More line changes coming?
Goalie Cam Ward and forward Ray Whitney were not at Wednesday's afternoon practice at the RBC Center, and Canes coach Paul Maurice is again taking a look at different lines.
Sergei Samsonov is working on Rod Brind'Amour's line with Justin Williams. Matt Cullen is centering a line with Chad LaRose and Scott Walker.
Does that mean Whitney to Eric Staal's line? Maybe, Maurice said, depending on how Whitney feels Thursday. Wade Brookbank was on Staal's line today with Tuomo Ruutu.
"We'll wait to see who's healthy before we set it in stone but we'll move guys around," Maurice said. "At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. (With) the line combinations, we're looking for some offensive chemistry clearly. They've been looking for it all the year.
"When we were winning games, we used two or three line combinations and everybody worked their butts off. And when you're losing games, you use the same different number of combinations and we're not working to get the job done.
"So we'll move guys around, but we've got to get that bite back in our game."
Maurice said Ward was getting a rest day and was not nursing an injury. Whitney was getting another "maintenance" day.
Defenseman Tim Gleason practiced and said he would play tomorrow against Toronto as the Canes try to end a three-game losing steak in which they've been outscored 14-4 by Florida, Boston and Ottawa.
The Canes, eighth in the Eastern Conference, play the Maple Leafs at the RBC Center, then have road games at Buffalo, Toronto and Pittsburgh before the All-Star break.
"These last four games before the break are huge for us, to play some teams that are kind of in the mix where we were at and you want to get those points," Staal said. "No better (way) than to start here against Toronto."
Chip Alexander
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is in his second season as the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at chip.alexander@newsobserver.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @ice_chip.
Comments
Of course Cole is "finally
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 10:48 — RonMexicoOf course Cole is "finally gelling with his new teammates" because he is playing for a contract. The frustrating thing with him was that he could be the most dominant player on the ice and then disappear for the next five games (kind of like another player still on the team).
Cole was inconsistant
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 16:39 — HockeydogI totally agree. Cole could take over a game, but was absent so much of the time. Look at last years season ending team stats. Other forwards on the team had more goals/points in less games than Cole, who was, or supposed to be the top winger on the team. I wish him well and I liked him, but I wouldn't call the trade bad.
Missing Ingredient
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 20:35 — JFHawk13Some will say this is hindsight, but I thought the Cole for Pitkanen trade was horrible when it was first announced. Cole is finally gelling with his new teammates. He now has 11 points in his last 10 games. He had and still has the grit and talent that the canes need.
Exactly right. What's
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 23:04 — a123456bExactly right. What's missing this year are HITS. Cole always led the team in hits and end up in the top 10 in the NHL. With the hitting being non-existent this year, the opposing teams can focus on Staal and not worry about getting taken out of position. That's why Staal is having at best, an average year. Cole's Hat trick was a typical Cole hard working reward. We need to get Rod to move on into coaching or PR, but he does slow the team and timing down. He's a great player, a great person, but a player losing his speed and agility and we really need to get a new player in there to take on the role of firestarter (and it's not Ray Whitney).
Mo
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 20:30 — DroptheGlovesMo must Go!!!!! Mo must Go!!! Mo must Go!!!! Mo must Go!!!!!! Send Mo to the minors and Bring back Daniels!
Speaking of Minors
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 21:39 — esteban1949The Albany River rats Beat the hersey bears 7-2 setting a new AHL record...Michael Ryan got a hat trick, Jerome Sasone scored 2 goals, Josef Malichar( Former Cane) and another Rats player got 1 goal each...Capt. Keith Acorn, for the hersey bears got 1 of the 2 goals Hearsy did manage to score...
Gee too bad the Canes couldn't come out with the kind of hunger & intencity ...
Maybe The canes can try and whip up on the leaf's...unless the leaf's show up and are madder than haddees and stomp all over the canes...hmmm
Go Chiefs !!
Chemistry????
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 17:33 — abramsdougMaurice, you've got to be kidding me. Poor chemistry as an explanation is silly. If you want the team to be competitive, you will have to persuade Jim Rutherford to add another stronger, faster, bigger, meaner, harder hitting wing than we have at present to the second line. If you are really serious, you will face facts and move Brind'Amour further down the line and find another center who is also large, hard hitting, and relentless. If you want an experiment, move Cullen to the second line and Sutter to the third line, and Brind'Amour to the Eaves/Bayda line. The fourth line, I predict, would suddenly become disjointed. The problem is being undermanned and not merely the problem of reshuffling players who are already here. Without personnel changes, it's like trying to lengthen a rope by pulling the rope at both ends.
Lines
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:29 — TheReaper49What Chip is saying is that by Brookbank, the perennial scratch, playing alongisde Staal and Whitney being absent, means that Whitney is likely on that spot. Brookbank is just taking the place of the absent Whitney.
I cannot believe that this team doesn't make any roster moves. Nearly every other team in the league 'tweaks' the lineup, not just the lines, when things aren't working. Get Eaves or Bayda out of there! Hell, take 'em both out. Get someone up here from Albany, other than Dwyer and Jensen, who will bring some fire and energy to the game. Maybe someone who actually has the intestinal fortitude to throw a 'gasp' bodycheck.
Right now this team is a disgrace. That listless figure-skating they are doing on the ice doesn't even resemble hockey. To my knowledge, hockey involves, goals, bodychecks, big saves, and the odd fight. I see little to none of that by this team.
But hey, at least I'll get a Gleason bobble-head for the big bucks I shelled out for my seat Thursday night...
Somebody from Albany
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 17:46 — esteban1949Joe Jensen is still out with injuries...and while Dwyer may NOT be a " super star" alot of people would like him to be...but he is consistant...just a a little known Rat named Chaput...( Darn forgot what he is as in D,F,C L or R winger) but he too is out with Injuries but does a fantstic job on the ice...and has decent stats verses ice time ( results) and if anyone else wants to know even more about Them Rats you can go to thios site linked below.....steve holds up a small flag and says softly..Go leafs ???
http://www.albanyriverrats.com/
someone has to get Staal going
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:17 — xpukguyBrookbank can't be any worse than anyone who played last night. Staal was an absolute no show. And watching the Canes get bounced around by that soft team was disgusting.
Our team, our tradition.
Ward and Whitney
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:07 — caniacgirl30Any word on why #30 and #13 weren't at practice? In regards to line changes, I don't think it could get much worse so maybe this set of changes will do the trick.
Thanks Chip
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 13:52 — esteban1949Don't get caught in all the flack & fallout...but i have to admit...the lines as you wrote them could be good choices, this time around, but still none of us will know for sure till afer the gave is over...won't we ? I did get to watch last night's game ( thanks to my neighbor) and got to hear the Boychuk radio interview...he sounded good and restless...too bad we could have him here for a game or 2, hey, he couldn't hurt us no worse than Fla,Boston, & Ottawa did...
Go Canes !!
Brookbank where ???
Wed, 01/14/2009 - 13:51 — ynotagainYour kidding me, right ?? You didn't mean to say that Brookbank was on Staal's line, right ?? Somebody must be wearing his jersey for practice today. No way Mo would kill the Staal line with that kind of move ! I hope !!