Lack Of Sleep, Injuries & The M-Schneids Experience
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 10:14 AM PDT
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Print3:40 PM PST Update: Well this sure brightened my outlook for tonight's game: Luongo will start for us and Jeff Deslauriers will play between the pipes for the Oilers.
1:48 PM ET Update: Good catch by TheLastJohnny:
BotchonCanucks: Kyle Wellwood has a broken toe, so Canucks have recalled Sergei Shirokov
The enigmatic (ha!) Russian returns, but where he slots in is another matter. Probably the third line since you don't dare mess with Kesler's line. But the Sedin line was invisible last night too. Could he end up on the top line again?
As for Pudge, he'll be on the shelf for three weeks.
******************
As the first month of hockey draws to a close, Colorado is eight points ahead of Vancouver and tied with Pittsburgh for the best team in the league. So the two points against Toronto and the two points up for grabs tonight against Edmonton are vital if they're going to crawl back into Western Conference relevancy.
First thing's first: the Leafs game. The win was nice, the execution not so much. Grabner and Raymond? Good. That third period? Atrocious. If the Leafs weren't so snakebitten at the moment, they probably would have at least pushed OT if not outright won the contest.
And you know what a bad game means? We get Tony Gallagher. Brace yourself.
This was easily the Vancouver Canucks' worst performance of the season by a wide margin and after 10 games, a pattern is beginning to emerge that presents a profoundly disturbing picture to anyone who happens to have paid for season tickets.
I guess Tony missed those Calgary games. And he doesn't really define any pattern that's so profoundly disturbing other than to suggest Aaron Rome is terrible, Ryan Johnson can't win a defensive face-off to save his life and Henrik Sedin looks lost without Daniel (all of which were true last night). Then again, he seems to downplay the fact the Canucks are laughably riddled with injuries and - along with Rome - are relying on the likes of Grabner (2A), Glass (blew up Schenn) and Bolduc to help patch the holes. Down two snipers and having three AHL'ers strung across three lines will generally hurt any team. But blaming injuries for sleeping through half of the Leafs game is no excuse.
And that injury parade keeps humming along: While Demo may actually play this year, Edler may have hurt his shoulder and Pudge may have a broken toe (queue up the jokes appropriately). Rypien is still a game time decision.
So while it's great that Mr. Mathieu Schneider will likely suit up for his first Vancouver game tonight against Edmonton, he alone won't solve the disappearance of the first and third lines. He should, however, give the PP a boost in the arm. The two PPG's last night pushed the Canucks to fourth best in the league, but that's being generous, especially facing the league's worst PK. They played terribly around the perimeter and didn't fully test MacDonald over eight penalties. Of Schneider's 221 career goals, 99 have come on the man advantage (that includes six of his nine goals last year). It should be easier on the eyes and heartrate to see him in the point instead of Sammy.
The Oil should be in a foul mood, having their three game winning streak snapped last night in a 5-2 loss against the Flames. Not only did they lose the chippy affair, Edmonton was also down five players to injury with a handful more suffering from the flu. So, depending on the morning skate, the expected lines should be:
Penner - Gagner - Hemsky
Moreau - Horcoff - O'Sullivan
Jacques - Cogliano - Nilsson
Studwick - Stortini - MacIntyre
Visnovsky - Smid
Grebeshkov - Gilbert
Peckham - Chorney
Khabibulin
Khabibulin represents the first first-string goalie they will have played in the past two games so they can't rely on the Kesler line to solely put them over the top again. Which probably means that's exactly what will happen.
Check out The Copper & Blue for more.
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I feel like this is important to relay here:
BotchonCanucks: Kyle Wellwood has a broken toe, so Canucks have recalled Sergei Shirokov
Welly’s been pretty ineffective, so let’s just hope Shirokov at least does better than him.
Oh my, great catch. I’ll update post.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions
canucks.com just posted the story for shirok being brought back up.
http://canuckpuckbunny.blogspot.com
GO CANUCKS GO!
Wellwood is making me look like an ass. I’ve been a huge Woodrow fan for years and supported the decision to get him last year and even extend him this year. Lately, he’s just filling a roster spot and that’s about it. Not good enough. Shirokov is an upgrade on Wellwood before he even hits the ice.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 25, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Unleash the Glass!
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions
To be honest, I didn’t shit myself at all when Lou was laying there. I know pathetic when I see it. Oh well, at least he can stop pucks!
Well…maybe sometimes Nebraska.
I tend ro give a guy that gets kneed to the back of the head a few minutes to let the cobwebs clear.
Thats just me. Sometimes he does express himself flamboyantly, but that one was pretty hard to critique.
And later when Blake was hacking away at his hand well after the whistle in the 3rd. I hate that guy….
LOL
vancitydan
I posted this in that last comments thread, but probably no one saw it, and it’s more relevant here. (Again, apologies for the stats look):
Important point as we look at Edmonton’s surprising start:
http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/?hubname=nhl-oilers
Lot of Oilers who are career 10 percent or less shooters who are shooting over 20 percent right now (including Penner at 28%, but also Gagner, Visnovsky, Brule, Grebeshkov, Comrie, Cogliano). That’s a shooting percentage that’s definitely not going to last.
Most important stat for us in Canuckland: after yesterday, Lui’s save percentage continues to climb. I’m guessing there’ll be less and less Canucks tipping pucks pass him as they work out the kinks, and the lines solidify some. Hopefully Schneider won’t do this today. 4-2 Canucks (Raymond & Samuelsson on PP, Burrows, Bieksa. Gagner & Brule the other way). Go Canucks Go!
No apologies necessary for sharing the stats Antro. Penner is playing out of his mind, I didn’t realize the effect MacTavish had on him.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions
At least Wellwood broke his toe blocking a Komisarek shot, not from stubbing it running away from Ronald McDonald.
That’s just what the LIBERAL media wants you to think
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions
lines posted (?)
this is what canucks.com is saying:
sammy – henrik – burrows
grabner – kesler – raymond
shirok – bolduc – bernier
glass – johnson – hordichuk
mitchell – edler
o’brien – bieksa
schneider – ehrhoff
luongo
raycroft
http://canuckpuckbunny.blogspot.com
GO CANUCKS GO!
that is a fugly third line. and I guess ripper is out again.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Wait, Schneider is supposed to be the defensive anchor when Ehrhoff gets stuck up ice? And Bolduc is now the 3rd line centre. I haven’t been able to see games—is he playing well?
I think Bolduc has been fine. Seems strong on the puck and generally makes the right decisions. A decent plugger. But him centering Shirok and Bernier is curious. I’m surprised they didn’t bump johnson up between them.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Wouldn’t it make more sense to play Samuelsson with Kesler and Raymond (seeing as they’ll be the second line when Daniel gets back) and put Grabner with Henrik and Burrows?
Bring me Stanley. Alive if possible, dead... just as good.
by King Luongshanks on Oct 25, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I wouldn’t touch the second line honestly. They’re too good right now.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Someone on twitter suggested the first line being Shirokov, Sedin, and Samuelson, and having Burrows centering Bolduc and Bernier.
You know, I didn’t realize the alliteration until typing it out myself.
by thelastjohnny on Oct 25, 2009 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Agree with that Yankee. I thought RJ would move up too. But I have noticed that the “other” Alexandre is quicker than people give him credit for.
Stone Hands can play along the boards, and Bolduc can set up the sniper.
Did they play together on the Moose, or did Bolduc get called up before that. I can’t remember with all the ups and downs from Winnipeg.
You’d have to think Shirokov would have a better idea of the N.A game now, and be enthused to do what Grabner is currently doing.
vancitydan
All Shirok has to do is equal Pudge’s one assist. I think he can do that. :)
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions
BTW…just my opinion, but it really is time for that deluded old fuck Gallagher to retire.
Seriously. He makes these bitchy moaning columnist ( so I can say anything because its just my “opinion”) pronouncements like he really thinks his opinion means anything to people. He sure believes his outlook on the team is more important is more germane than yours or mine. One only has to listen to his whiny radio “guest” spots on 1040 for that.
Yeah, we all saw the game Tony, we saw everything you did. It sucked, but not to the level of suckage you “pronounced”, you tired old fuck.
Just ignore the line that scored all the goals and had 14 shots. How about starting your story on them and Luongo than making your apoplectic delusional point?
Tool.
Sorry guys, I can’t even read a whole column of that whiny bitch before turning the page. That rant was building for a while. Thanks for letting me vent! ;-)
Thank god I don’t actually buy the paper very often.
vancitydan
If I had paid for seasons tickets
I’d be damned glad that my team managed to beat an extremely motivated Leafs squad despite several key injuries.
Yeah…sorry for the rant guys…feel like Cartman with his friends, especially Kyle.
“I hate that guy”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W6mqn5xE1Y
Well, in the context of the song, I guess Tony is my “Kenny”
vancitydan
We are in trouble, Shirokov will be useless and you’ll all know it by the end of the night. He has potential, but his game is nowhere near good enough for the NHL right now. I’m hopin that Gillis starts shoppin a little, we need a top 6 forward in a bad way and there are apparently a few out there that would fit the bill.
I suppose the only positive is that our injuries are happenin now and instead of in the last month of the season.
As for tonight, we should handle the Oilers fairly easily. They played a terrible game last night in Calgary, and I can’t see them being able to fix it that quick for tonight. The clock is approachin midnight on Edmontons surprise start, and the numbers can’t support them continuin there winnin ways much longer.
Nucks win in a romp 6-1
They've also got several players battling the flu, apparently.
Wish I could be as optimistic as you, but I’m nervous that we’ll screw the pooch tonight.
I was going to say 4-3 Oilers, but with them starting Jeff Deslauriers and Van with Luongo, I’ll say 4-3 Canucks.
Well there goes my comment about facing a first string netminder for a change
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 25, 2009 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions
as long as we keep winning! Let’s face 2nd stringers all year!
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 25, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions
If Lu
is in net, I say 2-0 shutout for the good guys.
by yoata on Oct 25, 2009 6:47 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
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