Vancouver Canucks Messageboard

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Bob Mackin
bob.mackin@24hrs.ca

The Buzz:
The host Vancouver Canucks went out with a whimper, losing their final game of the 2007-2008 season 7-1 to the playoff bound Calgary Flames on April 5. Fan appreciation night at General Motors Place became Trevor Linden appreciation night, as “Mr. Canuckâ€￾ have played his last NHL game.

Iggy Pops:
Canucks’ star netminder Roberto Luongo was pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots. Backup Curtis Sanford allowed just one in the second, but three in the third, including Jarome Iginla’s 50th of the season.

Only the Lonely:
Byron Ritchie had Vancouver’s last goal of the season to equalize at 8:42 of the first, but Kristian Huselius responded 23 seconds later for Calgary. Eric Nystrom’s goal put the game out of reach for the lacklustre Canucks, who were eliminated from post-season when they lost to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Lousy Lu:
On March 30, the Canucks were 6-2 winners over the Flames in Vancouver after Luongo allowed David Moss to score on Calgary’s first shot. Moss scored on the Flames’ first shot again Saturday. Luongo was 2-4 overall when giving up the first shot of the game this season.

Enter Sandman:
Sanford’s last start was Jan. 11 when the Phoenix Coyotes visited. Since then, he appeared seven times in relief of Luongo. It may have been Sanford’s last appearance as a Canuck. He came to Vancouver on a one-year contract.

Exit Linden?:
Was it the last skate for Trevor Linden in a Canucks’ uniform? Canucks’ fans and even Flames’ players treated it that way and gave number 16 an ovation to start the game, the third period and at the final horn. Linden, who was drafted by Vancouver in 1988’s first round, did a solo skate around the ice at game’s end and was thanked by players on both sides. Some fans even chanted “one-more-year.â€￾

Trevor Talk:
“It was quite overwhelming,â€￾ Linden said. “I’ve been treated incredibly by the City of Vancouver for a long time and fans of the team. For someone who doesn’t like attention it was a little difficult.
“I don’t feel right talking about (the future of my career), It’s been an emotional week from a lot of standpoints from having an opportunity to go to the playoffs to not getting there. At this point i just need to take some time and reflect.â€￾

Markus’ Musings:
Captain Markus Naslund did not address the crowd during the post-game “jerseys off our backsâ€￾ ceremony. He said he would have thanked fans for their support. “This city deserves a winner... the sellout itself says everything. It’s a great city to live in, a great city to play in, it’s frustrating that we couldn’t make it happen this year,â€￾ said the veteran Swede.

Goodbye Nazzy?
Naslund is now an unrestricted free agent. He said he would like to come back to Vancouver after his 25-goal season, but he indicated that retirement is a possibility.
“I don’t know, we’ll see. I want to take some time. We’ll see.â€￾

Hope they’re better at golf:
The Canucks finished 39-43 (including 10 tiebreaker losses) for 88 points and 11th place in the Western conference. They had 213 goals for and 215 goals against. They lost seven of their last 10 regular season games. Last year’s Northwest division champions finished the 2007-2008 campaign as the last-place club. Like the Edmonton Oilers, the Canucks had 88 points. Edmonton, however, won two more games.

Uniform Hex:
Vancouver returned to its original blue, green and white uniform design in 2007-2008 and lost 43 games. It may have been a commercial success, but the hockey gods didn’t like it. The Canucks also lost 43 times and missed the playoffs in 1977-1978, the final year of the first go-round in blue, green and white. They switched the following season to the controversial yellow, red and black design of San Francisco’s Beyl and Boyd.

Canucks Awards:
Cyclone Taylor MVP: Roberto Luongo; Babe Pratt best defenseman: Willie Mitchell; most exciting: Alexandre Burrows; Fred Hume unsung hero: Burrows; Molson Cup: Luongo; Cyrus McLean leading scorer: Henrik Sedin.

Bottom Line:
The 1970-established Vancouver Canucks have still not delivered their loyal fans a Stanley Cup.

Next up:
Enjoy the spring and summer. Follow the Canucks off-season in 24 hours Vancouver, available free throughout Vancouver and online anywhere in the world at vancouver.24hrs.ca

Thanks for reading. Have fun, keep safe and see you in October!

Markus Naslund on the end of the season AND his potential retirement from the NHL.

What he would've said to fans, had he taken the microphone to speak during the "jerseys off our backs" ceremony:
“Thank them again for their support, this city deserves a winner, they deserve a winning team. The sellout itself says everything. It’s a great city to live in, a great city to play in. It’s frustrating that we couldn’t make it happen this year.â€￾

On his future:
“I’m going to sit down here during the off-season and reflect on everything, talk to my family and make a decision.â€￾
"I’ve always been proud playing with this team, it’s been an honor being the captain of this team. that being said our family loves it here. We’ll see, but I’m not going to comment on any future plans right now, i’m going to take some time and make the right decision."

On the Canucks' failure to acquire a scoring forward:
"I think when you’re plahing for a team you want to play for the best possible team, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. The trades that were out there didn’t make senes and they can’t obviously risk their future on a short term thing."

On the possibility of retirement:
"I don’t know, we’ll see. I want to take some time. We’ll see."

Roberto Luongo on his performance -- three goals allowed on nine shots -- against the Calgary Flames.

“I don’t really care, my season ended Thursday as far as I concerned. I tried to bring it tonight but obviously I didn’t have anything in the tank.â€￾

Post-game comments about Canucks' number 16 Trevor Linden:

Ex-teammate/Flame Adrian Aucoin:
“He was my first captain, Just the way he played the game and especially the way he handles himself off the ice he’s definitely a role model for all the players.â€￾

Flames’ head coach Mike Keenan, who traded Linden to the Islanders:
“He’s given a lot to this team and this community. It was fortuitous that he was able to come back here because this is where he should be. He gives a lot to this community, in the various charitable situations and what he did on the ice. We had no better view of it than in ’94, the series was a great series, it could’ve gone either way. It was very tight and Trevor was a very strong player for them, leading their team and playing well on ice in maybe one of the biggest game’s in history. I’m happy for him.â€￾

Trevor Linden:

On the standing ovations:
“It was quite overwhelming. I’ve been treated incredibly by the City of Vancouver for a long time and fans of the team. For someone who doesn’t like attention it was a little difficult.â€￾

On the game:
“It was unfortunate the way the game went, at the same time it was a special night for me.â€￾

On Jarome Iginla leading the Flames in wishing him well:
“It was a very, very classy thing to do, I think Jarome is one of the most classy players in the league, not only that he’s probably the best player in the league.â€￾

On his future:
“I don’t feel right talking about it, it’s been an emotional week from a lot of standpoints from having an opportunity to go to the playoffs to not getting there. At this point I just need to take some time and reflect.â€￾

Canucks’ goaltender Roberto Luongo:
“I don’t know if he’ll be back next year, but it’s tough to see not only a great teammate but a great friend I’ve made since I’ve been here have a moment like that.â€￾

Canucks’ captain Markus Naslund:
“It’s obvious how much he’s loved in the city. I wish we could’ve helped him out and made it more fun by winning the game and getting him a goal. It says a lot how much he’s meant to this city and to this organization the way the fans treated him.â€￾

No apologies for any of my comments about Roberto Luongo's lousy season. Overpaid? Cynics would say so. I'm not going to agree to that. Overrated? It's arguable. He's the only player on the Canucks who consistently does anything that deserves to be labeled "spectacular." Amazing talent, skill and po...

L is for Luongo, on this night it might also mean loss. L is also for Linden The third period faceoff was delayed as fans at GM Place gave Trevor Linden a standing ovation. Even the entire Calgary Flames' bench rose and players banged their sticks on the boards in honor of number 16. Linden lifted h...

See you in September, Bobby Lu.

One thing they teach children who play hockey is to know where you're passing the puck.

Roberto Luongo's head was down when he sent the biscuit from behind the net to the corner where Eric Nystrom was waiting.

Nine shots. Three goals allowed.

This is our MVP?

Bobby Lousy hears a Huselius...

Two goals on five shots.

So much for Burnaby Byron's goal.

Byron Ritchie scores for Vancouver to tie the game.

Let me be the first to officially say "where was that the other night?"

So Canucks' fans at GM Place started the "Calgary sucks!" chant a minute ago.

A Flames' fan wearing a Jarome Iginla jersey turned to a Canucks' fan wearing a Roberto Luongo jersey.

All the Calgary fan said was "P-L-A-Y-O-F-F-S."

So, Canucks' fans, who sucks?

Joe Thornton scored for San Jose on the third shot of the season-opener on October 5. It's April 5 and Roberto Luongo lets in the first shot of the game to the Flames' David Moss at 1:33. In between games 1 and 82, Luongo has only gotten worse in handling the first shot of the game by the opposing t...

Markus Naslund could gain a lot of respect tonight if he were to "cede the C" to Trevor Linden. But the likelihood of that happening is up there with a ticket price rollback from the Aquilinis. When and if this is Linden's last skate, how will the Canucks handle it? Will his jersey be retired immedi...

Let's start the thread... Fire Alain Vigneault? He mishandled Roberto Luongo by overplaying him and not using Curtis Sanford more often. Fire Dave Nonis? Just call him No-tradis for his lack of wheeling and dealing to solve the Canucks' terminal scoring deficit. Injuries were a problem, but good tea...

Alain Vigneault post-game news conference

"The difference in the game was our inability of our power play to get it done."

"We just lost a very tough game that's taken us out of the playoffs. We have one more game to finish the regular season and we'll analyze whatever we have to analyze."