Adam Harris
Adam Harris is a reporter, anchor and producer for 99.9 FM The Fan ESPN Radio. Adam covers the Carolina Hurricanes, ACC basketball and football, and hosts High School OT on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. on The Fan. He also is the afternoon sports anchor and producer for The Insiders; heard on 99.9 FM The Fan ESPN Radio weekdays from 3-7 p.m.
By Adam Harris
Dec 29, 2009
Team Canada's Olympic hockey roster will be announced on Wednesday at noon, Eastern Time. It was approximately 9:30 p.m. ET on Monday when Eric Staal completed his compelling reminder to his homeland that he belongs on that list.
"It was the last game before the announcement, I don't think one game can really make a huge difference," Staal told 99.9 FM The Fan on Tuesday.
"But, at the same time, it can't hurt," added the 25 year old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Staal faces some pretty stiff competition. Superstar NHL'ers Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Rick Nash and Jerome Iginla are just a handful of the Canadian forwards considered locks by the collective Canadian media.
The Carolina Hurricanes' perennial All-Star admits that a Team Canada selection is never far from his thoughts.
"I think it's on your mind," says Staal. "You try not to let it affect you, and try not to let that outside pressure get to you. Because, there's nothing you can really do. It's just about playing good hockey for your club team, and letting everything else take care of itself."
Meanwhile,
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Oct 2, 2009
After two periods against Philadelphia, Carolina is down 2-0. The Hurricanes trail mostly because of missed opportunities. Carolina has yet to score on five power-play chances.
The Flyers have out-shot the Hurricanes 22-16, including two Philadelphia shots that hit the back of the net in the first minute of the 2nd period.
Just 47 seconds into the 2nd period, Philadelphia jumped out to a 2-0- lead. Power play goals from Jeff Carter and Mike Richards came just 22 seconds apart.
The Canes mustered only eight shots in the opening period on opening night. Meanwhile the Flyers have tested Cam Ward with 15 shots on goal in the first frame.
Ward has been up to the challenge; stopping every Philadelphia shot fired his way. It's safe to say he is looking like the $38 million goalie that he became this week.
Among the 1st period highlights:
-Tim Gleason getting penalized 17 minutes for instigating a fight with Philly's Daniel Carcillo
-Carolina killing two penalties
-An Eric Staal goal overturned due to a hand-pass call on Andrew Alberts
By Adam Harris
Sep 30, 2009
Locking up Cam Ward is a great move for Carolina. The Hurricanes signed their 25-year-old goaltender to a six-year deal on Wednesday, paying Ward $37.8 million. The 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy winner is now under contract with the Canes through the 2015-16 season.
With the signing of Ward, the Canes have their two best players inked for the next six years. Ward and Eric Staal were already the clear foundation of this team, but now it is official for the foreseeable future. General manager Jim Rutherford can build around these two top-tier NHL players each year. No matter how many question marks the Canes encounter in a given off-season, Rutherford can always rely on a premier goaltender and goal-scorer on his roster.
Not only did the Canes make a wise move signing Ward to a long-term contract, they were smart to do it prior to this season. Ward would have been a restricted free agent after the 2009-10 campaign, so Carolina would have had the rights to match any offer. But, Ward’s market value could have soared with another year of sound net-minding like the one he experienced last season.
Ward’s 2008-09 season was stellar. The man they call "Wardo" set career best marks in wins, shutouts, goals-against average, and save percentage. His 39 victories set a new Hurricanes franchise record, and his six shutouts tied a franchise best. Only two NHL goalies won more games than Ward last year, while seven teams had more wins than Carolina.
Another
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By Adam Harris
Apr 23, 2009
"That's our goal. We have to just be better than their fourth line."
Jussi Jokinen's words after Thursday morning's game-day skate seem like the definition of modesty. The fourth line of the Carolina Hurricanes had been nothing short of stellar in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New Jersey Devils.
Jokinen, Scott Walker and Ryan Bayda have each notched two points in the post-season. Do you like that balance? What's more, no Hurricanes line has tallied as many points as the fourth line's combined six.
The three combined goals from Bayda and Jokinen equal the goals production of Ray Whitney and Chad LaRose. Not to mention the timing of the scores - Jokinen's game-winner with 0.2 seconds remaining in Game Four, and Bayda's first of the playoffs tied up Game Three at 1-1 in the 1st period just 31 seconds after Zach Parise gave New Jersey an early lead.
"We've all seen this so many times," Paul Maurice said Thursday. "The players that play in third and fourth line roles are the difference in series, and the difference in the way the game is played."
But what has made the Hurricanes' fourth line so productive in the past few games?
The Canes' head coach offers this, "I think probably because fourth line guys adhere to the system and the game plan probably more frequently than anybody else because their skill level usually doesn't allow them
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By Adam Harris
Apr 16, 2009
Ouch. That was brutal.
The build-up, the anticipation, the excitement, the hype... All followed by the massive let-down.
The Carolina Hurricanes were chewed up and spit out on Wednesday night. Dominated, owned, man-handled. Call it what you will, the New Jersey Devils were a far superior team to the Canes in Game One. We'll borrow the nickname of the Devils' home arena and say the Canes got "rocked" at The Rock. Wednesday night at the Prudential Center was an embarrassing loss for a proud Hurricanes team. I think - no, I know - the Canes are better than what we just witnessed in a 4-1 loss to the Devils.
Perhaps the Hurricanes are just "happy to be there." Maybe the raised level of play that Caniacs enjoyed in the surge to reach the playoffs was the extent of the gusto this team possesses. Is it possible that the Canes' ultimate goal for the 2008-09 season has already been achieved? When you miss out on the post-season for two years (in particularly heart breaking fashion last year), maybe focusing on the big prize is shoved aside in favor of concentrating on the door prize.
It certainly didn't seem as if the Carolina Hurricanes came to Newark to contend for the Stanley Cup. The Canes didn't appear to be a team full of heart, courage, fervor or determination. Instead, the Hurricanes looked like a team that didn't belong in the playoffs at all. They
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By Adam Harris
Feb 15, 2009
Coming into Thursday night's game against division foe Florida, the Carolina Hurricanes hadn't played a home game in 12 days. Returning from a west coast road trip, the 'Canes were riding high after claiming four points in three games. Two of those four points came in a win against the mighty Sharks in San Jose; just the third regulation loss at the "Shark Tank" for the Western Conference's top team all season. The stage was set for a good home-stand after four days of rest to recover from a grueling stretch in the Pacific time zone.
With points at a premium (9th place, one point behind the Panthers before Thursday's loss) and a roster that was returning to healthy form (Brind'Amour & Staal back in the line up) the 'Canes took home ice in front of a packed and raucous RBC Center crowd only to disappoint the fans by getting shut out for the first time all season. Following up Thursday's 5-0 loss to Florida was a 5-1 stinker on Saturday night, falling to former Carolina defenseman Mike Commodore and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now the 'Canes are five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with fans searching for answers as to why the team has struggled to score.
I have one possible answer, although it may not be a popular one. I hate to call out a single player, because one man can only do so much. However, Eric Staal needs to be the best player on the ice for the
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