Sharks 4 Canucks 2 In A Snoozfest

by Sean Zandberg on Nov 29, 2009 10:23 PM PST in Game Review Comment 21 comments

It was hard to give the Canucks much hope of winning this game against a superior team and in a back-to-back game scenario. The Canucks started well but started mentally breaking down after the first period. That was quite evident in period 2, where they offered the Sharks 3 consecutive (lazy) penalties in the first 7.5 minutes: hooking, hooking and holding by Samuelsson, Edler and Daniel Sedin respectively. Damned Swedes! (haha) Dan Boyle scored the go ahead goal on the Edler penalty, and the Sharks went into a defensive shell after that. They outshot the Canucks 15-4 in that period.

Canucks were 0-for-4 on the PP. Yes their power play looked lame.

Sharks were 1-for-5.

Lots of turnovers, bad passes, and inability to get the puck to the net by the Canucks after that. If I could single out one player, I'd say that Mathieu Schneider did not look good out there.

On the positive side, the game was close until the 17:25 mark of the 3rd when Manny Malhotra put the Canucks out of their misery. I thought Kyle Wellwood and Jannik Hansen looked especially good tonight. Wellwood scored a goal and an assist and was a team-best +2. Hansen scored once, had 3 shots, and was an even +/-. There was a brief stint where Hansen played with the Sedins and looked good. Might be worth giving him a chance on line 1, AV.

The Big 3 Sharks players (Marleau, Thornton and Heatley) were limited to 1assist (Thornton) and 5 shots.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: The crowd at GM Place sounded lifeless. At one point I swear to God I could hear a Wellwood bowel movement. Sure, there was a wave and a short-lived "Go Canucks Go" chant with less than 10:00 left in the 3rd, but that doesn't cut it, boring game or not. The team was in need of some form of boost and the crowd could have offered that.

"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard"

Gimli_medium

BOXSCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

MY 3 STARS:

1. DAN BOYLE. 24:34 played, 4 shots, 1 goal, a PP freak

2. JOE PAVELSKI. 2 assists and 5 shots.

3. KYLE WELLWOOD

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Who are the score prediction winners tonight?

-Section312: 2 points
-andrew21nz: 2 points
-casual: 1 point.

Pretty tough to call Manny Malhotra with the winner, but the top 2 guys predicted the right score and winning team.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Nov 29, 2009 10:46 PM PST reply actions

Fans drop their hard-earned $$ on tickets, parking, food and booze (and probably ogling the servers at the Shark Club) , and they’re the ones to inspire the team? I never have, and I never will buy into that line of thinking. When the puck drops, it’s up to the Canucks to own it.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Nov 29, 2009 10:59 PM PST reply actions

I see what you’re saying. Of course it’s ultimately up to the players, but I still think the fans could do more. It doesn’t have to be a graveyard either! Sure, they pay the $$ to watch the game, but why not make GM Place more intimidating to play in? Every other Canadian teams’ building is louder than we are. Hell, even Leaf fans chant “go Leafs go” in the most dire of times. Like a commenter said recently: hell, even if they broke out in song like the soccer fans do. Better than nothing! And fun too!

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Nov 29, 2009 11:06 PM PST up reply actions

You want singing, go to a Britney concert. Wait, no, she doesn’t sing either.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Nov 29, 2009 11:39 PM PST up reply actions

I am massively pro-singing as I have mentioned before. I will show you guys a video and you tell me if you want to play in this stadium as a visiting team…..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeUWU9YrV8&feature=related

Hope their building is up to code.

by Section 312 on Nov 30, 2009 1:46 PM PST up reply actions

People will sing along a lot quicker. Hire a singer to lead the crowd, and have a dozen “chorus” members walk the aisles singing along, too. Do simple, familiar themes – nana, walk alone, rock you – and I guarantee the crowd will make noise. And learn to do it on their own, too; you just gotta break the ice.

The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.

by casual on Nov 30, 2009 1:51 PM PST up reply actions

I think it has to start with a section of fans, mostly season ticket holders and in the upper deck, taking it upon themselves to write some songs about the Nucks to the tunes of familiar songs. Then start singing them in that section. Even just most of the people in one section singing would fill that place with noise. Then other sections would want to join in and when you are in a stadium it is easy to pick up what they are singing. If you watch an English soccer game on TV and can’t make out what is being sung you might think otherwise but once you are in the stadium it is as clear as day.

by Section 312 on Nov 30, 2009 2:08 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah, I think we’re both saying the same thing, that we need someone(s) to get the ball rolling and after that it’d take care of itself. People love to sing along, they just hate to be the first.

The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.

by casual on Nov 30, 2009 2:18 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah for sure. I would be willing to organize it if the Canucks gave me a season ticket and made sure that people knew what section would be the singing section when they picked their season tix. There is going to be some hardcore singing at Whitecaps games once they are in the MLS and I can’t wait to make a road trip to Seattle to try to out sing the Sounders fans.

The only problem with the singing plan for Hockey is that it is usually the more hardcore fans that want to sing and hardcore fans are, for the most part, priced out of going to GM place.

by Section 312 on Nov 30, 2009 2:30 PM PST up reply actions

Why hasn’t Shane O’brien played a hockey game in 3 weeks? There was the 1-game suspension, but I’m puzzled and can’t find the answer…

by du on Nov 30, 2009 12:34 AM PST reply actions

Fuck Shane O'Brien.

I hope he never plays for the Canucks again.

by Chuckles Canuckles on Nov 30, 2009 1:51 AM PST up reply actions

Because all of our better D-men are healthy (knock on wood) and SOB sucks.

by cyxj on Nov 30, 2009 2:10 PM PST up reply actions

I totally agree about Schneider. Honestly in a back to back against the Sharks I wouldn’t have minded if AV had given him the night off and played SOB. Schnieder really looked his age out there and O’Brien is at least a solid defender.

All together an above average home stand…they won the games against the NW but couldn’t find anything against the tougher opponents in Chicago and San Jose. It would have been nice to have taken one of those games.

by Twincest on Nov 30, 2009 3:59 AM PST reply actions

Agree with you on all fronts.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Nov 30, 2009 7:28 AM PST up reply actions

hey sean, i just thought of something: for our next game’s preview or thread, since the game is against the devils, you should photoshop Luongod fighting back the Devil. that would be perfect.

i mean no harm. i come in peace. unlike shane o'brien or kevin bieksa........
watch out for the Rypper too, he can whip anyone.......
GO CANUCKS GO!

by missy on Nov 30, 2009 9:25 AM PST reply actions

OK, I’m on it!

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Nov 30, 2009 8:23 PM PST up reply actions

well, the photoshop came out different than planned…but not too bad.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Nov 30, 2009 9:36 PM PST up reply actions

Bolduc and Rome are ’Toba bound.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Nov 30, 2009 9:43 AM PST reply actions

this type of news works best if you put up a link.

no surprises there. bolduc wouldn’t have made the cut anyways, and o’brien is the official 7th d-man.

i mean no harm. i come in peace. unlike shane o'brien or kevin bieksa........
watch out for the Rypper too, he can whip anyone.......
GO CANUCKS GO!

by missy on Nov 30, 2009 9:59 AM PST up reply actions

Thanks for the backup, Missy.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Nov 30, 2009 6:40 PM PST up reply actions

Canucks, once again, had trouble with a strong forecheck against them. They stayed too much on the boards in their own end and the Sharks consistently blocked that escape route and renewed their cycle game in the Canucks’ end of the rink. We need to use better outlet and breakout passes, or at least be a lot less predictable, against such teams.

Is it that:
1: it’s a deliberate “safety first” strategy? or;
2: the players themselves won’t take chances , presumably because it’s been drilled into them that glaring giveaways will simply not be forgiven?

Giveaways, sometimes glaring ones, will happen sometimes on breakouts, real em-bare-ass-ing hilite-reel material for everyone to see. But playing it super-safe at all times comes with its own dangers, especially against a strong forecheck, and we were too predictable last nite.

The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.

by casual on Nov 30, 2009 9:54 AM PST reply actions

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