Katie Maximick

Ask Katie about the Canucks: Conspiracy Theories and Some Slash

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Feb 072011
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@KMaximick)]

Hi there, hungover Canucks fans! For those of you who don’t give a damn about football, thanks for your questions for today’s column. You were a big help during a hectic weekend when people were too enthralled with Troy Polamalu’s mane of hair and Fergie’s train-wreck version of Sweet Child of Mine to help me out.

You, my friends, saved the day.

I feel like I’ve already answered the following question, but what the heck.

Jovan (@jovanheer) asks: Who should we trade for at the deadline?

I had this discussion during the Super Bowl around a poker table (not like I played, I’m useless when it comes to poker), and the conclusion we came to was – nobody. Unless we lose a defenseman right before the playoffs, there’s really no reason to go for or unload anyone by the 28th. As I’ve mentioned before, probably last week, we have a very deep roster and our secondary scoring is picking up again after a bit of a slump.  Raymond’s name is being tossed around as a favourite to go, similar to Bieksa’s story before he decided he wanted to perform well, but let’s face it, if he’s going to go anywhere, it probably won’t be until the off-season.

Then again, I’ve been surprised before.

BCAA Booster (@BCAAbooster) asks: Hodgson’s cage… what’s the deal?

As the Kurtenblog wrote, some may have noticed that Hodgson’s been “wearing a facial cage from the Hayley Wickenheiser collection”. This is because he cracked the orbital bone in his face during a Manitoba Moose practice on December 9th and missed 16 games as a result. The cage is basically to protect his face until he has the orders that he’s in the clear. It was a pretty serious injury and he can’t risk a stick to the face at the moment. Remind anyone of the Willie Mitchell look from the ’03 playoffs?

David (@merlynbc) asks (or actually suggests): The coincidence of injury/recovery with Canucks is interesting. Think #6/#23. Think #54′s foot. Not a conspiracy theorist but…

You’re not the first to point this out. I think even Jason Botchford and Tony Gallagher addressed the “conspiracy” on The Province’s live chat last week. Conspiracy theories are very popular among Canucks fans, or NHL fans in general. I wouldn’t go as far as to think that the Canucks could plan blueline injuries with such impeccable timing to make cap room for Salo. I would just think it was good (and lucky) timing for the team. Perhaps Salo was close to coming back anyway, and was taking things slow so as not to shatter any of his glass parts too soon; perhaps Edler’s injury forced Salo to make a decision and return quicker than he would have liked. We don’t know, and knowing the tight-lipped Canucks we probably won’t ever find out the exact details.

Jason (@@jasonwheelerBC) asks: How many starts do you see Schneider getting for the rest of the season?

So far Schneider’s played 13 games, and according to pre-season comments by Mike Gillis, Ginger Bricks would likely see 20-25 starts in order to give Luongo a long-awaited break. I may be really bad at math, but I’m going to go and estimate that he’ll see 7 to 12 more starts before the playoffs. Cheeky enough for you, Wheeler?

That’s all, folks.

And just to update you all, my introduction to football didn’t go well yesterday. I think I’ll stick to hockey.

Ask Katie About the Canucks: What to do with the ‘D’?

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Jan 312011
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@KMaximick)]

Lee Sweatt

Photo credit: canucks.nhl.com

If the theme of last week’s Ask Katie About the Canucks was the shootout and Vancouver’s recent slump, this week’s theme is about trades as the Canucks suffer from an injury-plagued blueline and the NHL’s February 28th trade deadline looms around the corner. But rather than speculate a lot (because frankly that’s all we can do when it comes to trade rumours), I’ll answer one and move on to the others.

Tyler (@ChiefsFanTy) asks: Should we trade for Gonchar or another d man for the Cup run?

Personally I don’t think we need to trade for a defenseman at all. We have enough; they’re just injured at the moment (Alberts, Rome, Salo, Edler). That being said we should be okay whenever they return, especially Salo and Edler, obviously the sooner the better. The blueline has a lot of depth and surprisingly I’m not worried (yet), mostly because I believe either Edler or Salo will be back in time, maybe even both if we’re lucky. It’s not time to hit the panic button because the team seems to be doing okay despite the injuries. What needs some work is secondary scoring. But that’s a different answer to an already asked question.

And speaking of Edler…

Chris (@Chris_Withers) asks: What powerplay configurations should the Canucks go with in Edler’s absence?

It’s most likely that Bieksa will be joining Ehrhoff on the top power-play unit for pretty obvious reasons. Bieksa has a right-handed shot and has had a great season so far. In my opinion he’s earned the spot over the others until either Edler or Salo return. Samuelsson played the point in the last game, and he could do so again if that’s what AV’s looking for. Also if Salo returns first obviously he’ll be on the top unit, but who knows when that will be. Ballard and Hamhuis clearly on the second unit, but Samuelsson could fit in there on the point as well. AV is unpredictable and could start juggling here. Some fans think Lee Sweatt (aka Rudy) should be given a shot on the second unit, but is that realistic or risky? What do you guys think?

Al (@theALmighty66) asks: What’s the name of the song played in Rogers Arena when VAN goes on the PP? I dig it!

I know one of them is a remix of Wolfmother’s “Joker and the Thief”, but can’t find the name (or footage) of the other one they play. You’ll have to ask DJ Dave for that one.

(@BEcanucks) asks: Could you try to explain why, according to the NHLPA survey, [NHL players] all want to play in Vancouver and think it’s overrated?

Because being “overrated” doesn’t take away from the team’s overall success or the liveability of the city they play in. Vancouver is considered overrated because it talks the talk during the regular season but doesn’t walk the walk in the playoffs. Unless the Canucks can get past the second round, they won’t be taken seriously by NHL players or fans of other clubs.

That being said, Vancouver’s a great city to play for in many ways. It has a fantastic, passionate fan base, the arena sells out every game, the city itself is one of the most beautiful in the world and the winters are mild. The team consistently makes the playoffs and is only getting better every year, so of course most players would want to be on the roster of a Cup-contending team. But to not be considered overrated the team has to go deeper in the playoffs, something I think all of us are hoping happens come April. “Overrated” is one of those words we Canucks fans hear quite a bit, whether it’s about our team or our #1 goalie (who was voted #1 in the same survey as the most difficult goalie to score on in the league). All we can do is hope to prove everyone wrong by going all the way.

There’s no hockey until Tuesday, so enjoy the rest of the All-Star break, Canucks fans!

Ask Katie About the Canucks: How Do You Bump a Slump?

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Jan 242011
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Mason Raymond

Photo credit: canucks.nhl.com

The Canucks are finishing the month of January at a less-than-inspiring L10 record of 4-2-4, a bit of a slump compared to how they began the New Year (7-0-3). Shootout woes, the injury bug and scoring slumps have been plaguing the team for most of the past month. After a month of near perfection and little to complain about, suddenly many fans finally have something (or a lot) to talk about.

Stephanie (@stephnav) asks: What do you think the Canucks need to do to break out of their mini slump?

A lot of Redbull or a swift kick in the ass. You decide.

The Canucks aren’t exactly tanking, as they are managing to at least get a point when they lose in the shootout, but is this type of performance good enough for a Cup contender? Frankly, no. Although Henrik Sedin pointed out that if the team had won in their last two shootouts, that their performance wouldn’t be a big issue, I disagree. They’ve already lost the top spot in the league to the Flyers, and Detroit is hot on their heels to overtake them in the Western Conference if this play continues; the Canucks are lucky that the Red Wings are battling injury problems of their own.

Many Vancouver forwards scorers aren’t scoring (to be discussed below) and this is what’s affecting the team the most. Luongo has been playing very well, and despite injuries, the Canucks’ blue line is doing the best that it can and is often producing more goals than the team’s forwards, like Alex Edler against the Flames.

Kayli (@CanuckKayli13) asks: What do you think is the key to breaking those scoring slumps of the few forwards?

There are quite a few scoring slumps on the roster to mention here. Daniel Sedin hasn’t scored in four games but this is nothing compared to five other Canucks forwards who are scoreless in over 10 games. As I mentioned in my post last week, the third line hasn’t scored in almost a month, and to quote The Province’s Ed Willies: “Jeff Tambellini is 0-for-his-last-13 games. Mason Raymond is 0-for-11. Manny Malhotra is not only is goal-less in his last 12, he’s also pointless. The list is actually longer but there are space limitations here.”

So what to do? Is there even anything that can be done aside from demoting or benching some of these forwards (like Samuelsson or Malhotra) until they smarten up? Even I’m at a loss for words about what to do with this problem. And that, my friends, says a lot.

Ask Katie About the Canucks: Secondary Scoring Slumps, Unsung Heroes and Why I Like NKOTB

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Jan 172011
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Mikael Samuelsson, Raffi Torres

Photo credit: Yahoo Sports

Everyone put on their blue and green hardhats! Because after last night’s 4-0 shut-out loss in Minnesota, the sky is falling for a percentage of fans who sit on the tailgate of the Canucks bandwagon.

Yes, the team got its butt kicked, and yes, the Canucks now have three injuries in addition to Salo (Bolduc, Rome and Alberts), but hey, here’s the silver lining –- at least at this rate we won’t have to worry about making room for Salo when he comes back! In fact, many of us are ready for his return riiiiighhht about now.

But, aside from the injuries and last night’s sky-is-falling loss, there are a couple other questions floating around there in Canuck Nation.

Will the 3rd line score again?

This was asked before last night’s game against the Wild, so I was hoping for some positive reinforcement to answer this with… and then nobody scored. To be brief, if the 3rd line’s January record says anything, it’s looking dismal.

The last time the line produced any goals was the week from December 23rd to December 31st; they had 10 points that week. Samuelsson last scored on December 26th, and only has one assist since. Torres had a 2-goal night on December 23rd, hasn’t scored since December 31st, and has had 3 assists since. Malhotra last scored December 28th and has only 1 assist (onTorres’ goal on the 31st) since.

So what the hell happened, and why has it been so long since any member of the 3rd line has scored a goal? Is it a line slump? (Wait, am I asking Katie questions now?)

Who knows. The fans’ guesses are as good as mine, and Canucks fans are pretty smart. I just hope the 3rd line breaks their slump soon. With 3 d-men and Bolduc out, we can use all the offensive help we can get.

Tanner Glass or Jannik Hansen – who has surprised you more and why?

I’m going to give this one to Jannik. I’ve always known Hansen had the potential to be a great player, reminding me a bit of Mason Raymond three seasons ago: a young playmaker whose hands haven’t quite caught up to him yet (I think I’ve heard “hands of stone” thrown around on Twitter). But he seems to be progressing  and maturing very nicely this season, which has surprised me and a lot of Canucks fans. Halfway through the season he’s at 15 points and is a plus-8 (despite the loss in Minnesota). His career record is 21 pts in 55 games, which he’s definitely on pace to meet (and pass) and he had a very strong game against Washington, earning first star for the game. He’s the underdog and, like Tanner Glass, doesn’t get as much recognition as he deserves for his role on the ice.

Hansen has the ability to move between lines rather smoothly at the whim of Vigneault’s line juggling, and he consistently generates smart plays for whoever he’s on the ice with. He works tirelessly when he’s on the ice, forechecking, hitting (he leads the team with 99 hits) and isn’t too bad in the faceoff circle either.  If he could just find his hands and grow a bit more confidence (he tends to hesitate in front of the net a little), I think we could see a 25-to-30 point season from Hansen, and thus a lot more #36 jerseys around Vancouver to give @mozy19 some company.

J.J. Guerrero (@canuckshockey) asks: What’s up with all the New Kids tweets?

How is this related to the Canucks again, J.J.? The New Kids on the Block was the most amazing boy band to come out of the 90s (no offense to your precious Backstreet Boys, J.J.). My roommate and I like to youtube New Kids videos over a glass of wine and talk about the god ole days of fluorescent fanny packs and crimped bangs… Wait, was I supposed to reveal that information? And five bucks says Shane O’Brien knows all the words to “The Right Stuff” and the dance moves to go with it.

By the way, I was tweeting way more about BodyBreak commercials lately than New Kids. Who doesn’t like a great push-broom ‘stache and big hair in 80’s tracksuits? I rest my case.

Have a great week, Canucks fans. And don’t worry about the loss. We can’t win all 82 games. No one’s that good.

Ask Katie About the Canucks: Road Trips and MVPs

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Jan 102011
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Another week passes and the Canucks are still on top of the NHL. With Vancouver playing 5 games in 7 nights, it’s been a busy and exciting week for fans. Now the team is preparing for a five-game road trip beginning Tuesday in New York, and Canucks fans are wondering how their team is going to do.

Taryn (@taryneliza_beth) asks: Predictions for the upcoming road trip? What would an acceptable record be? 4-1? 3-1-1?

Here’s the road trip schedule (Caylie has the previews):

Tue, Jan. 11th Canucks @ Islanders (13-21-6)
Thu, Jan. 13th Canucks @ Rangers (25-15-3)
Fri, Jan. 14th Canucks @ Capitals (24-12-6)
Sun, Jan. 16th Canucks @ Wild (21-16-5)
Tue, Jan. 18th Canucks @ Avalanche (21-15-6)

Vancouver’s record is 27-8-6 going into the road trip. Surprisingly the team with the hottest streak that VAN will be playing is the team with the worst overall record – the Islanders, who are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.  The Avs have the worst with 3-5-2. That being said, I’d expect the 3-1-1 record to be the most realistic. I know Vancouver is the best team in the NHL right now, but they’re going to lose some games and will likely do so on the road. The Canucks’ away record is 12-5-3, so is it really that unrealistic to think they could lose 2 of the 5 games ahead? I don’t think so, but it’d be nice to walk away with 4 (or even 5) wins.

Ozzy (@bher_ga) asks: Who’s the MVP so far this season? And the unsung hero?

MVP? So far, Ryan Kesler. It’s only the beginning of January and Kesler is already only 3 goals away from bettering his career-high of 26 goals. He’s also producing at a nearly point-per-game clip with 40 points in 41 games. He’s a plus-17, the highest on the team, and uses his size to make room in front of the net for scoring chances. Sure, the Sedins have more points than Kesler, but I think it’s Kesler’s drive, grit and passion out on the ice that will really help the Canucks make it far in the playoffs.

Unsung hero is a bit harder. Right now I really like Keith Ballard. He had a really strong game against Detroit on Saturday, and considering the start to his season with limited ice time (perhaps due to AV’s bias, who knows) he’s impressed me lately and has been making really smart plays. Coincidently he finally gets more ice time and starts making his presence known – take a hint, Vigneault. There’s also Kevin Bieksa who has risen from some adversity to become one of the team’s top defensemen. It wasn’t that long ago that he was the goat, and I for one was guilty of loathing every moment he spent on the ice for a couple seasons. I have to admit he’s had a great season, and I hope this isn’t just temporary behaviour in hopes that he gets re-signed with the team.

Kayli (@CanuckKayli13) asks: Do you believe the Canucks have what it takes to get past the second round and win the Cup this season? Why or why not?

Yes I definitely do. They have an amazing and incredibly deep roster of players who want the Cup and have been playing like they want the Cup all season. In my humble opinion, this is the year the Canucks have their best shot at the Stanley Cup since I’ve been watching hockey in 2002/2003 (which I know doesn’t say much, but hey it’s all I’ve got). What I think needs improvement in the playoffs is the coaching – not a big surprise coming from me if you’ve ever talked to me about Vigneault. AV’s been outcoached in the post-season every year and this needs to change, but from recent articles I’ve read, the players have mentioned AV and the Canucks’ coaching staff beginning to listen to the players more and are finally able to read the team’s needs. The coaching staff has apparently admitted to their faults and have been very aggressive in correcting them. If this is true, then maybe I don’t have as much to worry about this year.

Oh, except Luongo letting in 7 goals in a do-or-die game again. Let’s hope that’s all in the past.

On that note, keep your stick on the ice Canucks fans!

Ask Katie About the Canucks: Bieksa, Schneider and Pleasant Surprises

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Jan 032011
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

Photo credit: canucks.nhl.com

Happy New Year, Canucks fans! I hope everyone celebrated (safely) after the Canucks’ 4-1 victory over the Stars on New Year’s Eve.

On that note, I believe I’m not the only one out there who’s surprised Kevin Bieksa is starting 2011 with a four-game point streak and a plus-13 rating. Did anyone see this coming two months ago? I didn’t think he’d be performing this way right now, but this is the kind of situation where I don’t mind being wrong. The entire roster is playing well as a unit and, as Lia (@7thCanuck) put it on Twitter, “It’s an awesome feeling having 2 good goaltenders and 4 lines that can deliver.”

Regardless of a successful winter and being first in the NHL after last night’s win over the Avs, some fans are still talking trades and injuries, especially with no cap space and Salo’s return this spring.

Paul (@PabloPenguin74) asks: If the Canucks were to deal, hypothetically, are there any deficiencies to fill?

That’s kind of hard to say right now with the Canucks’ recent dominance. The team’s been pretty strong in all areas, and with how Bieksa and Alberts have been performing, the fans don’t even have our usual goats. Of course there are areas to improve on, but I’m pretty satisfied with the team right now. All lines seem to be firing with the ice time they’re given, and even some of the young guns we’ve been bringing up from the Moose (Bliznak, Volpatti and now Bolduc) have performed better than expected.

I’m sure others will feel differently than I do, but what I would like to see on the team is a big power forward who uses his size and strength to move the puck and get in the way of the other team’s goaltender. Clearly I’m thinking the likes of Holmstrom, Byfuglien or Bertuzzi. Since Bertuzzi left the Canucks, this void hasn’t really been filled. Pyatt had the potential to be a great power forward but rarely used his size the way he should have. Like I said, this isn’t a necessity for the Canucks, but I think it would be a nice addition to an already well-rounded team.

Also, when Schneider is traded Vancouver will need another backup, but if anyone has had the privilege to see Eddie Lack play like I have, we know there’s not much to worry about.

Speaking of Schneider, so far he’s looking like Vancouver’s most solid backup goalie since the lockout, although he only has eight games under his belt.

@obstacleone asks: What’s the best record a Canucks backup has had?

I looked up the stats of our most prominent backups since the lockout. From the looks of things, Schneider is on pace to be Vancouver’s best backup goaltender since 2004, although some are hard to compare when backups like Auld played 67 games back in 2005/2006. Regardless, there definitely seems to be an improvement in Vancouver’s backups in the past few years when you look at their stats:

  • 2010/2011: Cory Schneider: 6-0-2, .923 save %, 2.38 GAA
  • 2009/2010: Andrew Raycroft: 9-5-1, .911, 2.42
  • 2008/2009: Curtis Sanford: 7-8-0, .906, 2.59
  • 2008/2009: Jason LaBarbera: 3-2-0, .915, 2.66
  • 2007/2008: Curtis Sanford:  4 -3-1, .898, 2.83
  • 2006/2007: Dany Sabourin 2-4-1, .906, 2.63 (there were other backups this year, but Sabourin played the most games)
  • 2005/2006: Alex Auld 33-26-6, .902, 2.94

Whether or not the Canucks will trade Schneider at the deadline or wait for the offseason, I think it’s safe to say that Vancouver will get a lot in return for our Ginger Jesus. It’s nice to be confident about the present and future of the Canucks’ organization.

Happy Monday guys, and enjoy being first in the NHL while you can — it doesn’t happen often enough!

Ask Katie about the Canucks: December 18, 2010 Edition

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Dec 202010
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Fin, Canucks, Santa Claus Parade

Photo credit: News 1130

As heavy snow falls from the sky in Comox with screaming children in the background (I’m visiting the family for the holidays), I couldn’t help but want to do a Christmas edition of Ask Katie About the Canucks, something light, something fun and imaginative.

This may or may not be because I prefer to sit at my laptop rather than deal with my nephews right now.

Thankfully some of you Canucks fans are thinking the same way this holiday season, as we wonder what the players will be up to this Christmas, what they’ll get for presents and what they’ll give in return.

Rather than analyze why Rome is in for Alberts in tonight’s line up (a discussion currently going on Twitter), let’s change gears and think ahead five days to Christmas morning.

Stephanie (@axeguitar) asks: What do you think each player would ask for (for Christmas)?

  • Daniel Sedin: A Hart trophy to match my brother’s.
  • Hank Sedin: 10 more goals to match my brother’s.
  • Ryan Kesler: To start a cosmetic line called RK-Maybelline.
  • Roberto Luongo: To start giving Tim Thomas a run for his money and a book deal from Harper-Collins to publish more well-thought-out poetry.
  • Raffi Torres: Eyebrows you can see. Maybe a box of Just For Men in my stocking to help.
  • Mason Raymond: Some luck.
  • Alain Vigneault: Big Red. And I don’t mean Cory Schneider.
  • Alex Burrows: A set of RK-17 boxers from Kes, and for everyone to stop making fun of me for how I say “third”.
  • Kevin Bieksa: For Don Cherry to finally say my name right on Hockey Night in Canada.
  • Tanner Glass: A gold-plated Scrabble set to practice for the big day against @passittobulis.
  • Manny Malhotra: An Aston Martin One-77 from my brother-in-law. I know he can afford it.
  • Mikael Samuelsson: To be back on the second line and more of Erin Ireland’s banana bread.
  • Alex Edler: To beat Salo’s slap shot in this season’s skills competition.
  • Keith Ballard: For Coach Vigneault to like me.
  • Jannik Hansen: For @mozy19 to stop stalking me outside of Gate 16 and calling me at home. It’s getting weird!
  • Cory Schneider: Stop calling me the Ginger Jesus!
  • Canucks fans: A STANLEY CUP IN 2011!!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Ask Katie about the Canucks: December 13, 2010 Edition

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Dec 132010
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

On Saturday night the crew from Canucks Hockey Blog was lucky enough to witness the retirement of Naslund’s number at Rogers Arena. I think it meant something different to each of us, so I can’t speak for any of the other writers, but I can say there was a general consensus that what we had the privilege to see Saturday was something none of us will forget.

For me it was closing the end of an era and saying thank you to the player who got me interested in hockey to begin with. Simply put, Markus Naslund is the reason I love the Canucks and the reason I’m involved in hockey writing at all. The least I could do was show up to see him off.

To celebrate Naslund’s number going to the rafters, I decided to base today’s “Ask Katie” on #19.

It’s well known that Naslund’s jersey retirement was a controversial one; a lot of people didn’t believe his number belonged up there next to Smyl’s and Linden’s, saying he didn’t take us to a Cup final. Frankly the argument is redundant at this point, not to mention dead in the water since the banner is in the rafters as we speak. But I honestly think that after last night’s ceremony at least a few of the fans changed their minds; that with the photo and video montages, the speeches, and the crowd’s incessant cheering, doubtful fans remembered why Markus Naslund is still the Canucks’ all-time points leader, goal scorer and an irreplaceable figure in the Vancouver community.

Mark (@marktgledhill) asks: Do you think the bad reputation that Naslund has with some fans is unfounded?

I don’t think Naslund necessarily has a bad reputation among those fans who didn’t want to see his jersey retired. I think the issue is that after the Bertuzzi/Moore incident, the West Coast Express era died. Both Morrison’s and Naslund’s stars faded in this city as their skills slipped away and the magic disappeared. To be blunt, neither of them fit with the new Canucks, as Naslund said himself before going to the Rangers and it was time for them to move on. I just wish Vancouver had sent Naslund off properly, which is why Saturday’s ceremony was so important. We needed to show Markus that we appreciate what he did for the Canucks after his 12 years on the team. I highly doubt any fan in this city can say they don’t like Naslund – who can’t like him? He’s the classiest guy to have graced this city since Trevor Linden.

However, if you’re talking about whether the argument to NOT retire Naslund’s jersey is unfounded, I say yes. Then again, I’m extremely bias about the issue and emotionally attached to Naslund in general.

Either way, the argument is now moot. The next argument will undoubtedly be whether or not Pavel Bure should be recognized now that Naslund has been.

Michael (@ArcticLeo) asks: Naslund and Forsberg killed it on the same Modo line and were #1 and #2 in NHL scoring one year. What if they had played together here?

I think my brain just exploded even thinking about that. Some background: Forsberg and Naslund played together for Modo for three seasons from 1990-1993 until Naslund went off to Pittsburgh, and then again in 2009/2010 after their departures from the NHL. It was in 1998/1999 when Naslund had 36 goals and Forsberg had 30, but that was the only season that they came close to each other in scoring. Naslund went on to play three consecutive seasons with 40+ goals and Forsberg hovered in the late twenties and then slowly declined.

But if we had them on the same team back in the day? The chemistry would be undeniable and I’d like to say we could have made it farther than the second round of the playoffs, but then again we still might have had Dan Cloutier in net. Could Vancouver win a Cup with Clouts? I’m not sure. And I guess we’ll never know.

But something we do know?

That no other Vancouver player will ever wear the number 19 again. And that’s just fine by me.

Thanks for everything, Markus. You left some big skates to fill.

Ask Katie about the Canucks: December 6, 2010 Edition

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Dec 062010
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Roberto Luongo and Dustin Byfuglien

Vancouver’s 3-0 shut out against the Blackhawks on Friday night was definitely a great way to kick off the weekend, but it was Luongo’s poetry reading that stands out for me that night, not because the game was boring, but because Lu’s clip was so unexpected that it surprised a lot of people.

Luongo showed he has a great sense of humour.

I don’t know if Lu actually wrote the poetry, or if TSN simply got him to read it with a pipe in a funny outfit, but whoever’s idea it was, a lot of fans got to see a different side of the goaltender.

Mark G (@marktgledhill) asks: Do you think that with Bobby Lou doing poetry that it shows he is feeling good and not letting things get into his head?

I’d like to say yes. The poetry reading was so unexpected that I couldn’t help but wonder who put him up to it, or what they used to bribe him to sit there and perform. Either he thought it was hilarious, or Canucks PR figured it would be good to show this side of Luongo; perhaps even to show that Luongo isn’t shaken by recent criticism or the so-called “goalie controversy” in Vancouver. Either way it worked. It’s funny, and he insulted Byfuglien.

Who couldn’t laugh at this?

“Human eclipse, rhinoceros hips.
Who will laugh last when I slash your calves?
Bring me peace, make it cease.
Get your big ass outta my crease.”

Speaking of goalie controversy, many fans thought that Schneider should have started last night against St. Louis. It wasn’t that Luongo played badly; in fact, it was the opposite. There were surprisingly no complaints about Lu’s performance last night (just the rest of the team’s), but some figured Schneider should have got the start against a team like the Blues.

After all, isn’t Schneider supposed to play around 20 games this season?

Alexander asks: What do you think the likelihood is that Yzerman might start knocking on your doors for Schneider in a few weeks?

Not sure if it’ll be in a few weeks since Schneider has only played four games this season and hasn’t had as much exposure as fans think he should. This is one of the reasons that the Canucks wanted Schneider to start 15-20 games this year – to show him off for trade value – but is four games enough to showcase him? Or will other NHL teams looking for a great goalie need to see more before they make a move for him?

Personally I think Schneider needs to play through most of the season before a team goes for him, and yes, I think that Cory should have started in net last night against the Blues to help his case. If the Canucks don’t start playing Cory now, that will mean either a lot of Schneider starts in the spring, OR they’ll fall through on their promise and he won’t get the 15-20 games promised in the summer.

What are your thoughts?

Ask Katie about the Canucks: November 29, 2010 Edition

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Nov 292010
 

[Every Monday, Katie Maximick takes your questions and gives her take on the Canucks in her own cantankerous style. If you have any questions about the Canucks, send it to her via Twitter (@canucksgirl44)]

Roberto Luongo

Photo credit: canucks.nhl.com

As badly as I want to answer the many questions sent to me this week about Alain Vigneault and his questionable coaching skills, I must put my contempt for him aside and turn to a subject I haven’t talked about yet:

Ryan Kesler’s underwear.

Just kidding. (Although CHB contributor Chris (@lyteforce) seems to know a thing or two about RK17 skivvies. I think he wants a pair for Christmas.)

To get to my main point of this column (is there ever one?), we turn to the man between the pipes, Roberto Luongo.

Philip (@Phil13A) asks: Would there be any long-term benefit to Vancouver to trade Luongo in search of a Cup?

Love him or hate him, Luongo’s not going anywhere, as he’s locked in for another 11 years (after this year) with a no-trade clause. Mike Gillis mentioned that somewhere along the line there is a limited window that Luongo could be traded if he asked to be, but that is years away, the first such window after the Sedins’ contracts are up.

It’s funny how quickly some fans want Luongo gone when only two years back he was our saviour. In 2008/2009, Luongo had 9 shutouts and a .920 save %. But you know what the trick is? He only played 54 games that year.

So the question is, do we play Schneider more to give Luongo the break he needs? That any human needs? Remember Schneider fans – your Lord of the Ginger is being showcased to be traded, not to become a starter. Them’s the ropes. You might as well deal with it now and forget the prospect of him starting. We can play Schneider more to showcase the young goalie and get us a first-rate defenseman or goalscorer, WHILE giving Luongo a much-needed breather. Or we leave things be until Luongo gets his new goaltending techniques in the bag and is through with his adjustments while giving Schneider a few starts.

I get that Luongo is making a whopping $10 million this year. Everyone knows that. Luongo knows that. But complaining about it isn’t going to make his salary go down and it won’t make him play better. All it means is that Luongo is under an even bigger microscope in a city that’s already hard to play for.

Give him a break.

Philip to answer your question, no, I don’t think there would be. I think we can win the cup with our Golden Goalie in net. But I think fans need to have a little more patience and a little more faith in what they have. A lot of Canucks fans are acting like some Americans are with Obama, wondering why their big problems aren’t being solved IMMEDIATELY despite having a great person ‘working’ for them, and when their problems aren’t solved in the same amount of time you can order a Big Mac, they throw their guy under the bus and want a new person in there with no remorse.

History lesson of the day:  evolution is more effective in the long run than a revolution.

What do you want, Luongo haters? Another Cloutier? Let’s let the team’s chemistry work itself out again. Sit back and enjoy the ride, but please — try to stay on the bandwagon when the road gets bumpy. It’s not always the end of the world.

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