Carolina Hurricanes

NHL Outsider

ALL
OUTSIDER

Conference Finals Over in Blink of an Eye

By DJ Abisalih | May 28, 2009 | The Bear Cave

The second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs will likely be viewed as one of the best playoff rounds in recent memory. Three of the four series needed the full seven games to be decided, with two of the contests coming down to the final goal. The fourth and final series was completed in six games, meaning that 27 of the 28 possible games were played. Adding to the excitement, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin met up during the second round, giving many hockey fans the ultimate match-up of superstars.With the positive vibe of round two still fresh in the minds of hockey fans around the continent, the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks dropped the puck to begin the Western Conference Final on Sunday, May 17th. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes got the ball rolling on their Eastern Conference Final series the next day. Ten days and...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Hurricanes, NHL, Penguins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Red Wings

Say It Ain't So: Why Professional Sports Are Manipulated

By Celticsfanatic | May 28, 2009 | Celtics 17

NBA (first round) mock Draft!After a 61-foul (including two technicals and a flagrant) NBA Playoff game (3) between the Cavaliers and Magic, I felt I had to bring up a somewhat touchy point -- the possibility of altered outcomes in professional sports.The definition of physical in sports these days is not what it used it be... to say the least. Referees, umpires, you name it, they are all eager to blow the whistle or issue a warning whether the intention was there or not. The amount of fouls in today's NBA is nothing short of horrendous (as shown in the example above), as well as the amount of fouls, ejections, etc. It all depends on the sport being played.After the conviction of NBA referee Tim Donaghy (found guilty of gambling on NBA games), there has been a lot of suspicion throughout the Association. After an altercation between NBA referee Joey...

Read more | 14 Comments | Tags: A.J. Pierzinski, Bennett Salvatore, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Boxing, Bud Selig, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Cavaliers, David Stern, Detroit Pistons, Doug Eddings, George Mitchell, Golf, Houston Astros, IRL, Kelvim Escobar, Los Angeles Lakers, Mitchell Investigation, Mitchell Report, MLB, MMA, NASCAR, NBA, NBA Playoffs, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Orlando Magic, Paul Pierce, Sacramento Kings, Soccer, Tim Donaghy

A New Tradition Starting with Pittsburgh?

By DJ Abisalih | May 27, 2009 | The Bear Cave

With hockey's ultimate grand prize being the Stanley Cup, every other team trophy in the sport tends to get overlooked. In fact, tradition states that if a team wins its respective conference, that group and its captain will avoid coming in contact with the trophy during the postgame ceremony. Generally speaking, there have been two reasons for this odd act. First, although it is nice to win the conference, there is a larger prize to be had. Second, if a team touches the conference trophy, it has been deemed as a curse for the next round. Speaking of curses and rituals, players tend not to touch the Stanley Cup unless they win it. But, that's another story for another day.With all of that being said, something rather interesting took place in Raleigh on Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Penguins finished off their four-game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-1 victory...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Hurricanes, NHL, Penguins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Red Wings

Who Gets the Last Laughs in Game Sevens?

By Alan Smodic | May 13, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Seven games between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals is just what the NHL ordered. Seven games in two of the other three series was an added bonus.It's no coincidence that the Stanley Cup is often referred to as the hardest championship in sports to win. The way the playoffs have played out this season proves all those theories true -- competitive balance in the NHL is very much alive.In the Eastern Conference, both the Caps/Pens and the Boston Bruins/Carolina Hurricanes will be featured in game sevens, including the the Caps/Pens finale tonight.Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have both held up on their end of the deal to shine the sport for everyone to see. The games broadcast on FSN Pittsburgh have broken records for most-watched NHL game on the station each of the last two nights. I'd bet the house that game seven tonight again breaks the record.In...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals

Showcase Series Highlights NHL's Round 2

By Alan Smodic | April 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The NHL front office has gotten its wish. A playoff series between rivals, and the game's best players, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will be taking place. It's not for the Eastern Conference championship, but it will still do.There are three other series that will be beginning this weekend, too, but you can imagine why the Caps/Pens will garner all the national attention. With the sport fighting for ratings, Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will all be showcased at once.I'll take a look at each series, but I'll begin with the main event...(2) Washington Capitals vs (4) Pittsburgh Penguins:Saturday, May 2, 2009 Pittsburgh at Washington Monday, May 4, 2009 Pittsburgh at Washington Wednesday, May 6, 2009 Washington at Pittsburgh Friday, May 8, 2009 Washington at Pittsburgh *Saturday, May 9, 2009 Pittsburgh at Washington *Monday, May 11, 2009 Washington at Pittsburgh *Wednesday, May 13, 2009 Pittsburgh at...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

Top 5 First Round Moments of the 2009 Playoffs

By Grant Beery | April 24, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Round one had some pretty interesting stories. Here are five of my favorite.1. The Ducks/Sharks SeriesThe Sharks have history to blame for their ineffective performance in the playoffs. They've been dubbed choke artists due to their inability to make it out of the first round. This season, with the President's Trophy in hand, that all looked to change. The Ducks had different plans, however. Currently leading the series 3-1, Anaheim hasn't given the best team of the regular season any room to shine or enjoy that home ice advantage. The Sharks have been outscored 12-6 in the series and have been shutout twice. Now they have to win three straight or forever be called the choke artists of the NHL Playoffs.2. .2 seconds!How do you piss off the usually calm, cool, and collected Martin Brodeur? The Carolina Hurricanes did just that in game 3, breaking a tie with just .2...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, NHL, NHL Playoffs, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals

A Week of NHL Playoffs Has Taught Us...

By Alan Smodic | April 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

A week into the NHL Playoffs and only one series has been decided as of today -- a sweep of the St. Louis Blues by the Vancouver Canucks. I didn't think the Canucks would sweep, but I did believe they'd win.With their series win in mind from last night, we'll begin there.Vancouver wins 4-0 against St. Louis - Hockey fans knew at the beginning of this series that Roberto Luongo was good. The sweep just cements that fact. Luongo is a beast between the pipes and it's not out of the question to think that he could carry the Canucks to another series win. It's too early to tell what team Vancouver would play in the second round, but don't be surprised if it's able to advance.Detroit up 3-0 against Columbus - This series is over. If it doesn't end in a sweep Thursday night, I'll be surprised. I picked...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: NHL, NHL Playoffs

Quest for the Cup, Who's Your Pick?

By Alan Smodic | April 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

In keeping tradition with the bracketology craze of college basketball, Faceoff-Factor and The Pensblog joined forces with an idea to create "Rinkotology" in an effort to raise money for the Mario Lemieux Foundation.As the name suggests, it works just the same as your NCAA March Madness pool... simply go to Rinkotology and fill out a bracket. But please donate at least $5 -- the foundation is a very worthy cause.With the introduction out of the way, let me break down my Rinkotology picks and see where I think this NHL Playoff season may be headed. Keep in mind that I've never once won a pool like this and my picks will probably not even happen. And as a Pens fan, I hope they don't happen, because I'd like to see them win it all. But I digress...Western Conference:The West is always Detroit's to lose. Just because San Jose finished the...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: NHL, NHL Playoffs

NHL Stock Market - Duck Hunt in the Western Conference

By Grant Beery | April 7, 2009 | MVN Outsider

RisingCam WardCarolina goalie Cam Ward is has made 27 straight starts, and coach Paul Maurice has no plans to stop him now. In those 27 starts, Ward has gone 18-6-2, including an 8 game win streak. The NHL named him the top star of March, and that nod probably has a lot to do with the comfort zone Ward's play has put his team in when it comes to the standings. This will be the Canes' first appearance in the postseason since 2006, but Ward isn't looking towards the future just yet. "I'm excited to know that we're going to have that chance to return to the playoffs. This is where the work just begins. We've worked extremely hard to get ourselves in this position, and I'm excited for everybody, but we need to bear down in these last three games. I can't express that enough." - Cam WardThat's a...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning

Top 10 NHL Coaches of 2008-2009

By Grant Beery | April 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

With most of the news about NHL coaches focusing on firings, people tend to overlook the guys who are actually doing well for their teams. Here's a list of the top ten head coaches of 2008-2009 and what they're doing for their teams. 10. Ken Hitchcock, Columbus Blue JacketsHitch is on pace to be the very first coach to lead the Blue Jackets in to the playoffs. With a Stanley Cup under his belt from Dallas, he's certainly got experience. After a losing season in 07-08, Hitchcock is doing much better this year with a 40-29-8 record so far. During the offseason, he signed a 3 year extension with Columbus and earned his 500th win as a coach in February. 9. Joel Quenneville, Chicago BlackhawksJoel Quenneville seems like a perfect fit in Chicago. He's taken a team that is the youngest in the league and has lead them through a...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

Top 10 Nice Guys of the NHL

By Grant Beery | March 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Last week, I brought you the black sheep of the NHL. This week, to give both sides a fair shake, I'm going to show you the nicest fellas ever to play the game.10. Alexander OvechkinOvechkin is probably the one player that enjoys playing the most. With every goal he scores he shows sheer excitement in his celebration. At the most recent All-Star Game, Ovechkin took the opportunity to have fun and put on a show for the crowd. While some have criticized Alex's casual attitude as showboating, it's really just a player enjoying his time in the NHL.9. Mark MessierPlaying 25 years in the NHL and the last active WHA player, Messier exemplified an older style of hockey. One of the most accomplished players in the league as well, Messier won 6 Stanley Cups and is the only professional athlete to be the captain of two different championship teams.Off the...Read more

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: NHL

MVN: Most Valuable Network