The Carolina Hurricanes got their first win of the season while handing the Detroit Red Wings their first loss with a score of 5-3. Rookie Brock McGinn got his first NHL goal in his first NHL shift as he scored the first goal of the game as Carolina jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Hurricanes once again took a 3-2 lead over the Red Wings into the third period but made it hold up this time around.
The Hurricanes set a season high for goals scored as Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg had a goal and two assists and Brock McGinn also added an assist. Justin Faulk had a goal, his second, and has scored a point in all four Hurricanes games this season. This was the start of a seven game road trip for the Hurricanes.
Showing posts with label Carolina Hurricanes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carolina Hurricanes. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Fourth Round Pick Nicolas Roy, Center
Nicolas Roy was projected to go anywhere from the end of the first round to the third round. The Hurricanes may have gotten another steal with Roy in the fourth round, #96 overall. Roy is a Center with some size, (6'4", 205 pounds) and he came into the draft as the 45th ranked North American skater. Roy played his last two seasons with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL where he posted, solid but not spectacular, numbers.
Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects decribed Roy as being "a big-bodied, imposing presence on the ice."
Chris Lund of mapleleafs.nhl.com said of Roy "a tenacious forechecker" who "consistently wins puck battles with his size and stick." Lund went on to say that Roy "owns a good shot and can distribute the puck effectively." He positions himself well in front of the net.
The criticism of Roy's game is that he is not seen as a strong skater. Lund acknowledged that in his assessment of Roy and said that other player's have overcome not being strong skaters to make it to the NHL and his skating would need to become a priority for him to make it to the NHL.
Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects decribed Roy as being "a big-bodied, imposing presence on the ice."
Chris Lund of mapleleafs.nhl.com said of Roy "a tenacious forechecker" who "consistently wins puck battles with his size and stick." Lund went on to say that Roy "owns a good shot and can distribute the puck effectively." He positions himself well in front of the net.
The criticism of Roy's game is that he is not seen as a strong skater. Lund acknowledged that in his assessment of Roy and said that other player's have overcome not being strong skaters to make it to the NHL and his skating would need to become a priority for him to make it to the NHL.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Fourth Round, Callum Booth, Goalie
The Hurricanes drafted Goalie Callum Booth with their first pick in the fourth round, #93 overall. The Hurricanes may have gotten a steal here. He has nice size, 6'3" and 200 pounds, and he was the second ranked Goalie in North America by most scouting services. There were seven Goalies drafted ahead of him.
Booth played the last two season with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and posted a 23-12-5 record last season with a 3.05 Goals Against Average.
Ben Kerr of the website thelastwordonsports.com described Booth as being "a bit of a project as he is likely several years away from the NHL." Kerr described his attributes as "he gets out well to cut down angles and gives shooters very little to look at" and that he had "very good rebound control." Al Jensen of NHL Central Scouting said that "he has excellent positional play and net coverage and is strong in all areas."
Among the negatives for Booth is that Kerr does not believe that he will make acrobatic, athletic saves when he is caught out of position and Jensen believes that he can be beat to the high side in spite of his size. It will also be several years before this draft can be evaluated as well.
Booth played the last two season with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and posted a 23-12-5 record last season with a 3.05 Goals Against Average.
Ben Kerr of the website thelastwordonsports.com described Booth as being "a bit of a project as he is likely several years away from the NHL." Kerr described his attributes as "he gets out well to cut down angles and gives shooters very little to look at" and that he had "very good rebound control." Al Jensen of NHL Central Scouting said that "he has excellent positional play and net coverage and is strong in all areas."
Among the negatives for Booth is that Kerr does not believe that he will make acrobatic, athletic saves when he is caught out of position and Jensen believes that he can be beat to the high side in spite of his size. It will also be several years before this draft can be evaluated as well.
Sebastian Aho, Second Round Pick
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Finnish Right Wing Sebastian Aho with their Second Round draft pick, #35 overall. I thought this pick was a little bit of a reach for Carolina. Most scouts doubt Aho's offensive upside and with higher ranked wingers Paul Bittner (taken 38th by the Columbus Blue Jackets) and Daniel Sprong (46th by the Pittsburgh Penguins) still on the board, I think the Hurricanes could probably have gotten Aho in a later round. The hockey draft experts had Aho ranked anywhere from the 28th overall prospect down to the 110th but most questioned whether his game could translate to the NHL and its bigger hockey rinks.
Aho played with Karpat and Asaat in Finland's Elite League Liiga last season where he scored four goals and had nine assists in 30 games as a 17 year old. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects see Aho as being "strong on his skates" with "excellent puck handling ability and finesse." Hockey writer Cole Hamilton on bsndenver.com believed that Aho would go anywhere from the second to the fifth rounds.
Aho is still under contract for one more season to Karpat and so he is a project for the future for the Hurricanes organization. It may be three or four seasons before this pick can be completely evaluated.
Aho played with Karpat and Asaat in Finland's Elite League Liiga last season where he scored four goals and had nine assists in 30 games as a 17 year old. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects see Aho as being "strong on his skates" with "excellent puck handling ability and finesse." Hockey writer Cole Hamilton on bsndenver.com believed that Aho would go anywhere from the second to the fifth rounds.
Aho is still under contract for one more season to Karpat and so he is a project for the future for the Hurricanes organization. It may be three or four seasons before this pick can be completely evaluated.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Draft Prospect Mitch Marner
Most of the Hockey World has Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner as interchangeable parts in the upcoming Hockey draft and many have him as the third best overall player behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. The X factor is Marner's playmaking ability. He has spent the last two seasons with the London Knight's of the Ontario Hockey league where he posted video game like numbers of 126 points in 63 games including a few five point games.
The biggest knock on Mitch Marner is his size. He only weighs in at 5-10 and 160 pounds. Dan Marr, the Chief Scout of NHL Central Scouting believes Marner "plays bigger than his size and is not afraid to get involved in traffic or battle for pucks." Marner is seen as being strong in all three zones and an underrated defensive player.
Marner's strength is his playmaking ability. Marr describes Marner as having a "high end skill set with puck handling and playmaking ability." Dominic Tiano of the OHL Writers believes that Marner has the "ability to step up his game." He went on to say that Marner "carried the Knights in the absence of Max Domi" when Domi went down during the season with an injury. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects believes that Marner "makes the players around him better."
The Toronto Maple Leafs own the number four pick in the draft ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes and Marner was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill. It will be interesting to see of new Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock will take a chance on a local player of Marner's playmaking abilities or if he will go with Strome or Hanifin to build his foundation on. The Hurricanes could use someone of Marner's playmaking ability but he may not be around by pick number five.
The biggest knock on Mitch Marner is his size. He only weighs in at 5-10 and 160 pounds. Dan Marr, the Chief Scout of NHL Central Scouting believes Marner "plays bigger than his size and is not afraid to get involved in traffic or battle for pucks." Marner is seen as being strong in all three zones and an underrated defensive player.
Marner's strength is his playmaking ability. Marr describes Marner as having a "high end skill set with puck handling and playmaking ability." Dominic Tiano of the OHL Writers believes that Marner has the "ability to step up his game." He went on to say that Marner "carried the Knights in the absence of Max Domi" when Domi went down during the season with an injury. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects believes that Marner "makes the players around him better."
The Toronto Maple Leafs own the number four pick in the draft ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes and Marner was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill. It will be interesting to see of new Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock will take a chance on a local player of Marner's playmaking abilities or if he will go with Strome or Hanifin to build his foundation on. The Hurricanes could use someone of Marner's playmaking ability but he may not be around by pick number five.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Draft Prospect Noah Hanifin
The chances are that 6-3, 205 pound draft prospect Defenseman Noah Hanifin of Boston College will have already been taken by the time the Hurricanes step to the podium to announce their pick. He is the top rated Defenseman in the draft and he is widely seen as the overall number three prospect behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. The Hurricanes could definitely use some help on Defense but they need help now. Hanifin, who recently turned 18, just completed his Freshman year at Boston College and at 17, was the youngest player to ever suit up for BC. He does have the option to return to college for another season or he could finish out his amateur career there.
In an interview with nhl.com Hanifin describes his game as being more "of an offensive defenseman; I like to rely on my skating a lot and rush the puck up the ice." He likes to model his game after Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks.
His Head Coach at Boston College Jerry York said in an interview with the Boston Herald that he really believed Hanifin's "offense is going to blossom, with his ability to walk the blue line and find open guys. I think his shot will get better." He is seen as a strong skater.
At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Hanifin is not seen as a bruising defender who is going to go out on the ice and lay the opposition to waste. In the same interview with the Boston Herald Colorado Avalanche amateur scout Neil Shea, who coached Hanifin at an early age and is credited by Hanifin with teaching him a lot of how to play defense, believes that Hanifin "defends by angling guys off the puck, using his stick and he's positionally very sound." Hanifin is seen as a player who will make the smart play on defense versus taking unnecessary risks in his own zone.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be the first two players to go in the draft and Hanifin will more than likely go at number three or four but if he does fall to number five, the Hurricanes would not be taking a risk by drafting Hanifin. I do believe it would be a draft pick that would pay more dividends three or four years down the road much like Justin Faulk.
In an interview with nhl.com Hanifin describes his game as being more "of an offensive defenseman; I like to rely on my skating a lot and rush the puck up the ice." He likes to model his game after Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks.
His Head Coach at Boston College Jerry York said in an interview with the Boston Herald that he really believed Hanifin's "offense is going to blossom, with his ability to walk the blue line and find open guys. I think his shot will get better." He is seen as a strong skater.
At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Hanifin is not seen as a bruising defender who is going to go out on the ice and lay the opposition to waste. In the same interview with the Boston Herald Colorado Avalanche amateur scout Neil Shea, who coached Hanifin at an early age and is credited by Hanifin with teaching him a lot of how to play defense, believes that Hanifin "defends by angling guys off the puck, using his stick and he's positionally very sound." Hanifin is seen as a player who will make the smart play on defense versus taking unnecessary risks in his own zone.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be the first two players to go in the draft and Hanifin will more than likely go at number three or four but if he does fall to number five, the Hurricanes would not be taking a risk by drafting Hanifin. I do believe it would be a draft pick that would pay more dividends three or four years down the road much like Justin Faulk.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Draft Prospect Lawson Crouse
Power forward Lawson Crouse is widely regarded as a top ten prospect in the 2015 NHL Draft. He is an impressive physical specimen at 6-4 and 212 pounds and 18 years old and plays with a physical edge and toughness that the Hurricanes lacked last season. He doesn't mind dropping the gloves when he feels it is necessary and the Hurricanes could also use some of that.
He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He didn't exactly set the league on fire with his scoring (51 points in 56 games) but neither did Kingston as a team. He played his way onto the Canada team for the World Junior Championships and helped them win the Gold Medal. He is considered an excellent penalty killer and would add to the Hurricanes penalty killing unit that was the fourth ranked in the league last season.
In an interview with Chip Alexander of the News and Observer, Hurricanes director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald described Crouse as a "physical specimen and will get even bigger and stronger" and that he plays "a power game." Doug Gilmour, former Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and current General Manager of the Kingston Frontenacs said in an interview recently "He's a big body. He can skate, he's got a pro shot-his release is phenomenal." Sportsnet's Jonathan Willis compared him to Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins at this stage in their development.
Gilmour also credits Crouse with another skill that can't be measured on any stats sheet and that is the ability to be a leader. Gilmour said he is great in the clubhouse and "he is going to be a great leader." Crouse picked up the nickname "The Sheriff" from his teammates.
Several mock drafts have Crouse going with the seventh pick to the Philadelphia Flyers but the Hurricanes are taking a serious look at Crouse. The Hurricanes need players that are NHL ready and they need to improve on the 27th ranked offense. Crouse would provide the physical presence they need in front of the net and he is one of the few power forwards available in the draft. Crouse should be available with the fifth selection.
He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He didn't exactly set the league on fire with his scoring (51 points in 56 games) but neither did Kingston as a team. He played his way onto the Canada team for the World Junior Championships and helped them win the Gold Medal. He is considered an excellent penalty killer and would add to the Hurricanes penalty killing unit that was the fourth ranked in the league last season.
In an interview with Chip Alexander of the News and Observer, Hurricanes director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald described Crouse as a "physical specimen and will get even bigger and stronger" and that he plays "a power game." Doug Gilmour, former Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and current General Manager of the Kingston Frontenacs said in an interview recently "He's a big body. He can skate, he's got a pro shot-his release is phenomenal." Sportsnet's Jonathan Willis compared him to Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins at this stage in their development.
Gilmour also credits Crouse with another skill that can't be measured on any stats sheet and that is the ability to be a leader. Gilmour said he is great in the clubhouse and "he is going to be a great leader." Crouse picked up the nickname "The Sheriff" from his teammates.
Several mock drafts have Crouse going with the seventh pick to the Philadelphia Flyers but the Hurricanes are taking a serious look at Crouse. The Hurricanes need players that are NHL ready and they need to improve on the 27th ranked offense. Crouse would provide the physical presence they need in front of the net and he is one of the few power forwards available in the draft. Crouse should be available with the fifth selection.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
2015 NHL Draft
The Carolina Hurricanes needs are too many to be able to fix in one draft but their most glaring need is on offense. Free agency can help address some of those needs as the Hurricanes have $20 million in cap space. The Hurricanes were 27th in the NHL in scoring last season only averaging 2.2 goals per game. Their leading scorer Eric Staal only had 54 points in 77 games. Their second leading scorer was a Defenseman, Justin Faulk, who also led the team in Assists with 34.
The Carolina Hurricanes have the #5 draft pick. The Hurricanes need a player that is NHL ready like Jeff Skinner was in 2010. The Hurricanes need a forward with some size. The Hurricanes got pushed around by the more physical teams last year. I am not saying they need to turn into a reincarnation of the Broad Street Bullies, but someone who can go into the corners with bad intentions would help free up some of the offense.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will go one and two. That is a given. What happens after that is debatable. I think that Left Wing Lawson Crouse will be available when it comes time for the Hurricanes to pick. He is listed at 6-4 and 212 pounds and is seen as the best, if not only, power forward in the draft. He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He also played his way onto the Canadian World Cup Junior team where he had one goal and two assists in seven games.
The Hockey News has Lawson Crouse as the number eight prospect. The International Scouting Services has him at number four. Several of the mock drafts I have seen has Crouse going to the Philadelphia Flyers at number seven. He is on the Hurricanes radar. It depends on what happens before the Hurricanes get to pick will dictate who they select. Here is hoping the hockey gods are good to the Hurricanes for a change.
The Carolina Hurricanes have the #5 draft pick. The Hurricanes need a player that is NHL ready like Jeff Skinner was in 2010. The Hurricanes need a forward with some size. The Hurricanes got pushed around by the more physical teams last year. I am not saying they need to turn into a reincarnation of the Broad Street Bullies, but someone who can go into the corners with bad intentions would help free up some of the offense.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will go one and two. That is a given. What happens after that is debatable. I think that Left Wing Lawson Crouse will be available when it comes time for the Hurricanes to pick. He is listed at 6-4 and 212 pounds and is seen as the best, if not only, power forward in the draft. He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He also played his way onto the Canadian World Cup Junior team where he had one goal and two assists in seven games.
The Hockey News has Lawson Crouse as the number eight prospect. The International Scouting Services has him at number four. Several of the mock drafts I have seen has Crouse going to the Philadelphia Flyers at number seven. He is on the Hurricanes radar. It depends on what happens before the Hurricanes get to pick will dictate who they select. Here is hoping the hockey gods are good to the Hurricanes for a change.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
The Hurricanes At The All-Star Break
The Carolina Hurricanes carry a 16-25-5 record (37 points) into the All-Star break. They have been playing much better of late going 6-3-1 over their last ten games. They only have more points than the Buffalo Sabres and the Edmonton Oilers amd are tied with the Arizona Coyotes.
The Carolina Hurricanes biggest problem all season long has been goal scoring. They are 29th in the National Hockey League in Goals Scored ahead of only the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Staal leads the team with 28 points but has been hot of late scoring 8 goals in his past 11 games. The Hurricanes and Eric Staal's recent hot streak coincide with the return of Jordan Staal from a preseason leg injury. He returned 10 games ago and has 6 points. Jordan Staal's return and getting other players such as Jeff Skinner back on track will be key for the Hurricanes in the second half of the season.
The Hurricanes best unit has been the Penalty Kill where they are 4th in the league at 87.0%. The unquestioned leader of the Penalty Kill Unit is Justin Faulk. He has the Hurricanes only two short handed goals on the season.
The Hurricanes goal tending tandem of Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin are only allowing 2.5 goals per game and rank 11th in Goals Against Average.
In the games that I have seen, the Hurricanes have had trouble getting the puck out of their own zone. They are consistently out shot by their opponents, and although they rank 13th in the NHL on the power play, they are not getting as many opportunities with the man advantage. They need to be able to put more pressure on the other team's defense and create more opportunities. That is as simple as it can get. Is it puck handling? Team speed? Decision making? not having an offensive mind set?
It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can carry the momentum of the last ten games into the second half of the season.
The Carolina Hurricanes biggest problem all season long has been goal scoring. They are 29th in the National Hockey League in Goals Scored ahead of only the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Staal leads the team with 28 points but has been hot of late scoring 8 goals in his past 11 games. The Hurricanes and Eric Staal's recent hot streak coincide with the return of Jordan Staal from a preseason leg injury. He returned 10 games ago and has 6 points. Jordan Staal's return and getting other players such as Jeff Skinner back on track will be key for the Hurricanes in the second half of the season.
The Hurricanes best unit has been the Penalty Kill where they are 4th in the league at 87.0%. The unquestioned leader of the Penalty Kill Unit is Justin Faulk. He has the Hurricanes only two short handed goals on the season.
The Hurricanes goal tending tandem of Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin are only allowing 2.5 goals per game and rank 11th in Goals Against Average.
In the games that I have seen, the Hurricanes have had trouble getting the puck out of their own zone. They are consistently out shot by their opponents, and although they rank 13th in the NHL on the power play, they are not getting as many opportunities with the man advantage. They need to be able to put more pressure on the other team's defense and create more opportunities. That is as simple as it can get. Is it puck handling? Team speed? Decision making? not having an offensive mind set?
It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can carry the momentum of the last ten games into the second half of the season.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Where Is The Offense?
The Carolina Hurricanes are only ahead the Edmonton Oilers by one point when it comes to having the worst record in the National Hockey League. The Hurricanes are 9-19-3 for 21 points and have a solid hold on last place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Hurricanes are only averaging 2.1 Goals Per Game, good for 28th place in the NHL. Injuries have hit the Hurricanes hard as they lost Jordan Staal before the regular season and Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, and Jiri Tlusty have all missed extended time and the offense has had a hard time jelling under new Head Coach Bill Peters.
Defenseman Justin Faulk leads the team in scoring with 19 points in 31 games and Jiri Tlusty leads the team in Goals with 10. Only three players that have played in games for the Hurricanes have a + rating and that is Andrej Nestrasil with a +3 in 8 games played.
I do not know if an element of toughness would help the Hurricanes or not but they traded away team tough guy, Defenseman Jay Harrison, to the Winnipeg Jets yesterday for a 6th round draft choice. Harrison had two of the Hurricanes five fighting majors this season. The Hurricanes last fighting major the Hurricanes logged was a month ago when Brad Malone went against Brayden McNabb of the Los Angeles Kings. The Hurricanes need someone to protect the top scorers.
The big question is how do the Hurricanes open up their scoring? I would love to see the Hurricanes develop "Fast Break" hockey like the NHL had in the 1980's with almost every team having a scorer that topped 100 points. I don't see that happening anytime soon especially with the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are only averaging 2.1 Goals Per Game, good for 28th place in the NHL. Injuries have hit the Hurricanes hard as they lost Jordan Staal before the regular season and Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, and Jiri Tlusty have all missed extended time and the offense has had a hard time jelling under new Head Coach Bill Peters.
Defenseman Justin Faulk leads the team in scoring with 19 points in 31 games and Jiri Tlusty leads the team in Goals with 10. Only three players that have played in games for the Hurricanes have a + rating and that is Andrej Nestrasil with a +3 in 8 games played.
I do not know if an element of toughness would help the Hurricanes or not but they traded away team tough guy, Defenseman Jay Harrison, to the Winnipeg Jets yesterday for a 6th round draft choice. Harrison had two of the Hurricanes five fighting majors this season. The Hurricanes last fighting major the Hurricanes logged was a month ago when Brad Malone went against Brayden McNabb of the Los Angeles Kings. The Hurricanes need someone to protect the top scorers.
The big question is how do the Hurricanes open up their scoring? I would love to see the Hurricanes develop "Fast Break" hockey like the NHL had in the 1980's with almost every team having a scorer that topped 100 points. I don't see that happening anytime soon especially with the Hurricanes.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Eye Of The Hurricanes
I am a novice ice hockey fan. Growing up in the mountains of western North Carolina. I did not grow up with the sport. One of the first games I ever saw was the "Miracle On Ice" games in the 1980 Winter Olympics. I have never played the game and I have never even been on ice skates. The only experience I have ever had with hockey is what I have played in video games.
I really do not have a favorite hockey team. I have followed the Philadelphia Flyers and the San Jose Sharks over the years but I have no real passion for those teams. The Carolina Hurricanes came in the mid-1990's and a connection was made. I went to the Carolina Hurricanes very first game at the Greensboro Coliseum against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 3, 1997. I drove 4 1/2 hours to see that game. A couple of friends from work met me down there. It was a fight filled contest featuring the likes of Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson. He fought Penguin tough guy Chris Tamer and I just watched the video of it on hockeyfights.com.
My goal with this blog is to present the Hurricanes from a casual fans perspective. I do not know the ins and outs of the game like the hardcore fans do. I know I do not like "dump and chase" hockey and I prefer a lot of offense like the Edmonton Oilers and Wayne Gretzky had in the 1980's. The era of the 100 point scorers has about ceased to exist. It has about gone the way of the 20 game winner in Major League baseball. My dog Molly just fell asleep on a Carolina Hurricanes t-shirt I was wearing today in honor of the beginning of the NHL season.
I get to see quite a few of the Hurricanes games on TV but western North Carolina is not exactly a hot bed of hockey. The Carolina Hurricanes top minor league team, the Charlotte Checkers, is much closer and accessible. I am looking forward to providing what insight I can and following the Hurricanes into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I really do not have a favorite hockey team. I have followed the Philadelphia Flyers and the San Jose Sharks over the years but I have no real passion for those teams. The Carolina Hurricanes came in the mid-1990's and a connection was made. I went to the Carolina Hurricanes very first game at the Greensboro Coliseum against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 3, 1997. I drove 4 1/2 hours to see that game. A couple of friends from work met me down there. It was a fight filled contest featuring the likes of Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson. He fought Penguin tough guy Chris Tamer and I just watched the video of it on hockeyfights.com.
My goal with this blog is to present the Hurricanes from a casual fans perspective. I do not know the ins and outs of the game like the hardcore fans do. I know I do not like "dump and chase" hockey and I prefer a lot of offense like the Edmonton Oilers and Wayne Gretzky had in the 1980's. The era of the 100 point scorers has about ceased to exist. It has about gone the way of the 20 game winner in Major League baseball. My dog Molly just fell asleep on a Carolina Hurricanes t-shirt I was wearing today in honor of the beginning of the NHL season.
I get to see quite a few of the Hurricanes games on TV but western North Carolina is not exactly a hot bed of hockey. The Carolina Hurricanes top minor league team, the Charlotte Checkers, is much closer and accessible. I am looking forward to providing what insight I can and following the Hurricanes into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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