Canucks Cancel Practice, Attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies

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Nov 112010
 

Great piece by Iain MacIntyre (Vancouver Sun) on the Canucks’ decision to cancel practice and attend Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial instead.

Believing there are things more important than hockey – yes, even Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens – Canuck general manager Mike Gillis and coach Alain Vigneault have cancelled the usual morning skate in Ottawa and instead will walk with staff and players to the War Memorial to observe Remembrance Day.

For once, these National Hockey League millionaires have no special privileges. They’ll merely gather in the hotel lobby, and walk solemnly with their poppies and thoughts to the cenotaph, joining the crowd of thousands who gather annually at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

They’ll watch and listen, see wreaths laid near the tomb of the unknown soldier, see the faces of war’s survivors and ponder the millions of lives sacrificed for freedom.

Perspective, Gillis believes, is a powerful thing.

“When you participate in the NHL, it’s easy to lose sight of other things that are very important,” he explained Wednesday. “It’s good for everyone to have some perspective about life. If these guys can go and see the emotions and the interaction of veterans, it will be a healthy and lasting memory.”

More here.

[update: 11/11/2010, 12:20 PM]

From Ben Kuzma (Vancouver Province), Canucks players share their memories of loved ones who served.

Sami Salo lost one grandfather to conflict in the First World War and another in the Second World War. Growing up, he was too young to understand what they endured, but a mandatory one-year stint in the Finnish army gave the Canucks defenceman needed perspective. That’s why he was excited to experience the national ceremony in Ottawa, where he previously played but never saw the event live. And going through basic training helped Salo understand what his grandfathers sacrificed.

Christian Ehrhoff had a grandfather who served in the German air force in the Second World War. He was captured on the Russian front and the Canucks defenceman was thinking of him Thursday.

More here.

Ask Katie about the Canucks: November 8, 2010 Edition

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Nov 082010
 

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

Vancouver Canucks beat Los Angeles Kings, 2010 Playoffs


In this week’s edition of “Ask Katie about the Canucks”, Katie Maximick responds to your questions on player surprises and lineup changes, and looks ahead to the playoffs. (We know it’s only November, but hey, we’re allowed to get overexcited sometimes.)

Kayli (@KayliDiebel93) asks: Who is your favourite current Canucks player?

Katie: I would have to say, like 90% of Canucks fans right now, Manny Malhotra. He’s a beast. Amazing faceoff statistics, great SHG chances, scoring ability, and veteran leadership. Who wouldn’t love Manny? But I’d still get a new Kesler jersey over a Malhotra – loyalties, after all, lol. Kesler was here first.

Calvin asks: From the opponents we played so far, who would be the toughest first round opponent?

Katie: I think the LA Kings. They’re getting a lot of hype, and for good reason, with Kopitar, Brown, Smyth, Doughty and even our former D-man Willie Mitchell and a pretty good goalie. They’re going to be really dangerous this year, and if Vancouver can avoid them in the playoffs at all cost, the better. Let’s hope that someone else can take them out first before the Canucks have to face them because it’s not going to be easy.

Thomas asks: Do you think Torres can be the Burrows from last year and put up 35-40 goals?

Katie: If he keeps his recent play up, I think so, yes. He plays with a lot of heart, grit and drive, and a lot of Canucks fans are hoping that this will be his consistent style rather than a streak that will burn out or fade away. But wouldn’t it be better to have both Burrows and Torres scoring 30+ goals each this season? Talk about offensive depth. I gotta say, I’m liking Torres killing other teams for once. Nice to have him on our side!

Todd (@Toddske) asks: When Hamhuis returns, who will be bumped? Rome or Alberts?

Katie: Rome, hands down. He seems really slow out there on the ice and has been pretty much invisible. Alberts, on the other hand, has been using his size out there, finishing checks, making big hits and is at least TRYING to stay out of the penalty box so far.

Andrew asks: The West Conference is looking extremely competitive as always with 9 teams within 5 points of each other after approx. 13 games played. What are your thoughts on the Canucks success, and what will be the key factor(s) that will take them into the playoffs?

Katie: Not since the West Coast Express era has the Canucks had this much depth, which is why Vancouver is practically trembling in anticipation to see what this season brings (hopefully a Cup, obviously). I think the potential is there, but it’s been there before and we still don’t have a Cup in this city (aside from the Millionaires). First of all we need to stay healthy, although that’s hard to guarantee. We’re already having issues. Last year our injuries killed us in the playoffs, in addition to Burrows and Kesler playing injured. Second, we need solid goaltending. We’re still waiting to see Luongo at his best, but at least we have consistent and stellar backup goaltending with Cory Schneider. Third, offensive consistency.  Vancouver has a few players that tend to disappear during the playoffs (the Sedins are the worst at this, but not quite so bad last playoffs) and others who get taken out by our first issue, injuries.

Steve asks: Taking off from Andrew’s question, I am wondering what strategies during the regular season will help them when they are in the playoffs. Last season they seem to fade as the playoffs progressed, as they did the year before.

Katie: Maybe look to the coach? Don’t sit on leads then have to fight back in the third period as result (typical of AV’s defensive style of play) and use timeouts and your backup goalie when the team is struggling. Don’t keep players out there just to punish them and prove your point. Get them off the ice and give someone else the opportunity to help the team.  I hope that if Luongo does blow a tired during the playoffs again, that both Lu and Vigneault will be comfortable and confident enough to put in Schneider to help the team get to that next step. I’m not saying count Lu out, I’m just implying that having Schneider in for a game or two during the playoffs would boost the team’s confidence a bit if Luongo is struggling.

We could always just fire Vigneault and solve most of these problems. Just a suggestion for MG to mull over…

Ask Katie about the Canucks: October 18, 2010 Edition

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Oct 182010
 

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

Harold Snepsts, Vancouver Canucks

In this week’s edition of “Ask Katie about the Canucks”, Katie talks about the shootout, shrugs off the Leafs, and picks the better ‘stache between Harold Snepsts and Dave Babych.

Ed asks: Is his change in technique making Luongo better in the game but worse during shootouts?

Katie: Honestly I think Luongo’s never been really strong in the shootout. His new goalie coach Roland Melanson has pushed Lu to adopt “t-pushes” to move side-to-side quicker, as well as getting Luongo to play deeper in the net. According to Melanson he’s trying to “put time into [Lu’s] hands — more time to read plays, more time to see the holes and be able to track the puck because he’s waiting for the play instead of chasing it.” Does that apply to what happened in the shootout against the Kings? Didn’t look like it. I think the problem here is that Vigneault refuses to practice the shootout and so Luongo doesn’t get the opportunity to practice the new techniques in one-on-one situations. Also there’s only been one shootout so far, so it’s hard to dissect Luongo’s technique.

Stephen asks: My roommate Ryan wants to know the following: “Why do they suck so bad for a team that’s supposed to be so good?” and “Do you think they’ll ever be as good as the Leafs?” He isn’t a great person.

Katie: First of all Stephen, you’re right. Your roommate isn’t a great person. You should probably kick him out and find a new roommate immediately. I’d suggest someone with a sense of reality.

Secondly, to answer Ryan’s questions — k wait. I can’t even finish this. I’m laughing too hard. Next!

Scott asks: How long do you think Mason Raymond will be on the team before they trade him?

Katie: I don’t think there’s any talk of Raymond getting traded, or management being unhappy with him. He had two goals last night against Carolina grabbing his 100th career point, and he has his wheels early. Now if you said Kevin Bieksa, that’d be a totally different story! Despite CHB’s new slogan, I just can’t be nice to Bieksa.

Adam asks: Movember. Dave Babych or Harold Snepsts?

Katie: Amazingly both still have facial hair. I’d say Snepsts though, because he still has the ‘stache, wheras Babych has a full goatee now.

Jay asks: Are the Canucks trying to get “Coach V” fired?

Katie: I don’t think so. I wish they’d try harder if they were. Ha. Surprisingly Vigneault’s line juggling worked well last night against Carolina and the team played an all-around great game. If you’re referring to their not-so-excellent play for the first few games, I don’t think that was on purpose, although it’d be easier to have some sort of excuse like that.

@andz205 asks: Why is Kevin Bieksa still being rewarded with top line pairings with the way he’s been playing?

Katie: Because when Vigneault picks favourites, that’s just how it works and we all have to suffer for it (remember Pyatt on shootouts?). For some bizarre reason he thinks Bieksa is playing well enough for the top line right now, even if he’s not. Keep in mind that if Bieksa continues to play like garbage, he’ll probably be gone by Christmas. That seemed to be the deal when MG decided to keep him on this summer. Imagine: that’s $3.5 million the Canucks can have back in their pockets.

It Ain’t Broke. Yet.

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Oct 152010
 

Against the Florida Panthers on Monday, the Canucks won a game in which they were outworked. Against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, they lost a game they dominated.

C’est la vie, I guess.

The fact is, the team is playing better as the new players get acclimated with each other – an observation not lost on the coach.

For me, I thought it was our best game of the year. Except for the two 5-on-3s and two turnovers that led to goals [third period], we didn’t give them much. We created quite a few chances and couldn’t get the goal to really break them down. We missed a couple of open nets. They came back and made us pay for it.

Loss aside, it was encouraging to see the Canucks control the puck as much as they did against the Ducks, and perhaps the only criticism of the team’s play on Wednesday was their inability to convert on their chances. Perhaps not surprisingly, they’re expected to dress the same lineup for tonight’s rematch against the Los Angeles Kings.

I’m sure the results will come soon enough. In the meantime, if it ain’t broke, why fix it, eh?

Some pregame reading:

Canucks Season Preview Series: Can Coach Coach?

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Oct 082010
 

[As we approach the start of the NHL regular season, members of the Canucks blogosphere give their two cents about your Vancouver Canucks and address the issues, questions and expectations of the team in their 40th year anniversary.]

Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks

Photo credit: canucks.nhl.com

Alain Vigneault enters this season as the fifth-longest tenured coach in the NHL. His 328 games with the Canucks ranks just behind Lindy Ruff (984 games coached with Buffalo), Barry Trotz (902 games with Nashville), Randy Carlyle (410 games with Anaheim) and Mike Babcock (410 games with Detroit).

In his first 4 seasons as Canucks coach, Vigneault has coached the team to a 182-114-32 record – a 0.604 points percentage – and three Northwest Division titles. He took them to the playoffs three times, and each time, they made it to the second round.

In 2006/2007, Vigneault’s first season with the Canucks, the team won games primarily by preventing goals than scoring them. They ranked in the bottom-third in the league in goals scored and powerplay percentage, and ranked in the top-10 in goals against and the penalty-kill. Their commitment to defense – and Roberto Luongo’s goaltending – got them to the second round of the playoffs before they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks.

In 2007/2008, the Canucks once again struggled to score goals. In fact, they finished with less goals than they did in the previous season, and in the process failed to make the postseason.

Vigneault faced a lot of questions during the summer that followed. There were rumblings among the fanbase – us included – that he couldn’t coach Brad Pitt and George Clooney to score. When the Canucks fired GM Dave Nonis and replaced him with Mike Gillis, most of us assumed that Vigneault was as good as gone as well.

As we know, Gillis kept Vigneault – he’s even extended his contract twice since – and the Canucks, built with players with speed and skill, are now one of the highest-scoring teams and most exciting teams in the NHL.

But for all of Vigneault’s success, he still has to take a team past the second round of the playoffs. In 3+ seasons as Habs coach, his team made the playoffs once and was eliminated from the second round. In his only season as coach of the AHL Manitoba Moose, they were eliminated in the second round. And now, in 4 seasons with the Canucks, he has yet to take them to the Conference Finals.

On paper, the Canucks will be icing, arguably, their best, most well-rounded roster in years. Perhaps ever. There’s little doubt they have the personnel to contend for the Stanley Cup; the question remains if the coach can maximize their potential and take them there.

J.J.: A couple of years ago, I wondered if AV had what it took to coach a more offensive system; I think it’s obvious now that he can. One thing I noticed last season is that the Canucks played great when they were able to dictate the game’s tempo. (Well, most teams are/should be.) For whatever reason, they weren’t able to do that against Chicago. If they want to get deeper into the playoffs, Vigneault – and his entire coaching staff – have to be able to make better adjustments during and in between games.

Katie: I’m the first to admit that I’m not the biggest AV fan, mostly because I’m not fond of his defensive-style coaching. I also believe it was Luongo that won him the Jack Adams (a few years ago); if Luongo hadn’t had the season he did, no way would AV won. Yes his team has made it to the playoffs almost every season AV has coached, but I still think it was the team that got themselves there, and will continue to do so. So does AV have what it takes to get the team past the second round? No, but our team does.

Cam from Canucks Army: There seemed to be some serious tactical errors in defense in their second round loss to Chicago. And their PK just killed them. So if AV can fix those problems, then he should succeed this year. Whoever controlled the PK and defense coaching last season (BOWNESS!) should have been fired. That’s the bigger problem.

Canucks vs. Kings: Game 3 Game Day Links

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Apr 192010
 

The Canucks take their show on the road with the series tied at 1-1. Can they play better than their 19-20-2 regular season road record indicates? Without the benefit of last change, how can the Canucks contain Drew Doughty? Can Demitra prove that he’s no Justin Williams? Can the Canucks stop taking stupid penalties?

Alain Vigneault and number crunching

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Mar 202010
 

Alain Vigneault, Alain Vigneault, where do I start. I think one guy who hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as he should have this year (for good reasons) is the Canucks bench boss. Vigneault through the lowest of lows this season never panicked, made use of what he had (which at certain points was equivalent to a roster identical to the Manitoba Moose), and here we sit some 12 games before the playoffs and he’s in a position to break a Canucks record that he set in the first year with the franchise for wins in a season.

It wasn’t that long ago that Vigneault took this club to a record number 49 wins on the year, but it was a different team he had in front of him and he had an invincible Luongo in net. That year his highest point getter was Daniel Sedin with 84 points, he had one 30 goal scorer (Daniel – 36) and only four 20 goal scorers (Daniel – 36, Naslund – 24, Pyatt – 23, Morrisson – 20). He has four 50 point getters, Brian Smolinksi was in the Canucks top 5 for +/- with a +7 and Josh Green, Tommi Santala and Marc Chouinard all played over 30 games for the Canucks. The team featured PIM getter Jeff Cowan, they had a defence that relied on 22 games of a called up Edler, Brent Sopel, Lukas Krajicek and Rory Fitzpatrick. Jan Bulis was on the team and oh, in 81 games Burrows had 3 goals and 9 points with 93 PIMs.

Exit Nonis 2008. Enter Gillis.

Flash forward to today. Vigneault’s highest point getter Henrik Sedin has 94 points and counting, Luongo is a lot less invincible, but he has five 20 goal scorers (soon to be six, Daniel has 19), and a team on which nearly half have hit career highs. He has soon to be six 50 point getters (Raymond has 47) and soon to be five 60 point getters (Burrows has 59 points, Samuelsson has 53 – That being said, Samuelsson’s injury basically prevents this). Burrows leads the team in goals, Henrik’s in the race for the Art Ross, and the Canucks depth is absurd.

Pretty big contrast eh? Almost makes you wonder how he did it back in 2006-07 because when you look at that line up and some of those numbers in comparison it really puts into perspective just how good Luongo must have been for that team to win 49 games.

The key difference that I’ve noticed has revolved around Vigneault’s style. It’s something that’s impressed me the most about him on top of all the miracles he’s managed to pull off with the roster he’s had. The 06-07 season saw Vigneault emulate the trap better than Jacques Lemaire did with the Minnesota Wild. It was painful to watch the Canucks get a lead because the game got boring. Fast foward to today and the Canucks are one of the most exciting teams to watch. When they have a lead they don’t shut down, and when they’re down, they don’t play it safe and conservative, they go for broke and it’s paid off.

Vigneault’s managed to create a team that’s an offensive juggernaut while not giving up the defensive aspect of the game (last night’s game notwithstanding and a healthy defense present). When the Canucks are playing with the lead he’s amended his style to result in an offense that (for the most part is defensively responsible) takes care of business at both ends of the ice. He’s got 12 games to pick up 6 wins to tie his franchise record, and if he goes 7-5 the Canucks will reach 50 wins in a year for the first time in franchise history. “Filet Mignon” certainly hasn’t been given nearly as much credit as he should have in part due to the overshadowing side stories that have surrounded the Canucks season, but also because so many of the Canucks players are having such good years.

What gets forgotten is what Vigneault did to keep the Canucks afloat at the beginning of the season and that in itself is the sole reason the Canucks are where they are today. The Canucks turn around since returning from the injury abyss can be largely attributed to Burrows, Henrik Sedin, Samuelsson, Kesler and all the other players having outstanding years, but AV has gone rather unsung this year.

MSM links for May 15, 2009

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May 152009
 

MSM links for October 9, 2008

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Oct 092008
 
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