They scored.  We scored.  They scored.  We scored.  We scored again.  That's how the first 12 minutes went and the score was 3-2 at the end of the first period.

Eric Staal needs to get off his ass and start acting like the stud player we know he is!  Don't let Crosby and Malkin steal the spotlight!  Staal has 6 shots on goal in 2 games now, and has failed to notch a goal in the last 5 games now.  No surprise that the CAnes are 1-4 in that stretch.

I can't really fault Cam Ward for the goals scored tonight - Pittsburgh's goals didn't look particularly cheap to me - maybe one of them.

I really think we played 30 minutes of hockey tonight.  After about the middle of the second period, the Penguins stepped it up and we didn't have much, if any, puck control the rest of the game.

Oh, and our power play sucked.

Both of these games coming up in Raleigh are MUST WINS.

See you there!

GO CANES!

Okay, so I forgot to blog about the end of the last series in my excitement over winning yet another game 7 on the road, and moving on to the third round.  Nice work, Canes!

So here we are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in 7 seasons, playing the only team that was as hot, or hotter, down the stretch run than the Hurricanes.

So what if the Canes lost game 1?  I mean, how many game 1s have we won this season?  New Jersey won game 1... Boston won game 1.

We don't win game 1.  We win game 7.  I'll take a game 7 win over a game 1 win any day of the week.

As for tonight's game 2 - I'd certainly like the Canes to win - if only for selfish reasons.  My beard needs a trim.  I don't like hair growing on my upper cheeks!

Go Canes!

The Carolina Hurricanes haven't shown us much in the last two games that would indicate any ability at all to win Game 7.  But they did show us plenty in Game 2, Game 3, and Game 4 to that end.

It's said that the hardest game to win is an elimination game.  That may be true.  Boston was backed into a corner after losing 3 straight.  For them, it was do or die in game 5.  For us, it was not.   For them, it was do or die in Game 6.  For us - well, there was certainly a little more pressure because nobody wants to go back to Boston (except Boston players and fans)... but it was not do or die.

In game 7 tomorrow night, it's do or die.  For both teams.

I expect we're gonna see a great contest.  Last time Boston faced a game 7, they got blown out by Montreal.  Of course, that was IN Montreal.... Boston came back from trailing 3-1 - just like in this series, before winning games 5 and 6.

But this is not the same.  Boston is a good solid team, and they're gonna be hard to beat in front of the home crowd, with the home-ice right to last line change.

I hope to see it happen though.   I'm not at all ready for hockey season to end.  The playoffs are too much fun!

GO CANES!

So the big discussion lately has been about Scott Walker's "sucker punch" on Aaron Ward in Game 5.  Walker received an instigator penalty, which comes with an automatic suspension when it occurs in the final 5 minutes of the game - subject to review by the NHL office.

He didn’t get the suspension because the intention of the automatic suspension was to prevent a coach from telling a player to go in and beat someone up just because the game is outta hand.

That CLEARLY was not the case here. Ward tried to start a fight with Cullen - a non-fighter. Ward threw an elbow at Cullen’s head, a guy who has a history of concussion problems. Walker reacted to that, defending Cullen, threw a left with his gloves on. Then threw the right.

Ward knew it was coming and didn’t defend himself because Ward is a wanker who only wants to fight guys he can beat up.

It was only a cheap shot because Ward outright refused to defend himself. A sucker punch implies that you’re punching and the recipient didn’t know it was coming… Walker’s right hook was the second punch.

The NHL made the right call here. The one game suspension exists to prevent something.. but not this. Players have to be allowed to react and defend other players.

Boston may have scored first, but Carolina outplayed them for 60 minutes plus last night en-route to their 3-2 overtime win.  Shots on goal were 41-23 - including a 2-1 advantage in regulation (38-19).

And once again, Jussi Jokinen puts the finishing touch on a game-winner.  Samsonov did most of the work for that goal, but thank goodness the NHL values assists nearly as much as goals.  That line did a fine job last night!

We've got a 2-1 series advantage now, and Friday's game is huge!  I hope to see you there!

Check out the highlights...

I don't know about you, but I'm glad John Forslund has enough respect that he's able to do the national play-by-play on Versus for his own team.  I think he's a fine objective broadcaster, and maybe it was just last night because the Cam Ward really was standing on his head, but he sounded just a tiny bit more excited about the saves that Cam was making

The canes looked good, getting the opening goal from Joe Corvo (SCORVO!) with assists from Eric Staal and Erik Cole (Cole's first point of the playoffs)... then a shorty by Matt Cullen, beautifully set up by Chad LaRose, who has probably been one of Carolina's best players in the playoffs so far.  LaRose is definately earning his next contract.  And then the empty-netter by Eric Staal to seal the deal.

CamWard made some great great saves - especially in the third period.  Watch these highlights, and I'll see you at the game on Wednesday!

CANES WIN! CANES WIN!

Jussi Jokinen saved the day again, scoring at 18:40 in the third period to tie the game, one which I was *starting* to lose hope.  But I figured as long as we're only one goal down, we can still tie it up.  And the Canes put on a puck-possession show, and a real great team effort.  I mean, if they could award a third assist on that goal, it would go to Sergei Samsonov for his "on the ice" keep-in that led to the goal.  I think it was Samsonov, at least.  Just amazing.

And then Eric Staal's goal was just unreal.  From the team effort to the one man show, Staal put the puck where it needed to be, and it was a thing of beauty.

So in miracle fashion, the Canes once again eliminate the New Jersey Devils from the playoffs.

Now we're stuck playing Boston, thanks to those New York Ranger schmucks who couldn't close the deal.

GO CANES!

I've never seen anything like it.

I'm not sure anyone else has either.  I mean, statistically it's bound to happen every once in a while.

Carolina scored the winning goal tonight with no time left on the clock.  We scored, the horn sounded, I looked up and the clock read all zeros.  The play was reviewed of course, and they determined it crossed the line before time expired I guess.  I'd love to see that replay. 

I've seen goals scored with 0.2 seconds left, where a faceoff was required, but the game ended with the scoring of this goal tonight, and it was amazing.

Sure, Brodeur was complaining that Ryan Bayda interfered with him.  I don't know if that's true or not but hey, if the refs didn't see it, it didn't happen.  Of course it probably means we'll get a goaltender interference call on Thursday, but that's pretty common when we play the Devils.  I've come to expect it.

Carolina totally dominated the first two periods, going 15-7 shots-on-goal after one period, and 37-17 after two periods.  We took a 3-0 lead late into the second period, but a terrible defensive lapse (again) in our zone led to a short breakaway and essentially an easy goal with like 20 seconds left in the second period. 

But in the third period, the Devils came out to win, and tied it up and really outplayed us the entire period.  At least for the first 15 minutes.  I noted to Bob that at 16 minutes into the period, we'd only had 5 shots.  We ended up with 9 shots to New Jersey's 12, and a game total of 46-29.

As for goal scorers being goal scorers, Eric Staal had another goal tonight, with an assist from Tuomo Ruutu (and Dennis Seidenberg), but the rest of our goals came from Ryan Bayda (his second of the series), Chad LaRose (his second of the series) and the game winner from Jussi Jokinen (I love that name).  But Matt Cullen and Sergei Samsonov still have only 1 point each.  Rod Brind'Amour and Erik Cole have none.  And Ruutu got his first point of the series tonight.  These guys need to produce more, and I hope they will.

Game 6 is now guaranteed for Sunday.  I'll see you there!

Go Canes!

Ray Whitney is the only Hurricane with 2 points in this series so far. 

Our top line, Staal, Cole, and Ruutu, have a single point combined (Eric Staal's lone goal).

This has got to change.  Our stars need to carry this team to get past the Devils.  We're not going to win games when we're not gettin production from our top 2 lines.

They played good last night.  I was feeling good about the game right up until New Jersey finished it.  I felt like we had the momentum, the crowd was in it, and I was sure we were going home happy.

But now we're down 2-1 and the Canes *MUST WIN* Tuesday night.  If they go back to New Jersey down 3-1, they're not coming back.  At least not to play any more playoff games.  I just don't think they'll pull off a win when New Jersey can finish it at home in game 5.

So I just read that Jamie Langenbrunner is out for at least the next two games.  Some "freak" occurence led to some kind of lower body injury.  I suppose they could be more obscure about injuries.  At any rate, hopefully that'llgive us a little extra edge, having their captain on the bench.

Looks like we'll be tailgating Sunday afternoon with fried chicken and stuff.  I should make some of that famous "Erik Cole" slaw - a recipe I got from another caniac at a tailgate back in 2006.  We'll be out by Carter Finley Stadium (where all of the real tailgating occurs).

It's just too difficult to tailgate properly in the paved lots around the arena - the spaces are too small and too "regulated".

I want to hear every one of you making noise at the Game on Sunday (okay, yes, I realize i'm probably talking to a whole lot of nobody)

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