GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

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dr.dork
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GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by dr.dork »

7:30 Sportsnet Pacific, TEAM 1040 and streaming via Canucks.com

Should be interesting with some players pushing to make an impact and not wanting to be in Manitoba again. However, it is preseason, so it is going to be sloppy.

This is from trouble in the main forum:
Where - Terrace, B.C.
When - Monday, September 14th 2009
TV - Sportsnet Pacific 7:30
Net Stream - Canucks.com 7:30
Radio - Team 1040

Forwards:
Dave Scatchard Ronald Petrovicky Jannik Hansen,
Rick Rypien Michael Grabner Kyle Wellwood,
Alexandre Bolduc Eric Walsky Guillaume Desbiens,
Mario Bliznak Pierre-Cedric Labrie Sergei Shirokov.


Defensemen:
Kevin Bieksa Willie Mitchell,
Aaron Rome Brad Lukowich,
Nolan Baumgartner Yann Sauve,
Shane O'Brien Evan Oberg.

Goalies
Andrew Raycroft Corey Schneider
This is great for Terrace though and I am certainly planning on watching.

GO CANUCKS GO
trouble

Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by trouble »

I'm going 5-2 Vancouver

Canuck goals from
Wellwood 2
Shirokov
Bieska
Sauve
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by Cornuck »

Sounded like a great Rypien fight!
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by LotusBlossom »

Shirokov was impressive. I can very well see the guy fitting in quite nicely on line 2.

Rypien owned the two fights he was in... GOOD JOB RIPPER
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by Cornuck »

So we're penciling in Shirokov on the 2nd line now? Sounds like he's got the tools, it would be great to have a sniper added this year. It also gives a lot more depth even if he's on the 3rd and can score. Shirokov-Hodgson-?? on a 3rd line? Could be fun.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by LotusBlossom »

Cornuck wrote:So we're penciling in Shirokov on the 2nd line now? Sounds like he's got the tools, it would be great to have a sniper added this year. It also gives a lot more depth even if he's on the 3rd and can score. Shirokov-Hodgson-?? on a 3rd line? Could be fun.
I know it was the Islanders and not the regulars, but the kid sees the ice nicely and has some good hands.

I was impressed. He's an opportunist around the net, that's what we need.

We'll see how things develop in games to follow, but from what I saw today, great showing from Shirokov.

Schneider looked good today too, as did Raycroft.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by ClamRussel »

LotusBlossom wrote:Rypien owned the two fights he was in... GOOD JOB RIPPER
I'll have whatever she's having!

=) I'll give you the 2nd one but sorta thought he lost the first one.

My thoughts...

Thank God MG signed all those blueliners because if we were going into the season w/ O'Brien as our no.5 and some combo of Rome/Baumgartner/Oberg/McIver as our 6th and 7th D we'd be royally screwed, glued & tatooed.

O'Brien better start picking it up because he looks rather inadequate imo and this has got to be his big year if he's going to make the step forward that is expected of him. The guy is like Special Ed out there w/o the speed and shot....and passing.

Lukowich looked awesome imo, guaranteed this guy is in our top 6 if he keeps hitting like that!

Grabner is rapidly losing his destiny to Mr. Shirokov....he has flashes but just can't put it all together. I'm predicting Shirokov makes the team and Grabner goes back to Manitoba. Now if he pouts and throws in the towel then he's done here and maybe for his career. If he goes to the Peg and rips it up then perhaps there's still hope. He had a better than average season last year but he has yet to dominate. The time is now. I however have my doubts that he has the skill required to play a top 6 role in the bigs....not sure if he can reinvent himself to play a checking role. Hansen on the other hand could play that checking role but he is still far from spectacular at any specific skillset imo...he'll be in tough to make it and will probably be lost to waivers. Very mediocre but w/ decent defensive awareness and good speed.

Raycroft & Schnieder both looked solid.

Petrovicky has little to no hope. Scatchard is a shell of his former self...I love the idea of having him back but he's no where near the player he was on the Islanders. We'll see how he progresses.

Sauve *needs* to go back to junior BUT he will have a very solid season down there and turn into one of our top blueline prospects. I hope he can start putting up some decent numbers.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by Jovorock »

Sauve and Rome looked good but junior and the Moose is needed.

If Schatchard wanted to start in the A, then come up for injury help then ok. But I just don't see where he can fit in?

Shirokov looked very good, he found open ice for both goals, lucky or natural talent? Grabner better pick it up, sure its the first pre-season game but he was almost a non factor.

Raycroft looked good positionally, too early to tell on this one.

Overall a good game for mostly young guys,
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by the toucan kid »

I'm in the boat for those that thought it was all good for Shirokov, and pretty rotten as far as Grabner goes. I'm not sure if this game means ANYTHING though.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by Island Nucklehead »

ClamRussel wrote: Thank God MG signed all those blueliners because if we were going into the season w/ O'Brien as our no.5 and some combo of Rome/Baumgartner/Oberg/McIver as our 6th and 7th D we'd be royally screwed, glued & tatooed.
I think we need to be careful when we're judging these guys after they play 23-24 mins/game. I'm pretty sure if some of those guys were asked to play 8-10 minutes of limited-mistake hockey they would be okay. Also, it's preseason game #1... nuff said.
Lukowich looked awesome imo, guaranteed this guy is in our top 6 if he keeps hitting like that!
Agreed. His experience definitely showed.
Grabner is rapidly losing his destiny to Mr. Shirokov....he has flashes but just can't put it all together. I'm predicting Shirokov makes the team and Grabner goes back to Manitoba. Now if he pouts and throws in the towel then he's done here and maybe for his career. If he goes to the Peg and rips it up then perhaps there's still hope. He had a better than average season last year but he has yet to dominate. The time is now. I however have my doubts that he has the skill required to play a top 6 role in the bigs....not sure if he can reinvent himself to play a checking role. Hansen on the other hand could play that checking role but he is still far from spectacular at any specific skillset imo...he'll be in tough to make it and will probably be lost to waivers. Very mediocre but w/ decent defensive awareness and good speed.
It will be tough for either of those guys to make the roster, I think. Shirokov was good around the net, but he'll have to dominate a few more of these exhibition games before we can say he's suited to a top 6 role. Keep in mind, those goals weren't exactly spectacular... so while he's got a nice nose for the net, he reminded me a lot of what Wellwood did last season. Get it by the goalie and it all counts, but he'll have to do more before we can annoint him a top 6 winger.

Grabner wasn't very visible offensively, but you can definitely tell he's trying to focus on the "AV" side of the puck. He broke up an offensive rush playing as a defenseman at one point, and was mucking it up on the backcheck. I was impressed by this. Here's a guy that was lambasted for years about being a one-way dynamo, and last night he played a rather complete game. I think coaching and management will most certainly notice that. I'm assuming the staff already knows what he brings to one end of the ice, and he wants to prove he can at least hold his own at the other.

Petrovicky has little to no hope. Scatchard is a shell of his former self...I love the idea of having him back but he's no where near the player he was on the Islanders. We'll see how he progresses.
No thanks to both. Nice to have the experience and the toughness to make exhibition a little more exciting. If these guys crack the roster something is wrong.
Sauve *needs* to go back to junior BUT he will have a very solid season down there and turn into one of our top blueline prospects. I hope he can start putting up some decent numbers.
He's young and he looked it. Certainly a bright future ahead of him and should be on the big squad in a couple years.
the toucan kid wrote:I'm not sure if this game means ANYTHING though.
Exactly. Especially for those that weren't at the rookie camp, one or two sessions on the ice and then into a televised game? What are we expecting? Seriously... there weren't any standouts save Shirokov and Wellwood imo, and that's to be expected, not having played a real game-like situation since the spring.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by jchockey »

Shirokov was amazing, and Grabner showed some great speed, but it was actually Wellwood that caught my attention. He was flying all over the ice.

Evan Oberg needs to go back to the farm. For an offensive guy he has zero poise with the puck. ZERO.

I may be in the minority on this one, but I thought Scatchard looked pretty good. Petrovicky was better than the awful competition, but he was okay.

I still don't see why management was so high on Aaron Rome.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by headspacej »

Man, it sure was nice to see a game again...even if just a warm-up game in the boonies.
ClamRussel wrote:O'Brien better start picking it up because he looks rather inadequate imo and this has got to be his big year if he's going to make the step forward that is expected of him.
Agreed with your thankfulness at the signings on defense. I actually thought O'Brien looked smarter and faster than I remembered from earlier last year. He's huge, seemed relaxed (maybe almost too relaxed, like Bieksa when he's going for a morning stroll on the breakout), and I liked his skating. Yes, his passes got intercepted a couple of times, but this was one of the first ice times of the whole camp. I think he'll be better this year.

Also agreed that Lukowich looked very solid. I had assumed he'd start with the Moose and eventually get lost to waivers, but he might be the perfect #7. Then who's the odd man out? Bieksa, Edler, Mitchell, Salo, Erhoff, O'Brien, and Schneider are all ahead of him...although it sounds like you like him better than SOB. Only way he slots in is if there's a salary dump. As an injury call-up from the Moose, he'd likely get picked up on waivers, and then we're stuck with a Baumgartner again.
jchockey wrote:Evan Oberg needs to go back to the farm. For an offensive guy he has zero poise with the puck. ZERO.
I dunno -- it seemed pretty obvious that he was nervous and trying way too hard, but I thought I saw something good there with this kid. Depends on expectations, I guess. For an undrafted college player just starting with the Moose, he was pretty exciting to watch and skated well. Maybe a diamond in the rough -- should be interesting to see how he does in Manitoba this season.

re: Grabner and Shirokov...
Island Nucklehead wrote:It will be tough for either of those guys to make the roster, I think. Shirokov was good around the net, but he'll have to dominate a few more of these exhibition games before we can say he's suited to a top 6 role.
Agreed, one good exhibition game is way too small a sample size for any of the players. I'm very curious to see how these two do over the next few weeks. My hunch is that both have good seasons for the Moose, making it even more interesting next season.
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by trouble »

I just hope Shirkov is not another Feder Federov. Someone who can light it up during the preseason and then hide when the games count
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by LotusBlossom »

trouble wrote:I just hope Shirkov is not another Feder Federov. Someone who can light it up during the preseason and then hide when the games count
Fed Fed..:? I don't think Shirokov has an older brother he can mooch off as he plays piss poorly and pissing off his teammates in the process. :P
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Re: GDT: Preseason game 1, 'nucks vs Islanders

Post by ClamRussel »

Island Nucklehead wrote:I think we need to be careful when we're judging these guys after they play 23-24 mins/game. I'm pretty sure if some of those guys were asked to play 8-10 minutes of limited-mistake hockey they would be okay. Also, it's preseason game #1... nuff said.
Get back to me when both Salo & Schnieder are injured and we've got SOB in the top 4.
I think its very important we see how these guys perform when the heat is on and reveal how far they can be pushed. Agreed they'll rarely be in positions where they're playing that many minutes...which is a relief.
the toucan kid wrote:I'm not sure if this game means ANYTHING though.
Island Nucklehead wrote:Exactly. Especially for those that weren't at the rookie camp, one or two sessions on the ice and then into a televised game? What are we expecting? Seriously... there weren't any standouts save Shirokov and Wellwood imo, and that's to be expected, not having played a real game-like situation since the spring.
I think most people here are aware of this but at this point its all we have to go on right?
Island Nucklehead wrote:It will be tough for either of those guys to make the roster, I think. Shirokov was good around the net, but he'll have to dominate a few more of these exhibition games before we can say he's suited to a top 6 role. Keep in mind, those goals weren't exactly spectacular... so while he's got a nice nose for the net, he reminded me a lot of what Wellwood did last season. Get it by the goalie and it all counts, but he'll have to do more before we can annoint him a top 6 winger.
I guess we have different standards because I certainly thought that 2nd goal was spectacular. At that speed, taking a puck off your skate and then backhanding it top corner all in one motion is alot harder than it looks. It just looked effortless to the kid, consider me *very* impressed with his hands.
trouble wrote:I just hope Shirkov is not another Feder Federov. Someone who can light it up during the preseason and then hide when the games count
I find this 'comparison' rather amusing, I've also heard it on the radio. No one would make that comparison if Shirokov was Canadian, Finnish or Dutch. Its the same reason there was the assumption Samuelsson would play w/ the Twins...if he was American I doubt there'd be such lines made. I'm flabergasted its not a done deal that Burrows starts the season w/ the Sedins....utterly shocked. Why screw with chemistry?
ClamRussel wrote:O'Brien better start picking it up because he looks rather inadequate imo and this has got to be his big year if he's going to make the step forward that is expected of him.
headspacej wrote:Agreed with your thankfulness at the signings on defense. I actually thought O'Brien looked smarter and faster than I remembered from earlier last year. He's huge, seemed relaxed (maybe almost too relaxed, like Bieksa when he's going for a morning stroll on the breakout), and I liked his skating. Yes, his passes got intercepted a couple of times, but this was one of the first ice times of the whole camp. I think he'll be better this year.

Also agreed that Lukowich looked very solid. I had assumed he'd start with the Moose and eventually get lost to waivers, but he might be the perfect #7. Then who's the odd man out? Bieksa, Edler, Mitchell, Salo, Erhoff, O'Brien, and Schneider are all ahead of him...although it sounds like you like him better than SOB. Only way he slots in is if there's a salary dump. As an injury call-up from the Moose, he'd likely get picked up on waivers, and then we're stuck with a Baumgartner again.
We could do alot worse than Baumgartner. The guy is a leader and can play in all situations. As far as I'm concerned he's the perfect mentor on the farm and also, since we don't have any bluechip prospects like Bourdon or Edler down there, he adds solid depth in times of need. Lukowich should stick in our 23 man roster unless we run into cap issues. How many teams have a better defenceman than Baumer in their 9 or 10 slot?!? I've never seen such depth in Van before...I'm just glad the days of Weaver and Tremblay as our 6th or 7th d-man are over.
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