Niclas Wallin News

It will be four or five years before we know how the Carolina Hurricanes did in the draft last weekend, although they deserve credit for breaking new ground, by their standards, in terms of location and philosophy .

The Penguins led the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1, after the first period of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final tonight at RBC Center.

There's no escaping the cruel reality that they're dead men skating, but at least the Carolina Hurricanes had an opportunity Sunday and part of Monday to leave their anguish at the office.

Ruutu, Cole are question marks Niclas Wallin, left, checks on teammate Erik Cole afer the Carolina winger was injured in a collision with Matt Cooke during the third period of Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Mike Prisuta is a sports columnist for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7923. There's Stanley Cup experience, and then there's Stanley Cup experience.

Sometimes things have a way of working out. You had your festive Celtics evening up there, where a good time was surely had by all.

RALEIGH a ' The Carolina Hurricanes' overtime hero, Jussi Jokinen, scored yet another big game-winning goal.

REUTERS/Ellen Ozier) Carolina seems an unlikely place to be storing weapons of mass destruction.

RALEIGH a ' Just like that, the Hurricanes scored a pair of quick goals near the end of the second period to take a 2-1 lead over the Boston Bruins.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward makes a save as Niclas Wallin and Boston Bruins' Mark Recchi look on during the third period in Game 2 in Boston.

The eight teams that won their first-round series didn't all have home-ice advantage, but they generally took advantage of their home games.

It started with a puddle. Eight years have passed since the puck skidded in a wet patch of the newly resurfaced ice less than a minute into overtime, forcing Sami Kapanen to double-clutch on his shot, giving Rod Brind'Amour time to get to the net, freezing the defense and goalie in place.

The great ones play hurt and Chuck Kaiton played through the closing moments of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Tuesday with phlegm in his lungs and throat.

Devils right winger David Clarkson battles with Carolina's Niclas Wallin in Thursday night's fifth game of their playoff series.

The exhilaration of winning a Stanley Cup playoff game with an overtime goal didn't last long for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason.

The third intermission and the fourth period in hockey are rare creatures that exist only in the Stanley Cup playoffs, yet they have proven as comfortable to the Carolina Hurricanes as a well-worn pair of shoes.

Niclas Wallin earned his 'secret weapon' nickname by scoring overtime goals in the playoffs a ' three, tied for the most in NHL history by a defenseman.

The Carolina Hurricanes ' chance to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs seemed to have slipped away after two late-season losses.

Hurricanes forward Eric Staal reacts after Tim Gleason's game-winning overtime goal over the Devils in Game 2 Friday night at the Prudential Center.

Brendan Shanahan warms up before Game 1 of the Devils' first-round playoffs series.