GDT: Nov 3-Canucks @ Wild, 5:00PST SNet-P

[LotusBlossom]

Well, I'm glad I coached volleyball tonight and only caught the 3rd period.

How can a team like Minnesota be allowed to shoot more than 40 shots? Their season high was 35 until this game.

[Rumsfeld]

Just not feeling a lot of angst tonight. Maybe I'm just having a good week. I know we were dominated for stretches but we're getting our chances and I think we're going to start burying teams early and go on a run.

If we lose tomorrow I might start to sweat a little.

[Rumsfeld]

Well, I'm glad I coached volleyball tonight and only caught the 3rd period.

OMG that's so crazy, I was coaching a girl's high school volleyball game tonight!

I was minding my own business in the bleachers when for no reason whatsoever this female coach and some of her brats started mean-mugging me and giving me sly looks while I was in the stands!

I was just trying to teach my girls the fundamentals of sportsmanship and honor and now this crazy chick thinks it's all about her!

All I know is I will never coach a game against Gladstone Secondary again! I feel violated!

[BCReefer]

Also, this is a different team without Salo.

Salo would not of made a difference when you have the entire team stink.

I am really glad AV did not play the guys in the preseason, after we wouldn't want them to be tired golfing in the summer next year.

[old calamari]

the team got trapped to death again. st louis is going to play the same game as minny, jesus chist this coatching staff has to figure out a way to play against this crap.

[rats19]

We Shit the bed,that Is all......35 was pretty good.

[Hockey Widow]

We played a solid 1st period. But there were early signs we were in for a long night. Bieksa was totally bad Kev again. It started in the last game when he casually gave away the puck and then was laughing about it on the bench. He continued that in the Minny game. He had 3 blatant give aways alone in the 1st period and if not for some pretty impressive goaltending we would have been down 3-1 in the 1st.

Yes, when Salo is not playing our entire defence seems to suffer this brain fart. Why? I don't know but it has become obvious over the past few years that he is a key cog back there. Note to MG: when it is time to replace Salo find someone that brings whatever it is he brings, minus the injuries of course.

Our play after the 1st was beyond embarrassing, beyond disinterest, beyond frustration. Too many passengers. We are better than that but we certainly didn't play like it. Its fine to play with arrogance if you bring an edge but not if you bring the casual willies.

[Potatoe1]

Uggh, just a terrible effort, not going to do a full summary because it's kind of depressing.

-Lappy, Schneider, Sulzer and Hodgson were the only players who were OK, the rest of the guys were either below average or freaking terrible.

-Bieksa was just an absolute joke last night, one of the worst efforts I can recall by an individual player. Total insult to fans, team mates, management and ownership.

-Malholtra with a disaster of a game, seemed to come around a bit the past 2 games but just butchered this one. AV keeping him on the 3rd line over Lappy is a horrible decision. If the team were rolling then it would be different, but when you are struggling like we have you need to go with your best players. Coddling bottom6 forwards just reeks of the favouritism that AV has long been criticised for. Hansen also needs a boot in the ass, his effort hasn't been there at all this year.

-Alberts is a mediocre 3rd pairing guy when he's on the left side. When he's on the right side in the top4 he is just terrible. Kind of makes you appreciate Aaron Rome, which is a bit scary.

-4th line has slipped a lot since their fantastic game against the Caps. Unlike most I didn't like their game against the Flames and felt they were out played by Calgary's 4th line. It was even worse last night and they got burned for a couple of goals. 4th liners should never feel comfortable and need to play like their job is on the line ever night. A game like last night should get them a spot in the press box regardless of how they played last week. Andrew Ebbet was quite good in his only game this season so hopefully he is back in tonight, I also wouldn't mind VO getting another shot but I don't think it's possible.

[Topper]

A few comments;

Way to shit the bed. A game with less thrills than a high school girls volley ball night.

Salo's breakout pass was sorely missed. A couple of key stretch passes would have made a huge difference in breaking up the trap. Where was Mr. 12pts in 12gms? Oh, that was 6pts in 10gms, gotcha.

A great effort by the Wild at stifling the speed and transition of Vancouver.

Hey Reef, how did you like that time out call?

If #1had turned in the performance Schneider did last night he would have been roasted at the stake. Several of those goals were stoppable but it appears the great saves he did make excuse him from criticism. Down early, too far back in the net and watch the twine bulge over the shoulder.

Just as Vancouver did against a lazy and slow Calgary team, the Wild exploited a weak seam across the slot in a disinterested Vancouver team.

I owe an apology for my comments on Cody last game. I compared him to Ryan Shannon and Jason King and I owe those two an apology. Cody is nowhere near that good. He continues to be completely lost on the wing. In an effort to shake things up and get the second line going, AV swapped Burrows and Silent 3. It worked well for Ryan and David. That line was instantly dangerous offensively. Poor Dan and Hank were hung with an albatross for two shifts. Cody's lone accomplishment was to bump Daniel off the puck and ruin a scoring chance. Cody finished the game, the only place there may be a vacancy for him, fourth line centre.

Manny to the press box, maybe IRL to recover, opens a spot on the wing for Ebbett and puts Cody at centre on the fourth. Cody on the wing is a failure and it says a lot about his ability to think and see the NHL game. He is nowhere near as smart a player as some make him out to be.

I will say it again, someone please slice KB3's Achilles before he does any more harm.

I hope Kelly is doing well tonight.

[Listercat]

There aren't enough goat horns in BC to pass out to the deserving in this one!!

Disagree with you about #35 Topper. Had he not played like he did the score would have been 10-1. Totally hung out to dry by his team. Had it been Roberto in net I would feel the same.

Manny's line especially followed the puck around their own zone like a bunch of Peewees. Never in position , never picked up a check.

KB3 looked as bad as he has ever looked. Pull your head out of your ass Kev and get in the game.

Alex Edler did not play a whole lot better although his mistakes were not so glaring or costly.

Nice pass up the middle there Hank !!!

They have to start or go back to coming out of their zone as a 5 man unit instead of being all over the ice and standing still. The way to beat the trap is to come out as a unit with short quick passes and have everyone moving.

Get back to Business !!

[Potatoe1]

I owe an apology for my comments on Cody last game. I compared him to Ryan Shannon and Jason King and I owe those two an apology. Cody is nowhere near that good. He continues to be completely lost on the wing. In an effort to shake things up and get the second line going, AV swapped Burrows and Silent 3. It worked well for Ryan and David. That line was instantly dangerous offensively. Poor Dan and Hank were hung with an albatross for two shifts. Cody's lone accomplishment was to bump Daniel off the puck and ruin a scoring chance. Cody finished the game, the only place there may be a vacancy for him, fourth line centre.

At least you are contestant.

[Topper]

Disagree with you about #35 Topper. Had he not played like he did the score would have been 10-1. Totally hung out to dry by his team. Had it been Roberto in net I would feel the same.

I agree he made great saves that kept the score from becoming more embarrassing, but it should also be stated that many of the goals that did get by him were of similar ilk that team mate is crucified for.

[Potatoe1]

If #1had turned in the performance Schneider did last night he would have been roasted at the stake. Several of those goals were stoppable but it appears the great saves he did make excuse him from criticism. Down early, too far back in the net and watch the twine bulge over the shoulder.

Have to agree here, Luongo would have been ripped for a similar performance.

Schneider was ok, he did make some saves, he was hung out to dry, but the game was hardly worthy of praise.

I would call Schneiders performance pedestrian, which is more then I can say about most of our players last night.

[herb]

Glad I PVR'd that one and deleted it as soon as I heard the score!

Did Salo not play last night?

[Potatoe1]

Did Salo not play last night?

Nope, and that hole looks like a chasm this year.

Alberts is a gong show on the right side and having him play there in a top 4 role is going to be a killer.

Not a fan at all of Hamhuis on the first unit or Burrows on the point with the second unit.

AV needs to figure out a way to get Ballrd playing better, having to lean this heavily on Sami Salo is going to blow up on us at some point.