ruutu all damn day son

11/24/2008 8:42:19 PM

22


LOL at Brent Sutter sporting the Canes jersey in Florida

11/24/2008 8:52:20 PM

if we re-sign larose, i am TOTALLY going to buy his jersey

11/24/2008 9:00:51 PM

....

11/24/2008 9:55:25 PM

Last time we scored the first goal in a game?

November 9th.

8 games ago.

Maybe it's time to rethink canceling morning skates.

11/24/2008 10:05:08 PM

Lack of effort.

11/24/2008 10:13:10 PM

LaRose is the one of the few positives we have on the ice right now, along with Whitney.

Lavs better watch it. Or at least some of his coaching staff. Good Lord guys, get it together, seriously.

11/25/2008 1:23:52 AM

is there a game this wednesday?

[Edited on November 25, 2008 at 1:49 AM. Reason : ok since no one will answer i looked it up myself...think i might go to that game...]

11/25/2008 1:33:06 AM

^against Philly


Pitnaken status update?

11/25/2008 7:29:06 AM

I haven't seen anything on Pitkanen. Injury report was updated on the Hurricanes homepage an hour ago.

Did find this however:

Quote :

"Canes forward Justin Williams traded his yellow, noncontact jersey for a red one today at practice, meaning he has been cleared for all drills -- another step in his recovery."

11/25/2008 12:59:20 PM

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/decock/story/1309847.html

Quote :

"RALEIGH - Justin Williams skated onto the ice at the RecZone on Tuesday wearing a red practice jersey instead of the yellow non-contact jersey he had been wearing since he returned to practice a week ago. That's the latest sign that the Carolina Hurricanes forward is close to returning way, way, way early from the torn Achilles tendon that has wiped out his season so far. He almost certainly won't play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, but he's not too far away. For the Hurricanes -- who after Monday's loss to the Florida Panthers have dropped two straight after winning three straight after losing three straight -- Williams' return could be the missing piece that restores them to consistent competitiveness. It better be. Not only will they be out of excuses, they'll be out of options. When Williams returns, by which time Frantisek Kaberle should be back in the lineup as well, they'll be about as healthy as they can ever count on being, with a few day-to-day absences but no potential long-term injuries for the moment. If the Hurricanes can't find a new gear under those circumstances, if getting Williams back isn't the answer, there may not be any other answers out there. Fire the coach? A change would shake things up, but there's no guarantee a new coach could get any more out of this roster. Peter Laviolette may bear final responsibility for Carolina's lapses in work ethic, but it's easy to forget that he gives the team license to play with grace and skill, which in its best moments can make it tremendously enjoyable to watch. Besides, the Hurricanes would owe Laviolette more than $2 million if they fired him now. For a franchise obsessed with its bottom line, that would be like giving up a kidney, so owner Peter Karmanos and general manager Jim Rutherford would have to be very motivated to make that decision. Small-market finances also rule out adding players in a trade. The payroll is too big for Karmanos as it is. Don't forget the Canes went into the season trying to deal Kaberle to shed salary. Even if the Canes decided to punt, dump salary and hope for a high draft pick a la 2002-03, a drastic move at this point given the Canes' position in the standings, their most marketable veteran would be Ray Whitney, who just happens to have a no-trade clause. And any talk of cutting ties with Eric Staal or Cam Ward is just silly at this point. No, there is no parachute, no easy button for this team. If getting Williams back doesn't jump-start the Canes, it could be a long year -- but getting Williams back just might do that. It's not about him, necessarily, although few teams have the depth to absorb the loss of a potential 40-goal scorer. It's about what having that extra weapon means. With Williams healthy, the Hurricanes have the top-end offensive depth to go three scoring lines deep, which is historically when they've been their most successful under Laviolette. They're at their best when Whitney is on the third line -- not because he's a third-line player, but because when he's there opposing teams don't know which line to try to stop. It's possible to game-plan for two scoring lines, but not three. When combined with a grinding fourth line, which the Canes could easily put together with some combination of Brandon Sutter, Chad LaRose, Ryan Bayda, Wade Brookbank and AHL call-ups like Dan LaCouture, it's easy to apply a lot more pressure. The Canes are only one point out of the Southeast Division lead, but it's hard for anyone one who has watched this team with any regularity to feel particularly optimistic. It's not the losses. It's how they have lost. Williams will be back soon, and not a moment too soon for the Hurricanes. They are nowhere close to running out of time this season, but they may be close to running out of options. "

11/26/2008 10:18:58 AM

Anybody willing to let me watch the game on Friday with you? I can bring beer.

11/26/2008 10:41:46 AM

Going to the game, section 328!

11/26/2008 11:02:23 AM

Section 328 for me as well

11/26/2008 11:11:44 AM

shock of shocks, I'll be in 328.

11/26/2008 12:51:58 PM

I'm in row J as always in the Samsonov jersey. Don't be afraid to holla

Gleason and Kaberle still out, Pitkanen in.

11/26/2008 12:54:16 PM

good to hear about Joni. I'm still not 100% sure if that was a "head shot" or not, but i'm leaning towards dirty the way the Florida guy's (forget who) elbow was out after contact.

11/26/2008 12:56:31 PM

I didn't know 328 was the section to be in...just seemed like the place I could get the best deal at.

11/26/2008 3:23:43 PM

it very much is, and has been, the place to be.

11/26/2008 4:13:19 PM

I'll be in 328 as always...but I might sneak down to a suite for the 2nd.

No THAMTHONOV tonight, though...wore it on Sunday and we know how that went.

11/26/2008 4:33:42 PM

well i'm just all left out in 111.

i like watching the cheaters never win thing though.

11/26/2008 4:38:26 PM

please join in on cheaters never win and the like. its fun stuff.

The best thing about 328 is the people up there. Even in a shitty game (like sunday), there's more than enough comedy that I still enjoy myself.

11/26/2008 4:40:02 PM

^ that indeed is the best part

i had a lot of fun at the 9-0 loss to atlanta in '06, but only because there was a collective effort to one-up each other in making fun of the team

it was fun to sit across the arena from 328 for once, because every upper level section was spotty except for ours, where rows c-j were basically filled

229 sucked except for one guy who was a master of hyperbole...when corvo shanked one on a half-open net, the guy yelled "jesus christ, corvo, that was the worst fucking shot you've ever taken in your entire life"

11/26/2008 4:45:55 PM

def one of the best parts of going to games, especially when we're playing shitty - it's like the one bright spot. Ryan Miller caught some of the most hell I've ever heard last year when we handed it to the Sabres 6-2.

Personally, I like when Brodeur is in town.

MARRRRRRRRRRTY. MARRRRRRRRRRRRTY. MARRRRRRRRRRRRTY. YOU SUCK.

11/26/2008 5:26:27 PM

KABERLE ACTIVE

11/26/2008 5:56:57 PM

^^ YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE GOALIE CHANT

The only acceptable first name/nickname for the goalie chant is "Cujo."

11/26/2008 6:25:28 PM

ummmm they've always done MARTY, ever since that got started.

11/26/2008 6:49:41 PM

only thing about cheaters never win is you usually can't tell what's being said unless its quiet.. Otherwise I'd join.

11/26/2008 7:00:39 PM

shitty.

11/26/2008 7:43:46 PM

larose = mvp

11/26/2008 8:01:44 PM

samsonov = decapitated

11/26/2008 8:57:12 PM

team = suck

11/26/2008 9:36:50 PM

Quote :

"larose = mvp"

Seriously. Also Lavi needs to grow a pair and bench staal.

11/26/2008 9:53:19 PM

It's time for a change. I don't want Lavi to go, but if he won't make the change then maybe it's time for someone else.

For 4 years we talk about effort effort effort work ethic skating and that's it. When we win we worked hard, when we lose we didn't work hard. Maybe that approach wears out its welcome rather quickly. It seemed to on Long Island.

I don't want to hear about effort level anymore. I want to hear about strategy. Like why do we constantly have 3 guys below the goal line, and we do we get stuck on the boards so often (although this improved after the 1st intermission tonight)? Why did we go out and get 2 offensively gifted d-men in Corvo and Pitkanen if we are still going to run an attack that does not get them involved enough in the offense? Why do we give the other team the blue line every time down the ice, or why do we rarely have guys go to the net?

I want to know what Laviolette talks about in the dressing room. Is this whole attitude and effort and heart talk just to the media, or is that all he ever preaches to the team as well? Maybe it's time to bring out the chalkboard and start looking at the X's and O's.

8 straight games we've given up the first goal.

8.

[Edited on November 26, 2008 at 10:12 PM. Reason : .]

11/26/2008 10:12:18 PM

Quote :

"bench staal"

does not compute

11/26/2008 11:03:54 PM

i'm here

11/26/2008 11:05:49 PM

^^^The team has completely tuned Lavi out.

11/26/2008 11:49:11 PM

Quote :

"I don't want to hear about effort level anymore. I want to hear about strategy. Like why do we constantly have 3 guys below the goal line, and we do we get stuck on the boards so often (although this improved after the 1st intermission tonight)? Why did we go out and get 2 offensively gifted d-men in Corvo and Pitkanen if we are still going to run an attack that does not get them involved enough in the offense? Why do we give the other team the blue line every time down the ice, or why do we rarely have guys go to the net?"

also my thoughts

11/27/2008 12:22:40 AM

Quote :

"I don't want to hear about effort level anymore. I want to hear about strategy. Like why do we constantly have 3 guys below the goal line, and we do we get stuck on the boards so often (although this improved after the 1st intermission tonight)? Why did we go out and get 2 offensively gifted d-men in Corvo and Pitkanen if we are still going to run an attack that does not get them involved enough in the offense? Why do we give the other team the blue line every time down the ice, or why do we rarely have guys go to the net?"

Sorry I just now read this. But Vulcan, this is EFFORT LEVEL. Guys rarely are in front of the net, get stuck on the boards, and allow the other team the blue because they aren't skating hard, they don't care. That is all a result of lack of effort level. They've tuned lavi out. Whether he tries different strategy or not, people simply are tuning him out. He needs to make a big and bold more, or Rutherford does (and not a trade).

[Edited on November 27, 2008 at 8:17 AM. Reason : ]

11/27/2008 8:13:28 AM

Well I'm still going to disagree. I think effort is a part of it, and some players seem to be lacking it on a nightly basis, but I think strategy has been completely overlooked. We run this behind the net play every single time into the offensive zone that involves 2 guys behind the net and one man, who is typically one of our undersized players, hanging around in the slot with no chance in hell of ever having a puck get to him. Then we have our defensemen at the point on their on-wings ready to either get back defensively or trap a puck along the boards and throw it back down behind the goal. This is a fine strategy for a 3rd line unit that's job is to grind and keep the puck in the other team's zone. But unfortunately we have our top 2 lines doing this and it completely negates the talent of guys like Pitkanen and Corvo aside from the occasional pinch in to the circle and none of the forwards seem to have figured it out either. Thankfully we have guys like Ruutu and LaRose who can score on the rush every now and then with a hard working play to the net, but in terms of getting in the offensive zone and actually organizing an attack; it ain't happenin.

If your system involves suicide drills from end to end and the only way you can score is to outwork your opponent on fast breaks down the ice, you aren't going to win consistently. It worked in 2006 because of the very high penalty rate in the post-lockout league, a fairly effective powerplay, a fresh team coming off a light year eager to buy into a new system, and guys like Erik Cole (and perhaps Justin Williams) who made that style of play work.

I think that style may be wearing a bit thin. But, that's pure speculation. I'm not in the locker room and I've never played organized hockey, so I could be spouting pure garbage.

It also could be that our team just isn't that talented.

Either way, I'm not sure we are going to see JR willing to part with $2 million to fire Laviolette, so hopefully Lavi will get creative and try some new things. Most coaches are damn stubborn, though.

11/27/2008 6:11:05 PM

Quote :

"a fairly effective powerplay"

I think this is a HUGE reason we have not had consistent success this year.

11/27/2008 8:20:00 PM

it'll be interesting to see if sections 110-114 are really sold out on sunday. according to the ticket office we couldn't get exchange tickets in any of those sections because they were all sold.. yeah right

11/27/2008 9:41:39 PM

Quote :

"It also could be that our team just isn't that talented. "

Unfortunately I think that is what it boils down to.

11/27/2008 10:06:56 PM

hmm so what team shows up today and for what periods?

11/28/2008 11:18:35 AM

well, it looks like Kaberle is going to play (oh boy). And I'll say we show up for the 2nd.

11/28/2008 11:26:36 AM

good... and Scott Walker isn't playing!

I bet he's PISSED

11/28/2008 12:48:41 PM

11/28/2008 1:03:14 PM

i hate fraser.

oh look they scored first

whats new

[Edited on November 28, 2008 at 1:15 PM. Reason : ]

if it wasn't for the flyers goal i would say we'd be playing great right now

[Edited on November 28, 2008 at 1:19 PM. Reason : ]

11/28/2008 1:13:45 PM

OMG what a shitty powerplay and defense afterward.

11/28/2008 2:05:36 PM

this looks more like the first period team we know

11/28/2008 2:09:29 PM