Future may be now for Canes

Good article on the call-ups in Carolina today in the Raleigh News & Observer. 

Dwyer nets game-winner for Canes

Pat Dwyer last night netted the game-winning goal for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-2 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

With the contest tied late in the third period, the Albany captain cycled the puck down low to Jiri Tlusty, who brought it back to the point for Joni Pitkanen. Dwyer cut across the net just as Pitkanen was shooting and redirected the puck in mid-air with precision.

Dwyer, who was recalled to Carolina on December 15, now has three goals and two assists in 21 games with the Hurricanes this season. Linemate Jiri Tlusty has a goal and three assists after nine games.

Dwyer and Tlusty each stand a chance of earning a permanent spot with the big club should space soon open up.

Brandon Sutter, who made the team earlier this season, also scored last night, driving home a rebound in the second period to tie the game at 2-2.

The Hurricanes have won three in a row and are now only four points shy of pulling out of last place in the Eastern Conference, largely thanks to the efforts of players recalled from Albany. 

Watch highlights of last night's game here. 

Rats lead Canes to victory

Albany alumni yesterday led the Carolina Hurricanes to a decisive 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. 

Defenseman Brett Carson picked up his first NHL goal, while Brandon Sutter, Pat Dwyer, and Jiri Tlusty earned an assist each, helping the Canes to their second straight win. 

Brandon Sutter started things off for Carolina in the second period by dishing a near-perfect pass directly in front of the net to Tom Kostopoulos. The goal squashed the Senators' momentum, as it came just 40 seconds after Ottawa had taken a 1-0 lead.

Sutter now has 17 points (10 G, 7 A) in 35 games since earning a full-time NHL spot earlier this season. 

Later in the second, Jiri Tlusty made a play to Pat Dwyer, who then set up veteran captain Rod Brind'Amour for a one-timer that turned out to be the game-winner.

Tlusty now has a goal and two assists after eight games with the Canes this year, while Dwyer has two goals and two assists in 19 games. 

Carolina took a 3-1 lead in the third on a Brett Carson point shot that found its way through traffic to give the well-rounded blueliner his first NHL tally.

Carson now has a goal and three assists in 16 contests with the Canes this season.

Watch highlights from the game here. 

Sutter sticking with Canes

Brandon Sutter

(Photo by jbk-ltd)

Center Brandon Sutter was called up to the Carolina Hurricanes on October 24th. Since then he has tallied five goals and four assists in 14 NHL contests. Sutter has been filling in for Eric Staal on the top line and skating on both special teams. He has almost certainly earned a permanent spot on the big club's roster. Tracking the Storm has more on the "future of the franchise."

News & Notes

• The River Rats' busy schedule continues with three games in four days. Albany will skate at home tonight against Syracuse, in Manchester on Friday and at Binghamton on Saturday. The Rats dropped the first contest against each team, so they should be thirsty for revenge. The standings are also a concern. The Rats fell to fourth place last night after Norfolk picked up two points against Portland. Read the Rats' weekly recap for more.

• The Rats limped home from Springfield on Sunday, but the tough loss to the Falcons only provided inspiration for the coming week. The team held a spirited practice yesterday, full of heavy skating, on-ice chatter and even a few hits. Albany worked hard on improving special teams and the quality of their scoring chances. Hopefully it will pay off. Look for the Rats to come out aggressive tonight. The Schenectady Daily Gazette has more from practice.

• It is no secret. Pat Dwyer was named captain because he leads by example. Now in his fourth year with the River Rats, Dwyer is arguably Albany's most valuable player. He serves as a role model for the rest of the team, giving everything he has on every shift. Dwyer is featured today in the Albany Times Union.

• Rookie forward Drayson Bowman, who sat out the last three games with a chest injury, will not play tonight or this weekend. He will be sorely missed. Bad info!!! 

• The injury woes of the Carolina Hurricanes continue. Goaltender Michael Leighton left last night's game against Montreal with a lower-body complication, likely a groin pull. It was Leighton's second start since Cam Ward was curbed with a laceration on his leg. Eric Staal, Scott Walker and Joni Pitkanen also remain sidelined. Carolina's next game is on Thursday. If Leighton is unable to dress, Justin Peters could be on the way up. 

• Brandon Sutter and Bryan Rodney continue to shine in Raleigh. Sutter has five goals and three assists in 11 games. Rodney has two assists in 4 games. Both are skating extended minutes and getting time on the power play. Rodney was even included in the shootout line-up last night in Montreal. Read more about their stellar performances at the Raleigh News & Observer, Canes Country and Tracking the Storm.

• Players on standby in the ECHL are stacking up impressive numbers. Jacob MicFlikier has an unbelievable 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 10 games. Rob Hennigar has 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in 14 games. Goaltender Mike Morrison has a solid GAA of 2.79 and a SV% of .903 after 10 games. The way things are going, their services may soon be required in Albany. 
  

News & Notes

• Forward Jacob MicFlikier has been reassigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. MicFlikier was called up to Albany on October 24th after Steven Goertzen suffered a concussion. Goertzen is now healthy. In three games with the River Rats, MicFlikier had a goal and a +2 rating. Expect him back at some point this season.

• The Carolina Hurricanes have placed defenseman Jay Harrison on waivers. Harrison will likely clear waivers and be reassigned to Albany. He will hopefully provide some much-needed relief at the Rats' blue line. Harrison was filling in for Canes' D-man Tim Gleason, who is expected to return to action tomorrow night. 

• The Carolina Hurricanes have won just two of 13 games. General Manager Jim Rutherford is preparing to make some major changes. Trades and call-ups could be on the horizon, especially if the Hurricanes keep losing. 

• Carolina's top forward Eric Staal is expected to miss several games with an upper-body injury sustained over the weekend. He is listed as week-to-week. The Hurricanes have two extra players to insert in the line-up: Stephane Yelle and Tim Conboy. If the Canes are not satisfied with those options, well, you know the drill. 

• The River Rats' weekly recap is available here. 

• Watch the next installment of Murphy's Mailbag here.
  

Canes' update

The Carolina Hurricanes continue to struggle. With a 6-1 loss yesterday to Philadelphia and a 5-1 loss today against San Jose, the Canes' record now stands at 2-8-3. Carolina is one point away from occupying last place in the Eastern Conference. 

The team's line-up continues to shuffle. 

The Hurricanes today saw the return of Tuomo Ruutu, who just finished a three-game suspension, as well as Erik Cole, who suffered a fractured leg early in the season. Center Stephane Yelle, who was recently put through waivers, was scratched. 

Brandon Sutter, who was called up from Albany last weekend, replaced Yelle as the team's fourth-line center. Sutter scored the Hurricanes' only two goals this weekend. The chances of him coming back to the Rats are slim to none.

Eric Staal suffered an upper-body injury in the second period against San Jose. He did not return for the third. If Stall is unable to play in the Canes' next game on Wednesday, Stephane Yelle and former Albany captain Tim Conboy are available. But another call-up could always be in the works, especially with the team's recent poor performance. 

Tim Gleason is practicing in Raleigh and could return to action as early as this week. That would give the Canes an extra defenseman. Jay Harrison may or may not be sent down.

News & Notes

• Brett Bellemore may not rack up the points, but his smart defensive game is evident in his plus/minus tally. The Albany Times Union has more on Bellemore, who proudly leads the team with a +4. 

• Justin Peters has developed into a highly skilled goaltender and solidified himself as the Rats' go-to starter. The Troy Record catches up with the fourth-year netminder. 

• The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins took over first place in the East Division Thursday with a win over the Manitoba Moose. Former River Rat Ryan Bayda scored 39 seconds into overtime to break the 0-0 tie. The Penguins have a one-point lead and a game-in-hand on the Rats heading into the weekend.

• Injured players should soon be returning in waves. Mike Angelidis, Steven Goertzen, Michael Ryan and Brett Carson should be coming back in the next few weeks. 

• Erik Cole of the Carolina Hurricanes, who fractured a bone in his leg earlier this month, is expected to return to action as early as this weekend. Cole, along with injured Canes' D-man Tim Gleason, are back at practice in Raleigh. Forward Brandon Sutter and defenseman Jay Harrison are Carolina's only healthy two-way players. Forward Stephane Yelle, who recently cleared waivers, is also eligible for reassignment. Yelle will become ineligible on November 26th at noon or after ten games of NHL play, whichever comes first.
  

Sutter competing for spot

There is no denying it. The Rats' parent club, the Carolina Hurricanes, have not started well. The Canes are 2-5-3 in their first ten contests and currently sit in 12th place in the NHL's Eastern Conference. They are winless in the last six games. 

Management is ready to shake things up. 

In an unexpected move, the Canes recently put Stephane Yelle, the team's fourth-line center, on waivers. Yelle cleared waivers today at noon, but his future with the Hurricanes is uncertain. Carolina obviously considers him expendable. 

The top candidate for Yelle's spot is Brandon Sutter, who was recently recalled to fill the void created by the suspension of Tuomo Ruutu.  

Sutter and Yelle are both expected to be in the line-up for the Canes on Wednesday and Saturday, but someone will have to sit out when Rutuu returns to action on Sunday.

The job is up for grabs.

If Sutter or another River Rat takes the spot, the Canes will have to make a choice in regards to Yelle. They could scratch him, release him, assign him to Albany or maybe make a trade. 

With the Hurricanes' roster in a state of flux, don't be surprised if more call-ups are around the bend. 

Weekend news & notes

Friday post-game coverage:

• Salak, Rochester defeat Rats 2-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Missed chances hurt Rats, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Rodney's stick, PK streak broken, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats comeback bid falls short, Troy Record
• River Rats offense stymied by Amerks' Salak, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

Saturday post-game coverage:

• Video highlights, AHLLive.com
• Rats edge Phantoms 3-2, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats win crowd pleaser, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Goertzen sidelined, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats can be both pretty and ugly, Albany Times Union
• Micflikier doesn't waste any time after joining River Rats, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

Sunday post-game coverage:

• Rats' penalty-killing stumbles in loss at Bridgeport, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats fall in Bridgeport 4-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

More news:

• River Rats weekly, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hurricanes recall Sutter, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats recall Micflickier, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hurricanes organizational depth analysis, Fall 2009, Hockey's Future
  
• Murphy's Mailbag Episode Two, AlbanyRiverRats.com, YouTube
• Canes place Yelle on waivers, Raleigh News & Observer

Notes:

• Brandon Sutter was called up to Carolina Saturday after the Canes' Tuomo Ruutu was suspended for three games by the NHL for a hit on Darcy Tucker of the Colorado Avalanche. Sutter centered the Hurricanes' third line and played a regular shift in his first NHL appearance of the season on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. Sutter will likely play for the Canes again on Wednesday and next Saturday. 

• Sutter may never be coming back, even after Ruutu returns. The Hurricanes placed fourth-line center Stephane Yelle on waivers. Yelle's ice-time has been limited and now he could be on the way out the door. That would open up a permanent space for Sutter on the NHL roster.

• Steven Goertzen suffered a concussion Friday night against Rochester. He did not play Saturday or Sunday. His status for next weekend is questionable. He was playing fantastic up until the injury. 

• The Rats called up Jacob MicFlickier from the ECHL's Florida Everblades on Saturday. MicFlikier, who was signed by the Rats during the offseason, is currently the Blades' top scorer with two goals and three assists after four games. He attended the Rats' training camp and skated well during the preseason. He did not arrive at the Times Union Center in time for warm-ups on Saturday, but was on the bench when the puck dropped. MicFlickier scored a goal against the Phantoms 13:49 into the first period. Watch it here.

• The Rats collected only two of six possible points over the weekend. It was undoubtedly a tiring and mostly disappointing three-day stretch. But all things considered, the Rats played solid. Not perfect, but solid. When the chips were down, they never gave up. They pushed Friday night's game to the last seconds, and despite being down 4-1 on Sunday they showed true spirit and poured on the pressure late in the game. The team is showing character and several players are stepping up in the wake of injuries and call-ups. 

• Justin Peters continues to play phenomenal hockey. His ability to stay focused under pressure is most impressive. His puck-handling skills are also much improved. After six games, Peters has registered four wins, a GAA of 2.33 and a SV% of .923. He has been named a star-of-the-game in three of his six contests. 

• Captain Pat Dwyer is playing as passionate as ever. You can tell he takes the role of captain very seriously. He is always coming through when it counts. His hunger for the puck gets the whole team going. He is possibly the Rats' most valuable player. 

• There is little doubt Zach Boychuk will be a future NHL star. He is the pure definition of raw talent. He is always moving his legs, creating opportunities and drawing penalties. His game-winner against Adirondack was an absolute beauty. He's a natural. 

• After six home games, Zack FitzGerald is already a fan favorite. His physical style of play is a valued commodity for the Rats' young and undersized club. The opposition fears his presence. He was punishing the Phantoms all night on Saturday. If anyone is fired up for the rivalry, it's him.  

• There is no telling where the Rats would be without the services of Jonathan Paiement. His willingness to block shots has been invaluable.

• Attendance at the Times Union Center has been less than spectacular. In six games, the Rats have averaged 3,332 people a contest. Only four AHL teams are drawing smaller crowds. Adirondack is in the middle of the pack with an average attendance of 4,238. Time to step it up Albany!

• The East Division is extremely tight. Less than four points separate the first and last place teams. Albany and Hershey are tied with 10 points. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Adirondack have nine a piece (the Penguins have two games in hand, the Phantoms have one). Binghamton and Syracuse have eight points each. Norfolk has six with a game in hand.

Rats sink Pirates 5-2

Brandon Sutter camps in front of goaltender Jhonas Enroth

(Photo by 'akoszuta')

Prospects Zach Boychuk, Brandon Sutter, Chris Terry and Drayson Bowman put on a show last night for the Albany faithful, helping the River Rats sail past the Portland Pirates by a score of 5 to 2. 

The Rats' young offensive talent skated circles around the Pirates' defenders with a tremendous display of speed, passing and playmaking. 

The Rats came out firing on all cylinders from the get-go, dominating the first period in shots 16 to 5.

Zach Boychuk did an excellent job of quarterbacking an early power play. Boychuk hustled to keep things alive in the offensive zone, and for the second time in two games he found Brett Carson open at the point. Carson, who continues to develop his offensive game, put the puck home with a little help from Brandon Sutter in front. 

Sutter had a great game, tallying a goal and an assist. He is very smart when it comes to positioning, both offensively and defensively. 

Sutter also has the brains to keep up with Boychuk, who scored his first professional goal on a nice give-and-go with Sutter in the third period. 

Boychuk picked up three points on the night with a goal and two assists.

Boychuk commented after the game that the team is developing genuine chemistry, a fact that was evident from the stands. 

Drayson Bowman and Chris Terry are proving to be a dynamic combo in their own right. They both know how to think on their feet and move the puck in heavy traffic. They were dishing and dealing throughout the game and teamed up for a power play goal in the second period. 

Terry scored again in the third, finishing the night with a goal and an assist. 

Bowman and Terry each have two goals in two games. 

Jerome Samson maintained his reputation for pouncing on loose pucks. After Zach Boychuk was stopped on a breakaway in the second period, Samson beat the defenders to the rebound and rattled it home. He is looking better than ever.

Pat Dwyer, on the ice and on the bench, is proving why he was named captain. Dwyer's ability to move the puck down low is invaluable. He assisted Chris Terry's second goal in the third period.

Justin Peters was fantastic in net. He kept the Rats comfortably ahead in the second and third periods with several high-concentration saves. He stopped 24 of 26 shots. 

Peters was also the subject of an amusing video segment that was played on the Jumbotron during a media timeout. In the clip, Peters is identified by several of his teammates as the Rats' "toughest" player. Skaters on the bench couldn't help from sneaking a peek at the screen as highlights were shown of Peters fighting during last year's season-ending brawl. The fans enjoyed the moment.

The worst news from the night is that Brett Carson left the game in the third period after taking a hard hit in the defensive zone. He remained on the bench for a moment, but eventually returned to the locker room. He was holding ice on his wrist. His status is unknown, but we should know more tonight. 

Benn Olson and Matthew Pistilli were healthy scratches. Olson will be in the line-up tonight if Carson is unable to play. 

The Rats take on the Rochester Americans at 7 p.m. at the Times Union Center. 

More post-game coverage:

• Power play clicks for River Rats, Troy Record
  
• Rats power past Portland, 5-2, WNYT-13
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Carson's status questionable, Albany Times Union
• Boychuk is making most of his chance, Albany Times Union
  
• River Rats bury Pirates, 5-2, Schenectady Daily Gazette

Sutter, McBain assigned to Albany

The Carolina Hurricanes today assigned center Brandon Sutter and offensive defenseman Jamie McBain to Albany.

Veteran D-man Jay Harrison and forward Michael Ryan are the only two-way players still at camp with the Canes. Harrison is filling the void left by injured Joni Pitkanen, while Ryan is still recovering from a concussion suffered in Monday's preseason loss to the Thrashers.

Sutter turns heads

Brandon Sutter gets some additional attention from Chip Alexander at the Raleigh News & Observer.

Sutter in for Staal

Brandon Sutter is fighting hard for a spot on the NHL roster. With Carolina star forward Eric Staal celebrating the birth of his son, Sutter centered the Canes top line today at practice in Raleigh. Tracking the Storm has the story.

Canes send five more; Ryan 'day-to-day' with concussion

The Carolina Hurricanes today sent five more players to Albany: goaltender Justin Peters, defensemen Brett Carson and Bryan Rodney, and forwards Drayson Bowman and Steven Goertzen.

That leaves in Carolina Jay Harrison, Jamie McBain, Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Pat Dwyer and Michael Ryan.

Ryan remains in camp despite suffering a probable concussion in last night's preseason game. He is listed as day-to-day.

The player most likely to make the Canes out of camp appears to be Brandon Sutter. His play at Traverse City, during camp, and in the preseason have impressed General Manager Jim Rutherford.

Jay Harrison is the front-runner for the seventh defensive spot.

Tracking the Storm has more here and here.

Rodney, Sutter score; Ryan injured in loss

The Carolina Hurricanes dropped their second preseason game tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers, 4-2. Defenseman Bryan Rodney and center Brandon Sutter scored the only goals for the Hurricanes.

Confirmed: Michael Ryan suffered an upper body injury early in the first period and never returned. Still waiting for the details.

Rats included in Canes' second preseason contest

The Carolina Hurricanes will play their second preseason game tomorrow night against the Atlanta Thrashers. Several River Rats will be included in the line-up, namely Steven Goertzen, Michael Ryan, Pat Dwyer, Drayson Bowman, Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Brett Carson, Bryan Rodney and Jamie McBain. Justin Peters will back-up Michael Leighton. Tracking the Storm has more.

Rats Included In First Carolina Preseason Game

The Carolina Hurricanes have released the team's roster for tomorrow night's first preseason game at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Notable names include Nicolas Blanchard, Michael Ryan, Pat Dwyer, Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Bryan Rodney, Jay Harrison, Brett Carson and Justin Peters. The team will face-off against the Nashville Predators at 7pm. Read more at Tracking the Storm.

Important notes: Hurricanes' coach Paul Maurice says D-man Joni Pitkanen is "progressing nicely" and is expected to return for the team's two final exhibition games. If this holds true, the Rats will most likely have Jay Harrison and/or Brett Carson to start the season.

Several of the Rats' "higher-end skaters" are expected to play in all four Carolina preseason games. This means fans in Albany will probably get to see some of the ECHL crop during the Rats' two-game exhibition series with the Adirondack Phantoms. The Rats play the Phantoms in Glens Falls on September 25th and again at home on September 26th.

Nick Dodge has put up a new blog entry.

Boychuk and Sutter Fighting Hard For NHL Jobs

Zach Boychuk and Brandon Sutter tell Paul Branecky at Tracking the Storm they are intent on earning a spot on the NHL roster. Chip Alexander at the Raleigh News & Observer has more here and here.

Hurricanes' Propsects Are Tournament Champs!

"It was a good win. It was a good week. You come out here and come together as a team for five days, you might as well go out and win the thing. We had a good group of guys who played hard for four games. It feels good. We've got a lot of talent in that room, a good group of guys and I think we just had fun with it. ... Worked hard and enjoyed it."
--Captain Nick Dodge
(Photo from Hockey's Future)

The Carolina Hurricanes' prospects have won the tournament in Traverse City! With only five defenseman and 11 forwards, the Canes defeated the Minnesota Wild tonight in the championship game.

Carolina was led to a 4-1 victory on goals by Chris Terry, Zach Boychuk, Brandon Sutter, and Stefan Chaput, all of whom are set to play in Albany next season!

The first two tallies were traded early in the first period. The Hurricanes scored 6:16 into the game, as Chris Terry notched his second of the tournament, assisted by Matthew Pistilli and Beau Schmitz. Matt Kennedy was penalized for slashing less than a minute later and the Wild capitalized on the power play, knotting the game at 1-1.

The score remained tied through the end of the first period, with the Wild ahead on shots 11 to 5.

The Canes continued to struggle in the shot department in the second period, but Zach Boychuk took control of game, scoring his fourth goal in four contests, and putting Carolina up 2-1 at the 7:10 mark.

The goal apparently inspired the team, as the Hurricanes began to catch up on shots.

Brett Bellemore was sent to the box for tripping with under two minutes remaining, but Brandon Sutter put home a shorthanded goal, giving Carolina a 3-1 lead heading into the third period.

Three minutes into the third, Chris Terry was assessed a charging penalty, while Matthew Pistilli and the Wild's Marco Scandella received coincidental roughing minors.

The Canes killed off the power play, which lasted for a minute and 16 seconds before being interrupted by another roughing call on Minnesota.

As time clicked away, the teams traded power plays one more time, but neither scored.

Stefan Chaput sealed the deal with an empty netter, putting Carolina up 4-1 with just over a minute remaining. He was assisted by Drayson Bowman.

Mike Murphy registered his third win of the tournament, stopping 31 of 32 shots.

Justin McCrae and Michal Jordan sat out with injuries.

Expect more coverage over the next 24 hours.

Update: Brandon Sutter is happy with the outcome of the tournament. Hockey's Future has a short recap.