Mike Maniscalco
Mike Maniscalco is the host of the "Sports Lunch" during the week from noon to 1 p.m. on 99.9 FM The Fan. He is also the host of the Carolina Hurricanes pregame and postgame shows.
By Mike Maniscalco
Jun 4, 2009
With a few days off to let the end of the Canes season soak in, it is now time to start looking forward to the off season and an off-season filled with big questions.
What to do behind the bench?
If Paul Maurice and Ron Francis want to return, don’t delay this decision - find a way to make it happen. There is a snag here: Does Ron Francis want to return behind the bench? If he does and it seems certain that Maurice does as well, why not keep this staff in place? Matt Cullen told the media how helpful Francis was to the team just for the voice and the vision he brought behind the bench that other coaches could not bring.
Simple answer: Bring the staff back.
Which unrestricted free agents are must signs?
The unrestricted list looks this way: Erik Cole, Chad LaRose, Ryan Bayda, Michael Ryan and Dennis Seidenberg.
Of that group, LaRose
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By Mike Maniscalco
May 21, 2009
The Carolina Hurricanes are used to this by now, down 1-0 in a best of seven series in the 2009 playoffs. But the roles are different this time around as Carolina is the defensive team and Pittsburgh is the skilled team. The Canes are well equipped to play as a defensive team, it is what they have been doing all along. In fact the Canes just need to keep doing what they have been doing, it has worked so far in the playoffs. Game 1 had a different feel then the prior two first games for the Canes. The Hurricanes previous series openers were duds, Monday night was a disappointment because the team was good enough to win, and the Canes know that. Carolina was for all intents better than Pittsburgh, t The Penguins capitalized on three Hurricanes errors, something that good teams do.
The good news is Carolina played every step of the way without Tuomo Ruutu for the majority of the game, and Erik Cole for most of the third. The Bad news is Pittsburgh did not play their best game at least
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By Mike Maniscalco
May 10, 2009
The Carolina Hurricanes head into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semis in the drivers seat, leaving the Boston Bruins searching for answers. We have only heard that the Canes have yet to see the Bruins best game in this series – well, a newsflash for all parties, we have yet to see the Canes' best game yet too, and Carolina is up 3-1.
The impressive thing about the effort so far from Carolina is that it is the collective of the team that is better. Yes, Eric Staal has taken over this series and gotten the better of Zdeno Chara and the B's defense, but when was the last time five-on-five the Canes forwards were outworked? Carolina has beaten the Bruins to loose pucks, scrums in front of the net, errant passes in the neutral zone and, most importantly, on the scoreboard. One can write a book about the exploits of Jussi Jokinen in this series alone with 2 game winners and being in the right spot all the time, but it is not just one or two players carrying Carolina.
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By Mike Maniscalco
May 5, 2009
The Carolina Hurricanes are skating at the RBC Center Tuesday after an off day. Just a few things to keep an eye on in Game 3:
Carolina needed a mental edge anyway they could gain one, and with a 3-0 shutout the Canes just didn’t notch the first factory, it was the way they did it that gives them confidence. The unbeatable defenseman Zdeno Chara was on the ice for all three Canes goals, poking holes in the theory that Carolina needs to beat the other Boston defensemen to score in this series.
Tim Thomas while very good in Game 2 did give up two goals and might have exposed a weakness high to the stick side. Fighting to the net is also something the Canes did with far more success from Game 1 to Game 2. Canes coach Paul Maurice credited the effective use of the point men getting the puck on to Thomas while getting to the front. If the Hurricanes can keep getting into Boston goalie’s kitchen it will not only get Thomas off his game, but force the Bruin
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By Mike Maniscalco
Apr 26, 2009
Game six, really that is all that needs to be said. It is an elimination game for the Carolina Hurricanes and both teams pretty much know what it takes to win, but here are three things that both teams can do to help out tonight.
Keys for the Carolina Hurricanes:
1. Get in Brodeur’s way—that means getting into the crease, establishing position and of course taking some punishment. Carolina got into the Devil netminder’s comfort zone (the crease) and got into his head. The Canes to a man agree traffic in front of Brodeur is a must, so tonight the team has to do it.
2. Score a power play goal—by any means necessary. One goal with the man advantage might be the difference, it was in game 5. If Carolina can get the PP going it could lead to more confidence in other parts of the game.
3. Set the physical tone—in the games the Canes won in this series, they were
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By Mike Maniscalco
Apr 7, 2009
Tar Heel students flex before the NCAA National Championship game in Detroit on Monday, April 6, 2009.
Photo by Todd Melet
Sitting 1,250 feet away from the court in the press box, I'll try to give you my thoughts on the game and how the momentum swings and the overall feel of the game. I really do have the fan's perspective sitting almost a quarter mile away only no price gouging to get in...
11:50p.m.; Roy empties the bench and the emotions
The team that had all the pressure and would be measured by 6 games in March meets and exceeds all expectations winning every game in the tournament by double digits. A sixth national championship for North Carolina, and a legacy fulfilled for this team. The game was really never in doubt after the 8 minute mark of the first half, After watching this teams run here and in Memphis I don't think there was a team in the nation that was going to beat Carolina. Maybe a team could have given the Heels a better game, but not take them down. Even this
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By Mike Maniscalco
Apr 6, 2009
98-63. Those numbers just can’t be ignored because that was the final score when North Carolina boat raced Michigan State on December third at Ford Field. However, we should ignore it because both teams have little resemblance to the teams that played in Detroit. Michigan State was coming off a tournament and the Heels were playing the best basketball of any team at that point of the season so with a 35 point throttling would have everyone raise the eyebrows here.
That is one story the second story that will be a non factor is the crowd. I know that all of Michigan will be in Ford Field tonight, but if the Heels play their best game the crowd will not be a factor, unless there are five better players sitting out in the crowd that are allowed to play for the Spartans, the disadvantage for a team like Carolina isn’t that great.
John Thompson also made a great point to the Insiders, that UNC also has the pressure of it’s state on their shoulders.
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By Mike Maniscalco
Apr 4, 2009
The North Carolina Tar Heels seem to have every advantage on paper over the Villanova Wildcats. Last year at the Final Four, it looked like Carolina had the advantages over Kansas. This game looks like a UNC-Duke match-up, and we saw what Carolina was able to do against Duke twice this year.
Villanova is going to have to play the perfect game, while Carolina just has to play its game. Nova can’t run with UNC, but they are going to have to do that. The Wildcats don’t have a real inside presence but have to find scoring in the paint. Jay Wright’s Villanova team will have to defend the perimeter - now that is something they can do.
North Carolina, well, Roy Williams just needs his team to play their game. Even though the little voice in the back of the pundits heads is saying that Nova is playing its best basketball, no team is playing as complete a game as the North Carolina Tar Heels, which is not boding well for Nova. OK, I am the only one who
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By Mike Maniscalco
Mar 29, 2009
The myth was the North Carolina Tar Heels can’t play defense, and like most myths this was disproved Sunday night. Carolina’s perimeter defense held Oklahoma to 2-for-19 shooting beyond the arc and in the first half did enough on the interior to hold Blake Griffin scoreless for almost 12 minutes. Carolina heads back to the Final Four with the feeling of unfinished business after taking care of the Sooners 72-60.
It was a match-up billed as Tyler Hansbrough versus Blake Griffin and the two monsters in the post actually started out guarding each other. That didn’t last long, roughly four minutes. Hansbrough picked up 2 early fouls and only played 9 minutes in the first half, so the clash of the titans was limited. Still both players provided thunderous dunks in the first half. Griffin had 11 points and 9 boards in the first to Hansbrough’s 4 points and 1 rebound. Carolina did the smart thing and made it about the teams not the individuals.
The
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By Mike Maniscalco
Mar 28, 2009
Jason Whitlock is an idiot. It is now in print - does that make it true? Probably not. But to say that Jeff Capel, the Oklahoma Sooner bench boss, simply can't coach is idiotic. Understand that in writing this, I am not trying to make a name for myself or stir up a controversy that gets me nationally known; that is just not what I am into. However, I am getting tired of columnists writing whatever they want and it just goes unchecked, worse than that some people actually buy it. This is what the Internet age brings or so it appears. I also know that I am giving the exact reaction that Jason Whitlock wants.
The Kansas City Star Telegram/Fox sports.com columnist who gets paid for his opinion (good for him) wrote a column about the upcoming tournament and stated that Jeff Capel simply cannot coach. Is this based on sitting in his home watching TV or actually getting out and watching Jeff Capel coach?
I covered Capel at his first head coaching job with the VCU
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