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Cam Ward Recalled

ThinIce

ThinIce

Well-known member
From the Canes:

RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has recalled goaltender Cam Ward from the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Ward, 29, was 1-1 with a 2.02 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in two AHL games for the Checkers during his conditioning stint. The Saskatoon, Sask., native has missed the Hurricanes’ last 14 games due to a lower-body injury and the conditioning assignment. Prior to the injury, Ward (6’1”, 185 lbs.) had posted a 6-7-5 record, a 3.15 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage in 19 games with Carolina this season. He is the Hurricanes franchise’s all-time leader in games played by a goaltender (450), wins (220) and shutouts (21). The Hurricanes drafted Ward in the first round, 25th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
 
Ward needs to get at least one game. Now, whether the Canes need him in goal is another question. What we don't need is a Ward with low confidence and he needs to shake the rust off. I wonder if a pre-plan to play them both for certain periods, say, Cam in each 2nd period or to start each 1st with the understanding that Anton gets the other periods. I expect that would have to be flexible in case one of them has a meltdown. We are going to have Cam Ward in the lineup, that's a given and he has to get some time in net.
 
Yeah ... let's just figure Cam gets a go at one of these three games before the break. Maybe Florida on Friday. As badly as they need these points, I doubt he'll get more than one of these three.
 
If I were coach, I'd watch cward in practice and if he looked sharp he'd start against mos teams.
 
jeffbear said:
Yeah ... let's just figure Cam gets a go at one of these three games before the break. Maybe Florida on Friday. As badly as they need these points, I doubt he'll get more than one of these three.
Click to expand...

Quite a few new reports out of Buffalo that the new management wants to move Ryan Miller and they are not sold on Enroth as the starter once Miller is traded. In all due respect to Cam, I think a fresh start somewhere else is what he really needs for himself to play out those last two years of his contract. Buffalo has a sweet pool of young prospects and draft picks, one of those young blueliners sure would look good in Carolina.
 
AH makes a good point. If Ward does get a start, say against FLA, then he's on a very very short leash. Let in a weak goal early in the 1st and he's yanked right away. Right now Ward = Peters, until he can prove otherwise.
 
I wouldn't put Cam on that short a leash. He'll be watched and evaluated in practice. Heck, as rusty as he must be a bad let-in would almost be expected and we'd have to hope it would motivate him. If he's yanked so quickly it'd be like saying, "we knew you were terrible...". Cam deserves better, remember all the times he stood on his head and either got a win or kept us from getting skunked. As much as we need the points for a W, we need Cam to be able to play through and at least have a good chance to get back into form. Hell, look at all the chances Peters was given when he laid an egg.

I/we honestly don't quite know Muller's view of Cam but we do pretty much know how he is seen by JR - and that's in rather high esteem.

Oh, it would be a hoot to watch Cam shutout his former coach's team.
 
I don't think anyone is ready to hand Ward playing time, but you do need to play the backup goalie, especially when your current 'starter' hasn't ever played in more than 14 NHL games in a season. I would continue to ride Khudobin as the #1 as long as he is getting the job done. But we should be playing Cam definitely once in these final 3 games and probably at least every 4th game when they return from the break.

If Khudobin plays like a #1 the rest of the way and Cam only starts every 4th or 5th game then so be it. Cam will have to earn those 4th and 5th game starts too. If he sucks when he plays then its going to be every 6th, 7th or 8th game if Khudobin is still getting it done. If Khudobin continues this great run and Cam looks great in his occasional starts then great, we have 2 goalies we can use and maybe we lighten some of Khudobin's workload more.
 
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