Saturday Morning Coffee- Game On!
by canucklehead666 on Jan 23, 2010 9:20 AM PST
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Ok, so three of our four best defensemen are out of the lineup. You know, our shutdown guys. It doesn't look good honestly, and most would realize that if we lose to the Hawks tonight, that would likely have a lot to do with it. One thing is for sure: they're going to need a better effort than the ones they showed against the Oilers and the Stars this week. More after the jumpage...
It's meeting 3 of 4 against the the Blackhawks (ptooey!) and once again injury issues on the back end are going to be a major factor. While we have Sami Salo being a possibility for Monday against the Sabres, the loss of Kevin Bieksa's toughness and Willie Mitchell's shutdown abilities means that we will need to see guys like Christian Ehrhoff, Alex Edler and Shane O'Brien give their best efforts of the season. This Chicago team will eat them alive if you give them the opportunity, so for tonight, I say shut them down. Trap the hell out of them. I will take a boring 1-0 win over the Hawks if it gets us through it. Let's face it, there aren't many other teams in the NHL that have had as many highlight reel goals as the Canucks this season. We're spoiled. Just win, baby... that's all that matters. I am hoping that the recent increase in contact with Roberto Luongo is addressed tonight, but I am not holding my breath. In the playoff series against the Hawks last spring Dustin Byfuglien spent so much time attatched to Luongo you'd think they would have had to surgically detach him. Playing smart, defensively sound and disciplined hockey is going to give us a shot at winning. That and Luongo giving his best effort of the season. We have your full pregame coverage and gameday threads coming up as always, make sure and check them out.
A little dry toast with coffee
The Canucks could have actually moved into the division lead last night with a Nashville win in regulation, but 9 penalty calls against the Preds, and a late tying goal waved off on a dubious goaltender interference call gave the Avs a 2-1 win. The good news is, a Canucks win and Phoenix loss in Washington will see the Canucks move into 4th, tied with the Avs but Colorado will have the game in hand tiebreaker. With every loss you really start to feel for the Oilers, don't you. A late Sam Gagner goal tied the game at 3, and it looked like they would at least get a point, but a Jason Strudwick giveaway with less than 30 seconds left saw Dallas' James Neal bury it for the 4-3 win. I think the Oilers have lost just about every way imaginable this year, and Pat Quinn is running out of different ways to describe the suck that is their effort. It's gonna be a long road back in Edmonton, as it will take years to fix the mess Kevin Lowe has created with that once proud franchise. One other game last night as the Canadiens defeated Marty Brodeur and the Devils 3-1. Jaroslav Halak was in goal for the Habs, and could get the start again for them as they take on the Rangers. The goaltending controversy in Montreal continues to rage... The rumors of a deal between the Canucks and Blues are continuing to spread, though one Blues beat writer says that there is nothing to them. Other trade rumors circulating right now have Dion Phaneuf going to the Rangers or Thrashers. I could see the Flames trying to rent Kovalchuk as they grasp at offensive straws to keep from falling right out of contention in the West, but to the Rangers really need another over-hyped and over-paid underachiever?
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If the Thrashers were silly enough to take Jokinen as part of a package deal for Kovalchuk, then I think that deal would happen. At the same time, I wonder how much of a raise Kovalchuk is pursuing in the summer is affecting teams’ willingness to piss away their current and future roster to get him.
Would John Davidson even deal with Gillis after that Backes RFA fiasco? Not sure if JD is harboring a grudge about that still.
They’d have to dump pretty much their whole team to get him. Hossa is a 5.275 cap hit, Kane and Toews are both 6.3 next season. And if Kovalchuk asks for 10 mill a season that’s nearly 28 million in cap space for 4 players. Oh yeah and Brian Campbell at a 7.1 cap hit and Huet at 5.6 million. That’s 40 million in 6 players. They’d definitely have to give up something to get him and still not be sure if they could re-sign him. Plus they’re doing well in the standings and the only thing they really need is a goalie.
Even them needing a goalie is debateable
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
They lost 4-1 to Ottawa despite outshooting them like 35-15 last week. I’m of the opinion that they need a goalie. I could never see that happening to us with Luongo in stride.
by Beantown Canuck on Jan 23, 2010 1:19 PM PST up reply actions
I meant needing a goalie next season when Khabby is healthy again.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 1:20 PM PST up reply actions
That’s what I get for looking at 2 different conversations. OK, let me try again. I think the Hawks’ goaltending is fine with both Niemi and Huet pushing eachother. Only the Devils have allowed fewer goals against this season, so I don’t see a problem there.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 5:41 PM PST up reply actions
Some team is going to have to pull off one of them Luongo-Hossa lifetime contracts so the average yearly cap hit is less.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 10:31 AM PST up reply actions
Oilers...
Normally I’d just laugh at the oilers… but these days it’s been more like when you go to the zoo and you see the poor monkey in a too small cage that just sits there eating his own feces… you start to get this really bad feeling for the pathetic, caged, poo eating monkey. That’s how i feel about the Edmonton Oilers these days.
by pastrbuzz on Jan 23, 2010 11:19 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
LOL! In this case I taser the monkey while he eats his own poo.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 11:36 AM PST up reply actions
Oilers can come back as a franchise faster than you guys think. They have some good players in there, then they can lose a few stinkers and get a goalie and add Eberle plus, at this rate, maybe Taylor Hall.
Getting a long-term franchise goalie will be their biggest hurdle; those guys are tough to find.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
They have Khabibulin locked up for 3 more years.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 12:39 PM PST up reply actions
What? Well, you’re right, tho, so my bad; I thought he was gone after this year. He’s a good goalie, too.
Mind you, he’s 36, and they need a better backup, so they’re kinda in position to get a good young goalie, have him understudy behind Khabby for a year or two, and rebuild their team in the meantime. In 2-3 years, they could be strong again.
Schneider for Eberle!
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
I get this feeling the Oilers will be a lot better by next season.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 23, 2010 12:51 PM PST up reply actions
If Khabi retires before the contract ends, the cap hit stays, correct?
Let’s hope that happens. :D
Poutine & Meatballs
I wouldn’t expect the cap hit to remain. That’d mean that if, say, Ovie lost an eye in a traffic accident tomorrow, then the Caps would be stuck w/his cap hit for the rest of the contract? I just can’t see that.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
No, it’s an age thing. If a player is 35 or older when the contract is signed, it remains on the cap no matter what. I’m not 100% sure if I’m right, though.
Poutine & Meatballs
Well if a player retires, what’s stopping you from putting them on the LTIR? That wouldn’t affect the cap.
That sounds like a possible loophole; retirement due to injury or whatever. We’ll see who does it first, haha.
Here’s the info on over 35 signings (halfway down the page): http://www.blueseatblogs.com/understanding-the-cap/
Poutine & Meatballs
That, I hadn’t heard of, but who knows? Like marcness52 says, tho, you could get around it via LTIR … but the owner’d prob be p.o.’d at shelling out the bucks anyway.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
I do not want to trade CoSchneids to someone in our division. If we have to face him for a decade, and he turns out like I think he can, then it’ll be like a slap in the nuts every single time.
by Beantown Canuck on Jan 23, 2010 1:21 PM PST up reply actions
and as long as
guys like Dan Tencer keep shooting their mouths off, it’s really hard to feel anything for the Oilers but pity…
http://waachcast.blogspot.com/ < WAACHCast Blog
by canucklehead666 on Jan 23, 2010 12:40 PM PST reply actions
wow
check out this article from Trev at internet trashcan… go to the video at the bottom of the page
unreal…
http://trevorpresiloski.com/2010/01/dan-tencer-a-bloo-boo-boo/
http://waachcast.blogspot.com/ < WAACHCast Blog
by canucklehead666 on Jan 23, 2010 12:44 PM PST reply actions
notice anything eerily familiar about the Messier bit at the end?
http://waachcast.blogspot.com/ < WAACHCast Blog
by canucklehead666 on Jan 23, 2010 12:55 PM PST up reply actions
Wait’ll the next time Messier faces that ref!
Diving has become a skill in hockey. It is not a skill I wanna see in the game, but they way the game is called it’s now inevitable, and it’s a player’s responsibility to do it in order to help his team. The league has made it so, the fish rots first at the head. The easier they make the penalty calls, the more diving we’ll see.
Can’t wait for the Ron MacLean hit piece on Gretzky, tho.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
I totally remember that messier play. There was another one he did once during the playoffs too, where he took a dive in center ice, layed on the ice and looked up for the ref two or three times waiting for the call. It was hilarious at the time… I think it may have been a Calgary game, but I could be wrong…I just remember it was a cup run.
I feel worse for Calgary than I feel for Edmonton.
Edmonton has their heads really inflated, I think Calgary has less inflated heads.
"Hey, why dont you give your balls a tug you fucking pussies". - Alexandre Burrows #14
by Chuckles Canuckles on Jan 23, 2010 3:07 PM PST reply actions
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