On the outside lookin' in

What is it with third periods and Tuesday nights? For the second time in as many weeks, the Carolina Hurricanes blew a lead and lost a game when they were leading after two periods. Now they are 22-2-0 but what hurts is Carolina is on the outside looking in.

If the playoffs started tonight, both the Stanley Cup Final teams would be golfing or doing something other than playing for the Holy Grail of hockey. I applaud gm JR for not making a trade that probably would not get this team any better than they are. It just seems that this team has lost its drive, its third period dominance, its willingness to win.

So on to tonight against the same Ottawa team that put two goals in on Grahame “Cracker” in the third period. Grahame did make some keen saves last night and timely ones as well, but in the end, he also gave up the game winning one. Lets see if Cam Ward can do a bit better and get back on his winning track and lets see if the Canes can again start a win streak – even though it will probably be just a two game streak – that’s better than having a two game streak in the other direction.

Trade deadline 3PM EST

With the deadline less than six hours away and the Canes having a plethora of defencemen, look for good ole JR to try and swing a deal. I for one think that Carolina needs to stand pat and let the season roll. For other trades, TSN will have news all day long on their site (http://www.tsn.ca/)

Trades that have already taken place and one that I think were not a good one is the Keith Tkachuk going to the Atlanta Thrashers. I believe that Don Waddell mortgaged the team and that nothing really will come of it. Tkachuk did not do anything impressive last night and I do not see Atlanta making the playoffs this season.

Phil-Detroit-Chicago – Calder to Detroit, Jason Williams to Chicago and Lasse Kukkonen to the Flyers

Canucks get two – Sopel from LA for draft pick; Smolinski from Chicago for draft pick

Update 11:45 AM EST:

Gary Roberts to Pens for Noah Welch

Martin Biron to Flyers for draft pick

Buffalo picks up Ty Conklin to Buffalo and Blue Jackets get TBA

Update 12:40 PM EST:

Bill Guerin to San Jose Blues get 2007 1st round dp and futures

Pens send Dan Carcillo and 8th rdp to Phoenix for George Laraque

Update 4:53 PM EST:

Isles get Ryan Smyth from Oilers

Carolina Hurricanes make no trades

I will try and keep this updated, but it depends on how work goes.

First of two against Ottawa

The Canes host the Ottawa Senators tonight and don’t look for a circus like what took place between the Banana peel Sabers and the Senators like this past Thursday/Saturday. Let’s see if the Canes can get another win and extend their streak to three games. They have only done that twice this season.
This is the first of a home and home with the Senators. I know that Johnny Grahame “Cracker” has played well in his last two games and I actually look for him to get the start tonight in net. As for the Sens, let’s see if Martin “zeee” Gerber “baby” is in net or if Ottawa stays with “Sugar Ray” Emery, who is probably one of the only net minders that ever took on a team’s tough guy and his team watched.
This game could sustain the bubble or burst the playoff bubble of the Canes who have let games slip away recently. If Carolina can stay out of penalty trouble and cash in on a power play chance, I believe that the winning streak stretches to three games. And with this being his second game in Carolina, I am anxious to see what Anson Carter can do both with the puck and with his physical play.

Help on the way?

What a steal? Could the deal that sent Anson Carter to the Hurricanes be just what the doctor ordered? At least it gives an NHL regular to the Canes for nothing more than a 5th round draft pick. One would wonder what in the world Doug McClean was thinking when he made the deal. Yeah, the Blue Jackets are not going to make the playoffs again, but to lose Carter who I can see the Canes resigning in the offseason for a fifth rounder, man what a joke.

For more in site to the story, click the link below which will take you to the NHL.com web site.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=289482&page=NewsPage&service=page

Bad Mojo at the RBC for Canes this season

I think the problem with the Canes and the struggles on home ice go back to game 5 of the SCF. You know, when Ryan Smyth dug up the coin at center ice. Maybe what the Canes need to do is bury something else at center ice to get their mojo back. Maybe they can bury last season’s memories so they can focus on the rest of the season. Maybe they need to bury the Stanley Cup itself at center ice so when they hang their heads after blowing a game, they can see what they played for last season and see what is slipping away this season. They could bury me there if they wanted to. I don’t think that I would bring them any luck, but man what a view I would have before I froze to death.

To trade or not to trade, that is the question. Jim Rutherford according to the N&O is that he is not going to trade because the cost is too high. Again, thank you Nashville for getting Peter “the not so great and most times injured” Forsberg from the Flyers. If the Canes were to trade, I would say why not with Philadelphia and get Kyle Calder. Now that would be a great pickup if Carolina could get him on the cheap, something like David “Wasabe” Tanabe. A defense man that I think the Canes can do without.

No Stillman, no Cole, big problem? I am not so sure. Yes Cole when he plays his style he is a bull seeing red on the other team. But he has not done that most or at least not half this season. Stillman – well he has only played a quarter to a third of the season – and other than the initial oomph for the pp, nothing special.

Lets just ride this thing out and see if the playoffs are in the cards this season.

NHL GM's do something smart

No new point structure for the NHL come 07-08. News from Naples Florida is that all 30 GM’s voted against the 3-2-1 point scheme that was being talked about. More here:

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=289373&page=NewsPage&service=page

Two and a half periods in the books and then.........

The wheels fall off. Or more like throwing a rod through the engine block! Through two and a half periods of play, the Canes were doing what they needed and wanted to do. After a fluky goal, they fell apart. What’s worse is Atlanta was a team that had lost four straight until last night. What is it with Carolina! Boston was on a losing streak and came to the RBC center and put a W in the column. Now Atlanta.

I am a fan and I would really love to see this team do what they did last season but I am also a realist and maybe the better thing for this team is to not make the playoffs so that they can have a nice long summer to rest. This would at least get rid of the “Stanley Cup Hang Over” excuse that was used way to often in the beginning of the season. What will the excuses be if/when Carolina misses the playoffs?

Hey……lets see what they can do against the Forsbergless Flyers tomorrow night. Maybe Tripp Tracey can actually do color instead of pulling a John Madden and spewing his love for Forsberg since he is not longer there!

News, Notes and Opinions

Al righty, no posting in a week or so and I know that I need to find a way to post once a day. Sorry I didn’t mean for the rhyme. Well the Canes have a chance to make the playoffs if they can win two out of every three. Like I said earlier this season, can we play Atlanta again? Carolina has a good record against the Thrash and that goes for this season as well. The last time I remember these two teams playing was back in December when Atlanta scored late in the third to take the game to overtime and then a shootout. And no surprise to anyone, they won. The Canes are not good in a shootout. If memory serves me correct they are 0-4, but then again I have drank through most those games so my mind might be a bit fuzzy.

Now on to other NHL news:

Forsberg to Nashville: There is a God. The Canes did not need to rape the farm for him. I my opinion, I think he is one of the dirtiest players around. At least players like Scott Stevens would stand up after he cheap shotted you Forsberg will not. I have seen this when he was with the Avs and Flyers. I don’t like the guy.

The Big Condor: At the moment, I still think it is more like the big teddy bear. I watched him at the Rangers game (and yes most of the team stunk it up) but Joe seems to just duck the hits. Man if I were as big as he was and could skate, I would be a Mac truck and be hitting anything in site – including the zebras when they get between me and the puck – can you say my home away from home would be the sin bin!

Babchuk: Too much drama. Send his ass back to Russia and let’s get on with hockey. If he refused to go to Albany, NJ (yes now he has finally reported) they should have sent his butt to their ECHL team!

Non-NHL news:

SPHL’s Fayetteville Fire Antz is making a playoff push in their fifth season. The club sits currently fifth in the standings. Their schedule for the rest of February goes something like this:

Thursday 2/22 – Fayetteville @ Pee Dee Cyclones 7:10 start
Friday 2/23 – Fayetteville hosts Columbus Cottonmouths 7:30 start
Saturday 2/24 – Fayetteville hosts Knoxville Ice Bears 7:30 start