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Monday debate: Faulk and the Calder

chipalexander — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500

Let's make it short and to the point today.

Canes defenseman Justin Faulk is being mentioned in more and more Calder Trophy discussions, which leads to two questions: can he win it, and should he win it?

The floor is open.

Samson recalled; Bowman reassigned

chipalexander — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:34:39 -0500

The Canes today recalled forward Jerome Samson from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL), reassigning forward Drayson Bowman to the Checkers.

It's the second NHL recall this season for Samson. He played in three games with the Hurricanes following his Jan. 10 recall before an upper-body injury sidelined him for five games.

Samson, 24, scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 10 against Philadelphia, and now has five points in 33 career NHL games with Carolina. Samson leads the Checkers with 18 goals, and ranks second among team skaters with 31 points.

Muller quick to defend Faulk after OT loss

chipalexander — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:01:50 -0500

The last thing Canes coach Kirk Muller wanted Friday night was for rookie defenseman Justin Faulk to feel responsible for the 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.

Faulk was the one who lost the puck to the Avs' Ryan O'Reilly at center ice in the waning seconds of overtime. O'Reilly poke-checked the puck free, promptly roared down ice and winged a shot from the left circle past Cam Ward for the winner with 1.2 seconds left.

Muller was quick to defend Faulk after the game, saying, "The kid's 19 years old. He's been unbelievable for us. It's a learning curve.

"They made a great poke-check (and) they were timed perfectly to get the goal. But we're at the stage where we're still learning these things. The kid's been so good and he'll learn from it. The key is his bounceback."

Faulk, so solid much of the season, is beginning to get Calder Trophy mentions and it may not help his chances having the O'Reilly play shown and reshown today on NHL highlight packages -- or "O'Reilly's Big Blast" as it says on NHL.com. But the loss was more than about one play involving one Canes player.

Ward could have stopped the last shot and sent the game to a shootout. He could have stopped Gabriel Landeskog's shortside shot in the first period that gave Colorado its first goal. The Canes could have scored on one of their three power plays -- the Avs had none as the Canes went without a penalty in the game.

"(Faulk) is going to be the guy taking the responsibility for the goal but we had a chance to score on the power play and we didn't," Muller said. "There are different things in the game that add up. We get one power-play goal and there's the difference right there."

The mile-high altitude didn't appear to affect the Canes, who finish their three-game road trip Monday in Montreal. Tim Brent gave the Canes an early lead and Jiri Tlusty scored with 23 seconds left in the first for a 2-1 lead.

"Our legs were there, we were aggressive, playing our game," the Canes' Eric Staal said.

After the Avs tied it in the second, Staal scored his 14th of the season for a 3-2 lead, but Colorado's Paul Stastny tied it 3-3 with a minute left in the second. The Canes went on their third power play at 12:21 of the third, only to have Ward have come up with a handful of shorthanded saves to keep it 3-3 as the Avs were highly aggressive on the penalty kill.

"Our power play has got to be better," Staal said. "We had an opportunity there at the end of the game to get it done in regulation but it almost went the other way."

Avs goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a big hand in the win, making a season-high 39saves.

The Canes (20-25-11) now are 2-11 in overtime this season, giving up a lot of points. But they now have earned points in eight the past nine games and 10 of the last 12.

"We've got a lot of young kids learning but by the same token we're still picking up points where earlier on we were losing these games," Muller said. "There are a lot of positive things right now with our group."

Rutherford: Decision on Ruutu next week

chipalexander — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:14:14 -0500

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today he has met with forward Tuomo Ruutu to discuss Ruutu's future with the team, and said a decision should be reached next week.

Rutherford said Ruutu, due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, expressed a desire to stay with the team.

"These meetings are to see where the player is at, what they think of the team, whether he likes being in the organization, those things," Rutherford said. "Tuomo is a player we really like, and he said he likes being with the team. That's an important first step and we had a good meeting.

"The next hurdle may be the bigger hurdle, but at least we know we're on the same page."

The "hurdle" will be the length of contract and the dollars involved. Ruutu, who leads the Canes with 17 goals, has a $4.4 million salary this season.

Rutherford said he did not discuss contract details with Ruutu but now would begin that process with Ruutu's agent, Bill Zito. Ruutu, who turns 29 this month, is believed to seeking a long-term deal.

Rutherford had not negotiated a contract with a Hurricanes player during the season until this year, when he re-signed defenseman Tim Gleason to a four-year contract extension worth $16 million.

"We have now made re-signing Tuomo a priority," Rutherford said. "If we're not able to agree, both sides need to have some leeway and some options. We need to make a decision and he needs to make a decision."

Ruutu still could be traded before the NHL's Feb. 27 trade deadline. Rutherford said he would not put a number on the amount of teams that have inquired about acquiring Ruutu but said, "There has been significant interest in Tuomo."

The Canes are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks that had a controversial ending. Jussi Jokinen was tripped by the Ducks' Corey Perry behind the Carolina net in overtime, but no penalty was called. Moments later, Perry scored the winner.

Rutherford said he talked with league officials about no-call by the referees a couple of times Thursday and had a conversation with Terry Gregson, the NHL's director of officiating.

"I don't want to get into the details but I feel fine with how the league is handling the situation," Rutherford said. "I'm very satisfied with the way the league responded. It's unfortunate the game was decided the way it was."

One upside to the game Rutherford mentioned was the play of forward Anthony Stewart, who was placed on waivers Monday by the Hurricanes but went unclaimed. Stewart responded with one of his better games Wednesday.

Stewart, signed to a two-year free-agent contract last July, has been used primarily as a fourth-line winger under coach Kirk Muller.

"That's all part of that process," Rutherford said of waivers. "Kirk talked to (Stewart) about playing a certain way. He has not quite responded to that. Sometimes, these can be wakeup calls."

No-call penalizes Canes in overtime road loss

chipalexander — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:32:51 -0500

Everyone seemed to be waiting for the whistle. The Canes, the Ducks.

The Canes' Jussi Jokinen was retrieving the puck behind the Carolina net in overtime Wednesday, the Ducks' Corey Perry tripped him, and that seemed to be that -- a penalty would be called and Carolina go on the power play.

Instead, there was no call from the referees, Tim Peel and Don VanMassenhoven. No whistle. Perry and the Ducks kept playing and Perry scored at 2:14 of OT for a 3-2 victory at the Honda Center.

Canes captain Eric Staal said he didn't get a good look at the play but said, "Judging by the reaction from our bench, it looked like their guy tripped him up pretty good and we didn't get the call.

"Frustrating. I thought we deserved it on that play. Sometimes they miss 'em and it looked like on that one they did."

Canes coach Kirk Muller was careful with his postgame comments, saying, "I was told he hit the net."

The victory was important for the Ducks (21-24-8), who are surging and needed the two points. But the Canes (20-25-10) haven't given up hope on being a factor in the Southeast Division.

Tuomo Ruutu and Staal scored goals for the Canes, who led 1-0 after the first and 2-1 early in the third. Ruutu battled hard in front of the net, going down to his knees but whacking the puck past Jonas Hiller for his 17th goal. Staal swiped the puck and scored.

But the Ducks twice tied the score -- Nick Bonino scoring in the second on a redirection, and then Saku Koivu in the third on a rebound 84 seconds after Staal's 13th of the season gave Carolina a 2-1 lead.

Cam Ward and Hiller didn't allow anything else in net until the overtime, when Sheldon Brookbank set up Perry for the winner after the no-call.

"They didn't blow the whistle, so you keep playing," Perry told the media after the game. "I found Brookbank, and he made a great play back to me. We've had bad calls against us all year, and maybe this was a turning point for us."

The Ducks closed with 34 shots and the Canes 33. The Canes came close to grabbing the lead late in regulation, but Brandon Sutter was wide on a backhander off the rush and then had a second shot blocked by Hiller.

"It was a tight game, a hard-fought game," Staal said. "I liked the way our team played on the road here. Our compete level was there. We were on pucks, we were aggressive. Wardo was good when he needed to be.

"It's just unfortunate in overtime to have a call like that go against us and it ended up costing us a point."

The Canes continue their three-game road trip with a Friday game against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Muller, for one, believed they can take some positive momentum from the Ducks game, even after a tough loss.

"The guys came out hard. It's a good one to take into Colorado," Muller said.

Stewart clears waivers

chipalexander — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:43:01 -0500

Canes forward Anthony Stewart has cleared waivers and will remain with the team, general manager Jim Rutherford said today.

The Canes on Monday placed Stewart on waivers. NHL teams had until noon today to claim him.

Stewart was signed to a free-agent contract in July by Carolina after the Winnipeg Jets did not make him a qualifying offer. The two-year deal pays him $800,000 this season and $1 million next season.

In 50 games for the Canes, mostly as a fourth-liner, Stewart has six goals and seven assist. Stewart's plus-4 rating is the best on the team.

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/rutherford-explains-stewart-decision#storylink=cpy

Rutherford, Ruutu to meet, discuss future

chipalexander — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:08:53 -0500

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford had never negotiated a new contract with a player during a season until this season.

Now, he might do it again.

Rutherford, who recently signed defenseman Tim Gleason to a four-year contract extension, said Monday he would be holding "an important meeting" with forward Tuomo Ruutu this week during the Canes' three-game road trip. Ruutu is due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

"I want to talk to him about where he's at, this season and in the future," Rutherford said. "We'll talk about that and see where it goes. We're closing in on the (NHL) trade deadline, so we need to make a decision.

"I've had casual conversations with his agent the past month or so. The next step is to meet with (Ruutu) and make a decision on what direction would be the best for everyone."

Ruutu, who turns 29 on Feb. 16, is believed to be seeking a long-term contract. He leads the Canes this season in goals (16) and is fourth in points (27).

Ruutu, a physical forward, could be a key addition to teams looking to bring in "rental" players to help reach the playoffs or strengthen their teams for the playoffs.

Rutherford explains Stewart decision

chipalexander — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:53:43 -0500

The Canes on Monday placed forward Anthony Stewart on waivers, general manager Jim Rutherford said after the team arrived in Anaheim.

"With us getting a look at some guys who have been called up from Charlotte (AHL) and have played well for us, we decided to put Anthony on waivers," Rutherford said. "If he is picked up by another team, it will give another opportunity to one or two players who have played well."

NHL teams have until noon Tuesday to claim Stewart from waivers. Rutherford said if Stewart clears waivers he will play Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks.

Canes coach Kirk Muller has used Stewart primarily on the fourth line, but occasionally has used him on other lines and on the power play.

"Anthony has played pretty well for us," Rutherford said. "But part of this is (Muller) wanting guys who he thinks are a good fit, on certain lines and in certain areas. That's something that played a part in it."

Forwards Jerome Samson, Zac Dalpe, Riley Nash and Drayson Bowman have been recalled from the Charlotte Checkers in the past month and given a chance to play for the Canes. Bowman is with the team on the three-game road trip and has been slotted onto Jeff Skinner's line opposite Jussi Jokinen.

"It's a case of some guys have played real well in Charlotte and opening up an opportunity for them," Rutherford said.

In 50 games for the Canes, Stewart has six goals and seven assist. Stewart's plus-4 rating is the best on the team.

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/home#storylink=cpy

Stewart reportedly placed on waivers

chipalexander — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:27:55 -0500

The Canes placed forward Anthony Stewart on waivers today, TSN is reporting.

In 50 games for the Canes, Stewart has six goals and seven assists, and has been used primarily on the fourth line by coach Kirk Muller. Stewart's plus-4 rating is the best on the team.

NHL teams have until noon Tuesday to claim Stewart on waivers.

Nash reassigned to Checkers

chipalexander — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:05:03 -0500

The Canes have reassigned forward Riley Nash to the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).

Nash, 22, played three games with the Hurricanes following his Jan. 30 recall. He has recorded one assist and averaged 10:34 of ice time in five games for the Hurricanes this season.

Nash has scored six goals and earned 12 assists in 41 games with the Checkers this season.

Monday debate: next move with Ruutu

chipalexander — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500

A week ago, some hockey "insiders" were saying a Tuomo Ruutu trade was "imminent."

A week later, there's talk Canes general manager Jim Rutherford may be negotiating a contract extension for the hard-charging forward, who's due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Question: when all is said and done, which will it be? Will Ruutu be traded before the deadline or re-signed? More so, which would be the best move for the Canes in moving forward and looking to next season?

The floor is open.

Canes taking extra bodies out West

chipalexander — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:49:28 -0500

The Canes are headed West and they'll be taking a few extra bodies along.

Chad LaRose, out the past two games with flu-like symptoms, was at practice today at the RBC Center. LaRose is ready to rejoin the lineup, but Canes coach Kirk Muller said an extra forward likely would be on the three-game trip to Anaheim, Colorado and Montreal.

The Canes also have an extra defenseman. Derek Joslin has been a healthy scratch the past two games with the return of Jaroslav Spacek.

Muller said goalie Cam Ward, who has started the past 11 games, likely would be in net for all three road games and should have a heavy workload the rest of the season. Backup Justin Peters has not played since Jan. 7 in Nashville.

"I'd love to get (Peters) in but I think it's going to be more depending on the schedule," Muller said. "It's spaced out, (Ward) is on a roll and is playing well. He had the week off (All-Star break) so he's well-rested. This is where he usually excels.

"So we're going to ride him hard right now until the schedule tightens up."

Muller said Brian Boucher would stay in Raleigh this week and that Boucher should be ready to start taking shots when the Canes return. He said that would be the "second stage" in getting Boucher, out since Dec. 5 with a lower-body injury, back in net.

The Canes practiced today in a closed session for season-ticket holders, which Muller called a light workout.

"I don't think today is the day to really focus on details," he said. "We've got a chance to do that out West in Anaheim. It was more for (the fans) to have some fun and see the players in a different environment, and try to get them to show their skill a little bit rather than the structural part of a typical practice."

The Canes ended practice with a shootout that included -- with loud urging from the fans -- Muller and assistant coaches John MacLean and Dave Lewis. Among the shooters scoring was Brandon Sutter, who popped a top-shelf shot past Cam Ward with a nice move.

Sutter has taken just one shootout shot in a game and did not convert, but has scored several of his goals in one-on-one showdowns with goalies on rushes and breakaways.

"There's a lot of supporters for him on this shootout," a smiling Muller said.

For the record, Muller and MacLean did not score in the shootout. Lewis barely got the puck moving toward Ward, who then allowed it to trickle between his pads. Score one for Lewis.

"First goal for me since 1987," Lewis said, laughing.

Canes 2, Kings 1

chipalexander — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:52:41 -0500

RALEIGH — In the grand scheme of things, moving out of last place in the Eastern Conference may not seem all that notable.

But the Canes will take it, and especially after a hard-working 2-1 victory Saturday over the Los Angeles Kings at the RBC Center.

Jeff Skinner and Jiri Tlusty scored, Cam Ward again was rock-solid in net and the Hurricanes overcame a slumbering start to lift their record to 20-25-9. With 49 points, they moved out of 15th place and ahead of the Montreal Canadiens in the East.

"It looks nicer," Muller said of the standings. "But the key is the way we've been playing. The nice thing now is we're finding ways to pick up points in these tight games as opposed to a month ago."

Skinner's goal early in the third period was the difference and the product of some hard work as Skinner scored on the rebound of a Jussi Jokinen shot with 16:58 left in regulation. Skinner first battled for the puck along the left boards, poking it away from defenseman Rob Scuderi and getting it to Drayson Bowman behind the Kings net.

Bowman centered to Jokinen for a shot, with Skinner sweeping in to knock the rebound past goalie Jonathan Bernier. Skinner scored his first career goal against the Kings early last season in L.A.

The Kings played Friday night in St. Louis, losing 1-0, and flew into Raleigh after the game. By the third period, it appeared some fatigue was setting in.

"It's not rocket science. We played last night and got here at 2 in the morning," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "They were pushing a little bit more because they had more. It's not that we backed off. We were still playing really hard.

"I thought we played a pretty solid game."

Tlusty's goal with 4:20 left in the second lifted the Canes to a 1-1 tie after two periods.

Tlusty scored his 11th of the season, bursting down the right wing after blocking a shot by Kings defenseman Alec Martinez. Tlusty ripped a top-shelf shot to the far side past Bernier.

"He's really picked his game up in the last 10 games or so," Canes coach Kirk Muller said of Tlusty. "He's been working hard, he's been skating well and he's been really solid two ways."

Anze Kopitar's power-play goal gave the Kings a 1-0 lead after the opening period.

The Kings were shut out 1-0 by the St. Louis Blues on Friday but scored in the first five minutes tonight. Kopitar unloaded from the slot for his 16th goal of the season, beating Canes goalie Cam Ward low to the glove side.

Just after the Kings' kill, the Canes' Anthony Stewart was called for cross-checking. The Kings needed just 30 seconds to score as former Hurricanes forward Justin William had the primary assist and former Carolina draft picker Jack Johnson had the second helper.

"We need to find a way to get off to better starts," Muller said.

The message after the first period, when the Canes managed just four shots?

"Basically we talked about moving our feet," Muller said. "I didn't think we were skating well in the first and when you're not doing that, it's pretty hard to generate anything. But in the second and third we did.

Added Ward: "It seemed as the game went along we started to wear them down. We knew they had some travel and played (Friday) night, so we made it difficult for them in the second and third and that was the difference."

Bernier was given the start in net -- and Jonathan Quick the night off -- for the Kings but got little work in the first period. Bernier did make two sharp saves, on shots by Tuomo Ruutu and Bryan Allen, to keep it 1-0.

Canes forward Tim Gleason awoke a slumbering crowd late in the first, dropping the gloves for a brief fight with Kings forward Kyle Clifford. Gleason dumped Clifford quickly to get the home fans roaring.

The Canes' two power plays in the first produced just two shots.

In the second period, Ward made an early stop on Kopitar to keep it a 1-0 game. After Tlusty tied the score late in the period, Ward turned back a shot by Mike Richards.

Midway through the second, the Canes pressured Bernier, who was forced to make good stops on shots by Ruutu and Skinner.

Bernier was in goal when the teams played for the only time last season -- Oct. 20, 2010 in Los Angeles. The Kings won 4-3.

Ward blanked the Boston Bruins 3-0 on Thursday, when his 47 saves set a franchise record for saves in shutout.

Canes' sweep overshadowed by Gagner?

chipalexander — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:28:11 -0500

Which was more impressive Thursday night, Sam Gagner's eight-point game for the Edmonton Oilers or the Canes finishing off a season sweep of the Boston Bruins?

Gagner's big night grabbed most of the NHL headlines and had the Twitterverse ablaze. But the Canes beat the Bruins 3-0 for the first regular-season series sweep in franchise history, and did it against a team that's the defending Stanley Cup champions.

It didn't matter if the Bruins had Tim Thomas or Tuukka Rask in goal this season. The Canes were 4-0-0 against Boston and outscored the Bruins 14-5.

"It's a credit to the guys. When we play like that we're capable of beating very good teams," goaltender Cam Ward said after the shutout. "It's no secret. They're once again Stanley Cup contenders and to beat them four times is a huge compliment to our team.

"But we need to play every team like they're the Boston Bruins, because they seem to bring out the best in us."

Ward, who enjoys playing at TD Garden, had 22 saves in the first period on his way to an impressive 47-save night that made him the game's first star. His 47 saves were a franchise record in a shutout -- Ward had a franchise-best 57 saves in a win over the New York Islanders in October 2008.

Eric Staal, Tuomo Ruutu and Brandon Sutter scored and everyone had a hand in the victory.

"It feels good to beat 'em four times," Staal said. "But I, and I'm sure everybody in our room would say the same, would rather be first in the conference and lose to the last-place team four times. But that's the way it goes and we'll continue to try and build and try to climb back up in the conference and beat teams like that ahead of us."

The Canes were the fresher team, winning races to the puck and the battles along the boards, keeping their shifts short. Eleven players averaged less than 40 seconds a shift -- in contrast, just three did Tuesday in the 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders.

For the record, the Canes won 3-2 and 4-2 at the RBC Center this season, and 4-1 and 3-0 in Boston. Rask was in goal for the Bruins last night.

"Our guys were excited to play against the Cup champs and it brought out our best game so far," Canes coach Kirk Muller said. "Our guys played really smart, really well and Ward was really good in net.

"We had a really good game from everybody and that's what we asked them to do: 60 minutes and no passengers. It was a good team effort tonight."

Gagner's eight-point game against the Chicago Blackhawks tied the Oilers' team record held by Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey, and it had Gagner trending worldwide on Twitter. The Canes simply packed up and flew back to Raleigh, content with a big team highlight in a season that hasn't had a lot.

Bowman recalled from Checkers

chipalexander — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:25:52 -0500

The Canes have recalled forward Drayson Bowman from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).

Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose is day-to-day due to illness. Coach Kirk Muller said LaRose, who missed practice Wednesday, was slowed by flu-like symptoms.

Bowman, 22, has skated in 13 NHL games for Carolina this season, registering two goals and three assists. He has totaled 11 goals and 11 assists in 34 AHL games with Charlotte in 2011-12, and is second among Checkers forwards in plus/minus (plus-3).

Canes head to Boston looking for sweep

chipalexander — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:34:05 -0500

The Canes' Chad LaRose missed practice today with flu-like symptoms, coach Kirk Muller said, but should be ready for Thursday's road game against the Boston Bruins.

Muller also said defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, who has missed the last six games, could return to the lineup. If Spacek can play Thursday, that would make Derek Joslin a healthy scratch.

The Canes will be seeking to complete the first season sweep of the Bruins in Carolina's franchise history. Carolina beat Boston twice in October, early in the season, then topped the Bruins 4-2 at the RBC Center on Jan. 14.

"I think the big part of our focus is we've got to play our game," Muller said. "Boston is a team that can play physical and they play hard in their barn. We can't get caught up in that kind of stuff.

"We've just got to go out and play hard and play strong and play physical, but play clean. If we have opportunities to use our power play, we'd have to hurt them on the power play."

The Bruins hurt themselves with 17 penalties, many undisciplined, the last time the teams played in Boston -- the Canes winning 4-1 on Oct. 18. But in the Jan. 14 game in Raleigh, Boston had just one penalty called: a slash against Milan Lucic in the final minute.

Muller put the Canes through a fast-paced practice today before the flight to Boston. It was obvious he was still a little steamed over the 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday night, when the Canes did not hit their stride and find their game until the final period.

"We're no different than any other team. You get out what you put in and we didn't put enough in last night other than those last 20 (minutes)," Muller said. "Going into Boston, we can't have a slow start. We've got to be ready for a good team at home. We've got to be ready for that first period."

While Muller made line changes for the third period, the lines today had Eric Staal centering Tuomo Ruutu and Jiri Tlusty, Riley Nash at center with Jeff Skinner and Jussi Jokinen, Brandon Sutter centering Pat Dwyer and Andreas Nodl, and Tim Brent with Anthony Stewart and Joslin filling in for LaRose.

Spacek took a puck in the face in the Jan. 10 game against the Flyers and later needed surgery. He has been practicing with a full cage.

Islanders 5, Canes 2

chipalexander — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:45:52 -0500

For a long time Tuesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes couldn’t find a way to get the puck past a 21-year-old goalie who was playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last week.

The Canes finally found a way to beat unheralded Kevin Poulin, only to be beaten by a player everyone in the NHL knows all too well: All-Star forward John Tavares.

After the Canes rallied for a pair of goals in the third period to tie the score, Tavares ripped a shot past Canes goalie Cam Ward with 12:24 left in regulation and the Islanders won 5-2 at the RBC Center. See 122 photos from the game.

Tavares had two goals and two assists, scoring an empty netter in the final minute.

The Canes’ Brandon Sutter and Tim Brent scored in the third period, Brent on Carolina’s first power play of the game, for a 2-2 tie. The RBC Center was rumbling.

Not for long. Ward left the crease to play a bouncing puck, instead fanning on it. Tavares was open on the right side of the slot, taking a pass from Matt Moulson to score his 21^st goal of the season.

It was the first game for both teams after a lengthy break for the NHL All-Star Game, and the Isles were the sharper of the two until the final period.

New York scored power-play goals in each of the first two periods – from P.A. Parenteau and Moulson – and Poulin made the most of his third NHL start of the season after being recalled Monday from the Isles’ American Hockey League affiliate. Kyle Okposo scored an empty-netter with 83 seconds left.

Canes defenseman Jay Harrison picked up the first of two penalties in the period at 5:14, batting a puck over the glass for delay of game. Parenteau smoked a top-shelf shot to Ward's glove side for the first goal at 5:49.

Tavares, fresh off his first All-Star Game appearance, earned his 30th assist and 50th point of the season for the Isles on Parenteau’s goal.

Rookie center Riley Nash of the Canes was called for hooking with 4:27 left in the second period. The Isles made it 2-0 when Moulson scored his 23rd of the season at 16:19.

The Canes' Eric Staal got a piece of a shot by Mark Streit, but Moulson was in the right spot at the right time. The puck settled between the circles and Moulson put a spinning backhander toward the net that beat Ward to the stick side.

The Canes came into the game wanting to put early pressure on Isles goalie Kevin Poulin, who was playing in his third NHL game of the season. Poulin, 21, was called up Monday from Bridgeport of the AHL and making his first start since a Jan. 16 game against Nashville.

Poulin got the job done in the first, denying Jeff Skinner in front of the crease, then making a pad save when Brandon Sutter broke in alone.

Harrison was called for tripping with 2:34 left in the first. The Canes killed off the penalty and appeared set to tie the score in the final seconds of the period.

Tlusty grabbed the puck near the Isles blue line and had a two-on-one rush with Staal on the left side. Tlusty made a nice setup to Staal, but Poulin pushed across the crease to get his pad on Staal's attempt.

Samson reassigned to Checkers

chipalexander — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:25:09 -0500

The Canes have reassigned forward Jerome Samson to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

Samson, 24, was recalled to Carolina for the first time this season Jan. 10. He played in three games with the Hurricanes before suffering an upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins that sidelined him for five games.

Samson scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 10 against Philadelphia, and now has one goal and four assists in 33 career NHL games with Carolina.

Ruutu: 'There's nothing I can really do'

chipalexander — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:57:43 -0500

Canes defenseman Tim Gleason called constant trade speculation a "nightmare" after signing a contract extension Monday that put it to an end.

Tuomo Ruutu? The forward now has moved closer to the center of the trade storm. Ruutu said today he has had no contract negotiations with Canes management, but insisted he's not affected or burdened by the trade rumors floating about the NHL.

"I've heard rumors I'm going to every team in the NHL," a smiling Ruutu said after the morning skate at the RBC Center. "I must be really playing well.

"You hear rumors but I think everybody is different. We're all human. Some guys take it more seriously, some take it less seriously. Everybody has their own way of dealing with it. I hear about stuff but there's nothing I can really do, so ...

"It's nice to be back playing so I don't have to think about this stuff."

"This stuff" includes TSN's Darren Dreger saying Ruutu likely would be traded this week. The rumors include Ruutu going to the Predators, Penguins, Blackhawks, Bruins, Maple Leafs.

Ruutu said he spent the All-Star break last week with his family in a warm spot. Asked how many calls he took from his agent, he laughed.

"To be honest, none," he said. "I had a vacation, so none."

Ruutu then added, "I don't think my agent can do anything right now."

Ruutu, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, leads the Canes with 15 goals and is fourth in points with 26. He has a team-high 97 hits, and his physical play, his versatilty at center and wing -- not to mention his recent durability considering the injuries he has had in his career -- make him a key trade target of several teams.

For now, Ruutu said, "It's just try to win some games. Looking at the standings, we still have a really good chance of making it (to the playoffs.) Try to win a couple in a row and go from there."

At the skate, Ruutu was on Eric Staal's line with Jiri Tlusty. Brandon Sutter had Pat Dwyer and Andreas Nodl on the wings, and Tim Brent was centering Chad LaRose and Anthony Stewart.

Riley Nash, called up Monday from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL), was centering the second line with Jeff Skinner and Jussi Jokinen on the wings. Canes coach Kirk Muller had taken a look at Skinner at center since his return from a concussion but said Skinner -- who scored goals in each of the last two games before the All-Star break -- might be more suitable on the left side.

"It gives Skinner more room to play offensively, being on the wing," Muller said. "I think it gives him a chance to get more ice time that way.

"(Nash) is a smart player and uses people well. I think he can find Jokinen and Skinner for the plays."

Defensively, Muller will stay with the six who played before the All-Star break. Jaroslav Spacek, he said, needs a few more hard practices before rejoining the lineup.

Cam Ward will be in goal for the ninth straight game.

Faulk back from All-Star shoulder-rubbing

chipalexander — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:24:59 -0500

Justin Faulk always thought he had a heavy shot, which is understandable. He does.

The Canes' rookie defenseman also was aware of the shooting prowess of Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins. But he was even more impressed when seeing the "Chara Cannon" first-hand during the Skills Competition at the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa.

"Shooting 108, 109 miles an hour is ridiculous," Faulk said today, smiling. "He can really let it fly."

Chara had a best of 108.8 mph, breaking his own record in the hardest shot competition, and now has won the event five straight times. Faulk's best was 95.7 mph.

The hardest-shot event Saturday was the extent of Faulk's actual competition in Ottawa -- a mere cameo. Not that he minded. One of 12 rookies chosen to make the trip, the 19-year-old had a blast being a part of it all and rubbing shoulders with some of the league's biggest stars.

"It's exciting to get to know some of the guys around the league," Faulk said. "It's my first year in the league, so I really just know the guys on my team. It's nice to get to know other players and meet them away from the rink. Obviously you get a perception of them on the ice and a lot of times it's different when you get off the ice."

Come Sunday, Faulk and the other 12 rookies did not play in the All-Star Game. But that's not to say he was looking to jump a quick flight back to Raleigh.

"I went and sat in the stands, just kind of blended in and mixed in with the crowd for the game," he said. "That was exciting, to just relax in the stands and enjoy myself."

Faulk has now been a part of the All-Star festivities and was the team's lone representative in Ottawa. But he said his goal for the rest of the season is pretty much the same as when the season began.

"Keep continuing to try and prove myself here," Faulk said. "I've played 30, 40 games here and I still have a lot to prove, I think. That's just one step and it's quite an honor to be invited there."

Faulk was just one of the guys at practice today as the Canes worked out at the RBC Center. With forward Riley Nash recalled from Charlotte, the Canes had a full complement of players with 13 forwards and seven defensemen.

Canes coach Kirk Muller said forward Chad LaRose and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek would be able to play tomorrow night against the New York Islanders. LaRose suffered a cut in the last game before the All-Star Game break, and Spacek had missed the last six games.

Forward Jerome Samson, who has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury, also was at practice. Samson's availability for the Islanders game still must be determined, although it appeared Nash would play. With Spacek back, defenseman Derek Joslin could be a scratch.

Goalie Brian Boucher, out since Dec. 5 with a lower-body injury, did some skating today after practice with assistant coach Tom Barrasso.