All Entries in the "Carolina Hurricanes" Category
Carolina Outscores Florida 6-4
In a wild and wooley back and forth game, the Hurricanes were able to find the back of the net a couple more times than the Panthers were able to, and came away with a 6-4 victory Friday night at the RBC. The Canes had six different goal scorers and netted two [...]
Slow start but fast finish in 1st Period- update
Did I say that the Panthers would have trouble scoring? Forget that.
The Cats jumped out to a 2-0 lead and it looked like Cory Stillman and company were going to run the Canes out of the rink. But a powerplay re-direct by Ruutu and an even strength wrister by Whitney tied things up.
Both [...]
Tonight’s Lineups
These lineups are unofficial and have not been released by the team yet. But “word on the street” has the Canes scratching Babchuk and Melichar on defense. Here are the expected lines-
Staal, Eaves, Whitney
Brind’Amour, Samsonov, Ruutu
Cullen, Bayda, LaRose
Sutter, Brookbank, LaCouture
Gleason, Pitkanen
Corvo, Kaberle
Wallin, Seidenberg
Ward
Of course, Zach Boychuk will also be sidelined.
According to the Miami [...]
Broadcasters Take Center Stage
Hurricanes broadcasters, John Forslund and Chuck Kaiton will both be front and center reporting for local news sources again this year.
Kaiton is the Hockey Hall of Fame voice of the Canes and can be found doing radio play-by-play on 99.9 FM, “The Fan”. But rival, “850 The Buzz” has also enlisted Kaiton’s services for [...]
Canes Country Clash - Southeast Division
This is the final edition of “The Clash” as Cory and I break down the Southeast.
Cory’s picks-
Washington
Carolina
Florida
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Bubba’s picks-
Carolina
Washington
Florida
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Cory-
While it pains me to do it, the injury troubles the Hurricanes have already run in to lead me to give the Caps the first spot in the division. Obviously, Alexander Ovechkin is the linchpin to [...]
Beautiful Day
And so it begins…..
Tonight the Hurricanes take on the Panthers, and the season’s long journey will be underway. I am taking time off from the day job for the next few days, so that I can do some serious blogging.
This morning, the plan is to venture to the RBC to watch the morning skate, [...]
Versus Attempts to Step Up Coverage
Versus just opened a brand new season and started right off with some new enhancements for viewers. For instance during the studio analysis portion of the broadcast, they are implementing a new “puck tracking” system. Before you groan, no this is not like the old “glow puck” used by Fox [...]
River Rats Preview Up At HF.com; Other Loose Ends
My latest at Hockey’s Future is posted — it’s a season preview of the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate in Albany. It actually should’ve gone up yesterday, but it had to be tweaked a little because of the Matt Murley situation.
In a way, Murley’s departure will probably be good for someone of the Albany guys. Forwards like [...]
Canes Back To Flying Under The Radar
The expectations are low. Just look around the Web at the major sports sites or read the top publications and you’ll get an idea of how the Hurricanes are perceived heading into the season:
• The Hockey News: 8th in the East
• TSN.ca Preseason Power Ranking — 21st in the NHL
• Sportsnet.ca: 3rd in the Southeast
• [...]
Matt Murley “Pulls a Radulov” - Now AWOL in Russia
During the offseason, the Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Matt Murley to a two-way, one year contract. Murley was originally drafted in the second round in 1999 by Pittsburgh, had 21 goals with 62 points for San Antonio last year, and is an RPI graduate. Fans from Albany were looking forward to watching the [...]
An Update on Nate Hagemo
The Naple Daily News posted a really thorough article Tuesday on the progress of former Hurricanes’ second-round pick Nate Hagemo. Hagemo, who was invited to the Canes’ rookie conditioning camp this summer, is trying to earn a spot with Carolina’s ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades.
Hagemo’s drug problems and run-ins with the law are well-documented, and it’s [...]
Rutherford to Change Training Methods in Carolina
Hurricanes General Manager, Jim Rutherford is mandating change regarding the way Carolina players train off the ice. In a recent interview with TSN’s Darren Dreger, Rutherford says that any off-ice testing that increases the heart rate and puts stress on the body will no longer be allowed by the organization.
“Their bodies are screaming out, [...]
Cuts Like a Knife - Roster Set, For Now
My roster prediction from yesterday was pretty much spot on except that Tim Conboy joins Joe Jensen and Trevor Gillies on the bus back to Albany. Twenty five players remain on the roster today, but Justin Williams and Scott Walker will be placed on IR, making the final total twenty three.
Both Paul Branecky [...]
LaCouture Earns a Spot
The Hurricanes signed free-agent tryout Dan LaCouture to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay LaCouture $475,000 at the NHL level and $50,000 in the AHL. LaCouture is guaranteed to earn at least $75,000 for the season.
“Dan came to our camp in great physical condition and earned himself a contract,” assistant general manager Ron Francis said [...]
My Picks for the Roster
Since the Carolina Hurricanes just announced that Scott Walker had surgery on his left hand this morning and will miss up to six weeks of action, it looks like another job just opened up for somebody, albeit a temporary one.
Twenty three players can be kept for the opening night roster. Here are my picks-
Eric [...]
Walker Undergoes Surgery
The Hurricanes took another injury hit today when Scott Walker was lost for six weeks after having surgery this morning on his left hand, according to a release by the team.
Walker presumably hurt his hand during a fight with Philadelphia’s Nate Guenin, who had hit Matt Cullen in the teams’ preseason game Sept. 28. Walker was [...]
Canes Finish Preseason With Win
Ray Whitney scored in his first exhibition game and Cam Ward pitched a 31 save shut-out as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Nashville Predators 2-0 at the RBC Sunday afternoon. Whitney had been dealing with a groin issue on and off during this preseason but said he felt fine after the [...]
Preds at Canes - Last Chance for Players on the Cusp
Today’s game at the RBC is the last exhibition game and the final chance for bubble players to prove themselves, but several vets will be in the lineup for Carolina. Rod Brind’Amour is cleared to play and is on the ice for the Hurricanes, as is Ray Whitney. Joni Pitkanen is taking the day off.
Here [...]
North Carolina Hockey History on Display
The Carolina Hurricanes and the Society of North Carolina Archivists joined forces to put together an exhibit about the history of hockey in the state. The exhibit should be on display in the concourse of the RBC for the next three games, October 5th, 10th, and 13th.
RBC Center Hockey Exhibit — Raleigh, N.C.
The [...]
Canes Win Again
Carolina beat Nashville last night by a score of 4-2. I didn’t watch the game or listen to it, so I won’t attempt to give a review. It seems like Anton Babchuk had a good game though, as two of his blasts from the point ended up in the net. The first [...]
A Captain Without A Letter: Part III
Here’s the third and final installment of my never-ending captains series and look at the league’s future letter-winners. We’re on the final 10 — here’s Part 1 and Part 2. I’m glad we went alphabetically with us, because we have a new captain in Vancouver — sort of (see headline). Anyway, finally …
Ottawa — Daniel [...]
Nashville Notes and Other News
Tonight the Hurricanes are on the road to play another exhibition game, this time in Nashville. There will be a few vets in the lineup trying to fine tune their timing, and there will be a few players in the contest still trying to make the team. CH.com is reporting that the lineup [...]
Claim This Guy!
An open note to Jim Rutherford:
Ryan Potulny has been placed on waivers by Edmonton for assignment to Springfield. He’s only $645,000 this year and can play any forward position. Please claim him.
Thank you.
*****
Discuss…
UPDATE: Potulny has cleared waivers and been assigned to Springfield (AHL).
Carolina Injuries - Bad Training, Bad Skates, or Bad Luck?
Last week, the Carolina Hurricanes treatment room looked like a waiting line at a MASH unit. Ten players were nursing some type of injury. Things are looking better at the moment, but the injury bug is nothing new for the Canes and it’s starting to make fans as well as team management ask [...]
The Next Great Goalie Debate
You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. The recent success of Michael Leighton along with the preseason struggles of Cam Ward have created a goalie debate of sorts among several Hurricanes fans. If Leighton’s success continues, it’s only going to heat up even more before it goes away.
First of [...]
Jeff O’Neill Decides to Move On
The Carolina Hurricanes and Jeff O’Neill had a meeting of the minds after the Flyers game on Sunday and O’Neill has decided to end his comeback bid with the Hurricanes. The forward’s departure cuts the roster down to 32 players and more or less assures that the other free agent tryout, Dan LaCouture will [...]
Captains Log, Part II
Here’s the second installment in our three-part look at the league’s captains and who the future leaders of the league may be. Part 1 can be found here.
Detroit — Nicklas Lidstrom
It’s hard to argue with Lidstrom’s credentials. He’s the first born-and-raised European captain to hoist a Stanley Cup, accomplishing the feat this past season. He’s [...]
Leighton and Canes Hold on to 1-0 Win
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Philadelphia Flyers at the RBC yesterday by a score of 1-0. The victory was the first for the Canes this preseason and gave them an overall record of 1-3, with two more games to play.
Sergei Samsonov was the number one star of the game. Not only did he score [...]
Canes Try Again this Afternoon
After another exhibition loss yesterday by a score of 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Hurricanes will try once again to earn their first preseason victory, today at 3PM at the RBC. Their opponent will be none other than those same Flyers, as the teams complete the back end of a home and [...]
Canes at Flyers - Pre-game Hype
Today at 1PM, the Carolina Hurricanes will be playing an exhibition game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Spectrum. For those who might not be aware, the Spectrum is an old hockey arena which opened back in 1967 and is now the home of the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms. The Flyers won the Stanley [...]
And Then There Were 42
The Carolina Hurricanes made a few more cuts today, sending 11 River Rats up to Albany. The affected players are, Mike Angelidis, Nicolas Blanchard, Stefan Chaput, Nick Dodge, Patrick Dwyer, Bobby Hughes, Harrison Reed, Ryan Weston; Ryan McGinnis, Benn Olson; and goaltender David Leggio.
That still leaves 42 players in Raleigh trying to make [...]
Capitals 5, Hurricanes 2
Something came up and I missed the contest last night, but according to all reports the Canes played a much better game than they did on Wednesday. After the “Junior Canes” jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Washington regulars woke up and took control of the game. Dan LaCouture had one [...]
Canes at Caps - Pre-game Hype
Tonight the Hurricanes find themselves up the road on I-95 to complete a back to back series with the Washington Capitals. The Canes will be looking to improve upon their lackluster showing last night which resulted in a 4-1 beatdown by the Caps.
According to CH.com, Carolina’s lineup will be as follows-
Sutter-Eaves-Bayda
Helminen-Bowman-LaCouture
Jensen-Chaput-Dwyer
Blanchard-Angelidis-Samson
Melichar-Kaberle
Seidenberg-Flood
Conboy-Rodney
Michael Leighton and [...]
Back to Work - Caps 4, Canes 1
Last night, fans were grumbling as they left the RBC.
Even if several of the players on the ice were different, parts of last night’s game looked eerily similar to the worst of last season. Collapses on defense, sloppy passing, and in general, uninspired play was what stood out to many.
The good news is that [...]
Final Thoughts On Preseason Opener
I can say this for sure — no one in the Canes’ locker room was happy with the results tonight. The mood after the game was sullen at best. Here’s some news and thoughts:
• Coach Peter Laviolette was dumbfounded by the play tonight, saying the team “didn’t execute well at all.” Sloppy passing and a [...]
Period Two Recap
More from the game:
• Carolina’s first goal of the season? A 5-on-3 point blast from none other than the newcomer Pitkanen. A moment earlier, he had passed the puck into Corvo’s feet, but he later took a pass back from Sergei Samsonov and ripped it past Daren Machesney, who replaced Varlamov to start the second. [...]
Preseason Opener: Period One Overview
We’re through one period, and the Caps lead 2-0. In the team’s first preseason game, it’s more important to focus on what’s going on than the scoreboard. Here’s a few things I’ve noticed:
• Brandon Sutter has looked very promising in the defensive zone. He had no trouble sticking with the shifty and skilled Michael Nylander. He [...]
Caps at Canes - Pregame Hype
Preseason games are no big deal, right? Tell that to vets trying to work their way back into the show. Tell that to the youngsters, trying to make their way out of the minors and into the majors. While the highly paid superstars usually don’t get very worked up about these “meaningless” [...]
Every Picture Tells a Story - Canes Out and About
Congratulations to Patrick Eaves and his fiancee, Katie. Apparently, Patrick proposed at (at a lake like) nearby Lake Norman, where this recent photo shoot took place.
Tim Gleason took some time on Tuesday to do a charity gig at the Carolina Ale House. The defenseman was supposed to meet and greet customers, but ended [...]
Pluses and Minuses From The Red-White Game
Here’s a quick look at six players that impacted their fortunes one way or the other during Sunday’s Red-White Game at the RBC Center, plus some other news and notes.
PLUSES
Dan LaCouture — The 31-year-old journeyman winger was the best player on the ice all night, and not just on the scoresheet. From my vantage point, [...]
