and Mike Murphy is growing into a pro netminder, the Canes could buy one more year of development by keeping Legace around.

Joni Pitkanen — Some ice packs. Pitkanen's missed nine games this season and still has more total ice time than any other Hurricane (710:27 to Corvo's 690:17 in the same number of games). Between the workload, his propensity to get banged up, and his upcoming Olympic role with Finland, the defenseman will probably need some massage table time.

Bryan Rodney — An airline pillow. The airlines don't give them out anymore, and Rodney's been on so many Albany to Raleigh flights that he could probably use one.

Tuomo Ruutu — Some local ad spots. Is there a Canes player more likely to flash a smile than No. 15? His off-ice demeanor so differs from his runaway train style of game that it's hard to even come to grips that it's the same guy. Who better to shill your product?

Sergei Samsonov — A 20-goal season. It'll take some work, but Samsonov could make it if he slightly betters his pace. Samsonov scored 20 in 2005-06 with Boston and Edmonton, but has not netted that many with one team since he had back-to-back 29-goal seasons with Boston in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Eric Staal — A Team Canada sweater. It's been a rough season for Staal, but his play has improved of late and he's always been a big-game player. Canada would be wise to have a spot for him in Vancouver.

Brandon Sutter — More ice time and more results. After a torrid start, Sutter has slowed considerably with lesser linemates, managing just a goal and two assists in the past 12 games. Perhaps more penalty killing time would get the young pivot back in the groove.

Jiri Tlusty — A working passport — Tlusty's Carolina debut included a goal, but immigration issues have thwarted him twice since the Hurricanes acquired him from Toronto. The first problems kept him from Albany, the second probably prevented him from being recalled to Raleigh a second time.

Scott Walker — A trade to a true contender. Does anyone deserve to have their name on the Cup more than Walker? Walker's a throwback who never had a true playoff run until last season, and at 36 with an expiring contract this could be his final chance to be added to a team guaranteed to go deep in the postseason.

Niclas Wallin — Health and 39 games played. Wallin is currently 38 games behind Jeff O'Neill for third all-time in Carolina games played (both trail Glen Wesley and Brind'Amour who have 729 and 647, respectively). This is his ninth — and perhaps final — season with the Canes, and his long-time contributions often go unnoticed.

Aaron Ward — A new contract (in broadcasting). Ward's return to Raleigh hasn't gone as planned, but the charismatic defensemen calls the Triangle home and would be a great addition to the television booth or alongside current solo artist Chuck Kaiton on the radio.

Cam Ward — Chainmail. Ward was sliced by a skate earlier this season, the second time it's happened in his career. While Ward has begun wearing more padding to guard against accidental skate slashes, perhaps he should go the extra mile just to be sure.

Ray Whitney — A Cup run. Whitney won his title in 2006 with the Canes, but he could be a hot commodity at the trade deadline if he decided to waiver his no-trade clause. Like Walker, Whitney — 38 in May — has few remaining chances at engraving his name on the Cup a second time.

Stephane Yelle — An eraser. Yelle's play was poor enough to start the season that GM Jim Rutherford placed him on waivers. It was surely a tough pill to swallow for Yelle, but to his credit he has bounced back and been exactly what everyone expected when he signed: a reliable fourth-liner who can still hack it on the penalty kill. Let's forget his early season struggles, shall we?

Coaches & Front Office

Tom Barrasso — A moratorium on how talks of difficult he was as a player. How many times does Barrasso's past need to be brought up? Like Jim Rice with the Red Sox, Barrasso was labeled difficult and abrasive with the media and even teammates. There's been no evidence of that in Barrasso the coach. One thing he has been? A helluva mentor for Ward. So enough already.

Ron Francis — A copy of What Color Is Your Parachute? Francis was reluctant to jump behind the bench last season following Peter Laviolette's dismissal. With some questions surrounding Maurice, Francis may need to soon decide whether or not his future is behind the bench as a coach or as Rutherford's successor as GM.

Paul Maurice — Earplugs. Maurice arrived back in Raleigh to a chorus of boos, but promptly led the team to the conference finals. The boo birds are back this year, and whether or not he is to blame is up for debate. Is he the coach that twice led teams deep in the postseason, or the one who failed to make the postseason in Toronto and has Carolina last in the standings? The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Tom Rowe — Credit where credit is due. Rowe, the defensive specialist on the coaching staff, has helped mold not only Tim Gleason, but several of the younger Canes blueliners into promising pros. Look no further than Bryan Rodney and Brett Carson.

Jim Rutherford — Chutzpah. It's going to be tough to trade away players that helped him win a Stanley Cup or rebuilt their careers here, but that's what Rutherford faces at the trade deadline. Cullen, Whitney, Corvo, Walker and Aaron Ward could all be elsewhere come March, plus there are some tough conversations that need to be had with No. 17. Other names could change cities, too. Rutherford will need big brass bonanza (This is a PG-13 site) to ship out fan favorites so the next era of Hurricanes hockey can begin.

Finally...

Bob and Hockey Mom — A round of applause. It's been a great third of a season at Canes Country despite Carolina's on-ice play, and both of them work so hard to make it happen. Three cheers to them!

You, the readers — A new mouse and keyboard. The clicks and comments continue to grow every week, and that's a testament to what all of you bring to the site. We couldn't do it without you. Thanks!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

'Canes running away with Hall sweepstakes

James Mirtle — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:28:43 -0000

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Another loss for Carolina last night, and the lottery standings still aren't really all that tight at the bottom end:

	NHL	GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	/82
1	Carolina	36	9	21	6	24	54.7
2	NY Islanders	37	13	17	7	33	73.1
3	Philadelphia (Ana)	35	15	18	2	32	75.0
4	Toronto (Bos)	37	13	16	8	34	75.4
5	Edmonton	36	15	17	4	34	77.4
6	Columbus	37	14	16	7	35	77.6
7	Tampa Bay	36	13	14	9	35	79.7
8	Montreal	38	17	18	3	37	79.8
9	Anaheim	35	14	14	7	35	82.0
10	Florida	38	16	15	7	39	84.2

Is it time for a Tank for Taylor movement in some of these cities (Philadelphia/Toronto not included)?

Familiar Scene for Carolina: Rangers 3, Hurricanes 1

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:13:21 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

2 days ago: New York Rangers' Marian Gaborik (10) battles with Carolina Hurricanes' Eric Staal (12) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

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Fans of the Carolina Hurricanes have been down this road before. The team played well, was in the game most of the time, made a couple of mistakes which ended up in the back of the net, then failed to capitalize on opportunities in the opponent's zone as an evenly matched game turned into yet another loss last night at the RBC.

The New York Rangers defeated the Hurricanes by a score of 3-1. While the first two periods of the game were almost dead even and the third was very close, the New Yorker's were clutch. The Carolina players were not.

The Canes had three powerplay chances and failed to score. They had numerous odd man advantages and failed to score on them.

Bottom line, Henrik Lundqvist out-played Cam Ward and New York's franchise player out-performed Carolina's. That's not to say Eric Staal had a bad game, he played well. But Marian Gaborik was better.

After a scoreless first period in which the stats were almost dead even, Sergei Samsonov opened the scoring with a wrap around chance just 46 seconds into the second period.

Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, the Rangers answered back almost immediately. Cam Ward aggressively played a puck outside the crease which took an unfavorable bounce and got by him, then Tim Gleason got the puck in front of the open Carolina net, but hit it right to the league's premier sniper, who made no mistake.

The tally was number 25 for Gaborik, which leads the NHL. It took the Rangers just 28 seconds to tie the score.

That would be the end of the scoring for the Hurricanes, although they would have ample opportunities in the game. Later in the second, Scott Walker and Rod Brind`Amour had a tremendous two on one chance, but Walker's pass was a bit off and Brind'Amour could not handle it.

In the third period, Staal got behind the New York defense and had the puck with a point blank chance, but could not lift it past Lundqvist.

On the other side, the Rangers scored on their best chance of the third period as Vinny Prospal passed to Marian Gaborik who fed a wide open Brandon Dubinsky in front of Ward. The forward lifted a perfectly smooth backhander over the unsuspecting Carolina goalie as if he were a 30 goal scorer. It was Dubinsky's fourth goal of the year.

That was the difference in the game. Winners find a way to win. And the Hurricanes are not in last place in the league by accident.

Marc Staal finished up the scoring on a long empty-netter with just 33 clicks left.

Next up will be a rematch with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

Game Notes:

The Hurricanes powerplay was 0-3 making it three games in a row the team has failed to score with the man advantage, (0-7). Although having just seven powerplay chances in three games is certainly not an over-abundance of opportunity.
Tim Gleason started out with a visor but took it off after the first intermission. The defenseman has had better games as he misplayed the puck on Gaborik's score and was on the ice for all three New York goals. He finished with a -3, but it was his first game back after about a week off due to concussion-like symptoms.
The Hurricanes were credited with 39 hits compared to 20 for the Rangers. Andrew Alberts, Tuomo Ruutu, and Scott Walker led the way with six each.
Carolina had 33 shots on goal led by Staal and Ray Whitney with five each.
Aaron Ward and Ray Whitney had three blocked shots each.
After the game, coach Paul Maurice said that it felt like a playoff game. Neither team made many mistakes. It was a tightly contested affair throughout.
The team won 45% of faceoffs led by Brind'Amour's 83%, (5 of 6). Staal won 33%, (7 of 21).

Rangers withstand storm beat Hurricanes 3-1

Joe Fortunato — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:16:09 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

2 days ago: Carolina Hurricanes' Brandon Sutter (16) dives for the puck between New York Rangers' Marc Staal (18) and and goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

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Coming off their first 2 game winning streak since forever, the New York Rangers walked into North Carolina to take on the last place Carolina Hurricanes. Matt Gilroy was back in the line-up along with Ales Kotalik and Wade Redden who were surprise picks to play tonight to say the least. The Rangers were looking for their first three game winning streak since the 7-1 glory days of the beginning of the season, and they found it.

The Rangers obviously packed the same fire and flare that they brought to Philadelphia and brought it with them to North Carolina. The Rangers came out flying, in a very open, first period which saw the two teams trade odd-man rushes more times then you could count. Marian Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky both had various chances that were snuffed out by Cam Ward. Chris Higgins also had a notable first period but couldn’t find the net—what a surprise. Henrik Lundqvist continued his magnificent play making some great saves early and often.

The Rangers and Hurricanes traded goals in the second period with Gaborik netting his 25^th off a broken defensive play by the Hurricanes. By the way not is a great time to point out that Gaborik now has more goals in 34 games than any Ranger did all of last year. It’s in bold because it’s pretty important; the man is a God plain and simple. The Rangers got into penalty trouble—and incidentally got no help from the referees—but were able to kill them all off and walk into the third tied at 1.

In the third Brandon Dubinsky found the back of the net for his 4^thgoal of the season, a beautiful one from Gaborik and Vaclav Prospal. Again the Rangers saw themselves trading scoring chances with the Hurricanes but Lundqvist stood on his head and continued keeping the Rangers in the game. Marc Staal accentuated his great game by scoring the empty netter to give the Rangers a 3-1 victory.

Empty Netters:

Michael Rozsival is playing the best hockey of this season. He played a brilliant game and saved what would have been a tying goal for the Hurricanes late in the third.
Marian Gaborik continued his brilliant play with a goal and an assists. I love him.
Henrik Lundqvist has found his game again, and wow is he impressive.
Artem Ansisimov continued his impressive play and like I said on my radio show, he shields the puck and makes space just like Jaromir Jagr.
Like we have been talking about for the past few weeks if the Rangers want momentum now is the best time to get it. Let’s hope this continues.
I think that Wade Redden bounced back from his benching with a solid game. Let's hope to see more of this.
I also think that Matt Gilroy played a great game in his return to Ranger blue. It's nice to see since we all agree that he is a fan favorite.

Well let’s hear your praise in the comments boys!

By the way after Tuesday's radio show Jim won't be around much over the next few days so if you have any questions or concerns please e-mail me at Joe@blueshirtbanter.com. I will get back asap. Thanks guys!

Rangers at Hurricanes: Game Day Preview

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:01:59 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward had his hands full but came up with the win on Saturday night. He will have Marian Gaborik to contend with tonight at the RBC

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Coach John Tortorella and his New York Rangers, (16-16-3) are in town for a game with the Carolina Hurricanes, (9-20-6) tonight at the RBC. This will be the first of two games in Raleigh over the next 10 days for these two teams. They match up again on New Year's Eve, next week Thursday night.

While the Hurricanes are in last place in the NHL, they have been playing well at home and currently have an 8-7-2 record with three home wins in a row.

The Rangers have had troubles of their own. Upset with the team's effort after a recent loss to the New York Islanders, Coach John Tortorella had an expletive filled press conference. He later benched highly paid vets Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik, then moved Chris Drury to the fourth line. The team has responded with two straight victories over the Flyers and Islanders, (and Drury scored), but all is not wine and roses in the Big Apple.

Before their last two wins, they had lost five in a row and eight of their last nine.

Redden and Kotalik are expected back in the lineup tonight.

The Canes returned defenseman Bryan Rodney to Albany and sure enough, Tim Gleason attended the morning skate and will be back in tonight's lineup. Niclas Wallin remains out.

Other than the addition of Gleason, look for the same lineup as played in the Florida game on Saturday night.

Cam Ward will be between the pipes, probably facing Henrik Lundqvist.

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Cam Ward	20	1114	4	11		58	3.12	559	501	.896	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Henrik Lundqvist	31	1800	14	13		75	2.50	935	860	.920	1

Carolina is led in scoring by Ray Whitney, (24 points) and Tuomo Ruutu, (23 points). The Rangers are led by Marian Gaborik, (24 goals and 45 points) and Vinny Prospal, (29 points).

Patrick Dwyer has the longest point streak on the Canes with two goals in the last two games.

For more information about the Rangers, check out the Blueshirt Banter.

The game will be televised by FS Carolinas starting at 7. We will have the game day thread open at 6:30 and will be reporting live from the RBC.

"Ward's Warriors": Real Life Champions

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:22 -0000

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Aaron Ward has struggled at times on the ice, but his off ice program, "Ward's Warriors" is a winner every night.

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Aaron Ward is having a rough season, not unlike many of his teammates. The Canes have had more than a couple of losing streaks early this year and have not yet been able to fight their way out of the basement of the NHL. Ward was even put on waivers this past week, his future with the club now somewhat in question.

However things can change quickly in sports, especially when people of high character are involved. Don't count out Aaron Ward. He has the ability, attitude, and experience to turn his season around. But regardless of how he does on the ice, Ward should be given credit for something special he is doing off the ice.

If you have attended games at the RBC this season, you probably have noticed an announcement made about "Ward's Warriors" as well as an introduction to the program's participants that evening. Recently, I caught up with the big defenseman and asked him if he could provide more details about his namesake program.

Ward's eyes lit up when he started talking about it, as obviously he is very proud and committed to the project.

"When I first came here in 2001, I came to realize that the state of North Carolina was a heavily populated military area. So when you are put in that environment, you really get the chance to appreciate those who put forth that sacrifice."

He elaborated a bit more.

"I was here for 9/11, and the majority of my experience in the United States post 9/11 has been here in North Carolina. And you see first hand the number of people affected by it. Not necessarily the actual day, 9/11, but in the activities that have followed. Through personal experience I got to know some people who have gone off. I have a lot of patriotic friends and co-workers, so it became a vested interest to do something like this."

Ward described the work of teachers and those in the military as being typically "undervalued", but he values both professions, for the obvious reasons. "The people who are brave enough to sign up in the military, put their lives on the line, and engage in battle, have my deepest respect," Ward said.

"Last year they had "Military Appreciation Night" in Boston and they asked fans to donate their tickets, but I felt it's tough for fans to do that, so I donated $15,000 toward tickets for the military that night. As it turned out, several people who attended that game came from Taunton, Massachusetts and the majority of those assigned there ended up going to Afghanistan."

"Ward's Warriors" can be comprised of active duty military, veterans, or even wounded soldiers just returned from overseas. The team's representatives try to select a mixture of participants from each of the military bases in the state.

The Carolina defenseman explained how the program got started.

"I'm older now and always wanted to do something like this. And since this area is so heavily affected by the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, I thought it would be nice to provide the active duty and their families the ability to step away from the stress a bit and enjoy a night out where everything is paid for, food, tickets, and drinks. They sit in the comfort of a catered suite, in their own environment, and hopefully enjoy the game."

Last week on December 16, I had the opportunity to visit Ward's suite and meet some of the people involved.

First of all, I met Rob Leavel, (from ASC Construction Equipment) and Ed McHale, (from Volvo Rents), both of whom serve as hosts in the suite and partner with Ward in the program. I asked them how they became matched up with Ward.

"We also support the troops as corporate sponsors of "Operation Thank You", so this was a natural fit for us to team up with him because we both support the military."

They also said that they could not be more pleased with the partnership. "Ward really takes an active part in deciding who will be in here. He will take pictures of the participants and sometimes even bring them down to the locker room after the game."

There were some veterans and a Marine in attendance that night. I had the pleasure of speaking with a couple of them.

Pictured above on the right is John, an active duty Marine stationed in Camp LeJeune. He signed up for the program in his church group and was selected that way. This was his first Hurricanes game and he was having a great time.

The next photo is of Hal and Marilyn Shook from Cary. Hal is a veteran of three different wars and participated in the Normandy invasion in World War 2. He started out flying planes for the Army Air Corps, which was technically the Air Force before it was even called the Air Force. The pilot flew fighter planes for 27 years while in the service.

Hal has been a hockey fan for a long time. "I was stationed in Virgina for awhile, and a group of us used to go down to watch Greensboro play all the time, we loved it", he explained. The vet still loves hockey but said he usually can't afford a seat anymore. He was certainly enjoying this game. "The boys are looking good tonight", he said with a smile.

Hal and Marilyn also gave me information about their website, (Flying Spirit.org), which you can check out if you are interested.

I did not have the chance to speak with the group above, but if I had to guess one looks like a veteran of the Korean War.

All in all, it was very interesting to find out more about the program. The area is very fortunate to have several players like Ward, who do so much for the community. Cam Ward and Eric Staal have similar programs and some of the other players do different things as well. For instance, the team's Kids 'N Community Foundation has granted over $7.5 million to various local youth orientated organizations, since it's inception.

Canes Country will be looking more closely at some other projects like these in the future.

(Many thanks to Kristina Boyce of the Hurricanes for her help in setting up the suite visit and to Jamie Kellner for her outstanding photography work.)