The Hurricanes are a pretty fast team that can move the puck well and can outquick many opponents.
The Canes pretty much did that to the New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the playoffs. They pretty much did it again to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But the Penguins? While Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have gotten the goals and the headlines, the Canes have run into a team that's quicker overall than they are, a big reason the Pens have a 3-0 series lead.
"We did a reasonable job off the rush in Game 1 and 2 but a very poor job in our own end and not a very good job off the rush in Game 3," Canes coach Paul Maurice said today. "They've attacked us where we've been weak in each game.
"Those guys (Malkin and Crosby) have speed. But Pittsburgh right now is a quick team and that has to do with nonverbal communication. It has to do with everybody moving or having a general idea of where that's puck's going, so they all get into that motion prior to it.
"To go further than that, I think they've worked hard defensively. So they work hard back to the puck, so that that their transition game is easier, which makes it faster and makes it look faster. They've got a lot of fast guys."
Maurice noted that the series was billed as two teams with speed that would lead to fast-paced matchup.
"We've got some quickness based on when we're moving in the direction we know the puck's going. But with the exception of a few guys, we're not all that fast.
"But that's our strength. When you look at our team, you say, 'Man, they transition quick.' It's the same with Pittsburgh. They've got three or four guys that just fly, as do we. But their strength right now is their quickness as a group."
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at
Comments
Jump the Shark...
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 21:37 — John_Burnsthe saddest thing about your whole post is that you have a son who is exposed to you every day.
just ignore.....
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 21:45 — gocanes2he's not worthy of our energy. He will go away if he doesn't get the attention.
Now You're Getting it...
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:36 — JumptheSharkPens are too fast. Too skilled. And the Goalie Ward is too easily beat. No answer thus far. No real competition. All done Tuesday night. Lockers cleaned out by Thursday.
All I can hear is all the Ricky Bobby-like canes fans shouting: Help me Oprah Winfrey. Help me Tom Cruise.
Back to the boring Oval. Round and round and round they go, over and over and over and over.
Boring!
JumpTheShark
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 15:18 — CaniacGuy@JumpTheShark:
Before you made your last pot-stirring post in the Bruins-Canes thread and then announced you weren't going to stick around to take the heat, if it came, I tried to be polite (I think) and respectful. The only thing I called you out on was your apparent hardon for Luke.
You showed your true colors and your true self when you departed after spewing your nastiness and not being man or fan enough to take your payback.
Now, sir in spite of your assertions to the contrary, not all Cane's fans think our team is without fault or even unable or unwilling to admit when we're being beat by a superior opponent. Pittsburgh, for these past 3 games is certainly superior to the Canes, definitely to the Capitals and Flyers as proven by those series, and if it gets that far and it certainly does look like it will, may be superior to either the Red Wings or the Black Hawks. There it is, black, bold, and italicized to make it easier for you to find through your fogged vision. Does that satisfy your compulsive need to feel superior? If so, enjoy your pyyrhic
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= (definition: –noun
= 1. an ancient Greek warlike dance in which the motions of actual warfare were imitated.)
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victory?
Do I still hold out hope for my guys to come back and win this series? You're damn right I do. Is it possible? You're damn right it is. Is it likely? As a *hockey* fan as opposed to a *Canes* fan, you're damn right, it's NOT. If that happens, and we lose, is that going to stop me and whole pile of Nascar loving (Nascar? Nascar ain't NOTHING till you've driven from Queens to Montauk on the Long Island Expressway on any given Friday between June and September. Oh, and Route 128 is a backwoods drive in the country by comparison. Yes, I've been on both more times then I care to have been.); beer-swilling (can't stand the stuff); redneck (I'm a Jewish yankee from Lung Island); well educated (I even graduated from High School, not to mention two Universities) and 10 or 12 or 16 or 18 thousand of my friends from being in the building tomorrow night, maybe next week, maybe the week after that, and CERTAINLY next September ... IT MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT!
On the other hand, by having a two week head start, it is entirely possible that the Bruins players may be able to, for a while anyway, beat the Canes players on the
golf course.
By having the gall to return to these blogs and continue to cast aspersions upon the Canes faithful while pitifully trying to feel superior and justify your miniscule existence, you sir, have earned the right for me to call you an A**.
Get used to it son (and you're obviously SOMEONE's son), because you're going to see THIS post at least once in reply to EVERY post I see with your name on from this
point on.
Or, you could just pack up and leave with your tail between your legs. You've shown once before you're quite qualified for that.
Again!
Canes
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 23:27 — LetsGoPittI've never been on the LIE, but driven thru Philly towards Atlantic City on several occasions. Ooooo, it's like short track racing in and around Philly (every afternoon, at that!) and superspeedway-like in Jersey.
As for NHL hockey, I'm a Pittsburgher living in Carolina and the Caniacs are great fans with awesome tailgating at the RBC. Malkin is so focused and I don't think anyone is stopping him until he gets the Cup.
Thanks
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 19:22 — JumptheSharkHey, thanks for keeping me relevant. I have my own fan base!
PS: That post is a real attention getter. We can go far together.
Oh, and Cam Ward still sucks.
By the way, I'm not one to drop names (ah, who am I kidding?), but my son's goalie coach is Mike Geragosian, current Goalie Coach at Hockey East’s Boston University as well as Director of Goaltending for USA Hockey. He has coached the likes of Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro. Very knowledgeable guy. He's been around forever and has worked with many of the greats.
Having the chance to be around him in goalie practice every week from early September until late March really opens your eyes to the goaltending position.
I'm sure Mike was rolling his eyes when he saw that Malkin goal get by Ward on the short post. Goalie 101: stay on the post!
When my son saw the play, he didn't say "Great shot Malkin". No, he said "He wasn't even on the post", referring to your boy Ward.
Like I said, and you can review the play, any Bantam goalie makes that save. And that was just the one obvious example of Ward's many gaffes. There are plenty of other examples of lesser, but no less costly, brain cramps. 11 in the past two games.
Maybe Mo can get Mike G down there for a refresher course.
Hahahahaha...
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 11:34 — richardfocHey bumptheshark, your 'ruins still suck! Looch is a losah and so ah you and you knowing some 2nd rate college goalie coach is not gonna change that!
just ignore him. He
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 12:09 — gocanes2just ignore him. He thrives on getting a rise out of people.
Ummm...
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 11:57 — JumptheSharkAnd your assertions that Cam Ward is the second coming of Ken Dryden doesn't change the fact that Cam Ward is in 7th place among 2009 Playoff Goalies in GAA. Or 6th in Save %. Or 24th in total goals against. Or under .500 in win % (8-9).
Or the fact that he's been scorched for 11 goals in the past two games. Where is the evidence that any of this will change tonight?
But I'll give him some credit for his #1 position in Shutouts. He needs one of those performances tonight. We'll soon find out if he has it in him.
Ummm...
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 12:09 — richardfocI never said anything about Ken Dryden. All I said was that you are a losah. Your team lost to my team and it's "inferior" goaltender and I will savor that fact as I tailgate today. Now pick up your mop and get back to work.
Boo'in!!
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 10:30 — HockeydogSo there Boo'in, manchild of your word. Thought you finished taking out your frustrations of life here when your beloved Boo'ins LOST the series. Did your jaw drop like all the other fans I saw on TV when game 7 ended? The Pegiun fans that drop by are pretty cool. They are proud of their team and rightly so, but they are respectful except for one I recall.
Maybe you should ask Mike Geragosian if he wants his name associated with your useless posts. Maybe I'll look him up and email him myself. I bet he'll know exactly who it is even though we only know your username. I bet you are one of those dads !!!
Relevance
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:14 — CaniacGuyAll creatures have a certain sense of self relevance, you are certainly a creature and so your concerns about relevance are a natural occurence.
Sonny boy, and I'm quite certain you're younger than I based on your post above, you have much to learn about many things. I would suggest that now that you have surrounded yourself with such hockey genius as Mr. Geragosian (and that is not meant cynically nor sarcastically) and had the wisdom of his hockey knowledge encompass you, you might ask him to bestow some of his sense of humility, and courtesy, upon you.
Sonny boy.
As you sow, so shall you reap...
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 11:34 — JumptheSharkYeah, because you're just full of humility. All I ever asked for was a little reality among Canes fans. Always crying about how the Canes were somehow cheated, or short-changed.
I didn't make excuses, and actually gave the Canes plenty of credit for their play in the series (after they got their first win). Meanwhile, you have every excuse why your team didn't win a particular game, and it was never because your team played poorly or were just outplayed. It was never because the other team played well.
Hey, all conversations are a form of persuasion. That's why I'm here. That's why you're here, too.
Don't be such a hypocrite. When do you give the Pens credit for being the better team? When do you admit that Ward hasn't been his best?
You don't. And you won't. Because you're one way. You're not a hockey fan. You're a canes fanboy.
And who cares how old and incontinent you are? Does that make you more intelligent? I think not.
Sown, and reaped.
Tue, 05/26/2009 - 11:54 — CaniacGuy"All I ever asked for was a little reality among Canes fans. Always crying about how the Canes were somehow cheated, or short-changed." => It's not what you asked for that has causes a furor around you, it's the way you asked. With insults, insinuations, personal attacks and what appeared to be a vendetta.
"Hey, all conversations are a form of persuasion. That's why I'm here. That's why you're here, too." ==> I'm here because you're here. I'm here because of the way you have comported yourself here.
"Don't be such a hypocrite. When do you give the Pens credit for being the better team? When do you admit that Ward hasn't been his best" ==> It would at least behoove you to read the postings to which you respond. My original diatribe directed towards you says, and I quote myself: "Pittsburgh, for these past 3 games is certainly superior to the Canes, definitely to the Capitals and Flyers as proven by those series, and if it gets that far and it certainly does look like it will, may be superior to either the Red Wings or the Black Hawks. There it is, black, bold, and italicized to make it easier for you to find through your fogged vision". What part of that simple English statement do you fail to interpret as giving the Pens credit for being the better team? I have not singled Ward out for criticism as there is no need. The situation the Canes are in today is a team situation. What's YOUR problem with Ward? Luke didn't bite your bait, so you're going to move your hardon for someone to Ward? I bit, so why don't you single ME out now as I've done, and am doing, to you.
"You don't. And you won't. Because you're one way. You're not a hockey fan. You're a canes fanboy. " ==> I will. I did. I'm not. I am. I'm not *only* a Canes fan, but yes they are indeed my team of choice. Because they play with heart. Something you should be searching for, your young son will appreciate it.
"And who cares how old and incontinent you are? Does that make you more intelligent? I think not." ==> Old, yes. Well, older than you at the least. Incontinent, no. More intelligent? Doesn't matter. A winner in life? Yes. Read what that implies about you as you wish.
Just answer these questions.
1) Why do you harbor such animosity, such a need to troll, such a need for attention?
2) Why did you shoot and run away in the Bruins threads?