Preseason Opener: Washington @ Carolina (09.24.08)

The Hurricanes hit the ice together for the first time in five months as they opened their preseason schedule with a divisonal battle against the Washington Capitals last night. The 'Canes failed to get much going on the offensive end and posted a 4-1 loss.

With the regular season still a few weeks away, both teams were understandably a bit rusty. The Capitals did come out with a tad more oomph than the home team though, out-skating and out-battling the 'Canes for the majority of the match. The one good flurry of offense that Carolina did have lasted for about the final 10 minutes of the first period, but they failed to put a puck past Simeon Varlamov, the Washington goaltender who stood on his head for the first period. He played just twenty minutes, faced twenty Hurricanes' shots, and he stopped them all.

The lone Carolina marker came from newly-acquired defenseman Joni Pitkanen, who was traded from Edmonton in return for Erik Cole. The goal came just a few seconds into a two-man advantage midway through the second period on assists from Sergei Samsonov and Joe Corvo. The scoring effort does provide some reassurance for Carolina, who hoped the Pitkanen pickup would bolster their back line and give them another weapon on the point of the power play.

“I thought Joni played well, and not just because he scored," said coach Peter Laviolette after the game. "He skated well, he moved the puck on the back end well, and he defended strong, so that was a positive thing to see. But too many of our veterans didn’t play well enough, and we were looking for more from the people who got opportunities.”

Indeed, the effort wasn't a particularly strong one from the 'Canes as a whole. Nobody is really concerned within the locker room though, as they have only been skating together for a few days. It is futile then to expect a coordinated team attack this early on. Particularly from the special teams units, who haven't even practiced together yet. The noteworthy thing to watch for here in the preseason is the individual effort by the players who are assuming new roles, in order to assess whether or not the off-season decisions are going to pan out favorably. Joni Pitkanen is trying to let GM Jim Rutherford sleep easy, notching his first goal already in his first game with the team.

A number of other players were also under the microscope for their individual work last night. Rookie Brandon Sutter was thrown into his new role, centering one of the bottom two lines. He played hard and attempted four shots in 15:33 of ice time. Sutter let his team down in the circle though, winning just one face-off out of the 11 he took. He spoke about that aspect following the contest: “I’ve got to play an all-around game. I’m probably not going to score 50 goals, but I can contribute at both ends of the rink. It seemed like all four of us were struggling in the face-off circle. It’s a big part of the game and we’ve got to be better than we were.”

Another player looking to make a statement with his effort was Jeff O'Neil. O'Neil climbed to the top of the Hurricanes' scoring record book before being traded to Toronto in 2005. He played two seasons up north before packing it in, choosing instead to watch the games from home last year. With the injury to Justin Williams, O'Neil decided to come back to the 'Canes training camp and give it another go. Both he and the front office understand that nothing is guaranteed, but I can guarantee there will be a roster spot open for him if he can show even a glimmer of his former self during the upcoming weeks. He hit the ice for 18 shifts last night, totaling 14:25, including more than three minutes on the man advantage. Despite that time, he failed to get a shot on goal, and his overall performance was lackluster -- though solid -- I suppose.

It was unspeakably good to see center Matt Cullen back on the ice last night. After a disasterous injury-prone season last year, Cullen is healthy and back in the lineup to stay (knock on wood). I've always thought him to be one of the most versatile and crucial links in the Hurricanes' chain, and his absence last year was a big factor contributing to the team's failure to reach the postseason. We'll need Cullen desperately this year too, as Justin Williams is once again sidelined with a long-term injury. Cullen's performance wasn't exactly up to midseason form either, but I don't think anyone will fault him for that. “It seems like so long since my last game, so yeah, it was good to get out there,” said the centerman. “It was an ugly night, but for me it was step one in coming back.

Speaking of an ugly night, there was another bit of scary news. Tim Gleason was shaken up during the game and was taken to the dressing room with an undisclosed leg injury. The team isn't giving much info, but it appears to be more precautionary than serious; we can only hope. This setback comes in addition to losing defenseman Anton Babchuck during a scrimmage earlier in the week.

In general, coach Laviolette was not happy with the performance last night. “We didn’t forecheck, we didn’t cycle, we didn’t grind. There wasn’t much of an attack off the rush. There are a lot of areas to work on.” Carolina will follow Washington home in preparation for the back end of their home-and-home series tonight, and will look to make some improvements for their coach's sake. The faceoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.

Sharpen Your Skates

Five months ago, the Hurricanes' season ended abruptly in the early days of April, and this blog truncated in quite the same short order. I was in the process of starting a new job at the time and I was busy, away from home a lot. Not to mention the manner in which the season came to an end was incredibly disappointing for us Caniacs. To have one game left on home ice with your own playoff destiny in your hands is the stuff of storybooks and bad sports movies.

The home team always wins in those tales though.

Not so with our Hurricanes, who couldn't pick up one last "W" in the season's final contest, sending them off to summer in the South of France or the North of Canada earlier than hoped.

Ah, but a new season is upon us here in Hockeytown, and the plot lines of a whole new story are just a few turns of the page away, waiting to be written. I am going to devote some time to this blog this season and keep it as full of content as time will allow. With any luck, the 'Canes will return to their championship form and make another deep charge into the playoffs. For the next 9 months, check in here for all your Hurricanes news and notes, as well as recaps and analysis of every single game.

Early Deja Vu

With training camp slated to begin on Saturday, the Hurricanes have already been hit by the all-too-familiar injury bug. More specifically, the all-too-familiar-serious-leg-injury bug.

President Jim Rutherford announced today that right winger Justin WIlliams suffered a serious right ankle injury, and has torn his Achilles tendon. He is expected to have surgery to repair the rupture tomorrow at Rex Hospital in Cary. The doctors are saying he's going to miss four to six months of action.

Unfortunately, this brings back ghastly memories of last season for the injury-stricken Williams. He only played 37 games in 2007-08, missing time with a number of serious ailments. On December 20th, he tore his left ACL and MCL in a game against Florida. He had successful surgery six days later, and was out of the lineup until April 1st. In a cruel April Fool's joke, he played just four shifts totaling 3:48 in the game against Washington that night before being sidelined once again. This time, it was a back injury, and it would keep him watching from a VIP box for the remainder of the season.

Williams assumedly worked hard this off-season in preparation for a healthy return to the lineup. But here we are, three days away from the start of practice, and we have already lost his explosive potential for half a year.

Fortunately for the team, they are quite familiar with playing without Williams, so they should be able to slide into their roles without too much trouble. It goes without saying though that Williams' presence will be missed a great deal. For the Hurricanes, he represents a strong-skating winger with a nose for the puck and consistent performance in the clutch. The health problems of he and Matt Cullen were at the very core of the Hurricanes' failure to make it to the postseason last year. Once again, they'll have to find a way to manage without one of their best forwards for an extended period of time.

Get Healthy, Roddy

Center Rod Brind'Amour had a planned surgery this morning at Rex Hospital in Cary. The procedure was an outpatient operation to remove a bit of torn cartilage that was floating around in the left knee from his previous injury.

The recovery time is just a couple weeks for the surgery, and the team expects the captain to be back in action prior to the October 10th opening night.

New Threads

In preparation for the 2008-09 season, the Hurricanes' President Jim Rutherford unveiled their alternate jersey during a small ceremony at the RBC Center today.

The new jersey for the 'Canes is a bold one, primarily black with ominous red and white trim. The central hurricane logo has been replaced by a large storm warning flag perched atop a hockey stick, and backed by the symbolic triangle -- formerly the shoulder logo on the other two jerseys. In fact, the 'old' circular logo is only present as a gray silhouette on the shoulders of the shirt.

The Prez spoke about the new outfit: "We're very proud of our traditional uniforms. But, after 10 seasons in North Carolina and a lot of different ideas from our fans, we felt it was time to introduce an additional look for our team."

I have been looking forward to this announcement since a few whispers about this started creeping into conversations in the middle of last season. The culprit at the time though was the NHL's pesky rule permitting teams to use only two different jerseys during the year. That rule has been swept from the books now though, clearing the way for a more-expansive wardrobe.

The jerseys will go on sale to the general public at the Caniac Carnival on September 21st, beginning at 9:00am. The "premier" version of the jersey will sell for $115 while the authentic sweater will put a $299 hole in your pocket.

Storm Warning Flags at Half Mast

The season is over. I am in mourning.

Hurricanes vs. Wild (03.06.08)

In a refreshing change of pace, the Carolina Hurricanes got off to a great start and were able to hang on for a 3-2 win in an interconference contest with the Minnesota Wild at the RBC Center.

There were several nice chances for the 'Canes early, and they took the initiative to dominate the play right out of the gate. It took more than twelve minutes of work, but Matt Cullen finally got his team a first-period lead when he redirected a lively Joe Corvo shot into the twine. Cullen added an assist later, and Corvo had one more of his own as well; both men had three points over two games in the last 24 hours.

Cullen was initially given credit for the final goal of the game, scored 9:41 into the second frame as well. After several minutes of deliberation, however, the scorekeeper noticed that it was Erik Cole who had touched it last on the way in. Cole was screening goalie Josh Harding, and attempted to hurdle the Cullen shot, when it glanced off his left boot and found its home in the net.

Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg was back in the lineup tonight for the first time in about a month, and wasn't exactly eased gently back into his role. He was replacing Bret Hedican, who is dealing with the death of a close friend, and he had his stamina tested in logging over twenty minutes of play in his return appearance. Ray Whitney was also held out of the lineup, still struggling with the foot injury. The team lost a defenseman during the game as well, when enforcer Wade Brookbank took a tough hit to the lower body. He did not return to the game, but reports indicate that he is not seriously injured.

The need for a guy like Brookbank become evident, fittingly enough, a very short time after he left the ice. About six minutes into the third period, Minnesota winger Aaron Voros made a poor decision and drove Eric Staal into the side boards head-first. Erik Cole -- a man who knows a thing or two about being boarded himself -- quickly came to the defense of his friend and teammate. Cole took a run at Voros and every player on the ice was involved in the ensuing scuffle. There were a number of penalties levied, but Cole took the brunt of it, racking up nineteen minutes of time out. He was furious as he skated to the tunnel, betraying his stick on the innocent ledge on his way off the ice.

It is certainly worth noting that the Wild were tame, and even shy until Brookbank was injured. With him out of the way, they apparently felt they had permission to take some liberties with our best player. Brookbank, whether he is on the ice or lurking on the bench, makes his team better merely by the threat of his physicality.

In the minutes to follow, the Wild captured the advantage, despite having to kill off two minutes of 4-on-3 and another minute of conventional 5-on-4 power play. The 'Canes were reeling a bit, and the ice began to tilt down towards Cam Ward's end. It looked as if the emboldened Wild were pressing towards an equalizing goal, but Cam would not allow them to put one past him during the last 39 minutes, including some immense saves in the last fourteen minutes after the scrum.

Ward was particularly sharp tonight, else the Wild may well have stolen the win. There certainly was no shortage of chances for the visiting team, especially on the man advantage. Ward, however, was the best penalty killer on the ice, and seemed to come up with the save when his team was down and out time after time. On several occasions, the defense would be broken down, and Ward would be called upon to come up big. And, in fine fashion, he came through for his team over and over again. He used his stick judiciously to poke away a few good chances, and absorbed several dangerous shots with traffic on the doorstep. Though he only faced 28 shots, the bulk of them were quality chances requiring a quality save.

Carolina was more undisciplined tonight than in recent games, earning 48 minutes of penalties, and allowing the Wild six chances on the power play. The penalty kill was strong, especially in the third period, and most notably in killing the one final chance with under five minutes remaining. It was special teams that decided this game, as the home team killed each Minnesota advantage, while capitalizing on two out of their own five man-up opportunities. This is a good sign for the Hurricanes, who have now scored a power play goal in each of their last four games.

In eventuality, it was Erik Cole who gets credit for the game winner, though he didn't get the opportunity to see the game to its finish. The Hurricanes grow their divisional lead to 5 points over the idle Capitals. The 'Canes host the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night at 7:00. The game will be televised on FSN South.

My 3 stars: M. Cullen, E. Cole, J. Corvo

Hurricanes @ Thrashers (03.05.08)

The Carolina Hurricanes are playing their most consistent stretch of hockey in nearly two years. Tonight, they showed no signs of letting up in their first game on the road in sixteen days, as they knocked off the desperate Atlanta Thrashers by a 6-3 count. The homestanding goaltender, Kari Lehtonen, was chased out of the game during a commercial break midway through the second period, having yielded four goals on 22 shots. In all actuality, his play wasn't particularly bad, but the support in front of him was certainly lacking.

The Thrashers' D-men were sluggish and ill-checking, and had a great deal of difficulty slowing down the 'Canes offense, which has been ticking like a Swiss watch of late. The good guys outshot Atlanta 14-3 in the first period -- and 37-24 in total -- despite once again giving up the first goal of the game, to forward Chris Thorburn. This marked the sixth game consecutively where they have allowed the opponent to get on the scoreboard first.

Carolina responded by changing the tempo of the game, particularly on the offensive end, and scored the next four goals of the match. Scott Walker was the first scorer, and he added the only assist on the next goal, from his linemate Ryan Bayda. On that assisting play, Walker outhustled two Thrashers defensemen while all alone on a forecheck. His initial pass was blocked, but he cut in between four statuesque Atlanta players and put a pass on the tape of Bayda, whose one-timer was true. Joe Corvo lit the lamp next, with his third goal as a Hurricane coming on a backdoor feed from Sergei Samsonov early in the 2nd period on the man advantage. The nifty play prompted a "That's hockey, baby!" exclamation from commentator John Forslund. Eric Cole was the fourth man to add to the 'Canes total, on a hard slapshot from the far slot. His was the proverbial last straw, forcing Lehtonen to skate woefully to the bench and swap his mask for a baseball cap.

Johan Hedberg, the man who came in off the pine to spell Lehtonen, was solid in goal for his team, and allowed them a chance to climb back into the contest. The lone goal he allowed came on a controversial play, and an infuriating one for Thrashers' coach Don Waddell. The play happened early in the third period, on the heels of a Hurricanes power play. The puck was controlled near the crease by the Atlanta defense, and Garnet Exelby tucked it under Hedberg's big mitt, ready to accept a defensive-zone faceoff. For some inexplicable reason, the two referees refused to blow the whistle, even as the Hurricanes forwards began to jab at the glove of the Moose. After what seemed like an eternity, the puck finally squirted out of the webbing, and it led to a capitalizing goal by Eric Staal. Coach Waddell erupted on the bench, and was flirting with an early exit before he regained his composure. Even this Hurricanes fan can't imagine what the officials were thinking as they neglected to blow the whistle on an obvious frozen puck. Staal, meanwhile, took over the game in the final period, adding his 32nd and 33rd goals of the year, -- the latter coming with an empty net -- capping off another 3-point night for the young sensation.

Carolina defenseman Frantisek Kaberle has been a somewhat inconsistent performer for the majority of the year, though not as awful as some of the fans tell him he has been. Tonight, his effort was possibly the best of anyone on the ice. He factored in the first 'Canes goal, the equalizer, with a heady play at the point. After pinching in to keep a puck on the cycle, he made a nifty direction change and flicked a wrist shot in through traffic. Scott Walker poked at it on the way through, and the direction change was enough to allow it to pass over the shoulder of Lehtonen in goal. Kaberle had two more assists on the night, and was not on the ice for any of the Atlanta markers, making him +3 for the evening.

The thing that jumped out at me watching this game was, once again the play of the Walker/Aucoin/Bayda line. Since the injury to the captain, this line has been the most consistent-performing line, and are demonstrating chemistry that Marie Curie would be envious of. They generate a scoring chance nearly every time they hop over the boards together, and their offensive cycling is an absolute joy to watch. They chase down pucks, they assert themselves physically, they communicate constantly, and they seem to have a sixth sense for knowing each others' position on the ice at all times. If they can continue the level of play we have become accustomed to, they will prove invaluable during the playoffs.

Another matter of note is the 'Canes ability to play a more disciplined game than their opponents over the past few weeks. Tonight, they yielded just two Thrasher power plays, while earning seven of their own. In the past six games, Carolina has allowed just fifteen power plays, a crucial stat for a team that struggles so mightily on the penalty kill, worst in the league in fact.

The Thrashers remain nine points removed from a playoff spot, and without securing this divisional home win, their fate may well be sealed already. The Hurricanes retain their three point divisional lead over the Washington Capitals, who won their game tonight as well, and still hold one game in hand. Carolina will travel home this evening to join the Minnesota Wild for a showdown in the RBC Center tomorrow night at 7:00. The game will be broadcast on FSN South.

My 3 stars: S. Walker, F. Kaberle, E. Staal

Hurricanes vs. Lightning (03.01.08)

The names of what is now Hurricanes history still ring in our ears. Cory Stillman. Mike Commodore. Most recently, Andrew Ladd. Carolina General Manager Jim Rutherford did not let the trade deadline pass quietly, and has taken a big gamble in giving up three key players to try to fortify the team for the playoff stretch. The youngest, Ladd, was playing the best hockey of his short career in the weeks leading up to his departure. Having the organization move these guys, in particular, initially bewildered and downright annoyed the Caniac fan base. Tonight, it is evident why Mr. Rutherford doesn't allow the fans to make roster decisions. In a divisional battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning, each of the four replacement Hurricanes factored in the scoring and contributed on both ends of the ice in a dominant 5-1 victory at the RBC Center.

Sergei Samsonov was written off by his old team, the Chicago Blackhawks, and by the rest of the league. His career had peaked, and his play had seemingly tapered off. In what is now looking like the best pickup of the NHL season, he was snagged off re-entry waivers by J.R. on January 8th. At the time, he was merely a warm body filling an injury void in the third or fourth line. Gelling instantly with the 'Canes, it is apparent now that Samsonov is in the midst of a second coming; his previously-stagnant career showing new signs of life with his new mates. Shut out in the first period, he racked up an assist and a goal in the second, and added another goal in the third to complete a three-point night. The effort brings his totals up to eleven goals, two of them game-winners, and ten assists, all in just 24 games with the team. Plus-minus in 23 games with the Blackhawks: -7. Plus-minus in 24 games with the Hurricanes: +10. You could say he's producing.

Joe Corvo has also shown his ability to join seamlessly with his new teammates. Working the point on the power play, the Hurricanes man-advantage offense has improved almost immeasurably since his addition on February 11th. Now, with Matt Cullen recently back in the lineup, the two have been a formidable tandem at the top of the power play. In his 10th game with the Hurricanes, Corvo finally rang the bell for the first time on a laser slapshot from above the circles just as a Lightning penalty expired early in the second period. The shot was labeled for the top corner, blocker side, and had eyes through the traffic to beat goalie Mike Smith, a newly-acquired Lightning in his own right.

“I had been using an 85-100 flex and I switched to 110 today to feel a little more solid, get a little bit more snap on it,” said Corvo. “That shot was pretty hard.”

That was a soft way to put it. In the third period, Corvo fired another blast from the point that knocked Smith backwards a step and sent his stick flying from his hands. He's no Al MacInnis, but I would guess he has the hardest shot on the team. Corvo tallied a team-high 22 minutes of ice time and was a +2 on the night.

Patrick Eaves, acquired from Ottawa alongside Corvo, also put his name on the score sheet in the third period, recording an assist on the second Samsonov goal. The helper was Eaves' second in just three games as a Hurricane, and he's still seeing very limited ice time as he continues to heal from the pre-trade injury.

And then there's Tuomo Ruutu, Mr. Massive Facial Injury himself. Of all the roster moves made by J.R. in the past weeks, none was more controversial than giving up Andrew Ladd, once thought to be the future of the team. Ruutu, howver, is doing his very best to make the fans forget all about Ladd. He assisted on the 'Canes first goal of the game by Eric Staal, created traffic in front of the net for one of Samsonov's, and not to be outdone by Corvo, also tallied his own first goal as a Hurricane. Ruutu was thought to be a strong third line-caliber player, but has been forced to jump into the top line with the injury-afflicted Hurricanes. Tonight, Ray Whitney was out of the lineup fighting an infection, and Ruutu managed a +3 skating with Eric Staal and Erik Cole.

Those four players are showing the ownership and the fan base that they belong here on this team, and are giving their full effort night-in and night-out thus far. Coach Peter Laviolette commented on them following the victory: "We needed contributions at a time when injuries were happening. You get long-term injuries where you know guys are going to be out for three months, four months, possibly a season. You need other people to step up and that's what's really happened here. Guys have committed to it, and they've played some good hockey."

Despite those show-stealing new guys taking all the credit, Eric Staal had himself a big game as well. In the absence of Captain Rod, Staal is the guy that has taken the lead on this team. Tonight, he got the equalizer in the first, just 3:29 after his team went down by one. He also helped out the new guys, getting an assist on both Corvo and Ruutu's first goals with the team. The Corvo assist was a bit generous -- he hadn't touched the puck in a minute, it seemed like -- but he made a flawless backhand pass to set up Ruutu's marker on a two-on-one breakout late in the contest.

For the Hurricanes, it was almost a sixty-minute effort, although they did come out of the gate a little on the flat side in the first period. Cam Ward allowed a bit of a softy seven minutes into the contest, as the defense in particular looked a little sluggish early. From then on, though, it was quite a one-sided affair in the other direction. Tampa Bay showed all kinds of fatigue, both mental and physical after playing their second game in as many nights, and being without a chance at postseason play with a month left in a disappointing season that they can't wait to get out of. They put eighteen shots on Cam Ward in the first two periods, but managed only a paltry four in the third. They committed five lazy impeding penalties, seven in total during the course of the match. Superstars Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier were virtual no-shows, as they have been struggling for their team in the last eight or ten games.

Tim Gleason returned after his one-game absence fighting blurry vision after the boarding incident with Devil's Michael Rupp. He seemed to show no lingering ill effects, and logged nearly nineteen minutes of play, a pair of hits, a blocked shot, and was a +2 on the evening. When asked how he was feeling today after being cleared to play, he responded, "110 percent." Gleason's recent play puts him at or very near the top of the list as the team's best defenseman, and his absence in the Rangers game was a big detriment. His defensive partner, Bret Hedican also had a very solid game, two nights after having one of his worst of the season against those same Rangers.

The Hurricanes increase their point total to 73 and are in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. They lead their division by five points over the Washington Capitals, who lost to the middling Toronto Maple Leafs tonight as well. The Caps have two games in hand over the 'Canes, but Carolina is comfortably in control of their own fate in the playoff race. They leave the friendly confines of the RBC Center for the first time since February 18th on Wednesday night, when they travel to Atlanta for a 7:00 date with the Thrashers. The game will be televised locally on FSN South.

My 3 stars: S. Samsonov, E. Staal, T. Ruutu

Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils (02.26.08)

To say that the New Jersey Devils have dominated the Hurricanes this year is to say that Martin Brodeur is a decent goaltender - an understatement in the first degree. In the prior three meetings, the 'Canes have been outscored by a combined 15-3 margin, and have had no answer for the veteran precision of the other red and black team. Obviously, several key injuries and the pervasive flu bug that swept through the team in the past months have contributed to their lackluster showings, but regardless of the reasons, they have been outplayed by the Devils by a cavernous margin this year.

Tonight though, it is apparent that the gap has closed significantly. The Hurricanes, now mostly healthy, continued to bolster their playoff aspirations by defeating the Eastern Conference's top team by a 2-1 count in overtime. Sixty minutes wasn't enough to settle the contest, and they played on until 'Canes winger Sergei Samsonov scored the golden goal 1:36 into the extra frame, tallying his second of the evening and giving his team a much-needed home win. Samsonov received a pass from Scott Walker at the attacking blue line and drove to the net, being engaged by both New Jersey defensemen, Greene and Brookbank. As he maneuvered his way into the slot, he fired a weak wrister right on goalie Martin Brodeur, who kicked it out but allowed a juicy rebound to the far post. Samsonov didn't miss the second chance, splitting the defenders with a power move and slamming it home past the sprawling netminder.

In earning the victory, the Hurricanes put forth one of their most complete team efforts of the season, getting contributions from their entire lineup in all three zones. Samsonov had a whale of a game, but the real story revolved around the vowel-laden Tuomo Ruutu, the power forward who was acquired earlier in the day from Chicago. Ruutu missed the pregame skate as he was still en route to the arena from the airport 15 minutes before the opening faceoff. Being escorted to the building in the back of a police car, he had just a few minutes to review the forechecking assignments with Ron Francis before his arrival. Without time for even a "hello" to his new teammates, he threw on his shiny new red jersey and pads and came out of the locker room ready to play.

And play he did.

In his first shift as a Hurricane, literally 20 minutes after he arrived in the building, the big man blocked a shot and had two explosive hits along the boards in the offensive zone. The score sheet indicates he only had one more hit during the game, but the stat keeper was clearly dozing off during the other five or six times he laid down the law. Apart from the physical play, he was fundamentally sound at both ends of the ice, using his speed to find some open looks in the offensive zone, and his size to create problems for the Devils at the defensive blue line. The crowd erupted for him several times after big body checks, and especially after earning an assist on the first goal, his first point as a Hurricane in as many games. He certainly did his part to endear himself to his new home fans, at least the 15,466 that were in attendance at the RBC Center. Ruutu, however, was unable to finish the game after taking a high stick to the face midway through the 3rd period. Skating to the bench from the far boards, he left a ghastly trail of blood and would require forty stitches to the eye and nose area. In what is becoming a disturbing trend, the referee crew, anchored by our friend, the oft-maligned Mick McGeough apparently had their backs turned to the play, and no penalty was called.

Coach Peter Laviolette commented on the addition of Ruutu following the game: "For him to travel all day and sit on the runway and to walk into a game where you barely catch the national anthem and to play like he did, I think it speaks volumes for him. He’s excited to be here and we’re excited to have him."

Assistant GM and Hurricanes legend Ron Francis also expressed his feelings on the move: "We like the trade, we feel it will make our organization better... We got back a player in Tuomo Ruutu that we feel is a solid two-way guy, and a lot of potential. And I think right now, in the situation we're in with the amount of injuries we have, the one key factor is his versatility. He can play the middle, he can also play the wing, and we think that will give our coaches a little more flexibility."

Samsonov and Ruutu weren't the only bright spots on the offensive side. The forwards on all four lines played a solid, crisp, attack-minded game for the full sixty-one minutes and change. The Aucoin/Walker/Bayda line continues to have some great chemistry and were responsible for a number of Grade A scoring chances in front of Brodeur, who was phenomenal as usual for his team. Keith Aucoin, in particular, made it clear that he is not interested in going back to the minor league affiliate Albany River Rats any time soon. He was a consistent presence around the puck in the attacking zone and made some great decisions on both ends of the ice. The sustained pressure was taking a noticeable toll on the New Jersey defensemen, and there were a number of exceptionally long shifts where they were pinned in their zone by the Carolina cycle, particularly in the 3rd period.

In truth, despite the swarming offensive effort, the Carolina defense was what allowed them to notch this big win. The team was extremely solid in their own end, yielding a mere 24 shots to the potent Devils' attack. Filling out the defensive effort were, oddly enough, the forwards. Matt Cullen and Eric Staal in particular made a couple of timely backchecking plays to shut down quality New Jersey opportunities. Cam Ward was impenetrable, and the only goal he allowed came on a weak deflection off of defenseman Bret Hedican's stick on a Brian Gionta centering pass.

A scary moment in the first silenced the crowd. On his 4th shift of the night, Tim Gleason, arguably the team's best defensemen of late, was boarded face-first by the towering Michael Rupp, and went down in a heap along the wall. When he finally made it to his feet, some five minutes later, Gleason's whole body was limp and he appeared quite dazed. Preliminary reports are calling it an "upper body injury", but I would be shocked if Gleason didn't suffer a serious concussion. Of course, with the injuries to Matt Cullen and David Tanabe, the Hurricanes are all too familiar with the lingering problems a concussion can cause. The diminutive Glen Wesley deserves credit for immediately going after Rupp, though the linesmen rushed in quickly to prevent Wesley from being clobbered by the big man. The job of retaliation, then, was left to enforcer Wade Brookbank, who obliged by giving the offender a few tastes of the right fist in Rupp's first shift following his 5-minute spell in the penalty box - much to the crowd's enjoyment.

The Hurricanes have now won 7 of their last 10 games, and have earned 15 points out of a possible 20 during that stretch. As a result, they are in control of their own fate in the Southeast Division, and will enjoy playing 4 of their next 5 games at home, where they are performing well of late. On Thursday night, the New York Rangers come to town, and you can expect tensions to be high and gloves to be dropped frequently if the previous two meetings are any indication. The game will be televised at 7:00 PM on FSN South.

Hurricanes vs. Maple Leafs (01.31.08)

It's hard to expect a team to play with a real playoff spirit in January or February. For the Hurricanes, however, the situation is urgent. The playoff race has most certainly begun. Locked in a battle for the lead in the Southeast Division, the 'Canes need to pick up points every time they take the ice as the season winds down. Coach Peter Laviolette said his team would need to win 20 of their last 30 games to feel comfortable about making the postseason. However, the importance of this game against the bottom-feeding Toronto Maple Leafs was not immediately evident from the outset of what is now becoming the trademark sluggish 1st period. The home team did not come out skating well and were far too passive with the puck early. It didn't take long for Toronto to punish them for their lack of execution. Mike Commodore made a lazy pinch on an island near the blue line, and the Maple Leafs' center Jiri Tlusty capitalized on a breakaway one-time slapshot from between the circles.

The Hurricanes responded though, with a hard-working 2nd period. Tim Gleason picked up a goal on a blast from the point late in the period, and got the primary assist on a Scott Walker deflection goal early in the 3rd to put the 'Canes up 2-1. With 12 seconds remaining in the game and an empty net on the other end, Darcy Tucker threw one innocently in front of the Hurricanes crease; it caromed off Mats Sundin's skate and past Cam Ward to give the Leafs the equalizer and send the game to overtime. In the extra frame, a questionable hooking penalty to Nik Antropov and a weak clear attempt from Hal Gill led to the Rod Brind'Amour game-winner on a tic-tac-toe play with just over a minute and a half left. As the crowd celebrated, Antropov emerged from the penalty box fuming and threw his equipment in the direction of referees Don Koharski and Mike Leggo, earning a double game misconduct and incurring the mandatory 3-game suspension for abusing an official.

For the Hurricanes, it was the effort of the defense stepping up and playing as a cohesive unit that made the difference. Commodore's early miscue hinted that it might be another defensive struggle at the blue line. As the game progressed, they began to move their feet and hunt the puck, keeping the Leafs' offense well-contained. Tim Gleason played his best game of the year, 2 nights after being ejected early in the Hurricanes 3-1 win over the Rangers on Tuesday. Gleason's stat sheet shows his offensive effort, but he played as well, probably better, in his defensive role. He logged almost 23 minutes of ice time and was a constant presence around the puck on both ends of the rink, racking up 4 hits and 4 blocked shots with 0 giveaways. Frantisek Kaberle also made some nice decisions in the defensive zone. In fact, he played so well, I only heard the "Let's Trade Ka-ber-le!" cheers twice during the game.

Toronto captain Mats Sundin was the man who set up the first goal for his team and scored one of his own late, earning his 1,300th NHL point. His market value continues to rise as one of the few consistent performers for the Leafs this season. In his 14th year with Toronto, it is hard to imagine him playing for another team, but if the Maple Leafs can't salvage something before the February 26th trade deadline, he will consider waiving his no-trade clause and heading south in search of a competitive environment. Despite being the franchise leader in goals and points, Sundin has never played in a Stanley Cup Final, and 17 years into his NHL career, he may be looking for one last run. With the captain's stock soaring, the Leafs would be in a position to receive some solid draft picks and young prospects from a team like Florida or the Rangers, who are looking to add that playmaker to bolster their roster for the stretch run to the playoffs.

Grand Opening, Prices Slashed!

Typically, when I hear the word "blog", the hair on the back of my neck stands up straight and I break into a cold sweat. Worse yet, "blogger", "microblog", "blogroll", "blogosphere", "blogstorm", or the vomitous "vlog". But somehow, something in the dark reaches of my brain has conned me into attempting one of my own. As if I've ever stuck with anything longer than a month. Apparently I'd rather type my thoughts into an awkwardly-colored webpage text box than speak them audibly to an actual person out loud. Hmph. Perhaps I'm easily amused. In any event, my only intention is for this to be a binary junk drawer littered with my insignificant drivel. My original plan for this blog -*cold sweat*- was to focus on hockey, and specifically the greatest team on the planet, the Carolina Hurricanes. But wait, there's more! Ramblings about sports in general, leisure, music, poker, cooking, travel, newsy stuff, and the occasional rant about something completely trivial will also end up here, pretty much whatever tumbleweed idea happens to roll past my brain. This is for my own mental workout and entertainment more than anyone else's truthfully, but I do hope you enjoy at least small portions, even just a couple words here and there. Or not.