Canes Now - Ward receives NHL 'star' award

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Ward receives NHL 'star' award

Submitted by chipalexander on 01/05/2009 - 14:57

Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward would rather talk about the team's three-game winning streak and improved defense than his own play, but he is appreciative of the NHL honor given him Monday.

Ward was named the league's third star of the week. His numbers last week: a 3-0-0 record, 1.33 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in the wins over Atlanta, St. Louis and Tampa Bay.

"It is a nice honor but the most important thing is that overall our team is playing a lot better," Ward said today. "We're piling up some wins now. Hopefully we can continue to keep going down the same road that we're going right now."

Ward missed four games in early December with a groin injury but has worked 10 of the last 11 games. No problem, he said.

"Obviously you want to be the guy in the net," he said. "I'm getting the opportunity and things are going a lot better. I feel pretty confident and playing with a bit more consistency on a nightly basis.

"But again, that's a reflection of the team playing a lot better defensively in front of me and making it a lot easier on myself."

Of the Canes' three-game winning streak, Ward said simplifcation in strategy and simple hard work has gotten the job done.

"I don't there's any secret with it," he said. "You've got to bring it every night. First and foremost it starts with the work ethic and how the guys are working extremely hard and we're starting to get rewarded for it.

Comments

The Canes PK is below 80%

Tue, 01/06/2009 - 19:01 — ctill

The Canes PK is below 80% this season, like it was last season. Before that, the Canes had always done 80% or better... going back to the first season in Greensboro. One thing I'll say for Mo... his teams were usually at the top of the league in PK.

I hope Ward stays hot and healthy. Otherwise I imagine JR will trade a skater for a goalie.

Leighton

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 16:39 — esteban1949

if you remember leighton said that if things hadn't worked out for HIM as they have at this very moment, He would have very seriously considered going to the KHL over there in russia.Some here and now think he is only good for nothing more than a "lifer" for the AHL. Yet like other players & goalies in his posistion, he is doing the best he can with what is presented to him. And like with Cam Ward, if he doesn't have or get the "help " he needs, as we all have seenthat the canes do need to work on that first and formost. And one thing we haven't thought of or considered...Tom Barasso, Leighton is there with the canes, not because he's pretty or has the lowest stats for back up goalies either. He's there because he has what the cane could have need of and for Barasso...who answers to Mo & JR, that's the only opinion that really matters...right ?

Then let him go to Russia

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 17:00 — JRmustGo

There's a reason he's been picked up and waived by so many different clubs and yet has never stayed in the NHL. So far, he's stuck with us (or we are stuck with him) but Ward better become his idol, Brodeur, so we don't have to see Leighton in net too much.

He's an AHL goalie at best and surely this team could have done better than him as a backup.

I've said it...

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 16:13 — JRmustGo

about Leighton. He's an AHL goalie at best.

AHL?

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 15:45 — Canenut

Wow, how things have changes. There were people out there a month or so ago wanting Cam sent to the AHL. Good thing JR does not listen to the fans. Cam is playing great but like the 29 others goalies he just needed a little help in front.

Congrats Cam well deserved.

WHAT?

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 16:11 — piratepike09

Where in te world did you read about some people wanting him in the AHL? That is rediculous. No matter how poorly he may have been playing, he was still playing better than Leighton and no one said anything about even sending Leighton down, much less Ward.

Yeah Ward needed those in front of him to be playing better for him to win more games and make the easier saves, but he has been absolutely standing on his head as well, making better saves than I have seen him make all of his career here.

This blog

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 17:03 — Canenut

There were people on the same blog (or the old Lord Stanley's blog) that thought that JR needed to find some else and get ride of Cam. I never felt that way, I always thought that with better D in front he was a great NHL goalie.

Canenut isn't nuts, I read

Mon, 01/05/2009 - 18:43 — FuquayCaniac

Canenut isn't nuts, I read the same things about dumping Ward and going with Leighton as the starter.

Good for Ward, but in a side note that the three teams we was up against last week are in the bottom five of the league right now. Let's hope they can extend their current winning streak to four tomorrow night!

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