Clay’s Canucks Commentary: Making Matt Calvert Look Like Sidney Crosby

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Mar 082013
 

I look at the good, the bad, and the interesting from the Canucks’ 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets from Thursday, March 7 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

The Canucks tied the game in the early stages of the third period, only to have Matt Calvert channel his inner Sidney Crosby in overtime – going around both Henrik Sedin and Alex Edler on the winning goal.

In the video, I touch on Cory Schneider, the defensive pairing of Jason Garrison and Dan Hamhuis, our lack of scoring, the poor effort on the game-winning goal, and the Canucks’ less-than-stellar record through 23 games.

Canucks Review and Preview: March 4 to 10, 2013

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Mar 052013
 

Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks vs Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks

Photo credit: Sports Network

Last week, the Canucks posted 1 win, sandwiched between 2 losses. They fell short to the Phoenix Coyotes, won a statement game against the Los Angeles Kings, and then travelled to Calgary 2 hours before puck drop and dropped what should have been a sure win against the Flames.

You can say the Canucks had a week that has been typical of their NHL season so far – if there’s one thing this team has shown through their first 21 games, it’s that they’ve been consistent in their inconsistency.

However, there are signs that the team may be awakening from a mid-season slumber. For one thing, Daniel Sedin has slowly moved up the NHL’s scoring ranks; with 15 points in his last 13 games, Danny now sits 21st in league scoring, just 7 points back of 3rd place, Chris Kunitz. (Hands up if you picked Chris Kunitz this high in your hockey pools. Didn’t think so.) Likewise, Henrik Sedin has 15 points in his last 11 games – including 6 multi-point games in his last 10 games – and now has 21 points for the season as well. The twins also did well to push back – physically (!) – against Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and the Kings. Chris Higgins, with 3 goals in his last 4 games, is showing signs of life, and as well, 6’5″, 228 lb. Tom Sestito, with 2 fights in 2 games since being plucked from waivers, has given the Canucks some nastiness in the lineup.

Canucks Record

21 GP, 11-6-4, 26 points (1st in Northwest Division, 3rd in Western Conference)

Who’s Next

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 vs. San Jose Sharks (7:00 PM start)

After starting the season with a 7-0-1 record, the Sharks have cooled off considerably, going 3-6-3 in their last 12 games. Currently, they’re tied for 4th place in the Western Conference, but as we all know, the standings change pretty much on a nightly basis in the wild, wild, West.

In their first meeting of the season back in January, the Sharks beat the Canucks 4-1. Joe Pavelski led the Sharks with 2 goals in that game, while Alex Burrows had the Canucks’ lone goal.

Jumbo Joe Thornton leads the Sharks in assists (18), points (22) and is a team-best plus-5. Patrick Marleau has a team-high 12 goals, including 3 game-winning goals.

Thursday, March 7, 2013 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (4:00 PM)

For the Columbus Blue Jackets, it may be a new year, and they may have some new faces, but unfortunately, they seem to be getting the same results as they always have. With only 6 wins in their first 22 games this season, the Blue Jackets sit at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Canucks went 3-0-1 against the Blue Jackets last season with Cory Schneider in net for all 3 wins. Something tells me AV’s coin flip will be calling out Schneids name on Thursday. Daniel Sedin had 5 points (3G-2A) in the 4 series games last season. Right now, he’s leading the Canucks with 21 points (8G-13A) in 21 games.

Vinny Prospal, Fedor Tyutin and Mark Letestu all have 12 points to lead the Blue Jackets.

Sunday, March 10, 2013 vs. Minnesota Wild (5:00 PM)

After 3 straight wins last week, a 2.00 GAA and 0.914 save percentage, Niklas Backstrom was named the NHL’s 3rd star of the week. As such, the Wild are breathing down the Canucks’ neck in the Northwest Division – they trail the Canucks by just 2 points now.

In their last game against each other in February, the Canucks won decisively by a score of 4-1. Cory Schneider was in net for that win..

Zach Parise and Dany Heatley lead the team with 8 goals each, while captain Mikko Koivu leads the team with 17 points.

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 5 vs Kings 2

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Mar 032013
 

In a grudge match of sorts, the Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings for the first time since the Kings eliminated them in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

Hockey, check. Beer, check. Here we go.

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

Clay’s Canucks Commentary: Canucks 5, Kings 2

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Mar 032013
 

Clay Imoo (@canuckclay) will be recapping every Vancouver Canucks game with a quick post-game video commentary.  As a start, Clay looks at the good, the bad, and the interesting from the Canucks’ 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings from March 2 at Rogers Arena.

In the video, Clay touches on the Canucks’ top 2 scoring lines, Cory Schneider’s suspect puck-handling, the benching of Keith Ballard, the debut of new enforcer Tom Sestito, and the LA Kings twitter account.

 

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 3 at Blackhawks 4 (SO)

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Feb 212013
 

Coming off back-to-back losses, the Canucks travel to Chicago to face their rival Blackhawks.

I hope everyone got off work in time, because this game is not waiting for you. Seriously, they’re not waiting for anyone, not even Eddie Lack.

Of course, we had to invite Mr. Lack to #TGATT fun.

Glad you asked. Read on and check it out.

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

Backup Lu better than Starter Schneider so far

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Feb 192013
 

Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks

Photo credit: cbc.ca

As I’m writing this, the Canucks still haven’t announced their starting goaltender for tonight’s match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Perhaps coach Alain Vigneault lost his mythical coin. Or maybe he’s busy throwing darts at a dart board to select his new shootout lineup.

Or maybe, just maybe, the performances by both Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo to-date this season has thrown a wrinkle into his plans.

If we’ve learned anything through the first one-third of the shortened season, the Canucks’ goaltending hierarchy seems less clear. If Schneider – and his agent – expected to start 75% of the Canucks games, that plan hasn’t materialized yet. So far, both Schneider and Luongo have evenly-split the number of starts through the first 14 games of the season.

What is clearer, however, is whose numbers are better.

Luongo has been able to get the Canucks points in every one of his 7 starts. As he’s done throughout his career, he’s performed consistently and has a 4-0-3 record with all 3 losses coming in the shootout. He also has a 0.934 save percentage (6th in the NHL) and a 1.63 GAA (3rd in the NHL). His loss against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday was only the first time this season he’s allowed more than 2 goals in a game.

In the meantime, Schneider has a 4-3-0 record in his 7 starts, and has a 0.912 save percentage and 2.62 GAA. He’s been maddeningly inconsistent – good in wins and not so much in losses. He got shelled for 5 goals against the Anaheim Ducks on opening night before bouncing back against the Calgary Flames. He shut out the Ducks after the win against the Flames, but followed that up by being shelled for 4 goals against the San Jose Sharks. Against the Dallas Stars on Friday night, Schneider allowed 4 goals against in a 4-3 loss, the third time in 7 starts he’s allowed at least 4 goals against in a game. The Canucks gave him the ball early on, but he hasn’t quite run away with it yet.

Schneider has also enjoyed the benefit of receiving more offensive support. With him in net, the Canucks have scored 22 goals (3.14 goals per game). With Luongo in net, the Canucks have only scored 16 goals (2.28 goals per game).

In the shootout, Luongo has actually been decent. He’s been in 4 shootouts, and except for his Oshie-t moment on Sunday, he’s been able to stop about 65% of the shootout attempts against him, which seems to be the league average. And in those 4 shootouts, a grand total of one Canuck scored on their attempt – Jordan Schroeder, who was the 4th shooter in the Canucks’ 2-1 win against tonight’s opponent, the Blackhawks. Only once in those 4 games did Luongo allow more than 1 shootout goal; he allowed 2 on Sunday against the Blues.

This doesn’t, by any stretch, imply that Schneider is not a good goalie because I think he is. I simply think that Luongo is outplaying him right now. And if the Canucks go by merit in selecting tonight’s starter, it should be Lu.

Magic 8-Ball and Poker: 10 Alternatives to AV’s Coin-Flipping Brand of Decision Making

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Feb 092013
 

Much has been made about the goaltending situation in Vancouver and rightfully so: right now the Canucks have two high-calibre netminders making up arguably the strongest tandem in the league.  So with both Cory Schneider and Robert Luongo playing extremely well, it’s become a daily guessing game as to who will start in the next Canucks game.

Likely tired of these daily questions, coach Alain Vigneault introduced his now famous coin – the one he flips to determine which goalie will get the start.  It was humourous at the start but I hope he won’t be using the same line a few weeks from now.

Thus, your friends at CHB have come up with 10 alternative ways to determine the Canucks’ starting goalie:

10.  Asking the Magic 8-Ball.  It’s helped adults and kids alike make some difficult decisions since 1950, offering profound answers such as: “Concentrate and ask again”, “Very Doubtful”, and “My Sources Say No”.  Obviously, the question must be asked in a yes/no format.

9.  A Game of Laser Tag.  Imagine Luongo and Schneider darting behind walls and jumping over barrels amidst a bunch of screaming 8 year-old kids.  After getting shot at all their lives, they would finally have a chance to do the shooting.  Winner gets the start.

8.  Any Wrestling Gimmick Match.  This would be great way to attract new fans – have Luongo and Schneider participate in any of the following wrestling matches during the warm-up:  Hell in a Cell, Ladder Match, or Last Man Standing.  They should be good with it…they both participated in the Legion of Blog’s NHL Royal Rumble last month.  If that’s too violent or too risky, any game like Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Settlers of Catan, or Twister will do.

7. Suiting Up.  Whoever gets fully dressed into their equipment and jersey first prior to warm-up gets the start. No questions asked.

6. Heads Up Poker.  Each goalie will receive 50 big blinds and Kesler and Bieksa can provide commentary.  Luongo is the all-in favourite in this competition…but look for Schneider to call AV’s bluff and surprise Luongo with some aggressive pre-flop (or make that no-flop) play.

5. Impressions Contest.  If the poker favours Luongo, then Schneider will definitely have the advantage in an impressions contest.  Remember his Hansen, AV and Burrows on CBC’s After Hours?

 

4. Rock, Paper, Scissors.  Nothing wrong with going to an old standard to determine who’s starting. Two main rules: no adding lizard and/or spock, and it must be best-of-7 to avoid flukes or cheating.

3. Canada Vs. USA (Round 1):  Luongo picks 4 Canadian players while Schnedier picks 4 Americans.  Tug of war at centre ice…winning country has their goalie start.

2. Canada Vs. USA (Round 2):  This doesn’t include an injury risk and is solely based on the economy.  Whichever dollar is stronger on game day means that country’s goalie will be the Canucks’ money in the bank for the game.

1. Walk-Off (Zoolander Style).  This is simple: both Luongo and Schneider need to remove their underwear without taking off any of their goalie equipment.  Given the extreme difficulty of this challenge, AV has the option of granting the winner 3 consecutive starts regardless of performance in the games.  David Bowie optional.

 

Things That Make You Go Hmmm: The Code, Hank the Tank, and AV’s Mysterious Coin

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Feb 072013
 

You Wanna Go?

This season has had more than it’s fair share of fights. As of February 5, the Vancouver Canucks have had 7 fights. Same with the Habs, but I preface the date because as I’m writing this, they’re about to play the Boston Bruins. Their fight count could be 20 by the end of that game.

A fight gets a crowd going, gets a team going, and fuels a good rivalry, but no one wants a player to sustain serious injury.  Two fights in the last couple of weeks have me going hmmm… because they involve the same team and show the right and wrong sides of fighting in the NHL.

First, we have the right: During a fight between the Philadelphia Flyers’ Max Talbot and the New York Rangers’ Ryan Callahan, all the shirt-tugging, pushing and pulling injured Callahan’s shoulder. Sensing that something was wrong, Talbot stopped and waved over a training, calling for medical help.

Now, the wrong: On Tuesday, the Flyers’ Zack Rinaldo fought the Tampa Bay Lightning’s BJ Crombeen. After Crombeen slipped to the ice, Rinaldo continued to pound him.

Rinaldo is a notorious fighter in the league, but that doesn’t mean he has to be a jerkoff. Would Kevin Bieksa keep throwing punches once a guy is down? I don’t think so.

To me, fighting is part of the game, but what makes it tolerable is the code – the etiquette – and Rinaldo broke it just days after his teammate, Talbot, was a poster child for it. Hmmm… I never thought I would say this but Rinaldo needs to take a lesson from Talbot.

Freaky Friday

Disney came out with a movie in the 1970s called Freaky Friday in a mom and daughter switch bodies. Every time I watch a Vancouver Canucks game this season, I can’t help but wonder if this has happened to Henrik Sedin and Zach Kassian.

First, Zack started scoring goals, and at one point, he was among the league leaders in goals scored. Then, Zack’s leading the Canucks in scoring, and as of today, he’s still tied for 3rd with Henrik in team scoring.

As if that wasn’t weird enough, our demure Swedish Captain is turning into a goon taking roughing penalties and throwing checks like he’s… well, Zack Kassian. The Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is actually sidelined – missing the Oilers’ game last night against the Dallas Stars – due to an injury resulting from a Henrik Sedin hit. It’s a total head scratcher. If Henrik drops his gloves next, I may just lose my mind.

The Mysterious Coin

The Canucks announced that Cory Schneider will get the start against the Minnesota Wild. Sure, Roberto Luongo is on a hot streak, but this isn’t about what makes sense. This is about what the coin says. Coach Alain Vigneault once again flipped his coin, and this time it came up Cory.

I am honestly starting to believe that AV soaks his chewing gum in vodka. He’s enjoying this too much, especially considering the media, the fans, and Schneider’s agent are all taking the goalie controversy very seriously.

I want to see this coin. Is it a loonie? A twoonie? A quarter? Does it have pictures of Cory and Bobby Lu on either side? Where does AV keep this coin? Is it always in his pocket? Does he lock it away somewhere with his crystal ball, voodoo dolls and a pack of vodka-infused chewing gun? If the media doesn’t insist on filming a coin toss before the end of the season, they’re not doing their job.

Shooting From the Hip With @AY604: Keep it Simple, Stupid!

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Jan 312013
 

Adrian and his bowl cut

Although I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting @AY604 in person yet, we have a connection that extends beyond Twitter.  It turns out that one of Adrian’s good friends played hockey with my cousin Dusty in Japan back in the day.  And thanks to the generosity of both his friend and my cousin, Adrian is the proud owner of some bright red Vaughn goalie pads.  They look pretty darn sweet.

In his words:

Adrian (@AY604) was born on a tiny island in the South Pacific known for its high end, square shaped bottled water or what the locals call ‘tap’. Immigrating to Vancouver and eventually settling in Burnaby at the tender age of 4, Adrian spent his formative years as the only Asian kid in his neighbourhood crying daily over his $5 Chinatown bowl cut. In his spare time, Adrian is a trophy husband and father. His main goal in life is to teach his daughters that a bathroom is not a photo booth. His other interests include gossip, yelling at bad drivers, judging people and Schadenfreude. He sounds like a terrible person. Adrian began supporting the Canucks in 1982 after a chance meeting with Thomas Gradin. That’s 31 years of punches to the gut yet he still bleeds black, yellow, orange, blue, green and sometimes salmon red.

1.       Are you concerned by the Canucks’ poor start to this shortened season?  

I wouldn’t say this is a poor start. It’s not ideal but fortunately the Canucks play in a Division that’s weaker than vending machine coffee. The other four teams in the Northwest aren’t terrible per se but I don’t believe they have the goaltending to win this division. In less than two weeks this team should be 6-3-2 and we can go back to planning the parade. For a team with two key players out with injuries and whose best players haven’t played meaningful hockey for 9 months, a .500 start is to be expected. What concerns me the most is their inability to finish out games and protect a lead. When you’re up 2-0, the mentality should be to bury your opponent not to park the bus.

2.       Do you think Alain Vigneault’s job is in jeopardy?  

If AV’s job is to be witty and self-deprecating during interviews then he should be fine. However, if his job is to find a way to get The Kassassin on the ice in OT or figure out why the power play is staler than riot jokes then I think his gum chewing days could be over.

As former Canuck’s coach Harry Neale once said, “Coaching is about keeping the half of the team that hates you away from the half that’s undecided.” I don’t think the players hate AV but I do think they’ve tuned him out to some extent. All coaches have a best before date and I fear that his is approaching BC Place processed cheese status.

I think he needs a long playoff run to save his job but with that said, the Canucks only last 5 games last year and he was given a contract extension. So what do I know.

3.       What do the Canucks need to do to get back to their winning ways?

Everybody knows the Canucks are notoriously slow starters. They just don’t look sharp right now. The Sedins’ cycle looks like it’s missing a gear, Higgins is skating with cement skates and the top four defensemen have been less than stellar. Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa look like Div. 6 beer leaguers and I’m one turnover away from calling Alex Edler, “The Baker”. So it’s going to take time for them to all start clicking but unfortunately time is not a luxury in a 48 game season.

I do think that any turnaround starts with figuring out why their special teams are so poor right now. Pundits will say that it’s still early and both the PK and PP are close to last season’s averages which were top 10 in the NHL. To which I say, facts and rational opinions have no place in discussions about the Canucks. My eyes say the PP and PK look terrible and my eyes don’t lie except for that one time in Grade 9 when I thought I could pull off French rolled jeans.

The PP has become too predictable, cycling on the perimeter, passing it around the horn until they find the perfect shot for their defensemen. Teams know what’s coming and seem to shut it down with an aggressive box (that’s what she said). The Canucks need to start getting bodies and pucks to the net. It’s time to stop looking for the pretty goals and get all Zdeno Chara in there, ugly! It may be an overly simplistic solution but sometimes you have to K.I.S.S.!

4.       Will Roberto Luongo get traded?  If so, what’s fair value coming back?

Honestly, I’m of the mind that the Canucks should keep Lu this year. Having a 1 and 1A in a shorten season could prove to be an Ace up their sleeve. No one knows how Schneider will perform in the playoffs after being a Number 1 and all the pressure and work load that goes with it. Having a Luongo safety net if Schneider ever gets anxious about a Barker/Alberts pairing may pay dividends down the stretch.

If Lu is traded, the Canucks need to get back at the very least goal scoring help for the 2nd line and a proven backup now that Eddie Lack is out for six months. I’m sure both of those things are a dime a dozen.

5.       Who is your favourite Canuck?  Least favourite?

I’ve played the position for 30 years, so my favourite Canucks have all been goalies. So currently, I’m a fanboy for Lu and Schneider and before that Kirk McLean. Hell, I even paid actual dollars for a Dan ‘I make grown men cry in their sleep” Cloutier jersey.

Least favourite Canuck? David Booth with a bullet.

6.       Aside from Vancouver, what is your favourite NHL team and why?

In reality I’m a Canucks fan not a National Hockey League fan. In fact I would say I’m way more of Whitecaps and Major League Soccer fan than the NHL. But if I had to follow another team it would be the Montreal Canadiens, an original 6 team with tonnes of history, tradition and one of the best jerseys in all of sports. Also, the crowd shots, zut alors!

Tasting victory

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 5 at Ducks 0

 Blog, TGATT  1 Response »
Jan 262013
 

Almost a week after the Anaheim Ducks ruined the Canucks’ season and home opener, the Canucks get their opportunity for revenge. And boy, did they get it.

The game had everything – pretty goals, big saves, big fights, a penalty shot, and even phallic-shaped light sabers.

Yup, they had that and more.

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

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