It's official people-everyone loves Raymond! Everyone's favorite mighty mite (or munchkin) notched two goals and that was all the Canes would need to hold on for a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. By the way, this puts the Canes at over .500 in 2010! Whoop whoop! Tonight was a fairly decent game for the entire team once they stopped the endless procession to the penalty box. 9 first period penalties including 2 fighting majors (TKO who is still "0 for" in his career and Ruutu) isn't going to get you a win very often. Overall discipline needs to be better no matter what the other team is trying to pull because at some point the opponent is going to capitalize on those freebie chances.
The Six Pack of Rats played with passion and heart which is all you can really ask for at this point in the season. Rod had an assist on the first Whitney goal and A.Ward had one on the second so that's a step in the right direction.
Major props goes to our Campion Wardolie for stopping 29 out of 30 shots while his team managed to only get 20 on Peter Budaj. That's another thing that needs to get fixed and quickly. In the past 4 games, they've only averaged around 23 SOG and have gotten out shot in every single one. That's asking for too much from your defense and goalie. Please guys, shoot the puck. Just do it.
Insane props goes to the Wizard for scoring quite possibly the most beautiful goal of the season:
Holy crap Ray. I didn't even know you still had moves like that (and apparently neither did Colorado)! Keep it up little man.
Ok so as is the case with just about anything, and especially the Canes this season, every yin has a yang. Tonight's yang? Tuomo Ruutu. After sticking up for himself against Darcy Tucker early in the first period, the fabulous Finn left the game with an upper body injury. From the sound of things he'll be out a while. I hope he's back sooner rather than later because we are running out of Rats up there in Albany. Jeff Daniels must just cringe everytime the phone rings.
Ok one last thing before we call it a night. The Emperor got into a fight tonight (yeah I know-NOT THE FACE) and things didn't really...well they didn't go as well as he had probably hoped:
Oh Timmy, maybe next time you could just pull your arms in and slip out of your jersey? You're a tough man no doubt about it, but it's hard to take you seriously when your look is less snarl and more...
Thanks to Jenniwa30 for pointing out the likeness. The Canes have one day to enjoy their win and heal any minor bumps and bruises before Ottawa and the newly engaged Mike Fisher come to town. Let's make it 3 wins in four games eh?