Superman wears Chad LaRose pajamas

Canes win! Rosey with the 1st shorty for Carolina since 2002! What else need be said?

Tampa Bay Lightning's new third jersey: Spellcheck FAIL

All aboard the FAILbolt everyone.

Link to Bolts Report story

That isn't as embarrassing as the Pens' Evgeni "Maklin" jersey though.

Chest bump to The Big Lead.

The Comeback Kings are back: Canes with weekend sweep

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.

To borrow a line from the boys of The Pensblog:

COI supports Tampa signing Mike Smith to a contract extension

Wink, wink.

The New Barry Melrose approved Tampa Bay Lightning logo

From the twisted mind that is East of Here:

"here is the super top secret "developmental" copy of the new Tampa Bay 'Melrose Mullet' logo..."

Weekend Caniac Observations

So the Canes properly welcomed the newest Tampa scapegoat goaltender in Mike Smith last night with a 5-1 tromping at the giant ATM. All our newbies showed up with points, while TB's new guys left behind a storming Dallas team to join a floundering Bolts club. All I can say to them is get used to it, -- You'll have your nights but Carolina does their best to get your backup goaltender some playing time.

During the game last night, FSN showed us the 7ish or so goaltenders that have been through Coach Tort's stable and have had little to no success. They've tried young and old, experienced or newb -- no minder has been able to follow up the consistency of Stanley Cup champ Nikolai Khabibulin. Hmm, ever stop to think that maybe it's not the goaltender but the team system?

One guy this blogger won't be missing is Johan Holmqvist. The guy was the 2nd coming of John Grahame against most teams, but seemed to become the reincarnation of Patrick Roy against the Hurricanes. Even at the beginning of this season when Carolina was rolling across the Eastern Conference, the Lightning always appeared to have their number. Toodles, dude.

The Canes have a rare stretch of days off from Sunday until Wednesday Night's ATL game at Phillips Arena. Next week, they again look at three whole consecutive days without a game. While the boys heal up some nagging injuries, they'll also enjoy letting Washington catch up to only one game in hand instead of two.

Now is the stretch drive and as long as they carry the momentum of their recent ways on through the month of March, their SouthEast surpremecy shall remain.

Lets. Go. Canes.

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.

Overused Natural Cliche: Hurricanes vs. Lightning

Big test tonight for the Hurricanes at the St. Petey's Forum in TB.

Which team shows up? One that can't beat a bottom feeder Caps team or the one that stomps through Canada kicking ass/taking names?

To make things tougher for the Canes, some minor-leaguer named Mathieu Darche is on a 3-game goal streak. The former Dinner Jacket's farm-teamer has a career high in that span. He is -2 in two games played against Carolina (out of the 400th time the teams have met this season). He apparently is causing a stir with his on-ice antics prompting Sugar Ray Emery to take a shot at his leg the other night.

Puck drops at 7:30 tonight on FSN South. Prepare for pure adulation of Vinnie Lecavalier from Tripp Tracy.

Lets. Go. Canes.

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.

World's Worst Photoshopper On TB Lightning

Fresh off of the turd laying the Canes had for the Lightning last week, the boys get their chance at redemption with a game in Tampa tonight. Little Baby Poo Poo above is slightly worried seeing as the Bolts were a thorn in the Hurricanes' side all last year. Word is that Avi Tanabe will be out in the lineup tonight. Not a good sign. May he prove us all wrong.

I do believe the Canes will finally show up for a TBL game as even one local church is showing their support:

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.

Lightning Light On Road Wins

Tampa Bay and their wolloping 0-7 road record arrive at the Giant ATM (more on this in a minute) tonight to take on the Canes. Considering their traveling woes this year, might they be better suited to send their mascot & ice girls?


Yes Please!
Now, the guys over at 850 the Buzz have been referring to the RBC Center as "the Giant ATM" here in the last couple of days. This works, as in calling the Capitals home (The Verizon Center) the giant phone booth. But the only problem I have with calling it an ATM is that most of the time - you're withdrawing money from those. At the RBC Center, all I do spend money there ($7.50 Brew-ha-has here we come!)