GDT: Nov 16: Blah Caulks @ Us - 7pm - SPac

[GoalieDad]

Just watched the highlights. That's all I've seen of the game ... 100 seconds or so. Schneider looked questionable on three of the goals imo. Don't know all the rest that happened, but that much I could see. Too bad.

[dhabums]

To everyone bitching about the Canuck's getting zero powerplays.....

Last game, Vancouver didn't play short-handed, in fact they weren't called for any penalties, and the Islander's were the recepient's of several penalties. And yes, every PP was earned by the Canucks.

Obviously the Blackhawk's, with their style of play, can pretty much be called for something almost every shift.....they are a chippy team. So yes, the Canuck's getting no PP's is BS. However, the scoreboard alone tells the story that the Canuck's didn't earn it tonight.....hell, they surrendered 5 unanswered goals. This team's achilles heel? Simple, when it's not working and they can't fight through it they completely fail to try something else. There is just a lack of a sparkplug in this engine right now. Last year Torres, as woeful as he could be, provided that energy at certain times. This year it's Volpatti or Weiss that have to do it, and they can't. The Canuck's just aren't mean enough.

I really hope some day you will attend my "how not to rape the apostrophe" course.


We had lots of chances to score tonight. Early we suffered from "score pretty at home" then it became "almost". The game got out of reach because we were pressing and CS couldn't make a save.

[Tiger]

Sounds like the whining crew is out in full force on the board tonight .. nobody bitched about the Canucks getting most of the penalty breaks the last time these 2 teams played .. Agree with the comments of Blob.. would have liked to see Canucks resign Torres.. He brought energy and toughness that this years edition is sadly lacking.. Kessler/Burrows line isn't setting the world on fire.. Sedins ok but nothing from 3 other lines.. Sad that AV wasted 2 games with bad goaltending decisions.. Playing Luongo on b2 backs then putting in an ice cold Schneider this game..

[dhabums]

Sounds like the whining crew is out in full force on the board tonight .. nobody bitched about the Canucks getting most of the penalty breaks the last time these 2 teams played .. Agree with the comments of Blob.. would have liked to see Canucks resign Torres.. He brought energy and toughness that this years edition is sadly lacking.. Kessler/Burrows line isn't setting the world on fire.. Sedins ok but nothing from 3 other lines.. Sad that AV wasted 2 games with bad goaltending decisions.. Playing Luongo on b2 backs then putting in an ice cold Schneider this game..

When you finally learn how to spell Kesler Tigger, I'll start reading your entire post.

Ok, I admit I read your whole post. Funny to read your first sentence then read your last two.

Mod edit

[ukcanuck]

Sad that AV wasted 2 games with bad goaltending decisions.. Playing Luongo on b2 backs then putting in an ice cold Schneider this game..

Is this the excuse the Luongo haters are gonna pony out ? 5 goals on Ginger is the team's fault but if it was Luongo in nets he's a sieve, a drag on payroll, an anchor to the teams high flying hopes?
It seems to me that the problem lies less in goal and more about desire than anything else. Unless there is a turn around like last year and hopefully this game will be the turning point, the Canucks are going to be lucky to back into the playoffs and run straight into the Blacksnakes or Sharks and we all will be crying next year...

[Mondi]

Schneider has looked awful on the last 2 goals but unless he posts a shutout every night, it seems impossible for him to win since our offense has provided him next to no goal support. Now I know how Lu felt in the finals

It's tough to come in after watching from the bench for two weeks and play a team like the Hawks.

You guys are bedwetters. The Hawks are a wicked team.

That's rich coming from the guy with the yellowest sheets in the city. The Hawks aren't the first team to torch us this year. I'm sorry if .500 hockey 25% of the way through the season from a healthy President's Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Finalist isn't setting my world on fire.

I've only ever really been down on Luongo, who I think would have helped tonight. Cory looking sketchy as fuck in the third period. I've always maintained the Canucks are good team with a mentally weak goaltender. Which, they still are.

Let's face it, these guys aren't going to win the President's again this year, that's clear. But in case you haven't been paying attention Ryan Kesler, the team's most important emotional leader is about 40% of the player he was last season.

This team is going absolutely no where until RK17 starts playing like RK41. Bottom line.

That doesn't stop me from pointing out that Ballard and Booth are as useless as tits on a board. For the life of me I cannot understand how David "Mason Raymond, the 2nd" Booth slotted 31 goals in the National Hockey League. Nor can I figure what the point is of having Ballard. I'd ALMOST advocate burring him in the minors, but I know Gillis refuses to do that.

As for the guy bitching about Weise and Volpatti, I'm not sure what you're hopping for exactly. The Chicago fourth line were ghosts tonights. This team, like all others, lives and dies with its top players.

Maybe the odd fourth line, for a middling team is a "significant" contributor. Or the odd 4th (and more likely 3rd) line player is a big heavy hitter. But for the most part, the players that are the best at anything and everything play in the top 6.

[tantalum]

There was no sketchy goaltending decision. There was no decision to even make. Luongo wasn't healthy enough to even sit on the bench hence the reason Lack was sitting in that spot dressed up in a canuck uniform. They played a strong first and were playing a strong second. Kesler took a stupid penalty that cost the team (he's also taking plenty of stupid shots that do not make it to the net). Burrows took a penalty likely saving a goal after a ill-timed pinch coupled with higgins forgetting to cover for the pinching D-man and Kesler no where to be found on the back check. After that it was downhill for the team. But my god was that Kesler line by and large terrible last night.

Kesler needs to start contributing in some manner 5-on-5. I don't expect him to be lights out for several more weeks but he is doing nothing. Actually he is doing something...killing the guys playing next to him on any given night. He needs to start contributing in some manner. Dump the puck in and skate. Stop taking the shot that never reaches the net. Heck, let someone else gain the zone and set something up because what he is doing is not working. Right now Kesler is the definition of insanity. Until that second line gets going the team will struggle..and that means Kesler needs to get going.

I understand AV demoting Hodgson after the shift he had, as it is the same thing he has done with guys like Raymond after similar shifts. However, after a couple of shifts with the new lines he had to have recognized that the 3rd and 4th lines were all of sudden non-factors, when before they were holding their own. Ah well the game wasn't lost with that demotion.

Can't help but think the team needs a wake up call...and AV going might be that wake up call.

[Calgary_Canuck]

We took it 6-2 vs the Hawks the game before. I really didn't expect to win this one. Crawford was amazing, period. The Hawks are a top tier team, and we played decent but not good enough to beat them. I did miss Lu last night Schnieds is good but doesn't have the top gear of Lu, although he doesn't have his bottom gear as well either. What worries me the most is that the Nucks' don't put this effort they put tonight against other teams. This has to stop now. 500 hockey is bullshit for this club. I give it to mid December and unless things have changed, AV is gone. It's funny how Mactavish signed for our farm team, Gillis idea of depth in all areas.

[Topper]

A few comments;

Did the Grizzly play on Tuesday night? Ice looked terrible, lots of bouncing pucks.

I'm glad I recorded the game, I now have a wonderful instructional video to teach my dog to roll over and play dead. As Tant noted, good first period and then the stupid Kesler penalty......

Kesler-Burrows-Higgins, probably the three best two way players on the team, suddenly back check like Todd Bertuzzi.

Silent 3's horrid defensive play was on full screen at full steam. That carry out in front of his own net and turn over at the red line was the camel that broke the straw. Prior to that, the one that stood out was Lappie and Boothy (sounds like a couple of cocker spaniels) were beaten deep on their forecheck and Cody made an ill timed gamble on the 'hawks breakout resulting on an odd man rush a good chance for Stalberg. There were several more.

The problem for AV was that once he demoted Cody, the rest of the team took to playing the same game. Manny and Cody play like magnets, the way they crowd each other is repelling. The speed of the cocker spaniels at least allows for separation from the kid.

Tough night for the defenders when the forwards don't rotate on pinches and don't back check.

Schneider did not have a good game either, but he also faced far too many odd man rushes.

Top line had a top line performance. Bury a couple of more chance in the first and the 'Hawks would have been playing catch up. The only line that got going on the fore check.

Another fine rolling puck call by senile John Garratt. Listen for it, every unsuccessful Canuck breakaway, rolling puck. Hansen last night, Cody a few games ago, look at the replay, puck was flat on the ice. To make it worse, he does the opposite when opponents have a break away. Listen for our goalies being beat because they can't pick up the rolling puck off the shooters stick, look at the replay, puck is flat. It has become a stack phrase he just rolls out without looking.

[old calamari]

5 on 5 play has been crap compared to last year. lazy hockey and waiting around for a pp is not going to cut it . the reffing last night is the same crap that the team is going to see in the playoffs if they make it. once the hawks were up 3-1 they started to trap and thats the kiss of death to vignaults system. something aint right inside the room and it is starting to stink.

[BCReefer]

Can we fire AV soon?

Pretty soon we will be able to put down Booth as a bust and MG got taken on that deal. How many more years at over $4M, yikes

No more time for excuses and time for this team to wake the fuck up and come out playing their game. It is disgusting seeing how this team comes out game after game, sometimes they show up sometimes everything that can go wrong does.

[Mondi]

I said Luongo would have helped and Cory looked sketchy. The implication is that Luongo would have help, BUT FOR, his injury.

[dbr]

Kesler needs to start contributing in some manner 5-on-5. I don't expect him to be lights out for several more weeks but he is doing nothing. Actually he is doing something...killing the guys playing next to him on any given night.

The catamaran line.

[Larry Goodenough]

I am of the opinion that Kesler is the clear MVP on this team. He is the engine that drives the team - emotionally, physically, defensively, special teams and he takes offensive pressure off the Sedins. He is even more effective when Malhotra is healthy and can take alot of defensive assignments off Kesler's plate.

A healthy Kesler led last year's team to a President' Trophy and to the Stanley Cup Final. He might have been the best player in the world (pop. 7 billion) during the Nashville series

An unhealthy or injured Kesler has equalled a Stanley Cup finals loss, a 9-9-1 start and Vigneault amazingly lost his ability to coach...

I normally rail against such basic concepts to explain a complicated game, but this is at the base of what I'm seeing.

The question I see here is has Kesler's skills eroded or is he still injured/rusty. It appears the answer you lean towards is most likely impacted by your level of frustration with the team.

[benivolent]

Wow, you just never know which team is going to show up night to night. Flip a coin.

Seems to be concern about scoring on the various boards right now. Also of note is that there are only 3 teams that have scored more than us up to this point:

Chicago 67
Philadelphia 65
Pittsburgh 57
( and Washington tied with us at 56.)

PP vs. ES? 23 of our goals have been on the power-play. So it's not that we can't score in 5-on-5 play.

It's not that we can't score, it's that we can't seem to score in particular games.

But more importantly, our goals against this year is atrocious. There are only 6 teams that have given up more goals against - and their goal tending is akin to an event horizon at the blue line.
Winnipeg 60
Toronto 61
Colorado 60
Columbus 64
Ottawa 66
Carolina 67

Why are we so terrible defensively? Our PK is 84% which is not "bad" (middle of the pack) - and have only let in 12 PPG against.

It's our 5-on-5 defense that's in the crapper. How do we go from winning the Jennings to this? Could it be all the line juggling that we've seen? Are players just not able to pick up on team mates' coverage/moves/habits because of it? SC finals hangover? Or are the boys just going through the motions waiting for the Playoffs to start again?

If that's the case I hope that they fix the issue soon, and pull heads out of tails soon. because as much as AV get slagged he's pretty decent, and it'll cost the coach his job in the end. Then there's that line about the devil you know vs. the one you don't... somehow that seems appropriate.