Red & Black Hockey
Entries with the tag: Carolina+Hurricanes
Is this rock bottom?
by David Lee on 11/02/09 at 07:29 PM ET
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The Hurricanes, at 2-8-3, are off to the worst start in franchise history. They have now gone nine (0-6-3) games without a win, and in some of these games, they haven’t been very competitive. They’ve been plagued by lapses in focus, lack of presence in front of (either) net, defensive breakdowns, lack of discipline, and mostly, an inability to score. Some nights, the Canes have run into crazily hot goaltenders. Some nights they’ve squandered too many scoring chances. Some nights, they have bad luck. The bottom line is that the puck isn’t going in the other team’s net. All of this has led to a frustrated team and an angry fanbase.
A friend asked me today if I think the Canes have hit rock bottom. I immediately answered that things could be a lot worse, and that they haven’t bottomed out (yet).
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Jim+Rutherford, losing+streak,
Nightmarish October continues for Canes
by David Lee on 10/29/09 at 08:11 AM ET
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On Wednesday, the Hurricanes played host to the St. Louis Blues and stretched their winless streak to seven games by losing 5-2. Since shelling the Panthers 7-2 on October 9, the boys have gone 0-4-3. While there has been some improvement, there are some recurring themes in this losing streak.
The special teams have been getting much better. The power play was two for six and the penalty kill was a perfect one for one. The Canes have now scored at least one power play goal in four straight games. For the fifth time in the last eight games, the PK was perfect. Those are small things, but it’s a start in the right direction.
Unfortunately, some bad trends are continuing. For at least the fourth time this season, the Canes fell asleep at the wheel and allowed two goals in a span of less than 30 seconds. That can do a lot to the landscape of a game. In this game, Eric Staal missed a couple of grade A++ chances, which is another trend that needs to reverse if the Canes expect to win any games.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, David+Perron, St.+Louis+Blues,
Yelle waived, Sutter likely to be moved to wing
by David Lee on 10/26/09 at 03:26 PM ET
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On Monday, the Hurricanes announced that they have waived veteran forward Stephane Yelle. If he isn’t claimed, he’ll clear waivers at noon Tuesday. Being placed on waivers doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Frantisek Kaberle was placed on waivers at least 37 times last season. He was never claimed, he was never re-assigned to Albany, and he was only bought out this last summer.
Unlike Kaberle, though, Yelle is cheap. His salary this season is $550k, and if a team claims him off re-entry waivers, they’d only be on the hook for half of that. This might be attractive to a team like the New Jersey Devils, who just learned that Jay Pandolfo will be out of the lineup for up to six weeks.
Depending on what happens with Yelle’s waiver situation, it could make a permanent spot for Brandon Sutter in the lineup. The 20-year old has been called up to fill a spot while Tuomo Ruutu is serving a three-game suspension. If Sutter stays, he’ll most likely be shifted to a wing position.
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Tags: Brandon+Sutter, Carolina+Hurricanes, Stephane+Yelle,
Canes keep losing, Rats keep winning
by David Lee on 10/25/09 at 01:08 PM ET
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The Hurricanes four game road trip came to a close on Saturday, and they didn’t have much to show for it. They lost a rollercoaster 5-4 game in Denver on Friday, then lost 3-2 in overtime at Minnesota on Saturday. On the four game trip, the Canes only managed two standings points and have yet to win on the road. For the third time this season, they will now have three days off before their next game. Wednesday night, they’ll be back in the RBC Center against the Blues. While they’ve been lousy on the road, the Canes have grabbed five out of eight standings points at home.
While the Canes are struggling, the Albany River Rats are doing well. They have a record of 5-3-0 and sit atop the Eastern division. More importantly, they beat the Adirondack Phantoms 3-2 on Saturday to grab a two games to none lead in the 12-game season series with the hated rival.
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Tags: Albany+River+Rats, Brandon+Sutter, Carolina+Hurricanes, Ray+Whitney, Tuomo+Ruutu,
Road trip starts badly for Canes
by David Lee on 10/21/09 at 11:27 PM ET
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The Hurricanes continued their annual late October extended road trip in desperate need of a win. The Islanders were a winless team, but have been playing good hockey. Unfortunately for the Canes, this was the night the Isles finally got into the win column. After falling behind 3-1, Carolina mounted a third period rally to tie the game, which was ultimately settled in the shootout. The home team converted all three of their shootout attempts, while the Hurricanes succeeded just once.
It was a night to celebrate Ray Whitney, who was playing in his 1000th NHL game and his 300th as a Cane. Unlike last Wednesday, when he lit the lamp twice, he failed to light the lamp this time. Eric Staal got off the schneid, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Canes to victory.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Joni+Pitkanen, Jussi+Jokinen, New+York+Islanders,
Ward stands on his head, but the Canes lose anyway
by David Lee on 10/17/09 at 09:35 PM ET
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On Saturday, the Hurricanes returned to “The Rock” for the first time since they stunned the Devils with two goals in the last 90 seconds of game 7 to steal the first round of the 2009 playoffs. The Devils in general, and Martin Brodeur specifically, had not been playing well at home, and it was a chance for the Hurricanes to get their two-week road trip off to a good start.
Both goaltenders played very well and Martin Brodeur got the shutout, beating the Canes 2-0 and coming within one shutout of Terry Sawchuk’s 103. He’ll get the spotlight, but Cam Ward also had a very good game that was for naught. Unfortunately for Ward, the Hurricanes record doesn’t indicate how well he’s been playing. If and when the Canes start scoring goals, Ward will get some more ticks in the W column. Everyone knows that the Canes’ losses aren’t because of Ward. Last season, the Hurricanes were shut out only once in the regular season. So far this season, they’ve already been shut out twice in just seven games.
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Tags: Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils,
Bevy of Canes miss Thursday practice; news from the farm
by David Lee on 10/15/09 at 08:44 PM ET
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A day after making the best save of this young season, Canes goaltender Cam Ward sat out Thursday’s practice. He was joined by Eric Staal, who has not been playing at 100%. Also missing from practice were Matt Cullen and Ray Whitney, who had two goals against the Pens in the 3-2 loss on Wednesday.
There’s no indication of why they say out, but I don’t think it was to attend opening day of the North Carolina State Fair. There’s no indication that any of them will be out of the lineup on Saturday when the Hurricanes begin their two week road trip in New Jersey.
While those four sat out of practice, the Canes were happy to see defenseman Joni Pitkänen back on the ice. At least for practice. Still no word on when he’ll be back in the lineup.
Meanwhile, down on the farm…
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Tags: Albany+River+Rats, Carolina+Hurricanes,
Staal misses practice, but is expected to play
by David Lee on 10/13/09 at 08:39 PM ET
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Eric Staal left practice early on Monday with some “tightness” and didn’t participate in Tuesday’s practice, according to official team reports. The nature of this tightness isn’t known, but the captain-in-waiting is not expected to miss Wednesday’s clash with the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins.
Joni Pitkänen, who has played in all of one period of action this season, also sat out. He’s still being troubled by soreness in his knee after off-season surgery. Right now, there’s no time table for his return.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Joni+Pitkanen,
Malone’s hat trick beats Canes
by David Lee on 10/11/09 at 11:12 AM ET
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On Saturday night, the Hurricanes played the back end of their second back-to-back set, and for the second time, they lost. This time it was Ryan Malone and the blue-clad City of Tampa Lightning. Based on his success this season, Malone would love to play the Canes every night
I didn’t get to watch this game, as I had to fill in at work for one of my lazy employees. Also, I missed an unannounced concert by my favorite musician because I found out about it too late. For that show, I would have made something else happen at work. Anyway, I avoided any exposure to the game while I was at work, I went home to watch the DVR. Just as I was about to sit down to that, a friend IMed me and accidentally spoilt the game for me. Not a good night for me.
The Canes managed to get the power play rolling, and the 5-2 score suggests that it wasn’t close, but it was.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Rod+Brind'Amour, Ryan+Malone, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Canes get it going against Cats
by David Lee on 10/10/09 at 09:16 AM ET
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On Friday night against the visiting Florida Panthers, the Hurricanes finally figured out how to get the puck in the net. Seven different guys scored goals and twelve different guys had scoring points in a 7-2 romp of the Cats. The Canes continued to have success in the black sweaters as they wore them for the first time this season.
While the penalty killers got better, the power play units did not, and that continues to be a major area of concern. The Canes were limited to three power play chances, and failed to score even in a minute of five-on-three. On the other side, the Canes killed off all six shorthanded situations including 40 seconds of a two man disadvantage.
Tom Kostopoulos scored the game’s first goal on a shorthanded situation after forcing a turnover in the Florida zone. The unassisted goal came at 7:00 of the first. After that, it was all gravy.
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Tags: Andrew+Alberts., Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers, Jussi+Jokinen, Tuomo+Ruutu,
Canes hope to get going against Florida
by David Lee on 10/09/09 at 04:40 AM ET
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On Friday night at the RBC Center, the Hurricanes will host the Florida Panthers for the first time this season. It’s sandwiched between two Tampa Bay games and is the front end of Carolina’s second back-to-back of the season.
So far this season, Carolina has been unable to find the back of the net with a compass, a road map and a native guide. In three games, they’ve scored a total of just three goals. There are eight individual players throughout the league who have scored more goals this season than the entire Hurricanes roster. Hopefully tonight’s the night when the Canes figure out how to score.
Tonight, Carolina will be donning their third unis, the all-black outfit for the first time this season. They’re scheduled to wear them for 15 home games, and will probably wear them for at least one road game as well. Last season, the Hurricanes were 10-5-2 whilst wearing the third sweater, including 10-5-0 at home.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers,
Finns get Canes off the schneid
by David Lee on 10/06/09 at 10:23 PM ET
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On Tuesday night, the Finnish connection got the job done in Carolina, handing them their first win of the season. It took a shootout to break a 1-1 tie with the Lightning, and the Hurricanes were successful.
This was one of those odd games that fell through the cracks, and wasn’t broadcast by either team’s network. This meant that, even with the Center Ice package, this game wasn’t on television. Thank goodness for internet radio and Chuckandtheletterk.
This was the first game of the season for defenseman Joni Pitkänen, who had knee surgery over the summer. Unfortunately, he didn’t last the whole game. However, he and the other Finns all pitched in for the win. It was also the first game of the season for tough guy utility player Tim Conboy. As I expected, he spent more time in the box than on the ice. I sincerely hope that this experiment will come to a rapid end and one of the skilled forwards from Albany is recalled.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Joni+Pitkanen, Jussi+Jokinen, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tuomo+Ruutu,
broken legs and broken records for Cole.
by David Lee on 10/05/09 at 08:13 PM ET
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Erik Cole has played a lot of games for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also missed a lot of games with injuries. He plays hard, and sometimes he plays recklessly. Even after his gruesome neck fracture in March of 2006, he continues to play and hit hard, which leaves him vulnerable to injury.
We all know all about Cole’s fracture of the c-5 vertebrae. He missed a total of 45 games (22 regular season, 23 playoff), and returned for games six and seven of the SCF. When he returned, he hadn’t lost any of that recklessness, and it made us all a little nervous. Nervous because we know how Cole plays and we know that he could get hurt again at any second.
There’s a long list of injuries that Cole has suffered throughout his career. Most of them normal, some of them freak. This latest one, unfortunately, is a familiar injury for Cole. It’s also beginning to sound like a broken record around here. “Erik Cole was injured in the game… Erik Cole was injured in the game… Erik Cole was injured in the game.”
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Cole,
Broken leg will sideline Erik Cole for 4-6 weeks.
by David Lee on 10/04/09 at 07:47 PM ET
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The Hurricanes announced today what we all knew without needing the confirmation: Erik Cole suffered a broken bone in his left leg after a nasty collision with the Bruins’ Dennis Wideman on Saturday night. Wideman’s check was clean, but it unfortunately resulted in yet another injury for Cole.
Tuomo Ruutu will slide up to the first line right wing, then some other shuffling will leave a vacancy on one of the fourth line wings. Tim Conboy, who can play on either wing and also on defense, will be the short-term solution. The former Albany River Rats captain is known more for pugilism than for his offensive acumen, but will have an excellent opportunity to prove that he has earned his one-way contract. If you’re in a fantasy league that rewards PIMs, go ahead and snatch up Conboy. He’ll be good for at least 4 penalty minutes per game.
I don’t mind seeing Conboy in the lineup on a game-by-game basis, but I’m a little frightened by the prospect of seeing him as a regular. I’m much more into the idea of bringing up Zach Boychuk or Drayson Bowman from the Rats.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Cole, injuries, Tim+Conboy,
Canes lose ugly game. Cole hurt.
by David Lee on 10/03/09 at 09:55 PM ET
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On Saturday night, the Hurricanes traveled to Boston and left with a lot of cuts, bruises, and possibly a break. They also lost the game 7-2 to the Bruins.
The first period did not go well, as the Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead on goals by Marc Savard, Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler. After that, it went from bad to worse as Cam Ward was chased, no fewer than five different Hurricanes players ended up getting cut. One was Eric Staal, who left the game, bloodied, in the second period after being hit in the ear by a teammate’s slapshot. Erik Cole suffered an ugly-looking knee injury late in the game. Carolina managed to score two goals, but if you’re a Canes fan, there really isn’t anything good to take from this game.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Erik+Cole, Marc+Savard,
Canes shut out on opening night.
by David Lee on 10/03/09 at 12:07 AM ET
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Frustration. That’s probably the best word for the feelings that Hurricanes fans have right now. Opening night is like a major holiday for a lot of people, and there were a lot of things to be excited about. However, when the game was over and the Hurricanes were on the wrong end of a 2-0 score, Canes fans weren’t smiling on their way out of the RBC Center.
Fans marveled at the new spiffy HD scoreboard. We marveled at the ridiculously self-indulgent stage setup for U2’s Saturday concert in Carter-Finley Stadium (adjacent to RBC). We liked what we saw from the new guys. The rest left some things to be desired.
While opening night is just one game, there’s an interesting stat which suggests that Carolina will not be making a deep playoff run in the spring.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Ward extended
by David Lee on 09/30/09 at 08:55 PM ET
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For the second time in as many summers, Jim Rutherford has broken with tradition by signing a player to a big contract extension one year before he would become a free agent. Today’s big news was that Cam Ward’s contract was extended for six years at an average of $6.3M. He would have become a restricted free agent in July, but like Eric Staal last summer, JR wanted to get it taken care of. And we’re glad he did.
Starting with the 2010-11 season, Ward will be the third highest paid goaltender in the league and the second highest payed player on the Hurricanes. The team has made a major commitment to the two cornerstones of the franchise, and the significance isn’t lost on Ward.
“I realize I’m being paid to be an elite goaltender. I realize there’s added pressure that always comes with something like this.I do not want to shy away from it. If anything, I want to rise to the occasion.... I’m not going to get complacent. I want to get better and better and be one of those elite goaltenders in the NHL ”
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Tags: Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes,
Staal: The Next Generation
by David Lee on 09/23/09 at 08:20 PM ET
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Eric Staal sat out of practice today. Not because of some injury or illness that would have us all worried. Nothing like that at all. His wife Tanya gave birth to the couple’s first child—a boy—on Tuesday, and he spent the day with her and their newborn son.
Parker Lucas Staal won’t grow up with a makeshift hockey rink in the back yard. He won’t grow up working on a sod farm either. He will, though, have a destiny that Hurricanes prospect Brandon Sutter knows all about. A father and uncles who were all not only players, but star players in the NHL. A name to live up to. Some would call it a cross to bear. Awfully big shoes to fill.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal,
Sutter presents dilemma
by David Lee on 09/23/09 at 08:28 AM ET
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The Hurricanes have trimmed their training camp roster to 27 players, and they will need to get it down to 22 for opening night. Of that number, twenty are already NHL regulars. The player who is standing head and shoulders above the rest is Brandon Sutter. Sutter already has 50 NHL games under his belt from last season, when he made the roster not because he was ready, but because the Canes needed him whether he was ready or not.
A little piece on the team’s official website highlighted Sutter’s off-season improvements, his strong showing at the prospects tourney in Traverse City and his quest to make the big club this fall. I haven’t been to a practice or to a preseason game, so I’ll have to take Jim Rutherford’s word when he says:
”Brandon Sutter’s camp has been outstanding. He leads the pack, and it’s not even close.”
While he might be having a great camp, it might not be the best thing for him to make the final roster in Raleigh.
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Tags: Brandon+Sutter, Carolina+Hurricanes,
Canes drop preseason opener
by David Lee on 09/19/09 at 10:35 AM ET
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On Friday night, in front of a sparse crowd, the Hurricanes lost their preseason opener 4-2 to the Nashville Predators. While some of the stars sat this one out, Eric Staal, Erik Cole, Tuomo Ruutu, Ray Whitney and Cam Ward were among the Canes regulars who suited up for the exhibition. All reports indicate that some of these guys were in season form while some of the younger guys were definitely not.
Erik Cole scored the first goal of the game on the power play late in the first period. The Canes had a woeful time on the power play, converting only one of seven opportunities.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Nashville+Predators, preseason,
Hedi retires with “almost” no regrets.
by David Lee on 09/16/09 at 11:02 PM ET
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Veteran defenseman Bret Hedican announced his overdue retirement today. The line in every article about this is that he has no regrets. In Raleigh, however, there’s a slightly different line in the story.
In the 17-year veteran’s prepared statement, he said: “I’m proud to have played this game for as long as I have and I’m leaving with no regrets.” There’s a similar line in an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune where he recalls NorthStars legend Curt Giles telling the rookie Hedican to cherish every moment of his career.
In Raleigh, however, the line is that Hedican’s one regret is that he didn’t retire as a Hurricane.
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Tags: Bret+Hedican, Carolina+Hurricanes,
Baby Canes lose, but G Mike Murphy continues to make a name.
by David Lee on 09/09/09 at 07:48 PM ET
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On Wednesday, the Hurricanes prospects lost in their final round robin game to the Atlanta Thrashers prospects by the score of 7-3. The game was virtually meaningless, as Carolina was guaranteed to advance to the championship game no matter what. On Thursday night, they’ll face the winner of this evening’s game between Minnesota’s and St. Louis’ prospect squads.
Mike Murphy, who was the winner in the first two games, started the game and gave up two goals through two periods. Alain Valiquette started the third period and had a brutal time, surrendering five goals in the last period. Earlier today, NHL.com ran a nice article about Murphy.
Zach Boychuk and Matt Kennedy each scored for the third time in three games. Depending on which account is accurate, either Harrison Reed or defenseman Michal Jordan scored the Canes’ other goal.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Mike+Murphy, prospects,
Baby Canes win again in Traverse City
by David Lee on 09/07/09 at 09:26 PM ET
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On Monday, the “Baby Hurricanes” won their second game of the Traverse City prospects tournament by defeating the host Red Wings prospects 5-3. Carolina is now 2-0 in the East bracket of the tourney and will conclude round robin play on Wednesday against Atlanta’s prospects.
Mike Murphy was in nets again for the Canes. While never trailed on Sunday, they were down 2-0 in the second period and entere the third period of game two trailing 3-2. Harrison Reed, Zach Boychuk and Chris Terry scored the markers in the third. Matt Pistilli and Matt Kennedy both scored in the second.
Kennedy and Boychuk each have two goals in the tournament
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, prospects,
Stephane Yelle joins the Canes
by David Lee on 08/19/09 at 06:46 PM ET
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On Wednesday, the Hurricanes made a surprising announcement. They’ve signed veteran center Stéphane Yelle to a one-year contract valued at $550k. The 35-year old Ottawa native played last season with the Bruins, tallying 18 (7/11) points in 77 games. He added one assist in 11 playoff games.
Yelle is the third player who started last season on the Bruins roster and will start this season with the Canes. The 6’1” 195lb two-way player also played with the Flames and the Avalanche in his 14 year career. He won the Cup with Colorado in 1996 and 2001.
This is a great signing for the Hurricanes, as Yelle will bring more leadership and experience to the team. This signing completes Carolina’s business for the summer, and it will have an impact on some of the players who are already under contract. Mostly, Brandon Sutter and Jussi Jokinen.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Stephane+Yelle,
Frankie bought out, Tommy B going to USHHOF
by David Lee on 07/28/09 at 07:47 PM ET
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On Tuesday, the Hurricanes made the very boring and fully expected announcement that they have bought out the contract of Frantisek Kaberle. The 35-year old rearguard had one year left on a contract that would have paid him $2.2M this season. Instead, he’ll be paid $1.467M, spread over two years.
Kaberle scored the cup-winning goal in 2006 and underwent shoulder surgery that summer. After that, he was never the same. In addition to never regaining his old form, Joe Corvo was brought in, followed by Joni Pitkänen. This pretty much rendered him expendable. Those other two guys are better at the “offensive defenseman” stuff and actually passable in their own end. The same cannot be said for Kaberle. I don’t want to take away from what he did for the Hurricanes, but the ugly truth is that he was an absolute nightmare in his own end and by the end of the 2007-08 season, he’d lost at least a step in the offensive end. He became a healthy scratch/seventh defenseman/fill-in player. $2.2M is way too much money to pay a guy to eat popcorn. The rest of us pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to eat popcorn at the games. While some fans are clinging to the sentimentality of the guy who scored the cup-winner, most of us saw a player that was no longer earning his keep and who no longer had a purpose on the team.
There was also another, happier, non-derisive announcement out of Raleigh.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Frantisek+Kaberle, Tom+Barrasso,
Canes beef up defense with A-Ward
by David Lee on 07/24/09 at 05:05 PM ET
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On Friday, the Hurricanes announced a trade that might not have been expected, but shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. They sent the disappointing Patrick Eaves and a fourth round draft pick in 2010 to the Bruins for former fan favorite Aaron Ward. With this trade, Carolina takes on an extra $1.1M in salary, and the blueline just became a little crowded. I’d say Frantisek Kaberle’s minutes are numbered and a buyout is imminent.
In related news, the Bruins immediately put Patrick Eaves on waivers, with the intent of buying him out. For the Bruins, this works out well short term because buying out Patrick eaves will cost them $500k for the next four seasons compared to buying out Ward, which would have cost them $825k for the next two seasons. It’s more cash overall to buy out Eaves, but less right now. EDIT That’s completely wrong. Read the comments to find out why.
Carolina, meanwhile, gets a familiar face and Ward gets to actually live in the Raleigh house that he bought back in 2006.
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Tags: Aaron+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Patrick+Eaves,
Canes, Ruutu agree to three year pact
by David Lee on 07/23/09 at 07:36 PM ET
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On Thursday, the Hurricanes made a very nice announcement. Tuomo Ruutu has been re-signed to a three year deal valued at $11.4M. He will be paid $3M in 2009-10, $4M in 2010-11 and $4.4M in 2011-12. The 26-year old Finn, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2001 Entry Draft, is coming off his best NHL season and his only postseason. He put up new career bests in goals (26), assists (28) and points (54). He also led the Hurricanes with 228 hits in the regular season. He had just four (1/3) points in 16 playoff games this spring.
In addition to being a reliable offensive player, Ruutu is a very big hitter and a fierce competitor. He was acquired from Chicago on February 26, 2008 in exchange for Andrew Ladd, who was the fourth overall pick in 2004. I think it’s safe to say that both teams have benefited from this trade. It took no time at all for Ruutu to endear himself to the Caniacs, as he made a big impact before he had even been in Raleigh for an hour. For details and video of that, read on
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Tuomo+Ruutu,
Canes, NHL remedy scheduling snafu
by David Lee on 07/17/09 at 05:54 PM ET
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On Friday, the NHL announced that it has rescheduled an early-season game with the Hurricanes hosting the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. The game, originally scheduled for Thursday October 15 at 7:00pm, has been moved to Wednesday October 14 at 7:00pm.
The change was to avoid a conflict with the North Carolina State Fair, which shares the parking lot and service roads with the Hurricanes. The Fair opens on the 15th. Last year, the fair brought a total of 765,067 visitors to the eleven day event, but the five year-average not including last year was 822,000 visitors per year.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, schedule,
Canes sign Andrew Alberts
by David Lee on 07/15/09 at 08:09 PM ET
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On Wednesday, the Hurricanes got their defensive defenseman. And they got the one that a lot of fans were clamoring for. Most importantly, they did it on the cheap.
The Canes signed 6’5” 218 lb blueliner Andrew Alberts to a two year deal worth a total of $2.1M. He’ll make $800k in 2009-10, which is a significant pay cut from 2008-09. In 2010-11, he’ll make $1.3M. The 28 year old Minneapolis native led the Flyers with 157 hits last season and he was third on that team with 133 blocked shots. He earned $1.4M last season, so this is an extraordinary signing at an extraordinary price. He’s exactly what the Canes need. I didn’t think they’d be able to afford it, but somehow JR convinced him to take a significant pay cut.
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Tags: Andrew+Alberts, Carolina+Hurricanes,
Canes sign Kostopoulos
by David Lee on 07/14/09 at 07:52 PM ET
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On Tuesday, the Hurricanes made a surprise announcement that I don’t think anyone in the world saw coming. They have agreed to terms with 30-year old right wing Tom Kostopoulos. The three-year deal will pay the veteran a total of 2.75M. He’ll start with $700k in 2009-10, then $950k in 10-11, and he’ll make $1.1M in the final year of the contract. I’ll go on record as saying that while I don’t know much about Kostopoulos, what I do know is good. Sight unseen, I like this acquisition.
While few will say that this is a bad signing, I think it might have ramifications for Tuomo Ruutu, or more likely, for Patrick Eaves. The Hurricanes haven’t been making much progress in the efforts to get Ruutu re-signed, and he’s scheduled for a July 30 arbitration hearing. Does this mean the Canes have given up on that and they’re planning on “walking away” from the arbitration hearing? Probably not. I think the more likely scenario is that they’re going to give up on Patty Eaves. Perhaps neither of the above.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Tom+Kostopoulos,
Seidenberg might be back in the Canes picture
by David Lee on 07/13/09 at 09:28 PM ET
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Even before the free agency period began, the talk around Raleigh was that UFA defenseman Dennis Seidenberg wouldn’t be back with the Canes in the fall. Apparently, his agent was asking for too much. The prevailing sentiment was that the Canes were going to have to scoop someone up out of free agency. Finding a defensive defenseman is going to be tough. Given Carolina’s need to stay well below the cap, it’s going to be even tougher. I wrote a post about this yesterday, but now it seems like matters have just become more complicated. Seidenberg, who had been written off, has reemerged into the scene.
This summer has already been a roller coaster as far as Carolina’s UFAs are concerned. Erik Cole and Chad LaRose were both written off, as they pursued the free agent market. After a few days, Cole was re-signed at a significant discount. A few more days later, Chad LaRose re-signed. It seemed like it would be impossible to re-sign Dennis Seidenberg, but suddenly, things have changed. Chip Alexander wrote today in the N&O that the lines of communication have been re-opened. In a soap operatic twist, Seidenberg might be back in Raleigh after all. And there’s more…
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Dennis+Seidenberg,
Canes still need help on the blueline
by David Lee on 07/12/09 at 08:42 PM ET
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All summer long, there’s been talk of the Canes adding size and toughness to the roster. They obviously had that in mind at the draft, but none of those players will be making the Hurricanes roster this fall. They’ve added right wing Steven Goertzen, who certainly adds size (6’2” 216 lbs), and he’s reputed to be a tough guy, but he doesn’t exactly bring NHL talent. Sure, he’ll be called up a couple of times, but he’s going to be dragging his knuckles alongside Tim Conboy in Albany.
The Canes need to re-sign Tuomo Ruutu, which is the important issue for the forward lines. There’s still a bit of work to be done on the blueline. The consensus all summer long has been that Dennis Seidenberg has become too expensive to be a part of the Canes future. Now there’s word that Anton Babchuk has, for a second time, worn out his welcome in Raleigh. Carolina has five NHL defensemen under contract, and will obviously need to get at least one more signed.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, free+agency,
Canes sign “gritty” forward for Albany
by David Lee on 07/08/09 at 06:29 PM ET
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On Wednesday, the Hurricanes announced that they’re working hard on getting Ruutu re-signed for “two or three years”. Not many details are available about terms, but it’s clear that the team wants to avoid the whole arbitration process. Also, Jim Rutherford added that the Canes were going to sign a free agent or two very soon.
Indeed, the Hurricanes signed a free agent today, but he’ll have little if anything to do with the big club. 25-year old right wing Steven Goertzen was signed to a one-year two-way contract. He’ll make the league minimum of $500k if he plays in Raleigh, but the most likely scenario is that he’ll make $100k to play up in Albany. The 6’2” 216 pound Alberta native has played in 62 NHL contests and has scored four (2/2) points. All points came in a sixteen game stint with the Coyotes in 2008-09.
While some people around here are taking very short, panicked breaths about this, thinking that he’s meant to be a top nine player in Raleigh, the reality is that he will see very little time in the RBC Center. If any.
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Tags: Albany+River+Rats, Carolina+Hurricanes,
Ruutu one of 20 NHLers to file for arbitration
by David Lee on 07/06/09 at 12:57 AM ET
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On Sunday, the NHLPA announced a list of 20 NHL players who have filed for an arbitration hearing with their respective clubs. Tuomo Ruutu, a RFA, is the only Hurricanes player on that list. The date of Ruutu’s hearing isn’t known yet, but the hearings begin on July 20 and will conclude on August 4.
Last summer, Chad LaRose filed for arbitration, but he and the Hurricanes came to an agreement just a couple of days after filing and a couple of weeks before his scheduled hearing. The last time the Hurricanes actually had an arbitration hearing was when Jeff O’Neill was awarded $1.5M ... cue Conan O’Brien ... in the year 2000.
The Hurricanes have offered a perfunctory qualifying sheet, which was presumably $2.25M. This is what they must offer according to the CBA. Although they have most likely offered him more than that in negotiations, they have obviously been unable to reach an agreement. Yet. More often than not, these things don’t even make it to the hearing. I certainly hope this one doesn’t.
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Tags: arbitration, Carolina+Hurricanes, Tuomo+Ruutu,
Canes re-sign LaRose
by David Lee on 07/02/09 at 08:12 PM ET
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After a couple of rough days, the Hurricanes and Chad LaRose have finally come to terms. This is a two-year deal worth a total of $3.4M, Sharpie will make $1.5M in 2009-10 and $1.9M in 2010-11.
Perhaps LaRose found the market to be not as awesome as he figured it might be. Frankly, I’m surprised that he wasn’t snatched up quickly. I guess this ends any speculation about signing any forwards out of free agency.
Anyone who watched the Eastern Conference final series would say that LaRose was Carolina’s best skater in that series. In fact, he was one of Carolina’s best players throughout the playoffs. He finished the postseason with 11 points (4/7) points in 18 games. In the regular season, he set a new career best with 19 goals and tied his career best with 12 assists for a new career best of 31 points in 81 games played.
The rugged, versatile forward is much more than a utility guy who will do a good job as a top six fill-in. He’s a great teammate, a great guy in the room and a very popular player with the fans.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, free+agency,
Canes busy trying to replace LaRose
by David Lee on 07/01/09 at 10:45 PM ET
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After a rollercoaster couple of days when we were told that the Hurricanes and Chad LaRose were miles apart, then told that they were getting close, we’ve now been told that it’s over. Jim Rutherford put his final, final, totally final, absolutely final offer on the table earlier this afternoon. LaRose’s agent said that they would call Rutherford back “in an hour”.
Rutherford’s phone still ain’t ringing. He assumes that it still ain’t LaRose. He assumes that LaRose has something else working and he claims that the Canes are working on signing someone else. There’s no indication of who it might be, but I suspect that Mike Zigomanis might find his way back to Raleigh before the dust settles. The Penguins have parted ways with him (and also with defenseman Rob Scuderi). ---->EDIT<---- I should apologize for jumping the gun here. While the Pens have decided to move on without Mike Zigomanis, they have NOT made that decision about Rob Scuderi. The only thing they have done is allowed him to enter the free agent market, where he remains unsigned. They’re still trying to iron out a deal with him, and although some reports indicate that the Penguins are going to look elsewhere, they haven’t given up on those negotiations.
I had a few guys on my wish list, and they’re already gone.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, free+agency,
Erik Cole re-signs for hometeam discount
by David Lee on 07/01/09 at 06:48 PM ET
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Even though it seemed like the Erik Cole chapter was finally over, it continues. Today, the Hurricanes and Erik Cole agreed to terms on a two year deal that will pay him $2.8M in 2009-10 and $3M in 2010-11. The 30-year old right wing was paid $4M in 2008-09.
I gave up on him a long time ago, and I’ve written in a number of ways and on a number of times that I’m not a big fan of his anymore. Now I’ll be forced to either stand my ground or eat my hat. Honestly, I hope I’ll be eating my hat, but either way it’s a good sign that he agreed to take a pretty significant pay cut.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Cole,
Still no progress with Canes UFAs
by David Lee on 06/30/09 at 10:06 PM ET
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Today is the last day for teams to re-sign their potential UFAs before they enter the market at noon on Wednesday. Everyone in Raleigh was hoping that an announcement would come that the team had come to terms with Chad LaRose. It didn’t. As expected, there was also no announcement about Erik Cole. Jim Rutherford has made it clear that he will not initiate any more negotiations with them. He has put “final offers” on the table. Ryan Bayda has also declined Carolina’s “final offer” and will test the free agent market. Although no doors are permanently shut and no bridges are burned, this has ruffled Jim Rutherford’s feathers.
“If they go into tomorrow then they’re obviously making the choice to go somewhere else,” he said. “We’ve given our best offer within our budget to try to keep them, and at this point it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”
Contrast that quote with one about Jussi Jokinen, which I’ll point to later in this post.
Rutherford has also pledged not to be aggressive in the FA market and might wait until August to sign anyone. He went as far as to tell Puck Daddy that the only thing he’d be signing on July 1 would be a birthday card to his cousin. ...
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, Erik+Cole, free+agency,
Hurricanes re-sign Jokinen
by David Lee on 06/29/09 at 06:54 PM ET
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On Monday, the Hurricanes agreed to terms with forward Jussi Jokinen on a two-year deal. He will earn $1.5M in 2009-10 and &1.9M in 2010-11.
This is a huge coup for the Canes, as they have saved a bit of money by signing him before he became a RFA on Wednesday.
Jokinen made $1.875 last season, and was one of many casualties in Tampa. He joined the Hurricanes in February after a trade sent Wade Brookbank, Josef Melichar and a fourth round pick in this year’s draft to the Lightning. Brookbank and Melichar were pieces of garbage, so this was really a fourth round pick for Jokinen.
The 26-year old Finn, who is no relation to Olli Jokinen, scored just one goal and ten assists in 25 regular season games for the Hurricanes. Not counted in those stats was a shootout winner against the Sabres. He was a stud in the playoffs, scoring seven goals and adding four assists for a total of eleven points in 18 postseason games played. Of those seven postseason goals, three were game-winners, including the game four winner against New Jersey with 00:00.2 showing on the clock.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Jussi+Jokinen,
Canes go off the board with Paradis
by David Lee on 06/27/09 at 10:53 AM ET
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In the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Hurricanes went “off-board”, selecting a player that nobody really expected to go in the first round. With Carter Ashton, Zach Budish and Landon Ferraro still available, the Hurricanes selected center/left wing Philippe Paradis from the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. This is an unusual pick in a number of ways, not the least of which is that he’s French-Canadian.
While the Hurricanes are disposed to pick North American players in the first round, they very seldomly pick a player from La Belle Province. In fact, the Hurricanes have never selected a Quebeccer in the first round. The Whale drafted J-S Giguere 13th overall in 1995
Paradis helps to fill one of Carolina’s needs, which is size. Jim Rutherford made it known that the Hurricanes were going to get a player with some size this weekend, whether through the draft or via trade. Paradis stands 6’2” and is 195 pounds, but he’s just 18 years old and will probably fill out (and possibly grow) some more. He registered 50 (19/31) points in 64 regular season games for the Cataractes this season. He also had 12 (6/6) points in 21 postseason games, going to the finals of the President Cup playoffs.
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Tags: 2009+Entry+Draft, Carolina+Hurricanes, Philippe+Paradis,
Seidenberg not in Canes future
by David Lee on 06/22/09 at 08:20 PM ET
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Today the news came that defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, scheduled to become an UFA on July 1, will most likely not be back in Raleigh this fall. According to the News & Observer, the Canes won’t be willing to pay him what he thinks he’s worth. Jim Rutherford had this to say:
“Based on my conversation with his agent, and where they think he’s at, he’s a long way out of our reach.
The 27-year-old German has spent the last two and a half seasons with Carolina after coming over when the Hurricanes traded Kevyn Adams to the Hamilton ... Kansas City… Phoenix Coyotes in January of 2007. He put up career bests in goals, assists, points, games played. He also managed to stay, for the most part, injury free.
This, coupled with another possible exiting blueliner, means that Carolina’s defense will have a different look next season, and they’re probably gonna have to break tradition and become a buyer in the free agent market.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Dennis+Seidenberg, Frantisek+Kaberle, free+agency., Rob+Scuderi,
Chairman Mo gets three more years
by David Lee on 06/15/09 at 07:06 PM ET
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On Monday, the Hurricanes finally made the announcement that we all knew was coming. Paul Maurice has officially been signed to a new three year deal to coach the Hurricanes. Ron Francis will be retained as an associate coach and will be the Director of Player Development. None of this should be a surprise to anyone.
Carolina will now get to working on getting some of those forwards re-signed. And on looking for a cheap alternative to Erik Cole. Jim Rutherford has done a good job picking up quality stuff out of the bargain bin over the last few years. He has also always worked with a limited budget well below the upper limit of the salary cap. This will naturally preclude going after a big dollar free agent. To clarify my stance from yesterday’s post, my opinion is that the Hurricanes won’t be big players in the FA market. I wish they would get a top notch winger for Staal, but I know that the reality of it is that they won’t be spending big dollars.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Paul+Maurice,
Canes off-season. The forwards
by David Lee on 06/14/09 at 03:57 PM ET
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So we’ve got a few days before the Awards Show, then another week before the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Carolina will have the 27th overall pick, and most prognosticators are saying that Carolina will draft a defenseman.
A few days after the draft, the real fun begins. The free agent signing period. Carolina has never been a big spender in the FA signing period, and I don’t expect them to be this summer. Their primary focus will be on re-signing the guys they have, then picking someone up in the bargain bin. Last summer, they were inactive in the FA market, but made the blockbuster trade with the Oilers, sending Erik Cole that way for Joni Pitkänen.
This summer, while some people are dreaming up elaborate ways to get Dany Heatley here, I expect little if any activity from the Hurricanes camp. At least not as far as the forwards are concerned.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, Erik+Cole, free+agency, Jussi+Jokinen, Tuomo+Ruutu,
What about Albany?
by David Lee on 06/02/09 at 01:54 PM ET
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There’s something that’s gotten lost in the shuffle of all the Hurricanes “big” issues this summer. People have pretty much assumed that Carolina will offer a head coaching contract to Paul Maurice, removing the “interim” from his title. It’s not in stone yet, but it’s a safe bet. There’s some contention about which of the free agents should be re-signed and which should be allowed to walk. I’ll go in depth about each of those at some point before July 1. So far, nobody’s talking about the expired contract with Albany.
Carolina has used the Albany River Rats as its AHL team for the last three seasons. In 2006-07, they shared the team with the Colorado Avalanche. For the last two seasons, it has been all Carolina. That contract expired at the end of the 2008-09 season. I haven’t heard anything about whether they will renew that association or if the Hurricanes will look elsewhere. Say, Iowa…
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Tags: Albany+River+Rats, Carolina+Hurricanes, off-season,
Brind’Amour: “I won’t retire”
by David Lee on 05/28/09 at 04:55 PM ET
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For most of this season and especially during the postseason, I’ve been pretty vocal about Rod Brind’Amour. I’ve said countless times and in a number of ways that I wish he would retire this summer. There are a lot of things that need to be resolved this summer. Although Brindy is still under contract through the 2010-11 season, many Caniacs think that Brind’Amour should call it a day. Just two days after the Hurricanes’ playoff season ended, the captain announced that he will NOT be retiring.
“I made a commitment a while ago to play and I’ve got a contract to play it out. So it’s definitely what the plan is… Personally you have to believe in yourself. I would not play the game if I did not think I could still do it. And not just as a fourth-line player. My goal is to get back and contribute with this team as I feel like I can. That’s what I have to do now. Next year I will come back and prove I can do that.”
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Rod+Brind'Amour.,
Canes season ends, questions begin
by David Lee on 05/26/09 at 10:52 PM ET
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On Tuesday night, the Penguins defeated the Hurricanes 4-1 to complete the series sweep. The Penguins will advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the second year in a row where they will most likely play the Red Wings. The rematch of last year’s final will probably pan out the same way, thanks to Sidney Crosby’s taunting of the hockey gods.
After the presentation of the Prince of Wales trophy, the Penguins captain lifted the prize and skated around with it a little. This is, of course, very bad in the eyes of the hockey gods. The Tampa Bay Lightning got away with that gaffe in 2004 and the New Jersey Devils just a few years before that, but it’s generally considered a Plexico Burris to lift the POW.
Hats off to the Pens, who were far and away the better team throughout the series. Even when Carolina was able to play their own game, and even when they were able to contain Crosby and Malkin, the Penguins were way too good. Especially M-A Fleury, who was absolutely remarkable tonight.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Marc-Andre+Fleury, Pittsburgh+Penguins, playoffs,
Pens crush Canes 6-2, tighten noose.
by David Lee on 05/23/09 at 10:45 PM ET
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On Saturday night, the Penguins all but ended the Hurricanes postseason with a 6-2 whipping. Evgeni Malkin led the way with two goals and an assist and is looking very much like he could be the Conn Smythe winner. The Pens have a commanding 3-0 series lead in what was supposed to be a good series.
Despite scoring first and getting the home crowd going, the Canes were awful for the rest of the first period, allowing the Penguins to do what they do.
For the second game in a row, the story behind the story is that Carolina’s defense was horrible. On Malkin’s first goal, Tim Gleason made a pathetic attempt to clear the puck, putting it right on Malkin’s stick in the slot area. On Crosby’s goal, Joni Pitkänen let #87 just waltz right in, making no effort to stop Crosby or the fantastic pass from Billy Guerin. On Malkin’s second goal, it was again some sloppy play by Gleason.
Carolina gave up not one, but two goals in the last minute of the first period, and it seemed like the game was already over.
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Tags: Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Evgeni+Malkin, Pittsburgh+Penguins, playoffs,
Mo likely to stay in Raleigh
by David Lee on 05/22/09 at 09:15 PM ET
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Go ahead and remove the “interim” tag from Paul Maurice’s position with the Hurricanes.
According to JP Giglio in today’s N&O, Mo will most likely be signed to a new contract as head coach of the Hurricanes. It’s not a lock, but it’s about as close to certain as it could be. Jim Rutherford typically doesn’t deal with player or coach contracts while the team is still playing, but he has given his vote of confidence.
“The fact of the matter is something extraordinary would have to come up for this coaching staff not to return,” Rutherford said. “But I still want to wait and go through the process when we’re finished playing.”
Technically speaking, Maurice is still under contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Peter Laviolette is officially under contract with the Canes. Maurice’s contract expires in June, While Laviolette’s was to run through the 2010-11 season.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Paul+Maurice,
Ryan Bayda fined, not suspended
by David Lee on 05/22/09 at 03:50 PM ET
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Late in Thursday’s 7-4 loss to the Penguins, Carolina’s Ryan Bayda delivered a cross-check to the face of Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang. The check sparked a mini-brawl that resulted in a total of 42 penalty minutes being assessed. Bayda was given a match penalty, which comes with an automatic one-game suspension pending review.
On Friday, the league reviewed the incident and decided to rescind the suspension. Instead, they fined Bayda $2500, which is the maximum player fine allowable under the new CBA.
This is the second time this postseason that a Carolina player has had an “automatic” suspension rescinded. Scott Walker had a suspension rescinded prior to game six of the CAR/BOS series. Walker eventually scored the series-winning goal in game seven. Will Bayda duplicate the feat?
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, discipline, Pittsburgh+Penguins, playoffs, Ryan+Bayda,
Evgeni Malkin sinks the Canes
by David Lee on 05/21/09 at 10:31 PM ET
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On Thursday night, the Penguins and Hurricanes played game two of their series after 72 hours off. It was expected to be a great game, and it was for two periods. If you’re a Penguins fan, it got even better than “great” when Evgeni Malkin took control of the game in period three, leading his team to an easy 7-4 win.
The first period was complete chaos. Five goals and just two penalties. The second period, where the Penguins have traditionally sputtered, ended up being crucial in that they dominated the period in every way. The third period was all Malkin.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Evgeni+Malkin, Pittsburgh+Penguins, playoffs,
