JUNIOR CANES DROP EMBARRASSING LOSS

Carolina

It did not take long, but the Canes went up 3-0 on goals from Junior Lessard, Igor Mirnov and Kirk McLeod. The trio had built a solid lead at the 8 minute mark of the first period but then the unthinkable happened. The junior Canes turned off the ignition, sat back and watch ed eventual defeat while laughing it up on the bench.

"You play like that, you will lose like that," said head coach Craig Hartsburg, who had a rather loud end of game meeting. "I will not sit here and tell you the boys played well tonight. It was a joke. We were up 3 goals 8 minutes in and then they start floating around. This is not pre season, it is the damn playoffs. We play to win, and win every game."

Hartsburg was seen grabbing defenseman Tomas Mojzis after the game and dragged him onto the ice. The two had a heated argument followed by Mojzis doing sprint drills. Neither the coach nor the player would comment on the exercise.

"This was an embarrassment for us," said Shea Weber, who will be serving a 5 game suspension for his actions on the ice. "We played so poorly after those first three goals that this is a great slap in the face we needed. I cannot help anymore, but these guys need to show why we were hyped to win the whole shooting match. I refuse to go down like this, as chumps. We are the better team, it is time to play like that."

The Canes get it on again tomorrow, back in the friendly confines of their own hometown.