Canucks Halloween Costumes

Vancouver Viewpoint has a sneak peak at the Canucks Halloween costumes. I have been undercover for this job, which is an explanation for my lack of postings.

Alex Burrows (just warming up here):

Cause he is a "pest"

 Roberto Luongo:

This is cryptic costume. He thinks he is overvalued.

Taylor Pyatt:

 

Damn, covers his eyes

Sami Salo:

Update- Sami injured himself getting into wheelchair

Sedin Twins:

When you are twins you are limited to only the best costumes

The fourth line (Hordichuk, Johnson,  Rypien):

Ace, Buddy and PJ went on to win best costume of the night

Kyle Wellwood:

He forgot his costume.

Regicide

It’s eminently enjoyable for a hockey fan when everything goes well for your team.  Last night, everything went well for the Canucks.

The Canucks had a four-minute power play to begin the game and briefly had a 5-on-3 at the back end of it, allowing them to get on the board first.

Alexander Frolov had a penalty shot but had to overcome deteriorated ice conditions nearing the end of the first period.  Not surprisingly, the puck awkwardly bounced off of his stick when he tried to go to the backhand. 

With the game 1-0 instead of the game being 1-1, the Canucks proceeded to make it 2-0 before the expiration of the first on a fantastic shot by Mason Raymond.

The Sedins finally put up some points again. 

Kyle Wellwood continued to demonstrate why he is worth having around, if only for his appearances on the power play.

Roberto Luongo is back to his old self.

Taylor Pyatt scored.  Yes, you heard that right.

Everybody loves Raymond – except possibly the Sedins

Vancouver (4-5-0) at Los Angeles (3-4-1)

One of the more interesting things to watch for tonight when the Canucks visit the Staples Centre is the re-casting of the first line, with talented youngster Mason Raymond replacing the talented but unproductive youngster Steve Bernier alongside the Sedin twins.

It’s hard to find fault with Vigneault’s decision here. Like many Canucks fans, my appetite whetted at the prospect of a player with Bernier’s size and hands playing with the Sedins. Unfortunately, the combination has not lived up to its billing, with Bernier probably the only Canuck struggling more than the twins right now. Meanwhile, Raymond has been productive and, at least, appears to offer a potent offensive threat on most nights this season.

Raymond, who is a gifted winger blessed with excellent skating ability and speed, offers an entirely different dimension from an offensive standpoint than Bernier, who tends to look for scoring opportunities in high percentage areas in-and-around the net.

Unfortunately, this is one reason why I am sceptical of this combination. Raymond is an effective offensive player because his quickness allows him to generate quality chances off-the-rush. The Sedins rarely muster an offensive threat when not working out of the corners off of the cycle. I highly doubt whether Raymond will be able to get into the necessary areas to be an effective complement to the Sedins’ game.

I hope I’m wrong, mind you.

Bruinzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, I didn’t actually fall asleep, though I certainly wish I did.

The Canucks fell 1-0 to the Bruins in a game that can most optimistically be described as a veritable snooze-fest. (Two straight 1-0 wins, Boston. Congratulations!)

Boston is an egregiously boring hockey team to watch. Of that there is little doubt.

It could have been a different story, however, if the Canucks had taken their few chances better. Henrik Sedin on a 3-on-1 and Daniel Sedin on a breakaway near the end of the first period did their best to solidify the perception among Canucks fans that the twins are largely incapable of scoring unless they are bringing the puck into the slot from the corner after cycling with it for 45 seconds. (Come to think of it they aren’t doing that anymore, either.) Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler also had a few quality chances but came up well short of beating Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, who has now shut out the Canucks in two straight games and recorded a shutout in has last two outings this season.

The most worrisome aspect of the game last night is that the Canucks looked like a bona fide sub-.500 team. In a game where they needed to execute with proficiency in order to overcome the Bruins stingy defensive tactics, they simply had inadequate resources to do so.

A familiar refrain when it comes to separating the wheat from the chaff in the NHL.

Preview: Canucks vs Bruins

Vancouver (4-4-0) vs Boston (4-2-3)

The Canucks host the Boston Bruins at GM Place tonight in a game nationally televised on TSN. The Bruins are playing their second game on the road in 24 hours, after beating the Edmonton Oilers last night, 1-0 in Overtime, whereas the Canucks have been idle since beating the Oilers at home on Saturday night.

In other words, this is a game that pundits and prognosticators alike would say a team in the Canucks’ position should, for all intents and purposes, win.

That and the fact the Canucks are 2-0 at home should stand them in good stead heading into the game tonight, at least in theory.

What we certainly can expect tonight is the way the Bruins will play. Put simply, lull-you-to-sleep-and-catch-you-napping hockey (or, as hockey analysts prefer to call it, the ‘trap’). For instance, precisely the type of game they executed to perfection last night against Edmonton.

Hopefully I don’t end up asleep half-way through the second period, beer in hand.

Thoughts from a self-loathing Canucks fan

Let me state unequivocally and for the record that Saturday’s pre-game ceremony to commemorate the ‘7^th Canuck,’ i.e. the fans, amounts to precious little more than another ignominy for Canucks fans to suffer.

Something akin to the shame and embarrassment any self-respecting fan of, say, the Nashville Predators or Columbus Blue Jackets (surely they exist) must feel when the two teams’ PA announcers declare in an exceedingly shrill roar that the team “IS…on…the…POWER-PLAY!” each and every time the opposition is a man down.

Come to think of it, our recent descent into eminently worthwhile mockery probably pains a great deal more.

After all, the Vancouver Canucks have been in the NHL since 1970 (the third oldest existing Canadian franchise). Our team is one that plays in a province and country that is undeniably well-versed in knowledge about the game of hockey and its myriad traditions; that loves the game above all others. Not some city where hockey often provides something in the form of gimmick entertainment for people who repudiate college football, perhaps in order to stand out among friends and family for their ‘unique’ sports palate.

Perhaps I give our venerable old franchise too much credit though. Let us not forget that the Canucks are, in fact, the franchise of six different basic uniform schemes and effectively three different primary logos in only 38 years of existence. Or, a club that has, at times, made the word ‘organization’ appear to be tantamount to ‘Mickey Mouse Club.’ Or, the franchise whose only sweater retirement to-date (number 16 is not hanging in the rafters yet) is that of a likeable and hard-working but modestly talented winger who averaged well below a point-per-game in his career, won nothing of significance in terms of team or individual awards (save one surprise Clarence Campbell trophy, a litany of Canucks Molson Cup recognitions and a host of franchise records set largely due to the dearth of bona fide stars to have played for any length of time, if any, in Vancouver), and most enduring memory for fans of my generation is probably rushing down the wing on a breakaway in Overtime of Game 7 in the 1989 Smythe Division Semi-Finals against the Calgary Flames and putting the puck straight into Mike Vernon’s glove.

(Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘the Steamer’ as much as the next star-starved Canucks fan, but he makes Bernie Federko look like Steve Yzerman.)

I suppose that is what makes the 7^th Canuck ceremony so devastatingly laughable. It is embarrassing precisely for what it is: an obviously cheap gimmick that a person with any hockey acumen to speak of would likely attribute to a new franchise in a weak hockey market looking to ‘connect’ with a fan base that has only passing interest in the game. In other words, not something one expects from an established and respectable franchise in a putative hockey hot bed.

Discerning Canucks fans know better. This is merely par for a tired old, second-rate course. A course that the fans of the other franchises in this country, much to my chagrin, do not seem to ever pay green fees for.

Awakening

Although the Canucks nearly squandered a two-goal lead in the second period against the Oilers last night, the awakening of a dormant power play provided the offence required to secure a much needed 6-3 victory over their Northwest division rivals.

Having only scored three power play goals all season, the Canucks exploded for four last night. Most importantly, Kyle Wellwood, who utterly dominated the Oilers with the man advantage throughout the game, scored the game-winner early in the third with a great shot to beat Mathieu Garon. Mason Raymond also helped himself to two goals on the power play and Jason Krog the other, late in the third.

After having been so dismal with the man advantage all season, it’s hard to argue with the impression Wellwood has made since being re-called to replace injured Pavol Demitra. Say what you want about him (the 14 year old set that frequents the CDC message boards is particularly fond of ‘fatty’ and other puerile aspersions cast about his weight), Wellwood is a wizard with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. Certainly he is not the most fleet of foot and he isn’t one to throw the body around but Wellwood offers precisely what you need on the power play: vision, hockey sense, excellent passing ability, a keen eye for the net; and hands as soft as silk. (Last time I checked neither speed nor plumbing ability was a hallmark for power play wizards.)

Apart from the laudable performance by Wellwood and the Canucks power play, rookie Jannik Hansen continued to impress last night, scoring two goals to bring his season tally to three. One of the most illuminating bright spots for the Canucks so far has to be the third line of Burrows, Kesler and Hansen. Not only are they superb defensively and all excellent skaters (as expected), they are contributing more than their fair share of offence.

Some of the positives aside, I am still baffled by the inconsistency of Roberto Luongo. Sure, he was excellent in the first 30 minutes; and yes, he made a timely save on a Sam Gagner penalty shot late in the second to keep the game tied 3-3. The problem is, Luongo was absolutely brutal on the Oilers’ second goal, completely missing a weak shot with his glove. This goal, most importantly, let the Oilers back in the game after having gone down 3-1 in a short span earlier.

Admittedly even the best goalies let in a bad goal from time-to-time but it is worrisome that Luongo seems to be lacking the focus that has come to be a trademark of his play over the years. Now, Luongo did battle back to shut the door with the aforementioned penalty shot-save and a scoreless third period to hold the Canucks’ lead. Still, it must be said that the Canucks are simply not a good enough team to squander two-goal leads – let alone leads of any kind – frequently.

Plain and simple, the Canucks will need Luongo to be better. Fortunately, I am confident that he will be. After all, we are only eight games into the season and the Canucks’ captain has never been known as the strongest of starters.

Opportunity knocks

The man of glass, he is indeed.

It appears that Pavol Demitra will, in fact, be out of the lineup for an extended period. TSN is reporting that the results of his MRI confirm he will be out 3-4 weeks due to fractured cartilage in his ribs.

If it weren’t abundantly clear already, now is the time for Kyle Wellwood to make his mark.

Reflections on the bright side of life

The past week or so has been rather doom and gloom for the Canucks, and this has sadly been reflected in my recent posts at the Vancouver Viewpoint.

As I am too ill to be at work today, I am trying to indulge in reflections on the bright side of life. And this endeavour certainly extends to the Vancouver Canucks.

Despite losing three of four, injuries piling up, shabby goaltending and an offensive threat less potent than a stream of insults levelled by this guy, matters are not entirely bleak.

Consider, first, the play of Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows. Kesler is tied for the team lead in points with seven, while Burrows has six points and is tied for the team lead in plus/minus at plus-four. Both have been staggeringly impressive so far this season and seem poised to build on their respective steps (in the case of Burrows, a leap) forward last season.

Kesler’s play is not only lending credence to those who think Bobby Clarke was unfairly maligned as GM in Philadelphia, he’s also making former Canucks GM Dave Nonis look like an astute judge of talent for matching his putatively bloated offer sheet from the Flyers, despite some urging at the time for him not to do so. (Thankfully, Dan Murphy saw some sense.) Furthermore, after putting in his time to build his reputation as a Selke candidate over the last few seasons, Kesler seems poised to be in the running for the honour this season, particularly if he can keep up the offensive production to complement his stellar defensive play.

What more can you say about Burrows? The once-and-former ‘Ball Hockey Legend‘ has come a long way from the Montreal Red Lite, that’s for certain. Once passed off as an agitator, at best, Burrows has since proven that he is not only that but an effective defensive player and penalty killer who can chip in as needed with timely scoring on the third line.

Another bright spot for the Canucks has to be the revival of Kevin Bieksa. Now, I’m the first one to point out that is unfair to judge Bieksa harshly for his performance last season given his freak injury on the first day of November against Nashville. But even his harshest critics have to be impressed with the way ‘Juice‘ has re-asserted himself as a leader on the back end. Although Bieksa has only registered a single point (a goal in the last game against Columbus) and is a respectable, albeit not outstanding, plus-one, it is the way he is playing that has piqued my attention.

A case in point is the game against Columbus. After dishing out a crunching hit, Bieksa was immediately challenged by Blue Jackets defenceman Alexandre Picard, which resulted in an unmitigated thrashing by Bieksa. In the absence of injured defenceman Sami Salo, Bieksa was also front-and-centre for the Canucks’ attack from the blue line, scoring a goal in the third period to make it 3-2 and bring the game to within reach. Say what you want about Bieksa but he is well worth $3.75 million per season in today’s NHL when he is playing the way he did in 2006-2007 – and, at this early stage of the season, he appears to be doing just that.

The sun does indeed shine in Vancouver, even though it rains for most of the year. I suppose we Vancouverites – even expatriates such as yours truly – appreciate that sun all the more for its infrequency.

Road trippin’

The Canucks garish 2-4 road trip has highlighted some emerging issues that should frighten even the most optimistic fan.

First, the Canucks defence is simply not as good as many (myself included) think it is. Sami Salo has proven, once again for all the doubters, that he quite simply can’t stay healthy; certainly not for long enough to be a number 1 or 1A defenceman. Willie Mitchell appears, at best, to be off his game and, at worst, to have lost a step. I can’t even count the amount of times he has been beaten, badly, when defending in situations where the opposition crosses the blue line at full speed. That is certainly not the Mitchell I’ve come to know and love. Alex Edler is glaringly tentative with the puck and seems unsure of what to do when he doesn’t have it. Shane O’Brien looks average, which is no better or worse than expected. The only bright spots are the play of Kevin Bieksa, who appears to be recapturing the form displayed in 2006-2007, and Mattias Ohlund, who continues to provide a threat offensively while taking care of business in his own end.

Second, the Canucks do not have a bona fide number one line. As good as the Sedin’s can be when on top of their game, they seem woefully incapable of putting up points on a nightly basis. That is fine if you are expected to provide secondary scoring, not if you are pencilled in to carry the offensive load on a team whose second line may well be the third line. Sadly enough, the third line may well be classified as the first line on this team. I mean, 70-80 points per season is all well and good but any Canucks fan worth his salt will gladly point out to you that the Sedin’s pile up most of those points in about a third of the games.

Third, it now seems on the verge of axiomatic that this team is unable to win hockey games when Roberto Luongo does not outplay his counterpart at the other end of the ice. Take this road trip: Brent Johnson outplays Luongo, albeit facing only 10 shots, and Washington wins; Luongo outplays Osgood and Vancouver wins; Luongo is outplayed by Huet and Leclaire and Chicago and Columbus win. Further to the point, the team looks hopelessly out of their depth in games where Sanford starts, e.g., the 5-2 loss against Buffalo. Tonight’s 4-2 loss to Columbus only serves to reinforce the reliance on a stellar Luongo. When he struggled early and the Canucks fell behind, they simply couldn’t marshal the necessary resources to get a win.

Overall, this road trip has done well to convince me that if Mike Gillis can’t address this team’s glaring problems reasonably quickly this could be a tremendously frustrating season for Canucks fans.