Blue Jackets @ Canucks - Mar 17 - 7:00PM PST - CBC

[Tomcat201]

Booth is going to make Raymond expendable in the off season. He's got speed plus he plays a physical game whereas Raymond doesn't have the size for that.

[Fred]

Oake lives up to his name.

He sounds so wooden, it's difficult not to change the channel.

That was me. I sat down with every intention of watching the entire game....I just couldn't stand it. The combination of boring hockey and "wooden commentary" did it for me. I switched at the beginning of the second

[Arachnid]

AV is giving Raymond shit loads of ice time.

And Raymond is re-paying AV with loads of shit play.

Ahhh not so fast...he wasn't as bad as that and I think the professional coach and GM with years of eating. sleeping and dreaming hockey have a hell lot more going on than you give them credit for....if you saw Dank & Dank talking to MayRay on the bench it almost looked as they were coaching him. Not because of the new line combination so much but as a player trying to get get his mojo back, they are after all the leaders on the team...perhaps the move was made for that reason more than punishment than anyone...to mentor him from the vets who have been and seen all.
I really want to see Kickassian with them but that would mean putting Raymond on the 4th or 3rd line and that will do little to help him get playoff ready. Those lines are already working good. Mason gets it back into form and gets rid of his fear then we just might have another long run....these are the players we have going forward so enjoy the ride...only 22 more sleeps....

[RoyalDude]

How did the newly installed exciting hockey system of ShutDown Hockey do for us last night? From the papers this morning one would think that we barely squeaked by with a win against the worst team in the league and in our own barn, with our new brand of shut down hockey actually allowing them to pot 3 goals and 36 shots to our 38. Was the super uber offensive talent of old man Pahlsson and his exciting brand of shut down hockey putting on a clinic last night for us?

I did see that Mr. Exhausted after 30 seconds on the ice - Zack 'Alex Stojanov' Kassian, did break the 10 minute barrier with 10:22 of ice time, that's a bit of good news.

[Hockey Widow]

I thought Raymond had a strong game. I'm not yet convinced that playing with the twins during the playoffs is the best thing for the team but I think leaving him there for a few more games makes sense. If he starts popping a few of those it may change his game around. But, in the playoffs, the Sedins are already a little too soft so Raymond there I just dunno. I could see them putting Bitz there to give that a go.

And RD you are right. Gassain did play a little better and with more energy. I still don't see the game from him that we need though.

[cjc]

Roger Takahashi has his work cut out for him. Kassian should be working like a fiend on his fitness. He's 21 so should be able to be on a program to get his cardio up while playing games. Problem is the road trips; difficult to follow a program on the road.

Just watching the Philly-Penguins game. Sweat breaking out on my forehead. Both teams look like they can kick Canucks butt.....and we have to get out of the West first.

[RoyalDude]

I thought Raymond had a strong game. I'm not yet convinced that playing with the twins during the playoffs is the best thing for the team but I think leaving him there for a few more games makes sense. If he starts popping a few of those it may change his game around. But, in the playoffs, the Sedins are already a little too soft so Raymond there I just dunno. I could see them putting Bitz there to give that a go.

And RD you are right. Gassain did play a little better and with more energy. I still don't see the game from him that we need though.

I agree on both accounts here HW. Kassian is still Gassedian but played better, I still see him as a limited Alex Stojanov type. I think people need to quickly lock up and throw away the key on the hopes that Gassedian is the next coming of Bertuzzi-slashed-Neely-slashed-Lucic-slashed-you know what I mean-slashed.

We are a speed team and Raymond is a big part of that but I guess we expect the world from this 2.5 million dollar secondary support player like we do from fellow 2.5 millionaire Manny Malhotra even though Manny could hump all the wives of the CC members here right in front of them and they'd still love the guy. I never knew that the team only goes when Raymond goes. Oh well, ya learn something new everyday.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Mason Raymond had a better game. Big fucking deal, he couldn't have been much worse. He is like a boat anchor playing with the twins. Say hello to UFA this summer Raymond, as there is no way that Gillis qualifies this featherweight .

It's hilarious to watch him blaze down the wing and then slam on the breaks and try that same buttonhook move he always tries. Kid needs some testicular fortitude to cut to the net like Burrows, Higgins, Kesler and Booth have in spades. You either have balls or you don't and Raymond is likely prancing around on figure skates with the likes of Boyd Devereaux and Cale Hulse within the next two to three years.

Hopefully when Andrew Ebett , Byron Bitz and Steven Reinprecht are here for the playoffs Raymond will be in his rightful postion- on the 5th line. He is lucky they have no cap space right now because he would be sitting in the press box if the team had other options.

[Hank]

Raymond finally had a few good shifts with the twins in the 3rd period, in particular, the shift where he received a H. Sedin pass behind the net and tried a backhand wrap-around which went wide. Coincidentally he was flat on his belly on that scoring chance. He finally figured out when you're on the top line, you can't be needy with the puck and handle it like a live grenade. Give it up, get it back.

Prior to that, it was comical to see how the twins were affected by their new linemate... falling, stumbling and fumbling like they were rookies again.

Bottom line, Raymond seems to have all the skill and determination to be successful, yet he appears to make every line he's on worse. His skills don't seem to mesh with anyone.

Lol @ "Gassian". Ah, Nuck fans are cruel.

[Island Nucklehead]

I agree on both accounts here HW. Kassian is still Gassedian but played better, I still see him as a limited Alex Stojanov type. I think people need to quickly lock up and throw away the key on the hopes that Gassedian is the next coming of Bertuzzi-slashed-Neely-slashed-Lucic-slashed-you know what I mean-slashed.

Right on! Writing the (barely 21 year old) kid off after less than 10 games. And I thought Hodgson had it rough...

Bertuzzi didn't make a meaningful impact until he was 24/25. I think most agree if Kassian hit Lucic-potential it'd be a home run, I don't think anyone fully expects him to. Yet Kassian has a slightly better goals/game ratio than Lucic did in his rookie year, while playing less minutes. Not even going to touch on Neely because I haven't heard anyone suggest Kassian is a future HOF member.

FYI, Kassian has already out-scored Stojanov, he did so in 77 fewer games.

We are a speed team and Raymond is a big part of that but I guess we expect the world from this 2.5 million dollar secondary support player like we do from fellow 2.5 millionaire Manny Malhotra even though Manny could hump all the wives of the CC members here right in front of them and they'd still love the guy. I never knew that the team only goes when Raymond goes. Oh well, ya learn something new everyday.

Malhotra has a niche. He also has a NTC and a contract past this season. Raymond does not. He's fast and... yeah, he's fast.

[Hockey Widow]

I'm far from writing Gassian off. I am still in shock somewhat over how he just plain runs out of gas. I guess I expected he would at least be in good shape, no I expected great shape. He comes to the team like a lot of players do, unprepared for what the Canucks expect in terms of conditioning from themselves and each other.

I'm not knocking his heart out there but I do think he has a lot to learn about what it takes to stick with a team like the Canucks. I hope this is not why the Sabres felt he was expendable and that in the off season he will get his Canucks plan and come to camp next year in the shape of his life.

But back to this year, he just plain runs out of gas and to me looks lost away from the puck, which is most shifts and most of the shift. He is most definitely a work in progress and as it stands I cannot see him getting serious minutes during the playoffs.

I also don't see MAG getting serious minutes during the playoffs, especially if Ballard is ready and I think he will be.

[dhabums]

I
I'm not knocking his heart out there but I do think he has a lot to learn about what it takes to stick with a team like the Canucks.

We shouldn't be knocking his heart, his dad died young from a genetic disorder that ZK gets tested for annually.

[Hockey Widow]

I
I'm not knocking his heart out there but I do think he has a lot to learn about what it takes to stick with a team like the Canucks.

We shouldn't be knocking his heart, his dad died young from a genetic disorder that ZK gets tested for annually.

Grooooaaaaan

[RoyalDude]

I think most agree if Kassian hit Lucic-potential it'd be a home run, I don't think anyone fully expects him to. Yet Kassian has a slightly better goals/game ratio than Lucic did in his rookie year, while playing less minutes.

That home-run will never happen Nucklehead, so lower your expectations or you will be seriously disappointed. By the looks of it, Gassedian has a terrible VO2 Max rating. Kind of wished we snagged that Foligno kid instead with the way he has played since his call-up to the Sabres. I think Regier(Sp?) knew something that we didn't.

[Larry Goodenough]

How did the newly installed exciting hockey system of ShutDown Hockey do for us last night? From the papers this morning one would think that we barely squeaked by with a win against the worst team in the league and in our own barn, with our new brand of shut down hockey actually allowing them to pot 3 goals and 36 shots to our 38. Was the super uber offensive talent of old man Pahlsson and his exciting brand of shut down hockey putting on a clinic last night for us?

I did see that Mr. Exhausted after 30 seconds on the ice - Zack 'Alex Stojanov' Kassian, did break the 10 minute barrier with 10:22 of ice time, that's a bit of good news.

Since the trade deadline and shut down hockey began, Vancouver's even strength fenwick percentage is 57.5%. Probably even higher after the Columbus. That's a dominating puck possession stat that would put them at the top of the league over the course of a season. Before the trade deadline, they were mid-pack in puck possession. And that is during a period in which the team has nothing to play for.

For all those Rome fans, he was plus 5 in scoring chance differential (7-2). Tanev was an awesome plus 6 (7-1)