ONE DOWN ONE MORE TO GO

Well our first two games in two nights stretch, and it got off to a good start. Despite some fans and their criticism of the team, here are some facts to keep in mind:

We won the game.
We won against a hot team (they have earned points in seven games in a row).
We just beat the number two ranked team in the Eastern Conference.
We won a game on the road.
We shut down completely the third ranked power play in the league.
We have won three in a row.
We scored 14 goals in those three games.
Our power play continues to dominate and is currently ranked 1^st in the league (leading by a huge margin of 5.6% between 1^st and 2^nd).
Despite criticism of the team 5 on 5, we continued to have several good chances and shoot the puck at the net (another 30+ night).

Over and above this reality, let us keep in mind that the win came in such a manner that the players did not over-exude them selves. Some could argue the team disappeared after the first, and no one can argue that we gave Canes a small window of a chance to get back as a result of laying off. However with a four goal lead and a demoralised home team, you can be sure that everyone was thinking of conserving some juice for tonight’s match against Cindy Crybaby. Thanks to a parade of power play goals in the first period, I think we will be able to play three periods and push till the very end without the effects of fatigue.

On another note, it’s nice to see Kovalev continue on this run of his as a leader, scorer, quarterback of power plays, etc... Yes I know he still has his critics out there, but these are people who also complain about the win last night and the earth’s gravitational pull.

And this post would not be complete without mentioning Bouillon standing up for Huet in the second on that disallowed goal. Such gestures are imperative to the chemistry of a team. Others in the locker room will roll off of such responses, and the camaraderie will tighten with each passing game and practice.

In summary the team played a solid game, but I didn’t see the HABS doing anything differently. They had the same game plan and did the exact same thing they have been implementing since the beginning of the year. The details are slowly being tightened, and indiscipline penalties are being reduced (11^th least penalised team in the league, up from 28^th last year). Although the team was a total -6 last night, we outscored the opposition, by three mind you, and that’s all that counts at the end of the day. The statistic definitely shows what the team needs to improve on, however there is nothing wrong with depending on power plays to win games. Penalties, power plays and special teams are all part of the game, and in the new NHL they are a significant part of it. Complaining about the +/- ratio of the team after that performance is as dumbfounding and ludicrous a concept as calling Raycroft an NHL calibre starting goalie. I feel pity for someone who cannot get past such arguments, because this mentality leads to consistent disappointments, let down and despair. Me on the other hand, I had a blast watching that game last night, and I look forward to another solid (yet very tough) game tomorrow.

Some notable items from the RBC Center. Anyone else notice the cute blond in the pink shirt behind the Canes bench? How about the cameraman standing at the end of the Canes bench wearing a shiny black helmet? More importantly, how cool is it that they serve beer in bottles at the RBC Center arena? Gotta give the Caniacs credit for that one.