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Carolina Hurricanes Blogger •
Saturday's 6-2 Hurricanes loss to the Penguins looked like a continuation of game 2 in Pittsburgh a couple days earlier. The Canes again struggled defensively in their own zone and got run over again by trucks with license plates #71 and #87. Good teams generally have 2 things. First, they have a repeatable formula for a style of game that they are just better at than anyone else. Second and probably more importantly, they have have an ability to force this style of game on their opponent. I think maybe that is what we are witnessing right now. To me it seems blatantly obvious that the Canes cannot afford to get into a loose, race-to-5 kind of hockey game with the Penguins and come out ahead in 4 out of 7 games. And it seems even more unfathomable that a Maurice-coached team would get voluntarily get dragged into this kind of game 3 straight times especially after seeing how game 2 ended. But yet we see the same kind of game repeating itself. The Pens are successfully forcing the style and tempo of the game, and it is exactly the kind of game they want.
So after a rough rough game on home ice to close out a great day of tailgating, I think we have reached the point in my blog where I am supposed to take out my frustration and one by one throw a bunch of Canes players under the bus. Yes the Canes need to be better if they want to at least salvage the pride win on home ice on Tuesday, but I think throwing guys under the bus is better saved for poor energy efforts in February and just does not fit on a team that is not playing well and seems overmatched but does seem to be putting forth the effort skating-wise.
So let me try a handful of positives:
1) Cam Ward. His 1st period went about like the 1st 2 games in Pittsburgh. He was not horrible. His defense hung him out to dry again. But you would hope he could have done just a little more to hold the fort long enough for the Canes to build some momentum off the 1st goal. But on a positive note, I thought the 2nd period was 1 of the best periods of hockey has played this playoffs. The Canes continued to be loose on defense and gave up even more chances pushing a little to try to get back into the game. The result was a boatload of quality chances for the Pens that Ward turned away in every which way imaginable. And while the flood gates did open late in the 3rd period, Ward did hold 11:29 into the 3rd period trying to give his team a chance.
The point after the end of the 1st period where I most felt that we had a chance was when Ward made the 2 flailing and flopping saves at the beginning of the 2nd period. Those were not Cam Ward type saves and showed that he had dialed it up and was at least going to do all he could to give his team a chance.
2) Erik Cole. I thought he was 1 of the guys that brought the intensity level throughout the game. He is still playing at something less than 100% after the game 1 knee injury, but battled for pucks, finished checks, and just did all he could to win physical battles.
3) Patrick Eaves. He stepped up offensively for the 2nd consecutive game. Remember that he scored the huge tying goal in game 2 to make it 4-4 early in the 3rd period before the Pens rose up and buried the Canes in that game. But at the time he scored that goal, it was huge. He made a great pass to Cullen to help get his team off to exactly the start they needed.
4) Memorial Day weekend hockey and everything good that comes with it. Had you told me in February that we would get Memorial Day weekend hockey again this year, I would have been ecstatic. So despite the result of Saturday's game, I am at least going to allow it to be a good day. I was able to sit out in the sun and tailgate with family and friends. The kids got to play wiffle ball hockey for 2 hours before the game. And that, even if the score board does not cooperate, is mostly a good thing.
Here is hoping that the team can at least get a pride win on Tuesday. If they do that it will mean either that the RBC Center gets closed down in a good way or better yet that the series goes deeper than seems likely right now if they have to open it up again.
Go Canes!
So after a rough rough game on home ice to close out a great day of tailgating, I think we have reached the point in my blog where I am supposed to take out my frustration and one by one throw a bunch of Canes players under the bus. Yes the Canes need to be better if they want to at least salvage the pride win on home ice on Tuesday, but I think throwing guys under the bus is better saved for poor energy efforts in February and just does not fit on a team that is not playing well and seems overmatched but does seem to be putting forth the effort skating-wise.
So let me try a handful of positives:
1) Cam Ward. His 1st period went about like the 1st 2 games in Pittsburgh. He was not horrible. His defense hung him out to dry again. But you would hope he could have done just a little more to hold the fort long enough for the Canes to build some momentum off the 1st goal. But on a positive note, I thought the 2nd period was 1 of the best periods of hockey has played this playoffs. The Canes continued to be loose on defense and gave up even more chances pushing a little to try to get back into the game. The result was a boatload of quality chances for the Pens that Ward turned away in every which way imaginable. And while the flood gates did open late in the 3rd period, Ward did hold 11:29 into the 3rd period trying to give his team a chance.
The point after the end of the 1st period where I most felt that we had a chance was when Ward made the 2 flailing and flopping saves at the beginning of the 2nd period. Those were not Cam Ward type saves and showed that he had dialed it up and was at least going to do all he could to give his team a chance.
2) Erik Cole. I thought he was 1 of the guys that brought the intensity level throughout the game. He is still playing at something less than 100% after the game 1 knee injury, but battled for pucks, finished checks, and just did all he could to win physical battles.
3) Patrick Eaves. He stepped up offensively for the 2nd consecutive game. Remember that he scored the huge tying goal in game 2 to make it 4-4 early in the 3rd period before the Pens rose up and buried the Canes in that game. But at the time he scored that goal, it was huge. He made a great pass to Cullen to help get his team off to exactly the start they needed.
4) Memorial Day weekend hockey and everything good that comes with it. Had you told me in February that we would get Memorial Day weekend hockey again this year, I would have been ecstatic. So despite the result of Saturday's game, I am at least going to allow it to be a good day. I was able to sit out in the sun and tailgate with family and friends. The kids got to play wiffle ball hockey for 2 hours before the game. And that, even if the score board does not cooperate, is mostly a good thing.
Here is hoping that the team can at least get a pride win on Tuesday. If they do that it will mean either that the RBC Center gets closed down in a good way or better yet that the series goes deeper than seems likely right now if they have to open it up again.
Go Canes!
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