Canuck players defend Vigneault / news links

You won't catch any players bad-mouthing Alain Vigneault's system in these tough times. When asked if AV was to blame Alex Burrows belted out:

"I think it's completely, bull****," said Burrows.
"We've lost seven or eight in a row, but he's not the problem. We've been in some different games where we've had penalty trouble, some other games we haven't been able to score, some others we couldn't keep the puck out of our net. So he's not the problem. He's not why we're losing. We just have to go back to work just like we did today and . . . get ready for Saturday and have a good game against the Wild."

Bernier chimed in:

"We all know it's the players on the ice who are doing the job," said Bernier.
"It's a good system. We just need to follow it. If we do it, we'll be back to where we were before these struggles. It's not the coach's fault. Sometimes you try to do somebody's job, and that's where you get caught. It's the same system we were winning with at the start of the season."

The anger from the fans and the rumors don't affect Ryan Kesler.

"I don't order the paper, I don't listen to the radio, and I don't watch TV, so it's not affecting me at all," said Kesler

. More at the Province.Hey this coach-defending is cute and all, and I think the players are going to do their best to come together. But if they don't succeed, the coach usually gets the axe.

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Some arenas have questionable rules in regards to taking pictures. For example, you can snap pics at a Canucks game but you can't have a superzoom lens. I almost had my camera confiscated at a Prince George Cougars game because I wasn't allowed to take pictures AT ALL. Suckers.
Earlier this month, a 17 year old volunteer at an Ontario arena was banned from the building after taking pictures of Don Cherry and talking to him. He is hoping Grapes will say something about it on Coach's Corner.

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Does Columbus' Mike Commodore know when to shut up? First he bad-mouths Mike Babcock and now Senator's GM Bryan Murray, who he played for in Ottawa.

"Bryan Murray said some things to the media that he shouldn't have," Commodore told the Dispatch in Columbus. "I'd have a meeting with him and he'd end up saying things to the media that he wouldn't say to my face.
I'm struggling, the team's struggling, and Bryan's telling the media that I'm a player with no hands and no ability. Then they'd come to me and I'd have to spin it somehow, or try to laugh it off."

Oh, but there's more.Way to start burning bridges, you idiot.

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Old news: Unlike his bald buddy from Sweden, Peter Forsberg has made it clear that he will not play in the NHL this season due to his nagging foot injury. He will play for Modo instead. Actually, he signed there today.

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From the Toronto Sun:

Several weeks ago, Brian Burke described the trade offers being presented to the Maple Leafs as "garbage."

That is not the case any more.

The Maple Leafs general manager admitted last night that talks are "heating up" as the March 4 trade deadline looms closer.

"I've had a couple of interesting calls in the past 48 hours," Burke said. "The talks are not boiling. And I would not say anything is imminent. But things definitely are heating up right now."

I wonder if Mike Gillis is one of the guys doing some inquiring. He may as well bring in Antropov and Ponikarovsky so Sundin has linemates that he can gel with. Send Bernier and Bieksa the other way. Did I say hat out loud? I'm kidding. We don't need Antro-karovsky here.

T Tags: Canucks+defend+Vigneault Mike+Commodore+bashes+Bryan+Murray jackass Brian+Burke Leafs+trade+talks Don+Cherry