Thanks, TWC

Thanks to a mysterious Time Warner Cable outage, I was completely out of commission all day yesterday. No internets, no cable. Nothing. It felt like 1979 all over again.

Anyway, I was unable to watch the end of that wacky MNF game between the Eagles and Cowboys. I was unable to check how much of a dent Michael Westbrook put into my big deficit. Most importantly, I was unable to comment about two three major things yesterday.

Since I'm on my way out the door for work, I have to boil them down to two sentences each.

Rod Brind'Amour underwent surgery to "clean up" the surgery that he had back in February. He isn't expected to miss any time.

The NHL voided Eric Staal's new contract because of the wording of the no trade clause. That situation was resolved and everything is a-okay.

Most importantly..... my season tickets arrived yesterday. I wasn't able to hug the fedex guy like I usually do because I wasn't there.

There's going to be a major change to this blog coming today. More details in a few hours.

Canes win big game, lose Captain

On Thursday night, the Hurricanes defeated the visiting Penguins by the score of 4-2. Incidentally, I predicted this final tally, and won four shots for my soothsaying awesomeness.

On a much darker note, Carolina may have won the game and reclaimed first place in the Southeast division, but they have lost their Captain. On the first shift of the first period, Rod Brind'Amour sustained an injury to his knee which turned out to be a torn ACL. He's done for the season. By the time this season is done, it's likely that Carolina will have 300 or more man-games lost to injury. I'll get to work on finding an exact number, but I'm guessing that it's somewhere at or above 200 already. Justin Williams, Chad LaRose and now Rod Brind'Amour are done for the season. Matt Cullen has been on the IR for some time and his return is not looking that great right now.

On top of all that, the Hurricanes are dealing with a second bout of the flu. After six or more Hurricanes had the flu back in January, it looks like it's reared its ugly head again. Tim Gleason and newcomer Joe Corvo have contracted the flu and sat out on Thursday.

No matter.

The Hurricanes played with the hand that was dealt them, and they played it well. With no less than four AHL-quality players already in the lineup, they lost Rod Brind'Amour in the game's first minute, but rolled with the punches and emarged with an impressive 4-2 win over a weary Penguins team.

The game was not a part of my season ticket package, but a friend of a friend hooked me up with some corporate box seats with free food and booze. It rocked. So there I sat in a corporate box with two friends of mine who are both Penguins fans and a complete stranger (the one who hooked us up) who is a Sabres fan. I enjoyed.

We got an extremely late start on our drive, but I was very impressed with the Sabre fan's ability to make a one hour drive take about 38 minutes. We missed the first minute of the game, and Brindy's injury.

Erik Cole got the good guys off and running at 3:13 with a tip-in of a right point shot from Ray Whitney. With Jordan Staal in the penalty box for kneeing, Carolina won the faceoff and Whitney's shot was directed in by Cole. Jeff Hamilton got the secondary assist.

Public Enemy #1 Brooks Orpik evened the score at 13:00 of the first. He uncorked a shot from the outside hashmarks of the left circle, and it beat Ward cleanly. Colby Armstrong and Jarku Ruutu got the helpers.

In the second frame, the Penguins took the lead at 2:38 when Evgeni Malkin notched his 33rd goal of the season. His shot from the left circle apparently caromed off Frantisek Kaberle's stick. The goal was unassisted, but I thought Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar deserved helpers.

At 10:36, Eric Staal got the equalizer while his little brother was in the box again. Ray Whitney's point shot was tipped by Andrew Ladd and stopped by Dany Sabourin, but Staal picked up the loose change in the low slot and wristed it home. Originally, the helpers went to Whitney and Kaberle, but in the end, Ladd was given the primary assist and Whitney the second.

The third period was all Canes.

Ray Whitney put the home team in the lead at 3:49 of the final stanza when he made a really nifty maneuver through the slot and beat Sabourin for another power play goal. Maxim Talbot (not Jordan Staal) was the party in the box feeling shame this time. Eric Staal and Frantisek Kaberle got the assists.

At 11:39, Ryan Bayda (who is one of many Albany River Rats call-ups) notched his first goal of the season by firing one in off the right post and in from the slot. Scott Walker and Glen Wesley assisted on the even strength goal.

Earlier in the day, I commented to my Penguins fan friend that the Hurricanes power play was listless. I even said to him that they could do whatever they wanted to us and we wouldn't capitalize on our power play chances. Boy was I wrong. Carolina cashed in on three of their six chances.

To start the game, Carolina was already missing three key defensemen and two forwards. Then they lost Brind'Amour for the season. They still put up one of the best outings of the season against an admittedly tired team. Carolina put 46 shots on net, blocked an amazing 22 shots and laid out an eye-popping 32 hits.

The "official" three stars went to Frantisek Kaberle (third), Eric Staal (second) and Ray Whitney (first). I didn't quite see it that way. The RBH three stars:
THIRD STAR Glen Wesley, CAR --- 6 blocked shots, 4 hits
SECOND STAR Ray Whitney, CAR --- GWG, 2 assists, 2 takeaways
FIRST STAR Eric Staal, CAR --- 1 goal, 1 assist, 59% faceoff wins

Eric Staal is going to have to do more of what he did tonight. He took the game on his shoulders. He took the faceoffs that Brindy would have taken, and he won them. He scored a key goal and assisted on the game winner. From this point forward, with the Captain out of the lineup, the team is Staal's.

When the Canes and Penguins met last week, Jordan Staal had one assist and Eric had nothing. This time, Eric had the much better game. Eric's goal came while Jordan was in the box, and Jordan was in the box for one of Carolina's other goals. He finished with an abysmal 24% (4 out of 17) faceoff win percentage.

On a different day, I'll plan to post about how I think Canes fans need to get over the Orpik hatred.

On another different day, I'll plan to updated the Staal v Staal v Staal points race.

On another different day, I'll plan to outline the Hurricanes injury woes.

I'll probably get to those posts in reverse order.

For now, the Canes are happy that they're in first place, but devastated that they've lost their Captain for the remainder of the season.

Canes beat Leafs in OT

On Thursday night, the Maple Leafs came in and suffered the same fate as last time they visited Raleigh. Carolina took advantage of an overtime power play to win the game 3-2.

Jiri (internet porn star) Tlusty got the Leafs on the board at 3:20 of the first. Mats Sundin made a nifty drop pass to Tlusty, who banged it it off the post. Hal Gill got the secondary assist.

At 13:19 of the second, Timmay Gleason fired a shot from the right point that somehow found its way in the net. It caromed off a couple of players, and there was some review to see if it had been re-directed with a high stick. The final ruling was that it had last hit Leafs defenseman Ian White. Scott Walker and Sergei Samsonov Ray Whitney got the assists.

At 3:29 of the third, there was another controversial play. Again involving a Tim Gleason shot. He took a shot through heavy traffic from the high slot. Walker had collided with Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala, but there was no interference call made. Walker tipped the puck in, and they again reviewed for a high stick, but again, it came back as a goal, which was consistent with the call on the ice. Gleason and Bret Hedican got the assists. This would later be fodder for a Chairman Mo tirade.

It looked like the Leafs had tied it when Jason Blake was involoved in a tight play on the goal line. The call on-ice was that the puck never crossed the line. Replays were not conclusive enough to overturn the call, but it sure looked like it might have crossed the line, then been brought back by Ward. This would later be fodder for a Chairman Mo tirade.

In the waning seconds of the game, the Leafs' captain notched an overtime-forcing goal. Darcy Tucker took a shot from an impossible angle below the right circle. He was doing exactly what you're supposed to do in that situation. He fired it at the net and hoped for the best. Sundin was there, and the shot went off his skate and in. Again, there was a review to see if it had been kicked in, but the goal was rightfully allowed to stand.

2:34 into the bonus frame, Nik Antropov was whistled for hooking Cory Stillman. Really, it was more like a slash, but either way, it was a stick foul. This would later be fodder for a Chairman Mo tirade.

At 3:20, Ray Whitney found Rod Brind'Amour alone in the slot, and Brindy potted the game winner from there. Cory Stillman got the second helper.

Artropov lost his marbles at this point. He came out of the penalty box, launched his stick at the referees and stomped off to the locker room. He was slapped with two game misconduct penalties. The "abuse of officials" carries a mandatory three game suspension.

The official three stars were Walker (third), Gleason (second) and Brind'Amour (first), but I can't quite do it like that. The RBH three stars:

THIRD STAR Mats Sundin, TOR --- 1 goal, 1 assist
SECOND STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR --- GWG
FIRST STAR Tim Gleason, CAR --- 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 4 blocked shots, 4 hits

Canes top Rangers in an action-packed game

On Tuesday night, Sean Avery and the New York Rangers came to town for a much anticipated game. Carolina was anxious to avenge their Boxing Day loss to the Rangers, and also to exact some revenge on Sean Avery and Colton Orr for their hits on Andrew Ladd and Matt Cullen, respectively.

I thought it might be physical, but I never imagined it would be anywhere near as violent as it was. Before the game even started, Scott Walker and Sean Avery were in a shoving match. The puck hadn't even been dropped, so both players should have been given misconduct penalties. However, the referees mysteriously gave out roughing penalties and nothing else.

Just a few seconds into the game Tim Gleason was penalized for hooking. On the ensuing 4-on-3 power play, Brendan Shanahan potted a goal at 1:02 of the first. Scott Gomez (down on the goal line) and Jaromir Jagr (in the right circle) played catch for a little while, then Gomez found Shanny in the slot for a nice-looking goal.

Wade Brookbank went toe-to-to with Colton Orr in round one of their two round bout. In the first round, Orr landed a couple of heavy shots that hurt Brookbank, then knocked him down. Round one was decisively Orr's.

Less than a minute after that, Scott Walker made a bad decision that caused all hell to break loose. He boarded Gomez (without getting called for it). Avery came from downtown Apex to go after Walker, then Timmay Gleason went after Avery. There was a lot of other pushing and shoving. Avery was given 17 minutes of penalties (2 for instigating plus five for fighting plus a ten minute misconduct). Walker got five for fighting, and Gleason was given the gate for being the third man in. At the time, I thought it was a really poor choice by Gleason.

Towards the end of the period, Orr and Brookbank went again. Round two was pretty much a wash, with a slight advantage to Brookbank. By the time the period was over, the Rangers had amassed 35 penalty minutes and the Canes had 31.

After they got all that Hanson Brothers stuff out of the way, the Canes settled down and played some "old-time hockey". It suits them much better to play their game than to try to be something they're not.

Sergei Samsonov got the Canes off and running at 6:07 of the second. After a badly missed shot by the Rangers, Ray Whitney was flying down the right wing on an odd man rush with Samsonov. He fed Sams with a nifty pass into the left circle, and Samsonov easily beat Lundqvist, who had overcommitted. It was Samsonov's eighth point (3/5) in nine games since joining the Canes.

Rod Brind'Amour put the Canes in front at 8:24 of the second. After the Rangers committed a sloppy turnover in the Canes end, Brind'Amour and Samsonov were off on a rush. Brindy skated it all the way in, made Lundqvist commit to Samsonov over on the left wing, then slammed it home for the lead. Mike Commodore picked up a phantom assist on the play.

There were just two penalty minutes per team in the second period. In the final minute of the period, the Rangers had some excellent scoring chances when Cam Ward lost his stick and they were able to keep it deep in the zone. Scott Gomez had a golden opportunity on an empty net with a stickless goaltender way out of position, but Nic Wallin and Glen Wesley both pinched in and held the left post. Wesley laid down to take away the shot, and Wallin was there anyway. It was a certain goal. 100%. Somehow, they couldn't hit the net, and the period ended 2-1.


Trevor Letowski notched an insurance tally at 3:40 of the third when Chad "Sharpie" LaRose hit him with a perfect pass through traffic to the high slot. "The Dude" wristed it in from there for his fourth marker of the season. LaRose and Bret Hedican got the assists.

Carolina committed two penalties in the final 75 seconds of the game. Since the Rangers pulled Lundbvist, they had a 6-on-3 situation for the final 20 seconds. During that final minute, and especially that final :20, Cam Ward made some sensational point-blank stops. Three of them in the last 12 seconds. He looked like the old Cam Ward out there. We haven't seen that in a while.

The "official" three stars went to Walker (third), Brind'Amour (second) and Ward (first). I'm not sure where the star for Walker came from. The RBH three stars:

THIRD STAR Nic Wallin, CAR -- 4 blocked shots
SECOND STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR -- GWG
FIRST STAR Cam Ward, CAR -- 34 saves, win

The news was even better, as Washington got blanked by Les Habitants, 4-0. That allowed Carolina to push their SE division lead to three points.

Carolina will host the Leafs on Thursday, then begin a five game road trip in the Iron City on Saturday.

Canes crush Oil 7-2

On Friday night, the Hurricanes got a much needed convincing win over the visiting Oilers. After losing four in a row and seven of their last ten, they needed a win. The players needed it, the fans needed it. We all needed it.

The last time the Oilers came to town, I was in the RBC Center for game seven. At the end of it all, I cried like a little girl. Tonight, I cried again.
I'm not kidding.
It was a release of tension. With their poor play lately, I was on the brink of smashing my teevee or something else dumb. This big big win let it all out. It was great.

Carolina is almost to the point where all of their players are back from injuries and illness. Their absences had something to do with Carolina's poor play. Now their job will be to feed off of tonight's huge win and keep playing like they did.

The most important thing as far as the trajectory of the team is concerned is that Eric Staal found some swagger. He broke through with a HUGE game and played with confidence. Frankly, we haven't seen Staal or any of the big-name players display any confidence lately.

It all started at 6:08 of the first. Rod Brind'Amour nailed a one-timer from above the left circle and showed a rare display of emotion afterwards. Sergei Samsonov and Erik Cole got the assists.

Just 3:09 into the second period, Patrick Thoresen tapped a loose puck to make it 1-1. Sam Gagner's shot hit the right goalpost, then Cam Ward's back, then trickled towards the goal line. Thoresen pounced on it before Nic Wallin could sweep it away. Gagner and Andrew Cogliano got the helpers.

Tim Gleason blasted a shot from the right point at 15:43 of the second that found its way past Mathieu Garon. Brind'Amour and Andrew Ladd got the helpers. For the first time in a long time, there was actually some traffic in front. Ladd was setting a nice screen, and would have been all over any rebound situation.

This is how the second period ended. For the first time in I don't know how long, the Canes had a slim lead at the second intermission, and I had no worries. Somehow, I knew that they wouldn't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory this time.

I had no way of knowing, and could never have imagined that they would explode for five goals in the third. It was that third frame where Staalsy found his groove. Hopefully, he'll stay on track.

At 4:13, Staal scored his first goal of the night. He attempted a shot from the left circle, which was stopped by Garon. Staal scooped up the rebound and attempted a wrap-around to the right post. Garon got a pad on it, but he was unable to get his left skate flush with the right post. Somehow, Staal found the tiny gap and muscled the third-chance into the goal. The goal was unassisted assisted by Chad LaRose and Gleason, and would prove to be the game-winner.

Midway through the second, the Canes were enjoying a power play when Staal was hauled down on a breakaway. He was awarded a penalty shot, which he wasted no time or effort burying into the net. He didn't use any fancy stickhandling or any dekes. Just a hard, authoritative shot from the high slot. 9:48 was the time of the power play penalty shot goal.

It was now 4-1, and this is where the wheels fell off for the Oil. Garon was visibly upset after the goal and was barking at the officials. Presumably, he was upset with the awarding of the penalty shot. No matter what it was, he was shaken, and he wasn't able to move on.

Two and a half minutes later, Sergei Samsonov finished a gorgeous tic-tac-toe play. Erik Cole created a turnover in neutral ice, then head-manned it to Brind'Amour, who in turn hit Samsonov streaking down the left wing. Garon committed to Brind'Amour and it was easy for Samsonov to finish the play into a pretty much vacant net. Officially, it was Samsonov from Brind'Amour and Cole at 12:16. It's Samsonov's second multi-point game since joining the Canes. He now has six (2/4) points in six games with his new team.

Before the goal could be announced in the arena, the Canes struck again. Matt Cullen's shot from low in the left circle was kicked out to the slot, where Chad "Sharpie" LaRose jumped on it and willed it into the goal. The time of this goal was 12:45 of the third and it was assisted by Cullen and Wade Brookbank. That was Brookbank's first point in a Carolina sweater.

At 14:08, Andrew Cogliano made it 6-2 when he banked a shot off Cam Ward and into the net. Gagner and Robert Nillson got the assists.

The best moment of the game came very late. Eric Staal came over the boards on a partial line change for the last shift of the game. He joined Sharpie on an odd-man rush. LaRose had a shooting lane from the left wing, but waited and waited, then passed to Staal at the right dot. Staal blasted it in from there to complete the hat trick at 19:40 of the third. LaRose and Bret Hedican got the assists.

Throughout this slump that the Canes are in, there has usually been one good thing that we could take away from each game. Tonight, everything was good. For the first time in a loooooong time, Carolina's best players played their best. All of them. They were all active and productive.

As the final horn sounded, I wrote my three stars exactly the way they ended up on the "official" three stars. Obviously, Staal was the first star. The official second star was Rod Brind'Amour and the third was Sergei Samsonov. On a night when seven goals were scored, and six guys had multi-point nights, it's hard to ignore the other guys. For example, look at Tim Gleason. He had a goal, an assist, four blocked shots, three hits and a +5 rating. Erik Cole had two assists and five hits. Sharpie had a goal and two assits. It's impossible to ignore all of that, but I'm still going with my original call, which is the same as the official three stars. The RBH three stars:

THIRD STAR Sergei Samsonov, CAR -- 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 takeaways
SECOND STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR -- 1 goal, 2 assists, 14 of 20 faceoff wins
FIRST STAR Eric Staal, CAR -- 3 goals, GWG

The news got even better, as Atlanta got smoked by Buffalo 10-1. The Carolina win and the Atlanta loss put Carolina back in first place. The thrash still have a game in hand, but for the time being, Carolina is still in first place with 50 points to Atlanta's 49.

Carolina will be off until Monday, when they'll begin a home-and-home with the Islanders.

Brind'Amour, Ladd, Commodore return to the ice

On Thursday night, the Hurricanes will return to Southeast Division play, and three of their players will make their return to the ice. Rod Brind'Amour missed one game with the flu, Mike Commodore missed 12 with a broken finger and Andrew Ladd missed four with a reassignment and a bout with the flu. With Chad LaRose and David Tanabe out with concussions and Craig Adams suspended, they will be needed.

The N&O reports that the Canes will roll with 11 forwards and seven defensemen tonight, which is a pretty common occurrence under Peter Laviolette. He's keeping mum on who the starting goaltender will be, but Johnny Crackers looked fantastic against the Leafs and got the job done against Philly, earning two wins in a row. I'm given to saying things like "You shouldn't change your horses midstream" and "Ride a goalie while he's hot". I wouldn't be surprised to see him in nets tonight. Given his struggles against his former team, however, I'd bet my paycheck that we'll see Cam Ward against the Bolts on Saturday.

The Hurricanes have won three of the four meetings between the teams so far this season. All have been good games.

Carolina's main focus will be on Olli "Cane Killa" Jokinen. He has enjoyed a ton of success against the Canes over the years and has tallied six (1/5) points against the Canes in four games this season. If this guy played for my team, I would love him. But he doesn't, and I don't.

Cory Stillman (3/2) Rod Brind'Amour (2/3)and Matt Cullen (1/4) each have five points versus the Kitties this year. Justin Williams (2/2) and Ray Whitney (1/3) each have four.

Puck drop will be at 7:30.

Canes to end road trip with grueling back-to-back

On Saturday afternoon, the Hurricanes will enter the friendly confines of the Bell Centre to take on the Canadiens. This game will end at about 9:30 eastern time. The Canes will then immediately fly to Detroit after going through Customs and play a Sunday afternoon game at 5:00 eastern. The Red Wings will be resting at home after having played there Friday night.

This seems extreme, but there are no rules against this kind of quick turnaround.

Carolina hasn't lost a game in Montréal since before the lockout, and there are two Hurricaes players who would just as soon call the Bell Centre home:

• In nine regular season games in Montréal, Erik Cole has registered 12 (8/4) points including two hat tricks. Last game there, Cole recorded one assist.
  In addition, Cole scored three goals in three playoff games at Molson in 2002.
  
• Cam Ward has never lost a game in Montréal. He has a career GAA of 1.48 and a save % of .948 in that building.

For the Hurricanes, Nic Wallin is "probable" for Saturday after sitting out a few games with lingering shoulder issues. Mike Commodore will continue to be out with a broken finger.

As for Les Habitants, they will be without the services of left wing Steve Bégin (shoulder) and centerman Brian Smolinski (knee). The slumping Michael Ryder was a healthy scratch in Montréal's last game as a "message" from coach Guy Carbonneau. Goaltender Cristobal Huet is out with a groin injury, leaving Carey Price at the wheel.

Puck drop will be at 7:00.

The Canes have been doing the Jekkyl/Hyde thing, alternating wins and losses. Their last game was a 2-1 loss at Tampa.

The Habs are coming off a 4-2 win over Boston. They have also been (for the most part) alternating wins and losses.

This will close out the four game series between the two teams. The Habs have won two and lost one. They have outscored Carolina 11-9 in those three games.

Montréal's offensive leaders are Alex Kovalev with 23 (12/11) points, Tomas Plekanec with 21 (9/12) and Saku Koivu with 21 (5/16).

Carolina's offensive leaders are Cory Stillman with 34 (16/18) points, Rod Brind'Amour with 31 (13/18) and Ray Whitney (12/15) Matt Cullen (6/21) and Justin Williams (9/18) with 27 points apiece.

Around the Habs blogosphere:

A Theory of Ice

Eyes on the Prize

Four Habs Fans

Sisu Hockey

A full writeup should follow the game.

Canes outlast Caps; Sabres on deck

On Friday night, the Hurricanes defeated the visiting Capitals 4-3, gained two valuable standings points and expanded their SE division lead to six points. Tonight, the Hurricanes will be in the HSBC Arena to play the Sabres.

I had a ticket to Friday's game, but I had a flat tire to deal with, and I decided to skip it. I'll exchange that unused ticket for another game later.

Alex Ovechkin got the visitors on the board at 2:35 of the first. Scott Walker went to the box for hooking, where he was supposed to be by himself for two minutes, feeling shame. It didn't take that long. The Caps used a set play to score just two seconds into the power play. Michael Nylander won the faceoff cleanly to Ovechkin, who was parked in the high slot. He rifled it in from there for his 18th goal of the season. Nylander had the only assist, and Walker was free to go.

At 9:50, Cory Stillman tied the score with his 13th goal of the season. Eric Staal attempted a right-to-left wrap-around, then was unable to stuff in the juicy rebound from the left side. The next juicy rebound went out to Cory Stillman, just off the right post. Staal and Walker had the helpers.

The rest of the first period featured a disallowed goal by Ovechkin and an unsuccessful penalty shot by Chad "Sharpie" LaRose.

Matt Cullen, who I called the Hurricanes "hot seat" player, put the Canes in the lead at 5:46 of the second. On a play where Scott Walker worked really hard, he has nothing to show for helping create this goal. He was aggressive with forechecking, which helped give Whitney and Cully time and space right at the right post. After a good hard check by Walker, taking Brian Pothier out of the play, Ray Whitney was allowed to work the puck behind the net. Cullen was streaking in undetected towards the right post. From right on the goal line, he fired one off Kolzig's stick. It took a funny hop, and eventually barely crossed the line. It was Cullen's sixth goal to go with 19 assists. It was just his second even strength goal. Officially, Cullen from Whitney and Glen Wesley at 5:46 of the second.

At 14:01 of the second, Rod Brind'Amour potted a strange goal. Tim Gleason sent a hard, high shot from the blue line, which was slightly tipped by Brindy in the slot area. After reviewing the play to see if it was hit with a high stick, the goal was allowed to stand and Carolina had a 3-1 lead. Gleason and Andrew "Trade Bait" Ladd got the assists.

No more scoring in the second, but this game had its THIRD call to Toronto at the expiration of the period. As the period ended, the Caps were feverishly trying to score on the power play. Mike Green thought he had one at the buzzer, but the red light never came on. The on-ice officials weren't sure. The red light never came on because the green light did. Once that green light, which is automatically triggered by the clock hitting all zeros comes on, the red light gets locked out. The red light, though, is manually triggered. There's another important distinction, which is that the puck has to cross the line before the clock hits zeros for it to count. Unlike basketball, where the ball can be in the air when the buzzer sounds and the light goes on, the puck has to be across the line. Since there is obviously a slight delay with the human-operated red (goal) light, they went to review. The official video review has a burn-in of the clock on screen, and they were able to see that the clock had indeed hit all zeros before the puck crossed the line. It was a good break for the Canes.

AO got his second goal of the game just 32 seconds into the third frame, while the Caps were enjoying a power play on a fresh sheet of ice. There was a failed clearing attempt by the Canes followed by a magnificent individual effort by the flamboyant Russian. He weaved his way through traffic and fired a shot from the inside hash marks on the left circle. There was nothing Cam Ward could do. Alexander Semin got the only assist. Curiously, the Caps teevee announcer proclaimed that "hats are coming down on the ice for Ovechkin". No hats were coming down because it was just his second (not third) goal of the night. The Caps usually have a pretty decent contingency in the RBC Center, but they usually sit at the top of section 111. Even if it had been AO's third goal, there's no way you can get your hat on the ice from the top of 111, which is behind the north goal (visitors shoot twice). You have distance and the netting to deal with. As much grief as he gave the other guy for referring to the green light as "the white light", I'm surprised the other guy didn't call him out for not knowing how to count to three, or for making up the "hats are hitting the ice".

Anyway, after the goal, Ovechkin put on a rather showy display, which earned him a lot of derision from the RBC faithful. Despite being phenomenal players, neither Ovechkin nor Ilya Kovalchuk have any fans here. They're a little too aggressive with their post-goal celebrations.

Ovechkin's second made the score 3-2 in favor of the good guys. This was the score that I predicted at work earlier that morning.

Brind'Amour added another goal at 3:47 of the third. It would turn out to be the game-winner. It was another fluky goal, but they all look like beautiful one-timers in the box score. Brindy was behind the net and noticed that Kolzig was high in the crease and away from the right post. He was doing this all night, and it was this positioning that helped Cullen score his goal earlier. Brindy fired one hard at Kolzig's gear, and it caromed in off his blocker. Green and AO were there in front of the net, but neither could do anything to bail out their goaltender. Brindy's 13th goal of the season was unassisted.

Michael Nylander, who I called the Caps "hot seat" player, made things really interesting at 15:53. He was all alone in the low slot, and Viktor Kozlov found him there. LaRose tried to bail out the invisible defensemen there, but he couldn't make it over in time and Nylander had no trouble putting it in. Ovechkin got the secondary assist.

The Caps pulled Kolzig early, and they had six attackers on for about 1:45. They were helped out when Justin Viva Williams cleared the puck over the defensive zone glass for a penalty. Cam Ward had to be sharp, and he was down the stretch.

The "official" three stars went to Ovechkin (third), Cullen (second) and Brind'Amour (first). I'm close to that, but a little different. It doesn't show in the stat sheet, but Scott Walker deserves some props. The RBH three stars:
THIRD STAR Scott Walker, CAR --- 1 assist, +2, 3 hits
SECOND STAR Alexander Ovechkin, WAS --- 2 goals, 1 assist.
FIRST STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR --- 2 goals, GWG

Carolina was outshot 34-19, and they were unable to convert their power plays or kill penalties. They won the game, which is great and all, but they'll have to start getting the special teams in order, and they'll have to start getting more quality shots on net.

With his goal, Cory Stillman extended a scoring streak to six games.

Carolina will be in Buffalo tonight. The Sabres were idle last night and haven't played since a 4-3 loss to the Blues. Puck drop is at 7.

Canes eke out 2-1 win; Wesley joins elite group.

On Saturday, the Hurricanes defeated the visiting Kitties 2-1 on two goals by Rod Brind'Amour. Glen Wesley became just the 10th defenseman to play in 1,400 games. Most importantly was that Carolina snapped a two game losing streak, and earned a regulation win against a division opponent.

The game wasn't televised by Carolina or Florida. Even with Center Ice, I couldn't watch this game. So it was Chuckandtheletterk for me.

Surprisingly, it was Cam Ward rather than Johnny Crackers who started in nets. I figured since Cam worked last night and Grahame has played well against the Kitties, it would be #47. Maybe coach Laviolette lost faith in him after the 6-1 shelling in The City of Tampa the other night. After the embarrassing 6-1 and 2-0 losses to Tampa and Atlanta respectively, there were obviously no points streaks for any Hurricanes players.

There was, however, a streak of home games without a loss against the Kitties on the line. The last time Florida won in Raleigh was December 6, 2002. Chairman Mo was still here. Kevin Weekes was still here. Jeff O'Neill was still here. Even Arturs Irbe was still here. Sandis Ozolinsh had the game winning goal and Roberto Luongo was the winning goaltender in a 2-0 shutout. I was at that game, and it was miserable. It was just after a horrendous ice storm had paralyzed the state. I had no power or heat for nine days during the coldest winter we've had in some time. I had an out-of-town visitor staying with my in my frigid, powerless apartment. Her whole reason for visiting -- an Aimee Mann concert -- fell through because the interstate highways were shut down and we couldn't go. Nothing went right. That whole visit was a fiasco that's another story for another day.

Anyway, it had been a looooooong time since the Kitties has won a game in the RBC Center, and the home team intended to keep it that way.

Rod Brind'Amour made sure it stayed that way. He scored a power play goal at 9:52 of the first period and an even strength goal at 2:44 of the third. The second goal was waived off on the ice, and the indication was that it had been kicked in. Brindy demanded a video review, and the on-ice ruling was overturned.

Nathan Horton foiled Cam Ward's shutout bid at 13:59 of the third with a power play. Again, I had no visual, but Chuckandtheletterk described it as fluky. Apparently, he was below the goal line, threw one at the net and it went in off Glen "Mr. 1400" Wesley.

Late in the third, Carolina had to kill off a long 5-on-3 power play.

For some reason, Florida elected not to pull Vokoun until there were about 30 seconds left, and Carolina was unable to get an empty net goal for their Captain. As a matter of fact, Vokoun was only out of net for about 10 seconds before going back in.

Nic Wallin returned to the lineup, but for some reason, "Avi" Tanabe stayed in as a seventh defenseman. Also, for some strange reason, Jeff Hamilton had very limited ice time. Despite being a consistently good player, and the only one who showed up against Tampa, Hambone was limited to five shifts tonight for a grand total of 5:45 TOI. I'd much rather see Hambone double shifted than have Avi Tanabe as a seventh defenseman/forward.

I'll defer to the "official" three stars:

THIRD STAR Tim Gleason, CAR --- 5 hits, 3 blocked shots, 2 takeaways, 5 PIM
SECOND STAR Cam Ward, CAR --- 27 saves, win
FIRST STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR --- 2 goals, GWG

Carolina will have a few days off before hosting the Flyers on Wednesday.

Canes defeat Thrash 5-3

On Saturday night, the Hurricanes atoned for their bad game on Thursday by beating their host Atlanta Thrashers 5-3. Carolina earned their 23rd standings point of the season, but were unable to widen their divisional lead over Tampa, who beat Washington 5-2.

Eric Perrin got the Birds on the board with an early goal at 2:33, assisted by Slava Kozlov.

In the waning seconds of the first, Carolina's captain notched one of those "momentum changing" goals. It's often said that a goal in the first minute of the game can set the tone, and a goal in the last minute can set (or change) the tone. The Thrashers' Alex Zhitnik was in the box feeling shame when Brind'Amour tapped one in with just one second remaining in the power play and seven seconds remaining in the period. Officially, it was a power play goal at 19:53, assisted by Ray Whitney and Cory Stillman. The assist extended The Wizard's points streak to nine games.

Todd White of the Thrashers went to the box early in the second. Both teams potted a goal during the ensuing power play.

First it was Maid Marian Hossa with the shorthanded goal at 4:47, assisted by Perrin and Ken Klee. It was the second shorty surrendered by the Hurricanes this season.

Just 31 seconds later, Viva knotted it up with a power play goal. It was the Hurricanes' 24th power play goal of the season, which leads the League. The goal was assisted by Eric Staal and Dennis Seidenberg at 5:18.

At 7:44, Brindy notched his second goal of the contest, which ended a four-game goal drought. Whitney and Viva assisted.

Cory Stillman banged in an insurance marker at 2:58 of the third. His ninth of the season ended up being the game-winner. This is his third game-winner of the season. Erik Cole and Bret Hedican got the assists.

Maid Marian made things interesting with his second goal of the night and his sixth of the season at 5:58. Todd White got the lone assist.

Down the stretch, Cam Ward made some dazzling saves to preserve the win, including no fewer than three breakaway chances. Maid Marian had a dandy breakaway chance to pick up the hat trick, but Ward was a stone wall, turning aside the shot and the rebound.

Eric Staal scored a garbage goal at 18:24, before Ondrej Pavelec had a chance to vacate the net. The young Czech netminder was handcuffed by Mike Commodore's shot from the right point, and he had difficulty controlling the rebound. He had this problem all night, and the Hurricanes took advantage. It was Staal's team-leading 12th goal of the season, assisted by Commodore and Stillman.

Staal's two points on the night make 21 (12/9) for the season, which put him on pace for 101 points on the season. That would be a career high.

Brind'Amour's two points on the night make 23 (8/15) for the season, putting him on pace for 111 on the season. That would be a career high.

Whitney's two points on the night make 19 (9/10) for the season, putting him on pace for 92 on the season. That would be a new career high.

Viva's two points on the night make 20 (6/14) for the season, putting him on pace for 96 on the season. That would be a new career high.

Stillman's three points on the night make 22 (9/13) on the season. Since he missed a few games, his PPG is higher, and he's on pace for 129 points on the season. That would be a new career high by quite a bit. His previous best was 80 (25/55) the year that Tampa won the Cup.

This was one of those games where there were a lot of different guys contributing. Nine different players registered at least one point, and the above mentioned five guys had two or more points. This is exactly what a team needs to do well in this league: synergy.

When Andrew Ladd returns, and if Scott Walker returns.... watch out.

With so many guys playing well tonight and contributing in key ways, it was hard to assign the stars.

FSN South gave the stars to Maid Marian (third), Rod Brind'Amour (second) and Cam Ward (first). The "official" three stars went to Ward (third), Maid Marian (second) and Brind'Amour (first). I see it a little differently. The RBH three stars:

THIRD STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR --- 2 goals
SECOND STAR Marian Hossa. ATL --- 2 goals, 23:47 TOI
FIRST STAR Cory Stillman, CAR --- GWG, 2 assists, 23:12 TOI

Carolina will continue their road trip with a game in Sunrise on Monday night. Expect the writers in South Florida to continue with their criticism of Carolina's skaters. Their press seems to have influenced the officiating in their favor last time down there, so they will probably try it again. If nothing else, their writers will be bored after having Saturday and Sunday off.

The interview with Rod Brind'Amour came after the game. It was nice, but it was obviously truncated, and there were quite a few breaks in the 30 minute segment entitled "In My Own Words". I learned one thing: after being drafted by the Blues, Brindy actually signed a contract, but immediately had second thoughts, and he got them to void it just seconds before it was to be transmitted to the NHL offices. Instead, he spent one season playing college hockey at Michigan State. After the Spartans were eliminated from the Frozen Four, Brindy signed the Blues' contract, joined them for the playoffs, and he scored a goal in his first game -- on his first shot.

Monday's contest against the Panthers will be nationally televised on Versus.

Carolina down one night, up the next, plus my Scrabble tournament.

I was away all weekend playing in a Scrabble tournament, so I didn't get to watch either of the back-to-back games. I'm glad I missed Friday's embarrassing 7-4 home loss to the Canadiens, and I'm sad that I missed Saturday's 8-3 romp over the Islanders. I can never remember. Is Dr. Jekyll the evil one? No. It's Hyde, isn't it. At any rate, they were Hyde one night, and Jekyll the other.

All I've seen were the highlights. I didn't take time to set the DVR before I left. My mind was elsewhere.

Rod Brind'Amour had a hat trick on Saturday (plus an assist) and a goal on Friday. After the five point-in-two-games explosion, Brind'Amour has 18 (6/12) through 12 games, and has a nine game point streak and a three game goal streak. He's on pace for 123 points this season. He won't reach that mark, but it's great to see him playing so well.

Eric Staal is also on fire. He has a three game goal streak, which included a successful penalty shot on Friday. At 15 (9/6) points, he's on pace to reach 102 points. He's way more likely to maintain that pace than Brind'Amour.

Justin Williams is also on fire. He netted two goals on Saturday, and has a three game point streak. He's sitting on 16 (5/11) points, and is on pace for 109.

Matt Cullen, Ray Whitney and Cory Stillman each have 12 points Jeff Hamilton has 11 (4/7). Erik Cole, who missed five games with a hurt foot, is also playing at a point per game pace.

Cole returned from injury on Saturday, and all he did was pick up three assists and finish with a +4 rating.

Since I can't rehash the hockey games, I'll give a brief rehash of the Scrabble tournament.

At this tournament, there were three skill divisions based on your rating with the National Scrabble Association. I was slated to be the #1 seed in the low division, but they had some cancellations and needed me to move up to even that division out. At first, I was upset. I wanted to stay in the low division for a guarantee that I would win money. Staying low, though, wouldn't help my rating at all.

So I played up, with the idea that I play slightly better than projected, and I wouldn't win money but my rating would improve.

The format was pretty standard. Three games Friday night, then eight on Saturday, then four on Sunday. Tournament Scrabble is played using timers like chess players use. 25 minutes total per player. And it's always one-on-one. Tournaments are not elimination-style. Everyone plays every game.

Friday's games are round-robin style. By the midway point of Saturday, they use a variation of swiss pairings, which means that players are reseeded after each game, and you only play other players who are doing as well or as poorly as you. It's a power-power thing. Nobody gets a cupcake schedule, and nobody will have to play way over their head. By Sunday, they switch over to a king-of-the-hill, which is slightly different from swiss-style in that you play against folks who are directly above or below you in the standings. 1 against 2, 3 against 4, and so on. The final round can sometimes be tricky because of Gibsonization, but that's not anything that anyone here wants to hear about.

I started slow Friday, winning my first game, but losing the last two. I thought I might be in trouble, but most of the players in that division were players I've played (and beaten) before, so I wasn't that concerned.
On Saturday, I lost the first game, then won two in a row, then lost two in a row, then won two in a row, then lost a squeaker in my last game.

I was 5-6, in sixth place. The first place player had only lost two games (one to me), and she had pretty much run away with it already. The next closest had four losses, then a couple of fives, and a couple of sixes. This meant that I had a chance. A slim chance, but a chance. I needed to win out, and hope for some help.

I did what I needed to do. I steamrolled through my first three games this morning, climbing my way up to third place. In the final game, the first place player was Gibsonized. Nobody could catch her, no matter what. I knew that if I beat my opponent by more than 151 points, I would take over second. Any win would guarantee third place. Elsewise, I would need some outside help.

I won my last game by 90 points, so I walked out with third prize.

Two things that were good. Okay, three.
One was that my rating will go up by a significant amount. They use a complicated matrix to project how many games you should win, then your rating adjustment is done based on how well you do against that model. I was projected to win 5.6 games. I did much better than that.

Two was that I went in thinking that I wasn't going to win any money, but I did anyway. It was just $75, but it's nice. My career earnings are now at a whopping $165. I can't quit my day job yet.

Third was that I did well in the side tournaments. Friday night, there was a trivia contest, which I took second place out of about 30 players. Saturday, there was a Texas Hold'em tournament, in which I finished second out of ten. No money there. Just funsies. Had I won first prize in all three tournaments, my hotel room would have been paid for. Close, but no cigar.

Oh. The fourth good thing. This is the first time that I've ended a tournament on a roll. I have always lost the final game, usually the final two. In one tournament, I lost three of four on the final day, dropping all the way from first place to third. Although I won money, I was disappointed to have played my way out of first place. Like the Mets. This time, I played my way into the money.

Oh. The fifth thing. One of my arch-rivals was in my division. As is often the case in a tournament of this size, you often meet the same opponent two or more times over the course of the tournament. I faced this formidable opponent three times this weekend, and defeated her twice. In my career, I've now faced her six times, and I've gone 4-2 against her. With the exception of one game today when I beat her by 76, and one game in the past when she beat me by about 125, they're usually very hard fought games.

This blog will resume its normal hockey focus tomorrow.

I'm sure I'll write a full-on dorky review of the Scrabble tournament at my other blog, but I doubt if anyone cares.

Canes beat weary Canucks 3-1

On Monday night, the Vancouver Canuncks came to town for the first time in almost four years. Carolina had to (literally) fight harder than they would have liked, but the end result was a 3-1 win for the guys in red.

The first period was dominated by the Hurricanes. It was clear that the visitors had tired legs as the Canes kept the puck in the Vancouver zone for most of the period and dominated the SOG category 16-6. There was no scoring, but Carolina was by far and away the better team in the first frame.

Cory Stillman got the Canes on the board at 5:07 of the second with a one-timer from the top of the right circle. Ray Whitney and Matt Cullen assisted on the power play goal. Of course, Carolina was employing the five forward PP unit. This came just moments after an apparent goal had been nullified at 2:16 of the second. I suppose the ruling was the variety of "goaltender interference" where the goal is disallowed, but no penalty is called.

The power play was the result of an extra roughing penalty assessed to the Canucks after Craig Adams and Kevin Bieksa went toe-to-toe. For the record, Craig got clobbered in the fight. It only took 28 seconds of the man advantage to get the lamp lit.

At 17:44, Rick Rypien (cousin of former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien) took offence to Mike Commodore's rough treatment of Byron Ritchie. Those two gentlemen had a long fight right beside the penalty benches, with neither combatant getting the upper hand.

Five minutes into the third frame, there was a third fight. Brad Isbister had run Cam Ward and got away with it, but Tim Gleason forced him to pay the consequences by abusing Isbister in a heavyweight bout at center ice.

Chad "Sharpie" LaRose was rewarded for his extraordinary work ethic with a breakaway goal at 7:01. Like Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss against the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, Rod Brind'Amour saw Chad LaRose at center ice, just behind four white shirts. Brindy threaded the needle and hit LaRose with a perfect pass from deep in the Carolina zone to center ice. LaRose streaked into the Vancouver zone all alone and buried it top shelf against Roberto Luongo.

Vancouver finally started to get their game together about midway through the final stanza. They kept Carolina out of Luongo's house, played very aggressively, and eventually got one past Cam Ward. Brad Isbister had a very nice wrap-around chance, which was denied by Ward. However, at 13:19, Brendan Morrison tucked in the rebound to make it interesting.

In the final minute, after the Canucks had pulled Luongo for an extra attacker, they were caught for having too many men. Loungo had come back on the ice, but nobody came off. Seconds later, Luongo was pulled again, and Ray Whitney put one into the empty cage to make it 3-1.

Chad LaRose had the game-winning goal and was named the game's first star because of it. I'm glad for the guy, but I just didn't see him as the best player on the ice. The "official" three stars were Mike Commodore(third), Ray Whitney (second) and Chad LaRose (first). I saw it completely differently. Really, any number of players could have been any of the three stars, but I finally settled on a completely different set. The RBH three stars:
THIRD STAR Tim Gleason, CAR --- 5 hits, 7 PIM
SECOND STAR Cam Ward, CAR --- 19 saves, win
FIRST STAR Rod Brind'Amour, CAR --- 2 assists

It should be pointed out that five of Gleason's seven PIM are the "good" variety. He stuck up for his teammates, took down his opponent. We'll gladly take the five for fighting in the name of "team toughness". It wasn't fighting for the sake of fighting or common goonery. It was purposeful. He has been a very dependable defenseman lately, taking away passing lanes, laying down to block shots, and doing all sorts of other inglorious things that good defensemen do.

It should also be pointed out that Cam Ward never had to stand on his head, and he only faced 20 shots. Still, he made it look easy,

Brindy's pass that sprung LaRose was a thing of absolute beauty. How in the world he found LaRose among those four Canucks is beyond me. At the end of the game, he forced a turnover deep in the Vancouver end, and instead of firing it at the empty net from a tough angle, he unselfishly dished it to Whitney for the easy goal.

I was impressed by Craig Adams, who played very good two-way hockey tonight.

Chad LaRose also played very good two-way hockey. He racked up 18 minutes of ice time tonight, and looked very comfortable with his increased role. He got the game-winner on a very pretty goal, and I really wish I could name him one of the RBH stars, but there were too many others.

Buffalo comes to town on Wednesday, and it's probably safe to assume that it'll be another fight-filled game. These two teams do not like each other, and the tempers usually flare.

The three game home stand will conclude Friday against Les Habitants. I'll be in Raleigh that night (and all weekend long), but not at the game.

Canes destroy Toronto

On Tuesday night, the visiting Hurricanes soundly defeated Toronto 7-1.

I'll take the over on bad puns appearing in newspaper headlines tomorrow. The most common will be:

Hurricanes blow Leafs away

Everything went right for the Hurricanes. Almost everything. Aside from Erik Cole missing an empty net.

12 Ten different gentlemen graced the scoresheet for the Hurricanes.

Cory Stillman, who played his first game of the season, and Justin Viva Williams led the way with a goal and two assists each.

Eric Staal had a goal and an assist.
Scott Walker had a goal and an assist.
Erik Cole had an assist.
Rod Brind'Amour had two assists.
Bret Hedican had an assist.
Glen Wesley had an assist.
Matt Cullen had a goal and an two assists.
Ray Whitney had a goal and an assist.
Jeff Hamilton had a goal.
Dennis Seidenberg had an assist.


Four goals came on the powerplay, and the only goal against was during a shorthanded sequence.

The "official" three stars went to Ray Whitney (third), Justin Williams (second) and Matt Cullen (first), but I'll give mine this way:

THIRD STARJustin "Viva" Williams, CAR --- 1 goal, 2 assists
SECOND STARCam Ward, CAR --- 27 saves
FIRST STAR Cory Stillman, CAR --- GWG, 2 assists

I won't bore all two of my readers with a rundown of the scoring. For that, refer to the official scoresheet.

This was Cory Stillman's first game this season after playing one-man demolition derby in the RBC parking lot on October 2. He played an amazing game. Maybe he should wreck his car more often.
I kid because I care. And because nobody got seriously hurt.

This game was characterized by the Canes playing aggressively. Going all the way back to the "Chairman Mo" years, the Hurricanes have been too passive on the power play. Tonight, they were very aggressive, using five forwards during some of the sequences. This is, allegedly, an innovation suggested by Ron Francis.

The game was also characterized by a lazy and listless Maple Leafs team. They were forced to take a lot of penalties because they were unable to keep up with the speedy Canes forwards. Erik Cole created a few power plays by drawing penalties to the Leafs defense.

Ray Whitney's goal, which made it 4-1, epitomized the Leafs play. They had turned aside a Canes scoring chance, and the puck was going the other way. A neutral zone turnover later, the Leafs players were all still going the other way and Whitney was allowed to waltz in unmolested. As the crappy Versus commentators said, it looked like they were out for a Sunday skate. Meanwhile, Whitney didn't miss his mark. That was 17:23 of the second. After that, the Leafs were done. They simply folded. Aside from a pathetic attempt by Darcy Tucker to start a fight at the expiration of the second, the Leafs showed no energy at all after that.

Curiously, Chariman Mo decided to "dance with the one who brung him", leaving Vessa Toskala between the pipes the entire game.

Speaking of Mo, let's not forget that he promised the Leafs would make the playoffs, and slighted the Hurricanes of yore by saying "This will be the most talented hockey team I've ever coached".

The Hurricanes six game road trip continues through Canada. They'll be in Ottawa on Thursday and Montréal on Saturday.

Brind'Amour -- funny videos

Thanks to Japers Rink for bringing this one to my attention.

At the NHL Award Ceremony the other night, Rod Brind'Amour won his second consecutive Frank J. Selke trophy for best defensive forward. In his short acceptance speech, it was no surprise that he thanked the fans and his teammates. Of course, no "I'd like to thank my teammates" statement would be complete without adding "Especially Ray Whitney". Once again, Whitney hijacked the spotlight.

Anyway, here's the video, and the best part is at the very end.


So what does Brindy's kid wear to the games? A BRIND'AMOUR sweater? Nope. He wears a WILLIAMS sweater. I always thought that was a bit odd, but at least in that case, he has the right team.
Ovechkin???

Just for funsies, here's another funny video featuring Rod Brind'Amour. It's a Nike commercial. Unfortunately, the owner doesn't allow embedding, but I HIGHLY recomment clicking the link to this 90 second ad:
Nike Goalie : "Bank Robbery"
A fictional Florida Panthers goalie named Lee Worley "turns to a life of crime" after he was "unable to stop Rod Brind'Amour". Obviously, it's quite old. Brindy was still with the Flyers.

Astute hockey fans will easily spot legendary NHL goalie Gump Worsley visiting Worley in prison.
My favorite bit:

Cellmate: "What are you in for?"
Worley: "Brind'Amour"

There was a whole series of clever Nike Goalie ads featuring fictional goalies moaning about their inability to stop certain players. The "Cab Driver" one is also quite good.

Are you Swedish, sir?
No. I'm from Indiana.
That's good, because I'm not picking up people from Sweden. They remind me of Mats Sundin.

Carolina's playoff hopes buoyed

On Tuesday night, Carolina got a boost when they defeated the visiting Panthers 3-1. The special teams were great, they actually converted a power play chance, and they got terrific goaltending from Johnny Crackers.
Coupled with the loss by the Rangers, the win put Carolina back in the eighth playoff spot. At least temporarily. Starting Thursday at the RBC Center, they have a home-and-home with the formidable Devils.

Cory Stillman scored an even strength goal at 15:24 of the first. Eric Staal made a really nice effort, bringing the puck deep in the zone and drawing the attention of the Florida defense. He dished to Erik Cole, who fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle, which Eddie Belfour stopped with a sprawling save. The rebound was a short one, but Stillman was there to pounce on it and tuck it from the left side of the goal. Officially at 15:24 with assists from Cole and Staal.

Josef Stumpel tied the game at 11:21 of the second on a bizarro goal. Josef Vasicek was trying to clear the zone by backhanding one against the wall along the blue line. Unfortunately, it hit the lineseman and stayed in the zone. Stumpel made some fancy moves to work through traffic, then backhanded one in off the left post. Unassisted at 11:21.

At 19:44 of the second, the Canes actually converted a power play! Frantisek Kaberle took a shot from the left circle that found its way through traffic. Belfour made a stop and Andrew Ladd took a couple of whacks at it. Belfour stopped those too, but the puck somehow trickled under him and was loose in the crease. Scott Walker found it first and shoved it across the line. Ladd and Kaberle got the assists.

14:42 was the time when Rod Brind'Amour got a shorthanded goal to seal the deal. The hard-working Chad "Sharpie" LaRose was there, as he always seems to be on the shorties. Glenn Wesley made a steal deep in the Carolina zone and dished to Sharpie, who found Brind'Amour streaking down the center and into the slot area. The pass wasn't quite tape-to-tape, but it was good enough. Brindy just tipped it in. Brind'Amour from LaRose and Wesley shorthandedly at 14:42.

Just seconds later, Chad LaRose had a brilliant scoring chance on the same shorthanded sequence, but Belfour answered.

Due to time restraints, I can't give stars right now, but Sharpie, Grahame and Walker were great.

Next up -- Thursday night date with the Devils

Canes right ship, defeat Habs

On Saturday night, the Canes went to the Bell Centre, and for the seventh time in a row, they emerged victorious. This time it was 5-3.

What a difference 48 hours makes! After Thursday's game, I lamented among other things, a terrible performance by special teams. Tonight, they were golden. The Canes had only two power play opportunities and converted them both. They were shorthanded three times, and killed all of them off. Not only that, but they scored a shorthanded goal. Whereas the special teams got an F- the other night, they got an A+ tonight.

All of the Carolina goals were kind of oddball. The third more so than the rest, but I'll get to that in a second.

During a four-on-four sequence following a fight the Habs got the first goal of the game from Sheldon Souray at 17:36. Tomas Plekanec and Mark Streit got the helpers.

During the first intermission, the team had a closed-door meeting and no interviews were given on tv. I'm not sure what was said, but whatever it was worked.

Off the opening second period faceoff, Michael Ryder was given the gate for hooking, and they were made to pay for it. Rod Brind'Amour found the puck on his stick as he camped out on the left post. He neatly pulled it to his backhand and lifted it high to Aebischer's stick side. Erik Cole and Eric Staal got the assists at 1:18 on the power play goal.

Ten minutes later, the tone changing goal. The Czech Condor was in the box for holding, but the Habs ended up hurting themselves. Mike Commodore made a fine defensive play in the Carolina zone causing a turnover and a two-on-one for Craig Adams and Chad LaRose. Craigasaurus Rex took the puck to the outside and fired a shot from the right circle. Aebischer got a pad on it, but Sharpie was there to knock it in out of mid-air. Officially, LaRose from Adams shorthanded at 11:30 of the second. It was just the third goal of the season for the hard working LaRose and just the fifth helper for Adams. It wasn't the game winner. It was, though --at least in my mind, the play of the game.

Barely a minute later, the Habs tied it up. Radik Bonk was on the doorstep to tip in a shot from Steve Begin. Mike Johnson got the secondary assist.

At 19:26 of the second came another crucial moment in the game. Mike Johnson ran Cam Ward and there was a delayed penalty. For a second, Tim Gleason considered giving Johnson the business, but thought better of it and wisely let the play run its course. As soon as the penalty began, the Canes got fruit from it. And it was the aforementioned extreme oddball goal. Try to follow me here.

Eric Staal fired a shot from above the left circle that went wide of Aebischer. Or perhaps it was tipped wide. At any rate, David Aebischer lost his stick after Micheal Komaserik swatted at the puck and ended up hitting Abby's stick. Off the end wall, Ray Whitney found the puck behind the cage. Again, Rod Brind'Amour was parked on the left post. Whitney made an amazing pass that went between Komaserik's legs right to Brind'Amour. From there, it was kind of like his first goal. He pulled it to his backhand, then lifted it over Aebischer. The stickless Abby sprawled out at the last second and the puck actually glanced off the top of his helmet and eventually went top shelf. He moaned a little to the refs about being interfered with, but it was his own teammate who knocked his stick out of his hand. Officially, it was a power play goal by Brind'Amour from Whitney and Staal at 19:50 of the second. Heading into the room, the Canes were up 3-2.

When leading after 40 minutes, the Canes were 20-0. Make it 21-0.

At 12:42 of the third, Erik "Hab Killa" Cole got what would turn out to be the game winner on a tremendous individual effort. After the Habs had partially cleared the puck following some prolonged pressure by the Canes, Cole burned them badly. The Canes brought it back in, and Cole used Mathieu Dandenault as a screen for his shot. He fired it between Dandenault's wickets from above the right circle, and Aebischer never had a chance. Mike Commodore and Glen Wesley got the assists.

Guy Carbonneau waited too long, in my opinion, to pull his goaltender. Then he did it wrong. He didn't insert the extra attacker until about 1:15 remained, and he immediately had to pay for it. Instead of waiting for his team to get the puck deep, he pulled the keeper after they had cleared their own zone. Eric Staal made a fine play at center ice to steal the puck and fire into the empty net for the security at 18:47. Aebischer wasn't even off the ice yet, but way too far out of net to turn back. A poor coaching choice and poor execution on the pulling of the keeper. That made the score 5-2, but it actually made a difference.

Tomas Plekanec was awarded a penalty shot at 19:07, and he made a nifty move to convert it and make the game a little closer.

5-3 was the final.

Everyone played really well, and I was pleasantly surprised that Justin Willams AND Bret Hedican played. It's hard to pick stars of the game when everyone played so well.

The "official" three stars went to Cam Ward (third), Bret Hedican (second) and Rod Brind'Amour (first). The FSN South stars went to Ward, Cole and Brind'Amour. I can't say those guys don't deserve it, but I feel the need to give a shout to CrAdams, who had the shorthanded assist and made some really fine defensive plays on the penalty kill.
The RBH three stars are a little different:
THIRD STAR Craig Adams, CAR -- 1 assist
SECOND STAR Cam Ward, CAR -- 42 saves
FIRST STAR Eric Staal, CAR -- 1 goal, 2 assists

The Thrashers lost in regulation, and Bolts lost in overtime. These are both good for the Canes. Now Tampa and Atlanta are tied with 69 points. Tampa is in first by virtue of having a game in hand. Carolina is in third place, just two points back with 67. Tuesday's home game against the Dirty Birds will be HUGE.

Canes rip Bruins 5-2, but get hurt

On Thursday night, the Hurricanes did what they should have done last Saturday: they crushed an inferior team. Carolina took some lumps along the way, but they defeated the Bruins by a nifty 5-2 tune. Just five days prior, they suffered a brutal home loss to the same Bruins squad in Raleigh.

Because it was Thursday night, my routine would be to watch the first period, DVR the rest, then head to Scrabble night. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, someone forgot to tell me that I'm an idiot. I didn't have any free space on my DVR, thanks to about a million episodes of Seinfeld. Therefore, I can't give colorful details about periods two and three. The tragedy there is that all the excitement took place in the second.

First to the "lumps". On Tuesday night, Carolina enjoyed their first fully healthy lineup all season. 55 games with at least one player, and in many cases, up to five on the injured reserve. Frantisek Kaberle returned in style, but Cory Stillman was lost again. That "fully healthy" stuff lasted less than two periods. Stillman left with a knee issue and is expected to be out about a week. Heading into Boston, the Canes didn't have an extra forward to replace Stillman. Instead, they dressed seven defensemen. By the end of the game, they had lost two more forwards. Erik Cole had to leave the game after suffering a "lower body" injury finishing a check midway through the second. A couple of minutes after that, Scott Walker was taken out by a knee from Andrew Alberts. A fight ensued, and no kneeing call was made, but the Canes will be expected to send the video to Clownshoes Campbell for review. I didn't see it live, but the slo-mo replay I saw suggests that Alberts deliberately led with the knee.

As the Canes roadtrip continues, they will be without at least Stillman, probably Cole, and perhaps Walker. Even if they dress extra defensemen, they still don't have enough bodies. Someone (read: Keith Aucoin) will have to come up from Albany. On Saturday, the Canes will be in St. Paul taking on Pavol Demitra and the rest of the Wild.

Brandon Bochenski, who was recalled from Norfolk just this week, lit the lamp twice for the Bruins, providing their only offense. His first came at 15:32 of the first. Paul Mara threw the puck at the net from an impossible angle, and Bocheski was there to knock it in from the doorstep. Patrice Bergeron got the secondary helper.

I didn't see anything else, so I'm just relying on the scoresheet and the highlights.

After the Cole injury, the Walker injury (and the ensuing fight) Ray Whitney exploded for the Canes. In a span of 100 seconds, he scored three goals. This is what's called a "natural" hat trick. Three goals by the same player with no other scoring plays in between. This is the fastest "natural" in the NHL this season, and is the only for the Canes.

At 15:36 Whitney was out front all alone in the low slot to pick up some loose change and beat Andrew Raycroft top shelf. Trevor "the Dude" Letowski and Rod Brind'Amour got the assists.

The second goal came at 16:45 when Whitney accepted a nifty behind-the-goal pass from Eric Staal near the left post. Somehow, he beat Raycroft on the far (glove) side. Staal and Viva assisted.

Before the PA announcement was made, Whitney completed the hattie b wrapping around the right post and finding Raycroft's five hole at 17:16. Brindy and "the Dude" assisted.

In the closing seconds of the second, Ray Whitney nearly got his fourth goal of the night. He uncorked a howitzer from the left point that was subtly redirected by Viva in the slot. It was Williams' 28th goal of the season, assisted by Whitney and Staal.

Bochenski made it 4-2 at 12:36 of the third, but he couldn't complete a hat trick, and the Bruins didn't score any more after that.

Brind'Amour got an empty net goal at 19:32 assisted by Viva and Kaberle.

The RBH three stars are the same as the "official" ones.
THIRD STAR Justin Williams, CAR -- 1 goal, 2 assists
SECOND STAR Brendon Bochenski, BOS -- 2 goals.
FIRST STAR Ray Whitney, CAR -- 3 goals, assist. Natural hat trick in 1:40.

The Canes will be on the road to face the Wild on Saturday night.

Canes report card .... part 2 of 5

In a continuing series, giving the Canes a mid-term grade, here is the second fifth of the Canes numerical roster:

#12 Eric Staal -- C-
It looks like Staalsy is suffering from Josef Vasicek syndrome. Lead the team in goals one season, then stink it up the next. To be fair, his 34 points (17/17) through 42 games isn't exactly "crappy". It's good enough to be in the top 50 league-wide, but we know that he can do much better. It's not as if he's been robbed a ton of times. It's not as if he's getting bad bounces, or clanging shots off posts. He's just not playing with the fire that we saw last season. There are games (and this is where the Josef Vasicek comparison really works) that he's just out there floating around aimlessly. He's not aggressive enough with the puck, not selfish enough, and just not the same player we saw last winter. Unless he goes completely en fuego in the second half, this season will be a major disappointment in contrast to last year's 100 point break-out season. Two theories to explain his lack of effort this season: (A) -- The "Stanley Cup Hangover" is a real thing, and he's just plum tuckered out. I don't buy that because Viva picked up right where he left off. Roddy is better than he was last winter. Ditto Whitters. No sale there. (2)The "Player tries hardest in a contract year" theory saying that a player in the last year of a contract, and in particular, the last year of a rookie contract will bust his ass, giving 125% each night. When he's rewarded with a nice new long guaranteed contract, he feels like he doesn't have anything to prove. I'm a little more likely to buy that one. Viva and the Captain both just signed long term renewals, and they aren't resting on their laurels. However, they've been around the block a few more times. In Roddy's case, he's been around the block a few thousand more times.
This isn't just sub-par play. This is frequently bad play. We're all really hoping that he can right his own ship, and I actually think that he's simply in a really long slump. I think he'll break out of it, and finish with around 80 points, which will still be a disappointment, but for now, I'm not impressed. Knowing what he can do and what he is is doing forces me to give him a bad grade. I'm reluctant to grade him as high as I did, but 34 points is still pretty good output.

#13 Ray Whitney (aka "The Wizard", aka Whitters, aka "Everybody loves Raymond" -- A+
With his silky smooth passing, his above average speed and his Danny Briere-esque slipperiness, Whitney is a player who gives opposing defensemen fits. He's really fitting in on the first line with Viva and Brind'Amour, and it really is quite a treat to see these three highly skilled players together. I've seen some insanely delicious no-look and behind-the-back passes from Whitney and some incredible skating clinics. Add all of this to the fact that he's a prankster and a generally fun guy, he's definitely a fan favorite. He's also a really well liked guy in the room. He's second on the Canes with 44 (16/28) points, and is on pace to set a new personal best at 86 points. He's in the final year of his contract with the Canes, and we'd love to see him around in 08 and beyond.

#14 Kevyn Adams (aka K-Ads) -- D+
I can't bring myself to give Kevyn a failing grade, but it's awfully tempting. There was lots of gossip about a fight K-Ads had with Bret Hedican during training camp, and how he's been in the coach's dog house since then. The "fight" happened, but there's no dog house business. Nonetheless, K. Adams' play has been -- even on a good day -- bad. He's not bringing energy to the "energy line", and that makes it infinitely easier for the opponents to light it up against our fourth line. His -10 is indicative of just that. Out of the "regular" players, his TOI per game is dead last, and he's still managed to bring up the rear in the +/- category. The doghouse isn't about fisticuffs. The doghouse is about poor play. The fact that he'd been playing through pain with a busted wrist (suffered in Game 7 of the SCF) and required surgery isn't enough of a mitigating factor in this grade. He's just not playing well.
UPDATE -- JANUARY 8 3:30 PM --- Kevyn Adams has been traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Dennis Seidenberg

#16 Andrew Ladd -- C-
There was a reason that the Hurricanes traded up to get Ladd in the 2004 draft in front of a huge crowd in Raleigh. He has tremendous potential, and we really started to see that last season and during the playoffs. He's gritty and smart with the puck. He's had a shoulder issue and an emergency appendectomy this season and has played hurt a few nights, and he's been good in small spells. Unfortunately, he's not quite ready to bring intensity every night. I'd like to see him be more physical, and to have better defensive skills. He's going to develop very nicely if the Canes can be patient enough.

# 17 Rod Brind'Amour (aka "Brindy" aka "The Captain", aka "Roddy", aka "Tha Warchief") -- A
At 36 years old, the Captain is in far better shape than anyone else on the team. He's leading the Canes in TOI per game and is among the top three in the League for forwards in that category. His faceoff winning prowess has been beaten to death on this and other pages. No need to rehash that. He's missed a few games with a "lower body" injury, but is still tops on the team with 45 (13/32) points, and he's well on his way to his highest point production in more than 10 years. As is the case with Ray Whitney, he works extremely well with his linemates, and it's no surprise that those three are the top three scorers on the Canes. In fact, their 137 collective points account for 47% of the team's collective point total.
Brind'Amour has been superb from a defensive standpoint, proving that he's deserving of his Selke award last year. His 4 GWG are second on the team and near the top of the League. He might occasionally sit out with an injury, but he never "takes a night off" by mailing it in.

That's it for part two. Tune in tomorrow for part three (Letowski, Commodore, Walker, Belanger, Cole)

The Canes are at home tonight against the 'Yotes, trying to end a two game skid. They're already down 1-0 early in the first frame.

Canes host Flyers tonight

On New Year's Eve, the Hurricanes will be hosting the Flyers in their traditional NYE home game. This will be the fourth straight season the Canes have rung out the year with a game in the RBC Center on December 31.

After two games against the League's best teams, Carolina will get a look at the League's worst team. The Flyers won only one game thus far in December, dropping the other 10 games.

Carolina got some good news when both Kevyn Adams (wrist) and Andrew Ladd (appendix) were re-activated from the IR. Keith Aucoin has been reassigned to Albany. However, the blue line is hurting. Tim Gleason is still out, Frantisek Kaberle has been out all season, and now Nick Wallin has an "upper body" concern and is questionable for tonight's game. This means Avi Tanabe will be relied upon much more than most fans care for. He had a great game on Friday, and we hope that he can keep it up.

Peter Forsberg has just returned to the Flyers lineup after missing four games with a concussion. Don't think that the Canes aren't aware of this.

Viva, who is a former Flyer, should be expected to have a great game tonight to continue his hot streak.

After Thursday's debacle, all significant scoring streaks came to an end, but now the Captain (also a former Flyer) is on a five game points streak. He should also have a good night.

I'm guessing that Erik Cole will be quiet, and that Eric Staal will do something to snap out of his cold streak.

Puck drop will be at 8:00 eastern.

Canes defeat Ducks 4-2

Carolina played a very solid game on Friday following the frustrating loss to Buffalo on Thursday. The result was a 4-2 win over the Ducks. They were injury riddled, but the Canes will offer no sympathy in that department, as they are also depleted. What follows is the period-by-period updates done during intermissions. It'll take the place of my usual game recap. I left the comments (I was the only one playing along) in.

FIRST PERIOD:
The Canes tested Wall early and often. He answered the bell a couple of times in the first minute, and looked much better than his inexperience would suggest.

--7:42 Ray Whitney scores on a beautiful one-timer from Justin Williams. Avi Tanabe got the second assist. Tanabe (playing for the first time in weeks) started at the right point, worked his way across the ice, then dropped it back to Viva. He made a perfect tape-to-tape pass to The Wizard, who blasted the one-timer past Wall on the stick side.

Formally speaking, it was a power play goal at 7:42 of the first. Whitney from Williams and Tanabe.

Moments later, Carolina was on another power play and had a couple of great chances denied by Wall. In particular a really nice one on Scott Walker.

Late in the first, Carolina had another great chance turned aside by the rookie. Cory Stillman had a great breakaway chance that Wall made a really nice glove save on.

After 20 minutes, I like the way things look. Carolina will have to avoid the second period lull that has plagued them lately, and they will need to continue to play well on the kill.

A BUSY SECOND PERIOD:
Just :41 into the second, Teemu Selanne unleashed a howitzer from the high slot that beat Ward badly on the glove side. Ward didn't have a chance on the play. Scott Niedermayer and Mike Wall got the assists.

At 3:22, Selanne struck again. During a Ducks power play, he slapped one in from the left circle, beating Ward stick side. Chris Pronger and Andy McDonald got the assists.

At this point, it looked like Carolina might have been slipping, hitting the "lull". Fortunately, they were able to right the ship quickly.

Rod Brind'Amour evened the score at the 4:31 mark on a power play marker. Ray Whitney made a really nifty move to work his way through traffic in the high slot, then wristed a shot that was ever so slightly deflected by Brind'Amour. I thought it was Whitney's goal, but the replays got a good look at the deflection. Avi Tanabe got the second helper.

At 6:57, Viva put the Canes in front with his 19th goal of the season. He let one go from the inside hash marks of the left circle. Brind'Amour and Whitney got the helpers.

So far, the Wizard has three points while Viva, Brind'Amour, and Avi each have two.

I'd still like to get Cole involved, but so far, so good.

THIRD PERIOD
A quick period. The only goal was an empty netter at 19:30 by Erik Cole. Chris Pronger was gone for a double minor high sticking, and Wall was gone for the extra attacker. Carolina managed to work the puck to center ice, but missed two shots from that distance. After the second, Cory Stillman raced down to battle for the puck. An attempted clear by the Ducks went right to Colesy high in the slot. He wristed it in with authority from there to seal the deal.

Officially, the last goal was unassisted, and was a power play goal into an empty net.

Carolina has done something that only five teams had done thus far: beat the Ducks in regulation.

Unfortunately it came at a cost: Nic Wallin had to leave the game with an "upper body concern". Now we have THREE of our top six defensemen out. Tonight, Carolina had seven defensemen dressed, so it was okay, and they'll be able to dress Keith Aucoin (scratched tonight) as the twelfth forward on Sunday night. Nothing catastrophic.

The "official" three stars of the game were Viva (third), Ray Whitney (second) and the Captain (first). This was a perfunctory gesture on "Rod Brind'Amour night" (celebrating his reaching 1,000 career points), but he was still one of the best players on the ice. As homerish as I love to be, I can't quite play it that way. There's no way to ignore the performance of Teemu Selanne, who, by the way, has 1088 points in 999 career games (counting tonight).

The RBH three stars:

Third Star: Justin Williams, CAR. GWG on 1 shot, assist, GWG, 24:02 TOI
Second Star: Teemu Selanne, ANA. 2 goals on 2 shots
First Star: Ray Whitney, CAR. 1 goal on 1 shot, 2 assists.

Carolina's power play should actually be named the game's first star. They converted three of their six chances, and in reality, it should be more like three of five. Cole scored on the front end of the double minor to Pronger, and the back end still had 1:30 remaining when time expired.

Honorary mention goes to David Tanabe, whom I have given a really hard time. He had a great game both ways, picking up two assists on the night.

At times, Carolina looked the way they did in June. Their passing was crisp, their d-men were really stepping up, they were getting to loose pucks. All of that. They deserved this huge win.

On New Year's Eve, Carolina will play host to the floundering Flyers with the traditional Dec 31 start time of 8:00 pm eastern.