Storm Warning!

If you live in the southern U.S. like I do, it is not uncommon to hear the sirens blaring, issuing a storm warning, an indication that a tornado is passing through.  And having got caught a few times in the torrential rains that accompany it, I have learned to run for cover whenever I hear the alarms.

After the Canes upset 3-0 victory in the Boston Garden on Sunday night, I wonder if the Bruins are sensing a storm is on the way. 

There was former Hurricane Aaron Ward saying in-between periods, "we just have to play our game."  The funny thing was, that's exactly what they were trying to do. The only problem was,  the Canes wouldn't let them. Gone were the bad decisions and forced turnovers that plagued them in game one and replacing them were hard work, energy, and heady plays. 

There was a lot to feel good about in this game if you're a Canes fan. A couple of "Mo" tweaks made the offence more-balanced. Jussi Jokinen moved up to the third line and made that unit more effective. Welcome back, Erik Cole and Matt Cullen!  We’ve missed you guys out there.  Did you see Cole battling with Zdeno Chara, making room for his buddy, Eric Staal, to gain some time-and-space to work his magic and then, working the boards to set-up Staal for his behind-the-net perfect pass on Joe Corvo's blast. All Cullen did was rip a shorty past a startled Tim Thomas, on a beautiful feed from Chad Larose, giving the Canes some much-needed insurance at a critical juncture in the game.  

I thought the defence as a group was rock solid.  Joni Pitkanan was a horse, logging his usual big minutes, and his partner on this night, Dennis Seidenberg, seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. Good to see Nick Wallin was quietly going about his business, virtually error free. 

And what more can be said about the work of Cam Ward?  He has proven to be everything that Paul Maurice said he was.  "I'll take Cam over any other goalie in the league."  And it's easy to see why Canes goalie coach, Tom Barasso, beams with pride anytime Cam talks about how Barasso has helped him improve his game. You can definitely see Tom's influence in Cam's overall game. He's a more complete goalie now. As we've seen in past play-offs, Cam is at his best under pressure, a cool customer with the right skill and attitude to be the difference in a series. 

Make no mistake about it, this Canes team is for real. They beat themselves in game one but learned quickly from their mistakes and righted the ship in game two. Their resiliency never ceases to amaze me. All signs indicate this will be a long, tough series for the Bruins. 

And, in case the Bruins didn’t hear the alarm, you might want to warn them. 

They are heading right into  "the eye of the storm.”