By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
This has to be the last thing the Hurricanes wanted to see. Fresh off blowing leads on consecutive nights by giving up a total of ten goals in two third periods, in march the Washington Capitals, who have only accomplished a second-place position in the Eastern Conference and top spot in the Southeast Division this season. To make it more stark, the Caps have as many wins (15) as the Canes have points.
Yikes.
If nothing else, expectations are pretty low around the RBC Center tonight. With a four-day layoff upcoming, the Canes feel the sword of upper management dangling over their head, and it's possible the team could look significantly different by Saturday when they take the ice again. There's no telling what might happen tomorrow and beyond, but the Canes will have to bring their A-game tonight to have a chance against a team that has legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations. And that assumes a 60-minute A-game, which is no guarantee after what we've seen the last two games.
Joni Pitkanen returns to the lineup tonight. We'll see if that makes a difference, as the Canes folded like a house of cards after he left the ice against Atlanta on Friday. Michael Leighton will get the start, and Cam Ward is still targeting a Saturday return after his leg laceration.
Here we go...
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Questions with no good answers
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Far be it for me to sit here pontificating on what the Hurricanes should do, now that they sit at 5-15-5 with over a quarter of the season gone, back in last place overall in the NHL, and the day after the team blew a 4-1 lead with 15 minutes to go to lose 6-4 to the Atlanta Thrashers.
That's what Jim Rutherford gets paid the big money to decide. Frankly, I like my scenario of sitting in my living room watching college football considerably better.
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Far be it for me to sit here pontificating on what the Hurricanes should do, now that they sit at 5-15-5 with over a quarter of the season gone, back in last place overall in the NHL, and the day after the team blew a 4-1 lead with 15 minutes to go to lose 6-4 to the Atlanta Thrashers.
That's what Jim Rutherford gets paid the big money to decide. Frankly, I like my scenario of sitting in my living room watching college football considerably better.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Game 25: Thrashers 6, Hurricanes 4
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Hope you're good and stuffed from Thanksgiving, because the Hurricanes will do their best to avoid serving up a second turkey tonight.
(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
The Canes return home tonight after a two-game trip to Dallas and Anaheim netted them zero points, and tonight they face the Atlanta Thrashers for the first time this season before heading to Buffalo for a game tomorrow. The Thrashers aren't a team to be taken lightly, as they sit second in the Southeast Division with 25 points despite playing over two weeks without captain and resident All-Star Ilya Kovalchuk. A couple of reclamation projects in Rich Peverley (1st) and Maxim Afinogenov (3rd in team scoring) have propelled the Thrashers way beyond where anyone thought they'd be a quarter into the season, and the Canes will have their hands full to slow down the Thrashers' attack tonight.
Manny Legace will get the start again for the Canes, though Michael Leighton (groin) has been activated off injured reserve and will back up Legace tonight. Eric Staal will make his first appearance at the RBC Center in almost a month, after missing ten games with an abdominal injury and returning to the lineup Wednesday night in Anaheim. Cam Ward, though, is still out and is targeting a return to next weekend against Vancouver.
Still winless on the road, the Canes will look to benefit from some home cooking tonight, and here we go...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Hope you're good and stuffed from Thanksgiving, because the Hurricanes will do their best to avoid serving up a second turkey tonight.
(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
The Canes return home tonight after a two-game trip to Dallas and Anaheim netted them zero points, and tonight they face the Atlanta Thrashers for the first time this season before heading to Buffalo for a game tomorrow. The Thrashers aren't a team to be taken lightly, as they sit second in the Southeast Division with 25 points despite playing over two weeks without captain and resident All-Star Ilya Kovalchuk. A couple of reclamation projects in Rich Peverley (1st) and Maxim Afinogenov (3rd in team scoring) have propelled the Thrashers way beyond where anyone thought they'd be a quarter into the season, and the Canes will have their hands full to slow down the Thrashers' attack tonight.
Manny Legace will get the start again for the Canes, though Michael Leighton (groin) has been activated off injured reserve and will back up Legace tonight. Eric Staal will make his first appearance at the RBC Center in almost a month, after missing ten games with an abdominal injury and returning to the lineup Wednesday night in Anaheim. Cam Ward, though, is still out and is targeting a return to next weekend against Vancouver.
Still winless on the road, the Canes will look to benefit from some home cooking tonight, and here we go...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Game 22: Hurricanes 3, Lightning 1
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
The Canes have a season-high four game point streak going into tonight's game. That streak has propelled them out of the NHL's standings basement, and they enter tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning looking for their second regulation win of the season. If they want something to build on, Thursday's dramatic last-second win over the Leafs in a shootout gives them plenty of ammunition. The Canes went down 3-0 for the eleventh time this season, but battled back and took two points from a Leafs team that looked to have a regulation win sewn up before Erik Cole tied the game with three seconds left.
The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the RBC Center for the second time this year tonight, and the Canes will yet again be piecing together a lineup. Fortunately for the Canes, they're getting one key cog back tonight, as Joni Pitkanen returns from an upper-body injury and takes the place of Bryan Rodney, who was sent back to Albany, in the lineup. It's still a few more games for Eric Staal, although he is skating and should hopefully be back sometime late in the week.
Here we go...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
The Canes have a season-high four game point streak going into tonight's game. That streak has propelled them out of the NHL's standings basement, and they enter tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning looking for their second regulation win of the season. If they want something to build on, Thursday's dramatic last-second win over the Leafs in a shootout gives them plenty of ammunition. The Canes went down 3-0 for the eleventh time this season, but battled back and took two points from a Leafs team that looked to have a regulation win sewn up before Erik Cole tied the game with three seconds left.
The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the RBC Center for the second time this year tonight, and the Canes will yet again be piecing together a lineup. Fortunately for the Canes, they're getting one key cog back tonight, as Joni Pitkanen returns from an upper-body injury and takes the place of Bryan Rodney, who was sent back to Albany, in the lineup. It's still a few more games for Eric Staal, although he is skating and should hopefully be back sometime late in the week.
Here we go...
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Game 21: Hurricanes 6, Maple Leafs 5 (SO)
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Two weeks ago Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs came to town tied with the Hurricanes for last place in the NHL, and the loser of the game was guaranteed to wake up the next morning in 30th place in the league standings.
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town tied with the Hurricanes for last place in the NHL, and the loser of the game is guaranteed to wake up the next morning in 30th place in the league standings.
It's nice when life gives you a do-over, isn't it?
The Hurricanes return home from a one-game road trip Tuesday to Montreal to face a Leafs squad that was busy losing to the Ottawa Senators the same night. Neither team has played since, and the Canes enter tonight's game still without some key parts of the machine. Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Scott Walker and Joni Pitkanen remain on the shelf, and now Michael Leighton (groin) can be added to the roll call of the injured after leaving Tuesday's game in the second period. Manny Legace will start tonight, to be backed up by Justin Peters, he of zero career NHL games.
In other words, no one's sure what to expect tonight, so we'll just enjoy it while we can...at this point, you have to find amusement in mundane things, don't you?
Here we go...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Two weeks ago Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs came to town tied with the Hurricanes for last place in the NHL, and the loser of the game was guaranteed to wake up the next morning in 30th place in the league standings.
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town tied with the Hurricanes for last place in the NHL, and the loser of the game is guaranteed to wake up the next morning in 30th place in the league standings.
It's nice when life gives you a do-over, isn't it?
The Hurricanes return home from a one-game road trip Tuesday to Montreal to face a Leafs squad that was busy losing to the Ottawa Senators the same night. Neither team has played since, and the Canes enter tonight's game still without some key parts of the machine. Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Scott Walker and Joni Pitkanen remain on the shelf, and now Michael Leighton (groin) can be added to the roll call of the injured after leaving Tuesday's game in the second period. Manny Legace will start tonight, to be backed up by Justin Peters, he of zero career NHL games.
In other words, no one's sure what to expect tonight, so we'll just enjoy it while we can...at this point, you have to find amusement in mundane things, don't you?
Here we go...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Game 19: Hurricanes 5, Wild 4 (SO)
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Seems we've done this dance before, doesn't it? The Canes try -- again -- to break their franchise record-tying 14-game winless streak this afternoon as the Minnesota Wild come to town looking to sweep the season series after beating the Canes in St. Paul in overtime on October 24. One more loss and the Canes will set some history they'd rather not have any part of, as the franchise has never gone 15 games without a win dating to their entry into the NHL in 1979.
By now, you know that Eric Staal (upper body) and Cam Ward (leg laceration) are out, although Staal started skating Friday and will hopefully be back sometime next week. Stephane Yelle missed one game, but returns today as Aaron Ward sits with an undisclosed lower-body injury, probably related to the same 3-on-5 kill that sidelined Yelle on Friday. Other than that, the lineup remains the same, and the Canes will return to a six-defenseman lineup after skating 7 against the Islanders.
Does the streak end today? We'll know soon...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Seems we've done this dance before, doesn't it? The Canes try -- again -- to break their franchise record-tying 14-game winless streak this afternoon as the Minnesota Wild come to town looking to sweep the season series after beating the Canes in St. Paul in overtime on October 24. One more loss and the Canes will set some history they'd rather not have any part of, as the franchise has never gone 15 games without a win dating to their entry into the NHL in 1979.
By now, you know that Eric Staal (upper body) and Cam Ward (leg laceration) are out, although Staal started skating Friday and will hopefully be back sometime next week. Stephane Yelle missed one game, but returns today as Aaron Ward sits with an undisclosed lower-body injury, probably related to the same 3-on-5 kill that sidelined Yelle on Friday. Other than that, the lineup remains the same, and the Canes will return to a six-defenseman lineup after skating 7 against the Islanders.
Does the streak end today? We'll know soon...
Friday, November 13, 2009
Game 18: Islanders 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
We'll see history made at the RBC Center tonight. Either the Hurricanes will snap their 13-game winless skid tonight as they welcome the New York Islanders to Raleigh, scoring their first win in over a month, or they'll match a team record set in 1992, when the team was in Hartford, by going winless in fourteen straight games.
If the Canes break the streak, they'll do it with a lineup patched together with duct tape and rubber cement. Joni Pitkanen returns tonight from a one-game injury, but the Canes are still without Eric Staal and Cam Ward, and now they'll have to contend with losing Stephane Yelle (lower-body) after he blocked a shot killing a 5-on-3 on Wednesday night. Scott Walker is also questionable tonight, but it seems unlikely that he will play as well, so the lines are all jumbled up and no one's really sure what to expect.
The Islanders, former employers of Miroslav Satan, come to town boasting a 6-6-6 record on Friday the 13th, with the Canes trying to snap a 13-game losing streak. In other words, expect some bizarre things to happen tonight.
Here we go...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
We'll see history made at the RBC Center tonight. Either the Hurricanes will snap their 13-game winless skid tonight as they welcome the New York Islanders to Raleigh, scoring their first win in over a month, or they'll match a team record set in 1992, when the team was in Hartford, by going winless in fourteen straight games.
If the Canes break the streak, they'll do it with a lineup patched together with duct tape and rubber cement. Joni Pitkanen returns tonight from a one-game injury, but the Canes are still without Eric Staal and Cam Ward, and now they'll have to contend with losing Stephane Yelle (lower-body) after he blocked a shot killing a 5-on-3 on Wednesday night. Scott Walker is also questionable tonight, but it seems unlikely that he will play as well, so the lines are all jumbled up and no one's really sure what to expect.
The Islanders, former employers of Miroslav Satan, come to town boasting a 6-6-6 record on Friday the 13th, with the Canes trying to snap a 13-game losing streak. In other words, expect some bizarre things to happen tonight.
Here we go...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Game 17: Kings 5, Hurricanes 2
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
A nice ovation for new Canes goaltender Manny Legace rang in the start of game one A.C. (after Cam). The Canes look to break their twelve-game losing streak tonight while missing three of their best players...against the fifth-seed in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings. Good luck with that.
Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Joni Pitkanen are all out for various maladies, but the Canes do get Ray Whitney back tonight. On the other side, we'll get our first look at old friend Justin Williams, who returns for the only time to the RBC Center this season after being traded in a roundabout way for Erik Cole at the trade deadline last season. The Kings also feature former Canes draft pick Jack Johnson, traded for Tim Gleason in 2006, as well as the NHL's leading scorer in Anze Kopitar.
We're 60 minutes away from either seeing the streak snapped or seeing it hit a baker's dozen. Which will it be?
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
A nice ovation for new Canes goaltender Manny Legace rang in the start of game one A.C. (after Cam). The Canes look to break their twelve-game losing streak tonight while missing three of their best players...against the fifth-seed in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings. Good luck with that.
Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Joni Pitkanen are all out for various maladies, but the Canes do get Ray Whitney back tonight. On the other side, we'll get our first look at old friend Justin Williams, who returns for the only time to the RBC Center this season after being traded in a roundabout way for Erik Cole at the trade deadline last season. The Kings also feature former Canes draft pick Jack Johnson, traded for Tim Gleason in 2006, as well as the NHL's leading scorer in Anze Kopitar.
We're 60 minutes away from either seeing the streak snapped or seeing it hit a baker's dozen. Which will it be?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Game 16: Blue Jackets 3, Hurricanes 2 from Columbus: C. Ward injured
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
The first Live Blog Road Trip for the 2009-10 season heads to Ohio as the Canes face the Columbus Blue Jackets for the only time this year. Here's hoping that this year's first road trip yields better results than the first one last year did, when the Canes blew a 2-0 lead to the Atlanta Thrashers in the final ten minutes of the game and lost the game 3-2, prompting this immortal question from your humble reporter: "Coach.........what happened?"
No matter the outcome of tonight's game, the Canes will provide a compelling storyline. Either they get off the schneid and finally tally a win for the first time in nearly a month, or they will lose twelve in a row for the first time since they've been in North Carolina. Either way, it's bound to be an eventful night in central Ohio.
The Jackets aren't the pushover that they were a few years ago. They made the playoffs last year for the first time in franchise history, and they currently sit tied atop the Central Division with the Chicago Blackhawks. Former Hurricane Mike Commodore, who has bounced in and out of the lineup with various injuries this season, reenters the lineup tonight to face his former mates. Former Jackets captain Ray Whitney, however, did not make the trip to Columbus and won't be in the lineup tonight. Paul Maurice is expected to skate the same lineup as he put out yesterday against Toronto, and hope for better results. (Don't we all?)
Will the Canes break the streak? We'll know by the end of the night...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
The first Live Blog Road Trip for the 2009-10 season heads to Ohio as the Canes face the Columbus Blue Jackets for the only time this year. Here's hoping that this year's first road trip yields better results than the first one last year did, when the Canes blew a 2-0 lead to the Atlanta Thrashers in the final ten minutes of the game and lost the game 3-2, prompting this immortal question from your humble reporter: "Coach.........what happened?"
No matter the outcome of tonight's game, the Canes will provide a compelling storyline. Either they get off the schneid and finally tally a win for the first time in nearly a month, or they will lose twelve in a row for the first time since they've been in North Carolina. Either way, it's bound to be an eventful night in central Ohio.
The Jackets aren't the pushover that they were a few years ago. They made the playoffs last year for the first time in franchise history, and they currently sit tied atop the Central Division with the Chicago Blackhawks. Former Hurricane Mike Commodore, who has bounced in and out of the lineup with various injuries this season, reenters the lineup tonight to face his former mates. Former Jackets captain Ray Whitney, however, did not make the trip to Columbus and won't be in the lineup tonight. Paul Maurice is expected to skate the same lineup as he put out yesterday against Toronto, and hope for better results. (Don't we all?)
Will the Canes break the streak? We'll know by the end of the night...
Friday, November 6, 2009
Game 15: Maple Leafs 3, Hurricanes 2
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
The Hurricanes play their most meaningful game of the season tonight. Unfortunately for them, it's meaningful in only one regard: the loser of tonight's game will remain out of the NHL's standings basement.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, and the attendant perpetual circus, come to town tonight for the first of two meetings in under two weeks. The Leafs are the only team separating the Hurricanes from last in the NHL, as both teams enter tonight's action with the princely sum of seven points on the season. The Hurricanes have played one more game, so they currently enter the game in 30th place, but one team is guaranteed to gain two points tonight and, thereby, move into 29th place without the help of tiebreakers.
For the Canes, the beat continues. Zach Boychuk was called up from Albany yesterday, ostensibly because of injuries to Tuomo Ruutu and Ray Whitney. Ruutu is likely to play, but Whitney will be out. That said, if Boychuk plays (and you'd imagine he will, as there might be a full-scale riot in the stands if he doesn't), the Canes will need to scratch someone else. Scuttlebutt among the press corps suggests there might be a surprise in store from Paul Maurice tonight.
Let the battle for the bottom begin...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
The Hurricanes play their most meaningful game of the season tonight. Unfortunately for them, it's meaningful in only one regard: the loser of tonight's game will remain out of the NHL's standings basement.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, and the attendant perpetual circus, come to town tonight for the first of two meetings in under two weeks. The Leafs are the only team separating the Hurricanes from last in the NHL, as both teams enter tonight's action with the princely sum of seven points on the season. The Hurricanes have played one more game, so they currently enter the game in 30th place, but one team is guaranteed to gain two points tonight and, thereby, move into 29th place without the help of tiebreakers.
For the Canes, the beat continues. Zach Boychuk was called up from Albany yesterday, ostensibly because of injuries to Tuomo Ruutu and Ray Whitney. Ruutu is likely to play, but Whitney will be out. That said, if Boychuk plays (and you'd imagine he will, as there might be a full-scale riot in the stands if he doesn't), the Canes will need to scratch someone else. Scuttlebutt among the press corps suggests there might be a surprise in store from Paul Maurice tonight.
Let the battle for the bottom begin...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Game 13: Sharks 5, Hurricanes 1
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Pretend for a second that the Hurricanes aren't 2-7-3 on the season. Pretend they haven't lost eight in a row. Pretend they're the team that, on paper, some hack writer projected for 100 points. Do you think there'd be more buzz about one of the best teams in the West coming to town for the only time this season? I sure do.
OK, back to reality. It's going to be a long day in the saddle, more than likely, but we'll be here to cover it all.
It's Ray Whitney Day here, as the Wizard is honored for playing 1,000 games in the NHL with the traditional silver stick (in a game against the team that drafted him, conveniently). The Canes also welcome Erik Cole and Tuomo Ruutu back to the lineup, and some lineup juggling has ensued. To no one's surprise, the two short straws were drawn by Tim Conboy and Stephane Yelle, who will have seats waiting for them in the press box.
And who's centering the fourth line? Yep...Brandon Sutter. I'll be interested to see how many minutes he plays, given Paul Maurice's track record with fourth line players.
Last year, the Canes went into a similar hopeless-looking situation in San Jose and Michael Leighton pulled out a shootout win that no one saw coming. Can history repeat itself today? We'll find out...
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Pretend for a second that the Hurricanes aren't 2-7-3 on the season. Pretend they haven't lost eight in a row. Pretend they're the team that, on paper, some hack writer projected for 100 points. Do you think there'd be more buzz about one of the best teams in the West coming to town for the only time this season? I sure do.
OK, back to reality. It's going to be a long day in the saddle, more than likely, but we'll be here to cover it all.
It's Ray Whitney Day here, as the Wizard is honored for playing 1,000 games in the NHL with the traditional silver stick (in a game against the team that drafted him, conveniently). The Canes also welcome Erik Cole and Tuomo Ruutu back to the lineup, and some lineup juggling has ensued. To no one's surprise, the two short straws were drawn by Tim Conboy and Stephane Yelle, who will have seats waiting for them in the press box.
And who's centering the fourth line? Yep...Brandon Sutter. I'll be interested to see how many minutes he plays, given Paul Maurice's track record with fourth line players.
Last year, the Canes went into a similar hopeless-looking situation in San Jose and Michael Leighton pulled out a shootout win that no one saw coming. Can history repeat itself today? We'll find out...
Are we there yet?
By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Anyone who knows me knows the fervor with which I follow Cleveland sports. It takes a special kind of masochism to cheer for teams that you just know will find a way to rip your heart out at precisely the wrong time. My parents still have yet to recover from seeing John Elway march down the field in the 1987 AFC championship. For older generations, Willie Mays and Rocky Colavito still awaken painful memories. Jose Mesa. Earnest Byner. Art Modell. Michael Jordan-over-Craig Ehlo.
The list goes on...and on...and on...and on.
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
Email Puck Drops
Anyone who knows me knows the fervor with which I follow Cleveland sports. It takes a special kind of masochism to cheer for teams that you just know will find a way to rip your heart out at precisely the wrong time. My parents still have yet to recover from seeing John Elway march down the field in the 1987 AFC championship. For older generations, Willie Mays and Rocky Colavito still awaken painful memories. Jose Mesa. Earnest Byner. Art Modell. Michael Jordan-over-Craig Ehlo.
The list goes on...and on...and on...and on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)