Donga
Registered User
Miami, FLA
In what is becomeing a heated rivalry, the Carolina Hurricanes maintained their South East Division lead. In a brutal 2nd period display, the Hurricanes were able to come out with 3-1 win. This came at a cost of goal tender Rick DiPietro and Adam Foote. Both players will be monitored closely before the Atlanta game in a few days time.
In the first period, the lightning came out hard and put the Hurricanes under a lot of pressure. However, the Canes worked hard to keep the Lightning out. The majority oif the shots by the Lightning were from the perimeter. After weathering the stoirm like a champion welterweight, the Canes imposed themselves. This started with a bone crunching hit by Dion Phaneuf on Martin Sedin's poster boy, Markus Naslund. This set the tone for the rest of the period, which yeilded two goals by Stephen Weiss and Ryan Kelser. But the real score thus far, Canes top 6 one, Lightning top 6 zero.
Not knowing what was said in the Lightining rooms, the players seems to have taken the message the worng way. The Lightning trtied to hit everything in sight. THis came to the detriment of the Canes. In what seemed like the cheap shot, Niclas Havelid was called for a charging penalty on Rick DiPetrio. This sent the Goaltender to the changerooms and not to return again. This almost cleared out both benches as the players on the ice started to push and shove each other. The Lightning were ultimately punished for that brain cramp by Havelid. Rookie Alexander Ovechkin latched onto a wayward clearance and rifled the shot in for his 20th goal of the season. This only seemed to incensed the Lightning players as Ovechkin was over the top with his goal celebration. This time it was NIclas Wallin being the culprit. The victim was Adam Foote. A second time, a brawl could have started but did not. By this time the crowd was not happy with the treatment of their players from the referees. After the dust settled, Wallin was ejected from the game. Foote were taken to the changerooms. Foote did not return to the game. For the rest of the period, there was a steady precession to the penalty box by the Lightning. Lucky for them, the Canes Powerplay woes continues.
After being out muscled with skill in the first, headless chooks in the second, the crowd must be thinking what sort of play there were going to witness in the last. What the crowd did get was something akin to playoff hockey. No inch was given by either team. Shot on goal were kept at a premium. If their was a shot it was not easy. However their was goal scored by Mike LeClerc. This goal came little too late.
In the end, the Lightning were no match for the Canes. Surely, with this win, the Canes will have the ascendency to win the division with about 22 games to play and shut down the critics in Miami. The top 2 lines of the Lightning were ineffective as Naslund and Sykora were kept extremely quite. Questions were asked of the Lightning, the answers weren't forthcoming. Where to next for the Lightning?
Carol Lina,
Raliegh Journal.
In what is becomeing a heated rivalry, the Carolina Hurricanes maintained their South East Division lead. In a brutal 2nd period display, the Hurricanes were able to come out with 3-1 win. This came at a cost of goal tender Rick DiPietro and Adam Foote. Both players will be monitored closely before the Atlanta game in a few days time.
In the first period, the lightning came out hard and put the Hurricanes under a lot of pressure. However, the Canes worked hard to keep the Lightning out. The majority oif the shots by the Lightning were from the perimeter. After weathering the stoirm like a champion welterweight, the Canes imposed themselves. This started with a bone crunching hit by Dion Phaneuf on Martin Sedin's poster boy, Markus Naslund. This set the tone for the rest of the period, which yeilded two goals by Stephen Weiss and Ryan Kelser. But the real score thus far, Canes top 6 one, Lightning top 6 zero.
Not knowing what was said in the Lightining rooms, the players seems to have taken the message the worng way. The Lightning trtied to hit everything in sight. THis came to the detriment of the Canes. In what seemed like the cheap shot, Niclas Havelid was called for a charging penalty on Rick DiPetrio. This sent the Goaltender to the changerooms and not to return again. This almost cleared out both benches as the players on the ice started to push and shove each other. The Lightning were ultimately punished for that brain cramp by Havelid. Rookie Alexander Ovechkin latched onto a wayward clearance and rifled the shot in for his 20th goal of the season. This only seemed to incensed the Lightning players as Ovechkin was over the top with his goal celebration. This time it was NIclas Wallin being the culprit. The victim was Adam Foote. A second time, a brawl could have started but did not. By this time the crowd was not happy with the treatment of their players from the referees. After the dust settled, Wallin was ejected from the game. Foote were taken to the changerooms. Foote did not return to the game. For the rest of the period, there was a steady precession to the penalty box by the Lightning. Lucky for them, the Canes Powerplay woes continues.
After being out muscled with skill in the first, headless chooks in the second, the crowd must be thinking what sort of play there were going to witness in the last. What the crowd did get was something akin to playoff hockey. No inch was given by either team. Shot on goal were kept at a premium. If their was a shot it was not easy. However their was goal scored by Mike LeClerc. This goal came little too late.
In the end, the Lightning were no match for the Canes. Surely, with this win, the Canes will have the ascendency to win the division with about 22 games to play and shut down the critics in Miami. The top 2 lines of the Lightning were ineffective as Naslund and Sykora were kept extremely quite. Questions were asked of the Lightning, the answers weren't forthcoming. Where to next for the Lightning?
Carol Lina,
Raliegh Journal.
