Chris Golden

2012 Canucks for Kids Fund Telethon: A Blogger’s Challenge

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Mar 082012
 

Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks are hosting their 22nd annual Canucks for Kids Telethon.

From the CFKF Telethon page:

During the 2010.11 season, the Canucks for Kids Fund donated more than $4.4 million. The Canucks for Kids Fund is dedicated to supporting children’s charities in our province and has played a key role in the creation and sustaining of Canucks Autism Network, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, CFEC, the Canucks Centre for BC Hockey and a number of educational programs.

In the past couple seasons, a bunch of us Canucks bloggers pledged to donate during the Canucks for Kids Fund Telethon for every new Twitter follower we received that night – a donation that totaled $200 combined ($64 from yours truly) last season alone.

But this year we’ve decided to kick it up a notch and make it our biggest single-game fundraising attempt ever!

In the famous words of Barney Stinson, “It’s gonna be legend-… wait for it… and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!!”

A few of us at CHB are already taking part in the CHB Community Challenge, but for tonight’s telethon, the following contributors have also pledged the following:

We hope you’ll support a worthy cause as well. Match one (or more or all) of our pledges or create a pledge of your own, and then ask your friends and followers to match it. Let us know via Twitter or our comments that you’re stepping up and helping raise funds for a cause very close to every Canucks fan and player’s heart.

To make an online donation to this great cause, you can go to the Canucks for Kids Telethon online donation page.

[Update: 03/08/2012, 10:00 PM]

All together, CHB and our followers have pledged to donate $425 to the Canucks for Kids Telethon.

Thank you to @thisisshelleyb, @BrianRomein, @barbs_jt, @olocdn, @JordanO81, @mrfeuchuk for matching our pledges.

If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time. :)

Contest: The Cody Hodgson Era Has Ended… and CHB Needs a New Tagline

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Feb 292012
 

Wow. It’s still hard to believe that the Canucks have traded away Richard Loat’s favourite player, Cody Hodgson.

And like much of the intertwined web of social media, we here at Canucks Hockey Blog have also seen ourselves transition through the five stages of grief over the deal:

  • Shock – What do you mean he was traded?
  • Denial – Liars! Until Bob McKenzie says so, Cody is still a Canuck!
  • Anger – Damn that Bob McKenzie for saying Cody is a Sabre.
  • Depression – Cody was the next Linden.
  • Acceptance – Well, he’s gone. Guess we have to change our blog’s tag line.

That’s right. Canucks Hockey Blog needs a new tag line and while my early suggestion of changing it to “the cody hodgson era begins ended” was vetoed by those with a heart, we all agreed that we would reach out to our faithful readers to come up with our next one.

Here’s how you tell us:

  1. Enter your tagline via the comments section on this post. (Make sure you enter your email address when you log-in so we can contact you if you win.)
  2. If you choose to enter your tagline via Twitter, make sure to add the hashtag #chbtagline so we can find it.

Enter as many suggestions as you want, but please keep it PG-rated.

You have until 11:59 PM on Saturday, March 3rd to come up with the greatest tagline of all time.

Should yours be chosen by the crack team of judges (also known as the CHB crew), you’ll be the proud owner of a $25 gift certificate to any Donnelly Group establishment donated by our friends at the Rosedale on Robson.

Think you have what it takes?

[update: 03/04/2012, 4:30 PM]

And the winner is… @dan_santorelli for his suggestion of “It is what it is.”

Thanks to everyone for joining and thanks to our good friends at Rosedale on Robson for donating the $25 gift card to any Donnelly Group establishment.

CHB Social: Tweetup at the Hog Shack in Steveston

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Jan 062012
 
CHB Hog Shack Tweetup

We’ve partnered with the Hog Shack in beautiful Steveston in Richmond and want to invite you to join us there for some BBQ, beer and Canucks hockey as they take on the San Jose Sharks in a Saturday matinee match-up.

Where: Hog Shack BBQ House, 3900 Bayview St, Richmond BC
When: Saturday, January 21st, 2012 – 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM (the game starts at 1:00 PM)
Who: You – our readers and tweeps

And if the good company, good eats and good brew isn’t enough to entice you to come, we will also have a number of contests (props, trivia and the like) to reward those who know their stuff. Plus, we’ll put together a little something, something to those of you who follow us at CHB (@canuckshockey) and the Hog Shack (@hogshackca).

If you have any questions or want to be added to the VIP list and guarantee yourself a table (or a seat next to Matt Lee), send a tweet to the Hog Shack at @hogshackca or reach out to us here in the comments section.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Two-Line Pass: Can Cody Keep It Up?

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Oct 182011
 

To: Richard Loat
From: Christopher Golden
Date: Oct 17, 2011 at 8:50 PM

Hey Richard,

So how about that Hodgson kid?

I know he hasn’t always been a favourite of yours, yet I’m sure you’d even have to admit that he’s begun to look a little better than seasons past. Cody’s been averaging a solid 20 shifts per game during this short span, which translates into approximately 14 – 15mins a game – of that just over two minutes a game on the power play. And with Ryan Kesler coming back into the fray against the Rangers, we’re seeing Hodgson move over to the wing and Marco Sturm being the odd man out.

Is this something you could have predicted so early on?

C.

To: Christopher Golden
From: Richard Loat
Date: Oct 17, 2011 at 9:43 PM

We knew that Hodgson was going to get a chance this year with Kesler out. He has. With Kesler returning I’m rather interested to see how that impacts Hodgson’s time. Firstly Kesler gets back on the PP, and secondly, he gets to center Higgins and Hodgson.

Now Hodgson’s off to a great start, sure, but it’s only 4 games. That’s like claiming the Leafs would win the Stanley Cup after last year’s 4-0 start. We all saw what happened there. Hodgson’s off to a good start because Higgins is also looking good. I’m sure if you throw Kesler on there he’ll boost Hodgson’s numbers even more because that’s what Kesler does. That said, I’m still not convinced. Management have given Hodgson chances. In my mind, this is towards the tail end of those chances.

Could I have predicted this start? I could have. Would I have? Probably not. Does he look good? Sure. Anyone can look like a rockstar for four games. Ask Fabian Brunnstrom. But I want to see him do this for longer and with more consistency. Lets see how he looks 15 games into the season, 25. Then we can draw some conclusions.

To: Richard Loat
From: Christopher Golden
Date: Oct 17, 2011 at 10:06 PM

What are you trying to tell me? The plans for the Leafs Stanley Cup parade route should likely be shelved? But they’ve won 4 games and got a loser point against Colorado!

True enough, it’s early. But considering what we’ve seen in the preseason, and what we have been seeing early in the season, I’m led to believe that Cody understands the opportunity he has and is doing what he can to seize it by the horns. Arguably he’s had the most jump – even in the loss against the Red Wings Hodgson stood out from the rest. And although Kesler back to the powerplay could mean less time for Hodgson, it’s not like he saw a significant number one unit ice-time. So he’ll still get chances.

When I look at the lineup, I’m okay with Cody getting second line icetime with Kesler and Higgins. What I’m most interested in is whether or not he can take the transition to another position well and what he does while he’s there. In fact, I’m reminded of another young player of the Canucks that was once asked to play a different position for the sake of the team and did quite well. What was his name again? Trevor something?

Hmm.. I guess I’m just getting old.

C.

Two-Line Pass: Uncertainty

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Oct 132011
 

[Two-Line Pass is a discussion, or even a debate, between two hockey bloggers on some of the hottest topics in Canucks Nation and the NHL.]

To: Caylie King
From: Christopher Golden
Date: Oct 10, 2011 at 11:58 AM

Hey Caylie,

So… it’s been a while, no? I mean… the last time we were talking we had high hopes for Stanley’s sweet chalice rolling down Robson. Instead, we were left with canisters of tear gas rolling down Robson. Have you even gotten over that misery yet? Although it didn’t end the way we wanted, it’s important to note that short of winning the cup, the Canucks nearly met all expectations as to what they were going to do throughout the season as well as the playoff run.

And speaking of playoff runs, that’s what I’m curious about – where do you fall on the idea that the Canucks are simply playing an 82 game extended preseason? There are so many out there that believe the playoffs are where the real season starts and seem to think it’s just a cakewalk to get there.

C.

To: Christopher Golden
From: Caylie King
Date: Oct 10, 2011 at 1:38 PM

Hi Chris,

The events that took place after game 7, downtown Vancouver, really overshadowed what a great season we had. I felt like it was a good distraction and helped me get over the loss. Fast-track to the start of this season and seeing all the opening segments, before the Canucks games, about how close we were and seeing Chara lifting that Cup at the start of very CBC production, the answer to your question is NO. I am totally not over game 7, I don’t think I will get over it until we hoist Lord Stanley. But in hindsight, what we went through last season has only made us stronger as a team.

I am not a believer in the 82-game extended preseason. Although we made minor changes this off-season, I think the regular season is very important for us to gel as a team and get back to all those positive things that we did one year ago. And let’s be honest, if this was an extended preseason, half of the Chicago Wolves would be dressed in Canucks blue and green. I think the regular season is where you develop good habits, where you go through winning streaks and most importantly losing streaks. We learn the most from losing streaks and all the adversity that comes along with it. It’s the ups and downs of the regular season that helps a team prepare for the roller-coaster that is known as the playoffs. If people really believe the regular season is going to be a cakewalk, they better prepare themselves. The off-season saw many changes for a lot of teams. Call me crazy but I think the Northwest division is going to be a lot more competitive this season. I mean come on, the Oilers ARE undefeated at the moment.

Whether people have seen the EA stimulator or read any of the season previews by analysts, it’s interesting to see that the team that was one win away last season is somehow the underdogs. I haven’t seen a report that has the Canucks making it to the Western Conference Finals this year. It’s going to be a long season and unfortunately I don’t see the Canucks having the same record-breaking season, as they did last year. But that being said, I do believe the motivation, from last year, in the locker-room will get us far this year. Far enough to silence the critics.

Caylie

To: Caylie King
From: Christopher Golden
Date: Oct 10, 2011 at 1:56 PM

Hey Caylie,

You know the worst thing about it? We’ll have to watch Chara lift that cup before EVERY. SINGLE. HNIC. GAME.

Enough of that though.

It seems you and I are on the same page about the regular season. I’ve heard from far too many people who seem to think that the only real season is the Stanley Cup Playoffs and their interest level regarding the 2011/12 season revolve around who the Canucks first round opponent will be. You’re bang on about the need to develop chemistry and flow during the season. We also need to see what this team can offer that differs from last.

The funny thing is, we’ve been through this before.

Back in 1994, the year 3 Ninjas Kick Back (“Tum Tum” rules) movie was released and a different group from Sweden was at the top (The Sign – Ace of Base), the Canucks had themselves a humdinger of a playoff run only to lose to the Rangers in 7 games. Yes there was heartbreak, yes there was civil disobedience, and yes the Canucks were poised to become even better in 1995. Although the season lost a few games due to a lockout, which I’m sure you’d agree is better than a freaking cancelled season, the Canucks were allegedly a team with the same mettle that saw ‘em finish sixth in the West. After beating the Blues in a solid series, they were swept four straight by the infernal Blackhawks.

And then then the years we shall not speak of came forth.

It’s those dark years that worry me today.

C.

To: Christopher Golden
From: Caylie King
Date: Oct 10, 2011 at 2:35 PM

Hi Chris,

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I was in South Africa when the 1994 Stanley Cup finals happened, so this feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction is new for me.

But you’re absolutely right, it is not a given that the Canucks will make it far this season. I definitely expect them to make it into the playoffs but who’s to say that we won’t go dry for another 15 years before we make it to the finals again.

A very important player, in my mind, is Ryan Kesler. He had a career year last year and was the emotional leader of the team. With his hip surgery during the off-season, we have to expect that his first 10 games will be his training camp/preseason, and is it fair to expect another career year? So that begs the question, who will step up in his absence? Who can we rely on to make those clutch plays? As we saw in the seasons before our trip to the finals, if we don’t have at least 2 lines going, we don’t have much of a chance because we cannot rely on the Sedin’s as our only source of scoring.

I am concerned about that secondary scoring as well as the health of our defensemen. We all know our blue line has some sort of curse when it comes to long-term injuries; which in my mind hurt us in the finals last year.

There are a lot of questions and uncertainty that looms this early on in the season. Only with time will we see how we match up against the rest of the league and whether or not we have the stamina and balance to go deep again.

Caylie

He Said, She Said: Lightning.. err.. Luongo Crashes

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Jun 162011
 

[About the game from two viewpoints. Chris and Caylie watch the game and exchange their thoughts via email.]

From: Christopher Golden
To: Caylie King
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:16

Hey Caylie,

Game 7. Vancouver. And biggest game in Luongo’s career.

He’s gonna bring it. He has too!

C.

From: Caylie King
To: Christopher Golden
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:06

Hi Chris,

Like many have said, this game will be a huge statement for Luongo.

He wasn’t faced with very many shots in the first, but the one he didn’t see went to the back of the net. I think he thought Recchi was going to shoot it and didn’t even sniff it after Bergeron one timed it. Tough to blame him on that one, the defensive coverage was pretty weak.

It’s one goal, I’m not too worried. The positive is that the floodgates didn’t open after Boston got their first.

Caylie

From: Christopher Golden
To: Caylie King
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:09

Hey Caylie,

Louie has already been called on to make a great save in the first and you’re bang on that one from Bergeron was the result of poor defensive coverage from the boys in blue.

That said, Louie needs to board that net up and do everything to keep the puck out to give his boys a shot at getting one or two or three by Thomas.

C.

From: Caylie King
To: Christopher Golden
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:08

Hi Chris,

Well that wasn’t quite the period we needed from Luongo. I really feel like he should have had that wrap around.

Answer me this if you could, what’s the ruling on that breakaway, shorthanded, goal…wasn’t that goalie interference?

I’m really not trying to be negative but to get 4 goals past Thomas seems like climbing Mt. Everest with no harness.

Caylie

From: Christopher Golden
To: Caylie King
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:21

Hey Caylie,

Did Luongo board up the net in the 2nd? No. But he did stop the wrap around initially before it bounced in off of Daniel. And how does a goalie keep a puck out of the net with two players bowling it in?

I’m not sure of the ruling, but my guess is the Bruin had no chance to stop and as he was pulled down by a Canuck, all’s fair.

C.

From: Caylie King
To: Christopher Golden
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:15

Hi Chris,

This is a tough pill to swallow. Bruins outplayed us today and deserved the win. Congratulations to them.

It’s been one hell of a year with many goals accomplished, unfortunately we just fell short. Hopefully this will fire us up for next season, the same way the Penguins dealt with their Game 7 home loss, a few years back.

Still and will always be proud of the boys and our team. Until next season!

Caylie

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