Monday, January 28, 2013

Hockey Night in Raleigh: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins - Peter Koutroumpis, PKS Consulting
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The Carolina Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins at PNC Arena in Raliegh, N.C. on Monday.

The Hurricanes evened up their record to 2-2 after beating the Buffalo Sabres in back-to-back games last week.

The Bruins are undefeated, possessing a 3-0-1 record and will provide the Hurricanes a big test.

Carolina had the Bruins number all last least, winning the season series against the Bruins, 4-0.

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1st Period
  • Bruins win the opening faceoff and gain control early and enter the Carolina zone with Tyler Seguin letting a quick shot go on Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward
  • Bruins keep the pressure on but Carolina manages to get the puck down into the Boston end
  • Boston netminder Anton Khudobin is called for delay of game
  •  Brad Marchand then scores on a one-timer to Ward's left as he was wide open and the target of a pass from the right point from Zdeno Chara - a play started by Patrice Bergeron - Bruins lead just 3:16 into the game
  • Hurricanes' Patrick Dwyer is penalized for interference and gives the Bruins a man-advantage opportunity
  • Chara takes a shot from the point and beats Ward high to his stick side as Milan Lucic creates traffic in front that denies the Carolina keeper any view of the shot - Bruins lead is now 2-0 with 13:45 to play
  • Big save made by Ward as Nathan Horton attempts a one-time attempt on a pass from Krejci - still 2-0 for Boston with 10:43 to play
  • Hurricanes' Jay Harrison gets penalized for hooking and the Bruins go back on the power play
  • Bruins puck movement is crisp and Ward makes a big save
  • Tim Gleason drops the gloves the Milan Lucic at the 8:54 mark and the two dance for about a minute with some heavy shots delivered from both gladiators
  • Marchand is called for hooking at the 8:35 mark and the Hurricanes will go on the power play
  • Though they managed to keep the puck in the Bruins zone for much of its man-advantage opportunity, few quality shots come of it - a back door shot from Jamie McBain was the best chance they had
  • After the Boston penalty expires, the Hurricanes finally get on the board as Semin delivers a pass into the high slot which McBain tips to Eric Staal whoe returns it back to McBain as he scores with the tip into the net
  • Boston leads 2-1 with 5:10 to play with the Hurricanes, now outshooting the Bruins 9-8
  • Drayson Bowman cuts toward the crease to the right of Khudobin and draws the puck to his backhand with the only thing keeping the puck from entering the net is the Bruins goaltender's pad
  • Two straight point shots from Bobby Sanguinetti and Jay Harrison keep Khudobin sharp and Chris Kelly gets a shot on Ward at the other end
  • No shortage of contact at either end of the ice during this period with Boston still leading 2-1 with 2:30 to play
  • Hurricanes worker line of Westgarth-Brent-Dwyer puts in a shift as he period nears its end
  •  Boston continues to apply pressure with Ward making another big save until the Hurricanes send it down to the other end
  • As the period ends both teams tied in shots on goal 11-11
 End of Period: Boston 2, Carolina 1
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2nd Period:
  • Bruins are penalized early and the Hurricanes get a power play early on - 1:04 into the period
  • Bergeron is called for hooking and Carolina gets a two-man- advantage
  • Hurricanes with the Big Five on the power play (Semin, EStaal, JStaal, Skinner, Pitkanen)
  • EStaal lets a cannon go from the point and Khudobin comes up with a big glove save
  • Hurricanes can't convert on their man-advantage opportunities and both teams are back at even strength - Bruins still leading 2-1 with 14:18 to play
  • Bruins' Aaron Johnson called for cross-checking and Carolina goes on the power play once again - currently 0-4 on the night
  • Hurricanes leading Bruins in  shot attempts, 20-17 and working to connect on the power play as Khudobin keeps the Bruins in the lead
  • Boston not allowing Carolina to set up as they're getting to the puck before the Hurricanes are
  • Even on the penalty kill the Bruins seem to be keeping an extra step ahead of Carolina
  • Chad LaRose makes one of the best power moves to the net with two defenders on him as he tries to shovel the puck through Khudobin, but is denied
  • Boston still leading 2-1 with 5:30 to play and the faceoff to Khudobin's left
  • The Bruins win the faceoff and break it out but can't penetrate deep into the Carolina end
  • The Hurricanes can't generate any shots until Semin crosses the blue line and takes a shot the Khudobin makes a pad save
  • A minute later, Bruins' Nathan Horton gets the puck in the neutral zone, carries across the center line and enters the Carolina zone, beats Gleason along the boards and completes the play with a shot past a sprawling Ward
  • Chara and Johnny Boychuk pick up assists on the play
  • Boston now leads 3-1 with 4:08 to play
  • Carolina presses as a crowd in front of the Bruins net denies any chance of the puck getting past Khudobin
  • With 2:05 to play, Skinner picks the puck off the boards after the Bruins' Andrew Ference can't get a hold of it following JStaal's tip into the Bruins zone
  • Skinner skates in to beat Khudobin high and over the keeper's glove hand - a roofer
  • Barely time to celebrate Skinner's goal as Semin intercepts a pass from Chris Kelly and finds EStaal wide open who lets a wrist shot go to tie the game up at 3-3 at the 1:15 mark
  • Both teams continue to move the puck from end to end with no further offense coming of it
End of period: Carolina 3, Boston 3
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3rd Period:
  •  Play starts from end-to-end and the Bruins' Krejci gets the first good shot on goal and Ward makes the save
  • Bruins forecheck is tight and forcing Carolina to speed up its passess
  • Hurricanes apply the same quickness on the forecheck but Boston breaks it out
  • Good consistent play from Bowman-Jokinen-LaRose line to eat up a shift and keep the Bruins in their zone
  • Play getting a little more physical as play moves back and forth from the neutral zone and into either zone
  • Dougie Hamilton gets a good shot off on Ward, who smothers it for the facoff
  • At the other end, McBain gets a shot off from the corner to Khudobin's left - he makes the save as the score is still tied 3-3 with 16:30 to play
  • Semin-EStaal-Tlusty line gets a good offensive sequence completed and the Bruins come the other way as JStaal-Skinner-Dalpe line comes out to continue to apply pressure but with no significant shot attempts
  • Harrison is called for hooking and the Bruins will go on the power play
  • After getting dumped down the ice, the Bruins manage a few quality shots on Ward
  • As Pat Dwyer skates toward the puck in the Hurricanes' zone, he's tripped up by Chris Bourque and nullifies the Bruins power play
  • Harrison comes out of the box and Carolina has its sixth power play opportunity
  • Skinner gets the puck in the slot, but his shot is deflected high and into the net
  • The Hurricanes go scoreless on the man-advantage and both teams are at even strength - tied 3-3 with 11:05 to play with Hurricanes outshooting the Bruins 27-26
  • Both teams trade shots on goal and continue to work at both ends trying to break this game out of his deadlock
  • Boston continues to move the puck with some flow whereas Carolina relies on intercepting passes and gaining the zone to put shots on Khudobin - still 3-3 with 7:43 to play
  • Horton gets a pass out of the corner from Bourque and Ward has to be sharp with the save
  • On the next sequence, Lucic tries to sneak one past Ward by his right pad, but the keeper jams his pad against the post to kep the puck from going any further
  • The Bruins continue to gain the zone while the Hurricanes are skating and clogging up passing lanes
  • Tlusty tries to generate some offfense carrying the puck behind the Bruins net, but no one is there to help
  • Both teams continue to trade rushes from the neutral zone into their respective zones - the deadlock continues
  • After Boston's Horton hits the post, Hamilton looks across and finds Krejci open and his shot beats Ward with 1:50 left in the period - Boston leads 4-3
  • EStaal takes a slashing penalty and Carolina will finish on the PK
  • Skinner takes a slapshot on Khudobin, but can't beat him as Cam Ward leaves the net
  • Tyler Seguin scores the ENG with 7.4 seconds left to give Boston the 5-3 lead 
  • Skinner gets tangled up in a tussle with Patrice Bergeron but nothing will come of it
End of game: Boston 5, Carolina 3
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Triangle hockey news update

Recent news from the Carolina Hurricanes Examiner on Examiner.com:

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

NHL Hockey in Raleigh: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Buffalo Sabres


Carolina Hurricanes vs. Buffalo Sabres - pregame - PKS Consulting LLC
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The Carolina Hurricanes host the Buffalo Sabres at PNC Arena on Thursday.

This is the first of three games between the two teams and the first of a back-to-back set that will travel to Buffalo on Friday.

The Hurricanes have dropped their first two games of the season - the first on the road against the Florida Panthers, a 5-1 decision last Saturday while the Tampa Bay Lightning spoiled the Hurricanes' home opener on Tuesday with a 4-1 win over Carolina.

The Sabres travel to Raleigh with 2-0 record to start the season - a 5-2 win at home over the Philadelphia Flyers and a 2-1 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cam Ward starts in goal for Carolina and holds an 8-6-3 record with a 2.83 goals-against-average against the Buffalo.

Jhonas Enroth gets the start in between the pipes for the Sabres as his perfect 2-0-0 sheet and 0.49 GAA is a logical choice for coach Lindy Ruff.

Puck drop coming up in 5 minutes.

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1st Period:
  • Sabres gain possession early and head into the Carolina zone but they break it out cleanly
  • Eric Staal and Alex Semin hovering around Enroth early 
  • Staal gets a great opportunity for a clean shot on goal in the slot but is stick-checked
  • Jeff Skinner takes a tripping penalty at 1:07 into the period
  • Hurricanes kill off the penalty as the Sabres get a few chances but nothing tangible
  • Shortly afterwards Buffalo's Alex Sulzer goes off for holding Jordan Staal in the slot
  • The Hurricanes power play gets a quick three shots off with Semin getting two of those - Hurricanes outshooting Buffalo 6-0 in this scoreless game with 14-16 left
  • Carolina comes up 0-1 on the first power play as both teams are even-strength now
  • Buffalo gains the zone but Semin intercepts it and heads up ice and gains the zone
  • Semin tries to get a pass to Staal in the high slot, but it's tipped away
  • Westgarth, Brent, and Dwyer out there to eat up some minutes and push some bodies around
  • Cory Hodgson dodges a check from Tim Gleason and feeds Jason  Pominville who's tied up by Justin Faulk and Ward makes the save
  • Drayson Bowman called for boarding at 10:37 remaining in the period and Carolina will go on the PK again
  • Buffalo is 3-10 on the PP so this is not a situation that Carolina wants to be in throughout this game
  • Jordan Staal and Jiri Tlusty on the PK work the puck down into the Buffalo Sabres as their PP is not able to set up
  • The Sabres reset and gain the zone again and get the puck to Tyler Myers at the point, but the shot is block and rolls outside of the Carolina zone
  • Eric Staal and Tlusty finish the PK and Buffalo is 0-2 on the PP so far tonight
  • Skinner, Jordan Staal and Semin work around the net but can't get a shot on Enroth 
  • Chad LaRose, Bowman, and Jussi Jokinen put in a decent shift keeping Buffalo in the neutral zone
  • Still 0-0 with 6:55 to play in the period
  • Skinner, JStaal, and Zac Dalpe only gain the zone once but with no shots on goal
  • EStaal, Semin, and Tlusty get the puck behind the Buffalo goal and Staal is taken down by Myers who's called for holding at 5:47
  • Carolina ready to begin its second PP of the period
  • Faceoff starts play to Enroth's right and Buffalo manages to dump it out of the zone and Carolina resets
  • The Sabres breakout of the zone and Steve Ott gets a chance for a shot on Ward, but it is blocked and goes over the glass
  • With the faceoff to Ward's right the Hurricanes regroup to gain the Buffalo zone and LaRose and Tlusty are fighting for it behind the net while Jokinen hovers on the wing
  • Carolina's last chance on the PP and Semin's shot gets block again and the puck is cleared into the neural zone
  • EStaal takes an interference penalty at 3:46 as he is pushed from behind
  • Buffalo starts it third PP sequence of the period
  • Sabres moving the puck along the boards to Wards left a few times before sliding it across but the Carolina defense is playing tighter in the slot area
  • Pominville gets an open shot on Ward and he makes the save and the Hurricanes kill of the penalty
  • Good shift by Skinner, Tlusty and JStaal - Hurricanes still outshooting the Sabres 7-6 with under 30 seconds to play
  • Boman takes one last shot from the boards to Enroth's right but it goes wide as the period ends
 End of period: Carolina 0, Buffalo 0

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2nd Period
  • It doesn't take long for Carolina as Jeff Skinner picks up a fanned attempt from JStaal and scores his second goal of the season, another backhander just 1:02 into the period - Carolina leads 1-0
  • Pat Dwyer is sent to the box for interference at 16:53 and Buffalo gets its fourth PP opportunity of the game
  • Brent and Jokinen out on the PK  along with Gleason and Faulk - a good 45 seconds of PK work 
  • Faulk picks up the puck after JStaal gets a stick on a cross zone pass and heads down the right wing - winds up and beats Enroth between the pads - 2-0 Carolina lead just 4:06 into the period
  • Myers is sent to the box at 15:11 and the Hurricanes will start 4-on-4 and then go on the PP in 18 seconds
  • EStaal, Semin, Skinner out on the PP with Jokinen and Pitkanen
  • They set up in the Buffalo and Skinner tees one up but its deflected away
  • After McBain fights for the puck behind his net, LaRose gets a shot off as the penalty expires
  • Carolina outshooting Buffalo 16-12, leading 2-0 with 12:56 to go
  • Both teams at even strength and the Semin, JStaal, Tlusty line hovering around the blue line until Semin finds Tlusty who gets a good shot on Enroth who make she save
  • Tempo and possession is all Carolina's and Skinner breaks into the zone and misses on scoring his second of the night
  • Buffalo sets up in the Carolina zone and Ward makes a save on a shot from the left point
  • Hodgson pushes off from coverage by Gleason and finishes the play, scoring the rebound left off a Thomas Vanek shot that was deflected by Jordan Leopold into the open net - Carolina lead now is 2-1 with  10:50 to play
  • After a faceoff to Ward's left, Christian Erhoff gets a cross zone  pass from Sulzer who wires a shot in the slot that Pominville gets a stick on to tie the game with 9:21 left
  • Drayson Bowman gets a great shift in with LaRose and Jokinen and puts a pass in the slot to Faulk who pinches to get a shot off
  • Skinner picks up a loose puck as Dalpe works to keep the puck behind Enroth and wraps it to score his second of the game to retake the lead 3-2 with 6:04 to play
  • Off the faceoff, EStaal wins the draw and gets the puck back to Pitkanen, who slides it across to McBain and he finds EStaal and he breaks in to beat Enroth between his legs, scoring his first of the season to extend the Hurricanes' lead to 4-2 with 5:55 to play
  • Ward makes a big save Jochen Hecht and Buffalo begins to put pressure on the Hurricanes as they were caught on a line change
  • Drew Stafford with a hard shot from the left faceoff circle and Ward turns it away and Faulk moves the puck up towards the Buffalo zone - Hurricanes leading 4-2 with 1:45 to play 
  • With 1:17 to go, LaRose is called for slashing and Buffalo will have its fifth PP of the night
  • The Sabres don't wasted time and get a few quality shots on Ward
  • Tlusty does a nice job to waste some time
  • Dwyer breaks in on the PK, beating the Buffalo defense and he just misses ringing a backhand attempt of the post as the period ends
End of period: Carolina 4, Buffalo 2

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3rd Period:
  • LaRose still in the penalty box for 43 seconds so Buffalo continues on the PP as the period begins
  • The Sabres gain the zone but Gleason sends it down
  • Erhoff gets a shot on Ward from the point on the next set-up
  • As the penalty ends the Hurricanes come the other way with Semin taking a shot wide
  • At even strength, Buffalo has had its best sequence ina while with Ward making a stop and the defence keeps the rebound from going anywhere but in the net
  • Pominville carries it in to Ward's left and lets a sneaky shot go near Ward's pad and the post that the Carolina netminder makes the stop on 
  • JStaal blocks two successive shot attempts and the puck trickles out ino the neutral zone
  • Bowman gets a great feed from Jokinen at center ice and steaks in and puts a shot to Enroth's glovehand as the netminder makes the save
  • Skinner, JStaal, Dalpe line putting pressure on the Sabres defense as Sangunetti keeps it in and dumps it into the slot area
  • A little tussle in the corner as Steve Ott crosschecks JStaal - Jay Harrison comes in to to join the party
  • On an ensuing Sabres possession, Pominville on the right hash mark passes to Vanek who moves into the slot and backhands back to Pominville for the goal into the open net past Ward - Hurricanes lead is now one goal - 4-3 with 13:54 to play 
  • Buffalo all over Carolina as Ward tested on two quality shots as the pace of play has really picked up at this point
  • Skinner steals the puck at center, enters the Buffalo zone with a pass to JStaal and he feeds a breaking Dalpe just inside the blue line - his shot catches Enroth's shoulder and goes over the glass 
  • Pitkanen pinches to Enroth's left and he finds EStaal on the left facoff dot who wires one over the Sabres netminders' shoulder for his second goal of the game - Carolina leads 5-3 with 10:54 to play
  • Jokinen gains the zone with Bowman but he is slowed down and the Sabres' Sulzer is called for holding at 9:27 and the Hurricanes get another PP opportunity on the night
  • Tlusty out with EStaal and Semin on the PP with Faulk and Pitkanen
  • Carolina moving the puck well on the PP, along the boards and through the slot - Enroth holding strong in net
  • JStaal, Skinner, Dalpe on next PP unit with McBain and Sanginetti
  • As penalty expires, JStaal takes a hooking penalty with 7:16 to play
  • Erhoff lets a shot go from the point that Ward turns away during Buffalo's sixth PP sequence of the game
  • Carolina able to dump the puck down the ice twice so far and Harrison sends it down for a third time
  • Less than a minute left on the penalty to JStaal and the Hurricanes send it down the ice once more
  • Bowman gets it and skates into the Buffalo zone and shoots on goal to waste more time
  • At the other end Marcus Foligno takes a quality shot that hits Ward square in the chest as the keeper holds onto the puck for a faceoff - Hurricanes still leading 5-3 with 4:48 to play
  • Carolina outshooting Buffalo 35-33 currently
  • LaRose, Bowman, Jokinen successfully keeps the puck in the Buffalo zone
  • JStaal gains the zone and slides a pass to Skinner and his shot just flies over the crossbar
  • JStaal gets the puck back and feeds one to Dalpe that challenges Enroth to make a low pad save to the right
  • Under two minutes to play and Carolina looks to be in firm control
  • As Buffalo pulls Enroth for the extra attacker, EStaal launches one down the ice from center ice and  scores this third of the night with 1:28 left - his first hat trick of the season
  • Carolina leading 6-3 now with a minute to play - Dalpe asssisted on Staal's goal
Final: Carolina 6, Buffalo 3

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Recent Carolina Hurricanes Examiner news on Examiner.com:

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

NHL Hockey in Raleigh: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Carolina Hurricanes - Opening night in Raleigh - PKS Consulting LLC
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Since the first day of training camp, the excitement generated in Raleigh, N.C. that NHL hockey was back was electric.

Fans poured into PNC Arena to watch the team go through its paces for a week and now they get to open the season with the Hurricanes first home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Hurricanes dropped their first game of the season, on the road against the Florida Panthers, a 5-1 decision while Tampa Bay split its first two games of the season with a   6-3 win over the Washington Capitals and 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders.

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1st Period:

  • Play opens up with both teams sizing each other up
  • Carolina rolling all four lines to match up with the Lightning's lines
  • Tampa Bay gets on the board first with Tom Pyatt scoring on a setup from Vincent LeCavalier and Matt Carle - 5:18 into the game
  • Kirk Muller making many changes to line combos early
  • As play settles back in, Tampa Bay making strides into Hurricanes zone and the hard work pays off as Cory Conacher scores on a rebound on the crease after LeCavalier drove the crease on goaltender Cam Ward
  • Tampa Bay leads 2-0 with 7:16 to play
  • Both teams tied with six shots apiece at this point
  • First penalty of the game assessed to Tampa Bay's B.J. Crombeen - first power play of the night for Carolina
  • Jordan Staal, Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, Alex Semin, and Joni Pitkanen on the ice for the man-advantage
  • Second power play unit that Muller rolls out is Jiri Tlusty, Jussi Jokinen, Chad LaRose with Joe Corvo and Justin Faulk
  • Penalty is killed off successfully by the Lightning - still leading 2-0 with 4:12 remaining 
  • Jordan Staal takes a tripping penalty at 2:51 and the faceoff is to Ward's right in the Carolina zone
  • Jay Harrison blocks a shot for Carolina and he ices it
  • Just over a minute to go in the power play and Tampa Bay gains the zone, but Faulk sends the puck down the ice
  • The Hurricanes kill off the penalty successfully as play is in the final minute of the period
  • LaRose gains the zone and drives into the right corner and around the net, but can't wrap it and loses control of it in the slot
  • Semin comes down on one final rush but his shot attempt from the right wing is deflected as time runs down
 End of period: Tampa Bay 2, Carolina 0 

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2nd Period
  • Early in the period, Tampa Bay goalie Mathieu Garon tested with back-to-back shots from Dwyer and Tlusty on set-ups from Jordan Staal
  • At 18:31 Conacher goes to the box for boarding and the Hurricanes are on the power play again
  • Semin gets a shot off from the point, but Garon has both eyes on it as Jordan Staal tries to jam the puck loose
  • Hurricanes set up again with Eric Staal at the point
  • Staal gets a pass to Skinner who slides it to Semin and he rings a shot off the right post
  • Shortly afterwards Ryan Malone cross-checks Eric Staal from behind and is called for boarding at 16:45
  • Staal is okay and is out on the 5-on-3 power play
  • Semin takes a shot on Garon who makes the save and Jordan Staal swipes at the rebound which dribbles across to the right slot and Skinner backhands it into the top corner of the net at 16:25
  • Hurricanes now trail 2-1 with 15:51 to play and are outshooting Tampa Bay 13-9
  • Bowman finds Staal breaking down the left side and he takes a shot that bounces off Garon's pads back into the slot where Semin can't get a stick on it for the rebound
  • Hurricanes continue to apply pressure even as Tamp Bay tries to break out
  • After Faulk carries the puck deep into the Lighting zone and tries a wrapround on Garon, Tampa Bay comes the other way and Ward is tested for the first time in a few minutes
  • With 14:02 to go Lightning still lead 2-1
  • Skinner showing more confidence breaks down the left wing and winds up with a shot that Garon stops with his pads
  • After Tampa Bay's Teddy Purcell takes a long slapper from the top of the left circle on Cam Ward, Jordan Staal turns the puck over and feeds Tlusty but the winger deflects it wide
  • Carolina keeping shifts short and rolling all four lines this period so far 
  • Eric Staal and Semin starting to find open space to get shots on Garon
  • Bowman takes a hooking penalty at 10:46 and Tampa Bay is on the power play
  • Dwyer and Jokinen out on the first PK unit and manage to send the puck down the ice on two different occasions
  • Jordan Staal and Tlusty do the same as the second unit on the penalty kill
  • Eric Saal and Semin come out at the tail end of he penalty and they successfully kill it off while drawing another one
  • Matt Carle called for upending Eric Staal at 8:50 mark
  • Skinner is the target and he's taking shots from the slot to Garon's left but gtting blocked or deflected as Jordan and Eric Staal looking to corral the rebounds - the puck goes out of bounds
  • Second power play unit of Jokinen, LaRose, Tlusty with Faul and Corvo are creating opportunities but can't finish them as the penalty to Carle expires 
  • Still 2-1 lead for Tampa Bay with 5:48 to play now
  • Puck moving from end to end now as both teams have open up the ice to skate freely 
  • Jokinen called for interference while fighting for the puck with Tom Pyatt in his zone at the the 3:32 mark
  • Hurricanes with Staal and Tlusty on th penalty kill send the puck down to the Tampa Bay end a few times
  • Jordan Staal and LaRose on the penalty kill and keep the Lightning from get any quality shots on Ward so far 
  • Carolina kills the penalty off and with just over a minute to play have Semin, Eric Staal and Bowman out to try to  generate some offense before the end of the period
  • Tampa Bay keeping control of the puck in the Carolina zone and Ward has to come up with a big save on Pyatt who got the feed from Crombeen from behind the net
  • Skinner is on the ice now and is upended by his blue line - no call as play continues on until the horn sounds to end the period - Hurricanes currently outshooting the Lightning 21-19
End of period: Tampa Bay 2, Carolina 1

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3rd Period;
  • Tampa Bay opens the scoring in the period with a goal by Keith Aulie after he wires a shot over Ward's shoulder from the right circle with 18:23 to play - extends Lightning lead to 3-1
  • Tampa Bay controlling much of the play early in the period while Hurricanes are still trying to generate scoring opportunities
  • Even with offsetting penalties, both teams don't capitalize on the 4-on-4 opportunity to utilize the open ice
  • Hurricanes kill off earlier penalty to LaRose for interference, still trailing 3-1 with 11 minutes to play
  • Garon standing tall in the pipes denying Eric Staal on his wraparound attempt and then Semin's shot from the top of the right circle
  • As Skinner comes from the right boards in the Lightning zone, linemate Jokinen is penalized for hooking - Tampa Bay gets another power play at 10:24
  • It doesn't take long for the Lightning to score as Malone cleans up the rebound created by Martin St. Louis as bother were hovering around Cam Ward's crease - Lighting now lead 4-1 with the goal coming at 10:03
  • Even outshooting the Lightning 30-25 is not helping the Hurricanes as Garon is in firm control at this point repelling each one as it comes 
  • LeCavalier gets a two-minute minor for delay of game as the puck sails over the glass giving the Hurricanes another power play at the 7:23 mark
  • Semin, Staal, Skinner, Staal and Pitkanen can set anything up and as the puck travels the length of the ice, captain Eric Staal lets his frustraion out by dropping the gloves wih Adam Hall in the Lightning end
  • 6:40 to play and off-setting penalties for roughing keep the power play with Carolina
  • Big chance for Carolina as Semin feeds Bowman with a pass and he lets one rip from the left circle and Garon gets a pad on it and Jordan Staal can't slip the rebound past him as a defender gets a stick on it
  • Under four minutes to play and Hurricanes continue to apply pressure on Garon
  • Skinner tries his spin move in the Lightning slot area and is knocked down while Staal's rebound shot is stopped by Garon
  • Carolina outshooting Tampa Bay 34-26 with 2:30 to play and the Hurricanes continuing to swarm in the Lightning zone but with no tangible results
  • Final two minutes of play and Staal, Semin, Skinner keep putting shots on Garon and he comes up with save after save - latest one on Skinner after Staal hit a defender's skate on his previous shot 
  • With 1:14 to play, faceoff in the Lightning zone again - pressure from Carolina stays consistent
  • Semin skates up from his end and dumps it in but the Lightning clear it as time winds down
  • The home opener for the Hurricanes ends up as a loss - their second in a row during this early part of the season
  • Eric Staal takes a penalty for slashing with 20 seconds left and that is how it ends
Final: Tampa Bay 4, Carolina 1
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Recent Carolina Hurricanes news on Examiner.com:

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Carolina Hurricanes camp preceeded by trades

Ice at PNC Arena is ready for start of Carolina Hurricanes training camp - Peter Koutroumpis, PKS Consulting LLC
 
With the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the ratification of a new 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by both the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association on Saturday, the league and its players are back in business.

The Carolina Hurricanes step onto the ice at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. at 1 p.m. 

Hurricanes trade Boucher, Alt for Pither

Earlier in the day, the team dealt goaltender Brian Boucher and defensive prospect Mark Alt to the Philadelphia Flyers for  center Luke Pither.

According to the team's press release, Pither will be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Pither, 23, has totaled 25 points (11g, 14a) and 18 penalty minutes in 35 games with Trenton and Wheeling of the ECHL this season. 

The Burketon, Ont., native signed as a free agent with the Flyers on March 4, 2010, after totaling 250 points (104g, 146a) in 307 games during a five-year Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career with Kingston, Guelph, Belleville and Barrie. 

In two seasons with Adirondack of the American Hockey League (AHL), Pither (6’0”, 186 lbs.) has notched 30 points (11g, 19a) in 106 games. 

Carolina signs Ellis to one-year deal at $650 K

An hour before camp was to begin on the ice, the team announced that it had come to terms with goaltender Dan Ellis, a veteran goaltender who had been playing with the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
  
“Dan is an experienced netminder who has had good years in the NHL, and played well for Charlotte this season,” said Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford.

“We feel it is important to have a veteran goalie to partner with Cam during the compressed season.”


Ellis, 32, is 8-7-2 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 18 games this season with the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. 

The Saskatoon, Sask., native is 72-57-15 with a 2.68 goals-against average and 12 shutouts in 165 career NHL games with Dallas, Nashville, Tampa Bay and Anaheim

Originally selected by Dallas in the second round, 60th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Ellis has appeared in seven career Stanley Cup playoff games, going 2-5 with a 2.87 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. 

Hurricanes trade Stewart and picks to L.A. for Westgarth

Not quite finished, just 11 minutes later the Hurricanes announced another trade.

Carolina acquired forward Kevin Westgarth from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Anthony Stewart, its 2013 fourth-round draft pick and a sixth-round selection in the 2014 draft to the Kings.


“We were looking for a character, team guy who can play a gritty role for our team,” said Rutherford

“Kevin is a good addition to fill that spot.”



Westgarth, 28, is entering his seventh professional season. In 2011-12, he played 25 games with Los Angeles, notching one goal, earning one assist (2 points) and accumulating 39 penalty minutes. 

In 90 career NHL regular-season games with the Kings, the Amhurstberg, Ont., native has earned five points (1g, 4a) while totaling 153 penalty minutes. 

Westgarth appeared in all six of the Kings’ 2011 postseason games, recording two assists, 14 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating.



Westgarth (6’4”, 234 lbs.) originally signed with Los Angeles as a free agent on March 16, 2007, after four seasons at Princeton University

In addition to his NHL experience, he has totaled 22 goals, 28 assists (50 points) and 580 penalty minutes in 224 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Manchester.

More to come as training camp gets underway soon.
 
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