The Canucks are back from a short two-game roadtrip where they potted four solid points and are looking to douse the Flames.
And with Chris Golden manning the CHB TGATT desk tonight, you all know what that means:
Well, this game is going fast. Top Gun fast. #Canucks #TGATT
— Walter Siu (@waterboy99troop) February 10, 2013
That’s right. Top Freaking Gun!
The Canucks are in Minnesota, the second – and last – stop of their mini two-game road trip.
Zach Parise would now like his name to be pronounced ‘Par-easy’. Obviously, everyone makes fun of him for his pronunciation preferences.
Is it just me or are Shorty & Cheech saying “Pareasy” as much as possible? #trollingParise #TGATT #CanucksG10
— luonGOLD (@LuonGOLD) February 8, 2013
Dale Weise would like his last name pronounced “Gretzky” claims Dale.
— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) February 8, 2013
Remember when Cody Hodgson tried to correct all of our pronunciations of his last name? Good times.
Photo credit: Vancouver Sun
As I’m writing this, I’ll admit I’m drinking a bit of Mike Gillis’ kool aid.
In an interview on TSN last night, Gillis preached some patience on the Canucks’ 2-2-2 start this season.
I’m inclined to agree.
All things considered, the Canucks’ start was probably as well as could be expected. They’re still missing Ryan Kesler and David Booth, 2/3rd of their second scoring line, and with a shortened training camp and no exhibition games, it’s obvious most of the rest of the lineup are still in preseason mode.
But before we start a “Fallin’ for Drouin” campaign (or is it “Fallin’ for Mackinnon”?), there are some positives to take here.
While most of the vets have struggled, the Canucks have received more than expected contributions from the likes of Mason Raymond, Zack Kassian, Jordan Schroeder and the Dutch Gretzky. Jannik Hansen has also been noticeable and Chris Tanev has probably been their most consistent defenseman. Coincidentally, these are pretty much all the players, give or take Andrew Ebbett, who were playing some hockey either in the AHL or in Europe during the lockout. Maybe something for players to think about in 2020.
May Ray, in particular, looks more like the May Ray from 2009/2010 rather than the May Ray whose career was almost ended by a cheap Johnny Boychuk hit in 2011.
At least through a few games, Kassian looks to be a good fit with the Sedins. Right-handed shot, power forward with good hands, good instincts and a good nose for the net. He’s also shown that he’s not afraid to play bodyguard for the twins – ask Ben Eager.
Schroeder has some obvious speed and skill, and as Gillis points out, he hasn’t really hurt the team on the defensive end. I mean, in his NHL debut against Calgary, he had a particularly memorable sequence in which the Flames bounced him around like a pinball, but if anything, he showed he’s got a hard compete level.
Of course, this isn’t to say there aren’t cause for concerns.
The Sedins look out of synch. For all of their offensive zone starts, they don’t seem to be generating as much offensive pressure as they normally do.
The defense looks out of synch. It probably speaks volumes when the pairing of Tanev and Keith Ballard (!) is the one defensive pairing left untouched. Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler and Jason Garrison have been shuffled around already.
The special teams aren’t so special. The powerplay can’t score and the penalty-kill can’t kill penalties.
And already in 4 of their first 6 games, the Canucks couldn’t hang on to leads like Dustin Diamond couldn’t hang on to his dignity.
So should we worry?
As magnified as things seem in a shortened season with little room for error, I think 6 games is still a small sample size to adequately judge this team. Like Gillis says, let’s wait a few more games before we step off the ledge or jump off the bandwagon. In the meantime, hopefully the kids can keep it up and the vets can pick it up. And hopefully, it’s not too late by then.
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.
Pew pew!They have frickin’ laser beams introducing the #NHLDucks, here’s hoping the Sedin twins have the real laser show. #Canucks #TGATT
— Clayton Corley (@opiatedsherpa) January 26, 2013
Yup, they had that and more.
One team in tonight’s match up will see their first win of the season. I, for one, can’t stand to see Calgary get a win before us, so let’s hope we take it. Maybe the Shaft theme song will help us here. It can’t hurt.
If that didn’t get you pumped for the game, maybe Gary Valk can.
“They’re gonna wanna bang you…” – Gary Valk #hockeyporn #tweetsoutofcontext #TGATT
— Kent Basky (@KentBaskyNM) January 24, 2013
Photo credit: PNG
In 2009/2010, his 2nd full season with the Vancouver Canucks, Mason Raymond scored 25 goals and 53 points.
In 2010/2011, he was on pace for almost 50 points had he not been sidelined for 10 games by a hand injury.
And then in the Stanley Cup Finals, as we all know by now, the Boston Bruins’ Johnny Boychuk gave him the ol’ can opener early in Game 6 and pushed him into the boards with enough force to break his back.
A lot of Canucks fans, myself included, had written May Ray off after that and with good reason. There was a time that he himself wasn’t sure he’d be able to play in the NHL again.
But in December last year, May Ray came back, scored 3 goals and 7 points in his first 9 games, and it looked like his career was back on track. Unfortunately, he would just score 7 goals and 13 points in his last 46 games, and just like that, his stock among Canucks fans fell faster than, well, Mason Raymond at the blueline.
So when the Canucks elected to take May Ray to arbitration, a move that essentially maintains his RFA status and allows the Canucks to retain his rights, reaction was divided. One segment of Canucks Nation would much rather have seen him not qualified and off to unrestricted free agency. Another segment sees him for what he his – an asset. An undervalued asset, but an asset nonetheless.
From Jim Jamieson (Vancouver Province):
The Canucks filed for rarely used cut-down arbitration on the lightning fast winger, with the intention of reducing the $2.6 million in salary he made last season on a new one-year deal.
The move allows the club to take Raymond off the market on July 1 when he was due to become a restricted free agent. They can ask an arbitrator to cut Raymond’s salary in his new contract by as much as 15 per cent, to $2.21 million.
Whether we want to believe it or not, May Ray is a legit NHL player. His 53 points in 2009/2010 ranked him among the top 80 scorers in the NHL. Had he hit 50 points in 2010/2011, he would have been among the top 100 scorers in the league. (And that’s not counting all the little things he does but we don’t see.) Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman see this and won’t give him up for nothing.
Now, it’s obvious May Ray’s play regressed this past season. But is that because, at 26, he’s peaked as a player? Or is it because he was recovering from what was almost a career-ending injury? Just as much as there’s a chance his hockey career is fading, there’s also a chance he’ll bounce back.
More importantly, do the Canucks still see a role for him on this team? The Canucks don’t want to pay $2.6 million to find out, but rolling the dice may be more palatable at closer to $2.2 million. And not just more palatable for the Canucks, maybe other teams as well, should the Canucks later decide to take their roster in another direction.
Photo credit: canucks.nhl.com
I’m not going to rant. I’m not going to rage. I would probably cry but I don’t want to short-circuit my keyboard so I won’t even do that. Instead I’ll keep this brief. And then I will eat chocolate.
Where We Went Right
Ryan Kesler was incredible on the penalty kill. He may not have scored goals but in this game his shot blocking and clearing was equally if not more important. If it wasn’t for Kesler and Cory Schneider the score would have been 8-1 for the Kings by the end of the third.
And that leads me to the second thing we did right – we had the right goalie in net. Schneider was calm and collected despite slashes by Mike Richards and bodies flailing in his crease. He never fell down and stayed down and he never lost his stick – both traits Luongo is famous for. Cory did every thing you could ask of a goalie and more. He earned his spot as our number one netminder and I will be shocked and horrified if that’s not exactly what he is next season.
Where We Went Wrong
One goal is not going to win you a series when you are down 3 games to 1. Putting David Booth on a line with the twins is not going to get you goals. Putting Mason Raymond on the ice at all is not going to get you goals. For me, Alain Vigneault’s coaching decisions were almost as epically bad as Alex Edler was on defence. And they of course, are a reflection of what Mike Gillis has given him to work with. The trades this year have no been the glorious additions Max Lapierre and Chris Higgins were last year. Not even close.
I Don’t Blame Hamhuis
I honestly don’t. Hammy was about the only defenceman trying in Games 1 and 2. He made 1 mistake at a very inopportune time. If we’re going to crucify individual players here we need to nail Raymond and Booth and Edler. End of story. Their complete and utter uselessness, or in the case of Edler his plethora of mistakes, are what cost us the first two games. We wouldn’t have been in a hole if it wasn’t for those 3 more than anyone else. And Kesler diving instead of taking shots. And Duncan Keith elbowing Daniel to in regular season and taking him out of the first 3 games. There are so many more reasons we lost than simply Dan Hamhuis falling down. We need to take a good hard look at all of those reasons – on the bench and behind it – and make some changes before October.
It’s been an honour and a pleasure writing for the Canucks Hockey Blog. I hope I can do it next season while I cheer on our boys in Blue – no matter who those boys may be. (But it better not be Raymond).
I don’t know about you guys, but I was full of questions all day long. Could the Canucks do it? Is starting Cory Schneider the right move? Will one extra Sedin really make that big a difference? The answers to all those questions wouldn’t come until the 2nd period but when they came, they were all yes.
The Wonderful Wonder Twins
I’ll be honest. I thought Henrik was doing okay without Daniel. He was working hard. He had to think more but he was setting up everyone he could and taking shots. And then Daniel came back and I remembered what I was missing. 19 minutes (each) of blind passes, beautiful set-ups and a beauty of an insurance goal. It took a period for the spark to catch fire, but Daniel’s return ignited virtually the entire team. The passion was back. And most importantly, the powerplay was back. And unlike the Flyers-Pens series, you can’t blame tonight’s outcome on LA’s goaltending. Quick was solid. The Canucks weren’t given any easy goals, so they went out and got the hard ones.
Number 35 Is Number 1. Deal With It.
I’ve said all season long that the Canucks have two #1 goalies. Unfortunately we don’t have two nets to put them in at the exact same time so someone has to sit on the bench. When Schneider was announced as the starter in Game 3 and again in Game 4, Lu-lovers were angry. They had reason to be. Lu was solid in Game 1 and 2. We will never know the exact reason Alain Vigneault replaced him. Maybe AV feels the team has more confidence in Schneids. Maybe AV himself has more confidence in Schneids. Maybe he just flipped a coin. Here’s the reality of it – you shouldn’t care. Because it worked. Schneider was incredible tonight. He kept the score 1-0 while his teammates found their mojo. He stopped 43 shots, including a penalty shot. He deserves to start the rest of this series. Does it suck for Luongo? Yes. And I feel bad for him. But not bad enough to mess with what’s working and risk a chance at a Stanley Cup. Thankfully, I think AV feels the same way.
It’s Not All Redheaded Saviors
The still have problems to fix. Even Sedin Wonder Twin Magic can’t improve David Booth’s output. Although he assisted on Kevin Bieksa’s goal, he still isn’t scoring. And then there’s Mason Raymond. Completely whiffing on checks is his new hobby. I guess falling down got old. Why he goes for checks at all instead of lifting the stick I’ll never know. He was the goat on the Kings’ only goal. Then he gave the puck away about 3 minutes later. Yes ladies he’s cute but if he’s on the bench instead of the press box next game we’re in trouble. Last but not least, the beast that’s inside Ryan Kesler is still in a coma nap. We need to solve a few of these issues pretty quick. I don’t think it’ll take the Kings 3 games to figure out they need to shut down the twins.
While we can’t take credit for coining the term “Smylosphere” – my apologies but I can’t, for the life or me, remember who came up with it – here are some of our favorite Canucks-related links today:
[Every week, Caylie King reviews the Canucks week that was and previews the Canucks week ahead. You can follow Caylie on Twitter (@CayKing).]
The Vancouver Canucks started off their recently-concluded 4-game road trip by being shutout 2-0 against the Minnesota Wild. Cory Schneider played a solid game in Minnesota but the team in front of him just couldn’t bury the puck.
Then, after trying to find their game for well over a month, the Canucks seemed to turn the corner against rival Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately, it was a dirty, cheap Duncan Keith elbow on Daniel Sedin that ignited the fire. Keith, of course, was suspended for 5 regular season games, but at this point in the season, we can only hope and pray that Daniel makes a full recovery.
With Daniel out indefinitely, the Canucks beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 (backstopped by another solid effort by Schneider) and came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the playoff-hungry Colorado Avalanche.
Canucks Record
75 GP, 45-21-9, 99 points (1st in Northwest Division, 2nd in Western Conference)
Who’s Hot
For his lackluster play, Mason Raymond was scratched 4 games ago.
Message received.
Since watching the Wild game from the press box, May Ray has responded positively and has made the most of his opportunity replace Daniel Sedin and playing on the top line with Henrik Sedin.
He’s scored in consecutive games and has been noticeable in his last 3 games. He’s using his speed, he’s shooting the puck, and he’s getting himself to the front of the net.
Who’s Not
Max Lapierre is pointless in his last 15 games and he hasn’t scored in his last 21 games. Maybe it’s because he had a scorching start to the season, but his lack of production recently has been noticeable.
At least, Lappy is still a big part of the 4th line and still gets under the skin of the opposing players. He’s not known for his offensive prowess, but it would be nice for him to chip in the odd offense once in a while.
Who’s Next
Monday, March 26, 2012 vs. Los Angeles Kings (7:00 PM start, home)
The Los Angeles Kings roll into Rogers Arena having won 6 of their last 7 games; their minor speed bump game was a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins last Saturday. The Kings are one of 5 teams engaged in a heated battle for one of the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. They are currently holding onto the 8th playoff spot as of today.
The Kings will look to win the season serious against the Canucks as they play for the final time this regular season; the Kings have won 2 of the 3 previous meetings.
Anze Kopitar leads all Kings skaters with 4 points (1G-3A) in the season series. He’s hit the scoresheet in 10 of his last 13 games (7G-7A-14P). He also leads the Kings this season in goals (24), assists (41) and points (65).
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 vs. Colorado Avalanche (7:00 PM start, home)
The Canucks and Colorado Avalanche met just three days ago as the Canucks came back from a 2-0 deficit and won 3-2 in overtime. Like the Kings, they are among the 5 teams with a realistic chance of snagging one of the two final playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Avs are currently tied in points for the final spot, but sit in 10th place due to having played more games than the teams above them.
The Canucks will look to sweep the season series; they’ve won all 5 previous meeting between the two teams.
Jannik Hansen, Kevin Bieksa and Henrik Sedin all have 5 points against the Avs. David Jones, Milan Hejduk and Paul Stastny all have 2 points in the season series. Also, newly-acquired Jamie McGinn was quite noticeable for the Avs in Saturday’s match-up. He’s been a huge pickup for the team, and as some analysts say, one of the biggest impact trade deadline impact acquisitions in the league; in his last 11 games in an Avs jersey, he has 12 points (8G-4A).
Friday, March 30, 2012 vs. Dallas Stars (7:00 PM start, home)
By virtue of leading the Pacific Division, the Dallas Stars are currently occupy 3rd place in the tight Western Conference. However, if they falter at all in the next 7 games, they can just as easily find themselves in 7th place – or out of the playoffs altogether – as their division rivals Phoenix Coyotes are only a point behind and the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks are only 2 points back.
The Stars lead the season series 2-1; however, the Canucks won their last meeting on a Kevin Bieksa game-winner. Mike Ribeiro has 5 points (3G-2A) to pace the Stars, while while Chris Higgins has 4 points (1G-3A) to lead the Canucks.
Victoria native, Jamie Benn is having a career year in Dallas despite a few games this season. Already, he’s reached a career-high in goals (24), assists (35) and points (59). He is second in Dallas in team scoring.
Saturday, March 24, 2012 vs. Calgary Flames (7:00 PM start, home)
Currently 3 points out of the final playoff position in the Western Conference and with only 6 games left, the Calgary Flames’ playoff hopes are slimly alive. They made a similar push last season but ultimately fell short of a playoff spot.
Both teams have won 2 games each in the season series. Alex Tanguay leads all Flames skaters with 2 goals, while David Booth leads the Canucks with 5 poitns (2G-3A).
It’s no surprise that Captain Jarome Iginla is having another solid campaign and is leading the Flames in goals (31) and points (62). Iggy has reached the 30-goal plateau in his last 11 seasons.
