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.
Showing posts with label Flames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flames. Show all posts
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
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).
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).
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.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Game in Review: Canucks 5 - Flames 1
As with any game between the Calgary and Vancouver, the tension runs high and the hits and bountiful. By this point, the referees know to ignore most of the petty penalties in a divisional match up like this. A early high stick and trip were both ignored. Just minutes in, Mason Raymond took a puck to the mouth, and left a trail of blood as he left to the dressing room. By the 10 minute mark, the shots were only 3-2 for Calgary, despite an early Vancouver powerplay. The newly re-united line did a great job of hemming in Calgary's first line, and seemed to be getting their cycle game back. With around 3 minutes left in the first, Raymond returned and almost set up Weise for a tip in. Schneider stood tall against multiple chances late in the 1st, but couldn't control a rebound off of a one-timer, and Stempniak buried it with just under 2 minutes left. The Canucks picked up the pace after that, and had a few close calls before the period ended. Raymond fed Hansen near the end of the period, but Hansen missed wide over a sprawling Irving.
Both Schneider and Irving were forced to stand tall early in the 2nd, but Vancouver had the majority of the pressure. The Sedins and Burrows had a few good shifts early on, and finally managed to capitalize after Burrows pushed the puck under Irving's pad to finish off a great shift. 27 seconds later, Jordan Schroeder scored his first NHL goal on the powerplay. Burrows went into the boards and managed to send the puck up to Edler, who fed Schroeder with a nice slap pass, and Schroeder just tipped it in between Irving's legs. With 11 minutes left in the first, it was 2-1 Vancouver. Fast forward to 2 and a half minutes left in the second. Bieksa dumped the puck in, and started a vicious Sedin power cycle. Eventually the puck made its way back to the point, and Bieksa hammered it towards the net. It took a fortunate bounce off of a defenceman and went in. With all of that, Henrik moved to within one point of Markus Naslund for the all-time Canucks scoring lead.
The beginning of the third saw a lot more action than the other 2 had, with plenty of speedy end to end rushes. Just over a minute in, Higgins notched his 2nd of the season. Kassian won the battle of the boards, and fed it up to Bieksa, who shot it towards the net. The shot hit Lappiere, and bounced right to Higgins who snapped it low glove side on Irving to make it 4-1. The Canucks dominated the rest of the period, and Schneider remained solid. Schroeder scored his second of the night late in the 3rd, after tucking in the rebound off of a Mason Raymond shot from the wing. With that, the Canucks move 5 points up on their nearest divisional competition, Minnesota.
Lineups:
Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Higgins-Lappiere-Kassian
Raymond-Schroeder-Hansen
Volpatti-Malhotra-Weise
Tidbits:
- As the game ended, Bieksa took a elbow to the chin and walked down the tunnel to the dressing room as the team celebrated on ice.
- Powerplay: Saw a few new combinations, went 1/5. Burrows, Henrik Sedin, and Schroeder played the 1st unit backed by Daniel Sedin and Edler. The 2nd unit saw the combination of Raymond, Hansen and Kassian.
- PK: Didn't get too much ice time, went 2/2. Played solid as usual.
- The Sedin line seems to be a lot more confident with Burrows. Did a great job of hemming Calgary's 1st line in their own zone, and had a great cycle game. Both Sedins played their best game of the season tonight.
- Schneider corralling rebounds pretty well, only mess up was off the Stempniak goal.
- I love how after scoring his first NHL goal, Schroeder just disappears between the Sedins during the goal celebration.
- Mason Raymond received 8 stitches in his mouth
Next game is Tuesday against the Wild at 7. I'm guessing Schneider gets the start again, after playing as well as he did the last 2 games.
Both Schneider and Irving were forced to stand tall early in the 2nd, but Vancouver had the majority of the pressure. The Sedins and Burrows had a few good shifts early on, and finally managed to capitalize after Burrows pushed the puck under Irving's pad to finish off a great shift. 27 seconds later, Jordan Schroeder scored his first NHL goal on the powerplay. Burrows went into the boards and managed to send the puck up to Edler, who fed Schroeder with a nice slap pass, and Schroeder just tipped it in between Irving's legs. With 11 minutes left in the first, it was 2-1 Vancouver. Fast forward to 2 and a half minutes left in the second. Bieksa dumped the puck in, and started a vicious Sedin power cycle. Eventually the puck made its way back to the point, and Bieksa hammered it towards the net. It took a fortunate bounce off of a defenceman and went in. With all of that, Henrik moved to within one point of Markus Naslund for the all-time Canucks scoring lead.
The beginning of the third saw a lot more action than the other 2 had, with plenty of speedy end to end rushes. Just over a minute in, Higgins notched his 2nd of the season. Kassian won the battle of the boards, and fed it up to Bieksa, who shot it towards the net. The shot hit Lappiere, and bounced right to Higgins who snapped it low glove side on Irving to make it 4-1. The Canucks dominated the rest of the period, and Schneider remained solid. Schroeder scored his second of the night late in the 3rd, after tucking in the rebound off of a Mason Raymond shot from the wing. With that, the Canucks move 5 points up on their nearest divisional competition, Minnesota.
Lineups:
Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Higgins-Lappiere-Kassian
Raymond-Schroeder-Hansen
Volpatti-Malhotra-Weise
Tidbits:
- As the game ended, Bieksa took a elbow to the chin and walked down the tunnel to the dressing room as the team celebrated on ice.
- Powerplay: Saw a few new combinations, went 1/5. Burrows, Henrik Sedin, and Schroeder played the 1st unit backed by Daniel Sedin and Edler. The 2nd unit saw the combination of Raymond, Hansen and Kassian.
- PK: Didn't get too much ice time, went 2/2. Played solid as usual.
- The Sedin line seems to be a lot more confident with Burrows. Did a great job of hemming Calgary's 1st line in their own zone, and had a great cycle game. Both Sedins played their best game of the season tonight.
- Schneider corralling rebounds pretty well, only mess up was off the Stempniak goal.
- I love how after scoring his first NHL goal, Schroeder just disappears between the Sedins during the goal celebration.
- Mason Raymond received 8 stitches in his mouth
Next game is Tuesday against the Wild at 7. I'm guessing Schneider gets the start again, after playing as well as he did the last 2 games.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Game in Review: Canucks 3, Flames 2 S/O
After an eventful first period, which had Edler almost score on his own net, Schneider almost score on himself, and some insane pressure, the score was still 0-0. Early in the 2nd, Kassian scored the first of the game on a beauty of a play. After digging the puck out of the face off circle, Kassian attempted a wrap around, intercepted the clearing attempt, and scored on his own rebound with a gorgeous wrister. Exactly 2 minutes later Raymond sniped one from 10 feet inside the blueline to make it 2-0. Things were going great, the shots were 27-12 midway through the 2nd. Cue defensive failures. Bieksa attempted a pinch to keep the puck in on the offense, but ended up creating a 2 on 1 for Calgary which resulted in a goal. Later on, Bieksa, Garrison and Edler all took penalties within 3 or 4 minutes of each other to give the Flames 2 very long 5 on 3 situations, resulting in a goal on the last penalty. An eventful 3rd period held no goals, and off to OT we went, with the shots tied up in the 30's. After no result there, the Canucks were forced into the shootout.
Burrows and Tanguay traded goals in the first 2 rounds, but it took until round 5 for Kassian to put the next one away, deking Kiprusoff out of his jock strap. Schneider made the last save, and the Canucks earned their first win of the season.
Tidbits:
- Schroeder bounces like a rubber ball when he's hit. Might be an injury prone guy (ie: Taylor Hall). He's gonna need a couple of big wingers to keep him safe.
- Schneider still has problems stick handling, lost the puck in his skates and almost pushed it into the net early in the first.
- 2nd night in a row that the Canucks have given up a 2 goal lead
- The offensive side of the Canucks defense is great, but it's their defensive side that makes me want to pull my hair out in frustration.
- Ballard and Tanev were the most stable defensive pair tonight. That's scary.
- Powerplay: Just awful.
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