Monday, December 31, 2007

Let’s see, what would be the best way to bring in the New Year in great hockey fashion? How about inviting 17,091 of your biggest fans to watch you take out the old year with a victory and ring in the New Year with a big party. Well, that’s what they attempted to do last night at the RBC Center in Raleigh, except for one problem. The home team forgot to show up. Let’s see if this story sounds familiar. The Canes come out and survive the first period, only to collapse in the second by giving up four goals and scoring one, and then trying to muster some kind of energy in the third to put some points on the scoreboard. That seems to be the scenario that lately we see repeatedly. The photo above of Carolina Hurricanes’ Coaches Jeff Daniels and Peter Laviolette says it all.

The Canes hit the ice with Matt Cullen back after literally being knocked out of the New York Rangers game on December 26th. Even though he received the loudest amount of applause during the player introductions, he was only able to play for six shifts for a total of 4:23 in the first period. He did not return in the game due to feeling ill. This was the second of four meetings of the season between the Canes and the Islanders. The Canes spanked the Islanders 8-3 on October 27th at Nassau Coliseum in a one-sided affair. The Canes should have known that the Islanders would want revenge and they appeared to have gotten what they wanted. The Canes again came out in the first period and played well enough to keep the period scoreless as they outshot the opposition 9-8.

Then in the second period, the collapse started early. The Islanders came into this game with a power play rated at 15.5% (21st in the NHL). That would change quickly. After a Rod Brind’Amour slashing penalty at 1:49 into the period, Marc-Andre Bergeron scored on the power play in the slot at 2:06. It appeared to be a 29 foot shot from between the circles that went straight in with no obstructions. That power play lasted 17 seconds. Next at 2:47 in the period, Mike Commodore received a hooking penalty. Bill Guerin scored :41 later at 3:28 in the period on a 43 foot shot near the same point as the Bergeron score. Next at 5:45, Islander Andy Hilbert brought the puck into the zone and got a pass to Ruslan Fedotenko, who was going through the slot and scored. Three goals in 3:39 and that was it for Grahame for the night as Cam Ward was brought into the game. The Canes finally got on the scoreboard at 6:17 when Craig Adams got a backhand shot past Wade Dubielewicz. That would be all the celebration the Canes would get in this game. After Craig Adams got a Hi-sticking penalty at 12:54, Marc-Andre Bergeron scored again at the 13:20 mark on a shot from straight ahead at the blue line. Bill Guerin was coming through the goalmouth at the time of the score and appeared to have shielded Cam Ward. The Canes were outshot 11-12 and that was it for this game. The Canes came out in the third and continued their subpar play until the end even though they outshot the Islanders 9-4. What a way to end the year.

The Canes second period breakdown was an embarrassment. In the recap on carolinahurricanes.com, Coach Peter Laviolette in discussing the second period stated, “We were flat. The first five, seven minutes cost us. We lost battles right off the bat, battles to get it in, battles to protect the puck. We took careless penalties. Both penalties – there was no need to either one of them.” The Canes frustration was clear in the five penalties they took in the second period as the Islanders went through the second with no penalties. As far as the Canes giving up three power play goals, Coach Laviolette advised, “The penalty kill is comprised of a lot of little things. The shots came from the middle of the ice and we should have had a person there blocking all of them. And there were other things that wrong as well – a bunch of little details.” The penalty kill was terrible to watch. On the three power plays where the Islanders scored, the Canes were on the penalty kill for a total of 1:24.

After the game, Mike Commodore stated in a post game interview, “We just didn’t play well, flat out didn’t play well. D turned over pucks, goalies turned over pucks, forwards turned over pucks. Everybody was turning over pucks, and they just kept coming down on us. “ In this game, the Canes continued with constant defensive zone breakdowns and giving up the puck at the wrong time. They constantly let the opposing players come in behind the defense and skate unobstructed to the front of the net. They were slow to pick up the puck when they were closer than the opposition. The Hurricanes showed the entire audience why they are last in the NHL on the penalty kill. All three power play goals were shot from the point straight ahead. No one went down to stop the puck and no one when towards the shooter to stop or alter the shot. The Beatles song from the White Album entitled “Helter Skelter” pretty much describes the penalty kill. To say that the confidence of this team is fragile at best is an understatement. On the power play and now at certain points in the game, the Canes seem to be content to pass the puck around instead of shooting. When your confidence is down, you are less likely to shoot. Of course, giving up three goals in less than six minutes will kill your confidence. The goaltending by Ward and Grahame has been average at best over the past few weeks. They both seem unable to come up with the important stops at critical points in the game.

The Canes are halfway through their season and appear to be at a crossroads. Are they going to find the leadership that was once present in the locker room and find a way to right the ship? Will Jim Rutherford be forced to make a trade to shake the team up and turn their season around? Will Michael Leighton be brought up from the AHL to shake up the goaltending tandem even if it would cause some waiver issues on moving players? I guess we will see soon since something has got to happen if they plan to save this season.

GAME STATS
Shots on Goal: Canes 29 Islanders 24
Hits: Canes 25 Islanders 16
Face-Offs Won: Canes 27 Islanders 27
Power Play: Canes 0-4 Islanders 3-7
Venue: RBC Center A-17,091

HURRICANES INJURIES:
· Bret Hedican: Sprained knee, 10-14 days
· David Tanabe: Concussion, Day-to-Day
· Justin Williams: Grade III (complete tear) sprain of his ACL; Grade II (partial tear) sprain of his MCL, 4 to 6 months