GDT: 10/19/07: 'Nucks and Kings. 7:00pm PST SNET/1040

[Daniel Wilson]

Things seem to be coming in three's against the 'Nucks. It all started with those three first period goals by the Sharks on opening night, which was followed up by the Sharks again exploding for three goals, this time in the third period, Monday night against Vancouver. Now tonight, another three unanswered goals from the Kings and the Canucks find themselves down by two going into the final stanza.

Let's not forget the 3-0 that went awry for them tonight too...

[Daniel Wilson]

After seeing some of the offensive flair Anze Kopitar brings to LA's game, it gets even rougher to think that the Canucks passed on Kopitar to pick Luc Bourdon and LA picked Kopitar with the next pick.

Given Vancouver's offensive woes last season and so far this season, not to mention their defensive stability (at least on paper), how nice would it be to see Kopitar in blue and green?

Hopefully Bourdon still develops into a future top draw for the Canucks, but at this juncture, the nod goes to LA.

[Cookie La Rue]

The best i watched so far was the ad of "Planet of Terror" few minutes ago...

edit: goal...go canucks go....overpressure...terror....and Barbapapa saves damn.

edit: and i thought a goal is a goal when the puck crosses the goal line ?

nevertheless a loss......this could get really ugly on this 4 game roadtrip.

[Daniel Wilson]

The Buzz: The Canucks were offered some bait, as they battled former Smythe Division rivals, the Los Angeles Kings (2-6-0) at home and came up on the short end of the stick, in a game that should have been a gimme. This brings back memories of the Canucks going 0-4 against St. Louis in 2005-06 and could be points they regret losing when the regular season draws to a close.

Lamplighter: Ryan Kesler’s feed to Mattius Ohlund at the top of the slot for a shot ripped past goalie Jason LaBarbera blocker, pulled the Canucks within a goal of the Kings, before the game was put out of reach by an awarded goal to Dustin Brown.

Combo B: Brad Isbister goes from press box to joining Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison as the latest attempt at finding the missing link to the former West Coast Connection (minus Todd Bertuzzi, of course).

Turning Point: Vancouver’s inability to capitalize on a rare 3-0 was later answered by the Kings first of three goals in the second period.

Stats Stupid: The Kings have used seven goalies in the last two seasons and with this season only a few weeks old, that number could continue to rise.

Sickbay: Kevin Bieksa skated off the ice in a great deal of pain near the end of the game, perhaps agravating a previously existing injury.

Sign of the times: The fans seem to have forgiven the Kings’ Jack Johnson who was public enemy number one during the 2006 World Junior Championships in Vancouver, as a member of the American squad. When Johnson’s name was announced on the Kings’ first goal, the chorus of boos was much less than expected.

Class act: Taylor Pyatt, not a familiar name in the fighting world, steps up and takes on Kings’ heavyweight Raitis Ivanans, after Ivanans runs Henrik Sedin into the boards and shakes him up. Not only did Pyatt step up to the plate, but he also landed a few good punches in the tussle.

Brouhaha: Pyatt and Ivanans spirited affair got the fans into the game and despite being tackled to the ice, the nod in this decision would have to go to Pyatt.

X-file: Trevor Linden was designated to the press box as a healthy scratch, in favour of the recalled Mason Raymond who spent a total of one game with the Manitoba Moose, during his demotion.

[UpYerKilt]

This team is way too reliant on momentum. The Kings score their first goal and all the momentum is sucked out. Then it took a good shift and eventually a goal to get it back. The good teams don't colapse in their own building when they allow a goal.

Also the Canucks hand eye ability looks a little suspect this year. Little things like knocking down bouncing pucks and holding the blue line were a chore all night. Of course this could also be the old squeezing the stick syndrome.

Bright spot - Raymond looked great at times finally using his speed while carrying the puck. Also Kesler speed causing the D to back up before sliding a sweet pass to Ohlund told me this guy can play at a higher level (consistency)

This is starting to smell like a bad year. I know it's game 7 but there are way too many negatives going uncorrected right now. Hopefully the road trip will swing things around.

Guts

[levelheaded]

Words cannot describe how awful that felt. Getting shown up by the Kings wasn't fun. Bieksa has one of the worst games I've seen any defenceman play ever, and ends up getting hurt. Naslund looks good, but has nothing to show for it. Weaver continues to prove he is the biggest waste of $600k ever. Isibister returns to his incredible apathetic style, and Luongo is one again extremely average.

Our defence as a whole has been terrible, I cannot begin to fathom how that is so. Mitchell looks lost, Bieksa looks like he's playing the wrong sport, Ohlund looks useless most of the time, Weaver is just plain brutal, Miller has yet to show me way we're paying him $1.5M. Krajicek has been our best all round defender so far, and that's not good considering the amount of talent we're supposed to have.

The Sedins short lived hot streak has vanished, Morrison looks like the Mo of last year again and Naslund isn't capitalizing on his chances. Raymond shows flashes of brilliance, but he still looks like a deer in the headlights most of the time. Pyatt, on the other hand, has been a nice surprise considering he lost his job out of camp this year. Can we just sign Forsberg now and get this shit over with?

What is wrong with this team? They looked like they learnt nothing from the San Jose game, they aren't backchecking or forechecking and they certainly aren't playing as a team. They are reminding me of the 05/06 version of this team.

We have to turn things around on this road trip, but more importantly we have to turn things around at home. I say we can't be worse than 3-1-1 over the next five games if we want to remain in the race in the West. I know we started off poorly last year, but that looked like a team ready to make a breakout. This looks like a team ready to challenge Philadelphia for most depressingly hilarious collapse of all time.

*sigh* Rant over I guess. Why is that whenever I am in the least bit optimistic we lose. To think, I could've spent the evening doing work and saved myself a lot of heartbreak.

[mband]

Levelheaded, your comments echo my sentiments exactly.

I too wish I'd spent the evening doing something more fun and productive - like banging my head against a wall.

[Cookie La Rue]

Levelheaded, your comments echo my sentiments exactly.

I guess we're all feeling the same way, right now.

Maybe the good thing is that it can't go worse, can it ?

[sic puppy]

Levelheaded, your comments echo my sentiments exactly.

I guess we're all feeling the same way, right now.

Just curious what you guys did before these message boards. 7 games into the season and it sounds like the world has fallen in on itself.

Expectations ! Last year no one knew what this team was going to do. They started the season as an unknown entity to themselves and the fan base, not to mention the rest of the League. Many one goal games in their favour gave the team some confidence and of course Luongo saved their bacon on many nights.

So, this year the expectations have increased. Does anyone really believe this team can be better than last year with respect to wins and points ? Remembering how many one goal games were won when just as easily a bounce here or there and it's a tie or a loss.

The Nux coming out of training camp were a work in progress due to injury. So the team building, chemistry or familiarity wasn't there. The fact that in their first 7 games they have had two stretches of no games in 4 nights. Again, no time to gel. Practices don't necessarily allow for chemistry.

Hard to fathom comments like "the Sedins hot streak has vanished". How many players get points every game of the season ?

Reading some of these rants is like reading a tabloid where negativity certainly sells.

7 games into the new season 3 wins - 4 losses.

Last year 7 games into the season 3 wins - 4 losses. Hmmmmm....?

[levelheaded]

Expectations ! Last year no one knew what this team was going to do. They started the season as an unknown entity to themselves and the fan base, not to mention the rest of the League. Many one goal games in their favour gave the team some confidence and of course Luongo saved their bacon on many nights.

Yes, but given the success of the team last year expectations are increased. We shouldn't be on par with where we were last year, we should ahead of that as we are in the supposed 'elite' of the western conference. Losing to bad teams is not acceptable. LA is a bad team. Furthermore, we haven't lost because we've been outplayed, it's because we've been completely outplayed for short stretches. That to me shows there is something inherently flawed with the team so far this season. I don't know what it is, but it's there.

Hard to fathom comments like "the Sedins hot streak has vanished". How many players get points every game of the season ?

Not many, but I expect them to be point a game players, and your best players at least need to be a THREAT each night. They haven't been for the last couple of games.

7 games into the new season 3 wins - 4 losses.

Last year 7 games into the season 3 wins - 4 losses. Hmmmmm....?

I believe we were 3-3-1, at this point last year which is a bit different. However, as I said, the big difference for me is that team looked like one that needed a bit of luck to break out (which they did). This year they look like one bad bounce will send them into an extended losing streak. It's just a concern, as I REALLY don't want to have to go through another 05/06.

I'm still confident we'll turn this around, but there have been too many troubling signs so far this season. This is a team that is supposed to challenge for the northwest division title, not struggle to make the playoffs.

[sic puppy]

Yes, but given the success of the team last year expectations are increased.

Expectations do not equate to success.

We shouldn't be on par with where we were last year, we should ahead of that as we are in the supposed 'elite' of the western conference.

Again, this is an expectation. And as we are told only death & taxes are certainties.

Losing to bad teams is not acceptable.

Quite possibly true, but it happens many times throughout the year (and not just to the Nux). Saying that it's unacceptable doesn't change the fact that it happens.

Furthermore, we haven't lost because we've been outplayed, it's because we've been completely outplayed for short stretches. That to me shows there is something inherently flawed with the team so far this season. I don't know what it is, but it's there.

Not sure that the degree to which a team is outplayed has any bearing. I would argue that the Nux were outplayed in a number of games or for a number of periods last year as well.

I would agree that this isn't the same team that played with so much confidence in the second half of last year, however the training camp issues and early gaps in the schedule may have something to do with the team not looking like they are functioning on all cylinders early on this season.

but I expect them to be point a game players, and your best players at least need to be a THREAT each night. They haven't been for the last couple of games.

I would certainly dispute this. There is a difference between averaging a point a game and actually getting a point per game. Over a season of 82 games very few players are at the level you suggest the Sedins should perform at, and with 8 points in 7 games, I for one wouldn't fault their play at this stage of the season.

This is a team that is supposed to challenge for the northwest division title, not struggle to make the playoffs.

With 75 games to go in the season, I'm not sure they are struggling to make the playoffs at this point, altho' points this month are just as important as those in March.

While I for one do not expect a similar win/point production this year from the Nux, I wouldn't right them out of the playoffs at this point.

[DonCherry4PM]

I am going to have to side with the majority on this one, smalien. While I don't necessarily think that it is time to panic, I do think that there are some flaws in the team that are quite apparent and which did not seem to be there last season. This does seem to be cause for some legitimate concern.

One hopes that when a team keeps the majority of its players and makes no major changes that it will build off the successes of its last season - not start over again at square one. I think the sentiment is that we don't seem to be building at all but regressing. Our play is sloppy and our confidence is as transient as an Arizona Snowbird. One would hope that this is just beginning of the season jitters, but the more bad performances that are given the less likely this seems to be.

As well, our only regulation time victories have come against an extremely sub-par team and our overtime victory was also against a team, that in my opinion is no better than average. The three times we have played teams that are from above average to good (in the sharks case possibly elite) we showed our true colours.

[sic puppy]

While I don't necessarily think that it is time to panic, I do think that there are some flaws in the team that are quite apparent and which did not seem to be there last season. This does seem to be cause for some legitimate concern.

While I would agree that this team is not playing at the same confident level as the second half of last year, I question the expectation that this team would come out of the starting gate at the same clip it did at the end of the season.

For this reason I responded to the negative rants.

Sure the team isn't playing the way it did at the end of the year. Was there anyone who would have predicted the type of year last year's team had ? Not from the posts and articles that I have read.

Are there concerns ? Certainly. But. At the 7 game mark in the season it just gets old and repetitive to hear such negative rumblings, particularly pointing out production efforts of individuals at this point of the season.

One hopes that when a team keeps the majority of its players and makes no major changes that it will build off the successes of its last season - not start over again at square one.

Again, what would be the expectation you are asking in reference to "building off the successes" of last year ? The Nux had a record of 37 - 19 from Dec to the end of the year. A clip of 66%. IMO that is a winning percentage that would be hard to duplicate.

I for one was pleasantly surprised by last year's team. Were they that good ?

As mentioned they played a number of close 1 goal games that they were able to feed off and gain confidence from. Coming off a 4 or 5 month rest bit, does not necessarily bode well to maintaining that end of year momentum they had going.

You only have to look at any team in any sport that has a ton of momentum going only to become less than ordinary when having a longer than "normal" break before continuing in a series or playoff.

Don't for a minute think that I am making an excuse for a collection of athletes who make an obscene amount of money. I am not. However, there are a number of factors that have contributed to the "slow/effortless start" that the vocal posters have alluded to.

Unfortunately the expectations based on last year's success have brought about this tantrum. I'm just concerned that by showing it so early in the season, some of the posters won't be around when the team rebounds and is once again the "talk of the town", in a more positive light because of a stress related illness.

[DonCherry4PM]

While I would agree that this team is not playing at the same confident level as the second half of last year, I question the expectation that this team would come out of the starting gate at the same clip it did at the end of the season.

Again, what would be the expectation you are asking in reference to "building off the successes" of last year ? The Nux had a record of 37 - 19 from Dec to the end of the year. A clip of 66%. IMO that is a winning percentage that would be hard to duplicate.

I do understand your point but I don't and didn't really expect the Canucks to "come out of the starting gate at the same clip" as they ended last season. Nor do I expect them to be playing at 66%.

What I did and do expect is to see the same work ethic, the defensively sound style of game and the unwillingness to give up as last year, albeit with some rust.

My disappointment and concern is not that they are losing but the manner in which they are losing. As stated, at the beginning of last year there were a lot of one goal games, several of which they lost and some of which they won. And last year, it did very much seem that a lot of the problem was just bad luck. Not so this year. Losses seem to be characterized by periods of complete lackluster play and total defensive breakdown.

I guess what I am trying to articulate is that I am more concerned that their current play has more to do with the character of the team (which I assumed would be the same as last year) than it does with dusting off the rust from the offseason.

[SRsez]

This team is way too reliant on momentum.

Yep, for 37 years now.