Canucks still sit in 7th spot / Pat Burns is one tough S.O.B.
Losses by the Blue Jackets, Avalanche and Ducks tonight have provided the Canucks with some fortune. They still barely hold on to 7th spot. That's insane considering that they have lost 6 games in a row and collected only 2 of a possible 12 points in those games. From what I can recall, some of this fortune is a combo of the Canucks having a 12-6-2 record before Luongo was injured and the "barely treading water" 10-12-3 record while Luongo was injured. It is also a testament to the teams holding the 5th-12th spots in the West, and how average they have been. Yes, the Canucks still have life. Yes, they are slowly improving.
The concerning issue right now is that every team just behind the Canucks (minus the 9th place Ducks) has 1, 2 or 3 games in hand on them. Yet not one of them looks poised to make any major use of those games in hand. The Wild are sans Gaborik, the Jackets are/were riding a hot goalie in Steve Mason, the Stars have struggled with consistency (even though they shouldn't be) and the Avalanche are riddled with injuries as well.
The Flames are going to be awfully tough to catch down the stretch as they aren't showing many signs of slowing down. Nice shootout goal by Bertuzzi tonight to clinch the win.
The fact that the Oilers are doing as well as they are doesn't surprise me. The fact that they struggled so mightily earlier in the season did. But with Roloson playing as well as he is, Eric Cole coming alive finally, and the strong return of the enigmatic Ales Hemsky, the Coilers look to be in good shape.
Back to the Canucks. Yes I am feeling more and more optimistic about this bunch. They keep looking better and better. The San Jose game proved they can still play Vigneault's style and I like that. It was also great to see Luongo return to form so quickly.
Some are saying that Luongo should skip the All Star game and rest his groin. From what I've heard from a goaltender/goalie coach is that you don't really want to sit around and rest after returning from a groin injury. It's better to keep playing.
Canucks management is cautioning him.
“It’s a huge, huge honor for a player to be selected to play in the all-star game and we certainly do not want to deprive Roberto -- or any player -- of that honor,” Canuck assistant general manager Laurence Gilman explained late Wednesday. “It’s a matter of weighing what’s in the best interest of the team and Roberto. Ultimately, the decision is his.”If he aggravates his groin at the All Star weekend festivities I swear I'll toss myself off a bridge into a river with weights tied to my feet.
Word is that Mats Sundin will spend the week off in Vancouver and continue working out. That is a good show of dedication on his part. He simply has not found his groove yet for the most part. He will. Should we call Doug Gilmour or Alex Mogilny out of retirement? Let's re-unite the Sundin-Roberts-Mogilny line! I kid. But that was a good line for the Leafs a few years back.
And speaking of the Leafs, I want to wish former Leafs coach Pat Burns nothing but success in is latest bout with lung cancer. The guy is like John Wayne. If anyone can get through this, Burns can. He is such a strong person, as John Torterella alluded to today.
Burns is one of my fave all-time coaches. Is this guy tough or what? See below. Listen closely to this tantrum by Burns...
Here is another rant by Burns. You gotta love his spirit.
Labels: cancer, Canucks, Pat Burns, standings, Western Conference
6 Comments:
I see 11 teams that will compete for the playoffs. The bottom 4 I see missin, and droppin off as the games get tighter.
Then Phoenix and Edmonton I see also droppin a bit. Both are young and fragile, and I see defensive troubles coupled with to little offensive depth to compete for more than 8th.
Mark my words, Vancouver will be right there at the end for the NW title. Calgary is good, but not great. Honestly, I was listenin to 1040 today, and I felt like screaming. I'm not sure what it is about some Vancouver fans, but some of the callers are SO stupid that it boggles the mind.
It must be the same people that yell "shoooootttttt" whenever Vancouver is on the attack with a PP :)
"Trade Sedins, trade Ohlund (NTC dumb-asses) and even trade Sundin for whatever!!!
Ahh, whatever. Theres some knowledgable fans out here also, and we have to jsut wade through the shit to find each other. No different than anywhere else I suppose.
And finally, this all-star break is killer. No hockey makes me have to do other stuff.
Zandberg: how about posting The Eastern Conference standings also. I'm just wondering how things look on that side:)
Billy: absolutely on almost all your points. Unless the Oilers get riddled with injuries I don't see them falling apart. But they are brittle indeed.
Jimbuff: No way! I don't want to give you any bragging rights! The Bruins look a little average lately don't they? Watch them lose 20 of their last 30...haha
Not as hot as they have been but they are still 14-3-1 in their last 18 - average for them I guess but pretty damn good seeing as they are beat up and playing half the farm! Great to have depth!
The Bruins are going to shi'ite the bed anytime now. It'll be a classic case of an All-Star break wreaking havoc with their mojo!
Personally I am 100% for the B's coming out on top in the East. Better than the frickin Habs or Pens!
I have been a bit of a Bruins supporter for years now. Since the Andy Moog-Neeley-Bourque-Janney days anyways. Hell even the Bruins teams in the 70's were my faves.
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