JUNIOR CANES WIN, RACE CONTINUES

Carolina

With the pro Canes squad done, the junior Canes become the focus. The youngster squad have an outside chance of taking the conference title with three games remaining in the season. Ottawa, the current leaders, dropped a 3-1 contest with the Canes and have now put the conference up for grabs. Igor Mirnov, Junior Lessard and point leader Jeff Carter all had multiple point games in the match as the Canes were victorious 3-1.

The Sens felt more than the loss however as two players left the contest. Victor Oreskovich was carried off on a stretcher after a huge open ice hit from Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf, 20, put down the shoulder and Oreskovich tried to get out of the way by attempted to leap to the side and took the full impact square on the chest, fracturing 3 ribs. Dion as not assessed a penalty as the hit was clean.

"I feel badly for him, but when the train is a coming, you best get off the tracks," said Dion. "No one likes to see someone carried off the ice like that. He looked pretty bad."

Phaneuf was jumped later in the period by Kiel McLeod because of the hit, who Dion proceeded to lay a sickening beating on. McLeod was forced to leave the game with what seemingly looked like a broken nose. Dion was assessed the fighting major and was also given a game misconduct, likely due to the built up hostility of the Sens after injuring two players in one period.

"Big D is never shy to go at the other team," said Jeff Carter. "He is a beast and personally, I would never want to be on his bad side. He makes me nervous."

The Canes, with three games left, hope to rally and steal the conference title from the Sens.