Thursday Thoughts: Trading Players, Blows and Dance Moves
It’s been a week of hard work for the lunch pail men of the mighty Carolina Hurricanes. While it may not show completely in the box scores or divisional standings, the team has made lots of good forward progress. Here are some current happenings and some of my thoughts for the week:
- Trading Places:
First up, we bring you news of a trade. Wednesday evening, the Carolina Hurricanes announced Jon Matsumoto and Mattias Lindstrom of the Charlotte Checkers were traded to the Florida Panther’s organization. In return, the Hurricanes picked up Evgenii Dadonov (Chuck Kaiton will have fun with that one!) and A.J. Jenks from Florida’s AHL affiliate the San Antonio Rampage. If Dadonov’s name sounds familiar, you may recall seeing him in Raleigh as a rookie representing the Panthers in the 2011 NHL All Star Game. He also played in the Canes / Panthers contest in Raleigh last November, a game mostly known for being Coach Muller’s NHL debut.
I don’t know that much about Dadonov or Jenks, but more information on their stats and history can be found here on the official Hurricanes website. I am not sure what this trade means for the Hurricanes yet. I have heard buzzing around the twittersphere that Dadonov was asking for a trade, but I have found not any confirmation on that. The Checkers lose their leader in points and assists, a fan favorite and good guy. We wish you the best of luck from Cardiac Cane “Matsy.” At least he’s going to a team with a dancing goalie.
(Granted he’s no Bobby Goepfert).
- Brotherhood of Justice:
Although the boys came away with a loss to Pittsburgh Tuesday in a shootout, the game had so much more meaning to it. The team was really clicking with chemistry and timing, and the boys looked like a cohesive unit. But the most noticeable thing was the spirit of brotherhood by the men on the ice. I was not able to see the beginning of the contest but I know that Tim Gleason and Deryk Engelland exchanged some blows in the first period. Being that Gleason is known for his fighting prowess, and Irish, this was not surprising.
We all saw the gut-wrenching hit on Jeffrey Skinner by Brooks Orpik, a man whose popularity in “the 919” lessens every year. Bryan Allen attempted to engage Orpik to pay for hitting Jeffrey, but Orpik would not drop the gloves.Things continued to get chippy throughout the game and Tim Brent finally had enough. Skinner had been hit; guys were getting a little too liberal in the crease, and a shot was taken at Cam Ward after his mask had been removed. Tim Brent swiftly crosschecked Joe Vitale, issued an invitation and filled his dance card for that round. He then filled Vitale’s face with fists of fury. Are you doing a double-take and reading that again? Yes I did say Tim Brent. Not exactly your resident pugilist.
And that is what made that fight meaningful. It wasn’t staged. It wasn’t goon vs. goon. It was a good, clean player who got sick of his opponents kicking around his brothers who decided to drop the gloves and send a message. I can’t think of any other sport that has this kind of brotherhood. You see occasional flashy goal celebrations, but the majority of moments are men playing as a team, celebrating as a team and sticking up for each other like family. That’s what makes hockey and the Carolina Hurricanes so special.
Tough, resilient and witty to boot. Those are the fellas I love. But next time Tim Brent gets in a fight, I suggest every one else yells in unison with me; “NOT IN THE FACE! NOT IN THE FACE!” Have a great Thursday Caniacs! Rest up for tomorrow because Ovi and company will be back in town.
Thanks for stopping by! Thoughts on the brotherhood? Bobby Goepfert’s dance moves? Leave us a comment. Head over to our Facebook page at CardiacCane and give us a like! Also, be sure to follow our merry band of Cardiac Cane writers at: @CardiacCaneFS, @Esbee92, @peacelovepuck , @caniac176 and @southerndraw