Jackson Blake Scores His First NHL Goal -- Coach Berry Weighs In

On Tuesday night, another former UND hockey player scored his first NHL goal. Caroline Hurricanes forward Jackson Blakes's goal helped the Hurricanes defeat the New Jersey 4-2. At the 10:16 mark of the third period, Blake scored the game-winning goal. It didn't take Blake long to score his first NHL goal in his third career game, and 106:18 into his second season. 

Here's what his former coach had to say about his first NHL goal. 

"I gotta be honest; reading what was going on, I don't think they were giving him a great chance to make that Carolina hurricane team, UND head coach Brad Berry said. "I think he was pegged to be in the minors right away and work his way up. That tells you what Jackson Blake is as far as what he did for a body of work here, being relentless, being a guy that was one of our best, if not our best player, every day, coming on the ice and for me as a coach, then it's worth it.

"When you leave North Dakota, which has a lot of things going on here, you want to make sure they have an opportunity for themselves to make the big club instead of toiling in the minors for years. For Jackson Blake, he got there. He has to stay there. He has to continue to earn it to be that everyday NHL player; many of our guys have done that just because they know their humility and what it takes to earn it every day."

Here's what his teammates had to say. 

"Every day I think I just get more comfortable," Blake said after the game during the post-game media scrum. "I'm realizing that I think I belong here in this league, and I've got to show it every night. I think every day is a tryout. I felt comfortable tonight and I think I'm just going to continue to feel that."

"It's awesome. Everyone's going to remember your first goal. Like Roddy said, we might not remember this game, but Blaker will for the rest of his life," Shayne Gostisbehere said. "For him and his family, it's all the hard work everyone put in to help get him to that point. Getting the game-winning goal is pretty cool, too."

Enjoy that first @NHL goal feeling, Jackson Blake!! pic.twitter.com/TdnYdN8xH0

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 16, 2024

Brad Malone Will Not Be Suspended for Hit on Nick Foligno

Last night, at the 14:55 mark of the third period, former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone laid this hit on Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets captain was injured on the play and has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.  Foligno will not be available for Saturday's game.

Further inflaming the matter for some fans, Malone will not be suspended for the hit. I looked at the hit last night, and I don't know. That was a tough call to make.

Everyone's favorite Blue Jacket Brandon Dubinsky would later challenge Malone for his hit on Foligno.

For those keeping track at home. Malone has now been in five NHL fights this season. That's good for 10th in the NHL. (Hockeyfights.com) It wasn't much of a fight, and it was ruled a draw.



To make matters more interesting, the two teams play again tonight. There could be some fireworks.

#CBJ Dubinsky: "I'm pretty sure that was a head hit. I'm pretty sure it was dirty. (Foligno) is not feeling too good right now."

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 9, 2016

(Video) Jordin Tootoo vs Brad Malone

If you're a third or fourth player line in the NHL, you will do anything to stay in the lineup. I just hope that former UND Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone is ok. By the way, Malone scored Carolina's only goal of the night.

Brad Malone vs Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone isn't afraid to drop the gloves when the need arises. In this fight, he pummels Flyers forward  Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. I must say that I am impressed with Malones fighting prowess.

Hockey fights scored the fight a victory for Malone. Since the 2012-13 season, Malone has been in 11 NHL fights. You can view Malone's fight card on this link.

This season, Malone has played in 13 games and scored (1g-3a--4pts).

Carolina Hurricanes: Brad Malone Scores on the Penalty Shot (Video)

Former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone scored his fifth goal of the season with this beauty on the penalty shot. In 39 games this season, Malone has scored (5g-3a--8pts).

HIGHLIGHT: @Bmalone22 draws a penalty shot and scores for the #Canes last night --> WATCH: http://t.co/HJXh2W8gmc pic.twitter.com/G7E3RMD1bz
— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 4, 2015

Brandon Prust vs Brad Malone

If you're a fan of the hockey fight, this good fight. Montreal Candiens forward Brandon Prust drops the mitts and squares off with former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone. I can't say that Malone learned to do that at UND.

Sweet Matt Read Goal

Check out this sweet goal by former BSU Beavers and current Philadelphia Flyers forward Matt Read. That was Read's 11th goal of the season and it broke a 1-1 tie. The Flyers would score again, seven seconds later, when Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara would basically shoot the puck into his own net, to chase Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin.

Time for the NHL to go to the hybrid icing like the NCAA

Time for the NHL to reconsider their stance on the touch up icing. This could be prevented if the NHL adopts the Hybrid Icing, like the NCAA currently has. I think it's a no-brainier. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen hits leg first into the end boards racing for the puck, Pitkanen is then taken off the ice on a stretcher.

(Video) Patrice Bergeron and Jeff Skinner dust-up

This is why Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was tied up with Carolina forward Jeff Skinner at the end of last night's game. You can see by the video that Bergeron was slew footed by Skinner behind the Bruins net. This was what Brad Marchand was suspended for last season.

Marchand: "Skinner slew foots all the time." Said he and Bergeron talked about it before the game. So there you go. #Bruins #Hurricanes
— DJ Bean (@DJ_Bean) January 29, 2013

Related articles

• Jeff Skinner's Questionable Slew-Foot Sends Patrice Bergeron Into Frenzy (Video) (nesn.com)
• Brad Marchand: Jeff Skinner 'Slew-Foots All the Time,' Says Skinner's Slew-Foot on Patrice Bergeron Was 'Very Blatant' (nesn.com)
• Patrice Bergeron Tries To Fight Jeff Skinner After Two Get Tangled Late In Third Period (boston.cbslocal.com)

Dan Carcillo suspended for two games...

Ironicall, this is the first time that Chicago forward Dan aka "Car Bomb"Carcillo  has never been suspended by the National Hockey League for an "illegal hit" during his NHL career. It seems like the 2 game suspension is a standard suspension NHL nowadays.

Jay Harrison vs Zdeno Chara

This doesn't require a lot of narration. The Boston Bruins lost their cool tonight, and then lost the game 4-1. There is a time and a place for the rough stuff but the Bruins so concentrate on playing hockey first. So far I have been less than impressed with the Bruins play, there is only one word that I can use to describe the defending Stanley Cup champions play, "unacceptable." The Boston Bruins are currently 2-4 and sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

The silly season is in full swing. Justin Faulk leaves Duluth

"To the victor go the spoils." Justin Faulk is gone at UMD... While no one wants to see players leave early, this is the reality when you recruit blue chip players, sometimes these players develop quickly or these players are already great studs when they show up at prospective teams. I still think you have to recruit these types of players if you can get them, even if they are only going to stay 1-3 seasons. With how successful the WCHA has been this season, I think we all know that there could be a lot of early departures this season.

RALEIGH, NC – Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Justin Faulk on a three-year, entry-level contract. Beginning with the 2011-12 season, the contract will pay Faulk an average of $750,000 per season at the NHL level or $67,500 per season at the minor-league level. Faulk will receive a $270,000 signing bonus as a part of the contract, and will immediately join the Hurricanes’ top minor-league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL), for the Calder Cup playoffs.

Matt Niskanen hit on Eric Staal

Check out this hit by former UMD Bulldog Matt Niskanen on Carolina Hurricane Eric Staal. There was no penalty called on the play and Eric Staal suffered an upper-body injury on the play and will not play against the Montreal Canadians tonight. According to the rules this is not a violation of the NHL's Rule 48.

Canes Sign Riley Nash to Entry-Level Contract

The Coming Down the Pipe blog correctly predicted that former Cornell Big Red Star Riley Nash wouldn't be an Edmonton Oiler when Guy Flaming said, "Edmonton supporters might be best to prepare themselves for the possibility that Nash might never be seen wearing the orange and blue." That prediction was finally realized today when Nash decided to forgo his finally year of college eligibility to sign with the Hurricanes. Nash was traded to Carolina Hurricanes on June 26th, 2010. It also appears that Nash was ready to sign a professional contract if it wasn't the Edmonton Oilers.

RALEIGH, NC – Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed center Riley Nash to a three-year, entry-level contract. At the NHL level, the deal will pay Nash $550,000 in 2010-11, $600,000 in 2011-12, and $700,000 in 2012-13. He will be paid $65,000 on the AHL level in all three seasons, and receives a signing bonus of $262,500.

“Riley has excellent playmaking ability from the center position, and was a consistent point-producer at Cornell,” said Karmanos. “He'll have an opportunity during training camp to earn a spot on our NHL roster.”

Nash, 21, completed his third season at Cornell University in 2009-10, scoring 12 goals and earning 23 assists (35 points) in 30 games. The Consort, Alb., native led Cornell in assists, and ranked tied for second on the team in scoring. In three seasons with the Big Red, Nash (6’1”, 191 lbs.) has scored 37 goals and earned 65 assists (102 points) in 102 collegiate games. Originally selected by Edmonton in the first round, 21st overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Carolina acquired Nash on June 26, in exchange for Ottawa’s second-round pick, 46th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Check out this blog post from Copper and Blue. Just for the record I don't think Riley Nash is overrated, if anything the Hurricanes got him pretty cheap. I can also see why Oliers fans might be upset with Nash as well.

News today that reluctant would-never-have-been Oiler Riley Nash has signed with the Carolina Hurricanes with an extremely modest entry-level contract the team has actually released details of.

Well. It's good to know that he was totally staying in Cornell because he cares about school and because the Oilers were offering him an unfavourable contract. Because leaving school early to sign a typical second-round entry-level deal right after being traded would make him look like a bit of a tool.

Mind you, I also think Nash is hilariously overrated as a prospect, so I can be sarcastic. I think the Oilers were wrong to draft him and right to be rid of him.