Carolina Hurricanes Start 2015 Strong!!!!

Jordan Returns 

On Monday December 29th the Carolina Hurricanes did not get the victory that they had hoped against the Montreal Canadiens but they did get a BIG piece of their line up back.... Jordan Staal! The  Assistant Captain made his first appearance of the season after returning from a broken leg that was suffered in a preseason game against Buffalo back in September.

With the calendar turing to 2015 and Jordan back in the lineup the Hurricanes are starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. They opened with 2015 with a game against Metro Division rival the Philadelphia Flyers; the Flyers who are also in an uphill battle came ready to play. Brad Malone started the scoring getting his first goal of the season; Malone over the past 4 games has played his best of the season and starting to show some chemistry with his line. In the 2nd period Jordan Staal set his brother Eric up for this 10th of season. That goal extended Eric's Point streak to 4 games and put Jordan 2 points in 2 games so far this season. The 2 goals were all the Hurricanes need to put the Flyers away and walk away with 2 points.

In a post game interview the Captain said it best about what the difference maker was; he showed a smile and said "we got 2". It has been hard for the Hurricanes this season getting more then one goal but for 2015 it seems the tide has shifted.

Eric Staal 

On a rare early Sunday afternoon game the Hurricanes faced the Boston Bruins who came to town on the back end of a back to back situation that saw them lose the afternoon before to the Senators in OT. The Hurricanes got a first period goal from Patrick Dwyer to close out the 1st period but what key to the first period was that Khudobin did not see a single Bruins shot till almost the 17 minute mark of the 1st period. The Hurricanes continued to show dominance in all the zones for the 2nd and 3rd period. Boston finally got one past Dobby late in the 2nd but that would be the only Boston goal on the board.

The game needed extra time that took a unique turn in the OT period; there were matching penalties that allowed fans to see some 3 on 3 hockey. 3 on 3 OT hockey is something the coaches and league are looking into for the future of the NHL. Plenty of shots in OT but nothing saw the back of the net so we went to a shootout. The 3 shooters for Boston were Reilly Smith, Torey Krug, and Patrice Bergeron and the 3 shooters for the Carolina Hurricanes were Chris Terry, Jeff Skinner, and Eric Staal.

The only player to find the net was Eric Staal; earning the Hurricanes the extra point, their 2nd win of 2015 and earning Eric the Hurricanes Fireman Helmet. This win also got Dobby his first win against his former team and his second win of the season.

Anton Khudobin

The Hurricanes are in Nashville tonight to try and extend their win streak to 3 for 3 in 2015. This is also the annual Father's Trip for the Hurricanes as well. The Hurricanes return home on January 8th to face Buffalo.

Nashville Predators Vs. Hurricanes Recap

Nashville the top team in ESPN's power rankings, #1 in their division, and riding a 4 game win streak came into PNC Arena Tuesday night with a lot of momentum. The Hurricanes coming off a loss Saturday against Pittsburgh was ready to play and look well rested after a day off Sunday and a strong practice Monday.

Liles 

Nashville came out strong testing Cam Ward early but Carolina matched their intensity and kept the offensive fore-checking going strong. Cam Ward saved 28 of 29 shots faced and had a save percentage of .970; even thought Cam's overall record doesn't reflect the type of performance he is putting on the ice, fans can really see the improvement for last season and the confidence he has gained under new goalie coach David Marcoux.

Victor Rask

Hurricanes got on the board late in the 1st period on a goal from Jeff Skinner who has 5 goals and 5 assists in his career against Nashville. The Hurricanes got another goal to add to the lead from Victor Rask and held that lead till Mike Ribeiro got a goal in the middle of the 3rd period. That was all the Predators could get past Ward; what didn't help Nashville was the 2 penalty they received half-way through the third period. Even though the Hurricanes did not score on those PowerPlays it took the momentum away from Nashville.

Hurricanes ended Nashville's win streak and also ended their own losing streak! A win over one of the top teams in the West had to be a great confidence booster for the team and for Elias Lindholm who celebrated his 20th birthday. This was also a family affair for Elias Lindholm; his cousin Calle Jarnkrok is a recent call up for the Predators.

Upcoming Hurricanes Home Game

#1 Star Skinner

12/4 - Washington Capitals @ 7pm
12/7 - Detroit Red Wings @ 5pm
12/8 - New Jersey Devils @ 7pm

Three Stars of the Game 
1. Jeff Skinner: 1Goal 1 Assits
2. Cam Ward: 28 saves
3. Victor Rask: Game Winning Goal

Hurricanes Goals
1st Period: Jeff Skinner (6) ASST: Nestrasil (3) Liles (4)
2nd Period: NONE
3rd Period: Victor Rask (4) ASST: Jeff Skinner (7)

Carolina Hurricanes Recap: Jets and Sharks Game

Andrew Ladd as a Hurricane

Once again the Carolina Hurricanes had 3 games in 4 nights starting with the Winnipeg Jets flying in on Thursday and two old but familiar faces returning to Raleigh. Paul Maurice the 2 time Carolina coach returned with the 2004 top draft pick for the Carolina Hurricanes Andrew Ladd. The Jets saw 2 goals for assistant captain Blake Wheeler and an empty goal from Zach Bogosian. Carolina seemed flat the whole game and got a lone power-play goal from the Swedish Beast Elias Lindholm and another strong performance from Cam Ward. Ward stopped 34 of 36 shots faced and had a plethora of amazing saves; Cam Ward kept the Hurricanes within 1 for much of the game till the final minutes when he went to the bench for the extra attacker.

Saturday the Hurricanes had an early 1 PM game at TD Garden in Boston; where they face a Bruins team that was going to put up a fight after having horrible losses in their past 2 game. With Jay Harrison and Alex Semin out with injury;Cam Ward was net once again! The Hurricanes looked like they found their identity again, out shooting Boston greatly in the opening period. Hurricanes even scored first which has been hard for the team to do as of late but like everything else this season that didn't last long; Boston got two quick goals that they held for the rest of the afternoon. The only good things to come out of the Bruins game was that Juri Tlusty added to goal total on the season with 7 which is leading the team.

Quick flight back to Raleigh, the Hurricanes had a 5 PM meeting with San Jose Sharks. Upon arriving at the arena Sunday morning the Hurricanes found out they lost a very good friend Sgt. Mike Cathcart. Sgt. Cathcart lost his life in Afghanistan due to injuries sustained during combat on Friday November 14th. Sgt. Cathcart met the Hurricanes in early 2014 when the team went to Fort Bragg to practice and Sgt. Cathcart got to practice with the team and formed a tight bond with most of the players.

When the game began the Hurricanes faced Troy Grosenick a young kid from Brookfield, Wisconsin who was playing in his 1st NHL game and his family was in attendance. Once again like previous games the Hurricanes looked flat and got another unlucky bounce that ended in the back of the net and that was all that was needed. The Hurricanes posted 45 shots on the young goalie... yes 45 shots and none of them went through the first timer who looked to be a seasoned veteran. Grosenick had one memorable night that saw him break the record for most saves in an NHL debut that was previously held by Andre Gill who stopped 41 on December 23, 1967!

The Hurricanes go on a long road swing that sends them out west looking to stop this losing streak!! The Hurricanes return home on November 29th to conclude a Home & Home series with the Pittsburgh Penguins! This will mark the 1st return to Raleigh for
former Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford

Carolina Hurricanes Recap on Blue Jackets and Flames Games!!

Playing 3 games in 4 nights the Carolina Hurricanes have kept a 6 game point streak alive and have won 5 of their last 6 games. Extending a 3 game win streak on Friday night to 4 games then going to Washington to loss to the Capitals with 14 seconds left in OT. After a well deserved day of rest the Hurricanes were back in action Monday night against a "Flaming" hot Calgary!

Friday night again the Blue Jackets was more than just a hockey game, it was also the Hurricanes time to show support for the league wide Hockey Fights Cancer. There were 7 local cancer awareness charities that were in attendance that got a donation from the Hurricanes organization. The Hurricanes fought back to push the game to overtime with another great performance by Cam Ward. With 37 seconds left in OT Elias Lindholm once again lit the lamp for the game winner!

Cam Ward

The Hurricanes then took a quick flight to DC where they would face a familiar face in Justin Peters between the pipes for the Capitals.  Once again for the second night in a row the Hurricanes were playing from behind; but with the persistence this team has been playing with lately they battled back to push the game to OT and get another point in the standings. Even though Ward got a well deserved night off, Dobby played a good game till 14 seconds left in OT when Backstrom cashed in on a rebound from a heavy Ovechkin shot.

Sunday practice was canceled at RCI and when the Hurricanes returned to the ice on Monday they were ready to go looking for 2 more points. Cam Ward looking for his 5th win in a row as the started got his wish by stopping 22 of 23 Calgary shots. Justin Faulk had a big night getting the game winning goal as well as 2 assists. Tim Gleason collected his 1st of the season with a great set up by Jeff Skinner. Skinny had a big night as well with 1 assist and 1 goal!! That goal turned out to be his 100th career NHL goal.

Skinner 100th Goal Puck 

The Hurricanes have seemed to turn it around after a HORRIBLE month of October and are starting to find their identity as a team.

Hurricanes play again at PNC on Thursday night to face former coach Paul Maurice and the Winnipeg Jets.

Regular Season Game 4: Kings Vs. Hurricanes

Chris Terry 

The Hurricanes finished October with a record of 0-6-2; but when the calendar changed to November so did the Hurricanes. For the first time this season the Hurricanes have a win streak of 2 after defeating the Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings 3-2. After coming off the win the night before the Hurricanes came out a little slow allowing the Kings to get some good offensive chance but Cam Ward shined again for the second night in a row; Ward stopped 30 out of 32 shots faced.

Justin Williams

When the LA Kings came into Carolina they were already having a tough trip East losing the first 3 games and still looking for the 1st road win of the season. The Conn Smythe winner Justin Williams made his return to Raleigh; Williams is a beloved former Hurricane who was traded to the Kings in 2009 and has been an instrumental part of there success as well.

Victor Rask 

Hurricanes got out to an early 2-0 lead with goals from Victor Rask and Chris Terry; that was Rask 1st NHL goal and Terry got another powerplay goal for the Canes. With that power play goal the Hurricanes are 8-34 on the season. The Kings never got a lead and never tied the game but Elias Lindholm had the game winning goal in the 2nd period and he is now on a goal streak of 2 games.







When the Hurricanes return to PNC Arena on November 7th against the Blue Jackets it will be hockey fights cancer night. So make sure you wear some lavender!!!

Three Stars 
1. Cam Ward: 30 out of 32 Shots
2. Elias Lindholm: Game Winning Goal
3. Chris Terry: Powerplay Goal

Hurricanes Scoring
1st Period: Victor Rask (1) ASST: Terry (3) Boychuk (2)
Chris Terry (3) ASST: Sekera (4) Lindholm (2)
2nd Period: Elias Lindholm ASST: Gerbe (2) Nash (5)
3rd Period: NONE

Preseason Game 2: Sabres Vs. Hurricanes Recap

It was the last home preseason game of the season (Yes, we only had 2 this season) but that just means that opening night is a WEEK away!!! Tonights 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres was a great team effort and a lot of good things that are direct reflections of the hard work the player and Coach Peters have put into play. Tonight was a night of firsts as well; Elias Lindholm in his second season got his first career hat trick and Chad LaRose made his first appearance in PNC Arena since the 2012-2013 season.

Chad LaRose makes his return

Chad LaRose is a beloved Hurricane among many in the organization and fans! Getting to start the game on the opening line LaRose only lasted a 1:08 until he received a 5 minute major of boarding and then a game misconduct. The first step toward his comeback fell short of his expectations but everyone was excited to see #59 back on the ice. Chad will get another chance to make the Hurricanes Opening Night Roster on Sunday afternoon when the Canes take on the Capitals in the final preseason game!

Congrats Lindholm!! 1st Career Hat Trick

The Hurricanes posted 37total shots on Michael Neuvirth who only stopped 32. The offensive pressure was very consistent and the Hurricanes were very active around the net. Passing was crisp and the breakouts from defense to offense were quick and crispy. Continuing with the positive success from the start of training camp, the PowerPlay was once again affective!

 One thing that really stood out tonight was the performance of Cam Ward who stopped 19 out of 20 shots he face and looked like the Cam Ward of old. What helped Ward with only seeing 20 shots was the defensive presence around the crease. Ward's preformance was great he was moving from side to side quickly and used his stick effectively.Another strong night in the face off circle for the Hurricanes winning 39 of 59. Riley Nash led the team with an impressive 79% winning 11-14. This has been another area that Assistant Coach Rod Brind'Amour has been working with the players on during practices.

Cam Ward

Important Dates:
Oct 10: OPENING NIGHT vs. Islanders
Oct 14: National TV Game (NBC) vs. Sabres 7:30 Start

2nd Star Nathan Gerbe 

Three Stars
1. Elias Lindholm - Hat Trick: 3 Goals
2. Nathan Gerbe - 1 Goal 1 Asst
3. Jeff Skinner - 1 Goal




Hurricane Goals 
1st Period: Gerbe (1) ASST: Semin (1) McClement (1)
2nd Period: Lindholm (1) ASST: Sekera (1) Rask (1)
Skinner (1) ASST: Gerbe (1)
Lindholm (2) ASST: Hainsey (1) Murphy (1) 3rd Period: Lindholm (3) ASST: Faulk (1) Sekera (2)