Panic Abound As Vancouver Opens At Home

Thanks for the balanced commentary Yankee. I agree that the two biggest problems have been discipline and execution. I’m assuming that those things will improve as we get a few games in to the season.

While I have been very frustrated by the results so far, I think the Canucks have shown a lot of promise. Samuelsson looks like a great pick-up. The Sedins and Burrows look great together, and with a bit more finish than the past two games could be a deadly, deadly line. Luongo has not been terrible, definitely good enough to get the win in Colorado assuming we actually scored and played less sloppy defense.

So there’s lot to be optimistic about, and I definitely do not think it is time to panic. If we still haven’t won after the next couple games then maybe I’ll join the panic brigade.

…although it is my birthday, so a win would be very nice.

But really, who cares? The team played a busy preseason schedule – busy enough that they couldn’t really play together. But for some soft calls and a sleepy 1st period, they would have hammered Calgary. The Avs loss sucks, but c’est la vie. It happens.

It’s the home opener, the team will be grumpy, and they’ll probably step it up with a win tonight. If they’re 5-15 at the 20 game mark, yeah, time to be worried. But does anyone really think that’s going to happen? It’s so easy to get too high when you win, and too low when you lose. Must-win? Come on.

Yeah I wouldn’t call this must win at all. I’d like to see improvement, and of course a win would be nice. I still expect great things from our boys this year.

Wow. That’s quite the third line they have there. How’d that happen?

I’m so pumped, I have a center ice preview through the 24th!!!

Hockey season is like sex. The anticipation is nearly always better than the real thing.

It’s only a must win for the people that are about to hop off the wagon and demand trades/firings..etc.
A friend of mine brought up a good point today. It’s not necessarily relevant to Vancouver yet, but he brought up the concept of the Hawks firing Savard early last season because the team didn’t look sharp. I’m not saying that’s going to happen here, but it could. I’m not worried about being 0-2 because it’s too early.
I am thinking that a return to home ice is going to light a bit of a fire under this team’s ass tonight and we’ll see a better effort.
If not, and they lose, some of the media is going to panic even further like Mike said…but I’m not.
Didn’t Pittsburgh struggle out of the gate last season?
Even if we start 0-7 I may get concerned, however, we have Mike Gillis running the show. He won’t put up with that. Not a frickin chance. This team is going to succeed this year one way or another.

No way they’d fire AV after inking him to a 3-year extension. I know there’s some AV haters out there, personally I don’t mind him too much. I thought the Canucks were both a good and entertaining team last season and I’m expecting more of the same this year.

No way they’d fire AV after inking him to a 3-year extension.

Wanna bet? No coach is safe when a team that has high expectations is under performing.

Get ready Scott Arniel..your time is coming! haha
You know me…I’m an AV supporter. I’d hate to see it come to that.

AV is safe for now. He’s been given marching orders to open up the team’s style of play, with 3 starters injured already (Demitra, Schneider, Hansen), 2 newcomers to integrate into the top 6 (Samuelsson, Shirokov), and a new top 6 D-man (Ehrhoff). Plus various other changes.

So he’ll be cut some slack as he does all this, as long as the effort is there from the team. If the Canucks can improve to so much as, say, 10-10 he’ll be fine, and we have the talent that such a record is more than achievable given good effort.

But if the effort isn’t there and the team is still losing, then he’ll be gone and some sort of a dirty, rotten, taskmaster SOB of a coach will be brought in to whip the animals into line.

I wasn’t trying to say fire AV! I’m saying that if the Canucks would lose 8 or more of their first 10 then anything is possible, including canning the coach.

The team doesn’t need to win to stay in the playoff race (lol), but I am hoping they are able to play well tonight, so that we can slay the terrifying beast that is the Vancouver media before it gets any stronger.

This is not going to be an easy game, the BJs are pretty good. I look forward to a tight game for sure.

Any word on tonight’s lineup? I would be surprised if the ’nucks changed anything, being the home opener and all. Unless any more folks with the flu?

“must win”. What a joke, us Vancouver fans have the unfortunate reputation as band-wagoners around the league. And “must wins” being brought out in the 3rd game of the season are a big reason why. Whoever came up with that garbage should be publicly horsewhipped and forced to permanently resign from Canucks fandom.
I have a hard time browsing Nucks websites cause of the numerous trolls and media scrutiny which permeates them.
I’ve found a home here, and i’m pleased to see a non-panic approach to the 0-2 start. I’m lookin towards the final destination this year, and not the trip gettin there. We will start to win more than we lose, and we will be right up there at the end. Win or loss tonight means little, effort and hustle says the most.
We’ll see a scrappy team with drive tonight, that said I think we will go down early again by a goal or two.
4-2 Nucks though. Sedins with 7 pts.

i agree if the stupidity of the “must-win” comments at this time of the season. truth be told, i’d rather see us drop the first 5 games of the season, then go on a huge winning streak that would piss off the rest of the league.

I think the Canucks are going to take this one.
Hmm…5-4. Should be tense. Columbus doesn’t suck after all. I think they are going to be better than last year. Maybe we will lose to them tonight then! Oh god! Help us!
8-2 Columbus! Fuck!

I kid. 5-4 Canucks.