For Canes, a win is a win
Erik Cole takes New York forward Bruno Gervais out of the play. (Photo by Michael Hurst)
Mar 21, 2009
Tags: Hockey, Carolina Hurricanes
The NHL does not award extra points for how pretty you win. No matter how a team comes out ahead, it is two points and the Hurricanes 5-4 win over the Islanders is proof of that.
This game will not go to the hockey Hall of Fame, but it will go a long way in the Canes' playoff chase. Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on the visitors only to take their foot off the gas in the second period.
In that period the Islanders played like a team that was fighting for a playoff spot and not a team that will have the first overall pick in the draft; by dominating the second frame with four straight goals. The Canes were spectators for most of the period being caught flat-footed on D and just drfiting through the period.
With 1:03 left in the second New York forward Kyle Okposo scored a power play goal to make it 4-2 Isles and the Hurricanes were looking at climbing over a two goal deficit in twenty minutes against the worst team statistically in the NHL.
Then Erik Cole made the play of the season off the face-off he took control of the puck dashed across the New York blue line, drawing a penalty but pressing towards the net where Andy Hilbert shoved him into goalie Peter Mannino as the puck squirted to the top of the crease and Tuomo Ruutu buried the puck into the net and in 9 seconds the Canes had life and trailed by one.
While the Ruutu/Staal/Cole line has played at an elite level since Cole's return to the Hurricanes, the consistency of the Canes second line of Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen and Chad LaRose carried the Canes. LaRose and Cullen each scored twice and Ray Whitney added 3 assists and as the line combined for 8 points. The stellar play of Cullen over the last month and a half has been the ignitor to the Canes' playoff push.
Cullen has scored 22 points since Feb. and Chad LaRose has been a benefactor as he is 3 goals away from scoring as many goals this season as he has in his NHL career. Cullen and LaRose opened the scoring for the Canes in the first and closed it in the second as that line continues to shine.
Were the Canes lucky to beat the Islanders? In pro sports, you make your own luck and I agree with coach Paul Maurice, who said there have been times this year that his team has played great and lost. So there is no reason to apologize for a win. The words in the Carolina locker room said it all, "Good teams find a way to win." No argument here.
