There were so many questions about the Carolina Hurricanes before Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Would the two-week Olympic break stall the momentum the Canes generated before the Vancouver Games? How would Carolina’s four Olympians respond after being in such an emotionally charged atmosphere?

With the NHL trade deadline today, some wondered who would be – or wouldn’t be – in the Canes’ lineup. Would Ray Whitney play? Defenseman Aaron Ward?

Forwards Chad LaRose, Erik Cole and Scott Walker all were returning from injury. How would they play? And rookie Justin Peters was making just his third career start in goal.

But the Hurricanes answered every question, emphatically, in a 5-1 win at the Air Canada Centre. LaRose had a shorthanded goal and added two assists, and Jussi Jokinen, Brandon Sutter, Tuomo Ruutu and Sergei Samsonov also scored as Carolina (25-30-7) hardly missed a beat in pushing its winning streak to six straight.

Click here to read the full article – By Raleigh News & Observer

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Eric Staal was talking a few days ago about the Vancouver Olympics, about the pride and pressure of playing for Team Canada, of how nothing less than a gold medal would be acceptable in his home country.

A few feet away in the Carolina Hurricanes locker room, defenseman Tim Gleason was eavesdropping a little. And grinning.

Gleason is a member of the U.S. Olympic team. Let’s just say the expectations aren’t quite the same for Team USA as for Staal and those who will wear the red maple leaf on their sweaters.

Gleason’s smile had a little of the “ain’t-no-pressure-on-us” feel to it, but Staal wasn’t buying it.

“That’s part of their little scheme: to try and make themselves the underdogs,” Staal said. “They’ve got a ton of skill. They’ve got a great goalie in Ryan Miller.

Click here to read the full article – By Raleigh News & Observer

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After the Olympic break, after the NHL trade deadline, things could change for the Carolina Hurricanes, and their lineup could take on a different look.

With a 4-1 victory Tuesday over the Panthers, the Hurricanes now have won three straight and seven of their last nine. In fact, since the beginning of December, Carolina is 17-13-2 – not a great record but enough to convince any skeptics the Canes are far from being one of the worst teams in the league.

The Canes won with goals from Jussi Jokinen, Joni Pitkanen, Matt Cullen and Tuomo Ruutu. They won with some calm, solid play in net by Manny Legace. They skated well, defended well in their zone, killed penalties, backchecked well, made the most of their hits.

Nothing special. Just good, sound hockey.

Jokinen, who somehow won’t be playing for Finland in the Vancouver Winter Games, pushed his point streak to seven games with a power-play goal early in the second that gave Carolina a 1-0 lead. Set up to the left of Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun, he was at the right place at the right time to pop in the rebound of an Eric Staal rebound for his team-leading 21st goal.

Click here to read the full article – By Raleigh News & Observer

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The Chicago Blackhawks might be one of the top teams in the league, with explosive offense from center Jonathan Toews and forwards Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa.

But they were treated to an exciting game, with the top Chicago trio trying but failing to generate enough to get the Hawks’ first victory in the RBC Center.

For the better part of two periods, Ward was the neutralizer, coming up with big saves in the second and third periods that kept the Blackhawks at bay until forward Brandon Sutter and Matt Cullen broke open the game with goals 26 seconds apart near the midway point of the final period.

“Cam was outstanding tonight, and I’ll say it again, every once in a while, we actually expect that out of him because we need it in a game like tonight,” Carolina coach Paul Maurice said.

Just 1:35 before Sutter’s goal, former Hurricane forward Andrew Ladd, who was traded to the Blackhawks for Tuomo Ruutu in 2008, tied the game at 2-2 with a shot from the left circle at 7:43 in the third period, drawing a loud applause from a solid showing from Chicago fans, who were soon disappointed.

“I’ll probably be hearing it from Ladd on that second goal, but we got bragging rights with the win,” Ward said.

Click here to read the full article – By Charlotte Observer

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After the Carolina Hurricanes’ 5-1 road loss against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, after another bewildering third-period collapse, coach Paul Maurice was asked if he feared for his job.

“No,” Maurice replied. “You lose that once you spend enough years in the league. You just fear losing worse.”

Though the Hurricanes have been losing, the decision to hire and fire rests with Jim Rutherford, the team’s president and general manager. Rutherford said Sunday he supports Maurice, who was given a three-year contract after guiding the Hurricanes to the playoffs and the Eastern Conference finals last season.

“I stand firmly behind him,” Rutherford said. “We all have contributed to what’s happened. It’s everybody, from me to the coaches to the players. We all share in the responsibility.”

Click here to read the full article – By Charlotte Observer

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed veteran goaltender Manny Legace to a one-year, $500,000 deal, general manager Jim Rutherford said Monday.

The Hurricanes lost starting goalie Cam Ward to injury Saturday for at least a month.

Legace, a 10-year NHL veteran with the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, has played six games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season, logging 317 minutes while going 2-2-1 with a 3.21 goals-against average.

He last played in the NHL for the Blues last season.


Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

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The Carolina Hurricanes have lost their first two games and now have lost a key player.

Cole had to be helped from the ice after a collision with the Bruins’ Dennis Wideman along the boards. Wideman’s attempted hip check was a hard but clean hit, his right leg smacking into Cole’s left leg. It came with Boston leading by five goals.

The Canes face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday at the RBC Center. Rutherford and coach Paul Maurice said Tim Conboy is expected to replace Cole in the lineup. Conboy was a healthy scratch in the first two games.

“If we expect our team to get a little more physical, I’m very comfortable with Timmy coming in the lineup,” Maurice said.

Click here to read the full article – By Chip Alexander of Charlotte Observer

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A hand-painted sign spotted Friday outside the RBC Center read, “The Quest for the Cup begins tonight.”

The Philadelphia Flyers took charge of the season-opener, using stinging power-play goals by Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in the first 47 seconds of the second period and a near-flawless debut game in goal by Ray Emery for a 2-0 victory.

The Flyers, like the Hurricanes, believe they will be among the best teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference and one capable of making a run at the Stanley Cup. They added All-Star defenseman Chris Pronger in an offseason trade and brought in Emery, who spent last season in Russia — a veritable hockey exile.

Emery, 27, earned his ninth career shutout in his first game with the Flyers while handing Carolina its first opening-game shutout in franchise history. The former Ottawa goalie, who helped the Senators to the 2007 Cup final, turned back 28 shots and got a lot of help as the active Flyers killed off eight Hurricanes power plays.

Click here to read the full article – By Chip Alexander of Charlotte Observer

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Andrew Alberts expects to be running into some old friends the next few days.

When the Carolina Hurricanes open the season tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, Alberts will be facing a team he played for — and banged for — last season. The Canes defenseman, a free-agent signee in the offseason, was neighbors with Flyers defenseman Matt Carle, and the two planned to have dinner Thursday night.

But the niceties end tonight — for Alberts and everyone else in a Carolina sweater. The Hurricanes believe they have the right mix of talent, savvy, size, depth and experience to contend for a Stanley Cup, and they should get a quick early gauge against the Flyers and then at Boston on Saturday.

Alberts also played for Boston for three seasons before being traded to Philadelphia last October. “It’s always different playing against your old buddies,” Alberts said. “But it’s fun to be here in Carolina on opening night. Carolina has always had good fans. We’ve had a good week of practice, and I’m excited just to play my first game.”

Click here to read the full article – By Chip Alexander of Charlotte Observer

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A lot of eyes seemed to be following Joni Pitkanen around the ice Tuesday at the RBC Center.

But Tuesday was the first big test for No. 25.

“It was nice to be back skating with the team,” Pitkanen said. “I tried to push as hard as I can. I think it went pretty good. Now we go one day at a time.”

Canes coach Paul Maurice paid close attention to Pitkanen on Tuesday and said he was pleased with his mobility.

Click here to read the full article – By Chip Alexander of Charlotte Observer

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