"Jeff Skinner was jittery, Chad LaRose was heavy legged, and Tuomo Ruutu couldn't get his feet moving. Carolina Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice expected his team might be slow and sloppy Tuesday in their first preseason game. The Canes were just that as the Florida Panthers jumped to an early 3-0 lead and won 4-1 at the RBC Center. "Both teams beat the puck up pretty good," Maurice said. "There were not a lot of smooth, creative plays." Not by the Canes. Patrick O'Sullivan and Anton Babchuk teamed up on a two-on-one shorthanded rush early in the second period that ended with Babchuk scoring, but the rest was choppy and the play uneven for Carolina. After three rugged days of training camp, the Canes were taking a long look at such young players as centers Skinner, Zac Dalpe, Riley Nash and Jon Matsumoto. The four are competing for the opening at third-line center, and this was the first test. "There were a lot of nerves," Maurice said. "It was a really quiet locker room before the game. Some guys battled a little bit, and some guys have some work to do. "But that's what these games are all about. What we expect to see is our younger players trying to compete for a job find a comfort level soon." Skinner, Carolina's first-round draft pick this year, signed his entry-level contract earlier Tuesday and was making his Hurricanes debut. Skinner rarely seems to lose his smile, but there was not one after his first professional game. "I didn't think I was very good out there," said Skinner, who had two shots on goal and lost 15 of 20 faceoffs. "Maybe it was the jitters, and maybe it was an off night. "Obviously, guys are new and haven't played together much. Maybe squeezing the sticks a bit tight. Hopefully next game will be better." But veterans such as LaRose and Ruutu could say the same. O'Sullivan, a free agent signed last week, may have been the steadiest forward for the Canes." http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/22/695489/canes-drop-preseason-opener-to.html
