The return of Luongod: Canucks-Coyotes preview / updated all day

I'll take the cautious approach. Roberto Luongo is either going to return and
a) save the skins of a mediocre team through insane saves
b) inspire the team to play better for a whole 60 minutes
c) look rusty in his return and the team continues to suck

I'll have any Canuck updates prior to the game against the Coyotes, like the possibility of Wellwood sitting out this one for example. Until then, I put together a few Photoshop images that I think capture the day and the moment. Enjoy.

UPDATE 1

Sami "Glass" Salo will not return to the lineup just yet. He practiced with the team and could make his return this weekend against Columbus.

UPDATE 2

It appears Wellwood may sit this one out, as the struggling center has cooled off considerably in recent weeks. (Yes, I am dealing with the fact that he isn't Superman after all, even though he could be).

UPDATE 3

Luongo said all the things a true team captain would say after practice today:

“We win as a team and I am not going to come in here and win a game by myself,” Luongo said. “We need 20 guys to play as a team and play well. That is the way we always won here and that’s the way it is going to be from here on out.”

Ryan Kesler, who looked visibly pissed off after the loss to the Devils echoed Luongo's sentiments:

“I don’t care who we have in the net,” said centre Ryan Kesler. “We could have had a brick wall in there lately and we still would have lost. We have to be better defensively and with Louie coming back, obviously it’s going to help. But we still have to be better defensively in front of him.”

You tell 'em Kesler. If this team doesn't respond now...

UPDATE 4

- Curtis Sanford not-so surprisingly cleared waivers and has been assigned to Manitoba.

UPDATE 5
It sounds more and more like this team is raring to go tonight. Demitra talked about his demotion and promotion to Sundin's line today:

"Obviously, I wasn't happy about it," said Demitra. "But you have to get focus, get mad and be ready to play. Mats was the reason I came here, because of the rumours during the summer that he was going to be here. All my life, I was playing with one guy all year, and Mats is going to make hockey so easy.

"He has shown for many years that he's a top player in the league because he's got that big body and he's tough to get a puck from. He has great vision and can find you -- so it's going to be nice to play with a guy like that. And you just need to get chemistry going."

More on that here. OK, so does what Demitra said make him look like a tit or what? Fine, Gillis dangled Sundin in front of him to get Demo here, but that isn't the point. What's this garbage about him "playing with 1 guy all year?" How about you just do your damned job and you'll EARN a scoring role!? Demitra has done nothing to deserve any "royal" treatment from a coach. Lose the fucking superstar attitude, man. You are not a superstar!
Is he going to sulk if he fails on Lines 1 or 2 in the future and gets put on a different line? I just detect a lousy attitude from him and it re-enforces my point that the guy is a gutless puke. Go out there and earn your damned paycheck! Jesus. We don't need this kind of shit right now, putting it bluntly.

Line combos for tonight:

Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Taylor Pyatt

Pavol Demitra-Mats Sundin-Jannik Hansen

Alex Burrows-Ryan Kesler-Steve Bernier

Darcy Hordichuk-Ryan Johnson-Mason Raymond


STATS TO PONDER

From CDC:

The Canucks will want a strong start against the Coyotes. Vancouver is 14-0-2 when leading after 2 periods and 17-6-4 when they score first.

Well there you can see the problems of late. They have not been leading after the second period all that often and are not scoring first enough.

The Canucks will now try to avoid losing six in a row at home for the first time since Nov. 3-18, 1978.

UPDATE 6

Remember the last time the Coyotes came to town? Yeah, we won 1-0, but local boy Kyle Turris was benched by Gretzky, causing a bit of controversy. Tonight, Turris will play in front of his friends and family.






































































T Tags: Luongo+returns Canucks Coyotes game+preview photoshop Luongod Mighty+mouse Batman

Waiting For Stanley Pics of 2008

I just went through each month's archive and picked my favorite pics and / or stories.

JANUARY


















What better way to start off a year than with the 2nd Outdoor Game. It goes to a shootout and Crosby scores the winner. He then skates by the cameras behind the glass and screams like a girl.

















If there was ever a good time to be a mascot this was it. Pam Anderson had also flashed a Canucks jersey on the Jay Leno show weeks earlier.

FEBRUARY

















Richard Zednik gets a cyclone kick to the throat from a Sabres player and bleeds like a stuck pig. That was scary stuff. Good to see Zeddy back.

MARCH


















Oh yeah, 2 tix to the Nucks-Flames game as the season was winding down. Turned out that the Canucks spanked the Lames that night and Linden scored the last 2 goals of his career. Am I lucky or what?

APRIL























Naslund accomplished a lot in the stats category playing as a Canuck. But when he complained about the defensive system and left for Manhattan my feeling definitely were not hurt. Unfortunately, then Gillis would sign almost a Naslund clone in Pavol Demitra in the summer.

MAY























The Red Wings were so good in the playoffs... it inspired me to do up a Photoshop of Zettersyuk's heads on a once-dominant tag team in the WWE, Demolition.

JULY

















A tabloid writer in the Swedish Paper DN writes that Sundin is going to Vancouver. I caught this article late that night and posted it. Woke up the next day and the whole country was in disarray over it. Sundin's agent quickly squashed that rumor. Still though...I wonder how that reporter is feeling right now. Like Jesus perhaps?

JULY

















The impatience and boredom of waiting for Sundin prompted me to do up this PS image of Sundin in Vancouver.

AUGUST























Once again, boredom plays a role. Notice how baby Sundin pissed on Gillis? I really didn't think he would choose Vancouver...but I sure as hell wanted him to.

SEPTEMBER



















How many of you dinks mocked Wellwood when he first signed here? This image was just me taking a funny stab at Woody as well. Yeah, he had a weight problem, but he sure has been a big comeback story for the Canucks this season.

OCTOBER













Luongo is not allowed to wear the C on his jersey during games, but that didn't stop him from wearing it for the team photo.

NOVEMBER

















After somewhat of a shakey October, Luongo turns into a mighty force in November. Mighty like the Emperor Palpatine. Days after this Photoshop creation Luongo's groin was destroyed like the Death Star.

DECEMBER























I don't know about you, but when Sundin declared Vancouver as his choice I jumped up and down like Orphan Annie. Only difference is that I actually have real parents.

T Tags: Waiting+For+Stanley pics Photoshop Year+of+2008 review

Waiting For Stan Lee

It took me a while to get over my anger over this mockery sent to me by Mr. Ollivier from Canucks.com. Now I have finally decided to post the image because I had a good laugh over it after I hunted down Mr. O and killed him :)
Clever stuff.







If you don't know who Stan Lee is...then you are not cool like us! Ha!

T Tags: Waiting+For+Stan+Lee Photoshop Canucks.com

The game after a stinker and before Sundin comes to town

That’s definitely the tough part, getting the turkey out of you the next morning. But I think it will be a little bit easier being a home game. You get to sleep in your own bed and really enjoy the full Christmas experience and when you wake up Boxing Day, you turn the page and get ready to go. - Shane O’Brien on getting back to business tonight after the holiday break. -Shane O'Brien, Vancouver Sun.

It's not just the stuffing the Canucks have to get over, it's the 5-0 destruction the Sharks handed them on the 24th, a game they barely showed up for.
I read through some of my posts from October until now, looking for other stinker games, and the best I could come up with was the 5-2 loss to the Sabres on October 17 and the 3-1 loss to the Flames on November 29. Besides the obvious trend of the Canucks perhaps taking too many penalties, not showing up, getting outshot in those games there is another: the Canucks would lose the next 2 games after each sleeper.
But there is a more positive stat to throw out there: the Canucks are 2-1 against the Oilers this season. Both wins came at home, where they play tonight.
The Canucks have won 3 of their last 5. The Oilers only 2.
From Canucks.com:

The Oilers have won six of their last nine road contests, and head to GM Place for the second time in 10 days following a 4-2 loss on Dec. 17. Edmonton is 2-5-1 in its last eight visits to Vancouver.

Also:

The Oilers are looking to string together back-to-back victories for the first time since opening the month of December with three straight wins.

INJURIES

-Ethan Moreau is questionable after injuring his wrist blocking a shot against the Oilers' win over Phoenix on the 22nd.

-I know we all miss Luongo, but how about Ryan Johnson? There's a character guy that I've missed since he broke his foot and finger weeks ago.
In regards to Luongo, there is no talk of a timeline except "week to week". I talked to my cousin at the family dinner last night about groin injuries for goalies, as he plays net locally and does summer goalie camps, and he said it's a tough injury to have. He said that you can be walking around feeling fine for long periods of time and then all off a sudden you'll feel pain walking up stairs, for example. He projects 2 more weeks for Luongo. I'm not so sure about it after hearing of my cousin's experiences. 2 weeks would be terrific wouldn't it?
How about the Canucks just play better without Luongo?! They do it in stretches and are inconsistent. I hear many Canucks fans wondering if we should be getting a different backup goalie while Luongo is out. My opinion on that wanes. How about the team plays better? Curtis Sanford looked great in relief of a rubber-stricken Cory Schneider last game. How about the coach rides Sanford for a while and the team buckles up in front of him?!
It's Friday today but it feels like Monday, why? Because it's a big week in Vancouver. We play 3 in a row at home against the Oilers, Senators and Flyers. The team needs to establish some form of consistency in Luongo's absence and while Mats Sundin practices with the team yet does not play. He reportedly arrives tomorrow.
Distractions everywhere. Focus boys!

FROM ENEMY LINES

Good for them. I know many long suffering Canuck fans who seemed to be on the edge of a dream before a Jovo dumbkoff penalty or Bertuzzi the Brave decided to alter time and space. Perhaps no fan group in the NHL deserves a Stanley Cup more than Vancouver.

And you know what? They might just do it. - Lowetide

Great piece about Canucks fans, management by Lowetide today.

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET

Canucks.com live blog is happening!

T Tags: Canucks+Oilers+game+preview Friday+December+26+2008 Mats+Sundin+Vancouver+arrival losing Luongo

A Wellwood diet book? Woody laughs at fat jokes

So here I have been ranting at Wellwood haters and mockers calling them immature idiots and Kyle goes on record saying he thinks it's funny. From Slam Sports:

Kyle Wellwood laughs when he recalls the nicknames he was labelled with not so long ago during his, ah, chunkier days.

Like Kyle Wellfed.

Or Pork Chop.

There were so many, he can't remember them all.

"Personally, I liked the Wellwood sign somebody had," the former Maple Leaf recalled yesterday from Vancouver. "The 'W' in my name was the upside down golden arches of McDonalds.

"I think that kind of stuff is funny."

Here's something else that is funny: He recently was approached to write a book. "Actually, they want me to do a diet book now," he said, chuckling. "Everyone is talking about the new Wellwood diet."

A diet book. Wow. This story is insane.
As long as Wellwood's feelings aren't hurt then that is all that matters, right ^

T Tags: Kyle+Wellwood+diet+book Canucks

Glass Joe Salo

Sami, Sami, Sami. I am growing tired of your injury-prone tendencies. So in recognition of your calcium-deficient bones and your insufficient groin, I honor you with the following:






















No I have not forgiven Salo for that painful display right at the time the Avs tied the game last night. Ha!

T Tags: Sami+Salo Glass+Joe Punchout Injury+prone Canucks

Luongo: From human to immortal in one week

If Luongo keeps this up, he could have a career year in shutouts. The most he's had in one season is 8 with the Panthers in 2005-06. He now has 3 shutouts in his last 5 games and leads the NHL with 5 total.
It has been 141 minutes since someone has beat him.
With this re-emergence of Luongod comes Canuck success. They have now won 4 of their last 5 and trail the Northwest Division leading Wild by one point.
So now the game between the Wild and Canucks on Saturday holds even more importance.

Kevin Bieksa is on a roll. He played a fair bit more than any other Nucks defenceman tonight, logging 25:16 of icetime and scoring the game's only goal. He can be prone to defensive lapses on one night and then be brilliant the next night. In 11 games this season, Bieksa has 3 goals and 9 points. He looks to have a great season much like he did 2 years ago.

It was good to see the Canucks play better defensively. The guys blocked 20-plus shots. If they want to, they can score an ass-load of goals, but then they give up a lot of goals as well. Tonight was the opposite. They couldn't bury the puck but were a lot more stingy defensively.
So I think the team is still trying to establish an identity of both and being consistent in that.

Steve Bernier has 4 goals and 8 points in 14 games. He missed a glorious chance tonight. He seems to be struggling a bit. I think it's fair to say we expect more from him.

It seemed that Michel Ouellet played his way into obscurity as the game went on. He started the contest on the top line with the Sedins and then I didn't see too much of him.

Wellwood was good tonight but didn't get on the scoreboard.

Had a great time hanging out at Canucks and Beyond tonight, as Alanah had a live blog up using Cover It Live. The Yankee Canuck co hosted the live blog with Canucks and Beyond, spreading his filthy hate of Wellwood. At least Mike is funny as hell when he mocks.

BOXSCORE AND HIGHLIGHTS

Blake Wheeler scores a hatty against the Leafs tonight in Boston and a bra is thrown on the ice. Is bra power about to start in Beantown? You guys can't use Blake the Brabarian because we've already thought of that.

T Tags: Luongo Luongod Canucks+beat+Coyotes November+6+2008 Blake+Wheeler bra+power Boston bra+thrown+on+ice video pic image

All about the Wood

He's got the whole team
In his hands
He's got the whole damned team
In his hands...

I'm going to hell ain't I?
See you there!

Go Wellwood!

You know, Wellwood week might be extended if he keeps this up.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault thinks Kyle Wellwood may have gotten a wake up call when he was sent to the minor leagues 2 1/2 weeks ago.
Wellwood says it was more of a much-needed break.
The Canucks' Kyle Wellwood had two goals -- he has six this season. It was his first career multi-goal game.
Whatever the reason, after battling injury and fitness issues for the last two seasons Wellwood is making the most of his latest chance to stay in the NHL.

- Associated Press

Kyle Wellwood has heard the jokes about being out of shape while walking around with his shirt off, and suffering the humiliation of being sent to the minors twice.

All this after coming to Vancouver soon after the Canucks claimed him off waivers in June, spending gruelling weeks with conditioning coach Roger Takahashi and going on a special diet.

Cut adrift after four years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he's feeling good again and making the most of his second NHL tour of duty with Vancouver.

Wellwood, a five-foot-ten, 180-pound native of Windsor Ont., who signed a US$997,500 contract with Vancouver, became the Canucks' leading scorer Tuesday by firing two goals in a 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators.

He has six goals in seven games since being called up from American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose when Pavol Demitra suffered a rib injury.

''For any athlete or professional, it's about yourself personally playing the game and that's where you're going to find the happiness,'' Wellwood said.

''Not being able to play, feeling unhealthy and out of shape you're not going to feel so happy and confident. That was my main goal. I didn't care too much where I was going to play. I just wanted to get back.''

-TSN. And there is more about Woody at TSN.

“I think we just wanted to keep going,” said Alex Burrows. “ I think we wanted to play a solid 60 minutes, and in the third period that second goal really helped us and obviously afterwards Kyle worked his magic. It was nice to see.”

Wellwood rounds into form

-Sportsnet. Still can't stop the fat jokes, hey you fucking jackasses?

..it’s an absolute delight to see guys like Kesler, Raymond, Burrows, Hansen and (ugh) even Wellwood play far better than anyone could have predicted. But as far as Wellwood being a PP God is concerned, I’m still not sold on him yet.

-Yankee Canuck pre game. Mikey, Mikey, NOW DO YOU BELIEVE? NOW DO YOU BELIEVE? This guy is good. Scary good! (Hey, I'll gloat while I have the chance!)




T Tags: Kyle+Wellwood+is+god Photoshop Jesus tribute

Gladiator Wellwood

In keeping with this being Wellwood week, you will have to endure Photoshopped images of The Woodster with the theme of him being an underdog, angry, picked on, etc.
Am I overreacting on this whole Wellwood thing? Not really. This guy has been kicked to the curb enough and it's good to see him producing.

T Tags: Kyle+Wellwood Gladiator Photoshop Canucks

What do you get when you cross Pee Wee and Ed Grimley?

Well? True isn't it? Tell me I'm not crazy!

T Tags: Curtis+Sanford Pee+Wee+Herman Ed+Grimley

Mats Sundin update- September 27, 2008

If you want to waste some more of your time reading about what is going through Sundin's head right now, check out a preview a what he said to Nick Kypreos during his "grand" interview in Sweden with the Indecisive One. Nothing new there except...OH! Sundin's family is pressuring him to play on now! Ooo!
And if you want to waste even more time watching Mats painfully look indecisive, you can watch the Kypreos-Sundin interview in it's entirety on Hockey Central tomorrow at 8:00 PM PST.
Nice try, Sportsnet. This is about 5 weeks too late.

T Tags: Mats+Sundin+update+September+27+2008 Sportsnet+interview Nick+Kypreos 2010+Olympics

Justin Williams out 4-6 months

Torn achilles tendon. Jeez. Williams only played in 37 games last season because of back problems and a torn ACL as well. He had 30 points in those games. He has the potential to be a 70-80 point producer.

The good news about this is:

-if you are creating a hockey pool and enter J Williams as one of the choices, people won't confuse it between Justin and Jason Williams.

-maybe the Hurricanes should pick up Glen Murray, who's still in limbo. Hey, if they can turn Sergei Samsonov's career around, surely they beat some more points out of Murray. Perhaps Mark Parrish is another option.

-The Acid Queen hasn't caught on to this yet.

The bad news is:

- I really don't mind the Hurricanes and am pulling for them to turn it around this season. But losing Williams is a lousy step backwards.

T Tags: Justin+Williams+injury torn+achilles+tendon out+four+to+six+months Carolina+Hurricanes

Schneider clears waivers and what that means / Marcus Nilson put on waivers

No takers. No love.
Now, as Faceoff.com puts it (and I always need to be reminded):

Anaheim could still swing a trade for the veteran defenceman or send him to the minors when the season starts. However, that wouldn't alleviate the cap hit.

He would be subject to re-entry waivers should the Ducks recall him, at which point he could be claimed at half his salary, with the Ducks forced to pay the other half.

Nilson, who was rumored to be heading to the KHL, was put on waivers by the Flames today. I believe that Nilson was unable to go to Russia because of his contract with the Flames. Soon, the doors will be wide open for him to leave the country.

T Tags: Matthieu+Schneider+clears+waivers

Flames+put+Marcus+Nilson+on+waivers

Mike Peca says Blue Jackets are a 100 point team

From Craig Custance (and tip to Kukla for finding it):

In case you were wondering, I'm firmly on board the Columbus bandwagon. No, I don't think they're going to win the Stanley Cup anytime soon, but I believe in Scott Howson and what he's doing with the Blue Jackets. I'm already on record as saying Columbus will make the playoffs this season, and you'll see it again when our NHL preview comes out in Sporting News Magazine. But still, I wanted a little reassurance.

I got it today from Michael Peca. He flat out said that this is a 100-point team right now in Columbus. Last year, they had trouble getting the puck to their forwards. That's been solved with a revamped blue line. Rick Nash has never had an equally skilled player to get him the puck. Enter Kristian Huselius.

You know what? I can only describe this article and Peca's prediction with a Photoshop image:



T Tags: Mike+Peca+Blue+Jackets+prediction 100+points playoff+spot cocaine photoshop

If JP Barry has his way, the Sedins are in for a huge raise **UPDATED**

From TSN: JP Barry told Team 1040 today:

"We just finished an extension negotiation for Shawn Horcoff, who did almost a carbon copy deal of the Sedins last time, and since that was done two years ago, Daniel and Henrik have outpaced him quite a bit offensively," Barry told the Team 1040. "So, we're going to see deals like that in the marketplace – the Gomez, Drury deal - for players who go free. They've outpaced both Gomez and Drury over the last three years. You know, they've outscored those players, and those players went free, so I think the question is 'What's the price to stay, and what's the price to go?'"

Shawn Horcoff's extension will see him get paid $7 million in 2009-10 and $6.5 million in 2010-11 and it slowly descends drom there. Scott Gomez makes $8 million per season over the next 3 seasons and Chris Drury makes $7.1 million this season and $8.05 million next season. So you get what kind of money Barry and the Sedins are going for here: somewhere between $7-8 million for each sister.
Barry had also mentioned that the deal would probably have been done already had Dave Nonis still been the GM, as he had been in management with the Sedins since they were 18. Well isn't that special?
If Gillis doesn't acquire anyone else in the near future, he can barely absorb the Sedins' potential raise. But it will be close. But you have to keep in mind that Lukas Krajicek, Alex Edler, Mattias Ohlund, and probably even Steve Bernier will all become free agents next summer and will be wanting a raise. The near future doesn't look so damned rosey does it?
If the Sedins don't get the $8 million here, they'll get it somewhere else. Then the questions become: does Gillis want to build the team around them? If yes, then who does he trade away to save salary? Bieksa or Ohlund?
If he chooses NOT to extend the Sedins and a deal falls through, would it not be wise to flog the twins and get some value in return? If they leave next summer and we save all that money, what is it going to matter? Vancouver cannot attract big name players anyways.
Well, this will get interesting. Look for the Swedish twins to really step it up this year to boost their market value.

**UPDATE- Sept. 9**
From the Province today: Dan Sedin said:

"We're not looking for the last amount of dollar. It's about our family being happy and us being happy -- that's the most important thing. But we haven't talked about anything, so we'll see what happens."

If the Twins aren't looking for the last amount of dollar, JP Barry IS. If the Sedins took any kind of discount I would be impressed. I just have a hard time believing any player who says that it's not about the money. Heard that one many times before.
The Swedes, along with Barry, are going to meet with Mike Gillis tomorrow to see what Gillis thinks about having them in the Canucks' plans going forward.
NOTE: Back in April, Gillis said of the Twins:

"I don't think the group of forwards right now are ready to compete. I don't know if they [the Sedins] are players the team will be built around moving forward. That evaluation process will go on."

A statement he later retracted. The Sedins were taken aback by that statement but stated that they have been used to that kind of criticism since Day 1.



T Tags: JP+Barry+Canucks+negotiating+Sedins+extension

Sundin's agent won't rule out a decision from Mats coming during the season

From Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun:

The agent for free-agent centre Mats Sundin says his client may not make a decision about whether to continue his National Hockey League career until after the start of the regular season.

J.P. Barry said Wednesday that a decision by Sundin is not imminent and suggested there is no guarantee that Sundin will meet his self-imposed, end-of-August deadline to decide whether he will play this season. (edit: fucker!)

"We are going to talk to him later this week just to get an update from him, but right now we are not putting any pressure on him because he has to get that feeling that he wants to play," Barry said. "But right now, he's no closer."

Barry did not rule out the 37-year-old Sundin following a path set two seasons ago by Anaheim defenceman Scott Niedermayer, who waited until December to rejoin the Anaheim Ducks.

"It's possible," Barry said. "It's not something that's preferable even to him. Mats has said in the past it's not something he is totally comfortable with, but at the same time you can't say that until you're in that position yourself. Niedermayer went through this and needed time and perhaps Mats is in the same situation."

Expat, you have an inside scoop? GZ Expat, with a site of the same name had alluded to or even predicted this over a month ago in the WFS comments section. I didn't believe him.
If Sundin does hold out until sometime during the season, it changes the face of the game. Right now, it's fair to say that the Rangers, Avalanche and Flyers are out of the picture due to salary cap restrictions (and a hell of a lot of player movement to be done in order to make room for Sundin). But if Sundin holds off until, say, December, well that would cost an interested team a hell of a lot less to acquire his services, increasing the pool of teams again.
Yes, that would be the Scott Niedermayer or Selanne route. And I didn't like Niedermayer or Teemu doing it. Now, for the first time, I find myself getting angered by my favorite player since Doug Gilmour retired. There's no respect coming from me if he holds off for another several months.
I also think it's fair to say that he's not coming to Vancouver. Yes, I am about 90% sold on that theory if JP Barry has his facts straight.
Don't you find it ironic that Barry goes to the press with this on the same day that Sakic announces he will play? At the same time, GM's were putting a lot of heat on Barry to get some damned answers recently.
Either way, fuck it.
Mike Gillis is still being a nice guy after hearing this news. He must have been a player agent in the past. (Cue the sarcasm)

"It's difficult to react to speculation and I'm not going to," he said. "I think that our position has been pretty clear. We made a significant offer and we are prepared to be patient. Nothing much has happened in the hockey world over the past 30 days and on a moving-forward basis we are going to try and remain as patient as we can."

"I didn't anticipate it taking this long, but this isn't a simple situation, it's more complicated than most and we have to accept that."

Oh yeah, that player agent blood still flows through his veins a little, doesn't it?
I was thinking Gillis would go the trade route as a plan B, but if you read what he says to the Vancouver Sun, it seems as though he is planning on giving some young guys a chance.

"I am confident that some of younger players that we have spent a lot of time with this off-season are going to really push to be on this team," he said. "We have added players, but I think there are going to be a couple of players who are going to step up here and show us they are prepared to play in the National Hockey League."

T Tags: no+Sundin+decision+imminent not+August Mike+Gillis+plan+B

Stupid Ethan Moreau hit-and-run article inspires stupid Photoshop image

Whether Moreau and co. hit a motorbike and bolted or not really doesn't matter. Hey, I've done that once before. I'll admit it. Dishonorable it was. But that jackass shouldn't have parked that little Honda Civic behind my Chev pickup. I couldn't see it in my mirror!
In other NHL news today, Scott Niedermayer took a dump this morning and used thin toilet paper. Should have used Scotties.



T Tags: Ethan+Moreau hit+and+run Vancouver motorbike picture image Photoshop

The Hockey News' Ultimate Fantasy Pool Guide: A look at the Canucks

Finally bought the mag yesterday. If you have not bought it yet or are not going to buy the issue, then this post is for you. I will give you what The Hockey News is saying and projecting for each Canucks player and then I'll throw my own 2 cents in, because that's what I do.

DEFENCEMEN

1. Kevin Bieksa. After a breakout season, Bieksa was out most of last year with injury. He returned before the end of the season, but a fresh start in the fall will benefit him.
THN projected output: 80 games played, 10 goals and 35 points.
Zandberg's projection: 82 games played, 15 goals, 45 points. Plus a bunch of errors in his game. Oh well. :)

2. Alex Edler. No projection by THN.
Zandberg's projection: A reduced role if the blueline stays healthy, yet he is ready to play in the top 2.
82 games played, 7 goals and 20 points.

3. Lukas Krajicek. No THN projection here either. WTF.
Zandberg's projection: Poised for a breakout. In 2006-07 Krajicek scored 16 points in 78 games. In 2007-08 he scored 11 points in 39 games. I see a pattern: Increased ice time and a few more points, especially whenever Salo gets injured.
74 games played, 5 goals and 25 points.

4. Willie Mitchell. No THN projection.
Zandberg's projection: Has never scored more than 14 points in the NHL. Has never played a full season either.
70 games played, 1 goal and 11 points

5. Mattias Ohlund. THN: Never too high, never too low. Ohlund is at least consistent in that respect. He also scores a lot of goals for a defenceman but doesn't get many assists.
78 games played, 12 goals and 32 points.
Zandberg's projection: I'll agree with THN's point projection.

6. Sami Salo. Good thing Salo doesn't get paid by the game.(ha!), he's one of the most frequently injured players in the league. But when he does play, he's a high-scoring defenceman.
THN projection: 65 games played, 10 goals and 30 points.
Zandberg's projection: 65 games played, 15 goals and 38 points.

FORWARDS

1. Henrik Sedin. After 5 seasons of increases, Sedin finally leveled off. It had to happen some time. For the foreseeable future, expect both brothers to hover around the 80 point mark.
THN projection: 82 games played, 17 goals and 74 points.
Zandberg's projection: The twins need a sniper on their line. Maybe Bernier is that guy.
82 games played, 16 goals and 84 points.

2. Daniel Sedin. So, the Sedins maxed out at around 80 points. Not a bad level at all. The Canucks don't have enough auxiliary scoring to produce more and not enough to score less, either.
THN projection: 82 games played, 33 goals and 78 points.
Zandberg's projection: THN is not taking into account that the Sedins had their best offensive season playing with Anson Carter. I miss that guy until a suitable replacement is found.
82 games played, 35 goals and 82 points.

3. Pavol Demitra. Playing with Marian Gaborik should have been a gold mine for Demitra, but it was far from it. Too many years, too many injuries, too many disappointments.
THN projection: 70 games played, 17 goals and 52 points. Still have him listed as a free agent though.
Zandberg's projection. Disappointment indeed. Anyone that picks Demitra in a hockey pool is mad or a sucker for punishment.
67 games played, 25 goals and 64 points.

4. Ryan Kesler. Kesler had a breakout season last year, but don't expect him to be a huge goal scorer. He's a 2-way player who will likely find a home on a checking line.
THN projection: 79 games played, 15 goals and 38 points.
Zandberg's projection. If Kesler wasn't a 2-way player and just a scorer, he could get over 60 points. Alas, checking is his game and he likes it. But he is a player on the rise.
80 games played, 25 goals and 48 points.

5. Mason Raymond. It's full time duty for Raymond this season. Depending on who the Canucks pick up this summer, he can be on a scoring line or the 4th line.
THN projection: 70 games played, 16 goals and 35 points.
Zandberg's projection: I think a scoring role is in order here. Can he avoid a sophmore slump? He has plenty of skill.
76 games played, 22 goals and 45 points.

6. Kyle Wellwood. Wellwood looked like he'd go to the next level before last season, but not anymore. The oft-injured forward is very close to fading into oblivion.
THN projection: 70 games played, 10 goals and 37 points.
Zandberg's projection: Easy now, THN. A fresh start for Wellwood should benefit him. More and more Canuck fans will love him as the year goes on I predict.
78 games played, 13 goals and 49 points.

7. Alex Burrows. Burrows is an energy line agitator who can score a little too. If your fantasy league counts penalty minutes, Burrows is a pretty decent consideration.
THN projection: 80 games played, 10 goals and 24 points.
Zandberg's projection: Contract year. Should be an increase in points for Alex.
82 games played, 15 goals and 30 points.

8. Steve Bernier. The Canucks have tried everyone on the right side with the Sedins. Bernier will be the next option. He has terrific offensive instincts, but admits he has to batlle an issue with conditioning and weight.
THN projection: 75 games played, 23 goals and 47 points.
Zandberg's projection: I don't care if he eats too many potato chips, I think this guy is going to impress. He is also in the final year of his contract I believe.
78 games played, 30 goals and 60 points.

9. Taylor Pyatt. Pyatt has had plenty of opportunity on Vancouver scoring lines and still hasn't scored regularly. It's not going to get any better as he moves down the depth chart as the Canucks improve.
THN projection: 78 games played, 15 goals and 29 points.
Zandberg's projection: I agree with THN assessments of Pyatt. However, this is the final year of Pyatt's contract as well, so expect some extra motivation. If not, I think he's going to get waived or traded.
80 games played, 20 goals and 37 points.

10. Matt Pettinger. No THN projection.
Zandberg's projection: Another player in the final year of his contract. But pettinger is going to fall down the depth chart as well. He could also fall past #12 on the depth chart or get traded.
74 games played, 8 goals and 18 points.

11 & 12 spots: Jeff Cowan is in the final year of his contract, but he seems expendible with the acquisition of Darcy Hordichuk. I think Cowan the former Brabarian is going to be shown the door at some point and Hordichuk and Ryan Johnson will take the 11 & 12 spots.

GOALIES

1. Roberto Luongo. Luongo can do it all on his own, just not all the time. He's playing at his best and his stats are great. His win totals could be better, but the team needs to help out more.
THN projection: 39 wins, a 2.31 GAA, a .920 save percentage, and 6 shutouts.
Zandberg's projection: May see a few more games off this season which he hinted at a few weeks back. But he won't have any distractions this time and is driven to improve from last season.
40 wins, a 2.21 GAA, a .920 save percentage, and 5 shutouts.

2. Curtis Sanford. It's not that difficult to back up Roberto Luongo. Your main job is patting Luongo on the back after the game. Anything more than 10 or 15 games and the Canucks have serious issues.
THN projection: 5 wins, a 2.77 GAA, a .903 save percentage and no shutouts.
Zandberg's projection: 9 games played, 5 wins, a 2.65 GAA, a .900 save percentage and 1 lucky shutout.

T Tags: The+Hockey+News+Ultimate+Fantasy+Pool+Guide Vancouver+Canucks+player+projections predictions

Sanford offers fans to design his new mask

"We have great fans in Vancouver and I thought this would be the ideal way for them to express themselves in a creative way and to feel part of our team," Sanford said in a statement. "There are a lot of talented artists in our city and I have no doubt that we will receive a number of innovative and interesting designs. I am looking forward to seeing what Canucks fans come up with."

What a cool concept by Sanford and a great interaction tool. Canucks.com has the kit here.
Heck, I thought his current pissed off-looking Sandman mask was great already, but this idea is just too fun to pass up. I'll keep you up to date on the best fan designs if possible.
By the way, the winning designer will receive an autographed Curtis Sanford jersey and a meet-and-greet with Sanford.
The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on August 25th.

T Tags: Curtis+Sanford fans+design+his+new+mask

Larry Brooks denies Rangers would clear cap space for Sundin

And Larry Brooks would know, right? Oh yeah, he would. But then again, so would most of us. Do you see the Rangers dumping Gomez or Drury in a trade? Not a chance? How about Naslund and Zherdev? Well that would be funny, actually. I would split my sides open laughing if Naslund ended up especially on some lousy team via trade. Especially after he chose the Rangers because he wanted a chance to win the Cup. (**scoff**) (Is there a no-trade clause in Naslund's contract with NYR?) Naslund and Zherdev take up over $8 million of the Rangers' salary, which is needed to bring in Mats, as the Rangers are just under the cap.
But Sundin's agent JP Barry has said recently that there are teams out there who are willing to make room for Mats, so you can't always tell for sure. Then again, how many times has Barry been full of shit in recent weeks? He has been changing his stories more than Bryan McCabe changes his hair color!
I know how every swinging d**k wants to play for the Rangers, but I really don't think the Rangers are going to land Sundin.

T Tags: Rangers+to+make+room+for+Mats+Sundin Denied+by+Larry+Brooks