Feb 032012
Jan 132012
Jan 082012
Jan 072012
I’m confused about the NHL quickly rescinding Milan Lucic’s game misconduct after the Canucks’ 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.
The league is apparently saying that Lucic was on a legal line change, and thus was allowed to be on the ice while the line brawl was happening. But I have a couple of issues with this.
With a hat tip to the poster from HF Boards who pointed this out, first is NHL rule 70.1 which states:
70.1 Leaving the Bench – No player or goalkeeper may leave the players’ or penalty bench at any time during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation. Substitutions made prior to the altercation shall be permitted provided the players so substituting do not enter the altercation.
It’s obvious from the many replays that Lucic was still on the bench when the brawl started. You see him standing in front of the bench for a long time before getting on the ice. And when he gets on the ice, he immediately joins in the brawl.
But secondly – and perhaps more importantly – was Lucic even supposed to be – legally? – on the ice?
The NHL’s own time chart doesn’t have Lucic on the ice just prior to the brawl.
Now this makes sense as it was Lucic’s line coming on the change. And on the replay, you do see Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille leaving the ice and David Krejci and Nathan Horton coming on.
The problem is, Lucic was supposed to come on for Shawn Thornton, and obviously, Thornton hadn’t left the ice yet as he was fully engaged with Alex Burrows and the other Canucks.
Maybe the league has a better explanation than this, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t know how Lucic can escape the automatic suspension for leaving the bench to join an altercation.
Jan 052012
Jan 032012
In this episode of the CHB TV video podcast, Clay Imoo, J.J. Guerrero and Chris Golden discuss the Canucks’ team toughness (or perceived lack thereof).
Jan 012012
Dec 312011
2011 may well shake out to be one of the most memorable calendar year in Canucks history. (At least in my mind it will be until the year the Canucks win the Stanley Cup.) Through the ecstasy of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals and many team and individual highs and the sadness in the deaths of Rick Rypien and Pavol Demitra, here are 10 Canucks moments from 2011 that I will remember. Feel free to add your own memorable moments in the comments section.
10. The passing away of Rick Rypien (August 15, 2011)
9. Ryan Kesler activates beast mode – 2nd round, game 5 vs. Nashville Predators (May 5, 2011)
8. Lee Sweatt’s first goal in his first game as a Vancouver Canuck (January 26, 2011)
7. Daniel Sedin wins the Art Ross Trophy, Ryan Kesler wins the Selke Trophy, and Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider win the William Jennings Trophy (June 22, 2011)
6. The Canucks win the President’s Trophy for the first time in franchise history (March 31, 2011)
5. Alex Burrows’ OT game-winning goal – Stanley Cup Finals, game 2 vs. Boston Bruins (June 4, 2011)
4. Canucks fans clean up after the post-Stanley Cup riot (June 16, 2011)
3. Max Lapierre’s game-winning goal with 4 1/2 minutes left, the only goal of the game – Stanley Cup Finals, game 5 vs. Boston Bruins (June 10, 2011)
2. Kevin Bieksa’s double OT game-winning goal off the stanchion – 3rd round, game 5 vs. San Jose Sharks (May 24, 2011)
1. Alex Burrows’ OT game-winning goal off a Chris Campoli turnover – 1st round, game 7 vs. Chicago Blackhawks (April 26, 2011)
Dec 282011
Dec 282011
[Every week, Caylie King looks at the Canucks week that was and the Canucks week ahead. You can follow Caylie on Twitter (@CayKing).]
All is right in Northwest Division again. With last night’s win, the Canucks are finally atop of the NW standings. The Canucks ended their four-game homestand with an entertaining and physical battle against the Edmonton Oilers on Boxing Day; Andrew Ebbett lead the team with his first career multi-goal game, while the bromance of Burrows and Kesler combined for two goals, including the game winner.
The three games prior to Christmas break included a clinic put on by the Sedins against the Minnesota Wild, a furious start against the Detroit Red Wings that ended 4-2 for the boys in blue, and then a lackluster effort in a 3-1 loss against the Calgary Flames.
Vancouver now heads out to California for a three-game road trip.
Canucks Record
36 GP, 22-12-2, 46 points (1st in Northwest Division, 2nd in Western Conference)
Who’s Hot
Cody Hodgson might not be AV’s favourite player but he deserves to be recognized for his play as of late. He is currently on a four-game point streak (1G-3A).
CoHo spends most of his time between the 3rd and 4th lines, and if that isn’t happening he is most probably being benched by Alain for some unknown reason. Through all of that he has been a professional and makes the most of ice-time when he gets it. When he’s rolling, Canucks Nation sees glimpses of what made him a top-10 pick. He is very effective along the boards or in close quarters, he has great hockey sense and he has been doing a better job of coming back and taking care of his defensive responsibilities.
Who’s Hotter
Alex Burrows seems to be everywhere on the ice. He always seems to be in the right place when playing with the Sedins. He is constantly a beast on the penalty-kill; he not only sacrifices the body but he is also able to be an offensive threat while being shorthanded.
Burr has 8 points (5G-3A) in his last six games while going a plus-5 in that stretch. He is tied with Daniel Sedin for the most goals on the team (14) and is tied for 5th in team scoring (23 points). He also boasts a team-best plus-16 rating.
Who’s Next
Wednesday December 28, 2011 vs. San Jose Sharks (7:30 PM start, away)
In their first meeting of the season, the Canucks went into the Shark Tank and stole two points from San Jose. Andrew Alberts was the unexpected hero in the game, recording the GWG, while Cory Schneider stopped 43 out of 45 shots to get the victory.
San Jose has had some success against the Northwest division this season going 4-2-1; while outscoring their opponents 21-17.
Logan Couture is tied with Joe Pavelski for the team lead in goals with 15. Couture has 6 points (4G-2A) in his last 6 games and is tied for 3rd in team scoring with 26 points.
Thursday December 29, 2011 vs. Anaheim Ducks (7:00 PM start, away)
At the start of the season, not many people would have guessed that the Anahiem Ducks would have 10 wins in 35 games and be in 14th place in the Western Conference. The Ducks fired head coach, Randy Carlyle, and brought in Bruce Boudreau hoping that he would provide the lift that they needed. So far that move hasn’t paid off. They have just 3 regulation wins in their last 11 games (3-6-2) under the former Caps coach.
Although the Ducks are not playing well, this is a team that the Canucks cannot take for granted especially since Anahiem won the first meeting 4-3 back in November. In that game, Andrew Cogliano led the Ducks with 2 points (1G-1A); while Jannik Hansen had two goals for the Canucks.
The ageless Teemu Selanne leads the Ducks with 35 points (11G-24A) and is always deemed a “Canucks-Killer” because he always seems to find the score sheet when the two clubs meet. He hasn’t scored in his last two games, but just prior to that, he was on a 9-game point streak (3G-10A-13P).
Saturday December 31, 2011 vs. Los Angles Kings (7:00 PM start, away)
The Canucks look to end 2011 with a win against Drew Doughty and company. The Kings are still fighting for a playoff position in the tough Western Conference; they currently sit in 10th place.
Aaron Rome got the game winning goal against the Kings in their meeting back in November. Talented defenseman Drew Doughty led the Kings with 1 goal, 1 assist and a plus-1 rating in that game; while also having the most ice time with over 26 minutes.
Anze Kopitar is currently riding a four-game point streak; he has 5 assists in that stretch. Kopitar leads the team in assists (24) and points (34).