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Game Preview #12 - Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

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The Jackets are starting to get healthy, little by little. Tonight, it's Boone Jenner and Matt Calvert. Every little bit helps.

Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets

November 4, 2014 - 7:00 PM EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

Alas, it has come to this. These two games could, legitimately, put the Jackets into the division cellar. The Canes have played one fewer game, so if they can get two more points than Columbus in these two games they would pass Columbus. Make no mistake: Carolina is a bad, bad team. But, right now (over the past five games), so is Columbus.

However, there is some hope on the horizon. This team is--however slowly--starting to get healthy. Matt Calvert AND Boone Jenner are officially off the IR list, and are slated to play tonight. Count me among those that thinks even a rusty Calvert and Jenner are better options than Adam Cracknell and Corey Tropp. The extra energy (think these guys aren't chomping at the bit, especially Jenner?) and skill makes Columbus that much better on its face.

That said, they may be without Ryan Murray who was not participating in the morning skate this morning. Fredric St. Denis was called up yesterday, and he may get the start if Murray is not able to go. This could be problematic, as Curtis McElhinney hasn't been at his best since Sergei Bobrovsky went down. The Jackets' PK, also, has been abysmal of late, killing just 16 of their 25 times shorthanded over the last six games (1-5-0). That's a 64% success rate, and that is frankly just terrible.

Carolina hasn't been good on offense at even strength, but their Power Play has actually not been bad. The Canes have scored just 21 goals in 10 games, and seven of those goals (33.3%) have come on the Power Play. They have the players in Staal, Skinner, and Semin to put the puck in the net on the Power Play, and so the Jackets need to be disciplined and also solid on the PK. I think Calvert and Jenner can help with the latter, but the former would go a long way toward keeping things in check; just don't take dumb penalties and give them chances!

In net for Carolina, they're trying to find a hot hand to ride, as neither Cam Ward (.885 sv%) nor Anton Khudobin (.891 sv%) has been good. That said, Ward is riding a two-game winning streak that included just two goals allowed in two games against Arizona and Los Angeles. But, if Columbus can pepper Ward with shots, the stats say that eventually he'll crack.

Honestly, the Jackets played hard on Saturday, but just didn't have the talent on the ice to overcome the inevitable bad bounces. Tonight, they're closer to icing a team we can expect to win, especially against a bad team like Carolina. This team just needs a win, honestly. Let's start it off tonight.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(4-7-0, 8 Points; 7th division, 14th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsNick FolignoJack Skille
Matt CalvertAlexander WennbergBoone Jenner
Marko DanoMichael ChaputJared Boll
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Tim ErixonDalton Prout
Frederic St. DenisDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Carolina Hurricanes
(2-6-2, 6 Points; 8th Division, 16th Conference)

Jiri TlustyEric StaalAlexander Semin
Nathan GerbeRiley NashElias Lindholm
Jeff SkinnerJay McClementPatrick Dwyer
Chris TerryVictor RaskZach Boychuk
Andrej SekeraJustin Faulk
Tim GleasonJay Harrison
Ron HainseyBrett Bellemore
Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Season Series

11/04/14 - Carolina at Columbus
11/07/14 - Columbus at Carolina
03/10/15 - Columbus at Carolina
03/15/15 - Carolina at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

CarolinaColumbus
2.10 (27)GPG2.54 (21)
3.30 (24)GAPG3.36 (26)
21.9% (8)PP%19.6% (13)
80.0% (19)PK%75.0% (26)
Jiri Tlusty, 6G leaderCam Atkinson / Ryan Johansen, 5
Riley Nash, 5A leaderScott Hartnell, 9
Jiri Tlusty, 8Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 13
Jay Harrison, 31PIM leaderJared Boll, 28
0-5-1Road/Home2-3-0
2-6-2Last 103-7-0
11/02 vs. Los Angeles, W 3-2Last Game11/01 @ New Jersey, L 3-2

Game Day #12 - Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes

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The Jackets are starting to get healthy, little by little. Tonight, it's Boone Jenner and (possibly) Matt Calvert. Every little bit helps.

Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets

November 4, 2014 - 7:00 PM EST
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

Alas, it has come to this. These two games could, legitimately, put the Jackets into the division cellar. The Canes have played one fewer game, so if they can get two more points than Columbus in these two games they would pass Columbus. Make no mistake: Carolina is a bad, bad team. But, right now (over the past five games), so is Columbus.

However, there is some hope on the horizon. This team is--however slowly--starting to get healthy. Matt Calvert AND Boone Jenner are officially off the IR list, and are slated to play tonight. Count me among those that things even a rusty Calvert and Jenner are better options than Adam Cracknell and Corey Tropp. The extra energy (think these guys aren't chomping at the bit, especially Jenner?) and skill makes Columbus that much better on its face.

That said, they may be without Ryan Murray who was not participating in the morning skate this morning. Fredric St. Denis was called up yesterday, and he may get the start if Murray is not able to go. This could be problematic, as Curtis McElhinney hasn't been at his best since Sergei Bobrovsky went down. The Jackets' PK, also, has been abysmal of late, killing just 16 of their 25 times shorthanded over the last six games (1-5-0). That's a 64% success rate, and that is frankly just terrible.

Carolina hasn't been good on offense at even strength, but their Power Play has actually not been bad. The Canes have scored just 21 goals in 10 games, and seven of those goals (33.3%) have come on the Power Play. They have the players in Staal, Skinner, and Semin to put the puck in the net on the Power Play, and so the Jackets need to be disciplined and also solid on the PK. I think Calvert and Jenner can help with the latter, but the former would go a long way toward keeping things in check; just don't take dumb penalties and give them chances!

In net for Carolina, they're trying to find a hot hand to ride, as neither Cam Ward (.885 sv%) nor Anton Khudobin (.891 sv%) has been good. That said, Ward is riding a two-game winning streak that included just two goals allowed in two games against Arizona and Los Angeles. But, if Columbus can pepper Ward with shots, the stats say that eventually he'll crack.

Honestly, the Jackets played hard on Saturday, but just didn't have the talent on the ice to overcome the inevitable bad bounces. Tonight, they're closer to icing a team we can expect to win, especially against a bad team like Carolina. This team just needs a win, honestly. Let's start it off tonight.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(4-7-0, 8 Points; 7th division, 14th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsNick FolignoJack Skille
Matt CalvertAlexander WennbergBoone Jenner
Marko DanoMichael ChaputJared Boll
Fedor TyutinJack Johnson
Tim ErixonDalton Prout
Frederic St. DenisDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Carolina Hurricanes
(2-6-2, 6 Points; 8th Division, 16th Conference)

Jiri TlustyEric StaalAlexander Semin
Nathan GerbeRiley NashElias Lindholm
Jeff SkinnerJay McClementPatrick Dwyer
Chris TerryVictor RaskZach Boychuk
Andrej SekeraJustin Faulk
Tim GleasonJay Harrison
Ron HainseyBrett Bellemore
Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Season Series

11/04/14 - Carolina at Columbus
11/07/14 - Columbus at Carolina
03/10/15 - Columbus at Carolina
03/15/15 - Carolina at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

CarolinaColumbus
2.10 (27)GPG2.54 (21)
3.30 (24)GAPG3.36 (26)
21.9% (8)PP%19.6% (13)
80.0% (19)PK%75.0% (26)
Jiri Tlusty, 6G leaderCam Atkinson / Ryan Johansen, 5
Riley Nash, 5A leaderScott Hartnell, 9
Jiri Tlusty, 8Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 13
Jay Harrison, 31PIM leaderJared Boll, 28
0-5-1Road/Home2-3-0
2-6-2Last 103-7-0
11/02 vs. Los Angeles, W 3-2Last Game11/01 @ New Jersey, L 3-2

Number To Know: Record-Breaking Game-Winning Goals

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Today's Number To Know looks at game-winning goals.

Number To Know

4 — Game-winning goals for Elias Lindholm, the most of any Swedish player in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history, after the 19-year-old winger was credited with the deciding tally in Sunday’s win over the Kings. Lindholm accomplished the feat in just 68 career games, surpassing longtime Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin (517 games) and former Whalers Ulf Samuelsson (463 games) and Mikael Andersson (165 games), who all had three game-winners with the franchise.

The team has had just 10 Swedish players in its history, all defensemen or forwards, and only five since moving to North Carolina: Lindholm, Wallin, Victor Rask, Tommy Westlund and Niklas Nordgren. Lindholm is also the first and only Swede to score a power play goal for the Hurricanes, having registered four in his career (three behind franchise-leader Michael Nylander).

Ron Francis is first in franchise history with 57 game-winning goals (40 with Hartford, 17 with Carolina), and Eric Staal is first since the franchise relocated with 43.

NYR Capology: Assessing the Current State of Affairs

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The New York Rangers entered the 2014-15 season with a payroll and set of contracts that cannot be described as anything but "up against it." As it was prior to the Derek Stepan injury that landed him on Long Term Injured Reserve ("LTIR"), the Rangers were pushing over the top of the $69 million cap ceiling, and approaching the 50 professional contract limit.

Obviously injuries have altered the landscape with this team. As things currently stand today, and assuming Mats Zuccarello returns healthy and Ryan Malone, who just passed through waivers, is assigned down to the AHL (thereby reducing his salary cap hit to $0 while he plays there, I'll explain later) the cap payroll will sit at $70,021,813.

This leaves the Rangers with $1,862,964 to play with. Right now. That will change.

At this point you may be saying to yourself, "But I thought the cap ceiling was $69 million, Nick? Lawyers suck at math." This is all true. The ceiling is $69 million. And lawyers do suck at math, among other things. However, the CBA includes provisions for teams who have players on LTIR which creates a bit of cap relief.

LTIR Explained

The CBA basically provides that a team can place a player expected to miss at least 10 games and 24 days of service on LTIR. However, doing so does not remove that player's cap hit from the cap payroll, nor does it "bank" any cap space "savings" for the time that the player is out of the lineup. These are two common misconceptions that fans have. To be honest, I blame some of the mainstream media sources, who absolutely butcher this concept and make fans believe the team has money they don't.

LTIR only provides a relief valve if and when the team's cap payroll, inclusive of the LTIR player(s), begins to exceed the upper limit of $69 million. The team can exceed the limit by the value of the LTIR player's contract, minus the amount of space the team had at the time the player was placed on LTIR. For this reason, sometimes teams will make a few moves just before placing a player on LTIR to try to get their total to as close to the limit as possible, thereby maximizing the amount they can go over it once the player is moved to LTIR.

In the Rangers case, the upper limit is $69 million, right? Stepan's cap hit, which I should note is calculated by average annual value ("AAV") and not annual salary, is $3,075,000. On the day he was placed on LTIR, the team had a cap payroll that was just under the $69 million upper limit. Stepan's LTIR designation gave them about $2.3 million above the cap to play with.

Subsequent moves to stem the tide of injuries and reconfigure the lineup (sending down Malone, Fast and Miller, calling up Kostka, McIlrath, and Allen) have reduced the figure a bit overall.

However, Derek Stepan's return to the lineup is fast approaching. Once an LTIR player is healthy, the team must return to normal cap ceiling compliance. They can't bring him back until they do. They do not get to "bank" the credit of the time he missed. They do not pass Go. They do not collect $2.3 million.

The Current State of Affairs

By waiving Malone, the team is a million and change over the cap. Waived NHL contracts that are under $925,000 (the minimum salary + $375,000) can be "buried" and do not count against the team salary.

The question is, are these ducks in a row before Stepan is ready to return?


This means that the Rangers have some decisions to make about their roster. John Moore will be returning from his 5 game suspension on November 11th against the Penguins. Dan Boyle, who was not LTIRed, is rumored to be approaching a return, but the timing is unclear. Kevin Klein's status can best be described as uncertain. Any two of these thing will alleviate the burden of carrying the extra two AHL defensemen in Conner Allen and Dylan McIlrath. I would anticipate McIlrath is not long for his current roster spot and will be the first to go. Both being sent down will reduce the total team salary by the $1.2 million needed to be cap compliant for Stepan to come off LTIR. But the question is, do they happen before Stepan is ready to return? And if not, do they delay his return because of the dire straights the defense would be in, or the roster mayhem that would take place, if they did not?

No word has been given on whether Ryan McDonagh will be placed on LTIR. I suspect he will not be, but it would provide temporary relief from what could be an impending problem. That said, doing so would mean we won't see him for 10 games. Anthony Duclair can still be sent down and his contract would thus be pulled off the team salary. Could Marc Staal and his expiring contract be moved for a package of cheaper and younger defensemen? Trade rumors also swirl regarding acquiring Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Andrej Sekera. The Rangers, now desperate for short term relief, have also reportedly looked into Tomas Kaberle as a stopgap.

It is unclear as of the time of writing this article as to whether he will actually play with the team or what the terms might be if they do pursue his services.

Considering the spat of injuries and the existing cap constraints, Glenn Sather is juggling knives right now. It will be very interesting to see how the club navigates the next month or so.

Salary information compiled from capgeek.com. CBA LTIR terms refer to: Collective Bargaining Agreement Sec. 50.10(d), pp 290-294.

Want more information on a particular topic of interest? See something you still don't understand? Need another stat or CBA term defined? Contact Nick Mercadante at @nmercad on twitter or by email at nick.mercadante [at] gmail [dot] com. Or just leave a comment below!

Hurricanes 4, Blue Jackets 2

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Canes with three game winning streak, now out of last place

Don't look now but the Carolina Hurricanes are out of last place.

The Canes won their first road game of the season and third game in a row as they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-2 on Tuesday night.   Both teams have eight points now, but Carolina has a game in hand on the Jackets.

These teams will do this all over on Friday night in Raleigh.

The young kids got the job done again for Carolina as Zach Boychuk, Riley Nash, and Justin Faulk lit the lamp.  Eric Staal got the empty-netter at the end of the game to put the game away.

The Canes jumped out quickly and outshot Columbus, 18-9 while taking a 2-1 lead in the opening period.

Boychuk got his goal when he controlled a rebound off a Tim Gleason shot and backhanded the puck past Curtis McElhinney to make it 1-0.

Just a minute and change later, Nash snapped a shot past the goalie and it seemed like Carolina was in control, but Nick Foligno put in a rebound during a powerplay with just 1:01 left in the first period to keep things close.

At 6:54 into the second period, Faulk scored a shorthanded goal on a pretty move that McElhinney couldn't stop.  The goal went as unassisted as the defenseman made a nice play and got a step at center ice when he poked away the puck.

Foligno would score again later in the third period to make things interesting one more time, but the Canes would hold on as they desperately blocked shots to help their goalie, while Cam Ward made the saves he had to make.

For the game, Carolina outshot the injury laden Columbus team, 37-19.

The Canes had a scary moment 7:31 into the third when Jack Johnson leveled Jiri Tlusty with a head shot.  Johnson was called for interference on the ice, but that hit looked like the league should review it.

Tlusty said after the game that he was okay, but more will be known tomorrow.  He left the game and did not return.

We will see what happens when these teams face each other again on Friday.

Game Notes:

  • Faulk had a team high 26:48 of ice time.  Low man was Jeff Skinner with 11:12.
  • Boychuk and Victor Rask each had five shots on goal to lead Carolina.
  • Elias Lindholm earned an assist and now has a three game scoring streak.
  • The Canes dominated in the faceoff circle, winning 63% for the game.  Nash led the way with 70% followed by Rask at 67%.
  • The team had 14 blocks, led by Jay Harrison who had four.  Harrison was the team's player of the game and was wearing the fireman's helmet after the game.  He also dropped the gloves with Scott Hartnell and got the best of that contest while leading the team with five hits.
  • event summary stat sheet
The Canes Country three stars are:

Zach Boychuk: Boychuk seems to be coming into his own and has played well the past few games.  The first goal of this game was crucial and he created his shot by working hard to get that rebound.

Riley Nash: Nash was great in the faceoff circle, continues to play a solid two-way game, and his shot to make it 2-0, was a beauty.

Justin Faulk: He had four shots, led the team with ice time, and scored a shortie.  Hard to ask for much more from a defenseman.


Game 12 Recap: Inexplicable Apathy

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A disjointed, apathetic performance wastes an opportunity against the Carolina Hurricanes. Fortunately, a chance at revenge is only 72 hours off.

As word circulated that injured forwards Boone Jenner and Matt Calvert would rejoin the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes, a fresh sense of optimism emerged among the fan base.  At minimum, it was hoped that this would spark some energy and life, and enable the club to earn some needed points while their injured teammates recuperated.  That optimism was misplaced however, as the Blue Jackets turned in a shockingly disorganized and apathetic performance in a 4 - 2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Period 1:  Rock Bottom?

The Blue Jackets came out of the box with two decent shifts, creating some credible opportunities against Cam Ward. That proved to be the sum and substance of the contributions for the period, as Carolina out-skated, out-possessed and out-hustled Columbus at every turn.  The Hurricanes posted 18 shots for the frame, doubling up on the Blue Jackets' nine shots on net.  As bad as it was, the Blue Jackets were unable to equal that shot total in the remaining two frames.

The Hurricanes' first goal was a microcosm of the entire evening.  Carolina possessed the puck for an extended period of time in the Blue Jackets' zone, working the puck to former Blue Jacket Ron Hainsey.  His point shot found its way through to Curtis McElhinney, who surrendered a big rebound.  Zach Boychuk out battled Tim Erixon for the puck, and parked it behind McElhinney for the 1 - 0 lead at the 15:33 mark.

It took just 90 seconds for Carolina to extend the lead.  Again, the Hurricanes cycled the puck, virtually unmolested by Blue Jackets defenders.  Elias Lindholm worked the puck to Andrej Sekera at the left point, while Cam Atkinson made a half-hearted reach for the puck, coming up empty.  Atkinson then seemingly attempted to make a standing block of the puck from Sekera's stick, but missed.  Instead of shooting, Sekera directed the puck to Riley Nash at the hash marks, who turned and beat McElhinney to the short side.  Dalton Prout was inexplicably late getting to Nash, and McElhinney was slow to realize that Sekera was passing, not shooting.  2 - 0 Hurricanes with 2:52 left in the period, and at that point it appeared that Columbus would be fortunate to reach the intermission with just a two goal deficit.

Fortunes appeared to turn when Victor Rask was whistled for hooking with precisely two minutes left in the period.  The Blue Jackets put together one of their few organized efforts of the evening. Ryan Johansen, David Savard and Nick Foligno all entered the zone with speed, with the puck ending up on Johansen's stick near the left dot.  Johansen made a nice move to the middle, creating a shooting lane, and fired the puck on net.  Cam Ward made the save, but it was a classic "angle of incidence = angle of reflection", as the puck caromed directly to Foligno just inside the right dot.  Foligno had a big opening . . .and he didn't miss.  Johansen and Savard picked up the helpers, and the Blue Jackets went to the locker room in far better shape than they deserved.

Period 2:  A Deeper Bottom

To the Blue Jackets' credit, they only allowed the Hurricanes ten shots in the second period.  Unfortunately, Columbus managed only three.  Yes . . . three.    The club was absolutely schooled in the face-off circle -- winning only 37% of the draws for the evening.  While there were some notable individual efforts that created opportunities, those chances could not be capitalized upon.  Atkinson had a breakaway, but the puck fell off his stick as he moved to the forehand.  As the night progressed, more similar chances went astray, due largely to the fact that they were individual creations, not the product of team structure. There was little consistent presence in front of Cam Ward, as even Scott Hartnell seemed to be taken out of his game by the feisty Hurricanes.

The lone goal of the period came at the 6:54 mark, while the Jackets enjoyed a power play after the Hurricanes took a whistle for too many men on the ice.  Columbus entered the zone with speed, but Jack Johnson surrendered it to Justin Faulk along the right boards. The Blue Jackets were all heading south, and Faulk was heading north on a breakaway, with Alexander Wennberg and Johansen in pursuit.  Wennberg was able to harass Faulk enough to force a weak shot. It was too much for McElhinney, however, as he fumbled the puck off his forearm, and saw it trickle into the net for a 3 - 1 advantage.  While he had little help in his own zone, McElhinney fought the puck all night long, and continued a disturbing trend of not seeing the puck well and surrendering big rebounds.

The balance of the period was an uneventful series of flawed offensive entries and defensive indifference.  One bright spot was the penalty kill, which had fallen on hard times.  Where the even strength game lacked structure, the penalty kill shut Carolina down for six power plays and played extremely well.

Period 3:  Glimmers of Hope

The third period started with the Blue Jackets trying hard to exert themselves, but not finding the structure or organization to exert consistent pressure.  An early power play provided chances, but no goals.   What ensued was a series of penalties that kept the PK on the ice, depleting precious minutes of clock.  To be fair, the Blue Jackets were perhaps victimized by inconsistent officiating, particularly in the area of interference.  Brian Gibbons was called on a close one where his initial hit was unquestionably legal, but his second one was more questionable.  However, similar hits by the Hurricanes went uncalled.  There were also some calls missed the other way, that should likely have been called.   More problematic for the Blue Jackets was Jack Johnson's hit on Jiri Tlusty at the 7:31 mark of the third.  JJ got two minutes for an illegal check to the head, and is fortunate it was not a major and game misconduct.  From the replay, it looked like he passed up the opportunity for a clean, open ice body check, and launched his shoulder into Tlusty's head.  Don't be shocked if he has a phone call with the Department of Player Safety over that one.

After surviving three consecutive penalties in the period, the Blue Jackets were finally able to exert some sustained offensive pressure.  With 5:23 left in the game, Foligno (who else?) made a nice spin move from Ward's left, and took the puck hard to the net.  Ward made the initial save, but Foligno stuck with it and put the puck in the net to make it a one goal game. Dalton Prout earned the helper, and the fuse was finally burning.  The Blue Jackets buzzed and skated for the remainder of the game, creating some tantalizingly close chances.  There would be no comeback this night, however, as Eric Staal buried an empty netter with 12 seconds left to account for the final margin of victory.

Making Sense of It All

The Blue Jackets locker room was an empty and somber place after this one, as you might expect.  To his credit, Curtis McElhinney spoke with the assembled media, as did Foligno and Johnson.  Their message was the same:  the caliber of play was unacceptable.  Richards characterized the effort as ". . . a huge step back, disappointing on a lot of levels." He noted " . . .it seemed to me that they wanted it more than we did."

Those are disturbing words, as the hallmark of this club has been effort, even if the results were not there.  However, from my vantage point, it was not so much a lack of effort as it was the lack of a structured effort.  There was lots of individual hard play -- at least in the offensive zone and on the forecheck -- but there was little support or cohesion.   Atkinson buzzed like a wild man in the offensive zone and on the forecheck, but was invisible elsewhere. Foligno, Johansen, Wennberg, Jenner, Skille and Gibbons all had good efforts, but could not enlist the consistent support to be dangerous. The remaining forwards were largely invisible -- in all zones.  Similarly, the defensive play was ragged and disjointed, as it tends to be in front of McElhinney.  The club was tentative with the puck, rarely gaining clean exits or solid clears, and compounding the sins with poor passing.  Only Fedor Tyutin was consistently reliable in this one.

McElhinney was better than he has been, at least statistically, but simply cannot come up with THE save when the club needs it.  He has to make the save on Faulk . . . and he didn't.  You could almost see the collective shoulders slump after that one.

Some role is played by the ice time allocation as well.  Johansen had over 20 minutes again, and may be showing some of the effects of perhaps not coming into the season in top shape.  Jack Johnson inexplicably had almost 28 minutes of ice time, despite the fact that his play has been bordering on abysmal since the season started.  He had the turnover that led to the third goal, and was slow to react to situations for the entire game.  Conversely, Tim Erixon had just over 13 minutes.  Brian Gibbons, who was all over the ice and created havoc with his speed, had just 12:31 of ice time, and Jack Skille, who actually showed how to skate the puck into the zone and put the puck on net, had just 10:54 on the ice.

Last year's playoff series vs. Pittsburgh showed that you need speed to combat speed, and the Blue Jackets underutilized their speed tonight.  Motion tends to breed motion, and they showed that they can play that game at the end of the third.  Until they are back at full strength, creativity is called for, as the current solution is clearly not working.  The best effort during the recent drought came with Anton Forsberg in net.  Try that again on Friday in Carolina, put a boot firmly in the behinds of tonight's passengers, and move on.   Everyone is frustrated, but you can't let the frustration win.  Easier said than done, but it does need to be done.  Now.

Caniac Commute Podcast: Peters’ Systems, AHLer Impact & More

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We kick off a new feature on Canes Country with the Caniac Commute, a mini podcast where we take your questions and try to add some insight while doing the morning commute from Raleigh to Durham.

Here's our first episode of the Caniac Commute, a mini podcast where people can send in their questions and I'll do my best to answer them while doing the morning commute from Raleigh to Durham (the whooshing sounds of my car slicing through traffic is even a bit hurricane-like).

The Nov. 6 episode talks a bit about the Hurricanes turning around their season with the help of coach Bill Peters’ new system, how Carolina’a AHL prospects have helped contribute, and a bit about what to look for in a hockey beat writer.

Thanks to everyone who submitted something, and if you want your question featured in a future episode, tweet me @corylav or with the hashtag #CaniacCommute. We'll be working on having iTunes integration soon. In the meantime, you can listen here.

Another Brick In The Wall

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Various thoughts on a Thursday - Carolina wins have come the right way

The Carolina Hurricanes are trying to make this season interesting and have now won three games in a row after going winless in their first eight.  Are these wins some type of aberration or is this team capable of continuing to play winning hockey?

It's too early to tell of course, because for one reason, the three teams the Canes beat have each been struggling in their own right.  Neither the Coyotes or the Kings had won a road game before coming to Carolina.  The Jackets have had a ton of injuries to deal with, even more so than the Hurricanes.

But having said that, the Canes won those games the right way.  They held the opposition to low shot totals, (except of the third period against the Kings), and the quality of most chances against have not been high quality, like they have been in the past.

Cam Ward has played very well but he has not had to stand on his head and steal games.  For those three wins Carolina outshot their opponents, 103-76.

It's also a plus that the team is winning and the younger players are doing most of the scoring.  You know eventually the goals will come for Staal, Semin, and Skinner, but until then, hopefully Lindholm, Nash, and Terry will continue to get the job done.

In each of the wins, the Canes took the first lead as well.  What happens if they fall behind?  It's hard to remember sometimes just how young this group is but they will have to learn to adapt and overcome adversity.

The boys will truly have arrived if they can still win games even when things don't go well.

I have to give coach Bill Peters credit, even if I have not agreed with all of his decisions.  The team is playing with jump right from the opening puck drop and we have not seen that consistently on home ice in years.

It might not seem like it, but the Canes currently have a winning record at home, 2-1-1.  That will be put to the test tomorrow night against an angry, (always angry) Blue Jackets squad.

Other quick thoughts from around the league...

It's nice to see Peter Laviolette doing well in Nashville so far and guess who leads that team in scoring?  None other than Lindholm's teammate on team Sweden in the WJC's, Filip Forsberg who has 12 points in 12 games.  Forsberg was drafted 11th overall by Washington in 2012, (the year the Canes traded the 8th overall pick, Brandon Sutter, and Brian Dumoulin for Jordan Staal).

Why did the Capitals ever trade him away for the likes of Martin Erat, (now languishing in Arizona) and Michael Latta?  Erat was supposed to give the Caps a much needed push for the playoffs in 2012-13, but things never worked out.

I'm sure Washington would love to have Forsberg now.  His point total would put him right behind Ovechkin's and Backstrom's 13 points each.  This is one reason you really need to be careful when you try to improve your team short term.

Speaking of the Capitals, their present record of 4-5-3 is not much better than Carolina's, 3-6-2.  It should be another  great game when the two teams tangle in DC on Saturday night.


Game Day Canes vs. Blue Jackets: Repeat? Yes Please

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Three wins in a row, and the Canes get another go against the team they defeated Tuesday night.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets
November 7, 2014 - 7:00 pm ET
PNC Arena - Raleigh, NC
TV - Fox Sports Carolinas
Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan
SB Nation Rival Blog - The Cannon

Fancy Stats


HurricanesBlue Jackets
Record3-6-24-8-0
Points88
Division Rank7th Metrp8th Metro
Conference Rank14th EC15th EC
StreakWon 3Lost 6



Power Play %18.4%20.4%
Penalty Kill %79.0%78.6%
Goals/Game2.272.50
Goals Against/Game3.183.42
Shots/Game27.729.5
Shots Against/Game27.031.2
ES Goals For %39.0%39.1%
ES Corsi For %50.5%49.1%
PIM/Game10.112.8



GoaltenderWardMcElhinney
Record3-3-10-3-0
ES Save Percentage.893.886
GAA2.844.08



Goaltender KhudobinForsberg
Record0-3-10-1-0
ES Save Percentage.891.952
GAA3.243.05

Game Notes

  • The big story is that every Canes fan's favorite Columbus player, Jack Johnson, will be out of the line-up tonight after receiving a three-game suspension for his illegal check to Jiri Tlusty's head in Tuesday's game. In case you missed it, the DoPS video does an outstanding job explaining the rationale behind the suspension.
  • Tlusty did skate yesterday in practice, but in a no-contact jersey. He's expected to be in the line-up tonight, but confirmation will come after today's morning skate. If he's not able to skate, Brad Malone will draw back in. There were no changes to the forward lines from Tuesday's game.
  • Tim Gleason did not practice yesterday, and there was no update to his status after practice. If he's unable to play, expect John-Michael Liles to take his spot on defense.
  • Cam Ward will be back in net for his fifth consecutive start. The Canes face another back-to-back scenario this weekend, heading to DC to take on the Capitals Saturday night. Ward will be evaluated after tonight's game and a decision will be made then as to tomorrow's netminder.
  • The most concerning statistic for the Columbus Blue Jackets is the six-game losing streak. The Blue Jackets are a team decimated by injuries, but they are hard-working and physical. It's difficult to believe they won't break through with a win some time soon.
  • While the Jackets are losing Jack Johnson, they're getting back James Wisniewski, who was activated from IR yesterday after suffering a broken index finger on October 28. Ryan Murray (who was not in the line-up Tuesday) has been moved to IR to accommodate Wisniewski's return.
  • Nick Foligno continues to have the hot mits, scoring both goals in Tuesday's loss. He leads the team with 6 goals.
  • The Blue Jackets haven't named their starting goaltender.

There's not a lot else that is new going into tonight's game, so how about a few AWESOME clips.

  • Bill Peters was interviewed yesterday on Hockey This Morning. [SiriusXMNHL]
  • Ron Francis was interviewed yesterday on Hockey Central @ Noon (requisite height/weight/body fat stats report on Jordan Staal) [SportsNet.ca]
  • Great feature on Jay Harrison from Chantel McCabe, making her WRITING debut [ch.com]
  • NHL COO John Collins says ads on jerseys are coming [theScore]
  • An update on the evolution of hockey's analytics movement, from a bit of an unusual source [Rolling Stone]
  • Adorable:

  • Adorable Part 2:

  • Best tweet/hashtag/meme-buster evar:

Projected line-ups

Hurricanes (from yesterday's practice)

Jiri Tlusty - Eric Staal - Alexander Semin
Brad Malone

Tim Gleason - Jay Harrison

Cam Ward

Injuries and Scratches: Jordan Staal (IR broken fibula), John-Michael Liles (healthy), Brad Malone (healthy)

Blue Jackets (from yesterday's practice)

Brian Gibbons - Ryan Johansen - Nick Foligno

Fedor Tyutin - James Wisniewski

Injuries: Nathan Horton (back), Brandon Dubinsky (IR, abdominal surgery), Sergei Bobrovsky (IR, broken finger), James Wisniewski (IR, broken finger), Artem Anisimov (IR, concussion), Mark Letestu (IR, groin), Cody Goloubef (IR, right knee), Ryan Murray (IR, knee)

It's Hockey Fights Cancer Night in the arena. Pick up a card on the concourse and show the world who you fight for. The Canes are in their black jerseys again tonight. Both teams are scheduled to skate this morning. Stay tuned for updates, and see you at the rink.

Game Preview #13 - Nut Up Or Shut Up

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It's time to start winning games.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes

November 7, 2014 - 7:00 PM EST
PNC Arena - Raleigh, North Carolina
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

First of all, if you read the title and haven't seen "Zombieland," please do yourself a favor and watch it.

Second of all, I called Carolina a "bad, bad team" on Tuesday, and (deservedly) got some flak for it. No more of that tonight. The Jackets did not show anything on Tuesday that would suggest they are better than Carolina right now, so they need to earn that back from me first. Carolina, you're the best.

In all seriousness, the Hurricanes dominated in pretty much every area (except the score, really, when you think about it) the other night. The Jackets played lethargic, they looked sloppy, and Carolina looked far, far faster. All of that needs to change if Columbus would like to end their six-game losing streak.

Ugh. Six games.

Good news? James Wisniewski is back tonight. Bad news? Jack Johnson is out with a suspension. While that may not be "bad" news in the world of fancy stats, you can't deny that he plays a lot of minutes. Whether or not he *should* be is a discussion for another time.

Cam Ward goes again for Carolina. At "press time" nothing's been released about who will start for Columbus. It probably shouldn't be Curtis McElhinney, but it won't surprise me if it is.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(4-8-0, 8 Points; 8th division, 15th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsNick FolignoJack Skille
Matt CalvertAlexander WennbergBoone Jenner
Marko DanoMichael ChaputJared Boll
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Tim ErixonJames Wisniewski
Frederic St. DenisDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Carolina Hurricanes
(3-6-2, 8 Points; 7th Division, 14th Conference)

Jiri TlustyEric StaalAlexander Semin
Nathan GerbeRiley NashElias Lindholm
Jeff SkinnerJay McClementPatrick Dwyer
Chris TerryVictor RaskZach Boychuk
Andrej SekeraJustin Faulk
Tim GleasonJay Harrison
Ron HainseyBrett Bellemore
Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Season Series

11/04/14 - Carolina 4 at Columbus 2
11/07/14 - Columbus at Carolina
03/10/15 - Columbus at Carolina
03/15/15 - Carolina at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

CarolinaColumbus
2.27 (25)GPG2.50 (19)
3.18 (25)GAPG3.42 (28)
18.4% (18)PP%20.4% (13)
79.0% (19)PK%78.6% (21)
Jiri Tlusty, 6G leaderNick Foligno, 6
Riley Nash / Andrej Sekera, 5A leaderScott Hartnell / Ryan Johansen, 9
Riley Nash / Jiri Tlusty, 8Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 14
Jay Harrison, 36PIM leaderJared Boll, 28
2-1-1Home/Road2-4-0
3-5-2Last 102-8-0
11/04 @ Columbus, W 4-2Last Game11/04 vs. Carolina, L 4-2

Game Day #13 - Blue Jackets at Hurricanes

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It's time to start winning games.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Carolina Hurricanes

November 7, 2014 - 7:00 PM EST
PNC Arena - Raleigh, North Carolina
Radio - WBNS 97.1 - TV - Fox Sports Ohio
Opponent's Blog: Canes Country

First of all, if you read the title and haven't seen "Zombieland," please do yourself a favor and watch it.

Second of all, I called Carolina a "bad, bad team" on Tuesday, and (deservedly) got some flak for it. No more of that tonight. The Jackets did not show anything on Tuesday that would suggest they are better than Carolina right now, so they need to earn that back from me first. Carolina, you're the best.

In all seriousness, the Hurricanes dominated in pretty much every area (except the score, really, when you think about it) the other night. The Jackets played lethargic, they looked sloppy, and Carolina looked far, far faster. All of that needs to change if Columbus would like to end their six-game losing streak.

Ugh. Six games.

Good news? James Wisniewski is back tonight. Bad news? Jack Johnson is out with a suspension. While that may not be "bad" news in the world of fancy stats, you can't deny that he plays a lot of minutes. Whether or not he *should* be is a discussion for another time.

Cam Ward goes again for Carolina. At "press time" nothing's been released about who will start for Columbus. It probably shouldn't be Curtis McElhinney, but it won't surprise me if it is.

Projected Lineups

Columbus Blue Jackets
(4-8-0, 8 Points; 8th division, 15th conference)

Scott HartnellRyan JohansenCam Atkinson
Brian GibbonsNick FolignoJack Skille
Matt CalvertAlexander WennbergBoone Jenner
Marko DanoMichael ChaputJared Boll
Fedor TyutinDalton Prout
Tim ErixonJames Wisniewski
Frederic St. DenisDavid Savard
Curtis McElhinney
Anton Forsberg

Carolina Hurricanes
(3-6-2, 8 Points; 7th Division, 14th Conference)

Jiri TlustyEric StaalAlexander Semin
Nathan GerbeRiley NashElias Lindholm
Jeff SkinnerJay McClementPatrick Dwyer
Chris TerryVictor RaskZach Boychuk
Andrej SekeraJustin Faulk
Tim GleasonJay Harrison
Ron HainseyBrett Bellemore
Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Season Series

11/04/14 - Carolina 4 at Columbus 2
11/07/14 - Columbus at Carolina
03/10/15 - Columbus at Carolina
03/15/15 - Carolina at Columbus

Head to Head Stats

CarolinaColumbus
2.27 (25)GPG2.50 (19)
3.18 (25)GAPG3.42 (28)
18.4% (18)PP%20.4% (13)
79.0% (19)PK%78.6% (21)
Jiri Tlusty, 6G leaderNick Foligno, 6
Riley Nash / Andrej Sekera, 5A leaderScott Hartnell / Ryan Johansen, 9
Riley Nash / Jiri Tlusty, 8Pts leaderRyan Johansen, 14
Jay Harrison, 36PIM leaderJared Boll, 28
2-1-1Home/Road2-4-0
3-5-2Last 102-8-0
11/04 @ Columbus, W 4-2Last Game11/04 vs. Carolina, L 4-2

Game 13 Recap: What's It Going to Take?

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The Jackets' skid continued with an overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

The Jackets are hurting, but a greater effort from the healthy members of the roster was required to avoid a seventh straight loss. The team has been listless of late, almost as though they were in a holding pattern while they waited for the injured players to return. Nick Foligno promised a better effort, but it didn't happen. The play was tentative, disjointed, and sloppy. The result was an overtime loss to Carolina.

First Period

The Jackets were sloppy to start the game, failing to complete passes, losing board battles, and generally looking like the inferior squad. At the eight-ish minute mark, the 'Canes were awarded their first powerplay of the game. After a scramble in front of the Columbus net, with the puck under Jackets' starter Curtis McElhinney, the 'Canes appeared to have opened the scoring. The puck was in the net, and the referee behind the net signaled goal, but after a meeting between the officials, it was determined that McElhinney was not offered the opportunity to stop the puck- no goal.

The Jackets had a pair of powerplays themselves in the opening frame, but couldn't convert on either. The second powerplay was especially ugly, with players getting in each other's way and the team failing to set up in the offensive zone. Outside of a great effort by Nick Foligno to keep the puck in the zone, it was just plain ugly.

Foligno is a player who's been talked about a lot here this season at The Cannon, and tonight was another game where he put it all on the line to push his teammates. It's a shame his efforts aren't leading to victories.

Second Period

Say what you want about Dalton Prout, I still have support for the guy. When he's at his best, he's clearing the front of the net, dishing out big hits, and launching the occasional bomb from the point. He does have a penchant for turnovers however, and he made a big one early in the second. The puck was loose to the right of the net, and Prout went to clear the puck. He was unable to get his backhand clear off before Jeff Skinner stole the puck and moved to the front of the net, pulling off a deke before beating McElhinney.

1-0 Hurricanes: Jeff Skinner - Unassisted

Give Prout full credit, after the turnover for the first goal he went on to have a pretty solid game. He was blocking shots and breaking up offensive chances. He's an NHL shutdown defenseman, who with experience will reduce his number of errors.

The Jackets were shorthanded three times in the second period, and though they managed to kill all three, the team simply cannot continue to be penalized so often. With the team missing so many key regulars, five-on-five play is key to their success.

Midway through the period after some excellent forechecking by Boone Jenner, the sophomore found new linemate Scott Hartnell in front of the net with a pass from behind the goal lone. Hartnell's one-time snap beat Carolina starter Cam Ward, tieing the game.

1-1: Scott Hartnell - Boone Jenner, Frederic St. Denis

The assist for St. Denis was his first point as a Blue Jacket. I've been impressed with his play since his call up, he's one of those defensemen where if you don't notice him, he must be doing his job.

The trio of Hartnell, Jenner and Cam Atkinson was one of the few bright spots tonight. They continued to produce late in the second, when after Boone carried the puck down the right wing, he cut to the net with Ward making the initial save. Hartnell was there to bang in the rebound for his second goal of the game.

2-1 Jackets: Scott Hartnell - Boone Jenner, Cam Atkinson

Third Period

The Jackets continued their undisciplined play in the final period, taking another three penalties. Their possession numbers dropped off significantly in the final frame, and Carolina took over. It was only a matter of time before the `Canes were able to beat McElhinney, doing so midway off the stick of Victor Rask. It was a hell of a shot that made its way through bodies and into the Columbus net.

2-2: Victor Rask - Nathan Gerbe, Alexander Semin

The third period was a sloppy, penalty-filled mess for the Jackets. Outside of the occasional play, the Hurricanes showed more desire.

Overtime

After the dry scrape, the Jackets took to the ice for their first overtime game. Carolina tried the stretch pass twice, both times connecting with a forward torpedoing in on McElhinney. The second time however, David Savard was called for a cheesy holding penalty, giving the `Canes the dreaded OT PP.

After a bad line change while down a man in OT, Elias Lindholm carried the puck in on a two-on-one, kept, shot and scored.

3-2 Hurricanes: Elias Lindholm - Eric Staal, Victor Rask

FINAL SCORE: 3-2 Hurricanes (OT)

Click here for the advanced stats for this game.

Standard Bearers:

  • The duo of Scott Hartnell and Boone Jenner seemed to click tonight, with 43 potting a pair of goals.
  • I suppose the PK should get some credit for killing seven regulation time penalties.
Bottom of the Barrel:
  • The Jackets are spending way too much time shorthanded. Though the PK has been effective, being down a man has prevented them from establishing anything offensively.
  • The ice in Carolina tonight seemed poor, as evident by how often the puck was bouncing around.
  • There was no total team effort tonight. The team can`t coast while they wait to get healthy.

Hurricanes 3, Blue Jackets 2 (OT): Swedes power Carolina to fourth straight win

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Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm key a third-period comeback to lead the Canes to a home-and-home sweep over the Blue Jackets.

What a difference a week makes for the Carolina Hurricanes.

It was just six days ago that the Canes were winless, entering November with hope for the first draft pick but little else. Following Friday night's come from behind 3-2 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in front of 11,540 at PNC Arena, the Canes are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the NHL.

The Canes and Jackets played a scoreless first period, although most in the arena felt that Alexander Semin should have put the Canes on top halfway through on a power play. Semin's deflection off a Nathan Gerbe centering pass was initially ruled a goal on the ice, but following a conference the officials decided that he had interfered with Jackets goaltender Curtis McIlhinney and waved the goal off.

However, early in the second the Canes struck when Jeff Skinner took advantage of some careless Columbus puck-handling and backhanded a shot past McIlhinney at 2:43. "I was just trying to poke it off [the defender's] stick, and it got lost in my skates. I kicked it up and tried to get it over his pad."

The Jackets, though, fought back and took the lead into the second intermission following two Scott Hartnell goals, one taking advantage of lackadaisical defending at the end of a long shift at 11:15 and the go-ahead goal at 18:44 when Boone Jenner and Hartnell outfought Jay McClement and Brett Bellemore to the front of the net.

Canes coach Bill Peters mixed the lines up in the third period, and the spark he was looking for was there, as the Canes threw everything at McIlhinney. They were up to 60 shot attempts by the time Victor Rask tied the game at 2, with a laser shot from 40 feet that beat the Columbus goaltender high to the near side. "I didn't like our emotional involvement in the game" in the first two periods, Peters said. "We cranked it up a little in the third and found a way."

From there, Rask's fellow Swede Elias Lindholm took over. Sent off for repairs after taking an uncalled high stick early in the game, Lindholm nearly ended it with seven seconds remaining in regulation with a wrister off a clean faceoff win by Rask. That didn't make it in, but when Eric Staal drew a penalty late in overtime, the table was set for Lindholm to net his third game-winner of the season.

"He's a real smart player," Peters said of Lindholm. "If you continue to work and work through your troubles, you'll get rewarded. He's a great example of that."

Game Notes

  • Justin Faulk is the only other player to score a game-winner for the Canes this season. Lindholm finishes the week with four goals, three of them game-winners, and six points during a four-game point streak. Stealing a line from erstwhile CC scribe @HMof2: so, how was your week?
  • It's early, but the Canes are undefeated in their black third jerseys. And, of course, #UndefeatedChantel is still a thing.
  • Peters said after the game that Anton Khudobin will start tomorrow night against the Capitals. The plan is to revert to the original lines tomorrow night after they were mixed up in the third period tonight, but the coaching staff was planning to discuss on the plane to Washington.
  • The Canes' power play goal to end the game ended an 0-for-12 skid against the Jackets over the home-and-home series. The power play has been on a slow downward slide since the start of the season, not scoring more than one PPG since the second game of the season, and now sitting in 17th overall at 18.4%.

Canes Country Three Stars

(3) Scott Hartnell: Really clicked with Boone Jenner on what passes for the Jackets' top line given all of their injuries. Hartnell makes a living scoring dirty goals, and he was right there to do so tonight while generally being his usual annoying self.
(2) Elias Lindholm: What else needs to be said? Lindholm is as hot as any player in the NHL right now. His early season struggles are a distant memory, and despite needing stitches to close the cut across the bridge of his nose (and being rather timid on the puck immediately after coming back), he was probably the Canes' most dangerous offensive presence in the third period and overtime.
(1) Victor Rask: Lindholm was dangerous, but Rask was as consistent as they come tonight. His clean faceoff win (one of six out of nine faceoffs he took tonight) at the end of regulation recalled Rod Brind'Amour in his prime, and only a perfect save from McIlhinney kept Lindholm from winning the game right there. It probably helps to be a rookie and not give the opposition goaltender much to work with in terms of knowing what to expect, but Rask's game-tying goal was a thing of beauty after he did the hard work to create his own shot.

Open Thread Three Snarks

(3) Winter is Coming: "Another thing you definitely don't want on your resume: 'looked like Gerbe was all over McIlhinney'." http://www.canescountry.com/2014/11/7/7175813/blue-jackets-at-hurricanes-open-game-thread#269906532
(2) CoastalCane: "Wisniewski just displayed some CoastalCane-esque hockey skills with that whiff." http://www.canescountry.com/2014/11/7/7175813/blue-jackets-at-hurricanes-open-game-thread#269909050
(1) Kid CHUD: (After a Ward high glove save) "He’s been doing that a lot lately...someone needs to talk w/ him about that." http://www.canescountry.com/2014/11/7/7175813/blue-jackets-at-hurricanes-open-game-thread#269876978

Three Snarks Standings:

Winter is Coming - 9
Flyingv2112 - 6
CanesHockeyFan - 6
JustListenen - 5
StickCheck - 5
Bgallen - 4
MinJaBen - 4
Kid CHUD - 3
caniac233 - 3
brass bonanza - 3
Adrian Havill - 3
CoastalCane - 2
Bob - 2
Will_S13 - 2
sittler27 - 1
zambone - 1
Crashcup - 1

Next up: Canes at Capitals, Saturday, November 8 at 8:00 p.m. (note the different time!) on FS Carolinas and 99.9 The Fan.









A wounded Union Army and a potential trap; Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets preview

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A promising season has taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque for Columbus, but don't let the standings or schedule fool you, the Union Army Hockey Club is better than circumstances show.

Where:  Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
When: 7 PM EST | Tickets: Check availability
Media: Sun Sports (cable) | 970 AM (radio) | Twitter Live Stream
Opponent Coverage:The CannonThe Dark Blue Jacket

Before the season started, despite the drama invoked by the Ryan Johansen contract dispute, expectations were high for the Columbus Blue Jackets club. The organization is generally headed in the right direction after years of mediocrity. There's promise. It's arguable that Union Army HC is the franchise that has benefitted the most from NHL realignment, as they have more potential natural rivals in the Eastern Conference than they did in the Western Conference (that's an discussion to have at another time).

Columbus, it looked like, was poised to be the Metro Divisions version of the Lightning - an afterthought that could turn heads... And it's done that in the first month of the season, but it's for the wrong reasons. After last night's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus sites in 29th place in the NHL after 13 games played. They stand a solitary point in front of the Buffalo Sabres in the standings.

You want to know why? Injuries hobbling the club's forward progress. In a way, it's like what Lightning fans envisioned last season after Steven Stamkos went down in Boston - the wheels falling off and everything going to crap (of course that didn't happen). In the case of Union Army, it isn't a single player going down but multiple players going to injured reserve. Artem Ansimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Murray and others at forward and on the blue line are shelved. Sergei Bobrosvsky, #1 netminder for Columbus, is there with them while Jack Johnson is sitting out with a suspension for the moment.

That being said, injuries won't last. This club will heal up in time and compete again. And while this season is too early to be written off as a lost-cause for Union Army, it intimidates me to think of this club winning the draft lottery. This isn't a tank job by an impotent franchise; this is a series of unfortunate events that put a competitive team near the bottom at the moment.

It's also a potential trap for Tampa Bay.

The Lightning swept their homestand and are tied for 3rd overall in the NHL standings (while at the top of the Atlantic Division). They're facing a Columbus team that played last night while their own eyes might be wandering to Sunday's divisional match at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Red Wings are 5-2-3 in their past 10 games and a point being the Lightning in the Atlantic- Hold it! See what I mean? Columbus may have played last night, and the Bolts might have a big game tomorrow, but that doesn't mean tonight doesn't have to be played (preferably with the team seriously competing instead of just going through the motions).

It's not just circumstances that make this a trap game, but also the fact the Lightning have a ten dance to travel to Columbus and play a listless game; the Bolts have only played 8 games in Ohio and have lost 5 of them while playing to a tie once (the stat site I am using does not differentiate overtime or shootout losses from loses, while it does separate home form away games). This stresses the fact this is a more dangerous game than it should be; if the team has the wrong mentality, another humiliation game could happen like it did in Edmonton almost three weeks ago.

Ryan Johansen leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) with Nick Foligno and Scott Hartnell trailing him with 13 and 12 points respectively. Also, despite the injuries straddling the club, they stand at 16th in the league on the power play with a 18.9% efficiency while also standing at 18th in the league on the penalty kill with a 79.6% kill-rate.

Tyler Johnson seems to have assumed a role comparable to what Marty St. Louis used to do with the

They'll be charged with stopping and overcoming the Bolts formidable play on special teams; the Lightning are 4th overall in the NHL on the power play with a 24.4% efficiency. The penalty kill unit is formidable on its own, though not as potent - the 83.8% kill-rate is 11th in the NHL, just a tenth of a point ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Alex Killorn, who is day-to-day with an upper body injury, is said to be getting closer to a return but you shouldn't expect him back tonight against Columbus. Also, top defenseman Anton Stralman, who left the bench during game play Thursday due to injury, is expected to be in the lineup tonight for the Lightning.

Other Game Coverage:

Capitals vs. Hurricanes: Game 13 of 82

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Washington looks to make it two-in-a-row as they host Carolina

Caps Canes Graphic

Click to enlarge

Keep up with the latest Caps-related Tweets right here:

Look for updates in this story stream throughout the evening, including tonight's lines, new open threads for each period, and more.

And of course... have at it, people.


Game 16 Recap: Johnny Gaudreau is awesome

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Johnny Hockey arrived in Sunrise. Mark Giordano is amazing and third in league scoring. Oh and Sven got benched again. It was a weird game this afternoon.

After a barn burner in Tampa the other night, the Flames strolled into Sunrise, Florida looking to salvage their Florida portion of the roadtrip. After the crushing Calgary faced at the hands of Tampa's youth, you would have expected a different start in the first period of this game. You know what? They started the game a step or three behind but rebound nicely.

The Panthers are playing like a team looking to make a stride like Columbus did last season. Their youth is extremely talented with the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad, and first overall pick Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad is also the most recent winner of the Mike FAIL perfect hair forever award for draftees. Sean Monahan of course being the 2013 winner.

First period -

The Panthers opened the game immediately like I expected them to: entering the zone and making it difficult for the Flames. They did exactly that, with a shot on net seconds into the game. They controlled play generating a few more chances and making life complete hell right away in the defensive zone. Fortunately the Flames would get out of their zone for a brief moment only to lose it again. The Panthers buzzed back into their offensive zone and after a weird scoring chance on Karri Ramo, it would be Scottie Upshall who would from behind the net would bank it in off a slightly out of position Ramo to make it 1-0 early on.

The continued quick game lead by Florida driving into the Calgary zone continued with a limited ability to maintain control of the offensive zone. Fortunately after the Panthers iced the puck, Johnny Gaudreau would get one of the first quality chances in front. This would be one of the many moments this game where Johnny Hockey stood out. Couple that with a great Monahan shot on net as well but for the time being it would be short-lived. Florida looked incredibly dynamic as the period went on, but the game finally opened up a bit to allow a more back and forth pace. Curtis Glencross would take the first penalty interfering with Jussi Jokinen and soon the Flames would see a relentless PP from the Cats. It's remarkable seeing the Panthers play today on TV. Specifically in the sense of how Gerald Gallant uses the team's youth. The Flames would survive their first penalty kill.

The continued pace and opening up on the ice allowed for a zone entry and a bit more offensive zone pressure. David Jones would be hauled down by Upshall which lead to what was a very flat and disappointing power play. The Panthers also utiiized a very aggressive penalty kill which at one point had the Flames pushed deep into their own end. Jones continued to stand out throughout the period while the period ended with one last great scoring chance on Ramo; who stopped Vincent Trotchek to basically end the period.

Shots: 12-8 Florida

Second Period -

The second period which we all optimistically hoped would open with Calgary going hard into the offensive zone would have to wait a bit. The Panthers entered and established dominance. After a beautiful zone entry by Monahan and some sustained offensive zone pressure, TJ Brodie took a nasty spill after losing an edge. He would be okay and stayed in the game with no ill effects. A point shot would be redirected past Ramo by Nick Bjugstad making it a 2-0 game. Just over 30 seconds later, Johnny Hockey lead a fantastic entry and shot attempt on net. The puck bounced down and into possession of Jones who put it past Al Montoya.

With the Flames within one now and looking to draw even, a misplaced pass by Brodie lead to the Panthers' captain Willie Mitchell to blast a point shot which fell to Upshall in front who put it past Ramo easily to make it 3-1. Dennis Wideman would hold Bjugstad (not romantically) leading to another man-advantage. During the PK, an accidental collision between defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and Lance Bouma would lead to Bouma leading towards Montoya on a short-handed chance. After crashing into Montoya, Montoya stopping a trailing Paul Byron (HUNGRY AS HELL for a goal), our captain Mark Giordano put home the trash to make it 3-2. The shorthanded goal was Calgary's first of the year as the Flames lead the league last year with 12 SH goals. Kulikov would not return either for the Cats in the game.

The Flames wouldn't stop here. Jiri Hudler would put his 5th of the season past Montoya to draw the game even at 3-3. Less than a minute later, Aaron Ekblad would rip a fantastic shot on net which bounced around hitting the crossbar at one point falling to Upshall. Upshall would fire it on net with Jimmy Hayes tipping it in to make it 4-3. That would be the end of Ramo's afternoon as Jonas Hiller would draw in to finish the game. Ladislav Smid would take a high sticking call which sent the Flames back to the PK. They would kill it off as Monahan would blast a shot on net hitting the post as the second period ended.

Shots: 12-11 Calgary

Shots 23-20 at the end of the period.

Third Period -

Hungry to draw even again, the Flames faced the same exact start to the period. The Panthers forecheck off the draw and pushed wouldn't last as long as previous periods though. Calgary would battle back with Giordano dancing in and placing a fantastic shot on net. Later on, Smid would block a shot and would drop like a wet bag of shit. He would stay in the game showing no further effects from that or the Latta hit against Washington.

Then came the Johnny Gaudreau show again. After a great pass from Gio to Johnny, he would cautiously wait and play the puck out in front to Monahan to tie the game again. The Gretzkyesque pass was a beauty and it's exactly what Roger discussed the other day on Marek vs Wyshynski. Gaudreau's ability to slow down the situation, wait, and make sensible plays is remarkable to watch.

The pace of the period would be a bit more back and forth showing the Flames were hungry to win this game. Gaudreau was tripped up by Rocko Grimaldi (seriously who names their kid ROCKO?!) sending the Flames back to the man-advantage. Nothing really would happen on the PP but a scary moment in the Flames zone occurred. Our god-king captain took a nasty spill and ended up going to the dressing room. Thanks to our Matchsticks editor Ari Yanover on our Twitter account and her "prayer circle", he returned. Yes, we'll take credit for it because we love you Gio.

After the Panthers iced the puck, fought back, and then allowed Giordano to gracefully enter the zone; he would feed Hudler who then dropped a pristine pass to Lance Bouma. Bouma blasted the puck past Montoya who seemed to have forgotten how to use his glove. The Flames had their first lead of the game. Finally. The Panthers took an embellishment call as Jussi Jokinen dived late in the period. Fearing for the worst, they pulled their goalie hoping to strike even. Unfortunately for them, Johnny Hockey would seal it with an empty net goal from Monahan.

Flames win 6-4. Shots: 8-5 Florida in Period

Shots 31-25 Florida total.

Stray Observations:

  • Mark Giordano is exactly one point back from Sidney Crosby and Jacob Voracek for the league lead. Crosby and Vorachek are both at 19 while after today's game Gio is at 18!
  • Seriously, can the rest of the league fully accept Gio and Brodie as top defenders? Are we finally past their myth that only Shea Weber, Zdeno Chara, and an assortment of others are the "best". The evidence is there now that shows Gio as one, if not in the top five best now. Oh well, we'll sit back and watch as he leads the Flames in points, driving possession, and everything else.
  • Sven Baertschi was on ice for 3 goals against which warranted (I guess) his benching. Again. He had 7:10 TOI today. UGH.
  • Monahan is having one hell of a season, isn't he? Another 2 points tonight to give him 11 in 16GP. He is going to be fantastic in a few years when he gets older and has more sustainable numbers. He also has perfect hair forever.
  • Brodie's bad pass tonight was really the only bad thing to happen to him in a few games. It sucked but he's grown to the point where it won't effect him throughout the game. He was better later on in the game when the team woke up a bit.
  • Lance Bouma is sure as heck making a case to be one of the better bottom six guys in the league. That goal was beautiful.
  • We REALLY need to find a better option in our 3-4 pairing. Russell and Wideman aren't cutting it Smid and Engelland are just yeesh. Smid and Diaz aren't that great. Diaz and Engelland aren't that great either. I hope Treliving sees this and sees the Sven situation as a potential to clear up both areas with a trade (should it come to that).
  • Johnny Gaudreau now has 12 points in 15 games. He is behind Filip Forsberg who has 13 points in 13 games with Nashville for the lead in rookie scoring. Holy crap is he amazing or what?
Once more for good measure:


Next Game Wishes

Unrealistic: Jones on the third line with Jooris slotting up again on the top line for another chance. I think that Josh Jooris flourished in the Tampa game playing with Monahan and Glencross. It was great to see what he brought to that line and at times it worked nicely. Also I want Ramo to get another chance. It wasn't ALL his fault but he needs to be better at the same time. Especially since Hiller is stealing the crease.

Realistic: Hiller starts, Jones on top line, and Smid + Engelland pairing exists again.

The Flames take on the surging Hurricanes next on November 10th at 5:00PM MST on Sportsnet. With the Hurricanes looking to continue their strong player, the Flames are out to make it a two-game winning streak in Raleigh. Stay tuned tomorrow for Ari's fancy stats recap.

#FreeSven

Capitals vs. Hurricanes QuickCap: Caps Yield in Third, Win it in OT

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The Caps gave up a third period lead, but Nicklas Backstrom sent Caps fans home in a happier state of mind with the game-winner in the last minute of overtime.

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Shot Report - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI - Advanced Stats at: war-on-ice, hockeystats, Natural Stat Trick and more via Nice Time On Ice

The Washington Capitals returned home on Saturday night to host the Carolina Hurricanes in an uncommonly late 8:00 start.  After getting out to the most dangerous lead in hockey - the two-goal variety - the Caps gave it up in the third period.  The Hurricanes pushed the game into overtime, the fifth time in eight home games that fans enjoyed extra hockey time, but Nicklas Backstrom won it with 14 seconds left in the extra session, potting a rebound of an Alex Ovechkin shot, Ovechkin's 400th NHL assist.

Look for our full recap later, but first, Saturday night's Plus/Minus:

Plus/Minus:

  • Plus: Secondary scoring.  Troy Browuer, Jay Beagle, and Eric Fehr had the red light flashing with defensemen chipping in with assists - John Carlson with a pair, and Brooks Orpik and Mike Green each recording one.  For Brouwer it was his fourth goal in his last six games; for Beagle it was his first of the season.
  • Minus: Third period.  That old bugaboo of allowing third period goals is negating some impressive possession statistics.  The Caps won the Corsi war, 74-56 overall, but they let the Hurricanes hang around long enough that the visitors dominated the late stages of the game to force overtime.  The Caps have allowed 11 third period goals in their last seven games.

And now, this...

Recap: Capitals 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)

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The Hurricanes had their winning streak snapped, but managed to earn a point by erasing Washington’s two-goal lead in the third period before the Capitals clinched the victory late in overtime.

The Hurricanes rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period, but it wasn't enough to get Carolina its fifth straight victory — or Anton Khudobin’s first win of the season — as Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom scored with just 14 seconds left in overtime.

Khudobin was hot and cold in his first action between the pipes since Oct. 24, keeping Carolina in the game as the Caps outshot the Canes 27-12 through two periods but also allowing two goals — including the game-winner — that he probably wants back.

The Hurricanes slow start was boosted by timely goals: Riley Nash notched his fourth goal of the year in the final minute of the opening period to give Carolina a power play tally and a manageable 2-1 deficit. Washington extended the lead to two again late in the second, but Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm each scored in third to tie the game and force overtime.

Carolina looked like it was on its way to a shootout, but a Washington rush led by Alexander Ovechkin led to the game-winner, with the Capitals captain blasting a shot off Khudobin’s right pad and right to Backstrom, who buried the shot with 14 seconds left to snap Carolina’s winning streak.

On Washington’s second goal, Khudobin was at fault when Jay Beagle, behind the Carolina net, was able to bank a shot in off Khudobin to stake the Caps to a 2-0 lead.

Former Hurricanes draft pick Justin Peters earned the win against his old team, his second victory since he signed a two-year contract with Washington this summer.

Eric Fehr and Troy Brouwer also scored for the Capitals, who improved to 6-5-3 on the season. Carolina earned a point in the standings for the fifth straight game after losing their first eight games of the season, moving to 4-6-3. Believe it or not, the Hurricanes are just five points behind third place Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division, and have a game in hand on the Flyers.

Game Notes

  • Lindholm now has points in every game of Carolina’s current point streak, with five goals and two assists in the past five games. His goal was originally credited to Justin Faulk— who finished with two assists on the night and has five points during the same stretch — but was changed following the game after it was determined Lindholm redirected Faulk’s point shot.
  • John-Michael Liles left the game late with an undisclosed injury. Liles, who has been playing in place of injured Tim Gleason, was credited with three blocked shots, but also five giveaways.
  • Staal led all players with five shots, and Faulk had nine shot attempts. Jeff Skinner, who had the primary assist on Staal’s goal, finished without a shot on net.
  • Alexander Semin, playing against his former team, picked up an assist for the second straight game.
  • Khudobin allowed four goals on 39 shots, the third time in five games this season he's allowed that many, and the fourth out of five times he's given up at least three goals. Khudobin did not allow more than three goals last season until his 35th and 36th appearance of the year, his final two outings of the 2013-14 season.
  • The Hurricanes, one of the NHL’s top faceoff teams so far this season, were outdueled 38-31 by the Capitals, who rank 16th in the league. Three of Carolina’s four centers had winning records on the draw, but Nash was just 6 of 18.

Capitals vs. Hurricanes Recap: Hurricanes Make Comeback, but Caps Prevail in OT, 4-3

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The Washington Capitals held two-goal leads twice, but Carolina tied the game in the third period. It took the big guns -- Mike Green, Alex Ovechkin, and Nicklas Backstrom -- to team up for the game-winner in overtime.

[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Shot Report - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI - Visitor TOI - Advanced Stats at: war-on-ice, hockeystats, Natural Stat Trick and more via Nice Time On Ice]

The Washington Capitals returned to Verizon Center on Saturday night to find an old foe waiting for them.  The Carolina Hurricanes, who started the season with an eight-game losing streak, took the ice looking to extend a four game winning streak.  The Caps dominated the first two periods to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes, but a recurring problem - third period play - let the Hurricanes back into the contest with a pair of goals five minutes apart mid-way through the final frame.  The game went to extra time, and it looked as if a shootout was in order.  However, with just 14 seconds left in overtime, Nicklas Backstrom pounded a rebound of an Alex Ovechkin shot past a diving Anton Khudobin for the game-winner and consecutive wins for the Caps for the first time in three weeks.

Ten more notes on the game:

  • For Alex Ovechkin it was his 400th assist in the NHL.  Since he came into the league in 2005-2006, only ten other players have recorded more assists
  • Until the game-winner, it was a secondary scorer's show for the Caps.  Troy Brouwer netted his fourth goal in six games and his fifth of the season.  Eric Fehr netted his second of the season, both coming over his last three games.  Jay Beagle scored his first of the season.
  • None of the first three Caps goals were actually shot directly in off a Capital's stick.  Brouwer's goal was batted into his own net by Patrick Dwyer.  Beagle's goal was scored from behind the Carolina goal line when he swatted the puck off the back of goalie Anton Khudobin's leg.  Fehr's goal was redirected into the Hurricane's net off the stick of Carolina defenseman Brett Bellemore.  There was no doubt about Backstrom's goal, though.
  • Backstrom almost ended the game in the first minute of overtime when Khudobin was handcuffed by a John Carlson shot.  With the loose puck lying at the top of the crease, Backstrom turned and fired at what was an open net, but he sent the puck wide left.
  • The Caps dominated the possession numbers, winning the Corsi war, 74-56 overall and 54-48 at 5-on-5.  They went into a shell when getting that two-goal lead, though, the Hurricanes out-attempting the Caps, 17-15, at 5-on-5 when trailing by two goals.
  • Andre Burakovsky and Marcus Johansson both were plus-10 in Corsi at 5-on-5.  That was impressive, but they did it in almost 15 and almost 17 minutes of even strength ice time, respectively.  Now, consider this.  Evgeny Kuznetsov was plus-7 Corsi in just seven minutes of ice time at even strength.  Part of it is the nature of the competition he was facing, since he was getting largely fourth line minutes.  Still, it was rather impressive.
  • The one thing Kuznetsov did not do was record a shot on goal of his own.  He and Tom Wilson (more on him in a moment) were the only Caps not to share in the 39 shots on goal.  That 39 shot total was a season high for Washington.  There was balance among those shots, too.  Ovechkin, Fehr, Johansson, and Backstrom all finished with four shots on goal.
  • How much did the momentum turn in this game?  The Caps outshot the Hurricanes, 22-9 at even strength in the first two periods.  Carolina outshot the Caps, 14-8 at evens in the third period.
  • With a pair of assists, John Carlson is now tied for fifth in scoring among league defensemen (2-9-11).  Mike Green's assist on the game-winning goal put him into a tie for eighth in scoring among league defensemen and gave him a plus-1 for the game.  In 13 games, Green has only one "minus" game, that minus-4 game against Calgary last week.
  • The Caps are nicked up.  Brooks Laich was a scratch after sustaining (or aggravating) an upper-body injury in the win over Chicago on Friday night.  Tom Wilson went down to a lower-body injury while still in the midst of what would be a monster 1:52 shift in the second period.  He did not return.

The Caps did it the hard way, but they did it.  This was a game that Washington should have won, based on the underlying numbers, but the effort in getting to those numbers was uneven.  They piled up the possession numbers early in the game, then frittered most of that advantage away in the third period.  But the big guns - Mike Green, Alex Ovechkin, and Nicklas Backstrom - came through just in time to save what could have been an uncomfortable finish.  But two points is two points, and that's the finish that matters.

Game highlights:

Quick Strikes for Sunday, November 9

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A feature on Vlady Namestnikov, Columbus reacts to last night, the Syracuse Crunch’are involved in a thriller, and more in our Quick Strikes.

  • Vladislav Namestnikov has come a long way since being drafted by the Lightning in 2011. [Tampa Bay Times]
  • Tampa Bay may have defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4, but they definitely could have put forth a better effort says our counterparts. [The Cannon]
  • Tyler Johnson scored two goals in the win last night, including an empty netter in the waning moments. His line with Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat has been another fine example of the Bolts depth. [The Hockey Writers]
  • We were talking goal songs for players in the recent past. Jonathan Drouin?  He'd like "Fix You" by Coldplay. [Tampa Bay Times]
  • Who was in the Amalie Thursday night or the LOightning vs. Flames match? Commissioner Gary Bettman, who had high praise for owner Jeff Vinik as well as some kid named Steven Stamkos. [Tampa Tribune]
  • The Syracuse Crunch rallied last night, defeating the rival Norfolk Admirals 5-4 in a thriller at War Memorial in Syracuse. [Syracuse.com]
  • Junior-A hockey player Riley Dunda suffered a stroke earlier this year, leading to the hockey community to come out in full support and raising thousands of dollars for stroke intervention research. [The Hockey News]
  • It is uncertain still whether or not the NHL will send its players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but Bob Nicholson, former head of Hockey Canada, believes it will happen. [Yahoo! Sports]
  • Dan Girardi was the victim of a skate blade cut across his neck, the most dangerous place to be cut. [SB Nation]
  • Can a loss be proof that a team is hot? The Carolina Hurricanes started the season dismally, but went on a four-game sinning streak that was snapped last night. It ws the flip-side of back-to-back games for the Canes, but the Washington Capitals needed overtime to eke out the win.[Canes Country]
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