The last time the Canucks and Oilers faced off (almost 2 months ago), Vancouver pulled off a 3 goal comeback that finished with Tanev scoring his first NHL goal in overtime. Kassian was medically cleared to participate. this game, and took part in the pregame skate, but he did not play.
Previous to this game, the Canucks had scored the first goal 9 times in a row. Oh, spoiler alert. 16 seconds in, Edmonton struck. With Hamhuis pinching, Eberle cleared the puck, and found Hall down the wing. Hall's shot went top corner, just over the glove of Schneider. Daniel had the perfect chance to tie it seconds later, but was denied 1 on 1, after failing to recover from his spin-o-rama. 2 minutes later, a defensive miscue led to the Oilers second of the game. Petry's cross point pass found a wide open Smid, whose shot beat Schneider down low. That would do it for poor Cory, who let in 2 goals on 2 shots. But even a goalie change couldn't save these poor playing Canucks. 38 seconds after the Smid goal, RNH found Hall on the rush, and Hall buried it top corner, again. 3 shots, 3 goals for the Oil. Not so fun fact: That is the fastest 3 goals in Oilers history. In other words, this period was so bad it made the history books.
Vancouver managed to calm down a little after that, and were even gifted a powerplay. Of course, the puck went everywhere but the net, and nothing came of it. Just seconds later, the Oilers took their turn at the powerplay roulette. After being given the entire top of the zone to move the puck, the Oilers gave it to Hall at the side of the net, who tucked it 5 hole on Luongo. 4-0, just 8 minutes in. With that, Hall broke Gretzky's record for fastest Oilers hat trick. 4 minutes later, Higgins stole the puck and almost put the Canucks on the board, but Dubnyk got his blocker on it. Hemsky had a chance to make it 5-0, but bobbled it and Luongo was able to get his stick on it. Bieksa tormented Hall for the rest of the period, checking his every chance he got. Shots 11-10 Oilers at the end of 20.
Less than a minute it, Paajarvi's shot beat Luongo on the rush, but hit the crossbar. Despite that bobble, the Canucks picked up play, and were once again gifted a powerplay. They managed a few more shots on this one, and managed to maintain zone pressure, but no result. Luongo was forced to make some nice saves midway through the period, as the Canucks defense continued to let the Oilers drive wide. 2nd period ended with the Oilers still up 4-0, shots 18-14 Canucks.
Only notable thing about the third was that Luongo stood on his head a couple times, denying Hall twice while coming cross crease. Other than that, nothing notable.
Tidbits:
- PP: 3/3. Why do I even do this. no change in how the PP has played since the beginning of the season. Occasionally moves the puck a little better, but really no change.
- PK: 1/4. Always leaving that point man open. Sometimes pays off, sometimes not. Didn't in this game.
So what happened? The Canucks went from a 6 game win streak to this? They had it coming. Vancouver's roster has been incredibly injured the last 10 games (Kesler, Booth, Kassian, Ballard, Weise, Malhotra etc), and it's kind of amazing they were able to put together 6 straight with that many missing. And if you've watched the last 10, their play really hasn't been all that, well, impressive. It was only a matter of time before a monumental collapse such as this.
Next game is Monday at 7:30 in San Jose.
Saturday 30 March 2013
Thursday 28 March 2013
Canucks vs Avalanche, Mar 28/13
And the Canucks bad luck continues, as Keith Ballard has been placed on the already enormous injury list, with a fractured foot. Fortunately, Steve Pinizzotto made a return, after being sidelined with a mystery illness. So, the only line change was that Pinizzotto played with Ebbett and Higgins on the 3rd line. Barker was replaced by Alberts on the 3rd defensive pairing.
One could only hope that this game would be just a little more exciting than Tuesday's match against the Blue Jackets. I was not disappointing. Less than 5 minutes in, the Sedins struck. From the left faceoff circle, Daniel backhanded a pass to the other circle, right onto the tape of Henrik. Henrik threw a pass through a few pairs of feet, and found Burrows, who snapped it past Varlamov. Those first 5 minutes were easily the best that the Sedins have looked in quite some time, but it ended just as quickly as it began.
Past that first goal, the Canucks passing turned it to what can only be described as ***(censored for your safety)***. Furthermore, I thought one of the best players on the ice for the Canucks in the first, was Andrew Alberts (Asides from Schneider, of course). Yep, pretty awful. Vancouver let the Av's take 10 straight shots without registering one of their own. The only thing that stopped Colorado from tying the game was some goaltending brilliance by Schneider. First period ended with the Canucks up 1-0, shots 11-8. Vancouver was outhit 11-2.
More of the same in the 2nd, as the Canucks continued to turn the puck over and failed to maintain any zone pressure. The only excitement came with 6 minutes left in the period, when Pinizzotto and Ebbett collided in the Colorado zone. Ebbett was slow to his feet, and limped slowly to the bench. He returned without missing a shift, but we all made a huge deal out of it because this game felt like a replay of Tuesdays game. Still 1-0 through 40 minutes, shots 21-15 for Colorado. Only 1 regulation goal in the last 5 periods at Rogers Arena (courtesy of Hosea Chung), simply a testament to how boring these past few games have been.
4 minutes in, and the Avalanche made this snooze fest a little interesting. Parenteau dig the puck out from behind the net, and found a wide open Duchene in front, who buried it over a sprawling Schneider. Realizing that they didn't have an 8-1 lead, the Canucks attempted to turn up the heat. Just moments later, Daniel's pass found Bieksa in front, but it bounced, and he wiffed on it. With 7 and a bit left in the third, the Canucks struck. Hamhuis found Burrows on the sideboards, who snapped a quick pass to Daniel at the faceoff circle. Daniels shot went 5 hole past a screened Varlamov, and may have been tipped by Henrik. Regardless, 2-1 Canucks. Henrik and Higgins both potted empty netters, sealing the deal with about a minute and a half left.
Kind of funny how this game ended 4-1 Vancouver, when it was truly one of the worst games of the season.
Tidbits:
- PP: Zip for zip. No chances, no analysis.
- PK: 1/1. Ehhh. Kept the puck out of the net, but left the sides open.
- Schneider: As always, incredible. Saved the Canucks butt's more than once.
Next game is Saturday in Edmonton at 7.
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Canucks vs Blue Jackets, Mar 26/13
Coming off an impressive 3-0-0 road trip, the Canucks returned home to face the Blue Jackets. Schneider was given his fifth consecutive start, sort of surprising, seeing as he played both back to back games on the road.
With Weise added to the already overwhelming injury list, Higgins stepped up to first line with the Sedins. The speed line of Raymond, Schroeder and Hansen remained intact, after being the source of the Canucks scoring the past 3 games. Ballard was still manning the left wing on the third line, with Ebbett and Burrows. Gordon and Sestito played with Lappiere on the fourth.
Edler, fresh off his 2 game suspension, played with Bieksa on the first D line, while Garrison and Hamhuis manned the second line. Alberts and Tanev brought up the third.
I'm not going to lie, the first period was rather... lopsided. No goals, but the Canucks out shot the Jackets 13-2. Quite the change from previous matches between these teams over the last few years. Most importantly: All of the Canucks lines were in on the domination. The 4th line looked especially on the ball, cycling the puck like their lives depended on it. Close call for Schneider, who got caught trying to handle the puck behind his net. Trapped on both sides, he said 'eh, screw it' and kicked the puck to Mason Raymond. Anyways, I already spoiled it for you. End of the first, 0-0.
Good grief. The Canucks continued to dominate every single shift, and held the Jackets to just a few shots. At about the midway mark of the second the shots were 21-5 in favor of, you guess it, Vancouver. And that\s how period number 2 ended. Yeah, i'm not kidding.
Third period: Go! Just kidding. On an early Canucks powerplay, Garrison's shot from the point hit Hansen, and turned him into a pile of mush. On the plus side, Garrison has found his point shot groove, and is just unleashing hell with his slapper. Hansen returned without missing a shift, but i'm guessing he'll need to have his left cheek replaced. Late in the third, still 0-0, Tanev's clearing attempt hit the linesman and stayed in. The puck rounded the net, and Foligno's shot was only stopped by a Hamhuis kick save. End of regulation, no goals. I cannot wait until the Jackets are an Eastern team.
A few back and forth chances in the OT period, couple of almost lucky bounces. Hansen burst past the defense on a breakaway with 29 seconds left, but was denied. To a shootout we went.
Raymond - Pulled wide, attempted a shot 5 hole. No goal.
Anisimov - Stick handled in, tried backhand. Saved
Schroeder - Fake shot, goes for 5 hole. No goal
Johansen - Pulled wide, tried to get Schneider moving cross crease. Saved
Lappiere - In slow, fake shot, backhand and in
Calvert - Tried too many dekes, lost it in front of Schneider.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/3
- PK: 2/2
Final score says it all in terms of special teams. Gonna say it: Wish I didn't watch this game.
Next game is Thursday against the Avalanche at 7.
With Weise added to the already overwhelming injury list, Higgins stepped up to first line with the Sedins. The speed line of Raymond, Schroeder and Hansen remained intact, after being the source of the Canucks scoring the past 3 games. Ballard was still manning the left wing on the third line, with Ebbett and Burrows. Gordon and Sestito played with Lappiere on the fourth.
Edler, fresh off his 2 game suspension, played with Bieksa on the first D line, while Garrison and Hamhuis manned the second line. Alberts and Tanev brought up the third.
I'm not going to lie, the first period was rather... lopsided. No goals, but the Canucks out shot the Jackets 13-2. Quite the change from previous matches between these teams over the last few years. Most importantly: All of the Canucks lines were in on the domination. The 4th line looked especially on the ball, cycling the puck like their lives depended on it. Close call for Schneider, who got caught trying to handle the puck behind his net. Trapped on both sides, he said 'eh, screw it' and kicked the puck to Mason Raymond. Anyways, I already spoiled it for you. End of the first, 0-0.
Good grief. The Canucks continued to dominate every single shift, and held the Jackets to just a few shots. At about the midway mark of the second the shots were 21-5 in favor of, you guess it, Vancouver. And that\s how period number 2 ended. Yeah, i'm not kidding.
Third period: Go! Just kidding. On an early Canucks powerplay, Garrison's shot from the point hit Hansen, and turned him into a pile of mush. On the plus side, Garrison has found his point shot groove, and is just unleashing hell with his slapper. Hansen returned without missing a shift, but i'm guessing he'll need to have his left cheek replaced. Late in the third, still 0-0, Tanev's clearing attempt hit the linesman and stayed in. The puck rounded the net, and Foligno's shot was only stopped by a Hamhuis kick save. End of regulation, no goals. I cannot wait until the Jackets are an Eastern team.
A few back and forth chances in the OT period, couple of almost lucky bounces. Hansen burst past the defense on a breakaway with 29 seconds left, but was denied. To a shootout we went.
Raymond - Pulled wide, attempted a shot 5 hole. No goal.
Anisimov - Stick handled in, tried backhand. Saved
Schroeder - Fake shot, goes for 5 hole. No goal
Johansen - Pulled wide, tried to get Schneider moving cross crease. Saved
Lappiere - In slow, fake shot, backhand and in
Calvert - Tried too many dekes, lost it in front of Schneider.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/3
- PK: 2/2
Final score says it all in terms of special teams. Gonna say it: Wish I didn't watch this game.
Next game is Thursday against the Avalanche at 7.
Thursday 21 March 2013
Game in Review: Canucks at Coyotes
The last thing I expected when I opened Twitter this afternoon, was to see that Ballard was playing 3rd line left winger. What. And then I saw the injured list: Kesler, Booth, Higgins, Kassian and Pinizzotto. Kassian re-injured his back last game, while Higgins 'tweaked' his back in practice, and Pinizzotto caught the flu or something rather.
As a result, the bottom 2 lines got put in a blender. Ebbett maned line 3, with Ballard and Weise, while Chicago Wolves call up Andrew Gordon played with Lappiere and Sestito on the 4th. Top 2 lines stayed the same. With Ballard off playing forward, the defense needed a change up too. Edler and Bieksa were paired on the 1st line, while Garrison and Hamhuis manned the second. Barker dressed this game to play with Tanev on the 3rd. Schneider got his 2nd straight start.
Surprisingly, Ballard looked alright playing froward. He played defense first, but was always in on the play. On his first shift, he nearly hit Weise streaking to the net. A little later on, the Canucks D let generic Coyotes player 1 through, and only the speed of Mason Raymond saved a possible goal. With 7 minutes gone in the first, the Canucks drew first blood. Coming out from behind his own net, Tanev took the puck to his own blueline before hitting Raymond at centre ice. Raymond carried the puck in deep, before spotting Tanev streaking down the middle. Tanev had all the time in the world, and snapped it past Smith blocker side.
5 minutes left, and Ballard came close twice. He hit the post on a shot from the faceoff circle, and deked through the defense on his way to the net, but was stopped by Smith. Schneider remained sharp at the other end, stopping all 5 shots that he faced. End of the 1st, 1-0 Canucks. Statistics said that the Coyotes outhit the Canucks 24-4, but I call that a total load of baloney.
Early in the 2nd, Daniel Sedin cut past Stone on a breakaway. Just a few feet from the goal, Stone shoved Daniel from behind and Smith went for the poke check. Daniel fell, nailed head first into Smith, and then into the post. Daniel went right to the room bleeding, and Smith took a few minutes to get his head straight again. Soon after, Phoenix began their domination of the period, cramming at the puck. Only Ballard grabbing Vermette from behind and yanking him down saved a goal. Minutes later, Schneider barely got a piece of a shot off of a 2 on 1, directing it into the corner. Thankfully, Daniel Sedin returned just after, seemingly alright.
The third line continued to be a thorn in the side of the Phoenix D, being a threat every time they stepped on the ice. Weise cut in on a breakaway, but was unable to get the backhand shot off, and Ballard couldn't bury the rebound. Fast forward to near the end of the 2nd, 2 minutes left, Canucks on the powerplay. Edler went behind the net, and ran headfirst into Smith, who was corralling the puck. Immediately, he was jumped by all 4 Phoenix players on the ice, who were jumped by the rest of the Canucks on the ice. Mike Smith was right in the middle of all of it, and I was hoping for a goalie fight. Schneider edged out of his net to the blueline, but told by the bench to go back. Edler received a 5 minute penalty for charging, Hansel a 2 minute minor for roughing. Bieksa was hooked with half a minute left, giving the Canucks a 4 on 4 powerplay to start the third. 40 minutes in the books, 1-0 Canucks. Shots 19-17 for Phoenix.
Jason Labarbera started the 3rd in net for the Coyotes, and Smith wasn't even on the bench. Nothing came off of the Canucks powerplay, and the Coyotes were left with a minute and a half on the Edler penalty. Minute left in the penalty, and the Canucks took another call. However, the Coyotes scored before the Canucks could touch the puck. Vrbata's slap shot from the low point went off the crossbar, and right to Vermette with a wide open net. Tie game, just a few minutes in. Tensions still running high, the Canucks 4th line had a face washing war, and ended up taking/drawing a penalty, 4 on 4.
Around the 10 minute mark, Schroeder gave the Canucks their lead back. Edler's point shot was tipped between Labarbera's legs, and buried by Schroeder. Lappiere had a good chance on the rush a few minutes later, but Labarbera remained solid. Lappiere returned to the bench a bit slow, like he'd strained something or been checked a little too hard. 7 and a half left, Coyotes on the powerplay. Handzel was right in Schneider's crease, and bowled him over, no call. From there, the Canucks gave the puck over pretty much every chance they got. Thank freaking goodness for Schneider, who was forced to stop a breakaway deke and rebound in the last 2 minutes, on top of his regular amazing play.
1:08 left to play, Phoenix empty net, Henrik ices the puck on an attempted empty net shot, faceoff in the Canucks zone. Actually, it hit a Coyotes shin pad, cue arguments for the Coaches Challenge. Regardless, faceoff in deep. The Canucks kept the puck away from the net, and held on for the win. Game over, 2-1 Canucks.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/4. Pretty bad, couldn't even control the puck.
- PK: 1/4. Again, pretty bad. Constantly let the Coyotes run the zone.
- Ballard: Pretty dang good game, generated plenty of chances while playing a defense first game
- Gordon: No points, no shots, 8:37 TOI. Didn't do anything to stand out, but was playing on 4th line.
- Weise: Good game for the Dutch Gretzky. Playing with speed and skill, good fit with Ebbett.
So after this, the Canucks play in LA on Saturday at 1 PM. I won't be covering this game, due to this silly little thing called 'a job.' Anyways, it's a back to back weekend, as the Canucks play the Avalanche on Sunday at 5.
As a result, the bottom 2 lines got put in a blender. Ebbett maned line 3, with Ballard and Weise, while Chicago Wolves call up Andrew Gordon played with Lappiere and Sestito on the 4th. Top 2 lines stayed the same. With Ballard off playing forward, the defense needed a change up too. Edler and Bieksa were paired on the 1st line, while Garrison and Hamhuis manned the second. Barker dressed this game to play with Tanev on the 3rd. Schneider got his 2nd straight start.
Surprisingly, Ballard looked alright playing froward. He played defense first, but was always in on the play. On his first shift, he nearly hit Weise streaking to the net. A little later on, the Canucks D let generic Coyotes player 1 through, and only the speed of Mason Raymond saved a possible goal. With 7 minutes gone in the first, the Canucks drew first blood. Coming out from behind his own net, Tanev took the puck to his own blueline before hitting Raymond at centre ice. Raymond carried the puck in deep, before spotting Tanev streaking down the middle. Tanev had all the time in the world, and snapped it past Smith blocker side.
5 minutes left, and Ballard came close twice. He hit the post on a shot from the faceoff circle, and deked through the defense on his way to the net, but was stopped by Smith. Schneider remained sharp at the other end, stopping all 5 shots that he faced. End of the 1st, 1-0 Canucks. Statistics said that the Coyotes outhit the Canucks 24-4, but I call that a total load of baloney.
Early in the 2nd, Daniel Sedin cut past Stone on a breakaway. Just a few feet from the goal, Stone shoved Daniel from behind and Smith went for the poke check. Daniel fell, nailed head first into Smith, and then into the post. Daniel went right to the room bleeding, and Smith took a few minutes to get his head straight again. Soon after, Phoenix began their domination of the period, cramming at the puck. Only Ballard grabbing Vermette from behind and yanking him down saved a goal. Minutes later, Schneider barely got a piece of a shot off of a 2 on 1, directing it into the corner. Thankfully, Daniel Sedin returned just after, seemingly alright.
The third line continued to be a thorn in the side of the Phoenix D, being a threat every time they stepped on the ice. Weise cut in on a breakaway, but was unable to get the backhand shot off, and Ballard couldn't bury the rebound. Fast forward to near the end of the 2nd, 2 minutes left, Canucks on the powerplay. Edler went behind the net, and ran headfirst into Smith, who was corralling the puck. Immediately, he was jumped by all 4 Phoenix players on the ice, who were jumped by the rest of the Canucks on the ice. Mike Smith was right in the middle of all of it, and I was hoping for a goalie fight. Schneider edged out of his net to the blueline, but told by the bench to go back. Edler received a 5 minute penalty for charging, Hansel a 2 minute minor for roughing. Bieksa was hooked with half a minute left, giving the Canucks a 4 on 4 powerplay to start the third. 40 minutes in the books, 1-0 Canucks. Shots 19-17 for Phoenix.
Jason Labarbera started the 3rd in net for the Coyotes, and Smith wasn't even on the bench. Nothing came off of the Canucks powerplay, and the Coyotes were left with a minute and a half on the Edler penalty. Minute left in the penalty, and the Canucks took another call. However, the Coyotes scored before the Canucks could touch the puck. Vrbata's slap shot from the low point went off the crossbar, and right to Vermette with a wide open net. Tie game, just a few minutes in. Tensions still running high, the Canucks 4th line had a face washing war, and ended up taking/drawing a penalty, 4 on 4.
Around the 10 minute mark, Schroeder gave the Canucks their lead back. Edler's point shot was tipped between Labarbera's legs, and buried by Schroeder. Lappiere had a good chance on the rush a few minutes later, but Labarbera remained solid. Lappiere returned to the bench a bit slow, like he'd strained something or been checked a little too hard. 7 and a half left, Coyotes on the powerplay. Handzel was right in Schneider's crease, and bowled him over, no call. From there, the Canucks gave the puck over pretty much every chance they got. Thank freaking goodness for Schneider, who was forced to stop a breakaway deke and rebound in the last 2 minutes, on top of his regular amazing play.
1:08 left to play, Phoenix empty net, Henrik ices the puck on an attempted empty net shot, faceoff in the Canucks zone. Actually, it hit a Coyotes shin pad, cue arguments for the Coaches Challenge. Regardless, faceoff in deep. The Canucks kept the puck away from the net, and held on for the win. Game over, 2-1 Canucks.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/4. Pretty bad, couldn't even control the puck.
- PK: 1/4. Again, pretty bad. Constantly let the Coyotes run the zone.
- Ballard: Pretty dang good game, generated plenty of chances while playing a defense first game
- Gordon: No points, no shots, 8:37 TOI. Didn't do anything to stand out, but was playing on 4th line.
- Weise: Good game for the Dutch Gretzky. Playing with speed and skill, good fit with Ebbett.
So after this, the Canucks play in LA on Saturday at 1 PM. I won't be covering this game, due to this silly little thing called 'a job.' Anyways, it's a back to back weekend, as the Canucks play the Avalanche on Sunday at 5.
Tuesday 19 March 2013
Game in Review: Canucks vs Blues, Mar 19/13
Couple of lineup changes tonight, as Kassian returned and Ebbett was a healthy scratch. Schroeder was reunited with Raymond and Hansen, while Kassian played with Higgins and Lappiere. Weise centred the 4th line with Sestito and Pinizzotto.
After being out for a few with a back injury, Kassian made his impact immediately known. His fight with Chris Stewart less than 3 minutes in was just the start of a fast paced, intense game. Schroeder was able to fit right in with his old line mates, generating a few good scoring chances. On the other end, Schneider was forced to be sharp a few times, making 2 in close saves on Andy McDonald, and then stretching his leg to make a 3rd on Wade Redden. St Louis' dominance this season in the neutral zone was in the first, as the shots were 10-3 for the Blues with 7 remaining. Few more dominant plays by the Blues, couple of penalties to the Canucks and the first was over. Tied at 0, shots 15-3 for the Blues. What.
Kassian was not on the bench to start the second, but that bad news was lost in an early Canucks goal. Raymond pulled the puck out of the defensive corner, and skated hard up the ice. His pass hit Hansen just before the blueline, and Hansen's slap shot went right underneath the crossbar, just beside the post, and in. Immediately after, Sestito and Reaves, 2 heavy weights, dropped the gloves. Couple of big punches from both sides, but Sestito got Reaves down in the end. Minutes after the Hansen goal, the Sedin line capitalized. Burrows got the puck from the corner to Henrik behind the net, who gave Daniel a perfect cross-crease backhand pass, right through the legs of the Blues defenders. Daniel caught Jake Allen on his belly, and snapped it in.
The party didn't stop there, as Higgins danced his way through the Blues defense, but lost it before he could make a fool of Allen. Just past the halfway point of the 2nd period, and Schroeder showed exactly why he belongs in the NHL. Just inside the blueline, Schroeder pulled a spin-o-rama out of his bag of tricks, putting himself in perfect position to hit Dale Weise with a pass. Weise cut to the net unchallenged and put the puck backhand past Allen. Beautiful. That would do it for period number 2, a MUCH better period than the first one. Actually, one of the better periods this season. Canucks led the shots 14-6 in the period, and led 3-0 after 40.
Just as things were getting good, the Canucks decided, well, they'd played enough hockey. They were outplayed and out hit the first 5 minutes of the period, until Vladimir Tarasenko's shot went off Jaden Schwartz leg and in. And the pressure. Just. Kept. Coming. It was like the first period all over again, except we actually had our hopes up this time. More bad luck, as Schwartz shot hit Tanev in the ear, and bounced right to Berglund. Berglund banged the puck short side, and just like that, 3-2 Canucks with 6:22 left in the 3rd. Can't blame it all on bad luck, though. When you play the entire 3rd period in your own end, you end up with plays like that.
4 minutes left, delayed St. Louis penalty, and the Canucks played almost a full minute of keep away. Hansen, Henrik and Raymond all danced circles through desperate Blues players before a missed shot was recovered by the St Louis defense. Nothing on the penalty, full minute left on the clock. The Sedin line basically sat in the offensive zone for the full minute, cycling the puck, pinning players and forcing turnovers. Game over, 3-2 Canucks. Horrible 3rd period, but otherwise A-OK.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/2 - What can I say? Awful performance.
- PK: 3/3 - Again, what can I say? Did it's job.
- Sedins: After being basically absent the last few games, they stepped up their game big time.
- Kassian: Played 2:48, left before 2nd period started and didn't return. Apparently re-aggravated his back.
After being out for a few with a back injury, Kassian made his impact immediately known. His fight with Chris Stewart less than 3 minutes in was just the start of a fast paced, intense game. Schroeder was able to fit right in with his old line mates, generating a few good scoring chances. On the other end, Schneider was forced to be sharp a few times, making 2 in close saves on Andy McDonald, and then stretching his leg to make a 3rd on Wade Redden. St Louis' dominance this season in the neutral zone was in the first, as the shots were 10-3 for the Blues with 7 remaining. Few more dominant plays by the Blues, couple of penalties to the Canucks and the first was over. Tied at 0, shots 15-3 for the Blues. What.
Kassian was not on the bench to start the second, but that bad news was lost in an early Canucks goal. Raymond pulled the puck out of the defensive corner, and skated hard up the ice. His pass hit Hansen just before the blueline, and Hansen's slap shot went right underneath the crossbar, just beside the post, and in. Immediately after, Sestito and Reaves, 2 heavy weights, dropped the gloves. Couple of big punches from both sides, but Sestito got Reaves down in the end. Minutes after the Hansen goal, the Sedin line capitalized. Burrows got the puck from the corner to Henrik behind the net, who gave Daniel a perfect cross-crease backhand pass, right through the legs of the Blues defenders. Daniel caught Jake Allen on his belly, and snapped it in.
The party didn't stop there, as Higgins danced his way through the Blues defense, but lost it before he could make a fool of Allen. Just past the halfway point of the 2nd period, and Schroeder showed exactly why he belongs in the NHL. Just inside the blueline, Schroeder pulled a spin-o-rama out of his bag of tricks, putting himself in perfect position to hit Dale Weise with a pass. Weise cut to the net unchallenged and put the puck backhand past Allen. Beautiful. That would do it for period number 2, a MUCH better period than the first one. Actually, one of the better periods this season. Canucks led the shots 14-6 in the period, and led 3-0 after 40.
Just as things were getting good, the Canucks decided, well, they'd played enough hockey. They were outplayed and out hit the first 5 minutes of the period, until Vladimir Tarasenko's shot went off Jaden Schwartz leg and in. And the pressure. Just. Kept. Coming. It was like the first period all over again, except we actually had our hopes up this time. More bad luck, as Schwartz shot hit Tanev in the ear, and bounced right to Berglund. Berglund banged the puck short side, and just like that, 3-2 Canucks with 6:22 left in the 3rd. Can't blame it all on bad luck, though. When you play the entire 3rd period in your own end, you end up with plays like that.
4 minutes left, delayed St. Louis penalty, and the Canucks played almost a full minute of keep away. Hansen, Henrik and Raymond all danced circles through desperate Blues players before a missed shot was recovered by the St Louis defense. Nothing on the penalty, full minute left on the clock. The Sedin line basically sat in the offensive zone for the full minute, cycling the puck, pinning players and forcing turnovers. Game over, 3-2 Canucks. Horrible 3rd period, but otherwise A-OK.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/2 - What can I say? Awful performance.
- PK: 3/3 - Again, what can I say? Did it's job.
- Sedins: After being basically absent the last few games, they stepped up their game big time.
- Kassian: Played 2:48, left before 2nd period started and didn't return. Apparently re-aggravated his back.
Monday 18 March 2013
Game in Review: Canucks vs Wild, Mar 18/13
With Kassian still out with a back injury, and Booth struck down with a foot injury, the Canucks were forced to bring up some replacements. Schroeder was recalled from Chicago to centre the fourth line, and Sestito was brought out to man his left wing. Pinizzotto was brought up to the 3rd line to play with Higgins and Lappiere. The Raymond/Ebbett/Hansen 'speed line' was kept together, same with the Sedins/Burrows line.
Luongo got the start.
What an awful start to a game. Minnesota all but dominated the first 10 minutes of play, and the Canucks turned the puck over every chance they got. Their first powerplay just a few minutes in didn't generate a single shot. Just as the powerplay was ending, Burrows took a high stick and had to go to the dressing room. He returned, but it set the tone for the game. 8 minutes left in the period, and Suter cross checked Henrik in the kidneys. Later, on another Canucks powerplay, Luongo left the net to play the puck. He dropped it to Bieksa, who bobbled it and almost watched it slide into his own net. Tensions rose, and so did the Canucks. Weise and Sestito started crushing Minnesota's players, and even double teamed to take town Falk.
Yep, that was a whole period. 0-0 after 20, shots 10-7 Canucks. Goes against my normal 'essay-per-period' policy.
Weise and Tanev nearly opened the scoring 5 minutes into the 2nd. Coming in to the zone, the puck wound it's way to Tanev on the rush. His shot through traffic bounced to Weise, whose shot was barely saved by Backstrom. That play ignited the Canucks, and a flurry of scoring chances. None of them counted, but it was more than happened in the 1st. Weise's line had another chance float over the top of the unguarded net, but no cigar.
And then the powerplay. The drought, it's over. After going 0/35, everything came together. Edler tee'd up Garrison, whose rocket point shot nailed Daniel Sedin and bounced right to Henrik. Henrik had a wide open net, and couldn't miss if he wanted to. Of course the Wild scored a few minutes later. On the powerplay, Brodin and his merry men were left all alone on the point, and hammered a slapper past Luongo. Few more chances back and forth, but no results. 1-1 going into the 3rd.
Early in the third, Minnesota took the lead, after Coyle tipped Stoner's shot over Luongo's shoulder. Henrik and Pinizzotto almost combined to tie the game just a few minutes later, but Backstrom was centred to it. Henrik had pulled the puck out of the corner, and found Pinizzotto streaking down the middle lane. His shot was rushed, and he didn't have time to get it up high. Around the 10 minute mark, Ballard and Tanev were stuck back on a 2 on 2. Tanev took his man and check him, while Ballard somehow ended up behind his man. Long story short, Cullen scored and I feel like revising my last article.
Fast forward to the end of the third. 2 minutes left, 3-1 Wild, faceoff in the Minnesota zone. Vancouver pulls their goalie. Despite an entire 2 minutes of pressure, the Canucks couldn't bury anything. Game over, 3-1 Wild. Yeah, that just happened.
Tidbits:
- PP: 1/4. Wow, finally. Everything had slowly been coming together over the last 3 or 4 games, and finally clicked tonight.
- PK: 1/2. Has had a tendency over the last few games to leave a whole half of the zone open.
- Garrison: Has been able to get his point shot going in the last few games, but still unable to get real accuracy on it.
Next game is tomorrow night against the Blues.
- Garrison: Has been able to get his point shot going in the last few games, but still unable to get real accuracy on it.
Next game is tomorrow night against the Blues.
Sunday 17 March 2013
What the heck happened?
For the last 5-6 years, the Vancouver Canucks have been recognized as a dominant force in the NHL. The last 2 seasons, the Canucks have taken the Presidents Trophy for most points in a single season. In the 2010-11 season, they went to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, but lost 4-0 on home ice. Vancouver had an incredible team for that cup run, so what changed?
Absolutely nothing. Asides from replacing bruisers like Torres and Glass with people like Booth and Kassian, the key lineup has remained the same. So do we like in fighters and checkers? Not a chance, Sestito, Kassian, Weise, Pinizzotto and Lappiere are holding down the fort just fine.
So the Canucks are lacking in skill then? Don't be stupid. Vancouver's lineup is filled with forwards who have no challenge putting the puck in the net. Think about it. The Sedin twins make anyone they play with a 40 goal scorer, we have a speed line that skates circles around the oppositions best, and a 4th line that is able to put the puck in the net when we need to (IE: Couple weeks ago against Nashville, 1-0 win). The only line that hasn't produced is Booth/Kassian, but they've shown great chemistry and look promising.
The Canucks defense isn't the problem either, loaded with the likes of Edler, Hamhuis, Garrison, Bieksa, the young Tanev, and even Ballard. Ballard hasn't had a bad season, and really deserves spot #6. It's not goaltending either, with two starting goalies in the lineup.
Gotta be injuries then. With Kesler gone, Booth frequently out, Bieksa having an injured groin, we just can't keep up, right? Wrong again. With Kesler and Booth out of the lineup at the beginning of the season, the Canucks still managed to win quite a few games. And with Bieksa out, why WOULDN'T you play Ballard?
That boils it down to one thing: Coaching, leadership. This isn't about Captain Henrik, or any of the assistant captains. This is about Alain Vigneault. This is his 7th year with the Canucks, and has had his coaching position longer than any other coach currently working in the NHL. I'm not knocking his coaching skills, he's done well with us. Actually, you know what? I AM going to call out his skills. This isn't a 'rebuilding' franchise, or a bottom 8 team. As I mentioned earlier, the Canucks have a star studded lineup. He has plenty to work with, but he continually makes bad decisions that leads to losses.
Alright, now we touch on what used to be the Canucks bread and butter, the powerplay. My goodness, 2 years ago, the Canucks had the number 1 powerplay in the league. The last 2 years, it has insisted on performing the drop pass in the neutral zone, which almost always gets intercepted. It has not performed well, and is on a 0-30ish drought this season. Either the players insist on the stupid repetitive plays,or AV does. Regardless, after 2 years, he should recognize what works and what doesn't. And either he is blind and hasn't, or just doesn't care.
Another thing: he holds grudges against players. Ballard has sharpened up well this year, and the Canucks most solid defensive pairing at the beginning of the year was Ballard and Tanev. So why in the **** does Ballard find himself in the press box mid season? I HAVE NO CLUE. Instead of bringing in the veteran Ballard to help out when Bieksa was injured, AV played Alberts. FREAKING ANDREW ALBERTS. And then Cam Barker made the lineup, while Ballard still watched. I'll admit, Ballard has had some defensive blunders in the past, but like I said, he's sharpened up nicely.
And the finale: The shootout. He insists on playing the same ineffective trio each game. Edler, Burrows and Raymond are great shootout scorers. But when you only play those 3, and they have only 1 or 2 moves each, it's pretty easy to scout and stop. Why not throw rotate them? Throw new faces in? The Canucks have plenty of good players who can deke the pants off any goaltender, yet never see the shootout.
So am I blaming AV for the Canucks terrible play? Absolutely. With players like Vancouver has, we should be competing with Chicago for top spot in the West. Instead, we lose the lead in our division and battle just to stay in the top 8. I'm calling for a coaching change, AV has 'expired.'
Absolutely nothing. Asides from replacing bruisers like Torres and Glass with people like Booth and Kassian, the key lineup has remained the same. So do we like in fighters and checkers? Not a chance, Sestito, Kassian, Weise, Pinizzotto and Lappiere are holding down the fort just fine.
So the Canucks are lacking in skill then? Don't be stupid. Vancouver's lineup is filled with forwards who have no challenge putting the puck in the net. Think about it. The Sedin twins make anyone they play with a 40 goal scorer, we have a speed line that skates circles around the oppositions best, and a 4th line that is able to put the puck in the net when we need to (IE: Couple weeks ago against Nashville, 1-0 win). The only line that hasn't produced is Booth/Kassian, but they've shown great chemistry and look promising.
The Canucks defense isn't the problem either, loaded with the likes of Edler, Hamhuis, Garrison, Bieksa, the young Tanev, and even Ballard. Ballard hasn't had a bad season, and really deserves spot #6. It's not goaltending either, with two starting goalies in the lineup.
Gotta be injuries then. With Kesler gone, Booth frequently out, Bieksa having an injured groin, we just can't keep up, right? Wrong again. With Kesler and Booth out of the lineup at the beginning of the season, the Canucks still managed to win quite a few games. And with Bieksa out, why WOULDN'T you play Ballard?
That boils it down to one thing: Coaching, leadership. This isn't about Captain Henrik, or any of the assistant captains. This is about Alain Vigneault. This is his 7th year with the Canucks, and has had his coaching position longer than any other coach currently working in the NHL. I'm not knocking his coaching skills, he's done well with us. Actually, you know what? I AM going to call out his skills. This isn't a 'rebuilding' franchise, or a bottom 8 team. As I mentioned earlier, the Canucks have a star studded lineup. He has plenty to work with, but he continually makes bad decisions that leads to losses.
Alright, now we touch on what used to be the Canucks bread and butter, the powerplay. My goodness, 2 years ago, the Canucks had the number 1 powerplay in the league. The last 2 years, it has insisted on performing the drop pass in the neutral zone, which almost always gets intercepted. It has not performed well, and is on a 0-30ish drought this season. Either the players insist on the stupid repetitive plays,or AV does. Regardless, after 2 years, he should recognize what works and what doesn't. And either he is blind and hasn't, or just doesn't care.
Another thing: he holds grudges against players. Ballard has sharpened up well this year, and the Canucks most solid defensive pairing at the beginning of the year was Ballard and Tanev. So why in the **** does Ballard find himself in the press box mid season? I HAVE NO CLUE. Instead of bringing in the veteran Ballard to help out when Bieksa was injured, AV played Alberts. FREAKING ANDREW ALBERTS. And then Cam Barker made the lineup, while Ballard still watched. I'll admit, Ballard has had some defensive blunders in the past, but like I said, he's sharpened up nicely.
And the finale: The shootout. He insists on playing the same ineffective trio each game. Edler, Burrows and Raymond are great shootout scorers. But when you only play those 3, and they have only 1 or 2 moves each, it's pretty easy to scout and stop. Why not throw rotate them? Throw new faces in? The Canucks have plenty of good players who can deke the pants off any goaltender, yet never see the shootout.
So am I blaming AV for the Canucks terrible play? Absolutely. With players like Vancouver has, we should be competing with Chicago for top spot in the West. Instead, we lose the lead in our division and battle just to stay in the top 8. I'm calling for a coaching change, AV has 'expired.'
Saturday 16 March 2013
Game in Review: Canucks vs Red Wings, Mar 16/13
You probably already knew this, but there was an NHL team in Vancouver before the Canucks. The Vancouver Millionaires came into the league in 1912, and won Vancouver's only cup in 1915. In honor of 100 years of pro hockey in BC, the Canucks wore the ugliest maroon/white jerseys, which I wrote about some time ago. Notice how no one is smiling in any of those photos? These jerseys would get you bullied in hockey school.
Kassian was out with an injured back, so Sestito was in. He played on the 4th, and Weise was bumped up to the 3rd line with Higgins and Booth. Vancouver was looking to bury the bad memory of a recent 8-3 loss to Detroit, and came out strong.
Just off the opening faceoff, Daniel Sedin broke the Detroit line and passed to Burrows, who one timed it past Howard and in. Past that Burrows was on fire, moving through the Detroit defense like they were standing still. All seemed well, until Detroit lucked out 6 minutes in. Datsyuk cut down the right wing, pushed away from Hamhuis, and threw the puck to the net. Abdelkader was in front of the net, battling with Garrison, and the puck went off his skate and in. For once, a terrible goal didn't come at the expense of Bieksa.
Minutes later, on a delayed call, Burrows almost got his 2nd of the evening. Henrik rounded the net and tossed the puck crease to Burrows, whose wrister was labeled top shelf, but was somehow stopped by Howard. Late in the first, Booth was taken down in the corner. He took a while to get up, and when he did, he skated gingerly back to the bench. Judging by the way he held his leg up, it was either a skate problem or ankle injury. Other than that, the first was a great period for Vancouver. The passing was there, everyone was in position, they just had a few unlucky bounces.
Booth wasn't on the ice to start the 2nd, and it was revealed that he wouldn't return to the game. Early on, Bieksa put the Canucks on the powerplay, and they looked ridiculously dangerous. They might've scored, but Burrows took a high sticking penalty in the final minute of the man advantage. Moments later, Lappiere took a tripping penalty, giving Detroit a 5 on 3. The Canucks didn't just hold the Wings off, they didn't allow them a single shot. Burrows had a great short handed breakaway, but bobbled the puck.
6 left in the 2nd, and Detroit took the lead. A passing flurry involving Datsyuk, Franzen and Zetterrberg ended in Zetterberg burying the puck out front. Moments later, Hansen sprung past the Detroit defense and was hauled down, penalty shot. After deking Howard just out of position, Hansen's wrist shot hit the post.
Wings up 2-1 after 40 minutes.
Almost off the puck drop, the Canucks fell apart. With Vancouver's forwards off in la-la land, Detroit's veterans were left to pick apart the defense. Filppula shot a perfect cross ice pass on the rush to Zetterberg, whose shot beat Luongo going the wrong way. From there, the Canucks literally just gave the puck to the Wings. 6 minutes in, Cleary's shot beat a screened Luongo on the rush, 4-1 Wings. All hope seemed lost. Then, a 5 on 3 with 8 minutes left in the game. Ah wait, I forgot. This is the cursed Canucks powerplay. Nothing on it, and then Detroit scored again. Another lucky bounce, this time off Adbelkader's chest and into the net.
Burrows potted his second of the night, backhanded off of a rebound, late in the third. It didn't matter, because with only a few minutes left on the clock, there was no chance of a come back. Game over 5-2 Wings.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/5. Honestly not all that bad, seemed like it had it mostly together from the first attempt. Got Garrison's point shot off a few times.
- PK: 2/3. Killed off a 5 on 3, but was picked apart on the third one.
- Bieksa: Looked a heck of a lot better than Thursday night, was joining rushes, and didn't turn the puck over. Drew a penalty or two.
- Burrows game opening goal was just 6 seconds in, and is now the club record for fastest goal. Previous was held by Trevor Linden, 9 seconds. Fastest opening goal in NHL was 5 seconds.
After the first period, it seemed like the Canucks, well... Gave up? No chance they're tired, playing the last few games at home, with a days break in between. So what happened? I've decided this post is too long, so i'm gonna write my "WTF Happened" post tomorrow afternoon.
Next game is Monday against the Wild at 7.
Kassian was out with an injured back, so Sestito was in. He played on the 4th, and Weise was bumped up to the 3rd line with Higgins and Booth. Vancouver was looking to bury the bad memory of a recent 8-3 loss to Detroit, and came out strong.
Just off the opening faceoff, Daniel Sedin broke the Detroit line and passed to Burrows, who one timed it past Howard and in. Past that Burrows was on fire, moving through the Detroit defense like they were standing still. All seemed well, until Detroit lucked out 6 minutes in. Datsyuk cut down the right wing, pushed away from Hamhuis, and threw the puck to the net. Abdelkader was in front of the net, battling with Garrison, and the puck went off his skate and in. For once, a terrible goal didn't come at the expense of Bieksa.
Minutes later, on a delayed call, Burrows almost got his 2nd of the evening. Henrik rounded the net and tossed the puck crease to Burrows, whose wrister was labeled top shelf, but was somehow stopped by Howard. Late in the first, Booth was taken down in the corner. He took a while to get up, and when he did, he skated gingerly back to the bench. Judging by the way he held his leg up, it was either a skate problem or ankle injury. Other than that, the first was a great period for Vancouver. The passing was there, everyone was in position, they just had a few unlucky bounces.
Booth wasn't on the ice to start the 2nd, and it was revealed that he wouldn't return to the game. Early on, Bieksa put the Canucks on the powerplay, and they looked ridiculously dangerous. They might've scored, but Burrows took a high sticking penalty in the final minute of the man advantage. Moments later, Lappiere took a tripping penalty, giving Detroit a 5 on 3. The Canucks didn't just hold the Wings off, they didn't allow them a single shot. Burrows had a great short handed breakaway, but bobbled the puck.
6 left in the 2nd, and Detroit took the lead. A passing flurry involving Datsyuk, Franzen and Zetterrberg ended in Zetterberg burying the puck out front. Moments later, Hansen sprung past the Detroit defense and was hauled down, penalty shot. After deking Howard just out of position, Hansen's wrist shot hit the post.
Wings up 2-1 after 40 minutes.
Almost off the puck drop, the Canucks fell apart. With Vancouver's forwards off in la-la land, Detroit's veterans were left to pick apart the defense. Filppula shot a perfect cross ice pass on the rush to Zetterberg, whose shot beat Luongo going the wrong way. From there, the Canucks literally just gave the puck to the Wings. 6 minutes in, Cleary's shot beat a screened Luongo on the rush, 4-1 Wings. All hope seemed lost. Then, a 5 on 3 with 8 minutes left in the game. Ah wait, I forgot. This is the cursed Canucks powerplay. Nothing on it, and then Detroit scored again. Another lucky bounce, this time off Adbelkader's chest and into the net.
Burrows potted his second of the night, backhanded off of a rebound, late in the third. It didn't matter, because with only a few minutes left on the clock, there was no chance of a come back. Game over 5-2 Wings.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/5. Honestly not all that bad, seemed like it had it mostly together from the first attempt. Got Garrison's point shot off a few times.
- PK: 2/3. Killed off a 5 on 3, but was picked apart on the third one.
- Bieksa: Looked a heck of a lot better than Thursday night, was joining rushes, and didn't turn the puck over. Drew a penalty or two.
- Burrows game opening goal was just 6 seconds in, and is now the club record for fastest goal. Previous was held by Trevor Linden, 9 seconds. Fastest opening goal in NHL was 5 seconds.
After the first period, it seemed like the Canucks, well... Gave up? No chance they're tired, playing the last few games at home, with a days break in between. So what happened? I've decided this post is too long, so i'm gonna write my "WTF Happened" post tomorrow afternoon.
Next game is Monday against the Wild at 7.
Thursday 14 March 2013
Canucks vs Predators, Mar 14/13
So, I return to the blogging platform. Doesn't seem like I missed much, the Canucks had 4 straight losses. Bieksa finally returned tonight, against the team he was initially injured against. Ballard was still a healthy scratch. The big story of tonight: Steve Pinizzotto makes his NHL debut. After years of playing in the AHL, and being injured at the wrong time, the 28 year old grinder pushed his way into the NHL.
Coming off some of his best games of the year, Burrows again played with the Sedins. A recently called up Ebbett centred between Raymond and Hansen, recreating the speed line that has been absent. Higgins took on the 3rd line centre position, with Booth and Kassian on his wings. Sestito was a healthy scratch, replaced by Pinizzotto, who was on the 4th with Lappiere and Weise.
Most Canucks-Predators games are close, hard fought battles that usually only feature a goal or two. Just a minute and a half into the first period, Vancouver's speed line set the tone for the game. After clearing his own zone, Hansen chased the puck behind the Nashville net, and shot a sweet pass up to Ebbett, who took 2 whacks at it before pushing it past Rinne. Phew, run on sentence much? Moments later, Pinizzotto dropped the gloves with Ellen, after just obliterating him in a head on collision. Hands down a win for Pinizzotto, who had him down on the ice. 4 minutes into the game, the Predators tied the game. Bieksa turned the puck over to Halischuck, who took it behind the net and buried it on a wrap around.
Fear not, for less than 2 minutes later, Edler put the Canucks on top again. After Henrik won the faceoff in the Predators zone, Edler blasted a point shot that Rinne just never saw. With the Predators feeling a little outplayed, Clune challenged Weise to a fight. Weise took the brunt of the blows, and ended up on his butt, in what looked like some sick, twisted game of twister. Booth and Kassian almost connected a little later on, after Kassian flattened an unsuspecting Predators defender with his head down. Booth recovered the puck, but couldn't hit Kassian who was streaking to the net. With a little under 2 left in the period, a beautiful play by the speed line gave the Canucks their dreaded 2 goal lead. Hansen cross the blueline at full speed and dished to Ebbett on the left wing, who ripped a cross ice pass to Raymond on the right wing. His perfect slap shot from 40 feet out caught Rinne going the wrong way, and went off the post and in. End of the 1st, 3-1 Canucks.
In the intermission, we were treated to easily the best Luongo-Schneider video of all time. You're welcome. (Thanks to MAKAVELI719696 for the upload, and James Duthie of TSN for making it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnCCaAYtqbc
A 20 minute break did nothing to stop the freight train that is this game. Just minutes in, Daniel Sedin nailed Alberts with a tape to tape pass, and Alberts hit the post in his attempt to tip it past Rinne. Moments later, Edler split the Nashville defense and almost took Rinne's head off with his shot. Lappiere took an interference penalty 3 and a half in, but the Canucks managed to keep it out. As the penalty was ending, Raymond intercepted the puck and tapped it to Weise, who sprung Lappiere on a breakaway. Lappiere simply snapped it low right side on a frozen Rinne.
That would do it for Rinne, as he was replaced by Mason. 2 and a bit later, the Predators answered. After Alberts lost the puck on the side boards, Spaling ended up with it in the centre. His shot went off Bieksa's leg, of Luongo's pad, and trickled in. The next 5 minutes was basically just the Roberto Luongo show, as he stopped shot after shot from the persistent Predators.
The next little bit takes a little bit of explaining, so bear with me. With 6 and a half left in the 2nd, Bieksa took a huge hit in his own zone, but he took it to get the puck to Hansen. Hansen pushed it past Ellis. Too anxious to get back, Sean Hannan blew a tire and Hansen pushed past him. With Hannan still on his tail, Hansen cut to the net and lost the puck just a few feet from Mason. Ellis, who was sliding in on an attempt to cut off Hansen, ended up Mason out of position. On top of that, the puck went off Ellis' leg and in. The goal was under review, but it stood. 5-2 Canucks, end of the 2nd.
Early in the third, with literally everyone on the opposite wing, Weber and Luongo had a stand off. Weber moved in slowly, Luongo out to challenge, Weber moved around him but Luongo down and got a paddle on the wrist shot. After that, the Preds dominated the play. With 13:22 left in the game, a Canucks turnover in the offensive zone ended up deep in the Canucks zone. Fisher pulled the puck out of the corner, took it in front of the net and then backhanded it past Luongo. 5 minutes later, Tanev blocked a slap shot from Weber, and hobbled to the dressing room.
He returned a while later, seemingly OK. Soon after, the Predators struck again. Legwand found Bourque in front, who pulled it backhand and snapped it past Luongo. 5-4 Canucks, 2 and a half left. Henrik moves in on the right wing, hooked, and was APPARENTLY past the defense. Ruled a penalty shot. Henrik moved in on the left, pulled centre, faked going right. Mason took the bait, and Henrik simply slid it past him and into the net. Immediately after, the Predators pulled Mason. Lappiere and Booth both hit the crossbar, but Booth eventually buried one for his first of the year, 7-4 Canucks, game over.
Tidbits:
- PK: 4/4 Often found them congregating around the puck, leaving an open man on the opposite point position. Other than that, A-OK.
- PP: 0/2 Picked up a little in Columbus, has looked better since.
- Kassian: Seems to play good with Booth. His size and passing ability are a great combo for the shooter in Booth.
- Booth: Finally. Easily been one of the Canucks best players in the previous 10 games, finally has a goal to show for it.
- Bieksa: Rough game. Responsible for the turnover that caused the first goal, had Nashville's second goal go off his skate, took a bad penalty at the end of the second.
- Pinizzotto: 11:01 TOI, 4 hits, 1 shot. Not a bad first game. Had a few offensive chances. If he is able to be consistent, he will easily replace Sestito.
- Tanev: What a tough cookie. Farhan Lalji tweeted a picture of his knee pad after blocking Weber's shot.
- Sedins: Non existent. As in, I watched the game, but didn't see them.
- Speed: The Canucks need it. Their game is based on beating the other team to the puck, and cycling it so fast that your head starts to spin. When you remove that element, like we saw in Columbus and Minnesota, you lose. The fact that the Raymond-Ebbett-Hansen line was the most lethal line out there is a testament to that.
So I'm going to be honest. Sure, we won 7-4, but it could've easily been 4-1 Nashville. The Canucks only had 22 shots, and only a third line that can skate circles around everyone saved our butt. Don't believe me? The Raymond/Ebbett/Hansen line had 8 points tonight. Each one had a goal, and at least one assist. Booth finished the night on the 4th line, so his and Lappiere's goal count for two for the 4th. That makes 5, count 'em, 5 for the bottom 2 lines.
Next game is Saturday at home against the Red Wings, 7 PM. Canucks will be looking for revenge after having their butt handed to them on a silver platter awhile back, in an 8-3 loss.
Coming off some of his best games of the year, Burrows again played with the Sedins. A recently called up Ebbett centred between Raymond and Hansen, recreating the speed line that has been absent. Higgins took on the 3rd line centre position, with Booth and Kassian on his wings. Sestito was a healthy scratch, replaced by Pinizzotto, who was on the 4th with Lappiere and Weise.
Most Canucks-Predators games are close, hard fought battles that usually only feature a goal or two. Just a minute and a half into the first period, Vancouver's speed line set the tone for the game. After clearing his own zone, Hansen chased the puck behind the Nashville net, and shot a sweet pass up to Ebbett, who took 2 whacks at it before pushing it past Rinne. Phew, run on sentence much? Moments later, Pinizzotto dropped the gloves with Ellen, after just obliterating him in a head on collision. Hands down a win for Pinizzotto, who had him down on the ice. 4 minutes into the game, the Predators tied the game. Bieksa turned the puck over to Halischuck, who took it behind the net and buried it on a wrap around.
Fear not, for less than 2 minutes later, Edler put the Canucks on top again. After Henrik won the faceoff in the Predators zone, Edler blasted a point shot that Rinne just never saw. With the Predators feeling a little outplayed, Clune challenged Weise to a fight. Weise took the brunt of the blows, and ended up on his butt, in what looked like some sick, twisted game of twister. Booth and Kassian almost connected a little later on, after Kassian flattened an unsuspecting Predators defender with his head down. Booth recovered the puck, but couldn't hit Kassian who was streaking to the net. With a little under 2 left in the period, a beautiful play by the speed line gave the Canucks their dreaded 2 goal lead. Hansen cross the blueline at full speed and dished to Ebbett on the left wing, who ripped a cross ice pass to Raymond on the right wing. His perfect slap shot from 40 feet out caught Rinne going the wrong way, and went off the post and in. End of the 1st, 3-1 Canucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnCCaAYtqbc
A 20 minute break did nothing to stop the freight train that is this game. Just minutes in, Daniel Sedin nailed Alberts with a tape to tape pass, and Alberts hit the post in his attempt to tip it past Rinne. Moments later, Edler split the Nashville defense and almost took Rinne's head off with his shot. Lappiere took an interference penalty 3 and a half in, but the Canucks managed to keep it out. As the penalty was ending, Raymond intercepted the puck and tapped it to Weise, who sprung Lappiere on a breakaway. Lappiere simply snapped it low right side on a frozen Rinne.
That would do it for Rinne, as he was replaced by Mason. 2 and a bit later, the Predators answered. After Alberts lost the puck on the side boards, Spaling ended up with it in the centre. His shot went off Bieksa's leg, of Luongo's pad, and trickled in. The next 5 minutes was basically just the Roberto Luongo show, as he stopped shot after shot from the persistent Predators.
The next little bit takes a little bit of explaining, so bear with me. With 6 and a half left in the 2nd, Bieksa took a huge hit in his own zone, but he took it to get the puck to Hansen. Hansen pushed it past Ellis. Too anxious to get back, Sean Hannan blew a tire and Hansen pushed past him. With Hannan still on his tail, Hansen cut to the net and lost the puck just a few feet from Mason. Ellis, who was sliding in on an attempt to cut off Hansen, ended up Mason out of position. On top of that, the puck went off Ellis' leg and in. The goal was under review, but it stood. 5-2 Canucks, end of the 2nd.
Early in the third, with literally everyone on the opposite wing, Weber and Luongo had a stand off. Weber moved in slowly, Luongo out to challenge, Weber moved around him but Luongo down and got a paddle on the wrist shot. After that, the Preds dominated the play. With 13:22 left in the game, a Canucks turnover in the offensive zone ended up deep in the Canucks zone. Fisher pulled the puck out of the corner, took it in front of the net and then backhanded it past Luongo. 5 minutes later, Tanev blocked a slap shot from Weber, and hobbled to the dressing room.
He returned a while later, seemingly OK. Soon after, the Predators struck again. Legwand found Bourque in front, who pulled it backhand and snapped it past Luongo. 5-4 Canucks, 2 and a half left. Henrik moves in on the right wing, hooked, and was APPARENTLY past the defense. Ruled a penalty shot. Henrik moved in on the left, pulled centre, faked going right. Mason took the bait, and Henrik simply slid it past him and into the net. Immediately after, the Predators pulled Mason. Lappiere and Booth both hit the crossbar, but Booth eventually buried one for his first of the year, 7-4 Canucks, game over.
Tidbits:
- PK: 4/4 Often found them congregating around the puck, leaving an open man on the opposite point position. Other than that, A-OK.
- PP: 0/2 Picked up a little in Columbus, has looked better since.
- Kassian: Seems to play good with Booth. His size and passing ability are a great combo for the shooter in Booth.
- Booth: Finally. Easily been one of the Canucks best players in the previous 10 games, finally has a goal to show for it.
- Bieksa: Rough game. Responsible for the turnover that caused the first goal, had Nashville's second goal go off his skate, took a bad penalty at the end of the second.
- Pinizzotto: 11:01 TOI, 4 hits, 1 shot. Not a bad first game. Had a few offensive chances. If he is able to be consistent, he will easily replace Sestito.
- Tanev: What a tough cookie. Farhan Lalji tweeted a picture of his knee pad after blocking Weber's shot.
- Sedins: Non existent. As in, I watched the game, but didn't see them.
- Speed: The Canucks need it. Their game is based on beating the other team to the puck, and cycling it so fast that your head starts to spin. When you remove that element, like we saw in Columbus and Minnesota, you lose. The fact that the Raymond-Ebbett-Hansen line was the most lethal line out there is a testament to that.
So I'm going to be honest. Sure, we won 7-4, but it could've easily been 4-1 Nashville. The Canucks only had 22 shots, and only a third line that can skate circles around everyone saved our butt. Don't believe me? The Raymond/Ebbett/Hansen line had 8 points tonight. Each one had a goal, and at least one assist. Booth finished the night on the 4th line, so his and Lappiere's goal count for two for the 4th. That makes 5, count 'em, 5 for the bottom 2 lines.
Next game is Saturday at home against the Red Wings, 7 PM. Canucks will be looking for revenge after having their butt handed to them on a silver platter awhile back, in an 8-3 loss.
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Game in Review: Canucks at Flames, Mar 3/13
Bad weather in Calgary pushed the Canucks flight to early afternoon, meaning the team got to the arena just 2 hours before puck drop. Bigger news, Cam Barker played his first game in a Canucks uniform today, after sitting in the press box for the beginning of the season. He was called in to replace Bieksa, who was deemed unable to play. Barker played on the first defensive pairing with Edler, while Hamhuis and Garrison anchored down the second, leaving Alberts and Tanev to fill in the third.
Vancouver was put onto the penalty kill just 25 seconds into the game, and the fantastic kill seemed to set the tone for the period. There were no shots on goal until around 7 minutes in, and less than a minute later the Canucks drew first blood. Hansen's pass from his own zone found Higgins past the D, and Higgins snapped it blocker side on Danny Taylor. Moments later, Mason Raymond almost made it 2-0, as he hit the crossbar coming down the right wing. Just over 4 minutes left in the period, and a shot from the blueline on the rush by Cammalleri found it's way in the net. There was no real screen, and he had a good 40 feet to see the shot. The puck tipped off the top of his glove, rolled over him, and in. The Sedin line almost shoveled the puck past Taylor a few times in the last few minutes, but the Calgary net minder stood tall. End of the first, 1-1.
Early in the 2nd, Luongo was forced to make a few great saves. He robbed a sure goal from Iginla, coming across the net and getting his pad on it. Despite the pressure from Calgary, it was the Canucks who took the lead. After Cam Barker's point shot bounced off the goalie, Hansen batted it out of mid air and past Taylor to give Vancouver the lead. But not for long. 4 minutes later, Cammalleri's shot from the right wing found it's way behind the net, and was recovered by Matt Stajan. Stajan found Stempniak at the front of the net, who roofed it.
Feeling the need to do something useful with his hands, Brian McGrattan dropped the gloves with Sestito. Sestito got his butt handed to him on a silver platter, but McGrattan was given a 10 minute misconduct for celebrating the fight. As the period progressed, Vancouver picked up their play. Booth and Kassian had a great chance on a 2 on 1, but Kassian skated past the rebound. The Raymond line generated 3 or 4 good chances in one shift, but a combination of luck and Danny Taylor kept the score tied. 2-2 after 40 minutes.
In direct contrast to the end of the second, Calgary all but dominated the first 10 minutes of the 3rd. With 9 and a half left, AV started screaming his head off at the refs for a penalty he thought should've been called. Instead, Vigneault was issued a bench minor for 2 minutes, served by David Booth. The Flames didn't capitalize on the powerplay, but just a few seconds after. Iginla's shot from the corner went off Garrisons leg and in, just as Booth was returning to the ice. 3-2 Flames, with 7 minutes left. Vancouver wasn't able to put up any real pressure until the 3 minute mark, where they forced Taylor to make a goal line stand, as they attempted to shovel the puck into the net.
With 1:28 left in the game, faceoff in the Calgary zone, Luongo on the bench. Hansen attempted to recover the puck alongside the boards, but slashed Glencross in the process and put the Canucks on the PK. The Canucks won the faceoff and managed to get the puck into the Calgary zone, and pulled Luongo. They managed 30 seconds of pressure and a few close chances, but Cammalleri potted the empty netter and the Flames won it, 4-2.
Tidbits:
- Sestito: 7:21 TOI, 5 PIM's, 0 shots, minus 2. It's nice having a dedicated fighter in the lineup, despite the fact that he's otherwise useless.
- Barker: 14:28 TOI, 1 assist, 2 shots. Good in the offensive zone. Playing with Edler, he wasn't too tested in the defensive zone.
- Raymond: Playing centre seems to bring out the best in him. Picks better paths and finds better plays. Didn't take a faceoff in the 1st, went 63% in the other 2 frames.
- PP: 0/2. Clearly not together in this game, couldn't hold the puck in to save their lives. Kind of funny, seeing as the powerplay lines are the same as the 5 on 5 lines, and the 5 on 5 lines have no problem controlling the puck.
- PK: 2/3. Played a pretty solid game, didn't let the Flames gain the zone easily and didn't mess around with clearing the puck.
Next game is Tuesday against the Sharks at 7.
Vancouver was put onto the penalty kill just 25 seconds into the game, and the fantastic kill seemed to set the tone for the period. There were no shots on goal until around 7 minutes in, and less than a minute later the Canucks drew first blood. Hansen's pass from his own zone found Higgins past the D, and Higgins snapped it blocker side on Danny Taylor. Moments later, Mason Raymond almost made it 2-0, as he hit the crossbar coming down the right wing. Just over 4 minutes left in the period, and a shot from the blueline on the rush by Cammalleri found it's way in the net. There was no real screen, and he had a good 40 feet to see the shot. The puck tipped off the top of his glove, rolled over him, and in. The Sedin line almost shoveled the puck past Taylor a few times in the last few minutes, but the Calgary net minder stood tall. End of the first, 1-1.
Early in the 2nd, Luongo was forced to make a few great saves. He robbed a sure goal from Iginla, coming across the net and getting his pad on it. Despite the pressure from Calgary, it was the Canucks who took the lead. After Cam Barker's point shot bounced off the goalie, Hansen batted it out of mid air and past Taylor to give Vancouver the lead. But not for long. 4 minutes later, Cammalleri's shot from the right wing found it's way behind the net, and was recovered by Matt Stajan. Stajan found Stempniak at the front of the net, who roofed it.
Feeling the need to do something useful with his hands, Brian McGrattan dropped the gloves with Sestito. Sestito got his butt handed to him on a silver platter, but McGrattan was given a 10 minute misconduct for celebrating the fight. As the period progressed, Vancouver picked up their play. Booth and Kassian had a great chance on a 2 on 1, but Kassian skated past the rebound. The Raymond line generated 3 or 4 good chances in one shift, but a combination of luck and Danny Taylor kept the score tied. 2-2 after 40 minutes.
In direct contrast to the end of the second, Calgary all but dominated the first 10 minutes of the 3rd. With 9 and a half left, AV started screaming his head off at the refs for a penalty he thought should've been called. Instead, Vigneault was issued a bench minor for 2 minutes, served by David Booth. The Flames didn't capitalize on the powerplay, but just a few seconds after. Iginla's shot from the corner went off Garrisons leg and in, just as Booth was returning to the ice. 3-2 Flames, with 7 minutes left. Vancouver wasn't able to put up any real pressure until the 3 minute mark, where they forced Taylor to make a goal line stand, as they attempted to shovel the puck into the net.
With 1:28 left in the game, faceoff in the Calgary zone, Luongo on the bench. Hansen attempted to recover the puck alongside the boards, but slashed Glencross in the process and put the Canucks on the PK. The Canucks won the faceoff and managed to get the puck into the Calgary zone, and pulled Luongo. They managed 30 seconds of pressure and a few close chances, but Cammalleri potted the empty netter and the Flames won it, 4-2.
Tidbits:
- Sestito: 7:21 TOI, 5 PIM's, 0 shots, minus 2. It's nice having a dedicated fighter in the lineup, despite the fact that he's otherwise useless.
- Barker: 14:28 TOI, 1 assist, 2 shots. Good in the offensive zone. Playing with Edler, he wasn't too tested in the defensive zone.
- Raymond: Playing centre seems to bring out the best in him. Picks better paths and finds better plays. Didn't take a faceoff in the 1st, went 63% in the other 2 frames.
- PP: 0/2. Clearly not together in this game, couldn't hold the puck in to save their lives. Kind of funny, seeing as the powerplay lines are the same as the 5 on 5 lines, and the 5 on 5 lines have no problem controlling the puck.
- PK: 2/3. Played a pretty solid game, didn't let the Flames gain the zone easily and didn't mess around with clearing the puck.
Next game is Tuesday against the Sharks at 7.
Game in Review: Canucks vs Sharks, Mar 5/13
After the Canucks lines failed to capitalize on some wide open chances Sunday night in Calgary, AV decided to shuffle the lines. Burrows stuck with the Sedins, while Higgins took over the 2nd line centre position, with Raymond and Hansen on the wings. Booth was bumped down to the third to play with Lappiere and Kassian. Maybe AV hoped that by pairing his slumping players together, they'd form some sort of insane goal scoring machine. Schroeder was still stuck with Sestito and Weise.
Garrison and Hamhuis stayed together as the 1st defensive pairing, same with Edler and Tanev on the 2nd unit. Ballard was released from Vigneault's doghouse, and he brought up the third pairing with Barker. Alberts was a healthy scratch, and Bieksa is still listed as 'day-to-day' after suffering a groin injury in Nashville a week and a half ago.
In what is becoming some sort of a sick tradition, Vancouver took a penalty 2:30 into the game. After killing it off, Vancouver and San Jose played some of the best hockey I've seen all season. It was 5 minutes of solid end to end action, nothing but speed and skill. Vigneault's new lineups almost paid off immediately, as Kassian was sprung by Booth onto a breakaway, but couldn't get it past the pad of Niemi. 12 minutes left in the period, and the Sharks drew first blood. After recovering a rebound 25 feet from the net, Gomez wristed it past a screened Schneider. Minutes later, Sestito almost potted his first point as a Canucks. After barging through the San Jose defense, Sestito fed a cross ice pass to Weise that took a funny bounce and almost ended up being slapped out of mid air and in. As the period moved on, San Jose and Vancouver kept up their pace, but nothing came of it. End of the 1st, 1-0 Sharks.
Vancouver and San Jose traded penalties early in the period, but no one managed to score on their man advantage. Vancouver's powerplay suffered, and even gave up a goal. Less than 5 minutes into the period, with the Sharks shorthanded, Burish pushed past the Canucks defense and wristed one off of Schneider's glove and in. From there, Vancouver's game just fell apart. They couldn't gain the zone, couldn't clear their own and seemed like they'd just given up.
That was, until some beautiful Sedinery put Vancouver on the score sheet. With 6 and a half left in the 2nd, Burrows pulled into the offensive zone and dished to Daniel Sedin on the left wing. Daniel centred a high shot to Henrik, who let it bounce off his body and onto his stick. Henrik just pulled it wide and wristed it past Niemi. The Hansen/Higgins/Raymond line had the best shift at the very end of the period, getting 4 or 5 great chances before tying it up. With the puck along the sideboards, Hamhuis recovered the puck and left it for Raymond, who pulled towards the left wing. Raymond dropped for Hansen, and he snapped it past a screened Niemi with 25 seconds left in the period. End of the second, tied at 2.
More of the same in the third, as both teams struggled to break the tie. With 10 left in the final frame, Kassian sprung Booth down the left wing, but Booth's shot zipped just wide. Minutes later, Schneider did the splits to make a glove save on Couture. Despite the success the Canucks had been having, AV decided to tweak the lines. Lappiere was moved up between Higgins and Hansen, while Raymond was put between Booth and Kassian. Somewhere in the third, Ballard injured himself and went to the dressing room.
With 6 and a bit left in the game, James Sheppard put the Canucks on the powerplay. Vancouver dominated it, controlling the puck for almost the entire 2 minutes. Brad Stuart took a puck to the face, but play continued. Despite probably 6 great scoring chances, the Canucks couldn't bury the puck. Less than a minute later, Edler took a holding call. San Jose came close to scoring a few times, but they couldn't do it. In the final minute, Hamhuis tee'd up Garrison, whose shot beat Niemi but hit the post. End of the 3rd, still tied at 2. Off to overtime they went.
4 on 4 only aggravated the fast paced game that was set early on, as both teams raced to catch the other off guard. A minute and a half into the 5 minute period, Gomez took a penalty for goaltender interference. Vancouver's constant pressure on the powerplay kept the Sharks on their toes, but again nothing was produced on the man advantage. Henrik took a slap shot to the face as he moved to the front of the net, but played his next shift. No goals in the OT period, and after 65 minutes the Canucks moved to a shootout.
Higgins - Strafed left then snapped it right. Off the post and in.
Handzus - Straight up the middle, snapped it at the pads. Saved
Edler - Pulled left, then centre, left at the last second. Saved
Boyle - Up the middle, wrists it glove side. Saved
Hansen - Down the right wing, tried to get Niemi on his belly, Saved
Couture - Left to right down the wing, fakes shot, dekes 5 hole. Goal
Burrows - Waves stick in the air, snaps it. Saved
Pavelski - Down the centre, snaps it under the blocker. Goal
Game over, 3-2 Sharks F/SO
Tidbits:
- Hansen: Continues to produce, his last 3 have easily been his best 3 games.
- Lappiere: Took most of Vancouver's defensive zone face-offs, seemed to have a diminished offensive role.
- PP: 0/5 Seems to be terrible as the start of the game, but always ends up being great towards the end of the game. Schroeder manned the point for the Sedins, seemed to be alright at it.
- PK: 3/3 Couple of scary moments, but held the fort.
Next game is Thursday in Columbus at 4.
Garrison and Hamhuis stayed together as the 1st defensive pairing, same with Edler and Tanev on the 2nd unit. Ballard was released from Vigneault's doghouse, and he brought up the third pairing with Barker. Alberts was a healthy scratch, and Bieksa is still listed as 'day-to-day' after suffering a groin injury in Nashville a week and a half ago.
In what is becoming some sort of a sick tradition, Vancouver took a penalty 2:30 into the game. After killing it off, Vancouver and San Jose played some of the best hockey I've seen all season. It was 5 minutes of solid end to end action, nothing but speed and skill. Vigneault's new lineups almost paid off immediately, as Kassian was sprung by Booth onto a breakaway, but couldn't get it past the pad of Niemi. 12 minutes left in the period, and the Sharks drew first blood. After recovering a rebound 25 feet from the net, Gomez wristed it past a screened Schneider. Minutes later, Sestito almost potted his first point as a Canucks. After barging through the San Jose defense, Sestito fed a cross ice pass to Weise that took a funny bounce and almost ended up being slapped out of mid air and in. As the period moved on, San Jose and Vancouver kept up their pace, but nothing came of it. End of the 1st, 1-0 Sharks.
Vancouver and San Jose traded penalties early in the period, but no one managed to score on their man advantage. Vancouver's powerplay suffered, and even gave up a goal. Less than 5 minutes into the period, with the Sharks shorthanded, Burish pushed past the Canucks defense and wristed one off of Schneider's glove and in. From there, Vancouver's game just fell apart. They couldn't gain the zone, couldn't clear their own and seemed like they'd just given up.
That was, until some beautiful Sedinery put Vancouver on the score sheet. With 6 and a half left in the 2nd, Burrows pulled into the offensive zone and dished to Daniel Sedin on the left wing. Daniel centred a high shot to Henrik, who let it bounce off his body and onto his stick. Henrik just pulled it wide and wristed it past Niemi. The Hansen/Higgins/Raymond line had the best shift at the very end of the period, getting 4 or 5 great chances before tying it up. With the puck along the sideboards, Hamhuis recovered the puck and left it for Raymond, who pulled towards the left wing. Raymond dropped for Hansen, and he snapped it past a screened Niemi with 25 seconds left in the period. End of the second, tied at 2.
More of the same in the third, as both teams struggled to break the tie. With 10 left in the final frame, Kassian sprung Booth down the left wing, but Booth's shot zipped just wide. Minutes later, Schneider did the splits to make a glove save on Couture. Despite the success the Canucks had been having, AV decided to tweak the lines. Lappiere was moved up between Higgins and Hansen, while Raymond was put between Booth and Kassian. Somewhere in the third, Ballard injured himself and went to the dressing room.
With 6 and a bit left in the game, James Sheppard put the Canucks on the powerplay. Vancouver dominated it, controlling the puck for almost the entire 2 minutes. Brad Stuart took a puck to the face, but play continued. Despite probably 6 great scoring chances, the Canucks couldn't bury the puck. Less than a minute later, Edler took a holding call. San Jose came close to scoring a few times, but they couldn't do it. In the final minute, Hamhuis tee'd up Garrison, whose shot beat Niemi but hit the post. End of the 3rd, still tied at 2. Off to overtime they went.
4 on 4 only aggravated the fast paced game that was set early on, as both teams raced to catch the other off guard. A minute and a half into the 5 minute period, Gomez took a penalty for goaltender interference. Vancouver's constant pressure on the powerplay kept the Sharks on their toes, but again nothing was produced on the man advantage. Henrik took a slap shot to the face as he moved to the front of the net, but played his next shift. No goals in the OT period, and after 65 minutes the Canucks moved to a shootout.
Higgins - Strafed left then snapped it right. Off the post and in.
Handzus - Straight up the middle, snapped it at the pads. Saved
Edler - Pulled left, then centre, left at the last second. Saved
Boyle - Up the middle, wrists it glove side. Saved
Hansen - Down the right wing, tried to get Niemi on his belly, Saved
Couture - Left to right down the wing, fakes shot, dekes 5 hole. Goal
Burrows - Waves stick in the air, snaps it. Saved
Pavelski - Down the centre, snaps it under the blocker. Goal
Game over, 3-2 Sharks F/SO
Tidbits:
- Hansen: Continues to produce, his last 3 have easily been his best 3 games.
- Lappiere: Took most of Vancouver's defensive zone face-offs, seemed to have a diminished offensive role.
- PP: 0/5 Seems to be terrible as the start of the game, but always ends up being great towards the end of the game. Schroeder manned the point for the Sedins, seemed to be alright at it.
- PK: 3/3 Couple of scary moments, but held the fort.
Next game is Thursday in Columbus at 4.
Sunday 3 March 2013
Game in Review: Canucks vs Kings, Mar 2/13
Couple of line changes tonight, as Bieksa returned and Sestito played his first game with the Canucks.
Burrows stayed with the Sedins, while Booth and Kassian played with Lappiere on the 2nd. Raymond centred the 3rd line with Higgins and Hansen. Sestito played with Weise and Schroeder on the 4th.
Surprisingly, Alberts stayed and Ballard was put back in the doghouse. So thanks to that, we got a few new defense combinations.. Hamhuis and Garrison, Edler and Bieksa, and Alberts and Tanev were the pairs.
After taking a 3 day break, the Canucks seemed to be itching to play again. They faced their first penalty kill 39 seconds into the first, but took it without breaking stride. Higgins had a good short handed chance, he broke past the defense and snapped a decent shot off under pressure at Quick. A minute later, Vancouver's time off really showed. After a failed clearing in the LA zone, Henrik took it to the corner and dished to Burrows at the side of the net. Burrows tossed it behind him and cross crease to a wide open Hamhuis, streaking down the wing, who snapped it in. Minutes later, Daniel Sedin almost made it 2-0 after pouncing on a rebound from a point shot, but Quick lived up to his name and robbed him. On Sestito's second shift, he flattened Colin Fraser and fought his first fight as a Canuck against Jordan Nolan. Sestito won the fight, but took quite a few punches. Regardless, his size and physical play is very welcome. Vancouver ended the 1st period a man down but up 1-0.
After killing off the last half of a penalty to start the 2nd, the Canucks picked up where they left off. Just past the 6 minute mark of the period, LA tied the game on the powerplay. Muzzin fed Williams from the point, and Williams slap shot from the faceoff circle beat Schneider. 4 and a few later, Raymond gave Vancouver the lead again. After taking the puck from the defense, Booth shot the puck through the neutral zone to Hansen at the LA blueline. Hansen centred for Raymond, who shot past the LA defense and ripped a wrist shot past Quick.
And of course, 3 minutes later, we have a tie game. Schneider lost the puck behind his net, Nolan recovered for LA and buried it on a wrap around. Schneider had his stick caught and couldn't get around in time. If that wasn't enough for you, Daniel Sedin gave the Canucks their lead back less than 2 minutes later. Henrik and Daniel caught LA changing, and stormed in on a 2 on 1. Henrik centred for Daniel, who caught Quick going the wrong way and wristed it low blocker side. Lappiere and Stoll took off setting penalties for diving and interference with 3 minutes left in the 2nd, and Vancouver capitalized. After Raymond lost the puck on the left wing, Hansen grabbed it and danced through three LA players before snapping it past Quick. Vancouver ended the 2nd on the man advantage and up 4-2.
Vancouver played keep away for a full 4 minutes at the beginning of the period, with all 4 lines showing great chemistry and generating plenty of chances. Midway through the period, the chances had evened out and both sides were playing great hockey. LA picked up the pressure, and Schneider was forced to make some wonderful saves in the last 5 minutes of the game. Higgins tallied the empty netter with 43 seconds left, and that did it. Game over, 5-2 Canucks.
Tidbits:
- Schneider: Still just plain awful at playing the puck. Other than that, he played great.
- Booth: Seems to have his passing game down pat, looked dangerous every time he stepped on the ice.
- Sestito: From what I saw, he's a good addition to the Canucks 4th line, but he's a little sloppy with the puck. Good thing he's here to hit and fight. 7:03 TOI, 3 hits, 5 PIM's.
- Raymond: Awful in the faceoff circle (11%), but looked good otherwise
- PP: 0/2. Despite not having Kesler and not capitalizing, it did well. Cycle game for both lines was great. No special combinations, just the Lappiere line and the Sedins/Burrows line.
- PK: 3/4. Left plenty of room for LA's shooters, not holding the puck to the outside.
Next game is tomorrow in Calgary at 5.
Burrows stayed with the Sedins, while Booth and Kassian played with Lappiere on the 2nd. Raymond centred the 3rd line with Higgins and Hansen. Sestito played with Weise and Schroeder on the 4th.
Surprisingly, Alberts stayed and Ballard was put back in the doghouse. So thanks to that, we got a few new defense combinations.. Hamhuis and Garrison, Edler and Bieksa, and Alberts and Tanev were the pairs.
After taking a 3 day break, the Canucks seemed to be itching to play again. They faced their first penalty kill 39 seconds into the first, but took it without breaking stride. Higgins had a good short handed chance, he broke past the defense and snapped a decent shot off under pressure at Quick. A minute later, Vancouver's time off really showed. After a failed clearing in the LA zone, Henrik took it to the corner and dished to Burrows at the side of the net. Burrows tossed it behind him and cross crease to a wide open Hamhuis, streaking down the wing, who snapped it in. Minutes later, Daniel Sedin almost made it 2-0 after pouncing on a rebound from a point shot, but Quick lived up to his name and robbed him. On Sestito's second shift, he flattened Colin Fraser and fought his first fight as a Canuck against Jordan Nolan. Sestito won the fight, but took quite a few punches. Regardless, his size and physical play is very welcome. Vancouver ended the 1st period a man down but up 1-0.
After killing off the last half of a penalty to start the 2nd, the Canucks picked up where they left off. Just past the 6 minute mark of the period, LA tied the game on the powerplay. Muzzin fed Williams from the point, and Williams slap shot from the faceoff circle beat Schneider. 4 and a few later, Raymond gave Vancouver the lead again. After taking the puck from the defense, Booth shot the puck through the neutral zone to Hansen at the LA blueline. Hansen centred for Raymond, who shot past the LA defense and ripped a wrist shot past Quick.
And of course, 3 minutes later, we have a tie game. Schneider lost the puck behind his net, Nolan recovered for LA and buried it on a wrap around. Schneider had his stick caught and couldn't get around in time. If that wasn't enough for you, Daniel Sedin gave the Canucks their lead back less than 2 minutes later. Henrik and Daniel caught LA changing, and stormed in on a 2 on 1. Henrik centred for Daniel, who caught Quick going the wrong way and wristed it low blocker side. Lappiere and Stoll took off setting penalties for diving and interference with 3 minutes left in the 2nd, and Vancouver capitalized. After Raymond lost the puck on the left wing, Hansen grabbed it and danced through three LA players before snapping it past Quick. Vancouver ended the 2nd on the man advantage and up 4-2.
Vancouver played keep away for a full 4 minutes at the beginning of the period, with all 4 lines showing great chemistry and generating plenty of chances. Midway through the period, the chances had evened out and both sides were playing great hockey. LA picked up the pressure, and Schneider was forced to make some wonderful saves in the last 5 minutes of the game. Higgins tallied the empty netter with 43 seconds left, and that did it. Game over, 5-2 Canucks.
Tidbits:
- Schneider: Still just plain awful at playing the puck. Other than that, he played great.
- Booth: Seems to have his passing game down pat, looked dangerous every time he stepped on the ice.
- Sestito: From what I saw, he's a good addition to the Canucks 4th line, but he's a little sloppy with the puck. Good thing he's here to hit and fight. 7:03 TOI, 3 hits, 5 PIM's.
- Raymond: Awful in the faceoff circle (11%), but looked good otherwise
- PP: 0/2. Despite not having Kesler and not capitalizing, it did well. Cycle game for both lines was great. No special combinations, just the Lappiere line and the Sedins/Burrows line.
- PK: 3/4. Left plenty of room for LA's shooters, not holding the puck to the outside.
Next game is tomorrow in Calgary at 5.
Friday 1 March 2013
Volpatti, Sestito and Ugly Jerseys
Plenty 'o news in the Canucks world the last few days.
Aaron Volpatti was placed on waivers, then claimed the next day by the Washington Capitols. Edmonton also tried to claim him, but Washington's lower spot in the standings entitled them to him. Volpatti had 16 games this season with the Canucks, sporting only 1 goal and 28 PIM's. This apparently caused quite the uproar on Twitter, but it's not that big of a deal. Volpatti was pretty much a dedicated fighter, because his lack of speed meant he couldn't even hit most players unless they were coming right at him.
Seeking some sort of replacement, the Canucks claimed Tom Sestito off waivers from Philadelphia. At 6'5 228 lbs, he's not someone you want to mess around with. Sestito played 7 games with the Flyers this season, tallying 2 goals and 12 penalty minutes. He's known more as a checker and fighter. Right as the Canucks claimed him, Ebbett was re-assigned to the Wolves and flew right back to Chicago. Thankfully, Ebbett has a great sense of humor and tweeted this after landing in Chicago.
So where does Sestito fit in? With Kesler gone, Ebbett re-assigned, and Kassian not playing well we have quite the mess. Seriously, expect anything. Here's what I expect:
Sedin-Sedin-Kassian
Booth-Schroeder-Raymond
Higgins-Burrows-Hansen
Sestito-Lappiere-Weise
I'm giving Kassian a chance at redemption here, plus he plays well when given plenty of ice time. Schroeder will be moved back to the first powerplay unit.
Off onto a lighter topic, the Canucks revealed another jersey. Words cannot express its ugliness. Take a look. It's a replica of the old Vancouver Millionaires jerseys. Notice how no one in the picture is smiling. Seriously, it looks like 'wear your high school letterman's jacket to school.'
Aaron Volpatti was placed on waivers, then claimed the next day by the Washington Capitols. Edmonton also tried to claim him, but Washington's lower spot in the standings entitled them to him. Volpatti had 16 games this season with the Canucks, sporting only 1 goal and 28 PIM's. This apparently caused quite the uproar on Twitter, but it's not that big of a deal. Volpatti was pretty much a dedicated fighter, because his lack of speed meant he couldn't even hit most players unless they were coming right at him.
Seeking some sort of replacement, the Canucks claimed Tom Sestito off waivers from Philadelphia. At 6'5 228 lbs, he's not someone you want to mess around with. Sestito played 7 games with the Flyers this season, tallying 2 goals and 12 penalty minutes. He's known more as a checker and fighter. Right as the Canucks claimed him, Ebbett was re-assigned to the Wolves and flew right back to Chicago. Thankfully, Ebbett has a great sense of humor and tweeted this after landing in Chicago.
#mansbestfriend twitter.com/aebbett/status…
— Andrew Ebbett (@aebbett) March 2, 2013
So where does Sestito fit in? With Kesler gone, Ebbett re-assigned, and Kassian not playing well we have quite the mess. Seriously, expect anything. Here's what I expect:
Sedin-Sedin-Kassian
Booth-Schroeder-Raymond
Higgins-Burrows-Hansen
Sestito-Lappiere-Weise
I'm giving Kassian a chance at redemption here, plus he plays well when given plenty of ice time. Schroeder will be moved back to the first powerplay unit.
Off onto a lighter topic, the Canucks revealed another jersey. Words cannot express its ugliness. Take a look. It's a replica of the old Vancouver Millionaires jerseys. Notice how no one in the picture is smiling. Seriously, it looks like 'wear your high school letterman's jacket to school.'
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