Forsberg to Rangers? Naslund hopes so.

Ok, I know some papers are starting to hype Forsberg already and that perhaps he will make an early return. But let's be realistic here. Forsberg is nowhere close to returning to play in the NHL. He has already said he would like to play for Colorado. And bottom line? The guy is made of glass like a certain Canucks player that we are accustomed to seeing being injured.
This is BS news at this point and it will be for months. Yes Naslund wants him in New York. Yes, Naslund wanted him in Vancouver. I'm not going to buy into a Forsberg return until his his foot heals, which may not happen at all. So dream on, New York. And dream on, Naslund. This is not news. Mats Sundin signing with the Canucks is news. Forsberg returning to the NHL is, well, a broken record.

T Tags: Forsberg+return Forsberg+to+Rangers injury Markus+Naslund

No, the Canucks can NOT finally beat the Avalanche

In a game where Steve Bernier arose from the grave to score 2 goals the big picture is that the Avalanche really exposed Cory Schneider. Ryan Smyth mentioned post game that basically Schneider looked a bit shaky to start so they put 1 and a lot of times 2 guys in front of him to distract him. It worked. It especially worked on the goal that made it 4-4.
The Avalanche are deadly in the shootout. When the camera panned the Canucks' bench just prior to it I thought I saw a look of concern on a lot of their faces. Sure enough, Wolski (wow what a goal), Svatos and Hejduk all made Cory look silly in their shootout attempts and the damned Avalanche beat us again. Schneider banged the post with his stick and looked disgusted.
To be honest, in a game like this it sure would have been nice to have Roberto Luongo back between the pipes.
Yeah the single point was nice, but still a frustrating loss.

The good:

-The single point gave us 33 points to tie Calgary for top spot in the Northwest. What a win by Calgary in NYC today. I thought the Flames were supposed to collapse...

- The Sedins were playing possessed tonight.

- Jason Jaffray looks good on the 4th line.

- How about the scoring chances by Bernier and Edler in OT? If only they had converted. Bernier was a goal post away from a hat trick.

- Demitra had an assist, finally getting a point after 5 games.

The bad:

- Demitra was also a -3.

- Wellwood looked like he stayed up until 4 AM the previous night playing Halo. He was quiet tonight beyond his shootout goal.

- Ryan Smyth rubbed Hank Sedin along the boards in OT and it looked like the Swede was hurt. We'll see what happens there.

-After only 5:38 of icetime, Salo left the game with an injury. I missed what happened there. My bet is he sneezed and probably cracked a rib.

- the first 2 paragraphs in this post. There is a lot of pressure on Schneider. Let's see how he responds against Nashville on Tuesday.

At one point the Canucks were running away with this division. Look at it now:













A 6-point spread from top to bottom. Let the dog fight begin.

BOXSCORE AND HIGHLIGHTS

T Tags: Canucks Avalanche Game+review December+7+2008 Schneider Bernier+scores

Can the Canucks finally beat the Avalanche?

The Vancouver Canucks finally ended one losing streak in their most recent game. Another victory on Sunday would end an even longer skid.

The Canucks will look to snap a seven-game slide against the Colorado Avalanche as they continue their longest road trip of the season with a visit to their Northwest Division rivals. -Canucks.com

Yeah, it's been that long. The Avs beat us 2-1 in a shootout on November 12th, and Peter Budaj outplayed Luongo. The only goals that beat him were Pyatt's penalty shot and a Burrows shootout attempt.
I watched the Stars-Avalanche game on Friday and there is little to suggest that Budaj is going to suffer a meltdown tonight. But you never know. The Avs have lost 2 straight and 3 of their last 5.
The Avs have struggled to score goals this year. They are last in the Western Conference in goals for. As the NHL.com preview puts it:

While the Canucks cope without Luongo, the Avs have also been dealing with injuries, as veterans Joe Sakic, Adam Foote and Darcy Tucker all remain out.

That certainly hasn't helped Colorado's offense, which ranks last in the Western Conference with 2.42 goals per game. The Avs have scored either one or zero goals in seven of their last 13 games.

I hope tonight is one of those scoreless nights for Colorado. It's tough to believe when you consider how well they continually play against us. At the same time, the Avs are in the bottom 10 in the NHL in most stat categories.We should be eating these guys for dinner.

-Let's see if Cory Schneider can match his performance from last game.
-Let's see if Pavol Demitra can register a point. I believe it has been 5 games now since that has happened. Even though pointless, I like him on the Sedin line. It's just a matter of time before he cashes in.
-Can Jason Jaffray repeat his performance from last game, scoring the winning goal and getting into a nasty fight? That was great stuff from Jaffray, a guy I have been rooting for for a long time.
If the Canucks beat the Avalanche in regulation tonight, they will increase the point gap between the 2 teams to 9 points. That would be splendid. But more importantly, it would be great to see the Canucks just beat the Avs period, since we have had such a hard time doing that.


T Tags: Canucks Avalanche game+preview December+7+2008

Budah defeats Luongod

Who would have thought that Peter Budaj would outplay Luongo given all the hype surrounding Roberto this game and the absence of Joe Sakic.
But the Avs' netminder came up huge to give the guys from Denver a chance. What I don't get is why the Canucks wouldn't shoot top shelf with any of their chances. That Wellwood-Sedin-Sedin play would have been the goal of the week had the Sedin got it off the ice. If Wellwood was the shooter there you know he would have roofed it.
Speaking of Wellwood...what a game by him tonight. That guy was everywhere. He put on another display of his magic hands and his patience. No results though. His repeat attempt in the shootout was schooled well by Budaj.

An up and down game. The Canucks came out flat. It was almost like they were playing tentatively in order for Luongo to surpass his shutout record. Once he did, the Canucks went on the attack more. But the Avs outshot the Canucks 16-8 in the first period. The Canucks came alive in the 2nd but could only beat Budaj via a penalty shot by Pyatt.
The Avs' tying goal irks me. Why? Because Glass Salo had fallen on his ass in front of Louie and looked hurt. Then the puck squirts out in front and there are 3 Avs banging away at it. Salo half gets up to try swipe at an Avs player but Paul Stastny bags it. Then Salo slumps back on the ice again looking like he's been shot. Whiny and gutless is Glass Salo sometimes. I don't think he even missed a shift, did he?
In his honor I'd like to dedicate this clip.
Also, just for Sami, here is a song.
You get my point.

A disappointing Finnish, I mean finish. Colorado has now won 7 straight games against us.
At least we still hold top spot in the NW. The Avalanche have a long way to go in order to claim that.

BOXSCORE AND HIGHLIGHTS

How much longer can Luongo shut the door? Avs-Nucks Preview

(Yeah, what the heck, I had to bring back that Photoshop image and put Woody's head over Pyatt's. And no, I did not come up with Sir Finebark of Windsorshire either. That was a combo of the brilliance of the Yankee Canucks and Temujin.)

I'll add to this post more as the day goes on. What I really like about Luongo's streak, besides the obvious fact that it's badass, is that the team will play so well in front of him to try help hm achieve a shutout record. That bodes well for Vancouver tonight.
Unfortunately, what could happen is the Avalanche score early and then the wheels fall off the team machine.

From TSN: Jannik Hansen will return tonight after missing 4 games with a groin injury. That line has not scored since Hansen left due to injury. Imagine that.
No Demitra yet. Yay.
Even better: NO JOE SAKIC! He has a sore back. This is terrific news!

How far into the first period do the Canucks have to get without allowing a goal for Luongo to start setting records? According to Canucks.com:

The Canucks will need to surpass the 11:04 mark of the first period against the Avalanche to set a new franchise mark, while Luongo will need to be in the net past the 12:09 mark of the first period to beat his own personal milestone.

More on that here.
Luongo is downplaying the shutouts, naturally.

I don’t think shutouts get you into the playoffs. The win is what matters the most and going into Wednesday [against Colorado] I’m not really concerned about that [shutout]. I’m concerned how I’m playing.

That is what he told the Province. Ah, BS! Louie's a gamer. You KNOW he's got this streak on his mind.

The Avalanche owned the Canucks in 8 games last season. They won 6 of them, outscoring the Canucks 24-11 in the process. But this Avs team is different. Gone is the more consistent goaltending of Jose Theodore. They sit last in the Northwest Division, 5 points behind the Oilers. They are 14th spot in the West, 1 point ahead of the Blues. These guys are praying for Peter Forsberg to come back to them.
The Avs have lost 4 of their last 5, being outscored 18-9 in the process. Poor Tony Granato must wonder if he's cut out to be an NHL coach in his second tenure behind the bench.
So it looks positive for Vancouver tonight, unless we come out completely flat.
I say we win about 4-1.

Sakic signs with Avalanche for 1 year

"Ultimately it came down to the fact that I still enjoy playing and competing," said Sakic. "I'm comfortable with my conditioning and my overall health. I'm ready for the start of camp and am looking forward to the upcoming season."

From out of the blue, Sakic will play another year. And then we'll go through this same thing with him next summer, right?
The Avs really needed Joe around as the #1 center. They could only get even better whenever/if Forsberg returns as well.
Dollar figures for Sakic have not been released yet. He made $6.75 million last season. **UPDATE** It is $6 million per season.
Now, this pretty much scratches Sundin off the Av's list, as they cannot afford both players.
Yeah, it always comes back to be about Sundin, doesn't it?

T Tags: Avalanche+sign+Joe+Sakic+1+year

NHL bits: Sakic to speak Thurday, Filatov, Celine Dion a Canuck, No-repeat Wings

Slow news day, but here are a few more links and laughs to check out.

Terry Frei is reporting at the Denver Post that Joe Sakic will address the media this coming Thursday and will take on any questions. But don't get your hopes up. He will probably be talking more about his charity golf tournament than whether or not he has decided to play this coming season.

---

Blue Jackets' GM Howson to Nikita Filatov: "Stop playing exhibition games in Russia."He doesn't want his rookie star to get hurt.

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Oh sweet lord in heck...check out this photo.....



Ahem...**choke** Check out Sex, Sports and Rock n'Roll for some form of explanation of this, en francais.

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I am not glorifying the Red Wings as potential repeat Cup champs again this year. The Ottawa Citizen's James Gordon provides one example of why this is, and I agree. Something to do with a hangover.

T Tags: Sakic+press+conference+Thursday Filatov+stop+playing+in+Russia Celine+Dion+Canucks Red Wings+repeat+Champs

Make up you bloody mind already! GM's losing patience with Radulov and Sundin

Firstly, the Predators want Alexander Radulov to make up his mind by September 1 on whether or not he'll honor (which is a word not in Radulov's vocabulary) the rest of his contract with Nashville.

“We know he signed over in Russia but we are asking him to reconsider and to make a decision to come back,” Preds GM David Poile said. “… We feel Alex is a very, very good young player with a great future ahead of him. We feel he got some bad advice in this situation and hope eventually he will want to return to play with best players in the world in the best league in the world.

“But having said that, we don’t want to force him to come back until he wants to come back. That is not good for Alex or for his teammates. As of Sept. 1, we’re moving on.”

Tough place for Poile to be in. He also tells the Tennessean that if Radulov signs a 1 year deal with Russia, that Nashville would re-address Radulov coming back next season. Say what? If he bails on his current contract, why the hell would Poile take him back again? Let the dishonorable bugger go, or become someone else's problem. Easy for me to say though.

Secondly, Flyers' GM Paul Holmgren has now made it clear publicly that he is basically tired of Waiting for Sundin. From the Vancouver Sun, of all places:

"Personally, I'd like it to all go away," Holmgren told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "What's the sense when we don't even know if he's going to play yet?"

It appears Mike Gillis has much more patience than Holmgren. Some are saying that maybe Gillis should put the heat on as well. I wouldn't. Let Holmgren run his mouth. Gillis can be the nice guy. Like that makes any difference, right? Nice guys finish last don't they?
What the hell would Holmgren possibly do to shed enough salary to take on a Sundin contract? Obviously, he must have a few potential deals in limbo while he waits for Mats. Those deals could, or would have to resemble blockbuster status. That is probably where the impatience is coming from.
Some people wonder why all of this attention about indecisiveness is focussed on Sundin and less on Joe Sakic and Teemu Selanne. Well that is an easy answer. Sakic is great, yes. But his loyalties lie solely with the Avalanche. So there isn't much mystery there except mostly for Avalanche fans. As a Canucks fan, I hope he doesn't come back because I want the Avs in the Northwest Division basement.
Teemu Selanne still has a lot left in the tank. But he has already pulled this hooplah before. So he's a repeat offender of indecisiveness. Blah, blah, been there done that, who really cares that much about Buzz Lightyear anyways?
Want some speculation? Maybe the Avalanche will lure Sundin if Sakic decides to retire (e2...ha). Lord knows they can't afford both Sakic AND Sundin at the same time. But the loss of Burnaby Joe would have Avs GM Giguere in need of a #1 center. We also know that the Avs have little problem luring high calibre players. So cue the Sundin-to-Colorado rumors. It would make sense, if the Swede decided he wants to play and would make much more sense than him going to Montreal, the Rangers or Flyers. And don't forget that Forsberg is loyal to Colorado if he returns a few months into the season. Hey, you'd have to think that Sundin and Forsberg have at least discussed that since they've been golfing so much lately.
If Sundin does end up in Colorado, we will have the right to assume/speculate that he was waiting for Sakic's decision all along.
Just throwing that concept out there.
Either way, Holmgren getting tired of waiting and maybe "putting some pressure on" Sundin won't affect Mats' timeline. But we do know that the last thing Sundin said was that he would like to make a decision by the end of August.

T Tags: Mats+Sundin Alex+Radulov decision+time Flyers Avalanche Predators

Crawford's defence claims Bertuzzi was solely at fault for Steve Moore incident

No surprise here. Saw this coming in December....lawyer bullshit.
Keep in mind here that Moore is suing Bertuzzi, the Canucks and Orca Bay for $38 million in damages, loss of income, etc.

Crawford's defence has stated:

"Just prior to the attack on Moore, Bertuzzi had been on a shift to kill a penalty, had missed the shift change and had remained on the ice for longer than the rest of his line,'' states Crawford's third-party defence.

"After being directed to get off the ice, Bertuzzi was on his way back to the bench when, suddenly and without warning, he turned around and skated back in the direction of Moore . and attacked Moore.

"This was not done under any specific or general direction or encouragement from Crawford, was a direct disobedience of the instruction that Bertuzzi had been given from the bench to get off the ice, and was a violation of Bertuzzi's duties which Crawford could not be expected to have reasonably anticipated, let alone control.''

Back in December of 2007, Moore's lawyer issued a statement saying

that Crawford pointed to Moore’s name and number on a board in the Canucks’ locker room during the second intermission of that game and said “… (Moore) must pay the price.”
In an accompanying document, Moore’s lawyer claims Crawford’s statement was disclosed by Bertuzzi while under oath, and by Canucks general manager Dave Nonis.

Oh boy. This isn't even close to being over yet. More distractions for Bertuzzi this year. Good luck, Flames fans!

So who is to blame here? My guess is Crawford, but mostly Bertuzzi. I'm sure Crawford said something like "make the S.O.B. pay", but Bertuzzi took the retribution too far.
A coach saying "make that guy pay the price" isn't anything unusual, it's just that when Bert wrecked Moore's neck and a lawsuit followed, it becomes a technicality. Especially when the finger-pointing starts and nobody wants to pick up the $38 million tab. When is Bertuzzi going to shoulder most of the blame for this and just move on? The damaged relationship between the Canucks, Crawford and Bert is only getting worse and worse. I guess it didn't help matters when the Canucks distanced themselves from Bertuzzi and the situation after they traded him to Florida.
I'm just painting the picture for you. But make no mistake, I think Moore's lawsuit is overboard and a joke. And I really still do hate that coward.
But more than anything I'd rather see this situation resolved.

T Tags: Marc+Crawford+faults+Bertuzzi Steve+Moore+case disobeying+orders

Eklund's Sundin AND Sakic to the Avalanche rumor is potential horse dung, yet you know some have dreamed about it

And a former player who played with Sundin and Sakic added:

"Look out for Colorado with Mats. I am not convinced that Sakic and Sundin aren't talking or in on something together."

Well, that took him long enough to put that into print. Several people including myself have been questioning that possibility for weeks now.
Fans of the former Nordiques would drool at that possibility. Sundin never did make it to Colorado as a player. On June 26 1994, Sundin, Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a 10th round pick were shipped to Toronto by Quebec in exchange for Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson, and the 22nd overall pick in 1994 (pick turned out to be a bum.)
Just under a year later, the Nordiques died and moved to Colorado in 1995.
As you know, the Avs won the Cup the following year in 1996, with only Sylvain Lefebvre (from the Sundin trade) reaping the benefits.

There is no doubt that Sakic and Sundin had chemistry in Quebec, if you can remember that far back. The numbers don't lie.

Sundin had 334 points in 324 games with Quebec between 1990 - 1994.
In those same seasons, Sakic scored 400 points in 311 games.

The issue with a potential double-whammy Sakic-Sundin signing in Colorado is CAP SPACE.
According to NHLsalaries.com, the Avs are sitting at $46.07 million right now. Not even close to enough room to absorb both salaries. They would have to move Ryan Smyth's $7.25 million salary to make room, or take a major pay cut. Don't see it happening.

Nope. This is just another dream scenario that will naturally be looked at and pondered the longer these guys hold out to make up their minds.

Images from Sports Encyclopedia.com.

Sakic speaks about his plans and hints at nothing

Via Sportsnet, here are some quotes from Joe Sakic's interview this morning with Denver's FM Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan:

"It's been a very, very difficult decision to make. I'm hoping to have something here in the next couple of weeks, make my final decision and go forward with it." Sakic said, "I will say I don't want this to linger too much longer. I should make my final decision pretty soon. Whatever that is, I want to make sure it's 100 percent sure."
"When I talked to Francois in June, we both understood that the team was going to go forward, regardless of what my decision was going to be, and that enabled me to take as much time as I could," Sakic said. "Right now, I know training camp's approaching rapidly. Summer's gone by pretty fast. I'm going to make my decision here pretty shortly."
"It's just how I feel," he said. "At the end of the year, to be honest with you, I didn't know if I was going to come back. I needed that time to really think about my future. It was a tougher decision than I thought it was going to be at the end of the year. It's all about whether I feel I'm ready to go another year. That's the biggest thing for me: Am I prepared to do what it takes to be successful for another year. I know how much time you have to put in off the ice because playing hockey is the easy part."
"Know what, it wouldn't be fair if you just showed up to the rink and say, 'OK, I'm ready to play," and not put in the time off the ice. It wouldn't be fair for yourself, it wouldn't be fair for the organization, it wouldn't be fair for anybody if you're not ready to do the things you need to do to be the best that you can be." Sakic told the radio dudes that if he comes back he wants to be the go-to guy. The #1center.
"I have to be honest with my body and myself and know that if I come back, I want to come back and help the team, and help the team be successful," he said. "If I can't be that player, then I don't think it would be fair to the team or myself to play."

Yadda yadda yadda. It's all the same babble from a veteran star player that just can't seem to find it within himself to make an absolute decision about his playing future. We've heard it all from Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Mats Sundin and now Sakic. It's getting old.
No one seems to be heeding Steve Yzerman's advice from a couple of weeks ago.
Hey Joe, if you want a #1 center job, you could always come to Vancouver! (Not happening....wish it would.)

T Tags: Joe+Sakic+interview retirement decision FM+Sports+Radio+104.3+The+Fan

Avalanche release Joel Quenneville

"After meeting with Joel, we mutually agreed that the best decision for both parties involved is to go separate ways," said Avalanche Executive Vice President & General Manager Francois Giguere. "On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Joel for his years of service and wish him the best in his coaching career."

I'm not sure which part of Giguere's brain thought up this idea. Quenneville, who was in the last year of his contract, had coached the Avalanche to a 131-92-23 record in his 3-year tenure, and this year led them past the Wild in round 1 only to be swept by Detroit in round 2. The roster was depleted most of the time this year yet Quenneville still got this gutsy bunch into the playoffs. How far could you expect the Avs to go without Stastny, Smyth and Forsberg (half the time)?
Oh well, that's business, right?

What are Avalanche fans saying?

Tapeleg at Jerseys and Hockey Love said this after the 8-2 drubbing by Detroit in game 4:

Perhaps this will make the people who like Joel Quenneville realize that he took this team into the ground. Missed the playoffs last season, swept in round two this season, backed a horse in Theodore that turned out to be a donkey. There is only so much I can take the injury argument, and getting swept is about that far.

Jibblescribbits has a massive post up about the firing, which includes:

I think Q has the tools to be a good coach, but he seems hell bent on making his personnel fit his scheme, rather than letting his scheme compliment his personnel. For example Smyth-Sakic-Hejduk should be a great line, puck control and great shots with a top-flight rebounder in front. But Q insisted that the puck starts behind the net, which isn't this roster's forté. Especially on the powerplay (which was an unmitigated disaster this season). To be a top flight coach you need to adjust your schemes to your personnel (See Bowman, Scotty; Babcock, Mike).

Wow, no love for the giant f***ing Q in Avs land.

T Tags: Colorado+Avalanche+fire+Joel+Quenneville

Tuesday's games through the eyes of Photoshop

I give up trying to explain the Sharks. They are not in the same league as Dallas. The Stars continue their relentless play and are showing a lot more heart.




















The Avalanche injury list is raising a lot of questions about the team. Some wonder if Forsberg's injury woes are a distraction to the team. Pierre McGuire said "no way." I tend to agree. The Avs are not getting scoring from their big guns and they are giving Detroit way too much skating room. Those are the real problems.
It makes me think that the Stars could actually beat the Wings, mostly because they are better defensively.

















Who could ever forsee the Rangers getting swept by the Pens? Well it just might happen. And it gets worse. Sean Avery (lacerated spleen) is done for the year. Chris Drury (torso) and Blair Betts (broken jaw) are doubtful for game 4.

T Tags: Rangers Sharks Avalanche Elimination Sean+Avery+spleen+injury

Colorado and Vancouver: The difference between a good team and a decent team

The Canucks proved to be merely 'decent' tonight in a 4-2 loss tonight against the Avs. 'Decent' is putting it nicely. Up 2-0, the Avs found life on the powerplay and scored 3 goals in just over 5 minutes to erase Vancouver's lead. The Canucks had looked so good up to that point.
The Avalanche have enough offensive power to bury their opponent when given the chance. Which team is better at blocking shots? Colorado; look no further than Foote and Laperierre. Which goaltender was better? Theodore by a long shot. Luongo looked 'off' tonight again. He was further out of his net and goes down early, putting him out of position if a rebound goes out or the shot goes wide. Theodore was square in his net and looked way more poised. Yeah, Theodore looked poised. Much has changed for this mile-high city team.
I think the blocked shots difference and the goaltending were the keys to Colorado's win. And hey, they can protect a lead as well.
What a change from the Calgary game. But that's why I said that the Flames "stank it up" in Vancouver on Sunday night. Colorado is a better team than Calgary and Vancouver combined. They have secured a playoff spot.
The Canucks will now have to win their remaining games against Calgary and the latest non-playoff team Edmonton. The damned Predators, who just won't quit (thanks for nothing, St. Louis..bastards) will have to lose at least one game against either Chicago or St. Louis to even give us a chance.
A crazy night indeed. One minute the Blues are up 3-0 on the Preds and I'm loving it. Then it's 3-2, 3-3, then the Preds win in OT. Then the Canucks are up 2-0 and looking poised to finally beat the pesky Avs. Colorado ties it and then finishes Vancouver. In the meantime, Calgary defeated Edmonton in regulation to push the Oilers out of making the playoffs. (See Iginla's shit-eating grin after that game???)
Edmonton being eliminated only provided minor consolation. It's Nashville that we have to worry about now, and they are playing like they deserve a playoff spot, and now the ball is in their court.
I'm not jumping off the Nucks wagon here. We have a chance. I've just never quite cheered so much for St. Louis and Chicago before!
Brace yourselves for a week of stress!

Best Canucks:

1. Ryan Kesler. 6 shots on goal, 1 goal, and a spirited effort.

2. Markus Naslund. He was all over the ice tonight. He was back checking, hitting. He stepped it up.

3. Willie Mitchell. 1 goal and over 25 minutes of icetime.

GOAT: Kevin Bieksa. One great game against Calgary followed by mediocrity tonight. My love/hate relationship with Bieksa continues.





T Tags: Canucks Avalanche review playoffs

There was this guy who was on his way to the bar...

Tonight was different. Tonight I was having a delicious mushroom steak dinner with my family. When I went to the computer to check the score of the Avs-Canucks game, it was 2-1 Nucks after 1 period. "Good" I thought, "The Canucks will protect this lead tonight." Well, in between logging off my parents' computer, searching for lost keys with my wife, and then actually getting to that bar, the Avalanche had scored 4 unanswered goals, and it was 5-2 Avalanche by the time I got there. I thought they were showing highlights from an earlier game in the season!
The bar was empty. Every person had left in disgust early in the 2nd period.
I'm not going into details about the game, because I want Temujin to do that as he has been given contributor keys to this site. Instead, I will let you know what lies ahead for mostly Nashville, who seems to be the favorite to bounce someone out of a playoff spot.
Here is who Nashville has left to play, and their records against these teams:

- Friday, Columbus. The Preds have 6 wins and 1 loss against the Jackets this season.
- Sunday, Detroit. The Preds have 3 wins and 4 losses against the evil Wings this season.
- Tuesday and Thursday, St. Louis. The Preds have 3 wins and 2 losses against the sucky Blues this year.
- Friday, Chicago. The Preds have 4 wins and 3 losses against the Hawks.

These upcoming games are a tossup for Nashville. The only team they OWN is Columbus. The rest are all close. Keep in mind, the Preds play 4 out of 5 of their remaining games on the road. They are 16-17-4 on the road this season.

As for the Canucks:

- Friday, Minnesota. The Canucks 3-3 against the Wild this season.
- Sunday March 30 and Saturday April 5, Calgary. Canucks are 4-2 against the Lames.
- Tuesday, Colorado. The Canucks have won 2 and lost 5 against the Avs. God dammit!

The Canucks play 4 of their last 5 games at home. The Canucks are 20-12-5 at home.

So what am I trying to say here? Be positive! The Canucks can turn this shit around on a 4-consecutive-game homestand and bury the Preds in the final week. The Preds may play easier teams in the final 5 games, but their records against those teams don't show any domination.
No, a Northwest Division is probably not going to happen. But who cares? Let's just get in and see what happens! I like our chances of getting in because of the home ice advantage factor.
I'm not scared of Detroit. Fuck' em! We can take those sucks in a 7-game series!

T Tags: Canucks Avalanche Western+Conference+Standings Playoff+spot+race

Wrestling Joke

Wanna talk Canucks and Avalanche? I don't. Wanna talk about the Canucks being out of a playoff spot right now? Me neither. It's kicking a dead horse. At least, now they will know what it's like to play 60 minutes of desperation when you are a team that's trying to get into the playoffs. Colorado, Columbus and Chicago are doing it...why can't we?
Forget about it.
Here's a joke.

A Russian and a Newfoundland wrestler were set
to square off for the Olympic Gold medal.
Before the final match, the Newfie wrestler's trainer came to him and said, "Now, don't forget all the research we've done on this Russian. He's never lost a match because of this 'pretzel' hold he has.
Whatever you do, do not let him get you in that hold!
If he does, you're finished."
The Newfie nodded in acknowledgment.
As the match started, the Newfie and the Russian circled each other several times, looking for an opening. All of a sudden, the Russian lunged forward, grabbing the Newfie and wrapping him up in the dreaded pretzel hold. A sigh of disappointment arose from the crowd and the trainer buried his face in his hands, for he knew all was lost. He couldn't watch the inevitable happen. Suddenly, there was a scream, then a cheer from the crowd and the trainer raised his eyes just in time to watch the Russian go flying up in the air. His back hit the mat with a thud and the Newfoundlander collapsed on top of him making the pin and winning the match. The trainer was astounded.
When he finally got his wrestler alone, He asked, "How did you ever get out of that hold? No one has ever done it before!" The wrestler answered "Well, I was ready to give up when he got me in that hold but at the last moment, I opened my eyes and saw this pair of testicles right in front of my face. I had nothing to lose so with my last ounce of strength I stretched out my neck and bit those babies just as hard as I could."
So the trainer exclaimed, "That's what finished him off!"
"Not really. You'd be amazed how strong you get
when you bite your own nuts."


T Tags: Canucks+suck Wrestling+Joke

Canucks-Avs Preview = Hangman Extreme

I just can't bring myself to doing a pregame post for the Avalanche and Canucks tonight. I don't quite trust that the Canucks will win tonight, even though they HAVE TO. But the Avs probably won't have Forsberg back yet (oh wait, yes they will), and Ryan Smyth's head is currently a bowl of jello, thanks to our good friend Jack Johnston, and Marek Svatos' legs are facing 2 different directions. So maybe we have a chance.
Anyway, these are somewhat dire times for Canucks fans. If you are feeling gloomy, maybe the game below will cheer you up a little. If you are a sensitive type, then this game is not for you. You best be moving on. For the morbid types out there who like a challenge, this game is for you.

(Oh by the way, Canucks win 4-3 tonight. That's my positive guess)

MUSIC VIDEO CODES Music Lyrics



T Tags: Canucks Avalanche Preview Extreme+Hangman+Flash+Game Forsberg+returns

Avalanche 3 Canucks 2 (SO): Disappointment

"We had about six chances to get it out," said Luongo after tonight's game. "Either we shot it off our own guys or we didn't get it out. Next thing you know, a shot from the point and Sakic's alone on the side.
I was able to get the first save and he chipped it over me for the second one. It's unacceptable, inexcusable. That should never happen, especially in an important game like that."

In such a tight game there was no room for error, and poor Ryan Kesler was going to pass the puck generously to a teammate in his own zone that could charge up the ice and put it into the open net. Unfortunately that was a turnover and the Avs put serious pressure on the Canucks in their zone for several seconds with time ticking down. Joe Sakic, career Canuck killer tapped in a rebound goal with only 15 seconds left to tie the game, and then beat us in the shootout as well. A costly error in a critical game. Consider it "lesson learned", right Kes?
Luongo and Theodore were terrific, however I'd like to pick on Luongo again. He looks weak on the glove side in shootouts and even on Brunette's in-close breakaway goal tonight. Left-handed shooters can freeze Louie with a fake and he'll fall on his ass and the shooter goes to the backhand and roofs it. You see it happen all the time when Luongo is not on his game. While Hejduk performed this, he didn't raise the puck and Louie stopped it along the ice. But Joe Sakic did not make that mistake. He buried the winning shootout goal and made Lou look stupid, and the Avs got the extra HUGE point.
I'm beginning to think that the Avalanche are not going to stop rolling now. I think they are going to keep winning and win more when Forsberg returns to the lineup soon. The Canucks are going to have to keep up somehow.
Dismal powerplays from both teams, as they went 0-for-6.
The Canucks outshot the Avs 31-26.
Matt Pettinger looked lost at the start of the game, but then really started to come on in the 3rd. He'll need a bit more time yet.
Can you imagine if Burrows' goal wouldn't have completely crossed the line? That would have put the finger of hate on Hank Sedin, who for whatever damned reason, fished the puck out of the net as the puck was crossing the line. That was close. Smarten up, Hank.
A big kudos to Adam Foote, who I hate by the way. He is such a great defensive defenceman, and he must have blocked about 8 shots tonight and was super on the PK. But he's kind of a kamikaze. I can see him getting injured soon.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Theodore outplayed Luongo. He looked solid.
The Canucks played a good game against a desperate team. They will have to keep their heads up and continue playing well. The West standings are so close. We have to hope that Nashville and Phoenix, in 9th and 10th spot respectively, fade out and die, because I can't think of any team in the top 8 right now that is going to drop out.
Next up for Vancouver? The struggling Blue Jackets on Friday, the resurging Hawks on Sunday, and then the damned Avalanche with Forsberg on Tuesday. Payback is a bitch.

GAME SUMMARY

T Tags: Canucks Avalanche Review February+27 Sakic Canuck+killer Luongo

Canucks-Wild Preview: A night of new faces

New Canuck Matt Pettinger will play on the Canucks' "2nd line" tonight with Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler. I hope he can bring more to the table than Cooke did.
So that will put Naslund with the Sedins and Pyatt with Raymond and Shannon.
Jeff Cowan will sit our as he is serving a 1 game suspension for his high hit on Detroit's Dave Meech on Saturday.
The Canucks recalled Rick Rypien from Manitoba yesterday, and sent Luc Bourdon back down. Rypien will replace Byron Ritchie, who will not play tonight because of back pain.
The Avalanche will have Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei in their lineup tonight. That's a pretty good duo right there. Strong and mean. Both guys can make huge hits. According to Canucks.com, Peter Forsberg is in Vancouver right now and will address the media at 5:30 PST today. I hope he doesn't play tonight. He's probably going to wait a couple of games.
The new Avs beat the Flames in OT last night, putting them in 9th spot and only 2 points behind us. Tonight's game is crucial for both sides, so expect a playoff-like atmosphere at the Garage.
The following weeks are going to be intense in the West. Hell, tonight is intense. You watch the Canucks play and watch the out-of-town scoreboard closely, praying for the teams around you to lose.
Are the additions of Foote, Salei and Forsberg going to put the Avs in a playoff spot? Is the Theodore-Budaj combo consistent enough to help the Avalanche streak?
What the hell is going on in Minnesota? 12 goals against and 4 goals scored in their current 4 game slump and a fall from the Northwest Division lead. Unreal.
As you can see from the current standings below, the Canucks have 2 games in hand on the trailing Predators and Avalanche. We'll have to win those, sez Captain Obvious.
I say we beat the Avs 4-3 in a shootout tonight. It's going to be close. The Canucks are riding high on a 4 game winning streak and look poised.
Vancouver has played Colorado 4 times this season and has won 2 and lost 2. The Avs have won the last 2 against us. Time for change.

Game Time: 7:00 PST
TV: TSN (High Def)

Pettinger-Linden image is from Canucks.com.




T Tags: Canucks Avalanche Preview Forsberg Foote Salei Pettinger

Peter Forsberg signs with Colorado

Well, here's a rumor that came out correct. Plenty of teams were inquiring about Forsberg, but Colorado and Philadelphia were frontrunners reportedly.

"We're proud to announce to our fans that Peter Forsberg has decided to come back and play with our franchise where he's enjoyed so much success early in his career," said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere in a statement. "His addition should complement our roster and will bring our team to an even higher competitive level."

The Avs will pay what's left of a $5 million per season contract, which is about $1 million. How effective is Forsberg going to be?

"Over the last several months, I have worked extremely hard in order for this to be possible. I am looking forward to putting this jersey on again," said Forsberg. "I have so many great memories of my playing days in Denver. I'm excited about helping my new teammates and former teammates in the coming weeks, and hopefully I am able to do that in the very near future."

This gives Colorado a huge boost, as Forsberg should inject even more life into a team that is on the outside looking in for a playoff spot.
Yeah, great, a team in our Northwest Division just got a whole lot better. However, how will Colorado's goaltending hold up? I know Theodore is playing better because he doesn't have that poodle-looking slut on his mind anymore, but can the Theo/Budaj combo get the Avs deep into the playoffs? The team would probably score so many goals that it wouldn't matter. Best case scenario?? The Avalanche MISS THE PLAYOFFS even with Foppa in the lineup. Now THAT would be gold!

T Tags: Forsberg+returns+to+Avalanche