Wild 4 Canucks 3: This ain't good, but it's getting better

PERIOD 1

Turnovers.
Fragility.
Team tentativeness.
Aggressive play but being penalized for it.
Boo'd all over the ice.
That was period 1, as the Wild lead 2-0.
Kyle Clutterbuck got under the Canucks' skin. What a pain in the ass he is.

You can see the difference between the 2 teams. The Wild lost to the Oilers last night, yet they waltz into GM Place and play a really confident and loose first period. The Canucks are forcing every play.
I'd have to give the Sedin-Pyatt line some props in period 1. They were pretty solid.

PERIOD 2
Well, then Clutterbuck (I call him Clusterfuck) gets too aggressive and takes a boarding major on Alex Burrows. Game misconduct. The Canucks took over the momentum from that point. The Canucks had over 7 shots on the 5 minute PP but scored not.
Ryan Kesler had to crash through Niklas Backstrom to cut the Wild lead to 2-1.
When the Wild started putting on pressure, Luongo made a massive blocker save on Bouchard. That looked like Kiprussoff's save from yesterday. Wow.
Canucks outshot the Wild 13-7 in that period. They looked a lot better.
It's going to be tough to beat the Wild's trap. But it's not impossible.

PERIOD 3 and OT
The Canucks just kept coming. They wouldn't let up on the Wild at all. Yet Minnesota played their trapping style and prevailed. But not by much. Kesler tied the game with 15 seconds left after roofing a shot over Backstrom. But a Dank Sedin received a marginal hooking call in OT and MA Bergeron made the Canucks pay. When I say marginal, I mean that Sedin was trying to poke the puck to his brother who was still in the Wild zone. The Wild player did a 180 while falling. Alain Vigneault called it a dive in his post game presser.
Mike Milbury made a good point post game about the Canucks shooting low on Backstrom for most of the night. Backstrom will eat those up on most occasions. Gotta roof that puck more, boys!

MISC

Alain Vigneault sat Mats Sundin on the bench on the 6 on 4 for the Canucks near the end of the game. He stated post game that Sundin has to be better, and he is right. Sundin showed a few flashes tonight but was outplayed by nearly everybody. Eventually he is going to be better. Eventually.

Yeah, the Canucks find ways to lose. I thought they lost this mostly in the first period. They were too tentative and the Wild made them pay, being up 2-0 after 1 period. The Canucks fought back but never had a lead. You can't go down 2-0 like that to the Wild.

As much as Canuck life is stinky right now, I'll take the 1 point in the OT loss.

The penalty kill needs a bit of work. It wasn't terrible, but just not quite there. The Wild scored 2 PP goals tonight. So did Ryan Kesler, actually.

To all of you who bash the trap...I disagree with you. I saw Minny play it tonight and it's excellent. Just get a lead and trap, trap trap. The Wild forced turnovers while trapping and capitalized. Reminds me of how Vancouver played at one time....

The Canucks are "on the cusp of turning it around" as Kelly Hrudey mentioned. It's just too bad that the next 2 games against Carolina and then Chicago are at home. It would be great for them to get out on the road. I'd like to point out that the GM Place crowd sounded a lot better tonight. They picked up the noise level as the Canucks picked up their intensity level. But still, that is a pressure cooker of a place to play in when the team struggles.

We wanted the Canucks to shoot more and they did. 40 shots to the Wild's 27. Damn you, Backstrom!

BOXSCORE and HIGHLIGHTS

T Tags: Canucks+Wild+game+review January+31+2009 Sundin+pressure slump+continues improvement

Demitra unhappy with Vigneault's line juggling

Uh-oh. The coach-killing ensues. From the Province:

Demitra, who is expected to miss his third straight game with a groin injury tonight, expressed his displeasure with the rotating lines.

"Noboby likes that," Demitra said. "When you play with different guys all the time, it's tough.

"This game, it's not easy to score goals anymore and everyone can play hockey so it's hard. When you play with the same guys all the time, it's a much easier game. When I had my best years, I played with the same two guys for like four or five years. I played with (Scott) Mellanby and (Keith) Tkachuk for like five years straight.
"It's an easy game when you play with the same guys all the time."

Demitra is hoping he will play with Mats Sundin again when he's healthy.

Opinion #1
I think most fans would agree with Pavol's displeasure. I think it's a double-edged sword. Vigneault gives playing minutes to those who EARN IT. That involves shuffling lines to bump players up and down. But hypocritically, he won't separate the Sedins, even if they stink it up for a few games. You can't have that double-standard.

Opinion #2
It's almost as if Vigneault is a knee-jerk kind of coach, and maybe needs a little more patience with his lines at times. He looks for instant chemistry. If he finds it he sticks with it. If he finds it and loses it he switches up, most of the time.

Opinion #3
Besides his defence, AV has obviously been the most content with the Sedins and Kesler and Burrows, and I suppose Hordichuk and Johnson. I think it's fair to say that those guys put out more consistently than the rest. But it gets pretty easy to question the work ethic and productivity of the rest. Let's start with the whistle-blower named Demitra. He is streaky at best. He can be a floater. He can be a defensive hazard. Then he can be brilliant. That isn't going to cut it with Vigneault. Pyatt, Bernier, Hansen, Wellwood and Raymond (Sundin gets a pass for now, but not for much longer), have all been great at times yet eventually turn into duds when given the chance with more minutes on a scoring line. Can we fairly blame Vigneault for that? How patient are we expecting AV to be? At what point can we say that those players currently lack the skill at the NHL level and are not top 6 forwards?
Beyond the imbalance of favoritism shown towards the Twins, Kesler and Burrows, which is both fair and unfair at times, I support Vigneault's style. Work hard, get results and you get promoted.

Opinion #4
Now, look at who is doing the coach bashing...Demitra. The guy who isn't even playing right now because **big fucking surprise** he's injured AGAIN. The guy who kissed the ass of his former agent and now Canucks GM Mike Gillis to play here and play here under his own ideals on how the team should be coached. The guy who I should have punched in the mouth when I ran into him in Vancouver 2 months back, rather than slap him on the shoulder. Where is this media leak going to get Demitra? Is he truly speaking for the rest of the team or out of selfish intent? Is this going to make him a revolutionary? The players have already stated week that it isn't AV, it's them who are to step it up.
This isn't what the team needed right now. Or, maybe I'm blind. Maybe this idiot is going to get Vigneault fired. Maybe he's going to talk his sorry ass out of town. Does Pavol have a no-trade clause?
I don't know anymore.
I work in management. If an employee pulled something like this on me there would be repercussions. I would flog this fucker right now. What is he contributing to this team in it's darkest hour? Lip service. And he's getting paid $4 million for it.
It will be interesting to hear Vigneault's response. It will be even more interesting (or possibly heartbreaking) to see what happens if this team doesn't start winning soon.

Keep in mind though, that upper management has went on record this week saying that Alain Vigneault is not going to be fired. Alain Vigneault then threw out an open challenge to his players yesterday, including saying

“Players have been treated real well by this organization,” Vigneault said. “Since Mike (general manager Mike Gillis) has come in here, he’s gone out of his way to make sure they have everything they need. It’s payback time. It’s time to play here. That’s what we expect from them and that’s what we’re going to get tomorrow.”

Looks like all of management is tight in Vancouver doesn't it?
That would leave Demitra with his ass exposed to the world. That would mean that maybe it is he who needs to be dismissed. You can't start a shit storm without having any backup.

Interestingly enough, these comments from Demitra come on heels of meetings held between Gillis/management and each player individually.

T Tags: Pavol+Demitra+unhappy+with+Alain+Vigneault's+coaching+style coach+killer douchebag

Canucks-Wild Preview: God help us all

So we know the various things that are wrong with this slumping Canucks team...
-fragile confidence
-lousy power play
-lousy penalty kills
-mental lapses
-turnovers
-panic attacks
-not playing the coach's system
-not playing a full 60 minutes

So there is isn't really much else to say except for what players will be playing and who won't.

Pavol Demitra will not play against his former team.
Mike Brown will play. We could use the grit.
Kyle Wellwood will play on a line with Jannik Hansen and Steve Bernier.
Mats Sundin will play with Kesler and Burrows, which I think is a great idea. Kesler and Burrows are basically line 2 players anyways.
Mason Raymond is expected to sit out with Shane O'Brien. Strange how 2 of the 3 players involved in the scuffle at practice on Thursday sit out.
Rob Davison will play in O'Brien's stead.

The Wild lost a disappointing game to the Oilers tonight. They will be whipped and drilled by coach Jacques Lemaire's to win their game against Vancouver.

It's tough to look at the Western Conference standings right now. The Canucks have 51 points and are 2 points from a playoff spot. A loss against the Wild will once again put heaps of pressure on the team.
I really don't know what to expect from the Canucks at this point. They are trying to say all the right things in their 7 game slump, but it is all just lip service to me. These next 3 games will be crucial. All 3 are at home, where they are atrocious. They could very well lose all 3, as GM Place is not such a friendly place to play in lately. If they lose the next 3, Alain Vigneault could be fired, OR, the team will go on the road and turn it around.
Doesn't that bother you that the team plays with so much fucking anxiety at GM Place? What does that say about the team? What does that say about the fans? Well, I've had a few drinks so I'll say this: Canucks fans can be the worst fans in the League. Pessimistic. Doomsayers. How about the fans get a little more into it more consistently and cheer the team on? The players can use all the help they can get.

I know the Devils have been rolling lately, so their fans are optimistic. But when they were down with under a minute to go against the Penguins tonight you could hear the fans screaming "Let's go Devils" as the clock winded down. The Devils never quit, tied the game, won in OT, and sent Crosby home crying.
Now THERE is a team that has their shit together. Confidence is everything. Jamie Langenbrunner is everything. Jesus, what a captain he is.
To me, the Devils are the model team. They play Brent Sutter's system so well. Sure they got outshot by (I believe a 43-16 margin) yet they still win. They lose Brodeur long term and still win. When they had chances they made it count. Plus they got breaks. That's what happens to a team that is rolling and has confidence.
Can someone please tell me how Sundin can start off so sluggish after a long layoff yet Brendan Shanahan can return after more time off than Mats, play 5 games, and have 3 goals and 1 assist? Shanahan turned 40 on January 23. He's so clutch. He also is playing with better talent and has a better shot.
Anyways, I'm just ranting. I'm not losing faith in this Canucks team. Why? Because I believe that once they win a game they will turn it around. If they don't win any games, very soon Mike Gillis will do SOMETHING to change it up. All hope is not lost.

T Tags: Canucks+Wild+game+preview slump Devils Shanahan Sundin answersLabels: Canucks, Devils, Game Preview, Mats Sundin, Wild

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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

Put the Wii remote down

Here's a funny clip to cheer all the Nucklehead fans up.


Put Down the Wii Remote - Watch more TV Videos

Full-blown frustration sets in as Mitchell and Raymond square off at Canucks practice

From the Vancouver Sun:

They can't win a game to save their lives, but the Vancouver Canucks have their game faces on at practice today at UBC.

Losers of eight straight home games, the Canucks' tension and frustration boiled over with a practice altercation involving defenceman Willie Mitchell and winger Mason Raymond.

Mitchell ran at Raymond during a drill and, when the speedy sophomore came back at the veteran in the corner, Mitchell punched Raymond in the head and cross-checked him hard on the shoulder. VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT

The fracas drew several players and coaches, and tough defenceman Shane O'Brien skated to Raymond's defence and challenged Mitchell to fight before tempers calmed.

This only adds to speculations that team chemistry is in question, one of many problems that are plaguing the group.
I don't have many further comments or opinions on this depressing mess right now. It's tough to be positive. It's also too bad they couldn't go on a massive road trip to get away from the pressure-packed GM Place. But they have to wait until February 10 for that to happen. In the meantime they play Minnesota, Carolina and Chicago at home.
This could get ugly. At some point a change has to happen if this team cannot turn it around. I just hope that some kind of change happens before they get too far into the hole.

The Sun article also mentions that Mats Sundin was assigned to the Kesler-Burrows checking line. That may just work. There hasn't been much chemistry between Sundin and anyone else lately, except maybe Pavol Demitra, who remains out with a sore groin.

Below is a clip of several fights between teammates in the past. Remember the Probert-Primeau tilt in the Red Wings practice in 1994?





**UPDATE**
Here is some post-practice interviews. The players and coach like the aggression in practice and understand the frustration levels right now.

It appears that Wellwood and O'Brien are going to sit out against the Wild, while Rob Davison and Pavol Demitra will draw back in.

Image above from Vancouver Province

T Tags: Mitchell+Raymond+fight+video Canucks+fighting+at+practice Mason+Raymond Willie+Mitchell Shane O'Brien frustration

Predators 5 Canucks 3

Yes, now the panic button is hit. It shouldn't quite be yet but it is. I watched a lot of the Calgary-Buffalo game and then the Canucks-Preds game and we fail in comparison to the intensity and consistency shown by the Flames.
This loss to the Preds will only intensify the media and fans' pressure on the team and that was the last thing Vancouver needed. There is a lot of hockey left to play, but that is becoming less and less the point.
Tonight so much went wrong.
- Sundin did not perform the way we expected him to. He was useless out there.
- I believe Mason Raymond was benched for the 3rd period or most of it. I say bench him and bring up Jason Jaffray. At least Jaffray has more heart and is more gritty.
- A 3-1 lead blown. So much for the trap.
- I have been a big supporter of Alain Vigneault, but it's ALMOST time for change, whether it be by trade or a coach's firing. This team is not to rebuild this season. It is meant to win.
- I didn't see the desperation needed.
- I hate Kevin Bieksa. He = Jovo 2.

At some time today I'll digest the players and coaches' post game reactions, but keep in mind that I'm not going to sugar coat anything.
This game was a step backward from the Sharks game, and that is not a good thing. Remember, there are no more excuses. This was a team that we had beaten 6 games in a row. We can't lose to teams like Nashville. We are supposed to be better than them.

BOXSCORE AND HIGHLIGHTS

F**k it. This is bull shit.
It's times like these where I believe I picked the right name for this site over 2 years ago. Not only are the Canucks fans waiting for a Cup: they are waiting for a team that they cheer for to be consistent and be successful. There is nothing about this Canucks team right now that suggests that any waiting will soon be over.

Canucks-Predators Preview: Updated all day

I think Elliot Papp from the Vancouver Sun summed up all of our thoughts on the potential post-All Star Break Canucks squad storyline:

Mats Sundin is here. The all-star break is over. Roberto Luongo is back. The schedule isn't bad. The Canucks are almost completely healthy. I don't know about you but I can't find one itty-bitty excuse for this team if it continues its follies of the previous three weeks. The Canucks found every conceivable way in which to lose a game in the last six -- fall behind, catch up and then lose; fall behind and never catch up; take the lead and blow it; lose in regular time; lose in overtime; lose in a shootout. They lost to lousy road teams, lousy power-play teams, teams without their No. 1 goalie, teams with a rookie goalie and teams who pulled their goalie in the last minute. Hands up anyone out there who thought the Canucks would hang on and beat the Sharks last Tuesday. Maybe you hoped but did you really believe??

Let me answer the last 2 questions: I DID think the Canucks would hang on and beat the Sharks 1-0 in regulation and YES I really believed that. It was a game that saw an improved team effort. I've seen them play that kind of 'shutdown' hockey before and I was getting deja-vu.

UPDATE 1
So nearly the worst case scenario happened last night. The Blue Jackets, Wild, Ducks and even the Stars all won their games. That drops the Canucks down to 10th spot in the West I believe. My initial reaction is that this is almost like seeing Cameron Diaz with and then without makeup. But then I settled down and realized that the gap between the Canucks and 5th spot is not as big as Diaz's mouth.
The Canucks will need to start winning right away. This is going to be a battle, and the team seems ready for it.
I was reading somewhere that (the writer feels) that Alain Vigneault may bring back the trap, which is a method that has worked in the past. You saw it against the Sharks and it almost worked. I hope AV does do just that. The players can learn to play defence again and then open up. This team was drawing too many comparisons to the Leafs before the game against San Jose. That isn't a good thing.

UPDATE 2
The Canucks have beat the Predators 3 out of 3 games this season, outscoring them 9-2 in the process.

-The Preds have lost 4 of their last 5 games and only scored 8 goals in the process. They are in the NHL basement in goals for per game.

UPDATE 3: Sundin making strides
From the Vancouver Sun:

At Tuesday’s practice, Mats Sundin didn’t tag along behind Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the first power play, but confidently ran a second unit. The day before, Sundin not only survived the practice-ending conditioning skate, but led it. He had terrific scoring chances the last two games and finished one of them.

It's almost time for Sundin to contribute offensively at a more consistent rate. His time is near.

UPDATE 4: Watch out for Steve Sullivan
From Canucks.com:

Prior to suiting up for his first game of the season on January 10th against the Blackhawks, the 34-year old had not played a game since February 22, 2007 against the Montreal Canadiens when he suffered a back injury that kept him out for 687 days until his recent triumphant return to the lineup. He became only the third player in the post-World War II NHL history to miss over 600 days and then return to action – Jim Peplinski of the Calgary Flames and Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins being the others. Sharks forward Claude Lemieux has since become the fourth player to join that list.

Stevie is not to be underestimated. He is going to light it up at any moment. I hope it's not against the Canucks...

UPDATE 5: Play that funky music
I'm going to try something new for this site. Earlier in the season, I'd have the old Canucks intro tune (U2's Where the Streets Have No Name) playing pre game in the background on this site. From this point forward, if the Canucks win a game I'll post a song right after my post game post gets posted (you dig what I'm sayin'?)
I won't say what tune it is, but it is synonymous with the Canucks. The tune will be turned off sometime around lunch the following day so you don't get too damned annoyed.

UPDATE 6: Flame-out
The Canucks' journey to a playoff spot in the final 34 games in 2-fold. Yes, they have to stay ahead of the clusterf**k in the middle of the West. But they also need to keep pace with the Flames. Yeah, they are 9 points ahead of Vancouver right now but that gap can be closed very quickly if the Flames lose a few and we win a few. In my opinion, I don't see the Flames continuing on at their current torrid pace long term.
It's funny how all the media caught on today to Vancouver dropping to 10th spot last night. Kinda late on that one, boys and girls. Tonight's game is not a must win in general, but it is in the fact that the media is going to hop all over them for losing now that they are in 10th. The team doesn't necessarily need that kind of pressure put on them. Sometimes I wish they were even further down in the standings so that the media would leave them alone or write them off. That would take away some of the spotlight and pressure.
At the same time, these guys are paid to deal with pressure.

GAME TIME: 7:30 PST
TV: TSN

Tech Tags: Canucks+Predators+preview January+28+2009 positivity fear Demitra+injured+ribs

Moose gain star power as Dallas sends Brunnstrom down to Manitoba

Link

Geez, I gotta say, I fell for the hype on Brunnstrom but he just hasn't lived up to it yet. And to think there was a big sweepstakes for Fabian's services last year, and Vancouver was in on it.
He had 10 goals and 4 assists and was a -8 in 31 games for the Stars this season. The Stars are trying to claw their way back into a playoff spot and can't settle for mediocrity.

**UPDATE**
Brunnstrom will play 2 games with the Moose and then rejoin the Stars when they play Columbus on Saturday. He is recovering from a high ankle sprain. So this is more of a conditioning stint.

Tech Tags: Stars+send+Fabian+Brunnstrom+down+to+Manitoba+Moose

Scoreboard watching on Tuesday night

The Canucks can find themselves out of a playoff spot before they even play Nashville on Wednesday if:

-Minnesota beats Toronto on Tuesday night and the Ducks beat the Coyotes or lose in overtime. That would tie the Wild with Vancouver at 51 points with a game in hand. The Ducks would be 2 points ahead with a win or 1 point ahead with the OT loss.
So you had better cheer for the Leafs and Coyotes on Tuesday night, or pray to the Almighty. Whatever floats your boat. C'mon...you can do it. It's for a good cause.

MORE ON THE CANUCKS

Alain Vigneault put the Nucks through somewhat of a rigorous practice on Monday, seeing that none of the guys played except for Luongo. Some of the guys were in Hawaii. Mats Sundin spent some time in Whistler with his fiancee. He didn't skate but worked out.
AV talked about Mats yesterday:

“Obviously this was probably a challenging moment in his career coming in midway through the season,” Vigneault said. “He’s been getting better every day, Today he stepped on the ice and I thought that’s the best he’s looked skating-wise and hands-wise.

“He is a key to our success obviously. He’s a big component and we need him to play well and I think he’s going to rise to the occasion.”

Damned rights he will.

-Pavol Demitra is questionable for Wednesday's game with a sore groin.

---

What did Luongo say to Ovechkin after the All Star Game?

As they shook hands after the All Star Game shootout, where Ovechkin made Luongo look silly, Roberto said something to Alexander. Ovechkin looked a little confused and awkwardly smiled and then skated away. What do you think Louie said? Use your imagination! No censorship here!
(This is what happens when there is too much downtime from Canucks hockey. I get bored.)






I'll start this off.

Luongo: "They call me the Italian Stallion. What do they call you?"
Ovechkin: "Horse killer!"

---

Luongo: "Your teeth distracted me. I couldn't focus on your shootout attempt. Jesus, man, can't find a dentist?"

---

Luongo: "I would have tried harder to stop your shootout attempt, but I didn't want to aggravate my groin."

Ovechkin: "I aggravate your groin some other time then."

---

Tech Tags: Luongo Ovechkin All+Star+Game caption+contest

This is a different Kovalev

THIS Alexei Kovalev and THIS Alexei Kovalev:




.....is a lot different than THIS Alexei Kovalev:




And that folks, is a good thing. Even if he is a stinky Hab. It's good to see AK27 evolve to where he is today as far as integrity goes.

Tech Tags: Alexei+Kovalev 2009+All+Star+Game+MVP evolution maturity Canadiens+hero

Lee Goren smash

Wow. Former Canuck Lee Goren (in white) is seen turning Linkoping's Andreas Pihl face into mashed potatoes. What a bloody massacre. Shouldn't be too surprised here. Lee Goren is from Winnipeg.
The clip of the fight is seen below. Pretty much an ass kicking by Goren.
Yes, I still read Hockeyexpressen. Sometimes it seems the Swedish Elite League is more violent than the NHL.








MORE GOREN

- Goren tribute video, including footage of him playing with Linden, scoring his first goal as a Canuck, and some NHL tilts.

- You gotta see this. A Goren Swedish commercial about local bloggers. He actually drops an F bomb there. I love Sweden!

- The Swedish hockey fans love fighting...and Lee Goren.

Tech Tags: Lee+Goren fights Andreas+Pihl video Goren+stats

2009 NHL Super Skills Competition live coverage

TV: CBC

The panel gets into all the Lecavalier to Montreal BS. It's the big topic lately. But the Lightning are only 8 points from the final playoff spot. They have won 6 of their last 8. I don't see him jumping ship anytime soon, unless Tampa tanks.

Great Ovechkin profile. Alex is saying that he, Backstrom and other Caps players will be sporting a freaky haircut during the playoffs this year but wouldn't elaborate.

Wow, there is a pipe organ being played at center ice right now. The singer has Britney Spears talent.

Luongo is the first All Star to skate onto the ice. A big thrill for him this experience is.

I think JS Giguere and even Sheldon Sourray have had the biggest ovations so far during the introductions. Mark Streit got a rousing ovation as well. But listen to that cheer for Lecavalier! Holy smokes. These guys read the papers too much. The ovation goes on for over 20 seconds.
Fans are loving Ovechkin.
Kaberle gets the boo's. He's the first to get that treatment.
The french love their own, huh? Martin St. Louis gets a great cheer.
Tim Thomas, Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara get boo'd, naturally.
Komisarek, Markov, Kovalev and Price get the home cheers.

On to the skills....

---

SPEED SKATING

Good to see Mason Raymond, who is a participating in the Young Stars game, get a chance to skate with the older players. This is the first time this has been able to happen.
1 lap around the ice.

Zach Parise: 14:59
Jeff Carter: 14.43
Brian Campbell: 14.50
Jay Boumeester: 14.59
Mason Raymond: he slipped...fail.
Andrew Cogliano: 14.31

BREAKAWAY CHALLENGE

This is the one we've been talking about. Let's see what kind of freaky shit these guys can pull off. Fans will do the voting on this one.
So the goalies are punks who are told to basically stay out of the way of the incoming forward. Fair enough. This is all about the forwards anyways.

Patrick Kane: Used the butt of his stick to try score. Players get multiple chances.
His last try was sweet.
My score: 6

Martin St. Louis: Oh wow. What a showing.
My score: 8.5

Ryan Getzlaf: Nice! He pulled off the lacrosse move! But mostly failed at the others.
My score: 7.5

Alex Kovalev: He just banked the puck off his head on the way in! He showed some original stuff indeed.
My score: 8

Steve Stamkos: More energy from Stamkos than the others. So much for the goalie getting out of the way....
My score: 8

Ovechkin: haha. Woa. Hahaha! Props! A fishing hat with sunglasses and a Canadian flag hanging out of it. Malkin wiped his glasses clean and squirted some Gatorade into his mouth before Ovie started. Then he uses 2 sticks at the same time. On the way in he threw one stick away and had to bang the puck past the no named goalie.

My score: 8.5 for style points.

So, between Ovechkin and St. Louis. I think St. Louis bagged 2 great plays....so I'll pick him as the winner.

That was a good time. There's a lot of pressure on these guys to complete their moves. Not many were pulled off successfully. But it was more fun to watch than last year's event.

Sophomore vs Rookies Game

Period 1

Carey Price and Pekka Rinne steal the show. Mason Raymond is everywhere as usual but has zero points to show for it. The players are playing at half-pace.
3-1 Rookies after 1.

Period 2

The pace is a little faster. Mason Raymond bagged one after a pretty 3-way passing play and then played for 2 extra consecutive minutes.
For the record: Blake Wheeler is sick. Just sick.
More goals in this period. 7-4 Rookies so far.


Period 3

Devon Setoguchi scores the goal of the game in this frame. What hands. I remember watching him play for the Prince George Cougars 2 years ago. There was no one on the ice that even came close to having his talent.
9-5 Rookies win.
Best players of the game: 1. Blake Wheeler (3 goals) and 2. Pekka Rinne.

-I would have watched the Crosby interviews before the next event but I was too busy watching paint dry.


Ovechkin won the breakaway challenge as voted by the fans. Popularity contest. Ovechkin voted for Stamkos.

ACCURACY SHOOTING

Prediction: Iginla

Jonathan Toews: 4 for 8
Evgeni Malkin: 4 for 4
Ilya Kovalchuk: 3 for 8
Dany Heatley: 4 for 4
Mike Modano: 4 for 5
Marc Savard: 3 for 7
Jarome Iginla: 4 for 7
Tomas Kaberle: 3 for 6 I think.

Tie Breaker

Malkin: 3 for 4. So close!
Heatley: 2 for 4


Malkin wins!

HARDEST SHOT

$15,000 on the line for charity here, thanks to a great idea by Zdeno Chara.

Souray likes a sticky shaft. That's what he said...

Mark Streit:
98.3 mph
96.0

Shea Weber
98.9
103.4! Whoa!

Mike Komisarek
95.6
98.5

Lecavalier
96.6
97.0

Sheldon Sourray
98.1
102.3

Zdeno Chara
103.3
105.4! Chara wins! That's a new record! Bye bye Iafrate.

ELIMINATION SHOOTOUT

If you score you stay if you miss you're gone!

Toews: off the post (Backstrom)
Doan: scores. snap shot just over the glove (Lundqvist)
Parise: off the post.
Dustin Brown: tries a one-hander and misses
Weber: almost but no.
Robidas: hit the post. adiose
Niedermayer: through the legs and sneaks in.
Markov: stopped by King Henrik
Sourray: snap shot goal over the blocker
Chara: scores.
Savard: nice move and a goal.
Tkachuk: save
Marleau: scores along the ice
Carter: save by Henrik
Heatley: glove save
Nash: shoots and misses high
Kovalchuk: stopped by Backstrom
Lecavalier: stopped. great save by Lundqvist
Vanek: scores on Giguere (goalie switch)
Eric Staal: stopped by Tim Thomas
Hejduk: oh wow, nice backhander. Best goal so far.
Streit: stopped by Thomas and then crashes into that thingy
Kaberle: stopped by Jiggy
Campbell: save by Thomas. Timmy is gold.
Boyle: stopped by Giguere
Boumeester: scores off the post and in.
Komisarek: save by Giguere
Modano: scores on Thomas with a snap shot
Thornton: missed the net
Getzlaf: nice goal on Thomas. made it look easy
Iginla: stopped by JSG
Malkin: stopped by a Hasek-like Thomas
St. Louis: tries to go 5-hole and is stopped
Ovechkin: stopped by Thomas. OV almost loast the puck there.
Kane: missed on the backhand
Kovalev: scores! What a shot.

Round 2

Doan: scores top shelf
Niedermayer: scores along the ice
Sourray: stopped.
Chara: gets fancy and is stopped by teammate Thomas
Savard: nice goal!
Marleau: scores. made Lundqvist go right
Vanek: stopped by Giguere
Hejduk: oh wow. scores
Boumeester: stopped
Modano: backhander and stopped
Getzlaf: scores along the ice on his buddy Giguere
Kovalev: what a damned save by Thomas as he does the splits

Round 3

Doan: nice back hand goal on Backstrom
Niedermayer: stoned by Lundqvist
Savard: 5-hole goal
Marleau: another insane save by Thomas. Thomas never quits!
Hejduk: scores.backhander genius
Getzlaf: finally stopped by Lundqvist who stayed with him

Round 4

Doan: saved by Jiggy
Savard: overplayed and missed
Hejduk: stopped by Backstrom

OT

Doan: nice save by Giguere
Savard: stopped by King Henrik
Hejduk: easy save by Backstrom, who didn't even go down

OT 2

Doan: 100 moves and scores along the ice
Savard: Scores on Thomas! Conspiracy!
Hejduk is stopped by Backstrom.

OT 3

Doan: 5 hole goal on Jiggy
Savard: poke check by Lundqvist!

Winner: Shane Doan.

That was cool.

This whole event was cool. That was a fun time.


Tech Tags: 2009+NHL+Skills+Competition live blog coverage Ovechkin+breakaway+challenge+props

All Star Game doesn't overly excite me, but the Skills pay the Bills

Well, if a player scores 4 or more goals that's alright. Some pretty plays would be fine. But I'll tell you what I most look forward to: the Skills Competition. In years past I enjoyed watching Mike Gartner glide around the rink to win the fastest skater competition, Al Iafrate and Al MacInnis dominating the hardest shot category in the early 90's with...wooden sticks, yes. I believe Iafrate's 105.2 mph slapper in 1993 is still the record. The breakaway event has kind of lost it's novelty to me, now that NHL games are decided by shootouts so often.
What I am really curious about in this year's skills competition is how creative players are going to be in the event that was started last year called the Breakaway Challenge. It was fun to watch, even though the players couldn't score after pulling off a few sick moves. In the end it was a showdown between Ryan Getzlaf and Alex Ovechkin, with AO stealing the show of course, getting the best scores from the panel of judges.
Earlier in the competition, the goalies would poke check the puck away from players while they were in the middle of their moves. People thought the keepers shouldn't have done that. Well, see for yourself. Below is the complete footage of that event.

PART 1

PART 2

**UPDATE**
Ah, it appears I was a little ahead of TSN on the breakaway challenge and it's issues, as you can see here. They may get goalie to avoid poke checks during the event. Patrick Kane called Ovechkin's spinaroonie baseball attempt the "YouTube goal" and that he wants to be that guy this year.
So as much as last year's attempt at that event was awkwardly successful, I think players are preparing more for it this year and it will be a must see tonight.
The TSN panel was talking about fans texting in scores for the event. That is cool.

Check out some All Star Skills events results/history from 1990-2007 at this site.
There are some intriguing numbers and facts from past All Star Games found at NHL.com.
How about some sick All Star Game records found at NHL.com? Worth a look.

I believe the Young Stars game starts at somewhere around 3 pm PST on Saturday. Not quite sure.
The Super Skills Competition will start at 4 pm PST on Saturday.
The All Star Game will start at 3 pm PST on Sunday.

Tech Tags: NHL+All+Star+Game records stats NHL+Skills+Competition 2009 history

Richard the quitter

A Canucks fan named Richard sent a letter to Canucks Nation (Canucks section of the Province) stating:

"My heart can't take it any more. I've been a Canucks fan for over 30 years. Every year we are fooled into believing this will be THE year or at least this year will be a better year.

"I fall for the hype every time, but after last night's game ... something died in me.

"I've never felt that disappointed by a loss in my life. I was so upset, in fact, that it carried over to my relationship with my wife. I snapped at her over the dumbest of things. She was an innocent bystander and not a hockey fan. That anger that was wrongly aimed at my wonderful wife was an anger so powerful I couldn't contain it. An anger expressed because of my emotional tie to a stupid sports team.

"I will never let that happen again.

"I proved to myself that watching, cheering and supporting the Canucks has finally come to an end. Period.

"The time I wasted watching the Canucks games I will now spend with my wife and daughter."

While I can appreciate Richard's passion for the Canucks over the years, I just have 3 questions:

1. Is that Richard Brodeur? Haha.
2. Isn't it a little early to be hopping of the wagon this season?
3. Has anyone seen my gun? I want to take this guy out behind the barn and put him out of his misery.

I swear, this is what an All Star break after a losing streak does to some people. They have too much time to think. Have a stiff drink and suck it up already. I think sometimes that the stupid #7 banner should be taken down from the rafters at GM Place.

Read more on Richard's little boo-fucking-hoo story here. There is plenty of reactions from the fans as well. Most agree with Richard, for the most part.

Once the Canucks get rolling again, Ricky will jump back on the wagon I'm sure.

Tech Tags: Canucks+fan+quits Richard The+Province pathetic

Canucks' 2009-10 schedule being evaluated already

From Team 1040 (tip to the CDC guys):

The travel issue has always been a contentious one for the Canucks, and Mike Gillis has been taking pro-active steps with the NHL office to try and ensure the Canucks don't keep going through those kind of schedules. He had a lengthy meeting earlier this week with league officials, and told BMac and Rintoul that the Canucks may get a much better look next season.

"I think we have a great chance. In fact, we've got a draft in place for about 38 of our road games for next season already, which is unheard of. They made us a number one priority in terms of travel for a variety of reasons. One of them is injury history, crossing borders, and the fact that we don't have a team within two or three hours of us. So they agreed to make concessions based on a number of different factors and we feel really good about where we're headed with them. We feel really good about their understanding now, and that they're really willing to work with us to get a better road schedule in place."

Amen! Let it be done!
Mike Gillis on the bandwagon jumpers:

"People who are prepared to jump off bridges are really not looking realistically at the situation that we faced. I mean, the number of injuries we had and the players who were injured creates enormous mental pressure on the other players. And to continue to play at the level that we're playing at was unrealistic. Every team goes through a lull."

Back to the lousy schedule. Remember when news was out that the Canucks had fatigue experts come in to assess the Canucks' schedule and stamina? Well according to Gillis these experts were close to correct.

"When we did the Fatigue Management Program this year, those guys predicted where we would have a real problem. And it's not ironic, it happened when we played that three-game segment where we played in Nashville and then went to Atlanta (Jan 1st and 2nd), they predicted that after that we would have a serious fatigue issue because of the number of games we played in the previous ten days and the kind of travel. And they were bang-on."

Interesting. This is a tricky thing. It can either be bang-on science or a mental issue if the players were aware of when they would most likely burn out. Sometimes euphoria can be a beautiful thing. In fact, I live by it most of the time.

Tech Tags: Canucks+schedule+sucks 2009-10 reviewed Mike+Gillis player+assessment

Canucks R&R (some in Hawaii) / Players being suspended for skipping All Star Game

From Canucks.com:

Last year Willie Mitchell and his wife went to Maui with nothing more than swimming and sun tanning on the agenda. That plan lasted about a day with Mitchell getting caught in a few waves.


“I surfed quite a bit last year,” said Mitchell. “I really enjoyed it and I’m addictive with things like that so we decided to go again this year.”

Mitchell and his wife will be far from alone this time around; his unwavering love for Maui perked the ears of a few teammates who are also making the trip this year.

Among them are Kyle Wellwood, Mattias Ohlund, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Steve Bernier and Shane O’Brien.

Everyone is psyched to get away for a few days and recharge for the task ahead, especially Bernier, having always wanted to visit Hawaii.

“Usually I don’t like to travel much because we travel a lot all year, but I think it’ll be good to just relax and think about something else,” said Bernier, who admitted he’s tempted, but a little scared, to hang ten with Mitchell.

Hell, the whole team minus Sundin (working out in Vancouver), Raymond and Luongo (All Star participants) should go to Hawaii. It would be good for chemistry.
CDC raises a very appropriate question however.

The Canucks have lost six straight games and eight of their past nine with only a pair of wins in 2009, leaving some to argue that the team has been on an early vacation. Do they deserve more time off? Or would they be better served by immediately building on Tuesday's OT loss in San Jose?

Do they deserve more time off? No. I'd say yes if I was a nice guy. It would have been great for them to build on the effort against San Jose but may lose momentum taking a week off. At the same time, clearing their minds may help.
The other part of this issue is that when they return to action on the 28th, it's back at home against Nashville. It's too bad the road trip didn't go a little longer so that they could stay away from the slaughterhouse that can be GM Place in recent weeks.

---

From TSN:

The NHL says it will enforce an understanding that all players who decline to show after being named to the All-Star teams must miss at least one game before or one game after the All-Star weekend.

NHL vice-president Colin Campbell said that the league pushed for the rule because too many players were skipping the game without good reason.

''We've all got obligations to the fans, the rights holders - this game is being televised around the world,'' Campbell said.

2 players have already been suspended: Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Lidstrom. There's 2 guys you wouldn't expect, huh?

I'm a little torn on the matter. I do understand the NHL's position on it but...

Tech Tags: Canucks+resting Hawaii surfing NHL+suspends+Datsyuk+Lidstrom+for+skipping+NHL+All+Star+Game

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.

Tech Tags: Western+Conference+standings January+21+2009 Canucks+improving Pat+Burns+lung+cancer video

Oh Damn that was close...

A great effort by the Canucks tonight. Sure they fell short losing in overtime but I really liked their effort as far as consistency goes. Hell, this was the San Jose Sharks for Christ's sakes. That was a well-earned point and I applaud the Canucks team for their efforts.
I could see the difference Sami Salo made as far as getting the puck out of their own zone. The Canucks were not hemmed in their own zone as much as in recent past.
Hell, they played for the 1-0 win and almost pulled it off. Had they pulled it off, Canucks nation would have hopped back on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, the loss may still fuel the doubter's fire.
I am proud of the efforts displayed tonight and I can see a bright immediate future for the team. They have only gotten better in the past 3 games.
Take a week off boys, and keep up the great effort. It can only lead to greater things.

PS: How about Ales Hemsky and the Oilers? Holy shitballs.

PPS: I think my Burrows-Thornton Photoshop image wasn't that far off. Burrows stymied Joe for most of the game.

Highlights

Canucks-Sharks Preview: The Glass is Half Full

Too much gore for the post image? Oh well.
The Canucks finally get away from home to play the Sharks at the tank tomorrow/today. Before this big homestand they just failed at miserably, we were saying how much they needed to get off the road and away from the insane schedule. Now it's the other way around. I'm sure it's too tense for a team struggling with having a fragile confidence level to be playing that many games at home.
Unfortunately they play the best team in the West on the road before the All Star break hits.
Last time these 2 teams played wasn't all that long ago, and the Sharks had their way with us. I'm thinking the teams' effort may be better this time around, even if the end result is possibly the same.
There was some fight in the Canucks' game against the Blue Jackets. After the 4 goals against brain fart the Canucks showed resiliency to tie it up at 5. They showed that they aren't quitting. That's a good thing. That is one reason why I think the glass is half full with this team and not half empty.
Another reason? Sundin is looking better. Luongo and Sundin are going to need more time to play at the level that we expect of them. Sundin is progressing. Luongo has only had 2 games under his belt since his return and looks like he needs a lot of work. But he'll get there. Luongo called himself a "work in progress" after the loss to Columbus and that he is.
The defence, with Bieksa being center stage for his follies will improve. There just isn't a lot of confidence there right now and the D is not making smart decisions getting the puck out of their zone. But they were being smart earlier in the season. They'll get back to that smart play.

Demitra's groin injury shouldn't spell demise. When he hurt his ribs in late October, the Canucks went 6-2-1 in his absence. The were 3-4-0 before that injury and had lost the previous 3 straight games. Demitra is not the cog that holds this machine together. He's only an inconsistent drifting part of it.

Sami Salo is ready to play against the Sharks. Speaking of not getting the puck out of their zone...Salo can help with that, and he can also play a tonne of minutes. Oh and his shot on the power play is missed. But remember, Salo is not going to save the day. The team as a whole needs to build on the positives of the game against Columbus.

More updates pre game as they happen.

T Tags: Canucks+Sharks+game+preview January+20+2009 Salo+returns Demitra+injured slump improving+team positivity

Orca whale catches seal on beach

This Orca whale almost beaches itself just to snag a seal that's swimming in the shallow water. This was filmed in South America apparently. Check it out.


Huge Killer Whale Snags Seal on Beach - Watch more Animal Videos

Tech Tags: Orca+whale+catches+seal+near+beach video South+America

Sharks call up Super Pest Claude Lemieux

Lemieux has 3 goals and 8 assists with Worcester this season. It's his first time playing in the NHL since the 2002-03 season. You know when the Sharks' next game is? Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. This should be interesting.
I'm not hiding it, I have always been a Lemieux fan. I never liked it when he turtled rather than fought, but I liked his aggressive spirit nevertheless.
Odds are he'll play on the 4th line in San Jose for now.

Tech Tags: the+return+of+Claude+Lemieux Sharks Canucks January+19+2009

Canucks period-by-period vs the Blue Jackets

FIRST PERIOD

It could have been a devastating start for Vancouver. Kevin Bieksa coughed the puck up to Kristian "The Weasel" Huselius who went in all alone on Luongo but lost control of the puck. This was very early into the game.
Then the Canucks shrugged that off and went on the attack for a long stretch, with Taylor Pyatt scoring a goal top shelf on Steve Mason. Both Sedins assisted on that. There is why Pyatt is on the top line. He used his size to get open. In fact, I thought Taylor Pyatt was pretty good in period 1.
The Jackets tied it almost 4 minutes later with a beauty 3 way passing play with Manny Malhotra tapping the puck past Luongo, who is sporting his ugly "V" mask tonight.
It seemed like the Canucks were on their heels after that. They repeatedly could not get the puck out of their zone and lost battles for the puck or failed to clear. That being said, they remained composed in front of Luongo, limiting the decent scoring chances against. Luongo did make a super save at one point however.
The Canucks are playing more physical yet have not had a penalty against yet. It was Columbus who gave the Canucks 2 PP chances, but no goals ensued.
You can see Sundin getting better as the game goes on. He has tremendous size and speed.
Wellwood is playing very well after being benched.
The Canucks came on late in the first. Let's see if they can carry that over.
Ohlund took a puck off the ankle I think and has not played since. A big loss if he doesn't come back.

Shots after 1: Canucks 9 Jackets 4.

PERIOD 2

The Canucks did carry momentum into the 2nd frame, scoring 2 goals by Mats Sundin (nice backhander) and Steve Bernier. But a bogus call on Jannik Hansen got the ball rolling for Columbus and the fragility shattered for Vancouver. Jason Williams scored on the power play and almost 2 minutes later with 1 minutes left on the clock, Rick Nash scores a beauty wrap around goal, as Kesler could not contain him. Nash's goal was the result of the Canucks once again not getting the puck out of their zone.
Nash has a goal and 2 assists so far. The score is tied at 3.
The Canucks were looking quite poised weren't they? Well now we'll see how they can deal with adversity this time around. This will not sit well with the media or fans if they lose like this. The game was in their hands.
The Jackets' forecheck remains tenacious. The Canucks' is passive.
Nice fight between Hordichuk and Boll. A true heavyweight tilt.

Shots in the second: Jackets 9 Canucks 8.
Overall: Canucks 17 Jackets 13.

Pyatt and Bernier have 3 shots each, leading both teams. Both have a goal.
The Sedins are going tonight. Good to see.

PERIOD 3

Yeah, the fragility really showed to start the 3rd period as the Jackets scored 2 goals (Commodore and Torres) in the first 2:11. That added up to 4 goals in about 5 minutes going back to the 2nd period. Commodore's goal was the result of a comedy of errors, as Luongo had dropped his stick, the Canucks couldn't clear the puck (again) and Hansen was trying to hand Louie his stick back. Commodore 64 just shot it in past the distracted Luongo.
Torres' goal was just lousy defensive coverage. I think 3 Canucks chased him behind the net. Lame-o.
But the Canucks came back. We thought they were a 'goner' but the Canucks came back, they just couldn't stay away. A power play goal 2 minutes later sparked the team. Less than 2 minutes after that Kevins Bieksa scored one off Nash's butt.
Then the game settled down a bit after that.

Shots in the 3rd: Canucks 12 Jackets 12

OVERTIME

The story in overtime was Kevin Bieksa, and not in a good way either. He coughed the puck up while heading past center leading to a golden Jackets chance. Then he took hooking penalty as he lost the foot race with a Jacket player who streaked by him. The Canucks killed that power play off quite effectively. The Sedins had a glorious chance and over-passed on the play. This game went to a shootout.

Shots in OT: Jackets 3 Canucks 1

Shots overall: Canucks 30 Jackets 28

SHOOTOUT

Not even close. Both Jason Williams and Nash made it look easy on Luongo and Wellwood and Sundin missed their chances.

6-5 Jackets. At least we looked better in general and got 1 point on this 5-game homestand.
It still stings though, doesn't it?

-Pavol Demitra left the game at some point and didn't play in the 3rd period. Not sure what happened there. **UPDATE** Groin injury. Big fucking surprise.
Too much excitement for him I guess. Glass Joe 2. Sami Salo is Glass Joe.

-Pyatt played over 17:00, scored 1 goal and had 5 shots. He was an even 0 for +/-
-Sundin played over 19:00 and scored 1 goal on 2 shots. He was a +1.
-Bieksa, despite his Jovo-like cough-ups scored 2 points and was a +1.
-Is Huselius any good or what? I didn't think weasels were all that dangerous.
-Nash is an immovable object out there.

BOXSCORE AND HIGHLIGHTS

Player interviews post game.

Tech Tags: Canucks+Blue+Jackets+game+review losing+streak+continues Sundin Demitra+injured shootout January+18+2009

Canucks-Blue Jackets preview: Vigneault finds the cure

-Word on the street is that Kyle Wellwood will draw back in and Mason Raymond will sit out. No confirmation of that yet.
**UPDATE**
This was quoted from somewhere at the CDC Forum:

Mason Raymond will be the odd-man out tonight as Wellwood returns to the lineup in a role on the fourth line. Raymond has scored nine goals in an inconsistent season. He definitely needs some work on his game but won't be getting that in the AHL.
Raymond has played 95 NHL games. After 80 he lost his waiver wire exemption.
"Without a doubt he couldn't clear waivers" Vigneault said. "He needs waivers to go down an that's just not an option anymore"

-Rick Nash, who has missed the last 4 games with a lower body injury is expected to play. Damn. C Jiri Novotny (upper body), C Derick Brassard (right shoulder surgery), LW Jason Chimera (groin), D Rostislav Klesla (bruised foot), and G Pascal Leclaire (ankle) are all on the injury reserve for Columbus. The Canucks will probably still be without Sami Salo. Salo tore a butt muscle when he sat down on the toilet to poop.
**UPDATE**
From the Province:

He should finally make his return tonight against Columbus.
"He's done everything in practice and it looks like he's pain free," head coach Alain Vigneault said.
Salo was coy Saturday and said his status hasn't changed.
"The bone has to be fully healed," Salo said. "You don't want to go out there if you can't do everything on the ice."

-No Pascal Leclaire. No problem. The Jackets have a potential rookie of the year in goal named Steve Mason.
-Columbus has won both games against Vancouver this year: 3-2 on December 1st and 4-2 on October 21st. Rick Nash had 2 goals and 2 assists in those games. Kyle Wellwood had 2 goals and 1 assist.
-The Canucks will play more physically, according to Ryan Kesler.

"We are going to take hard-working penalties, It’s the hooking and holding that we’re not going to take. If we play physical and take roughing or whatever, a punch in the head, we’ll kill those off."

Great plan. That part has been lacking in their game. Something needs to spark this club.
-Scoring the first goal wouldn't be a bad idea either. In their last 3 losses, the Canucks gave up the first 4 consecutive goals to Phoenix, 3 goals to New Jersey and 1 to San Jose. They obviously have not held a lead in any of those games.
-Columbus is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They are surging. They trail Vancouver by 3 points and can gain a playoff spot with a win tonight. Oh, and they have 2 games in hand.
-Let's see if the bleeding stops tonight. C'mon guys, it's like Yoda, I mean AV said: don't think....do!

The Canucks looked confident today according to the Province. Luongo said:

“You can’t take things for granted. Just because we’re good on paper doesn’t mean it’s going to happen on the ice. Look at Pittsburgh, they have the league’s two leading scorers and they’re not even in a playoff spot. We have to work hard, we have to play hard and we have to play smart. All those things translate into success. We can have the best team on paper, but if we don’t put it together on the ice, it’s not going to happen. “

We are going to turn things around, and when we do, there is going to be a lot of excitement in this city.”

GAME TIME: 5:00 PST
TV: Sportsnet

Canucks.com Fan Zone Live Blog can be found here. Several fans have been granted media passes for this as well as Canucks practices. This is a great thing for the organization to do and so far it is going very well, increasing the trust and relationship between the organization and bloggers.

Just saw this image at CDC under the name ramirez inc:

Beauty! ABC! Easy as 1-2-3! The big difference here is that I don't see one of the Swedes turning black or opening up a kid park.










T Tags: Canucks+Blue+Jackets+game+preview January+18+2008 Nash+returns Canucks+slumping

Matt Cooke helps out Canucks / Slumps happen

Matt Cooke's 2 goals to help the Penguins beat the Ducks tonight actually did us a favor. It launched us one point up in the standings because the Ducks have now played the same amount of games as Vancouver but have scored less. Thanks Cooke!
-The Devils beat the Blue Jackets to keep Columbus 3 points behind us.
-Now watch out for those Oilers, who beat Colorado tonight to move 2 points behind us with 2 games in hand.

The Canucks aren't the only team currently holding a playoff spot that have struggled during the season.

-The Capitals lost 5 games of 7 in late November.
-The Penguins lost 9 of 14 games in all of December and have lost 6 of 9 in January. That's a lot of losses there.
-The Flyers lost 6 games in a row at the very beginning of the season, and look at them now.
-The Atlantic Division-leading Rangers lost 6 of 12 games in December.
-From October 24 to November 14 the Devils lost 8 of 10 games. They would then go on to win 9 of their next 10.
-The great Canadiens lost 8 of 14 games in the month of November, and Koivu was criticized for not speaking French. Oh mon Dieu. They would rebound and win 8 of 13 in December.
-The Blackhawks have lost 5 of their last 9.
-The Flames may be hauling ass right now, but they lost 4 of their first 5 games in October, 5 of 8 in early November, and 5 of 9 in early December.
-The big and bad Bruins lost 6 of 11 in October.
-The Ducks lost 5 of 6 games to start their season, 5 of 6 in mid November (all home games), and 8 of 13 in December.

Feel any better yet Canucks fans? It makes me feel more confident. At least the Canucks are stinking it up now and not in March (yet). There is plenty of time left for this team to turn it around, even if it means we start winning a slew of games when we are in 10th spot in the West. I believe it will happen. I believe in this team. One way or another it will start rolling again. Sundin needs a bit more time. So does Luongo. A lot has happened to this bunch in the past few weeks with the aforementioned players, the backup goaltender situations in Luongo's absense, Sanford's exit, a dismal powerplay, etc. Like someone here said earlier, "this too shall pass." I mean, look at all the shit Frodo and Sam had to go through just to get the damned ring into the fire at Mount Doom.... haha.
Convinced? Still not happy? Try this:



T Tags: Western+Conference+standings January+2009 losing streaks shit+happens Canucks