Railhawks earn 1-1 draw with Impact

Goalkeeper Matt Reed came out to make a sliding save, the one of many he was forced to make on Saturday night.

It’s amazing the difference a day can make. Just 24 hours earlier, the Carolina Railhawks took a two nil defeat to the University of North Carolina Men’s Soccer team in Southern Pines in underachieving fashion. Saturday night was a completely different story.

The Railhawks came out alive and rejuvenated after a lackluster performance Friday night and earned a 1-1 draw against the defending USL First Division champion Montreal Impact. It was a back-and-forth hard fought effort against a well-respected squad for the Railhawks tonight who were tested from the opening whistle. I think its safe to say they passed this preseason test. “I think that was a very good preseason match against a team that is a month ahead of us in preseason matches,” Head Coach of the Railhawks Martin Rennie said after the match. “We passed the ball well and played very competitively.”

The first half action was mostly possession in the midfield with sporadic offensive attacking chances on goal but none really troubling either goalkeeper. The action started in the 13th minute  when Railhawks midfielder Daniel Paladini had a close chance to finish in front of goal which sailed over the cross bar. The Impact got in on the offensive side when forward Rocco Placentino had a powerful free kick sail over goal in the 20th minute. Later in the 40th, Impact midfielder Tony Donatelli ripped a vicious half-volley on goal but to his dismay went just wide of Hawks goalkeeper Eric Reed.

After a scoreless first half ended with little offensive rumble and choppy mistake-prone passing, the second half proved quite the contrary. In the 52 minute, the best chance of the game thus far came at the boot of Paladini again. Striker Joseph Ngwenya made a darting run down the left flank and played a brilliant soaring ball across the goal mouth towards Paladini which resulted in an off-balance shank wide.

With the game becoming feisty, three yellow cards being booked, and tempers flaring on both sides, the games took its first major turn in the 67th minute when the Railhawks were awarded a penalty kick. Impact defender Simon Gatti pulled the shirt of Railhawks midfielder Amir Lowry which warranted a foul. The call resulted in a trip to the penalty spot for defender Kapono Low who slotted one to the right corner past the keeper and put the home squad up one nil.

Although, 15 minutes later, referee Saeed Mohamed was forced to point to the penalty spot again, this time eighty yards down field in favor of the Impact. Carolina defender Josh Gardner illegally slid from behind Impact substitute Peter Byers. Moments later defender Nevio Pizzolitto silenced the home crowd and celebrated in jubilation as he put his side dead locked  at 1-1 in the 82 minute.

A last gasp effort by the Impact in the 92 minute of stoppage time came when defender Hicham Abou bou scorched a header in on goal but was miraculously saved on the goal line by the body of Gardner and saved the day for Carolina.

“There was a great squad out there in front of me tonight. We waited all preseason to come together as tonight, we worked really well as a cohesive unit,” goalkeeper and MVP of the match Eric Reed said. “We like where we are in preseason right now but we know we have a long season ahead of us. We have more to grow if we want to win a championship this season.”

With the season opening in two weeks and two final matches remaining in preseason action, the Railhawks have plenty of time to still iron out any chinks in their armor before the beginning of their 2010 campaign in the NASL (National American Soccer League). Saturday was an important stepping stone in the long and arduous process of a professional soccer season. With a close 2-1 loss against Major League Soccer powerhouse New England Revolution, and 1-1 draw against defending champion Montreal Impact, the Carolina Railhawks have proven they can play with anyone. Both results are encouraging signs of a successful upcoming season.

Injuries continue to mount against ‘Canes

It seems as if nothing else could go wrong this season.

Actually, that probably shouldn’t be said… hockey players are very superstitious.

Adding to the Hurricanes recent string of unfortunate luck, Tuomo Ruutu will undergo a season-ending surgery Thursday for an injury that has been nagging him for most of the season’s second half.

Despite Ruutu’s effectiveness in recent weeks, he has not been at 100% since leaving a game against the Colorado Avalanche back on January 8. He returned after missing 15 games but apparently never fully healed.

His injury comes at a time in which fan favorites Tim Gleason and Cam Ward, and newcomer Alex Picard are all down with injuries. Out of the three only Ward seems to have a chance to play in the team’s final nine games. Also, the injury comes during a season which has seen only one Hurricanes player, Tom Kostopoulos, appear in all 73 games so far. Even Eric Staal missed considerable time this season, breaking his streak of 349 consecutive games played.

The ‘Canes will return to action Thursday night when they face the Eastern-Confrence leading Washington Capitals in a Southeast Division showdown. It is unclear of who will be called up to replace Ruutu in the Hurricanes lineup but it is assumed to be Drayson Bowman, Jerome Samson, or Oskar Osala.

Youth serves Canes

As the Carolina Hurricanes continue to make a push toward the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, one thing is clearly noticeable. The rookies and other “young guns” for this team continue to shine among the brightest of NHL stars.

Let’s take a look on a player by player basis:

1. Justin Peters – Peters has not done much of anything at the NHL level this year.. unless you consider that he won in his first NHL game against Johnathan Tavares and the Islanders, ousted Martin Brodeur and the Devils, won in the arena he grew up around in Toronto, beat the best team in the league and out dueled both goaltenders for the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Doesn’t seem like a bad resume for the Hurricanes second-round draft pick in the 2004 Entry Draft. Peters is getting his first shot in the NHL this season due to Cam Ward’s back injury and the release on Michael Leighton on waivers.

Peters has posted a 6-2-0 record so far and his .916 save percentage ranks him ahead of the likes of Olympians Brodeur, Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick his consistent play has given the Canes a solid one-two punch in the net despite having their franchise goalie on the injured reserve list.

2. Brett Carson – The 24 year-old defenseman has been one of the most dependable blueliners for the Hurricanes this season. Since his December 7th call up to the Canes, Carson has been regularly used during a season in which defenseman seem to depart via trade or injury at a regular basis. He plays between 15 and 20 minutes every game including some time on the power play and the killing penalties. Carson is one of the few players on Carolina’s roster that has a plus statistic. His +4 rating ranks him tied for first with fellow youngster Zach Boychuk for first on the team and it’s easy to tell why.

His two goals this season have both been important ones as well. His first career goal happened to be the game-winner against the Ottawa Senators and his tally against the Capitals tied the game in the third period.

3. Zach Boychuk – Boychuk got a taste on the NHL last season as he had a cameo in two games for the Hurricanes registering no statistics. This season he had to be ready for a larger role. In his 20 games this year, Boychuk has registered three goals and five assists while playing limited minutes on the third and fourth lines. Boychuk has seemingly taken steps toward improving his chances of playing a full season in the big league next year as the Canes try to prepare for the future.

Boychuk has had high expectations on his shoulders ever since the Hurricanes used the 14th overall pick on him in the 2008 Entry Draft. As his duration with the Hurricanes has increased this season, Boychuk has looked more comfortable, even dominating at some points. The Hurricanes hope this is a good sign of things to come from the young 20 year-old as he progresses with his career.

4. Brandon Sutter – Some might think he shouldn’t even be on this list of “young guns.” Those same some forget that Sutter is only 21 and still has many years in front of him. During a horrid 14-game losing streak early in the season, Sutter consistently stuck out as a lone bright spot for the Canes. He has done nothing but score hard-working goals, as well as dazzling scores that leave some thinking he could be considered to be a third “franchise man.” Sutter has worked his way up to a starting spot as centerman on the second line. Impressive for a player who started the season in the AHL playing in Albany.

Sutter has scored 17 goals so far this year and is on pace to crack the 20-goal plateau in just his second season in the league. His first year was cut short due to concussion problems after a hit by the New York Islanders (and former Hurricane) Doug Weight. He struggled through 50 games last year, scoring one goal and totaling six points. This year he has come back a different man. The Valentine’s Day baby has received nothing but love and adoration from both the fan base and his teammates.

5. Jamie McBain – McBain has only played three games in the NHL this year but he is already turning heads. His consistent offensive play and responsible defensive behavior has earned him a spot on the first defensive pairing with Joni Pitkanen. In fact only Pitkanen averages more ice time per game than the young McBain, who is listed as playing 25 minutes each contest. McBain has played up to expectations so far and looks to be a bright spot for the Canes in seasons to come.

His defensive abilities are sound, but his offensive instincts are what everyone seems to be talking about, and for good reason. His defensive hustle and booming slapshot created the opportunity for Ray Whitney to beat the Capitals in overtime and his presence of mind and that same slapshot gave the Canes a thrilling OT win over the Penguins with less than one second remaining in the contest.

These players are just five of the highlights of a young group of extremely talented players that give the Hurricanes reason to be optimistic looking forward. That group could possibly be expanded to give players like Jerome Samson, Oskar Osala, Drayson Bowman, Juri Tlusty, and recent signee Zac Dalpe. Fans also might forget that captain Eric Staal is only 25 and that players such as Bryan Rodney, Alexandre Picard, Jussi Jokinen, and Joni Pitkanen are all 26 or younger. With the young talent that the Canes have and the veteran leadership provided by Ray Whitney (37), Rod Brind’amour (39) and newcomer Brian Pothier (32) it is easy to see a promising future for the Hurricanes and the game of hockey.

Hurricanes offer change, hopes for this season

When the 3 pm trade deadline passed Wednesday afternoon, it appeared that the Hurricanes 2009-2010 team would remain relatively intact. Two hours later, the promises of a day filled with trades had come true.

There was one thing missing however.

Over the past two months, Ray Whitney’s name had surfaced in several trade rumors and his picture was featured on the NHL’s website under the trade deadline section. However, at the end of the day Ray Whitney will remain a Carolina Hurricane.

Whitney’s name was rumored with several different teams, but as the day progressed the possibility of him getting traded seem to dwindle. He was rumored to go anywhere from Boston, to Pittsburgh (nixed late Tuesday night when they acquired Alex Ponikarovsky from the Toronto Maple Leafs), and most likely to Los Angles to play for the Kings. Whitney exercised his no-trade clause for a deal to the Kings in early February and reportedly nothing came in GM Jim Rutherford Wednesday that was worth considering.

While Whitney will get ready to lace up against the Ottawa Senators Thursday night at the RBC Center, five of his teammates will not.

Early in the day Rutherford got his feet wet by sending veteran defenseman Aaron Ward to the Anaheim Ducks for goaltending prospect Justin Pogge as well as a fourth-round pick in either the 2010 or the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (it’s the Hurricanes choice of when to use it). Ward admitted to not playing well in the first part of the season, but said he felt his play had turned around when the new year came in. Pogge, 23, played in seven NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008-09, and has a career NHL record of 1-4-1 with a 4.35 goals-against average. He has spent the 2009-10 season with San Antonio of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting a 12-7-3 record with a 2.57 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. In 165 career AHL games with Toronto and San Antonio, Pogge has earned a record of 83-63-14, with a 2.69 goals-against average.

Minutes later the Canes sent gritty forward Scott Walker to the Washington Capitals for a seventh round pick in the upcoming draft. While this may not seem like much for a player as proven as Walker, it makes sense as the fan favorite has dealt with numerous injuries this season. The Capitals feature proven scorers but have lacked a player as hard nosed as Walker for many years.

Then the deadline came to an end. 3 pm passed and all was quiet.

Hurricanes fans might remember last season when the deadline passed, yet the Canes dealt Justin Williams in exchange for Erik Cole in a three-team trade. As long as the paperwork is passed through to the NHL office before 3:00 the trades still count, so numerous trades get announced after the actual deadline all the time.

Around 4:15 pm rumors began to surface regarding defenseman Joe Corvo. Shortly after, Corvo was gone to the join Walker in Washington. The return for the valuable, hard-shooting player was profitable. The Canes received veteran defenseman Brian Pothier, Finnish prospect Oskar Osala, and a second round pick in 2011. Pothier, 32, has played in 41 games for the Capitals this season, totaling four goals and seven assists. His plus-12 plus/minus rating currantly ranks him first on the time in that category. Osala, 22, has scored 15 goals and earned 14 assists in 53 games this season with the American Hockey League-leading Hershey Bears. The Vaasa, Finland, native began his North American professional career last season, registering 23 goals and 14 assists (37 points) in 75 regular-season games with Hershey. He has appeared in two games with the Capitals, both coming last season.

The rumors then turned toward fellow defenseman Andrew Alberts and future unrestricted free agent Stephane Yelle. Alberts quickly went to the Vancouver Canucks for a third round draft pick and Yelle quickly followed suit. The surprising Colorado Avalanche offered prospect Cedric LaLonde-McNicoll and their sixth round pick for Yelle and Canes prospect Harrison Reed. LaLonde-McNicoll, 21, is in his first full professional season, spending most of the season with Lake Erie of the AHL. He has totaled five goals and eight assists in 45 games with the Monsters on the AHL level, and has also played four games with Charlotte of the ECHL, totaling four points (1g, 3a).

Then the day was done. Rutherford left his office having just accomplished the busiest trading day of his long career as general manager. His deals give Hurricanes fans hope for, not only the future, but for the present as well. He managed to avoid trading a pivotal piece of the team and still received four 2010 draft picks and another pick for 2011. Along with the picks the Hurricanes received three promising prospects and an NHL-ready defenseman.

While time will tell on the draft picks and prospects, one thing is for sure. The Hurricanes have good reason to hold their heads up high based on a promising future and a realistic chance to make a strong run at the playoffs this season still.