CANES PRE SEASON ACTION
CANES WIN FIRST IN PRESEASON
Pre season is upon the mighty Hurricanes and the breeze is starting to pick up. With the Devils in town, the Canes knew that the game at hand would be no easy task.
“We had to step it up a bit, it is pre season, but these games still mean something to us,” said head coach Joel Quenneville. “It is a time to try new lines and experiment with different schemes but the guys don’t want to lose and I especially don’t want to lose.”
Pre season gave the Canes a chance to start rookie net minder Robert Gherson in nets. This would be his first game in a professional uniform as the youngster is making the jump directly from junior. A former member of both the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting and Owen Sound Attack, Gherson was acquired by the Canes via trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a deal which saw Eric Daze leave the Eastern coast. Also acquired in the deal by the Canes was power forward Gordie Dwyer and two Tampa Bay first rounders, the first of which was used on University of Minnesota defenseman Alex Goligoski.
“It was pretty exciting to get a chance in the very first game of the year,” said Gherson. “I think a lot of my focus was just making the club so this was a great opportunity to show what I can do. I never really felt out of place at camp this year so I think all and all it went well.”
The first started off with a bang and the Canes were all over their conference rivals. Carolina fired 13 shots, but none were able to find the twine and the momentum stick seemed to be changing.
“We had seen a lot of chances disappear early,” said captain Shane Doan. “When the second hit, all hell broke loose.”
Rookie center Kyle Wellwood snagged the puck in his own end and started up ice when Karel Pilar ran the young pivot and drilled him.
Wellwood would be shaken but was able to gain his composure. Doan went at the Devil’s defender but Pilar was ushered to the box before anymore could happen. Pilar was assessed a major for the charge. The atmosphere picked up a bit as the fans knew this would not go unanswered.
Less than two minutes into the major for charging, a familiar player made his assaulter pay. Carlo Colaiacovo sent a pass down low to assistant captain Mike Fisher who cycled the puck to Wellwood. The slick centerman sent a hard return pass to Fisher who fired the puck on net but could not beat the blocker of Devils goalie Brian Boucher. The rebound, however, came out into the crease and Wellwood drove to the net and buried his first of the preseason. Doan immediately went over to the penalty box to taunt the disgruntled defenseman Pilar.
The Canes could not capitalize on the remaining minutes of the power play.
“The tide had turned,” said Doan. “I knew what to expect.”
Once Pilar was out of the box, it didn’t take any time. He and Doan were put out on the faceoff together and they dropped the gloves immediately. Unfortunately for Pilar, Doan knows how to fight and proceeded to pound the defender with rights until Pilar lost his balance and collapsed to the ice. Doan easily wins the fight and Pilar was in obvious discomfort. Doctors report he had hurt his jaw, but x-rays revealed no fractures.
“Maybe two seasons ago a guy could go running around like Pilar did,” said assistant captain Jay McKee, “but that was then and this is now. We have a lot of boys who aren’t afraid to give a little love tap here and there. Looks good on Pilar, he’s a punk.”
The Devils responded in the third off of a goal by former Cane Alexei Zhamnov, eluding the rookie netminder. The goal set up for an over time.
Smelling blood, the Canes went right for the jugular. Tverdovsky picked up the puck and spotted a streaking Alexie Kovalev and sent him off. With Pilar out for the game, the Devils lacked that shut down type of defenceman and Kovalev blew by the New Jersey players. With a quick fake left, Kovalev slid a fancy backhander through Boucher’s legs and ended the game 58 seconds in.
“It was a great game to start off pres season,” said Doan. “The guys really rallied around one another and I think this shows that we have the stuff to compete. Great showing by our goalie too. Gherse was spectacular most of the game and the goal that did get let in was more or less a break down by the guys in front of him. I think we have a keeper.”
The Canes next game is Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
Pre season is upon the mighty Hurricanes and the breeze is starting to pick up. With the Devils in town, the Canes knew that the game at hand would be no easy task.
“We had to step it up a bit, it is pre season, but these games still mean something to us,” said head coach Joel Quenneville. “It is a time to try new lines and experiment with different schemes but the guys don’t want to lose and I especially don’t want to lose.”
Pre season gave the Canes a chance to start rookie net minder Robert Gherson in nets. This would be his first game in a professional uniform as the youngster is making the jump directly from junior. A former member of both the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting and Owen Sound Attack, Gherson was acquired by the Canes via trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a deal which saw Eric Daze leave the Eastern coast. Also acquired in the deal by the Canes was power forward Gordie Dwyer and two Tampa Bay first rounders, the first of which was used on University of Minnesota defenseman Alex Goligoski.“It was pretty exciting to get a chance in the very first game of the year,” said Gherson. “I think a lot of my focus was just making the club so this was a great opportunity to show what I can do. I never really felt out of place at camp this year so I think all and all it went well.”
The first started off with a bang and the Canes were all over their conference rivals. Carolina fired 13 shots, but none were able to find the twine and the momentum stick seemed to be changing.
“We had seen a lot of chances disappear early,” said captain Shane Doan. “When the second hit, all hell broke loose.”
Rookie center Kyle Wellwood snagged the puck in his own end and started up ice when Karel Pilar ran the young pivot and drilled him.
Wellwood would be shaken but was able to gain his composure. Doan went at the Devil’s defender but Pilar was ushered to the box before anymore could happen. Pilar was assessed a major for the charge. The atmosphere picked up a bit as the fans knew this would not go unanswered.Less than two minutes into the major for charging, a familiar player made his assaulter pay. Carlo Colaiacovo sent a pass down low to assistant captain Mike Fisher who cycled the puck to Wellwood. The slick centerman sent a hard return pass to Fisher who fired the puck on net but could not beat the blocker of Devils goalie Brian Boucher. The rebound, however, came out into the crease and Wellwood drove to the net and buried his first of the preseason. Doan immediately went over to the penalty box to taunt the disgruntled defenseman Pilar.
The Canes could not capitalize on the remaining minutes of the power play.
“The tide had turned,” said Doan. “I knew what to expect.”Once Pilar was out of the box, it didn’t take any time. He and Doan were put out on the faceoff together and they dropped the gloves immediately. Unfortunately for Pilar, Doan knows how to fight and proceeded to pound the defender with rights until Pilar lost his balance and collapsed to the ice. Doan easily wins the fight and Pilar was in obvious discomfort. Doctors report he had hurt his jaw, but x-rays revealed no fractures.
“Maybe two seasons ago a guy could go running around like Pilar did,” said assistant captain Jay McKee, “but that was then and this is now. We have a lot of boys who aren’t afraid to give a little love tap here and there. Looks good on Pilar, he’s a punk.”
The Devils responded in the third off of a goal by former Cane Alexei Zhamnov, eluding the rookie netminder. The goal set up for an over time.
Smelling blood, the Canes went right for the jugular. Tverdovsky picked up the puck and spotted a streaking Alexie Kovalev and sent him off. With Pilar out for the game, the Devils lacked that shut down type of defenceman and Kovalev blew by the New Jersey players. With a quick fake left, Kovalev slid a fancy backhander through Boucher’s legs and ended the game 58 seconds in.
“It was a great game to start off pres season,” said Doan. “The guys really rallied around one another and I think this shows that we have the stuff to compete. Great showing by our goalie too. Gherse was spectacular most of the game and the goal that did get let in was more or less a break down by the guys in front of him. I think we have a keeper.”
The Canes next game is Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
posted by Lohaus at 10:04 AM
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