The Vancouver Canucks: A Bandwagoners Guide

Inspired by Pass it to Bulis' "Bandwagon Fan Cheat Sheet," here's my "Bandwagoners Guide to the Canucks"

It's that time of year, Canucks fans! That's right, its the playoffs!

Now, most of you don't have the time or patience to follow the Canucks through an 82 (or 48) game season.  That's OK, I'm not here to judge. (Well, maybe a little) In fact, I'm here to bring you up to speed.

I'm sure you've heard by now that the Canucks are facing the Sharks in round 1 of the playoffs. No? Well you know now. That's easy enough. But what about the players? And who do you blame for the good/bad things happening? Below is everything you'll need to keep you out of an awkward conversation with someone who knows more about hockey than you do.

The Canucks are Winning:

 - Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler. Memorize those names, people. When the Canucks are winning, just mentioning any of these 3 names in the sentence "_______ is playing really well tonight" will gain you respect amongst your peers.

 - Low scoring game? I've still got you covered, buddy! Talk about how well Hamhuis has done with Garrison, or how improved Tanev is this year. Maybe mention that Edler looks pretty solid this post season. If Schneider is in goal, talk about how incredible he's been. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT mention Roberto Luongo. That'll open up a whole new can of worm. See "Emergency Situations" below.

The Canucks are Losing:

When the crap hits the fan, every fan has a scapegoat. For a lot of people, it's either Alain Vigneault (Head Coach) or Mike Gillis (General Manager). I'm guilty of hoping on this bandwagon occasionally. But if you wanna look a little more edumacated and what not, you should have some players on that list, too.

 - Keith Ballard: A $4 million healthy scratch, who occasionally plays on the 3rd defense pairing or the 4th offensive line. If he's playing, scream  "WHY THE %#@* IS KEITH BALLARD PLAYING IN THE PLAYOFFS?!" If he's in the press box, scream "WHY THE %#@* IS KEITH BALLARD SITTING IN THE PRESS BOX, IN THE PLAYOFFS?!" Fairly simple.

 - Zack Kassian: Still a fairly young player, who could be the next Todd Bertuzzi (tough guy who can score). Didn't live up to the fans ridiculous expectations. If he's with the Sedins, say he deserves to be on the fourth line. Coincidentally, if he's on the fourth, make a fuss about him not playing 30 + minutes per game and scoring 40 goals en route to a cup win. 

 - Mason Raymond: 2nd or 3rd liner who just isn't the same player after breaking his back in the Cup Finals 2 years ago. Complain about how he needs to be traded, or that he just simply needs to get over his fear of going into corners.

 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS:

While the above should get you through any normal situation, you may encounter a few "Danger Zones." Heres the most lethal, and how to handle them.

Someone Mentions the Goaltending Problem:

For those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the past year, Cory Schneider has ousted Roberto Luongo as #1 goaltender for the Canucks. But the Canucks failed to trade off Luongo, leaving us with a $6 million backup. 

If anything is mentioned about the goaltending problem, the best thing to do is run. Far, far away. Everyone and their dog has an opinion on who deserves the starter spot, what's fair, and why. You'll get trapped in a never ending cycle of useless opinions. But worse: you'll get flustered, lose your composure, and start talking about how useful Ballard would be at Kesler's side.

This is the only real emergency situation, but should be avoided at all costs.

What to do with this Information:

Now you may be thinking, "Jon, I just read and memorized your advice, now what?" You can:

 - Pretend to know more than other fans, act all smug about it, probably get beat up because of it.

 - Become a blogger, also pretending to know more than others, but publishing it.

 - Use it sparingly, so as to blend in and not look like a fool.

Your choice.

Canucks vs Blackhawks, Apr 22/13

With a single point tonight, Vancouver can clinch the Northwest Division for the fifth year in a row. But easily the story of the game: 20 year defenseman old Frankie Corrado plays his first NHL game tonight. Corrado spent his season in the CHL between the Sudbury Wolves and Kitchener Rangers, and played 3 games for the AHL Chicago Wolves before his NHL call up against the Blackhawks. Bit of a trial by fire, don't you think?

Lots of lineup changes tonight, as Ballard joined the injured defenseman list and Higgins returned after missing 6 games. Burrows played with the Sedins, while Kesler tried his hand at the wing with Higgins and Roy on the 2nd. Lapierre centred the 3rd line with Raymond and Hansen, while Sestito, Ebbett and Kassian brought up the 4th. On the defensive side, Hamhuis and Garrison manned the first unit, Corrado played on the 2nd with Edler, while Alberts and Barker brought up the third.

Just minutes in, Roy and Higgins showed why they belong on a line together. Breaking into the zone, Roy's pass beat the defense and hit Higgins, whose shot was just barely stopped by a sprawling Crawford. For close to 10 minutes, the Canucks absolutely dominated play. Actually, scratch that. They dominated the entire first, but it just doesn't work for what I wanted to write. Anyways, the Canucks defense held the Blackhawks out of the middle, and were able to keep the puck away from the net more often than not. With 6 minutes left in the first, Hjalmarsson went for a hit on Daniel Sedin with his elbow up, but Daniel ducked it. The ref saw it, the Canucks went to the powerplay for the 2nd time. On the ensuing power play  Garrisons shot from the point hit Oduya, then went off Hansens skate and in. Like I mentioned earlier, complete dominance of the first period for the Canucks. 1-0 Canucks after 1, shots 11-5 in favor of the good guys.

Vancouver had no problem maintaining their dominance in the 2nd, as they continued to outplay the Blackhawks in every aspect. Early on, Henrik found Higgins with a great 2 line slap pass. Higgins slid a perfect pass to a streaking Burrows, who tipped the puck on net but couldn't beat Crawford. A little past the 10 minute mark of the period, Kassian took a few shifts with the Sedins, and he sure deserved. After Kassian chipped the puck in deep to Daniel, the Sedins did their incredible cycle-and-confuse routine. Daniel found Kassian in front, who pushed off his man and beat Crawford 5 hole.

With that assist, Daniel surpassed Naslund to become 2nd all time in Canucks points, second to only brother Henrik. With just a few minutes left in the period, the Hawks put up their best effort of the game on a 4 on 4. But you know what happens when the Sedins get a little room? Miracles. Henrik banked the puck from his own zone all the way up to Daniel in the neutral zone. With only Keith even close to him, Daniel took off, pulled forehand-backhand on Crawford, then lifted it back hand over Crawford. Words cannot even begin to describe how beautiful it was. Here, watch it over and over again. 3-0 Canucks after 40, shots 20-14 Vancouver.

I shouldn't even write a review for the third. Why? Because the Canucks did the exact same thing they did the first two periods. Dominance. Unfortunately, Schneider didn't get a shutout, because Sestito. Did I just use Sestito as a verb? Yes. Yes I did. After Schneider made 2 great stops in a row, the puck bounced to Sestito behind the net. Now, instead of clearing the puck to the side with nobody on it, Sestito cleared to the side with the ref. The puck bounced off the ref, and straight to Carcillo at the front, who backhanded it past Schneider. Again, can't blame the ref. He'd been there for quite a while already, and Sestito needed to be looking where he was clearing. Other than that, nothing big. Game over, Canucks 3, Blackhawks 1. Final shots 32-25.

Tidbits:

 - PP: 1/5 Just takes time to warm up. First one was all over the place, but 2nd and ensuing were able to control puck much better.
 - PK: 2/2 Weren't able to get the puck out of the zone, Schneider bailed them out.

 - Sedins: Spectacular, best they've played all season. And of course:

It took Daniel Sedin 905 games to pass M. Naslund on all-time Canucks scoring list. It also took Henrik 905 games as well. Of course it did.
— TC Carling (@TC_Carling) April 23, 2013

 - Corrado: Calm and cool under pressure. I wasn't sure he was ready (not that 1 game is a proper measuring stick), but seems like he could be a defensive staple next year. 17:20 TOI, 3 hits, 1 blocked shot.
 - Garrison: If his shot doesn't hit the net, it takes someone out in front. Love it.

Canucks vs Red Wings, April 20/13

Historically, a Canucks vs Red Wings game is like the 2011 Cup Finals. Either it's a close win for the Canucks, or a total blowout win for the Wings. With a single point tonight, Vancouver can clinch a playoff spot. Couple of lineup changes tonight, but no one returns yet from the injury list. Kesler centred the second line between Raymond and Kassian, while Roy returned to centre the 3rd line with Ebbett and Hansen. Higgins will most likely take Ebbett's spot once he returns. On the defensive side, Alberts was bumped to the second pairing with Edler, and Barker was put on the third with Ballard. Higgins is supposed to be returning for Monday's game against the Hawks, while Bieksa and Tanev are to return before the playoffs start. Booth has no return date.

Spot on with the last 3 games, the Canucks let the first period rest on Schneider. Wasn't much action in the beginning, more end to end hockey than intense zone play, but by the 10 minute mark the Wings had a 6-1 shot advantage. And it wasn't that the Canucks weren't trying. No, they just seemed... Uncoordinated? Vancouver had their best chance to capitalize, on a 5 on 3 powerplay midway through the first. They didn't score with a 2 man advantage, but they managed to get one past Howard before the second penalty expired. After Roy won the initial faceoff, Hamhuis fed Edler with a cross ice pass, and he blasted it past a screened Howard.

Despite the goal, the Canucks were playing like it was a charity game. On a defensive miscue, Cleary snuck behind Elder on a breakaway. Thankfully, Cleary missed by a mile, but it goes to show how out of sync they are. Later in the period, on an Edler, penalty, Burrows got a great short handed chance. After poking the puck off the sideboards, Burrows pushed past the defense and cut to the center on Howard. But because Howard was out so far, Burrows ended up tripping over him and couldn't finish his deke. It looked like Vancouver would take the lead to the dressing room, but then with 21 seconds left, Brunner beat Hamhuis to a loose puck on the sideboards. Brunners shot, not all that hard, was tipped by Emmerton just in front of Schneider. It squeaked 5 hole, and put the Wings on the board. Through 20, tied at 1. Shots 9-4 in favor of the bad guys.

The Sedins seemed to be the only ones trying in the second, but they had nothing to show for it. Lot's of good puck movement, lots of chances, but no goals. Towards the midway mark, the fury of Ballard showed itself for the first time since St Louis. After being dumped in the corner by Abdelkader, Ballard came charging back and pretty much sat on him in front of the net for a good 30 seconds. After an exchange of cross checks, the pair dropped the gloves. I'd give the fight to Abdelkader, who landed more punches but was the first down. Later, Franzen beat the living daylights out of Daniel Sedin in front of the Vancouver net. Franzen had a good 10 seconds to cross check poor Daniel before the Swedish Mafia arrived. Franzen received 2 penalties, Burrows got 1. Despite the advantage, the only real chance on the powerplay came from an individual effort on the rush by Kesler.

By the 30 minute mark of the game, Vancouver had just 2 even strength shots, and 5 on the powerplay. If you can't math, that's 7. 7 shots in 30 minutes. Gives you an indication of where this game is going. Second period over, still tied at 1. Shots 13-11 for the Wings.

Thankfully, we got one good period of hockey out of this game. Unforunately, it was pretty one sided in favor of the wings. Schneider was forced to be sharp more than once, and got lucky more than once. In one case, Datsyuks shot went off Hamhuis' skate, off Schneiders stick and off the crossbar. At the other end, one of the few Canuck chances of the third, Roy did the crossbar on a wide open net. In the final six minutes, Vancouver was under siege. Schneider became a one man, show, stopping pucks and clearing them  before the Wings could pounce. Somewhere in there, Ballard sustained an injury and left to the dressing room. Somehow, the Canucks made it to the final buzzer and OT. With that one point, the Canucks clinched a playoff spot.

More of the same in OT, as Schneider became a freaking brick wall. No goals, off to the shootout!

Up first, Kesler! Fast up the middle, tries moving to the right and 5 hole... Stopped by the pad.
Datsyuk: Dipsy Doodles up the centre, tries to flip it over Schneider.... Bobbles it.
Roy: In from the left, tries to move to the right, in too close... Pokechecked
Zetterberg: Fake shot, tries to deke backhand... Stopped by the pad
Lapierre: In slow, left to right, sudden change to the left again, backhand shot... SCORES! Over a sprawling Howard!
Brunner: In fast, tries to shot 5 hole... stopped by the paddle.

Canucks win! They didn't deserve it, but it STILL counts!

Tidbits:

 - PP: 1/4 Terrible. Spent the whole time chasing the puck. Only goal was off of a faceoff.
 - PK:3/3  Good at getting puck out, and putting it deep in Red Wings zone.

 - Defense: Will be better when Edler/Ballard can both be on their left sides again. Bieksa and Tanev are supposed to be back before the playoffs start.
 - Schneider: Again, only reason we won. Didn't do bad with his stickhandling either.
 - Kassian/Raymond: Didn't notice them, even with increased minutes. Bad sign, when Kesler was on for most of the game.

Next game is Monday, April 22nd vs the Blackhawks.

Playoff Predictions

Barring an absolute failure, the Canucks should easily make the playoffs this year. They need only 2 points to clinch a playoff spot, and are 4 points up on the Wild, so they should also be able to win their Division. But what happens after that? Here's my prediction for this year:

I predict that the Canucks are a first round elimination. They will most likely be facing Minnesota or St Louis, both who have proved to be troublesome for the Canucks during the regular season. But that's not what i'm worried about. I'm worried about their lack of depth

Let's start with the defense. When everyone is healthy, our starting defense lineups are not something that an opposition wants to face. Now in the terrible event that a defender is injured, not uncommon in a playoff run, who replaces them? Enter Cam Barker and Andrew Alberts. Both Alberts and Barker could be described as 'emergency use only.' You only want them when all your other viable options are gone. Sure, they can do fine for a while on the 3rd string. But if you're even thinking about making a cup run, you need to have guys that could fill in, instantly. Take the 2011 cup run for example. Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, Hamhuis goes for a hip check on Lucic, and ends up blowing out his groin. Chris Tanev was able to fill in, because he was a responsible defender who could adapt. Where's this years Tanev? Any injury in the defensive area, and we're screwed.

Alright, now for the offense. Here's what the lines will most likely be:

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Higgins-Kesler-Hansen
Raymond-Roy-Kassian
Pinizzotto-Lapierre-Weise

You'll notice the only real change is that Roy is centring the third line, instead of being on Keslers wing. This is a simple decision. Andrew Ebbett cannot and should not play there. He gets crushed, and has been unable to generate any offense. So Roy is bumped down to the third, and hopefully they have great chemistry. Relax, guys. I'm going somewhere with this.

So with these lines, we have 3 lines that can put the puck in the net and a checking line. But who faces off against the oppositions top lines? Sedins can't do it, they're 100% useless in their own zone. I feel that Roy is too small to effectively shut down the top lines, and Lapierre just doesn't have the defensive skill to do itl. That leaves Kesler, which means we shirk our secondary scoring to Roy. Roy cannot lift this team through 4 rounds of intense hockey, and will not.

In case you didn't get what I was going for there, I'm saying that the Sedins will get shut down, Kesler will be forced to play defensive hockey against top lines, and our main scoring will be up to Roy.

Like I said, first round elimination.

Canucks at Stars, Apr 18/13

After a terrible performance in St Louis, the Canucks finished off their 5 game road trip against Dallas. A win meant that the Canucks would clinch a playoff spot. The only lineup change was Pinizzotto in for Sestito, on the fourth line.

If you were hoping that the Canucks would pick up their play tonight, as we all were, then prepare for disappointment. From the start, their defense was just as porous as previous nights. Schneider was forced to bail out his defenders multiple times, and made saves from his belly more than once. Despite that, Vancouver still managed to have a little offense. By the 10 minute mark, the shots were only 6-4, and certainly not indicative of play. Past the midway point, though, that little offense died out, and an already mangled defense was forced to play the rest of the period in it's own zone. Tied at 0 after 1, shots 12-10 in favor of the Canucks. Again, Schneider was the only reason that Vancouver was still alive at this point.

If AV gave the guys a pep talk in between periods, it did nothing. But fear not, because Derek Roy rang the wakeup bell 6 minutes in. Goligoski and Roy were both going for the puck, no one else but the goalie in the Dallas zone. Roy chipped the puck past the lone defender and went backhand-forehand on Lehtonen, 1-0 Canucks. That goal seemed to be the boost Vancouver needed, because the shots were 10-3 at the midway point in favor of the blue. Despite all the glorious offense, it was only a matter of time before the one man defense show of Schneider broke down. With the Canucks shorthanded, Edler managed to lose his stick, leaving him all but useless. As the penalty expired, Nystrom passed to a wide open Fiddler, who slammed it past Schneider to tie it up.

Unlike the first period, the Canucks offense didn't die out after 10 minutes in the second. No other goals to show for it, but it kept the Stars busy in their own end. All seemed OK, until the end of the period. With less than 2 minutes left, Daniel Sedin took a tripping penalty. Vancouver was able to hold them off right until the very end, when with only seconds left, a shot from 20 feet out hit the crossbar and trickled towards the open net. Thankfully, Andrew Alberts dove cross-crease and batted the puck away. As the period ended, Robidas took Hamhuis hard into the boards, and a brawl ensued. Both Robidas and Hamhuis ended up with minor penalties.

Just a minute and a half in, the Stars picked up where they left off. A minute and a half in, Aaron Rome broke up a promising Kassian/Raymond rush, and pushed it the other way. Smith pushed the puck past the Vancouver defense to an open Eakin, who snapped it blocker side on Schneider. 2 and a half later, Burrows tried a drop pass to Ballard at his own blueline, but Ballard missed it. Benn grabbed the loose puck and snapped it top corner, 3-1 Stars. Only 3 minutes later, Whitney was wide open at the side of the net, and buried the rebound off of a tipped shot. Kassian had a shot off the post late in the third, but other than that,  nothing worth noting. Game over, 5-1 Stars

I hate to say I told you so, but, well, I don't. I love to be right. The Canucks crappy play finally caught up with them. All the giveaways, terrible passing, a lack of offense, combined with relying on Schneider to always save the day, was just a recipe for failure. Sure, they were at the end of their road trip, and probably exhausted, but they've played this way for most of the trip.

Tidbits:

 - PP: 0/2 Just chased the puck. No cycle, no form, no goals.
 - PK: 4/5 Sloppy as my dinner tonight. In case you were wondering, I had Sloppy Joes.

 - Schneider: Can't blame him for any of those, or the loss. Has held us in the last few games with no help at all.
 - Kassian: Couple of good chances, actually looked decent tonight. Might be ready to play top 6 again.

Next game is Saturday Apr 20th vs Detroit.

Canucks at Blues, Apr 16/13

Following an uncommon offensive fiesta in Nashville last night, the Canucks flew to St Louis. Bieksa managed to obtain another lower body injury against the Predators, so he joined Tanev and Higgins on the injured list. Burrows started on the first line with Henrik and Daniel, while Kesler centred Roy and Hansen. This 2nd line paid off handsomely last night in Nashville, generating plenty of chances and combining for 4 points. Raymond and Kassian played with Ebbett on the 3rd, while Lapierre played with Weise and Sestito on the 4th. Pinizzotto was a healthy scratch.

Thanks to the fact that Tanev and Bieksa were injured, the D lines needed a little work. The tried and true Hamhuis and Garrison headed up the defensive lines, while Edler and Barker played on the 2nd. Alberts and Ballard brought up the rear.

Not much action on the Vancouver end of the spectrum in the beginning. In fact, in 12 minutes of hockey, they only generated 3 shots while allowing 10. Oh, did I mention that 2 of those were from centre ice? Not a good start against a team who will most likely be our first round playoff matchup. Only real action came from a couple of good Vancouver PK's. Ballard seemed a little antsy towards the end of the period. I only clued in after he cross checked Leopold in the back of the head 6 times. Play wasn't dominated by St Louis, but certainly run by them, until the final minute. Ebbett, Sestito and Lapierre were caught in their zone for over a minute, and were only barely bailed out by Schneider. End of the first, tied at 0, shots 14-5 in favor of the Blues.

Right off the faceoff, the hatred from nowhere continued. Kesler and Sobotka challenged each other to fight after the puck was dropped, but neither actually dropped the gloves. Then followed 5 minutes of Schneider saving the Canucks butts, because apparently we don't have an offense anymore. Any attempt we made into the offensive zone was just a single shot from the wing, with no forecheck or attempt at generating a rebound.

Stayed that way until about 4 minutes left, when the crap finally hit the fan. In the Canucks zone, Backes shoved Ballard into the boards, which Ballard understandably didn't like. Ballard came up with a cross check, and the 2 dropped their gloves. But before Backes could beat the crap out of Ballard, Burrows came out of nowhere and pinned Backes' arms to his side. Somehow in there, Backes got a cut on his hand. Enough B's for yeah? Burrows and Backes both received 4 minute penalties, and Ballard was handed a 2 minute minor. No clue why, but that's how it went down. Personally, it was nice of Burrows to be a "knight in shining armor" for Ballard, but Ballard knew what he was getting into.

Through all of this, the Blues continued to press, and the Canucks continued to rely on Schneider. But it wasn't the Blues who drew first blood, it was Vancouver. With 12.2 seconds left in the 2nd, Henrik fed Edler cross-point, who wristed one past Halak with Hansen screening. Did I mention this one was on the powerplay? Through 40 minutes, 1-0 Canucks. Shots 25-11 in favor of St Louis.

It actually looked like the Canucks would hold this one together. They were able to generate more chances early in the third, and actually looked like they were playing in sync. Aside from a few defensive blunders, that is. But that's what eventually cost them. With 9 minutes left in the game, Barker tried to kick the the puck off his own blueline, but just turned it over to Bouwmeester. With Edler the only man back, the Canucks faced a 3 on 1. Bouwmeester snapped it 5 hole on Schneider, and just like that, tie game. And the Blues kept coming. Schneider was forced to make a flurry of saves a few times, as he continued to be the only reason Vancouver was in this game. And let's not forget the violence. It seemed every time Schneider made a save, or someone went into the boards, a crowd gathered and players ended up on their backs. Somehow, everyone got out of the third period alive. Tied 1-1, shots 35-18 for the Blues.

Vancouver looked a lot better in the OT period, only allowing St Louis one or two decent scoring chances. Keith Ballard ran Backes with his stick late in the period, but no penalty. Other than that, nothing excited. Off to a shootout!

Macdonald up first, - Pulls left, catches Schneider on his belly, roofs it. (1-0)
Roy - Down centre, backhand forehand, Halak barely caught it. (1-0)
Shattenkirk - Down the middle, shoots it in close, Schneider barely hangs on. (1-0)
Burrows - Tries his trademark fake shot backhander-er, doesn't get it high enough. (1-0)
Steen - Right wing cutting to left wing, snaps it top left corner past Schneider. (2-0)

That'd do it. Final shots: 36-22 St Louis. Vancouver didn't put up much of a fight, and were lucky to come away with a single point.

Tidbits:

 - PP: 1/3 Very on and off. When it's gonna score, you can tell. Otherwise they're just chasing the puck.
 - PK: 4/4 Always found a way to clear the zone before the Blues could start a cycle, impressed with how well it performed.

 - Kesler: Seems like he's back into great shape. But he should stick to putting the puck in the net, not wasting his time discussing a fight with Sobotka.
 - Schneider: Fan-freaking-tastic. Only reason the Canucks got anything out of this game.
 - Ebbett: Looked like a real third wheel on the third line. Raymond and Kassian have good chemistry with each other, but Ebbett is just always out of place.

That win moved St Louis into 6th place. With Vancouver all but locked in third, it looks like the Canucks first round playoff matchup will be either St Louis or Minnesota. If this game is any indication of whats to come, we`ll see a face paced, hard hitting, series with multiple injuries. And if Vancouver can`t pull together a decent defense/offense, they're going to get crushed. Granted, they had 2 starting defenceman injured, but what if that happens post season? And what about the third line? Ebbett cannot play that roll, he just gets crushed. This is where Gillis' trade deadline failures come into light. Essentially, any injury and we are absolutely screwed.

Canucks vs Flames, Apr 6/13

The last time these 2 teams met, Calgary dished out a 4-2 spanking in Vancouver, over a month ago. Since then, their top defenceman and their captain have been traded away. Vancouver saw Raymond and Weise return to the lineup, both missed games due to shoulder injuries. As a result, Pinizzotto and Jensen were scratched. Top 2 lines didn't change, Higgins and Hansen with Roy, and the Sedins with Burrows. Raymond played with Kassian and Ebbett on the 3rd, while Lappiere centred between Sestito and Weise on the 4th. No change on the defensive lines.

34 seconds in, Daniel Sedin caught Giordano pinching on the blueline, and poked the puck to Burrows, who was rushing down the right wing. Burrows tossed it to Hamhuis on the rush, who tapped it past a sprawling Kiprusoff. Moments later, Cammalleri hit the post coming down the wing. Schneider was forced to be sharp on that shift, stopping 3 or 4 in close before finally getting control of the puck. For whatever reason, Kassian and Jackman decided this would be the perfect time to fight. Few good punches, but it turned into a wrestling match that the refs broke up. If that wasn't random enough, Sestito and McGrattan decided to drop the gloves 30 seconds later. Sestito got his butt handed to him on a sliver platter and took an instigator penalty, but on the plus side: was out of the way for a full 5 minutes.

Vancouver doubled their lead soon after, after a good cycle by the fourth line. Lappiere on the sideboards found Garrison at the point, whose shot tipped twice and went in. The goal was officially given to Garrison, but the replay shows it hit Weise before it went in. Towards the end of the period, Tanev took a hit in the corner from McGrattan. He stayed on the ice to make a clearing pass, but was in obvious pain. He limped to the bench, and went straight to the dressing room. Less than a minute later, Stajan fed Wideman on the rush. Wideman faked a slapper, then wristed it past a frozen Schneider. Calgary almost tied it seconds later, as Huddler hit the post from the left wing. Period ended with the Canucks up 2-1, but down in shots 15-8. Could have easily been 3-2 Calgary if the post shots had gone in, or worse if Schneider hadn't been sharp.

Weise was given credit for the 2-0 goal at the beginning of the period, with Garrison and Lappiere getting the helpers. Tanev also returned from the dressing room, looked a little sore still. Calgary picked up right where they left off in the first, at Tanguay hit outside of the post just seconds in. All 4 lines continued to play like they had a 4-0 lead, and gave up pucks like they were going out of style. It's a freaking miracle that Calgary didn't blow the game open, and the Canucks just got plain lucky. 7 and a half in, Henrik and Daniel moved the puck into the Calgary zone, and eventually left Daniel behind the net. Daniel attempted a wraparound, Kiprusoff wasn't able to retain the rebound, and Burrows shoved the loose puck 5 hole.

The Sedins had a few good shifts towards the end of the period, and one great one over 90 seconds long, but nothing to show for it until Jackman took a penalty on Bieksa with 30 seconds left. Henrik won the draw, and it found it's way to Edler on the point, who wired it 5 hole on Kiprusoff with Hansen in front. Through 40 minutes, Canucks up 4-1, despite being outshot 24-18 and being thoroughly outplayed for a period and a half.

Nothing truly spectacular in the first 10 minutes, but both sides were actually pushing in this period. It wasn't until about the 11 minute mark that someone potted a goal. Stajan hit Tanguay just outside the blueline, and he burst past the Canucks defense. Tanguay moved left to right, opened up Schneiders pads, and slid it 5 hole. 4-2, 9 minutes to play. Calgary all but dominated the end portion of the game, but Schneider kept the Canucks up 2 goals. 30 seconds left, Bieksa takes a penalty for boarding, faceoff in the Vancouver zone. Daniel and Henrik forced a turnover, and Henrik buried it. Game over, 5-2 Canucks.


Tidbits:

 - PP: 1/2 First chance was 6 seconds long thanks to a Daniel Sedin penalty, second chance was 4 seconds long because Elder has a wicked point shot. Not much to analyze.
 - PK: 5/5 Numbers not indicative of play. Constantly let Calgary run around them, let them right in the middle and take as many shots as they wanted.

 - Sestito: Sometimes I think the only reason they dress him is so Kassian doesn't do something stupid and fight someone 50 pounds heavier than him. Thing is: Sestito hasn't won a fight all season, is terrible in his own weight class. Seems like he doesn't really wanna fight either.
 - Hank and Dank: Fantastic play, easily one of their best games of the season. Combined for 6 points total. Closest I've seen to classic Sedin play.

Game in Review: Canucks vs Oilers, Apr 4/13

Coming off 2 of the worst game of the season, Vancouver was looking for a little vengeance against the Oilers, who burned them 4-0 in their last meeting.

 Just a few lineup changes tonight, as Roy made his Canucks debut, and Kassian returned from the Wolves. Burrows stuck with the Sedins, while newcomer Derek Roy centred between Higgins and Hansen. Jensen and Kassian played with Lapierre on the 3rd, while Sestito, Ebbett and Pinizzotto brought up the 4th. Barker replaced Alberts on the 4th line, playing with Tanev.

Thankfully, Vancouver didn't allow a goal in the first 16 seconds. In fact, they even had pressure and a forecheck early on, and managed something called a shot. Vancouver was forced to face a Lapierre interference call early on, but handled it nicely. By the 7 minute mark, Taylor Hall hadn't even registered a goal, never mind a hat trick. With 5 and a bit left in the period, the Canucks were given a 5 on 3 powerplay. After moving the puck around a bit, and losing it once or twice, Garrison unleashed his slapper. It hit Petri right in the leg, leaving him to limp around as the Canucks cycled the puck. It quickly found it's way to Bieksa, whose shot went in past a Daniel Sedin screen. Other than a couple of insane scrums in front of the Oilers net, but nothing else went in. 1-0 Canucks, end of the 1st.

Vancouver did a great job of not allowing Edmonton to move in on Schneider, early in the second. By the halfway point of the second, the Canucks had only allowed Edmonton to take 11 shots in the entire game, while managing 19 of their own. All 4 lines continued to push, but Khabibulin stood tall. Pavel Bure, who was in attendance, received a standing ovation during the TV timeout. No relation to the game or anything, just thought you'd like to know. Vancouver finally broke through with 5 and a half left in the seconds. Daniel crossed the blueline and dished to Henrik behind the net, who gave it back to Daniel at the left faceoff circle. Daniel then passed it to, guess who, Henrik, at the side of the net. Henrik somehow didn't pass the puck, and snapped it passed a sprawling Khabibulin. Roy's line presented the Oilers with quite a final few minutes, but again couldn't put the puck in the net. Through 40 minutes, 2-0 Canucks.

More of the same in the third, as the Canucks just dominated puck play. at the 7 minute mark, Hansen forced and turnover and shot the puck up to Roy. Roy took it into the Oilers zone, out waited the defenseman, and shot the puck to Higgins who tipped it past Khabibulin. Minutes later, a great Sedin passing play resulted in Daniel hitting the crossbar, but no goal. 7 and a half left in the third, Tanev moves towards the net. Tanev was hooked, then spun around before being stripped of the puck. John Shorthouse was so surprised at the non call, that he just stopped talking all together. With just seconds remaining, Garrison took a hit from Brown awkwardly in his own zone, and limped to the bench. In that same play, Lapierre took the puck down the wing and threw it on net. Kassian picked up the rebound, and snapped it home with 3 seconds left. Game over, 4-0 Vancouver.

Tidbits:

 - PP: 1/5 Still all over the place, but any time the Canucks PP capitalizes in a good, and welcome one.
 - PK: 4/4 Great job clearing the puck out of the zone. Saw Henrik and Daniel in the latter halves of the penalties, for whatever reason.

 - Roy: Liked his speed. Played well with Higgins and Hansen, saw PK time.
 - Kassian: Eager to play after his injuries/demotion. Played fast and hard, plenty of shots.
 - Bieksa: 200th career point on the opening goal.
 - Sedins: Impressed with their play this game, quite a pick up from the last 15 games. If they stay like this, Vancouver might have a chance of making it past round 1 in the playoffs.

"Stay Still Gill" Should Go.

I don't normally take swings at the staff of a team (cough), because quite frankly, I have no clue how to do their jobs. But this has gone far enough. Over his 5 some odd years as GM of the Vancouver Canucks, Gillis has earned the reputation of "Stay Still Gill," due to the fact that he almost never makes any moves at the Trade Deadline. This has been fine in the last few years, when the Canucks weren't plagued by injuries or failing so miserably.

It's no secret for either of the above, and i'm not going to deny that the 2 go hand in hand. But with that in mind, why WOULDN'T you bring in some desperately needed replacements? And with how low the asking prices were this year, I am at the point where I believe Gillis should be fired for his inability to make trades.

Some who still like Gillis may bring to the table: "Oh, he was busy with the Luongo trade" or "It's ok, said injured players will be back soon.'

First of all: He's had over a year to negotiate this Luongo trade, and it's clear that he's not going to get much value for him. Luongo is now downright pissed, saying that his "contract sucks," and that he'd "happily give up the $64 million to start elsewhere." My gosh man, move him along! If you can't do that, find someone who will and put him in your chair. Also, Gilman could've been given a list of needs, and then sought them out. He did it with the Derek Roy trade, and he could've done a heck of a lot more.

Secondly, we don't know when anyone is coming back. At this point, our injured players barely have enough time to reintegrate before the playoffs, nevermind get back into the best condition of their lives. Going into the playoffs, Vancouver could've used some depth wingers, more than the one centreman acquired, and possibly even a depth defenseman. Because let's face it, Alberts and Barker aren't going to hold this team together.

Let's address that further. Ryan Clowe, 3rd all time in Sharks Playoff scoring, went for the price of 3 draft picks to New York. Granted, he wanted a long contract extension, but you work past these things. Either Raffi Torres or Tanner Glass would've been happy to come back to Vancouver, and add a little more grit into the Canucks lineup. Both of them with low cap hits, and a history of clutch play. Raffi went for one draft pick to San Jose, and Tanner wasn't even considered.

When your team is playing like crap, you make changes. Vigneault has fiddled with the lineups all season, and Gillis has failed to deliver new players. One new player will not change the course of this team.

Just to clarify, I still feel Vigneault should go. He did well for a while, but has run his course with this team. And Gillis quite clearly doesn't have the guts to make the necessary changes. I'm not saying we need to trade the Sedins or something drastic like that, but trades should've been made.

Gillis Has the Moves, Like Jagger

Normally, the time leading up to the NHL trade deadline is a very, very quiet one for GM Mike Gillis and the Vancouver Canucks. Not this time.

First off, as I tweeted earlier: Zach Kassian and Andrew Gordon have both been sent down to the AHL Chicago Wolves. Assistant GM Laurence Gilman hinted that it was due to off ice behaviour. Their replacements were Niklas Jensen and Bill Sweatt. Sweatt is a career AHL'er, who sees minimal ice time with  the Canucks. Jensen, on the other hand, is a prospect, who played his first NHL game last night against San Jose. Coach Vigneault placed him on a line with the Sedin twins.

Moving on, the Canucks have purchased the Peoria Rivermen, which are the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. Perfect timing, as the Canucks contract with the Wolves expires at the end of this season. Nothing has been said (yet), but it is believed that this is the first step into bringing the Canucks farm team to Abbotsford, BC. Problem is, the Heat (Calgary Flames farm team, currently occupying Abbotsford) are locked in to a 10 year deal with the city of Abbotsford.

Onto trade news: Gillis made official a deal with the Dallas Stars. The Canucks obtained centreman Derek Roy in exchange for Canucks defenseman Kevin Connauton and a 2nd round pick in next years draft. Connauton has been struggling this year, and was a team worst -12 when he was traded. I don't mind trading him for Roy. Roy is a small guy, measuring 5'9 and only 183 pounds, basically the same size as Schroeder. Thing is, Roy has had plenty of experience in the league, and his experience will be critical until Kesler comes back. Roy's best season was a 32 goal / 81 point season in 07-08, and he's managed 50-60 point seasons since. Regardless, I anticipate him fitting well between Higgins and Hansen. As a result of the Canucks acquiring Roy, Schroeder was sent down to the Wolves.

On the topic of centreman, Kesler should be returning soon. A recent press conference revealed that he should be skating within a week or so, but the rest is unknown.

Last little piece of info. Higgins re-signed with the Canucks this afternoon. A 4 year, $10 million dollar contract ($2.5 per year).