(pic via MaineToday.com)
Pittsburgh still flying high into Raleigh tonight even as they lost to the Rain-jahs in a shootout last night. Everyone is curious to see how the team will react to one-eyed Paul being back behind the bench.
Oh yeah, and it's back-to-back nights of Staal Wars for Jordan as he played brother Marc in NY last night.
Interestingly enough, I'm squaring off against Pensblog Charlie this week in the Barry Melrose Rocks fantasy league. I'm off to a decent start through last night's games:
When the Hurricanes signed forward Matt Murley to a contract during the pre-season, he was expected to be one of the top wingers for the River Rats. An early call-up was expected knowing the injury rates of the Canes, as he was destined to make the trip to Raleigh at some point barring a completely FUBAR'd season.
He had a good pre-season, scoring a goal on a beautiful feed from Joni Pitkanen in Philadelphia. He was one of the last to be cut from the opening day roster. Then, shortly after his assignment to Albany, he bolted his way to Russia to play in the KHL. See ya, bastard.
Michael Ryan is a winger who played in Buffalo's minor-league system the past few years and appeared in a forty-odd games with the Sabres last season. He signed a contract with HC Dynamo of the KHL over this past summer, thinking he would be heading for the lovely land of Belarus.
Ironically enough, as news broke that Alexander Radulov would not be returning to Nashville to finish out the last year of his contract because of his lucrative deal with the Kontinental Hockey League, Ryan then showed up at the Pred's training camp on a try-out basis. He was released after having a team worst -3 in the pre-season.
Flash forward to last Friday (Halloween). He's signed by my boy Jimmy to be assigned to Albany and bring a veteran scoring presence to the River Rats. He scored the gamewinner for the Rats on Sunday in a comeback over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He's also got two assists in Albany.
So the KHL gets a Murley and the Hurricanes steal one back in the signing of Michael Ryan. Touché, KHL., 
Fan A: "Down by two goals again."
Fan B: "We got 'em right where we want 'em then"
The Hurricanes displayed some serious heart and effort in both the opening night 6-4 win over the Panthers and again Saturday night at Tampa with a 4-3 OT decision. What a wild, 24 hour ride for the Caniacs!
Friday night's game:
The opening entrance was pretty cool. I feel sorry for anyone who sat in the lower bowl (Lexus Club side) that had their view obstructed by the impromptu hanging TV screen during all that. The leftover fog seemed to linger around the ice for half of the first period.
Florida came out prepared and walked through an almost non-existent Carolina D to score a few beauties. The Cats made true on their power play chances and Stiller's tip-in goal had the good guys down 2-0 early on. (Methinks Cory Stillman will have a great season with Florida based off Friday's observations and the lack of talent surrounding him.)
After that however, the Canes put on their shit-kickers and started generating pressure by maintaining the offensive zone. Tim Gleason borrowed Wallin's nickname of "The Secret Weapon" and railed out three assists in the game. Pitkanen looked great and scored, as well as Brindy. LaCouture and B-Sutter were workhorses and their efforts paid off as Danny had the game-winner on a feed from Brandon.
Sutter will score at least 3-4 shorties this year - bank it.
In a quip borrowed from the fine folks at The Battle of California, here's your entrusted blogger enjoying the action last night:
Those aren't my usual section 102 seats, but they surely didn't suck. A big thanks and shout-out to reader Bill who provided Wuffy with an adult beverage during the 1st intermission.
On to Saturday's game.
I got home in time to start watching the Tampa game at the beginning of the 2nd period. As I saw the Canes slack around the ice, the Bolts appeared to be taking advantage of a weary Carolina squad. But lo and behold, they crept back into it by waking up and forcing Tampa goalie Mike Smith to do his drama queen act. aside:To Smith's credit, he is a great goaltender that can flat-out play with a suspect defense in front of him. But when he lets in a goal or disagrees with a call, he's more dramatic than the ladies from Desperate Housewives. Exhibit A being the shattering of his stick over the crossbar tonight.
The third period saw Carolina completely dominate play and Tampa in fact looked like the team with tired legs.
In fact, the Canes ate up the Tampa defense, spit them out, swallowed them again and then crapped them out. Outstanding play to come back from being down 3-0 and finish them off with a beautiful Whitney-to-Staal two on one OT marker.
Mid-season as in December through January of last season where they couldn't score a goal or put up a consistent nightly effort? Well, no.
But the pre-season opener last night against the Caps certainly reminded me of that horrible stretch. Can't hold the puck, can't play D.. can shoot the puck on net all night but never generate any solid chances...
Thank goodness that one didn't count. A few notes:
-Pitkanen (if he can stay healthy) is going to have a tremendous year for Carolina. He was a beast pretty much all night.
-Corvo paired with Pitkanen working the points on the power play is rather lethal if they're in the offensive zone. However, having two offensive-minded defenseman during a potential short-handed breakaway (especially Corvo) may not be the best idea. Carolina allowed way too many shorties last year.
-Petruzalek had a great 1st period. If he buries all of his chances, we're talking about a whole different outcome.
-on Bowman & Sutter - meh. Poor B-Sutt couldn't win a face-off to save his life but otherwise showed decent awareness around the puck. Bowman is fast and he will be a sniper, he just looked flat like the rest of the team last night.
-Nic Wallin. Dude. Did you get hammered before the game or something? Get a clue.
-Ward. Mmm, yeah he was already in mid-season form. Allowing 2 goals on the first 3 shots. The first you couldn't really fault him for. The 2nd was mostly Joe Corvo's fault - but he's gonna have to learn to handle those breakaway chances playing this Hurricane style of hockey where that door is occasionally left open.
-Justin Peters - Hey guy, you're supposed to have your butt facing the net - not vice-versa as you were when you gave up your first goal.
-Jeff O'Neill & LaCouture - not real impressive. O'Neill was playing just OK, I barely even noticed LaCouture.
It was outstanding to be at the RBC Center. It was outstanding to tailgate. It was outstanding to finally meet some of my blogger co-horts, David Lee of RBH fame & Beth from the Sliding Pokiecheck. Not such an outstanding game to watch as a Canes fan, but that's what the pre-season is all about. Get out the kinks and move on.
47 Shots on goal to 17 shots on goal. They lose, 4-3. WTF? Much more Caniac catastrophe to come, but damn, :
I can't even fathom the words. Leave it all out on the ice tonight.
H/t on vid to the Insider.
The last thing that the Carolina Hurricanes wanted heading into Tuesday night's game in DC was for it to mean anything other than a final tune-up before the playoffs. Thanks to a loss at the hands of last place Tampa Bay on Saturday and the fact that the Capitals have beaten the tar out of everyone they've played; they find themselves fighting for their very lives among the crapshoot that is the Eastern Conference.
All of a sudden, at 90 points, the Canes would be in 9th place if not for their automatic 3rd seed as division leaders. Washington refuses to lose behind the hard-charging puke-yellow skate laces Alexander Ovechkin and their ragtag group of youth and veterans carrying the load. Overshadowed by A.O. has been the resurgence of Cristobal Huet playing with a chip on his shoulder. He's out to prove to Montreal GM Bob Gainey that he is the real deal, franchise carrying goaltender after he was cast away from Les Habs at the trade deadline this year.
Wade Bloodbank is still out for tonight's ATL game, but it doesn't appear that he'll be needed as the Thrashers players are fighting themselves.
Might Garnett Exelby get his temper out of hand tonight? No worries, their Captain Bobby Holik will jump in and rectify.
Wow. Burnside over at ESPN sums up everything one could try and say about ATL here. (h/t Bubba)
It's one thing to have scrapping teammates in the pre-season behind closed doors. But on national television? Ouch.
On second thought, maybe we'll just stay home in NC for it. Didn't anyone tell people up there that it's now March?
Hey Joe Corvo & Patrick Eaves...
There will be a crowded yet rowdy tailgate party full of Wolfpackers & Caniacs. The NCSU basketball game is at 3:00 and the puck drop tonight is 7:00. We're going to witness some shoddy ice out there, but such is life with two major sports clubs sharing a venue. The Fist of Fury and I will enjoy the day, the grills, the adult beverages, good company and hopefully, a great hockey game.
