Game thread...Canes vs. Pittsburgh 11/29/03

[crazy4canes]

The Canes are back at home tonight to face the Pittsburgh Penguins after falling to Philly yesterday.

I'm feeling unusually confident about this game for some reason. Maybe it's because the Canes do well against the Penguins. Whatever the reason, I'm enjoying this feeling.

Storr will likely be in net tonight with Caron on the other end.

Go Canes! Here's the preview (http://www.carolinahurricanes.com/gameday/previews.asp?previewid=216) from ch.com.

[tommy]

An epic battle between two of the, well, more troubled teams in the league. I think it'll be fun. For some reason, my crystal ball is telling me it will be somewhat high scoring. Erik Cole is due for a goal, so maybe he'll knock in a couple.

[Flanman]

Well, I must say that I am excited to finally get back in the arena. P'Burgh is coming in down but not out. We need to capitalize on these teams that we SHOULD beat. We have much better defensive talent, and we have much more to play for. Last game in November, we need to set the tone for the next month and get back into this thing. I agree that Colesey is due to get something for all his hard work. And I would like to finally see the Booghie man put one in the back of the net. No more flat starts. No more dead periods. Let's all hope for 60 mins of hard hockey tonight, so that way we all go home happy!

Rico Fata should die of ghonneria and rot in hell... (name that movie?)

00Flanagan

[Kat]

Must say that I will be there with my vintage Pens jersey on...

I hate that my two teams both suck. :sad:

-Kat

[Kapanen024]

WE WIN WE WIN!
*does a little dance* :spin:

[7barnes]

WE WIN WE WIN!
*does a little dance* :spin:

w00t!!! *dances with Kapanen024* :D :D

[Stormbringer]

Can't believe nobody mentioned Vrbata's absolutely fabulous hat trick. :spin:

Got off to a slow start, but got cooking...overall good game. Though, I can't help but wonder why Storr wasn't in net...

[caniac369]

*Dances with Sally (beagle) in the living room*

We won!! We Won!! Whoo!! Whoo whoo hoo!!! :D :D :D

[ausoleil]

It was a solid performance by many, and it was a shame that Colesy didn't get that penalty shot just a little bit down. It seems to describe his season thus far.

We're 2-1 in our last three, and if we had played a solid game against the Flyers yesterday, we might have gotten at least a point there as well.

What we need are more games like this...lots of grit, lots of effort and a hint of desperation.

We're not out of it yet, we just need one of those 7-3 runs over the next ten games. We can start with the Preds Wednesday. It's a game we *should* win.

[StormShaman]

Aaaaaaaand Mo's job is officially secure.

Good game by the Beloved, but be prepared for a trade to take place in the next few days, and JR to pronounce all our problems solved.


:roll:

[talkingcanes]

Way to go Vrbata! Nice shots by Vrbata and a beauty of a goal by Murray.

Shouldn't have been as close as it was, but I'll take a win any day.

Poor Cole........he did what he had to do, but that penalty shot was just a hair too high.

So Ward was playing with fractured ribs :eek: Who thought that was a good idea? It's hard to breath with fractured ribs much less play hockey.

My gripe for the game is Weekes and his inability to control rebounds. If it had been any team besides poor old Pittsburgh, they'd have scored a ton off those rebounds tonight.

If Pittsburgh wants to just give us Straka, I say we take him ;)

[constantpressure]

That wasone of, if not the, most entertaining games I have been to. A hat trick and penalty shot in the same game never happens. Good job Canes. Let's keep it going.

[jhardman]

Well, I must say that I am excited to finally get back in the arena. P'Burgh is coming in down but not out. We need to capitalize on these teams that we SHOULD beat. We have much better defensive talent, and we have much more to play for. Last game in November, we need to set the tone for the next month and get back into this thing. I agree that Colesey is due to get something for all his hard work. And I would like to finally see the Booghie man put one in the back of the net. No more flat starts. No more dead periods. Let's all hope for 60 mins of hard hockey tonight, so that way we all go home happy!

Rico Fata should die of ghonneria and rot in hell... (name that movie?)

00Flanagan

Fata must have contracted the disease sometime during the game, because I didn't see him after the game.

FEAR THE POWER OF SECTION 328

[Stormbringer]

Well, I must say that I am excited to finally get back in the arena. P'Burgh is coming in down but not out. We need to capitalize on these teams that we SHOULD beat. We have much better defensive talent, and we have much more to play for. Last game in November, we need to set the tone for the next month and get back into this thing. I agree that Colesey is due to get something for all his hard work. And I would like to finally see the Booghie man put one in the back of the net. No more flat starts. No more dead periods. Let's all hope for 60 mins of hard hockey tonight, so that way we all go home happy!

Rico Fata should die of ghonneria and rot in hell... (name that movie?)

Fata must have contracted the disease sometime during the game, because I didn't see him after the game.

I swear...every time I hear/read Rico Fata's name, it makes me think of that song called "Rico Suave". :crazy:

[ZJCanesFan]

I want to start by stating that it was a loud and spirited crowd that showed up to cheer the Canes on tonight . I was pleased that we won and the guys played pretty well tonight (especially Vrbata) but just to keep it all in perspective...

it helped matters quite a bit that we ran into a goalie who had a pretty bad game and roamed more than either Irbe or Storr, getting himself caught out of position on numerous occasions.... also a nice break when the Penguin (I forgot who it was) broke his stick on the pass that went right onto Vrbata's stick right in front of the goalie for a relatively easy score.

This game should have been at least 6-2 Canes. The Canes played a very weak opponent tonight but still had to hold on tight at the end for victory.

We need to beat some top caliber teams... the Islanders (at the bottom of their game right now) and Pens are not a good measuring stick at all for determining if we climbing out of the woods yet... but of course we'll take any wins we can get.

-- ZJ

[caveman]

Aaaaaaaand Mo's job is officially secure.

Good game by the Beloved, but be prepared for a trade to take place in the next few days, and JR to pronounce all our problems solved.


:roll:

My prediction is that nothing will take place in the next few days, and JR will still pronounce all our problems solved. :beatup:

[nccanes]

My prediction is that nothing will take place in the next few days, and JR will still pronounce all our problems solved. :beatup:

What would happen in the next few days that have anything to do with this game? We are talking about this game right? :beatup: ;)

Yeah, perhaps a strange game, but the Canes won it. The strange take-away unassisted goals happend at both ends.

The Canes have continued to get decent results at home. I hope it continues. :D

[jhardman]

OK - a few things:

1) Yes, it was a very entertaining game. Can't beat a hat trick and a penalty shot on a trip to the game. Seeing lots of butts in seats was a good thing as well.

2) I'm totally in agreement with StormShaman - we'll hear glowing reports about Maurice and someone will get traded (please trade Ward oh please please please).

3) What's up with the broken sticks? The CBA negotiations should include the "highlights" of this game as a case for bringing back wooden sticks. I've never seen more broken sticks in a game, and especially when the broken sticks led to two giveaway goals.

4) The officiating was horrendous. If you are in the camp blasting the refs all the time, you can point at this game. This time, the breaks went our way. That "illegal stick" call was explained by Chuck Kaiton on 850's "The Aftermath" show very well, and I was very grateful for the explanation. I was clueless to what happened when the call was made, but it appears Pittsburgh got jobbed in a major way. The penalized player (forgot who...sorry) broke his stick and then was thrown another stick by a player on the ice. The referee called a penalty for "illegal stick" which gave the Canes a 5-on-3 which they used to tie the game and reverse the momentum.

5) The Verb rocks. Let's hope that gets the Verb floodgates open.

[nccanes]

Oh, and Turby -- we were unable to stay for your performance. ;)

http://www64.pair.com/efrancis/canes/turby.JPG

and here's my weak attempt at a shot of the penalty shot....

http://www64.pair.com/efrancis/canes/cole_ps.JPG

[ZJCanesFan]

Some interesting stats from tonight's game:

Ice time:

Francis 20:12 total 8:18 power play
O'Neill 20:21 total 8:41 power play
Vasicek 21:24 total 8:09 power play
Brind'amour 22:05 total 6:41 short-handed

Markov 26:27 total

Hedican 24:20 total

Boulerice 4:02 total 6 shifts

-- ZJ

[nccanes]

I've been meaning to compliment Murray for quite a bit -- I think he's played exceptional for the Canes.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20031130/capt.nckd10311300304.penguins_hurricanes_nckd103.j pg
(AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker)


I loved his celebration following the goal. :D

[talkingcanes]

nice shots Eileen! I thought about Turby when they showed that tonight too. now if you could just get Cole to shoot a smidge lower we'll be set!

[Turbulence]

Oh, and Turby -- we were unable to stay for your performance. ;)

:cry: And I sang a song just for you... :p Very interesting...

Wish I could have seen the hat trick...and I wish I could have won a tractor! It is a tight win versus a weak team...but lesse if this doesn't spark Vrbata. Perhaps he can really show us his sniper skills. Giving up 3 goals against an offensively-weak Pitt team isn't too fantastic for Weekes. How were the goals? Unstoppable? Soft? I'd love to see Storr on Wednesday.

[nccanes]

The first 2 were PP goals (though technically the first was 1 second after it elapsed) and the 3rd that giveaway just in front of him due to Boughner's stick breaking.

[ZJCanesFan]

And 2 of the Canes goals came about when Caron left himself way out of position... and 1 was at the tail end of a 5-on-3 in favor of the Canes.

-- ZJ

[Captain Slack]

Weekes was a little shakey tonight. Luckily, he kept it together when it counted.

Congrats to Verb on his wonderous hat trick!!!! :D

[talkingcanes]

The first 2 were PP goals (though technically the first was 1 second after it elapsed) and the 3rd that giveaway just in front of him due to Boughner's stick breaking.

did Boughner's stick break? he sure took a good swing at the offending puck after the goal was scored. guess it could have broken without pieces of it flying off, maybe cracked like a bat? Chuck was not at all complimentary of these composite sticks on the Aftermath.

[nccanes]

I don't know TC, I thought that's what I heard, but maybe they were just comparing it in a general mistake sense. I just swapped out my DVR (bad hard drive) today, so maybe I'll check it on the recording.

[RIO]

Highly entertaining. :D

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Chuck said Boogie's stick broke on the turnover....I didn't see it at the game and we're still in the first period on the TiVo re-play. ;)

Aside from the muscle spasms I've had in my neck all day this game (or at least the 2nd and 3rd period) was the most fun I've had inside the arena all season. :D

Cole's penalty shot would have been soooo beautiful IF it had gone in. :sad: He made Caron commit and he commited low. Man, great play.

I noticed O'Neill went back to the brand of skates he wore at the beginning of last season AND he switched sticks (from the silver Synergy to that new yellow one). Didn't seem to work although he was the ONLY person on the ice making half-way decent passes tonight. Especially on the PP....and that includes Ronnie. He also hugged and kissed Wally on the cheek after the game. :D Guess Markov is rubbing off?

I can't move my neck to the right so I was afraid that I would miss the goal if we scored in the second....I didn't.:D Murray rocks. I wondered if I had brought my heating pad to the arena for my neck, tossed my extension cord up into the press box and asked John and Tripp to plug it in for me if I might have gotten on TV. :laugh:

[talkingcanes]

Hope you feel better SHC. That is a misery! I would only have trusted Forslund to plug in your heating pad. Heaven knows Tripp probably would have electrocuted you! THAT would have gotten you on TV........probably with Tripp asking you what your last meal had been ;)

[constantpressure]

Aside from the muscle spasms I've had in my neck all day this game (or

I can't move my neck to the right so I was afraid that I would miss the goal if we scored in the second....I didn't.:D Murray rocks. I wondered if I had brought my heating pad to the arena for my neck, tossed my extension cord up into the press box and asked John and Tripp to plug it in for me if I might have gotten on TV. :laugh:[/quote]

That might not have been a good idea...they charge $30000.00 per kilowatt hour at the Vault. It would have been cheaper to drink more beer.

[Stormbringer]

Glad you had fun SHC, and hope you feel better too. Having a pain in the neck is not fun...

Highly entertaining.

Overall, I agree. :)

http://www.missfantastic.com/stormbringer/reports/games/2003-2004/11-29-03.htm

[suamme1]

I actually got to watch the game tonight (stuck up in the section 314/315/316 vomitory) and it was awesome.....

Being able to watch the game is great, just holding that damn stop sign is annoying.

[Shell]

The Canes have continued to get decent results at home. I hope it continues. :D

If you're a season ticket holder, sure. not too bad.. however, for us 24 pack holders that was our 2nd win out of 8 games. I'd prefer more ;) Luckily we did get tickets for the San Jose game though so we have seen 3 at home. I'm hopeful for Wednesday since it isn't a pack game and someone is giving us tickets ;)

I actually got to watch the game tonight (stuck up in the section 314/315/316 vomitory) and it was awesome.....
Being able to watch the game is great, just holding that damn stop sign is annoying.

We're in 314 but you must have been on the other side because (as ALWAYS) no one stopped people from walking through during play.. We're only like 4 rows up and we still had people constantly up and down in the middle of play. I wanted to hurt the guy that came in and was crawling over seats as Cole was taking his penalty shot! I reallllly wish someone would work our side.

Anyway, fun game! Should have been 6-2 instead but ah well, a W is a W! Thank you sir, I'll have another!

[nccanes]

Found this funny blurb in the PA paper:

Olczyk bought a house in the South Hills after he was named coach this summer, but while working as a TV analyst on Penguins broadcasts the previous few years, he had commuted from his hometown of Chicago. For part of that time, he lived in a house owned by Francis, who did not sell his western Pennsylvania residence until 2002. The arrangement worked out well for both, with the exception of one unfortunate episode. "I thought I shut the garage [door] one day, and then I had the FBI and the Secret Service all calling me, because I left Ronnie's garage door open," Olczyk said. "And, of course, I get 16 calls from the Francis home [in North Carolina]." He characterized the incident as "just one little slip-up by the tenant."


:laugh:

[caveman]

The first 2 were PP goals (though technically the first was 1 second after it elapsed) and the 3rd that giveaway just in front of him due to Boughner's stick breaking.

did Boughner's stick break? he sure took a good swing at the offending puck after the goal was scored. guess it could have broken without pieces of it flying off, maybe cracked like a bat? Chuck was not at all complimentary of these composite sticks on the Aftermath.

It didn't look like it broke from where I was sitting (309). You could see that giveaway coming a mile away -- never try to bat a backhand pass in front of your goal, even when there isn't an opposing player right there waiting for a mistake. A soft backhand pass is just too error-prone to try to make a move like that. He's either got to turn and flip the puck to center on the forehand, or dump it behind the boards, not attempt a backhand pass across the goal with a Penguin right there on the forecheck! It's one of those plays which is so tempting to make, try and bait the forechecker to commit, then flick it past him on the backhand, but which you should never even try because of what happens when you make a mistake. And it should have been fresh in Bob's mind since the exact play had happened in the 2nd period! It's just too bad it had to happen, since it made Weekes' game look only average from a statistical standpoint, and he had made some dandy saves. I hope Boogie doesn't take it too hard, I know I would be seeing that play in my sleep for days!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

In watching the game again last night on the TiVo we couldn't see that Boughner's stick was broken at all, either. I think a broken stick was just wishful thinking on Chuck's part.

[MoBigRed]

It didn't look broken to me. Sure didn't look broken when he took that swing of frustration after the goal. Dunno.

[talkingcanes]

It didn't look broken to me. Sure didn't look broken when he took that swing of frustration after the goal. Dunno.

it happened directly in front of me and that bullet shot of the puck after the goal didn't look like it could have happened with a broken stick. mistakes happen. we won the game so no harm other than Boughner being ticked at himself for a mistake.

[Guyute]

as an FYI--- cuz I know there have been a fair amount of rumblings about Brindy's "poor" performance as of late (which I don't completely agree with btw).

against the Pens he won 85.2% of his faceoffs. winning 23, and losing 4.

yeah, it be nice for him to score a couple. but I think we all know how important draws are, and how many chances can come directly off a draw. having a guy that can put up an 85% winning-rate night now and then is pretty damn valuable, imho... no matter what else he is/isn't doing.

[IcyRed]

We had a good time too. My oldest daughter was home on leave for Thanksgiving so we took her and her sister to the game, they totally dug it :D

The guy behind me kept calling Hedy "Yamaguchi," cracked me up! :laugh:

After bobbing and weaving so I could see through throngs of people walking up while the puck was in play, I asked the usher to hold them 'till a stop in play, it worked, for about two minutes....??? Is there usher training or do you just sign up and get a vest....jeeze!

icy

[SouthernHockeyChick]

After bobbing and weaving so I could see through throngs of people walking up while the puck was in play, I asked the usher to hold them 'till a stop in play, it worked, for about two minutes....??? Is there usher training or do you just sign up and get a vest....jeeze!

icy

I think someone mentioned it before....we don't just need an usher to stop them. We need one to tell them to move their a** once they do start. That "hurry-up faceoff" isn't just a figure of speech. You'd think some of these people has never seen the alphabet before....yeah, a,b,c,d.....those are the aisle letter! Same order as always. :roll:

[Shell]

No kidding! There was a guy standing in front of us, crawling over 2 rows of seats to get back in WHILE Cole was taking the penalty shot!! I had to stand up to even see it, which is when the Pens fan behind me yelled at me to sit down. Yeah. Not missing a penalty shot for you. Yell at the guy bringing his 4th beer in for the period during the middle of play!

[jhardman]

I sit in the first seat at the top of the aisle in 107. (Well, for about 3 minutes each game before I move to a better seat...) I wasn't moving for the first couple of games and in every game, there was either 1) no usher or 2) one that was playing matador with his/her stop sign. I constantly missed face offs because lines of people were coming down that aisle while the puck was still in play. I asked the usher why he kept letting them through and he wouldn't answer. Just kind of shrugged. Weird.

Fortunately for me, the team is doing crappy and I can move into unsold seats across the aisle. :-) I won't renew in that location again. If you get any of the season ticket packages - remember not to be a line to the ice where people in the aisles block you. Something to consider. Let some corporation (the Canes preferred customers) make that mistake.

[puckin_A]

I can't make it all the way down to my seats between plays, so I just sit
my butt on the steps until the next break in play.

[jhardman]

Bless you, PuckinA.

[Kat]

Guess I need to wear the other team's jersey to the game in order for the Canes to win...

Also, a great big HA! to the many folks I saw leaving with 2-3 min left in the game... nah-nah, you missed a penalty shot.

-Kat

[stewart123]

nah-nah, you missed a penalty shot.

A penalty ping?