Open Thread: Kings-Hawks / 2006 Canucks

Game Time: 5:00 PST

TV: CBC

Is it going to be the Patrick Kane show again? He has 2 goals and 5 assists in the last 2 games. He seems to come alive late in series'. Am I rooting for one team over the other? Bah! Not really. This is the worst potential Cup Finals ever.

As I write this, I am chilling out in the ol' Waiting For Stanley / Nucks Misconduct archives. Let me share some cool findings from October/November of 2006:

-Remember that flash game called Line Rider? I wasted a lot of hours on that one.

-With the return of Willie Mitchell, Alexander Edler has been sent back to the Moose. (November 2006)

-Anson Carter was signed by the Canucks for $1 million for the 2005-06 season. He scored 33 goals (almost half of them on the power play) playing with the Sedins. The following summer he wanted a raise  (3 years, $9 million, reportedly) and the Canucks would not give it to him. So, Columbus GM Doug MacLean signed him for $2.5 million. His offence took a huge dump in Columbus, not surprisingly and soon after his NHL career was over. Talk about a guy wanting to cash in...but hey, it was fun while it lasted, right?

I called it though:

-Former Canucks GM Dave Nonis shares his feelings about free agency and the NHL schedule changes (October, 2006)

-Hockey wives (2006). Good god.

-After Roberto Luongo had his best appearance and first shutout as a Canuck, WFS co-writer Hodge was wondering what nickname we should give our new star goaltender. What about Bob?

-Remember when Gretzky was GM of the Coyotes?

Wayne Gretzky made is debut last year with the Coyotes and they finished 38-39-5 in the toughest division in the NHL. With that record, he signed a 5 year contract extension as well as players like Ed Jovanovski, George Laraque, Owen Nolan, Jeremy Roenick, and Nick Boynton, all of who have yet to prove their worth.

-I'm glad this did not turn out to be the new Canucks jersey back in 2006:

-Mats Sundin scores his 500th NHL goal in style:

Oh right, did I tell I you I am a Leafs fan?

-So, I called AV this morning and suggested the following top two line changes for the next game. Sedin Sedin Bulis Naslund Morrison Kesler

Remember the lack of offence in Luongo / AV's first years here? Back then I said:

Alain Vigneault's new defensive coaching style may remind you of the Wild or the Devils, but who cares? It works doesn't it? It angers me when I hear Canuck fans complain about the games being boring. Do you want the excitement of the last several seasons under Marc Crawford? Sure, if you crave disappointment.
For once the Canucks look composed on the ice. They are playing better team defence. Hell, even Markus Naslund is backchecking every game, rather than floating around and letting someone else do the dirty work.

-Marc Crawford used to use the Sedins on the PK too, because he used the West Coast Express primarily on the PP:

Alain Vigneault said recently that the twins' ice time will be lowered on the penalty kill and increased on the power play. So he recognizes at least that Crawford's way was flawed. Under Crow, the Sedins had alot of time on the PK, while Morrison, Naslund, and Bertuzzi gobbled up all the powerplay time. That enraged Canuck fans down the stretch when the Sedins were rocking, and the 'top line' looked like a bunch of punks. Crawford stuck it out with his high-priced guns with icetime on 5 on 5 and the powerplay, and the Sedins were held back.
Thanks to Vigneault, those days are all but over.

-We used to talk about Marc Chouinard being injured and Tommi Santala taking his spot in the lineup. Yea. Good times.

-Wow. How times have changed. On September 28:

Ryan Kesler will play on the Canucks third line this season with Alex Burrows, as Alain Vigneault really likes how they play together.
"Those two guys seem to be clicking well together," Vigneault said. "Now we need to find another forward to complement them. Those two tonight were as close as the Sedins have been."

Alright that's enough for now. Enjoy the game, or meteor shower, or whatever else it is you are doing on a Sunday evening while the Kings-Hawks game 7 is on.

I will for sure be watching the game, and then this: