CANES PLAY SPOILER BUT DEVILS NOT COOPERATING
Carolina
With only one game left in the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes took on conference rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning in hopes to keep the defending champions out of the playoffs.
The Lightning came out with 2 goals in the first and played a hearty game to start off. The Canes weathered the storm and then in the second, decided to try and change the tone of the games. Smallish center Daniel Briere notched his 15th of the season from Friesen and Boyes early in the second to pull the Canes within one. T-Bay picked up another and the Canes, led by head coach Joel Quenneville, called a time out.
"We felt this one slipping," said captain Shane Doan. "When a team like the Lightning get momentum, you have to find a way to stop it, otherwise they will simply steamroll you."
The timeout seemingly paid off as the speedy Kris Draper took the puck hard to the net, after a missed shot, Draper recovered his own rebound and centered the puck out to young Steve Eminger, who made no mistake and buried his 5th of the season.
In the third period, the Canes picked up where they left off. Just over a minute in, after some solid grinding and a punishing shift, power forward Matt Bradley fired in a rebound from Mike Fisher tying the game at three. The Canes continued their relentless attack throughout the period and near the 14 minute mark, newcomer Trevor Letowski one timed a feed from speedy Jeff Friesen to put the Canes on top 4-3.
"Once that last goal went in, we said we need to get more," said Jay McKee. "We never let our foot off the gas pedal and in the end, that is why we took this one."
The Lightning remained pinned in their own end for the rest of the contest as the Canes outshot the defending champs 18-5 in the third period. 2 assist games from Kyle Wellwood and Jeff Friesen would prove to lead the Canes to victory.
While the loss could have been quite damaging to the Lightning, the New Jersey Devils, who are chasing the Lightning, could not pull off a victory versus the Washington Captials and so, still sit one point back of the Lightning.
The Canes regular season has now come to an end and the playoff match up against the New York Rangers is now set in stone.
With only one game left in the regular season, the Carolina Hurricanes took on conference rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning in hopes to keep the defending champions out of the playoffs.The Lightning came out with 2 goals in the first and played a hearty game to start off. The Canes weathered the storm and then in the second, decided to try and change the tone of the games. Smallish center Daniel Briere notched his 15th of the season from Friesen and Boyes early in the second to pull the Canes within one. T-Bay picked up another and the Canes, led by head coach Joel Quenneville, called a time out.
"We felt this one slipping," said captain Shane Doan. "When a team like the Lightning get momentum, you have to find a way to stop it, otherwise they will simply steamroll you."
The timeout seemingly paid off as the speedy Kris Draper took the puck hard to the net, after a missed shot, Draper recovered his own rebound and centered the puck out to young Steve Eminger, who made no mistake and buried his 5th of the season.
In the third period, the Canes picked up where they left off. Just over a minute in, after some solid grinding and a punishing shift, power forward Matt Bradley fired in a rebound from Mike Fisher tying the game at three. The Canes continued their relentless attack throughout the period and near the 14 minute mark, newcomer Trevor Letowski one timed a feed from speedy Jeff Friesen to put the Canes on top 4-3.
"Once that last goal went in, we said we need to get more," said Jay McKee. "We never let our foot off the gas pedal and in the end, that is why we took this one."
The Lightning remained pinned in their own end for the rest of the contest as the Canes outshot the defending champs 18-5 in the third period. 2 assist games from Kyle Wellwood and Jeff Friesen would prove to lead the Canes to victory.
While the loss could have been quite damaging to the Lightning, the New Jersey Devils, who are chasing the Lightning, could not pull off a victory versus the Washington Captials and so, still sit one point back of the Lightning.
The Canes regular season has now come to an end and the playoff match up against the New York Rangers is now set in stone.
posted by Lohaus at 9:12 AM
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