Morning Buzz: Canucks with no wind beneath their Wings; Samwise Gagner with one game to rule them all
by Jordan Clarke on Feb 3, 2012 8:00 AM PST
Email
PrintAs Cam Charron pointed out yesterday, despite a 7-2-2 record, the Canucks were not great in January, and their first game in February — a 3-2 SO loss to the Red Wings last night — sort of just drove his point home. Since "The Boston Game", the Canucks have been managing points despite not playing very well for long stretches in games. The point where we can brush this aside as typical dog day doldrums is rapidly approaching, if not already past, so let's hope the team figures this out soon. They're fully healthy and there are no excuses right now.
Oh, and I'm all moved into a new apartment. In typical blogger fashion, the only things set up are my desk and my TV. The rest is chaos, so forgive me if this post sort of resembles that.
Vancouver Canucks News & Notes
AV admits the Canucks were "taken to school" by the Wings last night. Missing Higgins because of his recurring Zombie-like symptoms didn't help matters. [The Province]
Jack Edwards believes that Cory Schneider will be the Canucks' #1 goalie in the playoffs, citing his starts against the Blackhawks and Bruins in January. Nevermind that Schneider didn't play for weeks in between those games, lets not let that get in the way of a crazy theory... [PITB]
Jeff Paterson takes a look at the Canucks through 50 games. [Canucks Army]
Cody Hodgson has made a habit of showing up in big moments for the Canucks this year. [CHB]
The Province wants fans to rate each player after every Canucks game, so they can keep a running tally of each player's performance. [The White Towel]
Head to the Net has their February wallpaper up if you're looking for one.
Today in Canucks History
[Feb 3, 2006] Head Coach Marc Crawford becomes the third youngest coach in NHL history to accumulate 400 wins after Vancouver celebrated a 3-1 victory against Calgary. Only Scotty Bowman (43 years, 148 days) and Glen Sather (44 years, 198 days), were younger than Marc Crawford (44 years, 335 days) to reach the 400 win mark.
NHL News & Notes
I know this is a Canucks blog and all, and we don't usually celebrate the accomplishments of our rivals, but it's pretty hard to ignore what Sam Gagner did for the Oilers last night. 8 points in an 8-4 victory over the Blackhawks, tying pluggers like Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey for the franchise record. [Kukla's Korner]
7 of the Oilers' 8 goals were scored at even-strength, mostly by their top line, and somehow Duncan Keith finished even. [NHL Boxscore]
Speaking of basement teams beating the elite, on the flipside we had the Hurricanes completing the season-series sweep of the Boston Bruins last night with a 3-0 win. Cam Ward had a 47-save shutout. [NHL.com]
"Jean-Sebastian Giguere's career in a nutshell":
Patrik Elias delivers a hit that could result in him receiving a phone call from Shan the Man. [PHT]
Also from that game, Adam Larsson is injured after taking a huge, clean hit from PK Subban. [Backhand Shelf]
Surprisingly, Chris Stewart could be available at the trade deadline. [Puck Daddy]
After the controversy in LA the other night, Dean Lombardi explains what happened with the clock. I honestly thought this was a joke when I first read it. Just bizarre. [Puck Daddy]
40 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Last night’s game is hard to even talk about, except for Lou and Kesler. Such a disappointing showing. I’m still trying to figure out how AV got away with smoking a crack pipe on the bench before making his shootout roster with nobody noticing.
That Subban hit was vicious (in a good way). Really cool seeing the glove tap when Larsson was being helped off. Need more of that in the NHL, instead of fights after clean hits.
Perfectly fitting caption to the Giguere video, Jordan. What a save.
Nucks Misconduct's chief slab of man meat.
And Booth?
I didn’t see the whole game, but what I saw I was impressed by Booth (as well as Kes and Lu). But yeah, as a team that was pretty ugly.
Contributor to Nucks Misconduct
Editor of Hockey in Society
by nucksandpucks on Feb 3, 2012 9:51 AM PST up reply actions
I like Booth
but I’ve noticed he is most effective when he throttles back to about 90%. Last night he was full of energy and definitely one of our best players, but at 100% full on he doesn’t have the control and after a great sequence can end up passing right by the puck and watching it go the other way.
Completely agree about the crack pipe
Seriously what is AV thinking when he decides to go with Edler and Raymond? Raymond has one move on the shootout and its infuriating to watch. No Booth, No Franchise, No Sedins. Please AV shake-up the shoot-out roster.
Burr?
Hodgson on Hansen--
"I've never played with a guy who creates so many offensive turnovers.
I really enjoy playing with him."
by Bobby Canuck on Feb 3, 2012 11:24 AM PST up reply actions
Larry Murphy, the road color announcer for Fox Sports Detroit last night:
Interesting how the Canucks don’t use the Sedins as their first three shooters
I know our announcers aren’t well-liked, but that line cracked me up.
by J.J. from Kansas on Feb 3, 2012 12:50 PM PST up reply actions
well
they do venture into minor Jack Edwards homerism….
But that is a league wide phenom that Jackie is just best at.
But that line is funny.
Nuck’s Misconduct Bishop, 1st United Church of Luongod. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Gandhi. I think he was a Canucks fan...
@Vancitydan Writer at Nucks Misconduct
Yeah, it's a
real concern when the team wins 7 of 11 games. People are starting to get hung up on style points again. The only stat that matters is Ws.
Warm winds blowing, heating blue sky, and a road that goes forever...
by Smoboy41 on Feb 3, 2012 9:20 AM PST via mobile reply actions
The concern is
This team looks disinterested. Which either means they are actually disinterested, which doesn’t bode well since that’s not often a switch you can just flip on and it speaks to a lack of mental discipline. Or, the alternative is that they’re worn out from a short off-season and being worn out is making them seem disinterested. In any case it is concerning, nothing that can’t be turned around but when you hear GMMG explain the sedins lack of production being rooted in lack of power plays like he did on the TEAM today you start to worry that maybe this team is focused on the wrong things from the ground up. Not trying to play chicken little, as you say they’re winning but at the same time you can’t deny some disturbing trends are emerging.
by Canuckelhead on Feb 3, 2012 10:00 AM PST up reply actions
I wouldn't call it disturbing.
The passion is there. You could see it in the third period, when they overpowered the wings, but it was too late. You can see that they hate to lose.
So, this has nothing to do with being disinterested. They just laked urgency throughout the game, and you can’t do that against the best hockey team on the planet.
The last regulation loss was almost 3 weeks ago, which is hardly disturbing.
Los Angeles, CA
The Red Wings play with urgency just about every game, even against the lesser teams. The Canucks want to emulate the Red Wings and how they play the game? Then let them be as consistent when it comes to playing with “urgency” as Detroit.
Hodgson on Hansen--
"I've never played with a guy who creates so many offensive turnovers.
I really enjoy playing with him."
by Bobby Canuck on Feb 3, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions
That's not quite true
Little over a week ago, the Wings were humiliated by Montreal (of all things), losing 2:7. How is that for urgency?
Nah, the grass always seems greener on the other side, we know that. The Wings are no different.
Los Angeles, CA
You call it a trend
I call it a phase. We shall see.
Warm winds blowing, heating blue sky, and a road that goes forever...
by Smoboy41 on Feb 3, 2012 10:56 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I would be concerned if they played like this in the playoffs. It’s still only February and there’s still another 2 months before we see the playoffs. I would prefer for the team to save their energy for the playoffs/ not get injured before the playoffs.
About "The Switch"
The 2008-09 Red Wings played a disinterested style for a large part of that season after having won the previous finals and just generally having played a ton of emotionally draining hockey.
When the playoffs came around, they absolutely flipped the switch back on. I don’t know if every team has it, but I’m confident that teams who know how to win sometimes get bored with the grind of the regular season.
by J.J. from Kansas on Feb 3, 2012 12:52 PM PST up reply actions
Nothing to worry about.
The Canucks have been winning games since Bonston, while playing overly relaxed. It even worked with Chicago, so there was no reason to believe that the same gamble won’t work with Detroit. It didn’t. But that’s why I call it a gamble.
It would be nice to win every single game, but we have to look at the whole season, and not any particular game.
There is a little bit of bad habit developing here (over-confidence, that they can win every game in the third period, while coasting in the first two?), but I am sure the guys will take care of business during this mini trip.
Luongo was phenomenal, he is the reason why they didn’t get blown out in the first. But they already know that Lu will stop all the break-aways, so every opponent gets a few of those, as a gift. The classic deception technique: draw your opponent into believing that you are weak and vulnerable, and then go for the kill (tongue in cheek).
And fuck the refs, they missed (or did they?) at least a high stick, and a chop at Kesler’s skates, that sent him flying. These were just the screaming obvious ones. And thank you for spoiling a Burrows break-away. Great footwork there, ref! Your job is to get the fuck our of the way.
But it was hard to fool the 19,000 fans, who booed them.
Los Angeles, CA
Samwise Gagner
Nice. You make that one up, Jordan? Definitely made me chuckle when I read it.
Contributor to Nucks Misconduct
Editor of Hockey in Society
Can't take the credit
In the Kukla’s Korner piece I linked to he calls him Samwise.
He actually looks more like Frodo.
by Jordan Clarke on Feb 3, 2012 11:33 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
The record night for Gagner was pretty amazing. And the fact that it came against the Hawks was nice : ) (All due respect to Chi fans, I love SCH, but still enjoy seeing that team receive beatdowns)
As I said in Dan’s recap, we have a pretty darn good record for not playing our best. But I really want to see this team get out of this funk and dominate the way they can. And I don’t want to see bad habits take root.
I think of Philly last year. They had gone to the Finals with Chicago the year earlier (2010) and lost. They were neck and neck with us for 1st in the league the following year (2011), but they dropped off in a big way by March. March-April they played quite poorly. I know they had goalie challenges, but I watched alot of those games and alot of the struggles seemed to be poor execution.
I want us to win the cup this year. Consistency and sharper play are good first steps. I am confident the team will get that back over the next little while.
They once made a Kevin Bieksa toilet paper, but it wouldn't take shit from anybody.
#37 Ryp
Like I said in the Recap
We expect perfection, every game.
We have a great team, so why should it not kick any and all asses?
Like Henrik said, sometimes everyone is not 100"% and the execution suffers.
Yet they are somehow winning and getting points. Thats a good thing. Sometimes, consistency and sharp play are affected by the other team being pretty good as well.
Nuck’s Misconduct Bishop, 1st United Church of Luongod. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Gandhi. I think he was a Canucks fan...
@Vancitydan Writer at Nucks Misconduct
Geez
passittobulis Pass it to Bulis
Amazing stat from @Artemchubarov: Manny Malhotra’s O-zone start percentage in January: 0.01%. That’s nuts. #Canucks
They once made a Kevin Bieksa toilet paper, but it wouldn't take shit from anybody.
#37 Ryp
Wow. Love that he does not complain at all about his role and just does his job night in and night out.
Contributor to Nucks Misconduct
Editor of Hockey in Society
by nucksandpucks on Feb 3, 2012 12:33 PM PST up reply actions
Pretty cool
GenePrincipe Gene Principe
Gretzky and Coffey text congrats to Sam on 8 pt night
They once made a Kevin Bieksa toilet paper, but it wouldn't take shit from anybody.
#37 Ryp
THAT is awesome
I bet his fanboy squee was thru the roof
Alex Burrows is a nice guy...He opens doors.
It's Pogonip-ing in Golden
Ice crystals in the sunshine…. Life is good. The Canucks are fine and WILL BE even finer. For God’s sake we’re spoiled with them. This “mini-slump”, if you can call it that, is just a blip. Stop fretting everybody! They still have the fire and the passion. Watch for it.
"Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley
last nights game sucked
I am hoping it is due to the Nucks just having an off night, my takeaway is at least it wasn’t a shellacking like some that we took last year. Honestly, we should be glad it wasn’t
Alex Burrows is a nice guy...He opens doors.
Usually when the Canucks lack focus for a period of time
they get blown out in a game or two, and then are forced to go back to basic principals – good puck management, shorter high percentage passes, and total hustle.
They are fortunate to have picked up so many points during this period, but the question is do they actually need to be blown out to re-focus? I’d prefer they learn from these games where they are fortunate to come out with points.
I know the Canucks are sputtering
But when you look at how the Canucks are slumping, and say, oh… I don’t know… Chicago? Perhaps things aren’t quite as bad as we think
One of those jerks from Nucks Misconduct
@KentBaskyNM
Holy crap. Look at Rome!!- Sean Zandberg
Slumping means a losing record recently right?
Definitely not as bad as some think!
Nuck’s Misconduct Bishop, 1st United Church of Luongod. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Gandhi. I think he was a Canucks fan...
@Vancitydan Writer at Nucks Misconduct
by vancitydan on Feb 3, 2012 9:11 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
The hawks have it bad
They lost the biggest strength on their team, defensive depth.
by Canuckelhead on Feb 3, 2012 10:20 PM PST up reply actions
That Iginla goal today made Keith look REALLY ordinary.
Frequent visitor to Nucks Misconduct.
by Vancouverguy on Feb 3, 2012 11:32 PM PST up reply actions
RE: Chris Stewart
I think GMMG should inquire about him even though it’s within the conference. He’s got size/grit, youth and offensive skills. Plus, his value is pretty low right now.
Poutine & Meatballs
Ken Hitchcock
Turning 30 goal scorers into 12 goal scorers since the late 90s.
Warm winds blowing, heating blue sky, and a road that goes forever...
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Nucks Misconduct Store
Your clothing sucks. Go fix it.
