GDT: Us @ LA: dhabums saves the season on CBC @ 7

[wafflecombine]

Very happy with the win last night. I still think our defensive end play is sloppy and the Kings PK, despite giving up 2 goals last night nearly burned us again.

Cory was awesome, Dank is back and Raymond still needs to be fracking traded for a used set of tires for the Wolves player bus.

[Listercat]

Key to the game was a PP that scored.

Cory was great and I think the Canucks goaltender of the future. Stopping Brown on the PS was huge.

When the D pinched the forwards provided cover and they had very few odd man rushes against.

Loved Hank giving Brown a swat across the face

Bad choice by Mase to try and take the body on Kopitar. The guy is a tank. Raymond has obviously been told he has to be more physical but in this case he should have gotten his stick in.

They live to fight another day!!

[Jovocop]

I rather have Lapierre than Raymond.

I didn't know there wasn't enough room for the two of them on the same team?

Yes, there is enough room for the two of them but I would rather have Bitz instead of Raymond. Lapierre should play with Kesler and Booth. Bitz should play on the fourth line with Malhotra and Kassian. Raymond certainly earned himself a seat in the press box.

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I rather have Lapierre than Raymond.

I didn't know there wasn't enough room for the two of them on the same team?

Grabner thinks that having both of them is just redundant.

[Aaronp18]

I just love the people slagging Luongo, throwing him under the bus, like it's been his fault all along why we are in this position. The Hockey intellect around here is huge.

From the majority of what I have read the theme seems to be Lou player great in the first two games but the way C-Schneid is playing how can you not run with him.

Really not seeing the overwhelming beneath the Blue Bird tossing you are.

[Topper]

I thought Raymond, other than the missed play on Kopitar had an ok game. Not great, but ok. Certainly not as bad as others have had in the first three games of the series. Give him credit for at least getting to Kopitar when Edler gaffed his pinch.

[ukcanuck]

Key to the game was a PP that scored.

Loved Hank giving Brown a swat across the face

They live to fight another day!!

If Hank was the chicken shit that ratbastard Mike Millbury would have people believe, that tap could have been a devastating elbow that would have taken Brown's head off and ended his season.

[Larry Goodenough]

Funny to read through the first period comments. I think it would be easy to pick out who the younger posters are around here. I think I was a slave to my emotions way back then too.

Shot quality myth was on display last night.

[herb]

The boys are alive and well!

One win does not make a comeback, but we needed to win one before we can win two. If we win two, then we can begin to think about the third win. It's a start though.

This series could easily be 2-2 or even 3-1 for Vancouver. The games have all been close, and a different bounce here and there would have resulted in totally different outcomes.

Mason Raymond...FFS

The Canucks are a totally different team with the lead and when the can score on the PP. It makes teams think twice about the after the whistle shenanigans, and our boys don't seem to have that swagger unless things are clicking with the man advantage. We also don't seem to have that swagger unless the defense is engaged in the offensive zone. We didn't see much offense from our defense in the first three games, but that all seemed to change last night. Our defensemen look so much more poised and confident when things on the PP are going well. We are due a few more powerplay goals in this series. A couple more in game 5 will make all the difference in getting this thing back to LA.

Our breakouts were much better last night as the forwards were back within 10-12 feet of our defensemen in the defensive zone. We almost got burned once in the third when a Jason Williams shot hit a post after a sloppy breakout attempt.

In regards to this talk about how good Luongo was in games one and two, the first Kings goal of the series was a softie. In a series where every goal has been huge and the Canucks have had to earn every single one of their goals, that was a problem. Yes he has played well, but we need our goaltenders to be lights out in this series. Schneids has been that so far. Any cracks in our goaltending and this thing is over in a heartbeat.

This series is winable if Schneids keeps the 1.00 GAA going strong.

[coco_canuck]

A couple thoughts on the game...

So I guess that was what we were missing with Daniel out.

The PP finally looked as good as it was in the first half of the year, and maybe even better. A noted change, instead of making dump passes I noticed sharp diagonal feeds by the the puck carrier coming through the neutral zone. On a few instances Henrik slowed down, and instead of dropping for the trailer, he hit a darting winger right ahead of the blue-line. The key is to adapt if the Kings begin backing off to take away the diagonal pass...that's when the drop pass can make a reappearance.

Keith Ballard likely had his best game as a Canuck. It seems like he's finally figured out how to be successful on the Canucks blue-line, and that's by moving the puck quickly and efficiently. Ballard's increased confidence is notable, he was calm with the puck, carried it with confidence, and made some fantastic passes. His defensive coverage was very solid, protecting the gaps well and battling hard in the tough areas. It's been a long-time coming, but right now, Ballard looks like the player a lot of us were excited to acquire. Obviously, the next step is performing at this level on a consistent basis.

[Farhan Lalji]

Funny to read through the first period comments. I think it would be easy to pick out who the younger posters are around here. I think I was a slave to my emotions way back then too.

Shot quality myth was on display last night.

Yep.

I'll fully admit that I thought we were done after the first period........and based on what I saw, I had no reason to feel otherwise.

I am also glad that your statistical analysis and Statistics 101 course "verified your theory" last night. You must have had hard nipples all night.

[Uncle dans leg]

Keith Ballard likely had his best game as a Canuck. It seems like he's finally figured out how to be successful on the Canucks blue-line, and that's by moving the puck quickly and efficiently. Ballard's increased confidence is notable, he was calm with the puck, carried it with confidence, and made some fantastic passes. His defensive coverage was very solid, protecting the gaps well and battling hard in the tough areas. It's been a long-time coming, but right now, Ballard looks like the player a lot of us were excited to acquire. Obviously, the next step is performing at this level on a consistent basis.

Excellent points and I hadn't thought of that. He was our most reliable defenseman last night and really shined. He doesn't generate much in the offensive zone but I'll take what he showed last night. The puck was off his stick fast and out of the zone before the forecheck could catch him.

In contrast, I haven't seen Tanev look as rattled as he did last night. The kings really keyed on him physically and he struggled in my opinion. Could we see Vinyo junior again?

[Topper]

Keith Ballard likely had his best game as a Canuck.

It is the calming effect and maturity of Chris Tanev.

[coco_canuck]

It is the calming effect and maturity of Chris Tanev.

In contrast, I haven't seen Tanev look as rattled as he did last night. The kings really keyed on him physically and he struggled in my opinion. Could we see Vinyo junior again?

Even if Tanev has struggled with some puck battles, he's always in the right spot and there to support Ballard when he has the puck. Having that safe option to your D partner takes some of the pressure off, and there was good chemistry between the two moving the puck laterally to beat the forecheck and set-up the rush.

A major key is Tanev's spot on the right side, that allows Ballard to play his strong side on the left. Rome does better than the other Left-handers on the right-side, but when Tanev is there, that 3rd pair is much more fluid and organized.

The Kings are rightfully keying in on the somewhat frail rookie, and he's got to adjust to their physicality in order to win more puck battles, but it doesn't seem to phase him too much.

[Fred]

I thought Raymond, other than the missed play on Kopitar had an ok game. Not great, but ok. Certainly not as bad as others have had in the first three games of the series. Give him credit for at least getting to Kopitar when Edler gaffed his pinch.

That isn't a gaff by Edler, as we know the Canucks D all have the green light to pinch BUT it's essential the forward covers for him....at that point it's the forward who is playing D. Apart from that half hearted fly by on Kopitar, Raymond also in the first period alone had THREE give aways. I don't think he saw a lot of ice after that, other than PK.

I agree with the ballard comments, it's the best game I've seen him play in a 'Nucks uniform