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Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey

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Cronie
sennies1980
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POLL: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey

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166Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:00 pm

Hockeyhero22000


Veteran
Veteran

i am pretty sure that gives brodeur a tie with roy for all time shutouts in the playoffs at 23

167Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:00 pm

davetherave


All-Star
All-Star

WOW. What a battle.

Marty and the Swamp Things hang on to win 1-0.
:%%:

168Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:03 pm

PTFlea


Co-Founder
Co-Founder

:^^^^: Don't piss of Brodeur. End of story.

169Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:28 pm

davetherave

davetherave
All-Star
All-Star

504Heater wrote::^^^^: Don't piss of Brodeur. End of story.

504H--both Brodeur and Ward were HUGE. Give 'em both credit.

This looks more and more like a seven gamer...

170Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:22 pm

PTFlea

PTFlea
Co-Founder
Co-Founder

davetherave wrote:504H--both Brodeur and Ward were HUGE. Give 'em both credit.

This looks more and more like a seven gamer...

What a glove save towards the end. He was stellar, nothing more he could have done. Great game (apparently, I missed most of it).

171Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:20 am

beedub

beedub
Veteran
Veteran

I had called NJ in 5. Carolina came up larger than I anticipated. What goaltending! It's going to be a gem of a series.

I do hope NJ pulls it off next game.

172Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:23 am

davetherave

davetherave
All-Star
All-Star

The best goaltending battle of the playoffs thus far.

A seventh game would be a dramatic delight.

Here's hoping for this one to go the distance.

173Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:23 am

davetherave

davetherave
All-Star
All-Star

Fans embracing hockey, Carolina Hurricanes 12 years after franchise's move down south

Neil Amato/New Jersey Star-Ledger Saturday April 25, 2009, 10:00 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Some fans of the Carolina Hurricanes arrive to games so early, they don't have to pay for parking.

Glen Bass stationed his pickup in a space in the shade of a beech tree awash in fresh, green leaves, the color that signifies the full onset of spring. On this particular Tuesday afternoon, before the parking attendants had arrived for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Devils, it was warm and partly cloudy, warm enough to remind folks here that summer's coming.

Before it gets really hot and sticky, before talk of storms brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, a different sort of Hurricane season is taking hold. Playoff hockey seems ingrained in the region, even if hockey remains a novelty to some of the home fans.

Seven years ago, when the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, the series was billed as Motor City vs. Mayberry, Red Wings vs. Rednecks. Some fans reject the stereotype; others embrace it.

"Opie loves hockey; that's us," said Hurricanes fan Josh Sessoms, quoting one hand-lettered sign from playoffs past.

The Triangle area -- Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill and a number of leafy suburbs -- has undergone sprawling growth, thanks to what was a vibrant economy and what still is a nice place to live. Three major universities, the technology corridor known as Research Triangle Park, proximity to the coast and mountains: Those are three big reasons North Carolina is the nation's 10th most-populous state (New Jersey is 11th), based on a 2008 estimate.

Another good reason to live here: Stanley Cup playoff fever, as much a rite of spring as that first April sunburn. Some cases of overexposure undoubtedly come from rays grabbed outside the RBC Center, the home of the Hurricanes, a place that was little more than a red-clay field 12 years ago.

THE MOVE SOUTH
In 1997, Peter Karmanos took his National Hockey League franchise to Tobacco Road.

Tobacco Road didn't immediately take to hockey, or to the team formerly known as the Hartford Whalers. The game, played in basketball season by guys whose names aren't easy to pronounce, had customs and jargon unfamiliar to the sporting public in North Carolina's Piedmont region.
First in Greensboro, where the Hurricanes played for two seasons while an arena was constructed, and then in Raleigh, hockey in the South had its core of die-hards, but new customers were harder to come by. Ticket prices, seen as exorbitant, were a turnoff, and so was the game, which had to compete for eyeballs in a region consumed by college rivalries such as Duke vs. North Carolina.

The Hurricanes acknowledged their mistake, lowering prices. The franchise also embraced a few college traditions, one being the addition of midriff-baring cheerleaders. Facts about the history of hockey cheerleading are scarce, but Hurricanes officials have been told that the team's Storm Squad was the first of its kind in the NHL.

Outside the arena, the shared home of the Hurricanes and N.C. State University's men's basketball team, a fall college tradition carried over to mild winter days during hockey season. The parking lots outside the RBC Center, the same lots that have housed years of pig-roasting and football-tossing before and after N.C. State football games at neighboring Carter-Finley Stadium, became the regular site of a ritual previously unseen in such abundance in the NHL: tailgating.

The festive mood -- think backyard barbecue for 15,000 friends -- carried over to games, where fans in full throat cheered for a team that, despite a low-level payroll, developed chemistry and a formidable home-ice advantage. The Hurricanes have played in the Stanley Cup Finals twice in the past seven years, and coach Paul Maurice this season said the fans' support has helped will the team to victories.

After one March rally, in which the Hurricanes allowed four second-period goals against the last-place New York Islanders, Maurice pointed to Southern hospitality as a critical part of the 5-4 victory.

"The difference for me again is the crowd in this building," Maurice said then. "We were laughing about it. If we were a further north team, we would have been booed so badly off the ice, we might not have come back. And then that crowd got off its seats, stood up and (started) cheering and got the guys going, took some pressure off us. I think that was the difference in the game for us."

LEARNING THE GAME
The 2002 loss to Detroit and '06 triumph, in seven games over the Edmonton Oilers, exposed the game to a new set of fans. Because the playoffs were after basketball and before football season, the area's sporting public was able to pay more attention and learn more about what had been a foreign sport.

"People still wonder, 'How does a hockey team do in a Southern market?'" said Jon Chase, the team's director of promotions and fan development marketing. "We've moved beyond the point of are we going to make it. The fans are very knowledgeable. ... If it's a 2-1 game, our fans aren't going to be doing the wave."

Mike Brem, who moved to the Raleigh area from Pittsburgh 10 years ago, agrees that the hockey IQ has increased tremendously since the team first arrived. A longtime season-ticket holder, Brem has witnessed a bond forming between fans of the rival universities.

"Everybody has a sense of camaraderie," Brem said. "State fans, UNC fans and Duke fans can all rally together."

Bass, the early arrival for Tuesday's game, grilled bratwurst, drank Corona and played washers -- a hybrid of horseshoes -- with friend and co-worker Melvis Sanders. Bass grew up in Garner, a burgeoning Raleigh suburb that maintains its country feel. Sanders grew up in the country, in the tiny town of Jamesville, two hours east.

Bass says he was hooked on hockey during the '02 playoff run; Sanders attended his first game a week ago. They were sharing space on their grill with Sessoms and Lari Garren, both of Durham, whose grill wasn't working. The twosomes had just met, yet they bantered about the college teams and Hurricanes history as if they were old friends.

Garren grew up in Durham, and she now teaches at the high school from which she graduated. She recalls that, after her first game, in December 2007, she went home and read the NHL rule book online.

"Once I got the blue line, I was done; I was hooked," Garren said. "I've picked up the nuances. I've missed one or two games since."

Garren came for the games; some fans came for the party first -- or for the party only. Street hockey, for kids and adults, is a common sight. Dinner on the portable grill is not only fun but likely cheaper than the concession stand. The organization noticed fans arriving earlier, and it began booking bands for lawn parties and setting up hockey-themed, bouncing inflatables for kids.

Those with tickets learned something no TV broadcast could capture: the speed and excitement. The loud arena made the players -- so the players said -- skate even harder. Before they noticed the noise, the players noticed tents, tables and chairs set up outside.

"You're driving to the rink, and it's 65, 70 degrees, and they're out barbecuing, getting ready for the game," Carolina's Eric Staal said. "It kind of gives you that chill. They get to enjoy the weather and enjoy a good hockey game when they go inside.

"These fans are pretty incredible. It's a loud building for any team to come in to, and when they get going, it really boosts our team."

174Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:26 pm

davetherave

davetherave
All-Star
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Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 NjdNew Jersey 0, Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 CarCarolina 4

123T
NJD0000
CAR1214
Final

7:30 PM ET, April 26, 2009
RBC Center, Raleigh, North Carolina

Ward staves off Devils as Hurricanes roll to force decisive Game 7

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP/ESPN) -- Eric Staal scored two goals less than 3 minutes apart, Cam Ward made 28 saves in his third career playoff shutout and the Carolina Hurricanes routed the New Jersey Devils 4-0 on Sunday night to force a decisive Game 7.

Ray Whitney had a goal and three assists, Jussi Jokinen scored Carolina's first power-play goal since Game 2, Chad LaRose had two assists and Staal added an assist for the Hurricanes.

They outshot New Jersey 37-28 while their reconfigured top line produced the first three goals, and that helped lead to the most lopsided final score of the NHL's tightest first-round pairing.

The best-of-seven series is even at three games apiece, with the winner-take-all Game 7 set for Tuesday night in New Jersey.

Ward finished with his first shutout in the postseason since beating Edmonton 5-0 in Game 2 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals. He went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as a rookie that year, and has been the Hurricanes' most consistent performer during these playoffs.

But through most of this series, the sport's winningest goaltender -- Martin Brodeur -- has been his equal. Not this time.

This one probably would have been even more lopsided had the Devils not had Brodeur. Coming off his record-tying 23rd career playoff shutout, a 1-0 victory three nights earlier in Newark, he was under siege all night and finished with 33 saves.

Not even the return of captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who missed three games with a lower body injury, could save New Jersey from its worst performance of an otherwise evenly matched series. The previous four games were decided by one goal, with two going to overtime and another was 0.2 of a second away from making it three straight before Jussi Jokinen's buzzer-beating deflection ended Game 4.

This one was over well before that -- even if it resembled Game 4 for a while.

Just as then, Carolina led by three midway through the second period. The difference: the Devils, who rallied to tie that one in the third, didn't have another comeback in them.

Instead, the Hurricanes never seemed to let up in peppering Brodeur, much like they did when they put 44 shots on him in Game 5.

This time, a few of them got past him, perhaps because of the recent tweaks coach Paul Maurice made to his depth chart. He shuffled LaRose and Whitney to join Staal on the No. 1 line.

Whitney made it 1-0 midway through the first when he swatted Staal's wraparound pass past Brodeur for his second goal of the series.

Staal then gave the Hurricanes plenty of breathing room in the second, beating Brodeur with a wrist shot with 15:16 left and following that by converting a 2-on-1 feed from Whitney with 12 1/2 minutes remaining. By that point, the Hurricanes were up 23-5 on the shot counter.

Game notes
Jokinen's goal, which came during a 5-on-3 advantage midway through the third, snapped a 1-for-22 drought on the power play for Carolina. ... The Hurricanes scored first for only the second time in the series. ... The Devils were denied their first back-to-back playoff wins since 2007. ... Celebrity watch: Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith sounded the siren that preceded the Hurricanes' entrance to the ice. North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough also was in the crowd, and when he was shown on the video scoreboard, he was both cheered and booed.

175Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:43 am

shabbs

shabbs
Hall of Famer
Hall of Famer

Well, Carolina is showing that they were indeed one of the hottest teams heading into the post season for a reason. Game 7 back in Jersey... for all the marbles... normally I'd go with the Devils at this point but I'm thinking the 'Canes are gonna take this. I'm pretty sure I called the Devils in 6... though. Sigh...

176Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:46 am

SensFan71


All-Star
All-Star

Game 7 in the Swamp, Brodeur Vs Ward, this has all the potential of becoming a classic, who else wants a 2 or 3 OT classic with an unsung hero sending his team into the 2nd round? Its tomorrow after my exam, so I don't care how long it goes, oh wait, yes I do, I work at 8 the next morning, ah shag it, its the playoffs. :KKK:

177Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:49 am

Cap'n Clutch

Cap'n Clutch
Co-Founder
Co-Founder

I had Devils in 6 as well I think. I still can't bet against the Devils at home in a game 7. I will say that if the Canes make it to round 2 look out because I think they make it to the Finals.


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178Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:53 am

beedub

beedub
Veteran
Veteran

Kudos to Carolina for getting this far.

Game 7. In New Jersey. A game after Brodeur lets in a higher than usual amount of goals.

Good night Carolina. Swampies are going to take it

179Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:09 am

davetherave

davetherave
All-Star
All-Star

Home ice, as has already been demonstrated, offers no solace to the Devils.

New Jersey's captain, and consistently most effective player, is hurt.

Watching the game last night, it was clear that Carolina dominated in every single area.

The Canes have already won a game in New Jersey in this series.

Ward has matched Brodeur.

Anybody's call, and based on the series play so far, advantage Hurricanes.

Should be a terrific Game Seven.
:##:

180Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:15 am

LeCaptain

LeCaptain
All-Star
All-Star

Devils win this, Parise doesn't play 2 bad games in a row cool)

181Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:22 am

SensFan71


All-Star
All-Star

marakh wrote:Devils win this, Parise doesn't play 2 bad games in a row cool)

That sounds like one of those things that you could make a pro line commercial out of Laughing3 Talapia anyone? Laughing3

182Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey - Page 12 Empty Re: Round One: Carolina @ New Jersey Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:23 pm

SeawaySensFan

SeawaySensFan
Franchise Player
Franchise Player

I'm looking forward to the game, but dreading the play by play. The Devils home broadcast is cringeworthy.

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