Regular Season Game 3: Coyotes Vs. Hurricanes

Justin Faulk 

CANES WIN!!! For this 1st time in the 2014-2015 NHL season the Hurricanes get a win and its the first win since April 13, 2014! Coming off a rough road trip; the Hurricanes returned home for the first time since hosting Buffalo on October 14th. After a couple days of rest the Hurricanes welcomed Patrick Dwyer and Nathan Gerbe back to the lineup and saw Alexander Semin as a healthy extra when they hosted Arizona for the 3rd home game of the season.

Right from puck drop the Hurricanes were playing like they had something to prove and looked like a different team and the message from the coaching staff on performance was well received. Hurricanes put a total of 35 shots on goal, had an effective penalty kill and power play, as well as a huge net presence on the offense and defense ends. Elias Lindholm got his first 2 goals of the season and Juri Tlusty got a power play goal to make the 3-0 and that was also his 6th of the season and team leading goal.

Cam Ward #1 Star

Cam Ward looked like the Cam Ward of old; stopping all 25 shots and getting his first shutout since March 2012. This was a big confidence booster not only for Ward but for the team as a whole. Another standout performance tonight was that of Justin Faulk; tonight was one of his better nights of the season. He finished the game with 2 assists and 4 takeaways. That was after take a puck to the chin;


going to the dressing room to get repairs and coming back with a full cage.

Quick turn around the Hurricanes will host the Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings in a back-to-back situation tomorrow at 5pm.

Elias Lindholm

Three Stars of the Night
1. Cam Ward - Shutout
2. Elias Lindholm - 2 goals
3. Justin Faulk - 2 Assist

Hurricanes Scoring
1st Period:  Elias Lindholm (1) ASST Bellemore (1) Gerbe (1)
Elias Lindholm (2) ASST Nash (4) Faulk (3)
2nd Period: Juri Tlusty (6) ASST E. Staal (3) Faulk (4)
3rd Period: None

San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions!!

For the 3^rd time in the last 5 years the San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions!!! The Giants finished off the Kanas City Royals with a 3-2 Game 7 win with the help of World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner and Pablo Sandoval. 

  

Greg Holland

Both organizations played an amazing series and each team had stars with local ties to North Carolina. Royals closing pitcher Greg Holland is a native of Morganton, North Carolina and spent his college years at Western Carolina University. Aside from being a standout closer this season and postseason, Holland flew coast to coast during the series against the Los Angles Angels to see the birth of his first child on October 1^st. He was back the next night closing out the game and pick up a Royals victory!

World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner

Another local standout in the World Series is no other than the MVP himself Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner from Hickory, North Carolina is a 25 year old pitching sensation. In the World Series alone he pitched 21 innings (most all time) and had a record era of 0.43. After being lights out in both his starts the last start coming in game 5; he entered game 7 as a reliever/closer and pitched the last 5 innings without giving up a run. During the whole World Series the North Carolina native only allowed 1 run.

Even though all the focus is on the Giants; congratulations to the Royals on the best season in 25 years and having an amazing postseason that fell one 1 game and 1 run short of reclaiming the crown!  

Now that the 2014 season is over lets prepare for a new commissioner, talented rookies making debuts, and old faces in new places in 2015!!          

Local baseball kicks off in 167 days when the Durham Bulls open at the DBAP against the Norfolk Tide!!

See you in April!!!

~Julie 

Review: NC Theatre's 'A Chorus Line'

A Chorus Line is kicking off North Carolina Theatre’s 2014-15 season in a big way.  North Carolina Theatre is the region’s premiere nonprofit professional regional theatre and has been producing professional Broadway revivals for 30 years.  The current season includes some amazing titles beginning with the singular sensation that is A Chorus Line.

A Chorus Line tells the story of 17 dancers who are auditioning to be on the chorus line of an unnamed Broadway show.  The show centers on the dancers’ struggles and determination to get the job.   It is based on interviews of real chorus dancers by director and choreographer Michael Bennett.  Bennett transformed the stories he heard from dancers into a groundbreaking musical hit. Each character in the show is based off of the story Bennett heard from a dancer.

The woman who was the inspiration for the character of “Val”, Mitiz Hamilton, is the director and choreographer for NC Theatre’s production of the Broadway show.  Hamilton also played “Val” on Broadway and in the original London cast, and has directed more than 40 regional productions of A Chorus Line. 

NC Theatre is known for producing quality shows with casts of Broadway caliber talent, and A Chorus Line is no exception.  Every dancer in the show illuminates the struggles and hard work that it takes to be a dancer in the chorus line, while demonstrating the joy that comes from giving everything for your passion. 

Especially captivating is Jessica Lee Goldyn in the role of “Cassie”.  Her dancing was fantastic and even when she is in the line your focus easily falls to her.  The dance during “The Music and the Mirror” is long, but Goldyn’s movements kept it compelling throughout the entire number. 

Other standouts include Rachel Schur in the role of “Val” which can’t be an easy role to undertake when your director is the real-life inspiration for the character.  Schur hits her lines spot on and had the audience rolling during “Dance 10; Look 3”.  Hilary Michael Thompson played “Sheila” brilliantly and Alexandra Fassler in the role of “Diana” nailed the 11 o’clock number “What I Did For Love”.

The show culminates in a quintessential musical theatre number instead of the usual curtain call.  The final number is one of the best parts of the show and the set lends itself perfectly to making it a superb closing number.

Long story short, Mitzi’s still got it! This production is well worth seeing!

The show opened Tuesday night October 14 and runs through the 19^th at Duke Energy Center for the Performing arts. Buy tickets HERE.

Regular Season Game 1: Islanders Vs. Hurricanes

2014-2015 Carolina Hurricanes

183 days since the last regular season game was played in PNC Arena; a new coach and general manager have been added but the results remain the same; the Hurricanes lose 5-3 to kick off the 2014-2015 NHL season. Majority of the 18,680 fans in attendance were not pleased with the result but yet can't be to shocked.

Cam Ward was the starting goaltender and on the first 12 shots he allowed 3 goals. Playing the whole 60 minutes and facing a total of 26 shots Ward let in 5. Even thought the offensive pressure was hardly there and the defense hardly showed up the Hurricanes seemed to go 2 for 5 on the power play which is an improvement.

Johnny Boychuck

The Islanders made some big changes last Saturday with the additions of Nick Leddy from Chicago and Johnny Boychuck from Boston. Boychuck had a big debut tonight with 1 goal and 2 assist and helping the Islanders go 2 of 3 on the power play.

Elias Lindholm led the Hurricanes in the face-off circle winning 75% of the draws he took. The defensive pair of Sekera and Faulk led the Hurricanes in ice time both going over 21 minutes. Making his return to Raleigh tonight Tim Gleason showed he is still the roughest guy on the ice; throwing 6 big hits. There were also 3 players making their NHL debut tonight; Victor Rask and Patrick Brown for the Hurricanes and Griffin Reinhart for the Islander.

Hurricanes return to PNC Arena for the final home game of October (State Fair comes to town) on Tuesday to face Buffalo on National TV.

Reminder Caniacs its a 7:30 start due to being on NBC. 

Gerbe gets the 1st Hurricanes goal of 2014-2015 season

Three Stars 
1. Brock Nelson (Islanders): 2 Goals, 2 Assist
2. Johnny Boychuck (Islanders): 1 Goal, 2 Assist
3. John Tavares (Islanders): 3 Assist



Hurricanes Scoring
1st Period: None
2nd: None
3rd: Gerbe (1) ASST: Faulk (1) Sekera (1)
Terry (1) ASST: Sekera (2) Nash(1)
E. Staal (1) ASST: Lindholm (1) Tlusty (1)

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)

Preseason Game 1: Blue Jackets Vs. Hurricanes Recap

When 6,250 fans walked into PNC Arena on a beautiful Sunday afternoon everyone was happy to see the boys back on the ice for the start of another season. It was not just a hockey game it was fans seeing each other for the first time since April and catching up with arena staff and fellow fans. With this being the first preseason game and training camp only being open 2 days the expectations were not set very high. 

Cam Ward

Cam Ward, Elias Lindholm, Riley Nash, Jeff Skinner, Patrick Dwyer, Andrej Sekera, and Jay Harrison were the roster regulars that were in the lineup today and their veteran presence was felt. Ward started in net and played 22:45 allowing 3 goals on 13 shots; then for the final 24:01 Alex Nedeljkovic allowed 1 goal on 6 shots. The Canes scored a quick Power Play goal from Andrej Sekera in the 1st period; then Riley Nash added another goal in the 2nd and Chris Terry followed that with a tally in the 3rd to bring the Hurricanes within 1 goal of the Blue Jackets.

Jay Harrison all smiles to start the season

Even though the final score of 4-3 doesn't reflect the effort the Hurricanes put fourth; there was some improvement already from last year and that has to please the new coaching staff of Bill Peters and company. The passing was crispy with tape to tape touches, strong presence in the offensive zone, going after offensive zone rebounds, defensive players very involved on scoring chances, and the aggressiveness in the younger players. 

There were some players that stood out in this first game and their future is bright for Carolina. One of those players was Jay McClement who signed as a free agent this summer coming over from the Leafs. Even though he was not been with the organization long he is all ready making an impact by earning the “A” for today's game and was 53% in the face-off circle. Others that stood out were Riley Nash and Chris Terry. They both showed that they took the new coaching staff messages to heart and really worked hard this summer conditioning and preparing for the season; their hard work and efforts have shown in training camp and were also shown in today's game.

Newcomer Jay McClement

The Canes return to action on September 23rd in Buffalo against the Saber and return home to PNC Arena on October 3rd to face those same Sabers. 

Reminder: Canes Carnival is Friday September 26th… Come out to meet the team and have some family fun!!!

Three Stars of the Night

Jeff Skinner with 2 Assist Today!

1. Cam Atkinson - 2 Goals 
2. Jeff Skinner - 2 Assist
3. Nick Foligno - 1 Goal & 1 Assist

Hurricanes Scoring

1st Period: Andrej Sekera (1) ASST: Ryan Murphy (1) Jeff Skinner (1)

2nd Period: Riley Nash (1) ASST: Jeff Skinner (2)

3rd Period: Chris Terry (1) ASST: Sergey Tolchinsky (1) Jay Harrison (1)

Carolina Hurricanes 2014-2015 Season Preview

The ice is down at PNC Arena and Opening Night vs the New York Islanders is right around the corner on October 10th at 7pm. As the Canes take the ice for training camp on September 19 there will be faces missing and some new ones.

Some key departures that happened this off-season were those of Manny Malholtra (Montreal), Justin Peters ( Washington), and Drayson Bowman (Try-Out Montreal). Some new faces that come to town ready for a fresh start are those of Jay McClement (Toronto) and Brad Malone (Colorado). Tim Gleason and Chad LaRose also signed back with the Hurricanes organization after both taking a year away from the franchise.

Bill Peters and Ron Francis 

With a new GM in Ron Francis and a new head coach in Bill Peters the horizon for the Hurricanes looks to be bright and make them a contender for the playoffs once again. Both Francis and Peters believe in the core group of talented players that are already within the system and believe there is a contending team in the locker room. Some of the key things that need to be fixed and will be looked at this season is the Power Play, Penalty Kill, Offensive  Scoring and Leadership within the locker room.  One of things that Coach Peters has spoke about this summer is that he is not afraid to replace a player with someone else who is working harder and deserves the spot.

We know that the top three scoring lines will looking something like this and leave the 4th line to be determined in Training Camp:

Tlusty- Eric Staal- Skinner

Gerbe- Jordan Staal- Semin

Lindholm- Nash- Dwyer

Eric Staal

We know that the top three Defensive pairings will looking something like this and leave the 4th pairing to be determined in Training Camp:

Faulk- Sekera

Harrison- Gleason

Hainsey-Murphy

Justin Faulk

There will also be a goal-tending competition in camp that will determine the Opening Night goalie as either Cam Ward or Anton Khudobin.

Anton Khudobin

Some key dates that fans need to keep in mind for beginning of the season:

• September 19th: Opening of Training Camp
• September 21st: Preseason Game vs. Blue Jackets
• September 26th: Canes Carnival
• October 5th: Preseason Game Vs. Saber
• October 10th: OPENING NIGHT vs. Islanders
• October 14th: Game vs. Sabers (National TV)

Thanks for reading the season preview and cant wait for the season of start! The motto we will stick with this season is one that the Canes used back in the 2006 playoffs when they won the Stanley Cup.. Whatever It Takes!!!!

~Julie