Red & Black Hockey
Entries with the tag: Eric+Staal
Canes lose fourth in a row
by David Lee on 01/16/09 at 02:34 PM ET
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On Thursday night, with a nearly full house, the Hurricanes lost a very exciting game 6-4 to the Leafs. The game was pretty much a microcosm of the Hurricanes season. Long stretches of disappointment punctuated with brief but intense moments of inspiration. It was also one of the most intense regular season games I’ve ever attended.
The Canes stood around for 37 minutes while the Leafs built a 4-0 lead. Then they got a fluky goal from Matt Cullen with about two to play in the second. The Canes came out on fire in the third, completely owning the first 12 minutes of the period. On second period markers from Tuomo Ruutu, Eric Staal and Scott Walker, Carolina climbed all the way back to tie the game. And then the wheels fell off.
Carolina gave up a four-on-three power play goal to Tomas Kaberle late in the third, then an empty netter from Jason Blake. It completed the hat trick for Blake and closed the scoring out at 6-4.
It was another painful loss, the fourth in a row. However, some good things did happen, even if that only lasted 14 minutes.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Jason+Blake, Ray+Whitney, Tim+Gleason, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Canes climb to seventh
by David Lee on 01/03/09 at 01:55 PM ET
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With a 2-1 win over the Blues on Friday night, the Hurricanes moved out of a two-way tie for the eighth spot in the East and into sole possession of seventh place, leapfrogging Buffalo and Pittsburgh in a single bound. Both teams have a game in hand, and both will be in action this afternoon. Carolina will be in Tampa tonight, hoping to fortify their position.
Carolina’s top line of Eric Staal flanked by Sergei Samsonov and Tuomo Ruutu had their second consecutive five point night. Staal scored the game’s first goal while Ruutu and SerSam had two assists apiece. On New Year’s Eve, SerSam had 2/1 while Staal and Ruutu had one assist each. Tonight, they will have a chance to have another very productive night against a bad Tampa team. There are no easy games, but the Bolts are just not very good.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Sergei+Samsonov, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tuomo+Ruutu,
Canes sneak by Habs, Staal emerging
by David Lee on 12/17/08 at 08:39 AM ET
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On Tuesday, the Hurricanes took advantage of 11 power play opportunities, cashing in on three of them to defeat the visiting Canadiens 3-2. In the process, Eric Staal potted two goals and Sergei Samsonov earned two assists.
Slowly but surely, Staal is getting back to where he should be. And so are the Canes. There’s no denying that this has been a sub-par season for the Canes in the win column and for Staal on the stats sheet. In the past six games, Carolina has earned seven standings points. For the first time all season, they’ve earned at least a point in four consecutive games. Eric Staal has a four game point streak, which is also a first this season. In those four games, #12 has seven (4/3) points, including two two-goal games.
It’s great to see Staal coming to life because thus far this season, that old saying is perfectly applicable. “As Staal goes, so go the Canes.” When he scores, the Canes are 7-0-1.
Sergei Samsonov is also coming to life. In the last six games, he has six (2/4) points. He, too, is getting to the kind of production he was giving the Canes last season.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Montreal+Canadiens, Paul+Maurice, Segei+Samsonov,
Canes win critical SE match. Another defenseman gets hurt.
by David Lee on 12/07/08 at 09:28 PM ET
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On Sunday, the Hurricanes hosted the Southeast leading Capitals for a twilight matinee that was the back end of a back-to-back for each team. Carolina needed to win this game in regulation to avoid falling eight points behind the Caps. A regulation win is exactly what they got. Late goals by Eric Staal and Ray Whitney gave the black-clad Hurricanes a 3-1 win over their rival and the first win in the second reign of Chairman Mo.
For the first time in 13 games, the Canes scored first. Reason enough to celebrate. For the first time in six home games, they won. Even more reason.
Although the game ended well, it was not without a price. Anton Babchuk left the game midway through the third with what appeared to be a shoulder or chest injury. He will now join the ridiculously large group of injured defensemen that includes Frantisek Kaberle, Tim Gleason, Nic Wallin and Dennis Seidenberg. Brett Carson was just called up from Albany, but this almost certainly will necessitate the recall of another Albany rearguard.
Still, though, there was plenty of good to go around.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, MIchael+Leighton., Ray+Whitney, Washington+Capitals,
Canes smash Yotes, Staal ends slide
by David Lee on 11/21/08 at 11:25 PM ET
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On Friday, the Hurricanes crushed the visiting Coyotes 5-2. Coach Wayne Gretzky’s comments about Eric Staal in the Raleigh paper this morning turned out to be kind of eerily prophetic. Not only did Staal snap his eight game goal scoring skid, but he had a hat trick and the game’s first star.
Added to that, Carolina kept Olli Jokinen off the scoresheet.
I predicted that Staal would come off the schneid tonight by getting “a cheap one”. I was wrong about that, but I’ll gladly take the three goals. None of them were cheap.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Phoenix+Coyotes,
Jokinen, Yotes come to Raleigh.
by David Lee on 11/21/08 at 04:28 PM ET
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On Friday, Olli “Cane Killa” Jokinen and the Phoenix Coyotes will be in Raleigh for the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Phoenix has won the last four games between the teams and the Yotes are the only Pacific Division team who the Hurricanes have not beaten post-lockout.
Carolina was thrilled to see Jokinen traded away from Florida over the summer, as he has absolutely owned the Canes historically. In 50 career games against the Hurricanes, the Finn has 52 (20/32) points, which is the most points any player has scored against them.
Shutting him down will be priority number one for the Canes. On the other side, Phoenix is very aware of Eric Staal’s slide. They’re hoping to keep him on the schneid, but when a very good player is on a cold streak, coaches get nervous. So says Wayne Gretzky, anyway.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Olli+Jokinen, Phoenix+Coyotes,
Hurricanes win rough game on the Island
by David Lee on 10/25/08 at 11:31 PM ET
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On Saturday, the Hurricanes needed some big-time heroics from goaltender Cam Ward to hang on to a 4-3 victory. Although he was on the bench for the two previous games, he wasn’t the least bit rusty. He made 57 saves, including a stop on a penalty shot with less than one second to play in regulation. He was easily the game’s first star by anyone’s account. Except, of course, the Islanders radio network, which picks the “official” three stars. Somehow, they left Ward off the card entirely. Although the game ended well, it wasn’t all pie and cake for Carolina.
The Hurricanes got off to a good start, pushing off to a 2-0 lead early in the first. The last time the Hurricanes led a game 2-0 was March 28 of last season in a 7-1 win over the Thrashers. Throughout the second and third periods, the Canes committed one penalty after another, putting themselves perpetually on the PK. The good news is that the defense responded well to that, killing seven of eight penalties. But there was bad news They gave up a shorthanded goal, and they lost two players to injury.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Brandon+Sutter, Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chad+LaRose, Doug+Weight, Eric+Staal, injuries, New+York+Islanders,
Canes down Ducks
by David Lee on 10/20/08 at 01:43 AM ET
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On Sunday night, the Hurricanes needed some heroics from goaltender Michael Leighton in order to squeak out a 3-1 victory in Anaheim. The Canes took three of a possible four points in California, getting the six game road trip off to a good start.
Michael Leighton got his second start of the year, and he was much better than he was in his win against Tampa. Partial credit on that goes to better defense in front of him, denying second chances. Mostly, though, the credit is his for having better rebound control and better awareness.
Rod Brind’Amour and Eric Staal got key goals late in the game, and Ryan Bayda continued his impressive campaign by scoring his second goal of the season.
Filed in: Carolina Hurricanes, NHL Hockey | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Brandon+Sutter, Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Michael+Leighton, Nic+Wallin,
Carolina wins another wild one
by David Lee on 10/12/08 at 12:23 AM ET
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For the second time in as many nights, the Hurricanes dug a hole for themselves in the first period. For the second time, they climbed all the way out. This time, they needed overtime to do it, but they beat the Lightning 4-3.
On Friday night, Carolina got scoring from a bunch of unlikely sources. Tonight, they brought out the big guns. Matt Cullen had one marker, Rod Brind’Amour had one, and Eric Staal had two, including the game-winner.
Carolina was very sluggish and undisciplined early on, but as the game wore on, they were the team with all the jump and none of the penalties.
Filed in: | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes.+Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Eric+Staal, game+recap, Joni+Pitkanen, Michael+Leighton,
Canes close preseason with win
by David Lee on 10/05/08 at 06:16 PM ET
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After losing the first three exhibition games (and looking bad doing so) the Hurricanes rattled off three straight wins to finish the preseason. Carolina will start playing games that count on Friday with a home game against the Panthers.
Eric Staal and Ray Whitney scored today for a 2-0 shutout over the Preds. Cam Ward went the distance, making 31 stops with both teams pretty much fielding the “A team”.
For the first time all preseason, Rod Brind’Amour played. He skated 19 shifts for a total of 15:04 of ice time. He took just 13 of the faceoffs, compared to 17 taken by Brandon Sutter. This was pretty much the plan: to use him sparingly.
Filed in: Carolina Hurricanes | Red and Black Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Brandon+Sutter, Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Eric+Staal, Joni+Pitkanen, Patrick+Eaves, preseason, Rod+Brind'Amour,
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