The picture that says a thousand words

Pfffffft

The Canes can make the playoffs again if...

(image via Flickr's Kaatiya)

Some of them are saying that this will finally be the year that the Hurricanes make it back to the postseason, while others are still not convinced. After giving it some thought, I'm still undecided on what to expect from this year's team. The past two seasons have seen squads loaded with talent that either couldn't play because of injury or perhaps because of complacence.

I see the Canes being either Division Champs or at least playoff-bound again IF they can avoid their evil twin named "Slackass".

Don't remember him? Let me remind you:

December 12, 2008. Ottawa Senators are in Raleigh to take on the Canes. The Sens were still the hottest team in hockey and hadn't completely dismantled themselves yet. Carolina was coming off of a rather mediocre streak. They played at the Bell Centre in Montreal to remind themselves how to win. Less than 24 hours later, they had to play the eventual SC Champion Red Wings in Detroit and lost 5-2 (but sort of played them respectively).

So in comes OTT on the homecoming for the Hurricanes and instead of playing tough, they let the Sens walk all over them and it led to bloggers posting stuff like this:

East of Here's: Just What Am I Paying For?

and Caniacs in general either drank the sorrows away that night or cried in their collective pillows.

Fast forward a month. The NY Islanders are in the RBC Center. With the exception of Samsonov joining the team, January has sucked for the Canes as they are still losing to teams they can take craps bigger than. The Isles squad manages to score all 3 of their first goals on shorties. It's a NYI record. Outstanding. And D-Lee noted that two of them were on the same Carolina power play. Wade Dubielewicz (and his imposing stature) allows 3 Hurricanes goals but stands on his head to make 44 of 47 saves in a 6-3 win. Pathetic.

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Unfortunately, there are a number of other games that I could have chosen to reference. If the Hurricanes can avoid games like those - they'll hopefully find themselves in a position where they don't have to win their final game of the season to make the playoffs.

Goalie Holmqvist Is Godzilla Stature Against Carolina (again)

Why is it that their goalie can be so fluky against everyone but Carolina?
Oh wait, we always lose to Tampa.

Canes Fall On "Walk Around The RBC With Your Figurine Box" Night

OK look, the Hurricanes didn't get embarrassed tonight. They played alright but it was just one of those nights that the puck hits the net -- just not the one with goalposts around it (the big one that blocks your view and saves your dome-piece).

The 1st goal should have been blown dead before it got behind Ward-O.

The 2nd goal was completely Cam's fault. He thought he had it but he pooped out a rebound and got caught trying to play it while a Flyer had an open net on the other side.

3rd goal was a top-shelf beauty and a collective groan from the home crowd (which was a large one).

1/2 way through the 3rd, the Canes finally had a crisp-passing possession and Stiller capitalized with a goal that made it somewhat interesting, but to no avail.

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During the 1st intermission, to coincide with "College Night", the Duke and East Carolina club hockey teams faced off in a shootout. This made my effin night. ECU won 2-1 on 4 shots.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! E.C.! You look so good to me! Hey! Hey! Hey! E.C. You look so good to me!"

Well, That Sucked Didn't It?

Another blowout loss to Tampa Bay, yet another game against the Thrashers coming up. ATL, fair warning - you're in for a beatdown Friday night.

Canes Drop A Stinker

So everyone got a couple of days off after Monday night's big win over the Craps. With so much time off (relatively speaking for the middle of the season), what do you think everyone was up to this week?Canes were obviously out playing hockey with hangovers last night and dropped would could have been another skilled display against a tired team in a 5-1 loss to Tampa. It happens, and though I was at the game, I rewinded the DVR just a bit to hear John & Tripp's sharp point:

When you go out and lead the league in goals scored and play the attacking style that the Hurricanes have done so well this season, you're either gonna get them Sch-lacking somebody, or them getting Pwnt. Last night was the latter.

Notes:

• David Tanabe looked like one the Junior Hurricanes out there last night. Garbage! There had better be a GREAT reason why Seidenberg didn't play and Avi did.
• Commodore wins the "most drunkedest" award for his play last night. Everyone was was sloppy, but he took the cake.
• Holmqvist brought his shit-kickers with him. Spot-on goaltending with a few lucky bounces.
• Every time there was a scoring chance for the Canes, be it a two-man breakaway or whatever, it seemed like there was double the amount of Lightning players defending.
• Late in the game, the Lightning clearly had 6 players on the ice during a face-off. The refs weren't calling a damn thing all night, so this breezed right by them as well. Wouldn't have won the game regardless, but it helps to have a ref who's watching the same game we're watching.
• I took some great pictures and videos (including the video of Ward robbing Leca-vul-Yay! on his penalty shot.) I will do my best to upload these this weekend.
• In ATL Saturday night -- look out Trash, you're in for a beatdown.

Game Summary: Canes at Panthers

What more is there to say? How can a player get boarded 6 feet away from the puck(and not even in on the play), and get called for diving? Or even worse, how can a player get TACKLED from BEHIND and get called for diving? Beats me, but apparently that's the rules. I hate to bitch about the refs in a game where the Canes lollygagged around and, in doing so, contributed to their own downfall. But seriously, that was the worst officiated period of NHL hockey that I have ever seen. And that, my friends, is saying something.

Now I am not one to go in for just any old conspiracy theory. In fact, other than believing that Elvis is alive, Bigfoot exists, Aliens killed Kennedy, and the Masons are poisoning the wells, I'm pretty much conspiracy intolerant. But this game tonight made me wonder. Surely a couple of sour grapes media articles couldn't sway the refs. That is just crazy talk. But then, it hit me like a ton of bricks! Logical reasoning kicked in...

Q. Who is the Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the NHL?

A. That would be Colin Campbell.

Q. And what is his job?

A. To review the officials and direct them how to call the games.

Q. And who is Colin's son?

A. Well, that would be Gregory Campbell.

Q. And what does he do for a living?

A. He is an NHL player.

Q. And who does he play for?

[drumroll please...]

A. The FLORIDA PANTHERS!!!

And there it is folks! The smoking gun. The cold, hard truth in black and white (with little orange stripes on its sleeves) . It's a conspiracy I tell you. Well, it's a shame that Colin wasn't on the Warren Commission. Because if he were, the aliens would've been exonerated and Kennedy would've been called for a dive...

Seriously.

Who's Ready To Tee Off ?

With their chance to defend Lord Stanley on the line and five games left before the playoffs start; apparently the boys are.

Flyers 5, Canes 1


This is where the ECU Pirate in me says "AARRRRRGHHH" in frustration.


Oh well, at least Mike Commodore will be able to show up at everyone's Cup party this summer.