What else is left to say?
As far as digging one's self into a tunnel goes, the Canucks may as well have made it to the dark side of the moon. Down 3-0, the odds are most certainly not in their favour. In the long and storied history of the NHL, only three teams have ever accomplished the biggest comeback possible. Most recently, the Philadelphia Flyers accomplished the feat in the 2010 Playoffs, rallying to defeat the Boston Bruins with four straight victories.
The Canucks are going all-in on Wednesday night. Star forward Daniel Sedin has been cleared to practice, and he has flown to Los Angeles where he will join his teammates today. Hope springs that he will play tomorrow night, and hopefully provide the team with a shot in the arm. Despite losing three straight games, the Canucks' play has trended upwards. They were awful in Game 1, slightly better in Game 2 (but for perhaps the worst power play ever iced), and strong in Game 3 were it not for one bounce that went the Kings' way.
So what does Game 4 hold? The hockey world is waiting with baited breath. It's the time of years where the Canucks have once again reached an almost universal level of unpopularity. The Los Angeles Kings made a bold statement after winning Game 1, saying "to everyone in Canada outside of BC, you're welcome". It's no secret what the talking heads, armchair general managers, and opposing fanboys and even players think of the Vancouver Canucks. And they will certainly be celebrating their demise if the Canucks due complete perhaps the most ignominous loss in their forty-one year history.
It would be so easy for the Canucks to pack it up and go home. They've done it three times, what's one more?
Or maybe, just maybe, do they have some fight left in them? Do they hear the knives coming out from all corners of the opposition fanbases, and even their own?
The last time the Canucks lost three straight games in a playoff series, it was a year ago. Having cruised to a 3-0 lead against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Canucks were firmly established in the driver's seat of that series. No one could have foreseen the Blackhawks not only winning the next three games, but dominating the everlasting you-know-what out of the Canucks in the process. They outscored Vancouver 16-5 over the next three games to force that seventh and deciding game. "They are in Vancouver's head", came some of the voices. "They're the defending champions and now they have momentum on their side", came more. "The Canucks don't have what it takes to win". Still more.
Roberto Luongo had been ventilated. The Canucks' defensive corps had been humiliated. The star-studded offense had been rendered impotent by the surging Blackhawk defense.
And yet, in Game 7, none of it mattered. The Canucks took to the ice with force, purpose and determination, three things which had been completely and utterly absent in the three losses. They came at the Blackhawks in waves, battering their bodies, throwing pucks at the net, pressuring them into turnovers, dictating the pace of the play - playing like the best team in the NHL.
Only spectacular goaltending by the Blackhawks' netminder, Cory Crawford, kept the opponent in the game. But that all ended shortly into overtime, when Alexandre Burrows drove a dagger through the heart of the Canucks' most hated nemesis, and put a firm exclamation point on what was perhaps the greatest single-game effort in the history of the franchise, or at least the best since the Canucks capped off a 3-1 series comeback against the Calgary Flames in 1994.
The Canucks are in need of such a performance again. They will need four of them to escape this series with a win. They have the personnel to do it. Alex Burrows, the man who has scored virtually every big goal possible for this team, needs to come through. Back-to-back Art Ross trophy winners Henrik and--hopefully--Daniel Sedin need to break through the suffocating defense of the Los Angeles Kings. Ryan Kesler, who was so dominant in last year's playoff run before injuring his leg, needs to re-capture just a bit of that magic. Kevin Bieksa, no stranger to big goals himself, needs to come through in the clutch. And whoever is in goal - and the goaltenders have been the Canucks' best players so far - needs to come up with a big game, make the big save, and match Jonathan Quick shot for shot.
The alternative is going home. No shot at redemption, no shot at the prize. And if you thought the voices calling out the Canucks last year were unbearably loud, it would be nothing to what awaits them should they allow themselves to be swept.
I said before the playoffs in a conversation with my Dad, there is only one team that can beat the Canucks, and that's the Canucks. And right now, they have done that to the tune of a 3-0 series defecit.
In this series, there's only one team that can beat the Kings. And that has to be the Canucks as well.
So tomorrow night, they need to dig deep and fight for their playoff lives. Because it's not just their season that is at stake, it could be the makeup of this very team, which will face some alarming questions should they lose.
So tomorrow night, get your butts out there, play for yourselves, play for your teammates, and play to shut up every would-be critic. Show that you have what it takes to turn this fiasco into a series. And do it starting tomorrow night.
Tuesday 17 April 2012
Sunday 15 April 2012
Everybody Wants Some
Today is a huge day for the Vancouver Canucks, and things can certainly get much worse than they are right now. Down 2-0 in the first round to the 8th seeded Los Angeles Kings and headed into their barn at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, what's the worst that could happen? Well, they could go down 3-0 and statistically the odds would begin to crush the Canucks, as only three teams in the entire history of the NHL have ever come back from that defecit.
As I said yesterday, the Canucks showed signs of improvement in Game 2. That upward trend will need to continue tonight as the President's Trophy winners attempt to stake a claim in this series before it is too late. They know they will be doing it without the aid of winger Daniel Sedin, who did not travel with the team to Los Angeles and whose status for this series looks increasingly doubtful.
We do not yet know who will be between the pipes for Vancouver. Alain Vigneault was cryptic in answering the goaltending question yesterday, stating that he knew who he was going with but he had not informed his goaltenders yet. An answer that seemed to indicate he would be using backup Cory Schneider in this game. It's not an unprecedented move by Vigneault if he does to decide to go for it, but it does signify that he is going all in on this series with his job on the line.
Last year in the first round, the Canucks were heading into Game 6 in Chicago. They had just dropped Games 4 and 5 in brutally abysmal fashion, losing 7-2 and 5-0 with Roberto Luongo being chased from the net on both occasions. The team performed even worse in those two outings than they have in the first two games of this series, and the talk in both the media and the fanbase turned to what to do with Luongo and Schneider for Games 6 and 7.
Many agreed that Luongo should be given one more shot in Game 6, and if he dropped the ball once more, to let Cory Schneider try his hand at the winner take all Game 7. But Alain Vigneault shook things up; he used his thoroughbread backup goaltender in Game 6, avoiding throwing him into the elimination scenario of a Game 7. It also allowed Vigneault to play this hand without costing the Canucks the series, as win or lose, there would be a 7th game.
Vigneault now finds himself in the same scenario. If he uses Schneider tonight and the team wins, the Canucks go into Wednesday's game with a chance to even the series and Vigneault looks like a shrewd, Jack Adams winning coach (which he is). If Schneider goes in tonight and it fails to spark the team, Vigneault tried his best chance at shaking up the roster and can revert back to Roberto Luongo - the team's best player in Games 1 and 2 - for the elimination game with the Canucks' backs truly and finally against the wall in Game 4.
The one thing that needs to occur, no matter who is in net, is that the Canucks need to bring their A-Game. They have not forced Kings' netminder Jonathan Quick to work anywhere near hard enough yet in this series. True, they fired 47 shots at him in Game 2, but a stunning number of those were from the perimeter and Quick handled them with ease. There were a few goalmouth scrambles where the Canucks had a good chance. This was all the result of getting basic shot on net and crashing for a rebound. The Canucks need to do this at every opportunity, and they have plenty of guys willing to do it. Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, David Booth and Zack Kassian are all players who make a living on going to do the dirty areas to score goals. Cut their leashes and let them do it.
But above all, the power play needs to up its battle level. It's one thing if it's so bad it is not scoring, but it's a whole different kettle of fish if it's so bad that it allows two shorthanded goals against. The Canucks can ill afford to continue to lose the special teams battle in this series, as that is where it has been decided so far.
The Canucks have better to give, and tonight they need to show it. We have barely seen a flash of the team that battled all the way to the end of the Stanley Cup Final last June, and we know that they are in there somewhere. Alex Burrows' overtime heroics, Ryan Kesler's ability to change a series, Kevin Bieksa's propensity for scoring big goals, Henrik Sedin's sublime playmaking, Maxim Lapierre's crushing physical ability, and whoever is in net's ability to make the big save.
It's all in there, it just needs to come to the surface. And the Canucks have not needed it to appear on any night this year more than they will need it tonight.
As I said yesterday, the Canucks showed signs of improvement in Game 2. That upward trend will need to continue tonight as the President's Trophy winners attempt to stake a claim in this series before it is too late. They know they will be doing it without the aid of winger Daniel Sedin, who did not travel with the team to Los Angeles and whose status for this series looks increasingly doubtful.
We do not yet know who will be between the pipes for Vancouver. Alain Vigneault was cryptic in answering the goaltending question yesterday, stating that he knew who he was going with but he had not informed his goaltenders yet. An answer that seemed to indicate he would be using backup Cory Schneider in this game. It's not an unprecedented move by Vigneault if he does to decide to go for it, but it does signify that he is going all in on this series with his job on the line.
Last year in the first round, the Canucks were heading into Game 6 in Chicago. They had just dropped Games 4 and 5 in brutally abysmal fashion, losing 7-2 and 5-0 with Roberto Luongo being chased from the net on both occasions. The team performed even worse in those two outings than they have in the first two games of this series, and the talk in both the media and the fanbase turned to what to do with Luongo and Schneider for Games 6 and 7.
Many agreed that Luongo should be given one more shot in Game 6, and if he dropped the ball once more, to let Cory Schneider try his hand at the winner take all Game 7. But Alain Vigneault shook things up; he used his thoroughbread backup goaltender in Game 6, avoiding throwing him into the elimination scenario of a Game 7. It also allowed Vigneault to play this hand without costing the Canucks the series, as win or lose, there would be a 7th game.
Vigneault now finds himself in the same scenario. If he uses Schneider tonight and the team wins, the Canucks go into Wednesday's game with a chance to even the series and Vigneault looks like a shrewd, Jack Adams winning coach (which he is). If Schneider goes in tonight and it fails to spark the team, Vigneault tried his best chance at shaking up the roster and can revert back to Roberto Luongo - the team's best player in Games 1 and 2 - for the elimination game with the Canucks' backs truly and finally against the wall in Game 4.
The one thing that needs to occur, no matter who is in net, is that the Canucks need to bring their A-Game. They have not forced Kings' netminder Jonathan Quick to work anywhere near hard enough yet in this series. True, they fired 47 shots at him in Game 2, but a stunning number of those were from the perimeter and Quick handled them with ease. There were a few goalmouth scrambles where the Canucks had a good chance. This was all the result of getting basic shot on net and crashing for a rebound. The Canucks need to do this at every opportunity, and they have plenty of guys willing to do it. Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, David Booth and Zack Kassian are all players who make a living on going to do the dirty areas to score goals. Cut their leashes and let them do it.
But above all, the power play needs to up its battle level. It's one thing if it's so bad it is not scoring, but it's a whole different kettle of fish if it's so bad that it allows two shorthanded goals against. The Canucks can ill afford to continue to lose the special teams battle in this series, as that is where it has been decided so far.
The Canucks have better to give, and tonight they need to show it. We have barely seen a flash of the team that battled all the way to the end of the Stanley Cup Final last June, and we know that they are in there somewhere. Alex Burrows' overtime heroics, Ryan Kesler's ability to change a series, Kevin Bieksa's propensity for scoring big goals, Henrik Sedin's sublime playmaking, Maxim Lapierre's crushing physical ability, and whoever is in net's ability to make the big save.
It's all in there, it just needs to come to the surface. And the Canucks have not needed it to appear on any night this year more than they will need it tonight.
Saturday 14 April 2012
Bad Moon Rising
On the bright side, the Canucks did a lot of things better in Game 2 of their opening round series against the Kings. They played with a renewed focus on playing "whistle to whistle", not engaging in quite as many of the silly sideshow antics as they had in Game 1. They skated harder, they worked harder and they played a better game than they did in Game 1.
There was just one glaring area of weakness. The area was so bad, in fact, that Alain Vigneault succinctly and accurately pointed out that it cost them the game. That area was the power play.
When a power play doesn't score, it's usually a frustrating disappointment but it can be made up for with strong 5-on-5 play and a good penalty kill. However, when the power play not only doesn't score, but gives up shorthanded goals against, it becomes a critical backbreaker. Such was the case for the Canucks on Friday evening, when they gave up not one but two shorthanded goals to Kings' Captain Dustin Brown who emerged as the hero of Game 2 after Mike Richards had worn the crown for Game 1.
The Canucks tried. Captain Henrik Sedin was doing all he could to generate chances around the net, on several occasions channeling his inner Todd Bertuzzi and using his body to shield the puck. He also ended up being deposited into the net by Kings' Captain Brown, which kicked off a mini-scrum. David Booth continued to deliver thundering body checks, but has been unable to convert any offensive opportunities. Ryan Kesler seemed to come to life late in the second, but was similarly stymied by the combination of a stalwart Kings' defense and a steady Jonathan Quick.
Grinders Jannik Hansen and Samuel Pahlsson provided the goal-scoring for Vancouver, who lost Game 2 by an identical 4-2 score. The biggest issue at the moment is the anemic power play which cost the Canucks in so many ways. It lacks urgency and purpose and seems impotent in its attempts to get pucks to the net. The Canucks had a two-man advantage thanks to a late Kings' penalty and an empty net, but they couldn't even gain the zone much less generate a shot.
All of this has many wondering what Canuck coach Alain Vigneault can do to shake things up for a team that has shown an alarming lack of intensity through the first two games, even if Game 2 was an improvement. The one major card he has in his repertoire to play is Canuck backup Cory Schneider. Could Vigneault opt to send a message to his troops that their play is unacceptable by starting him in place of starter (and best Canuck in the series, to this stage) Roberto Luongo?
Speaking of Luongo, he has to be cross. He was in the crosshairs of every analyst, peanut gallery general manager and talking head before the series. The Canucks' weakest link; prone to mental meltdowns; the thing holding them back from winning the Cup. He has come out strong to start the series, but it almost seems as if he left his fellow Canucks at the gate. And with all the criticism he has received while they have been spared, you have to wonder if he is just a little bit upset at the overall lack of compete level and willingness to do the dirty work to get the job done that his teammates have shown.
Vigneault has to be mystified as well. This is a team that won its second consecutive President's Trophy. This is a team that went to the seventh game of a brutal Stanley Cup Final last year. They did not simply achieve all of that by not winning hard games. But now he is faced with a dilemma on how to kickstart his team's lacklustre beginning to the post-season. Schneider may be his hail mary pass, especially in light of the news on Saturday morning that star winger Daniel Sedin will not be available for Games 3 and 4, remaining in Vancouver while the rest of the team travels to Los Angeles.
A 2-0 series defecit is not the end of the world. Only just last year, a team dropped the first two games in not just one, but two series' against Canadian foes. That team was the Boston Bruins.
Minor detail? They won the Stanley Cup.
The Canucks need to find a way to dig deep and get this done. And given their impressive track record over the past two seasons, Canuck Nation has to assume - and desperately hope - that they can.
There was just one glaring area of weakness. The area was so bad, in fact, that Alain Vigneault succinctly and accurately pointed out that it cost them the game. That area was the power play.
When a power play doesn't score, it's usually a frustrating disappointment but it can be made up for with strong 5-on-5 play and a good penalty kill. However, when the power play not only doesn't score, but gives up shorthanded goals against, it becomes a critical backbreaker. Such was the case for the Canucks on Friday evening, when they gave up not one but two shorthanded goals to Kings' Captain Dustin Brown who emerged as the hero of Game 2 after Mike Richards had worn the crown for Game 1.
The Canucks tried. Captain Henrik Sedin was doing all he could to generate chances around the net, on several occasions channeling his inner Todd Bertuzzi and using his body to shield the puck. He also ended up being deposited into the net by Kings' Captain Brown, which kicked off a mini-scrum. David Booth continued to deliver thundering body checks, but has been unable to convert any offensive opportunities. Ryan Kesler seemed to come to life late in the second, but was similarly stymied by the combination of a stalwart Kings' defense and a steady Jonathan Quick.
Grinders Jannik Hansen and Samuel Pahlsson provided the goal-scoring for Vancouver, who lost Game 2 by an identical 4-2 score. The biggest issue at the moment is the anemic power play which cost the Canucks in so many ways. It lacks urgency and purpose and seems impotent in its attempts to get pucks to the net. The Canucks had a two-man advantage thanks to a late Kings' penalty and an empty net, but they couldn't even gain the zone much less generate a shot.
All of this has many wondering what Canuck coach Alain Vigneault can do to shake things up for a team that has shown an alarming lack of intensity through the first two games, even if Game 2 was an improvement. The one major card he has in his repertoire to play is Canuck backup Cory Schneider. Could Vigneault opt to send a message to his troops that their play is unacceptable by starting him in place of starter (and best Canuck in the series, to this stage) Roberto Luongo?
Speaking of Luongo, he has to be cross. He was in the crosshairs of every analyst, peanut gallery general manager and talking head before the series. The Canucks' weakest link; prone to mental meltdowns; the thing holding them back from winning the Cup. He has come out strong to start the series, but it almost seems as if he left his fellow Canucks at the gate. And with all the criticism he has received while they have been spared, you have to wonder if he is just a little bit upset at the overall lack of compete level and willingness to do the dirty work to get the job done that his teammates have shown.
Vigneault has to be mystified as well. This is a team that won its second consecutive President's Trophy. This is a team that went to the seventh game of a brutal Stanley Cup Final last year. They did not simply achieve all of that by not winning hard games. But now he is faced with a dilemma on how to kickstart his team's lacklustre beginning to the post-season. Schneider may be his hail mary pass, especially in light of the news on Saturday morning that star winger Daniel Sedin will not be available for Games 3 and 4, remaining in Vancouver while the rest of the team travels to Los Angeles.
A 2-0 series defecit is not the end of the world. Only just last year, a team dropped the first two games in not just one, but two series' against Canadian foes. That team was the Boston Bruins.
Minor detail? They won the Stanley Cup.
The Canucks need to find a way to dig deep and get this done. And given their impressive track record over the past two seasons, Canuck Nation has to assume - and desperately hope - that they can.
Friday 13 April 2012
Run Through the Jungle
When coming off a loss, even a one-day break can seem like an eternity. If that's how it feels for Canuck fans, one can only imagine how the Canucks themselves are feeling after the Wednesday's 4-2 loss. They get a shot at redemption in Game 2 tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, and there will be a few wrinkles in the lineup to help shake up the status quo.
First and foremost, hulking forward Byron Bitz has been suspended by the NHL for his elbow to the head of Kings' forward Kyle Clifford (who will also miss tonight's game). Bitz was suspended for 2 games, meaning he will not be eligible to return until Game 4 of the series. Taking his place is pint-sized Andrew Ebbett of Vernon, B.C. What Ebbett lacks in physicality and brutality, he makes up in effort and offensive creativity. The chances are he will see some time on the second power play unit tonight if the Canucks get the chance to try and right the ship on their listless man advantage.
Also making a return to the lineup is defensemen Keith Ballard, who will take Aaron Rome's place on the back end. Ballard is a mobile, puck rushing defenseman with a love for dishing out devestating bodychecks. (Jamie McGinn only just recently touched down after being sent flying through the air by Ballard during last year's Western Conference Final).
The most noteable non-change, however, is the fact that star winger Daniel Sedin remains on the shelf with a concussion. All of this should be put aside, however, as Ballard and Ebbett (and Sedin's continued absence) are not what is going to win or lose this game for Vancouver. For the Canucks to even the series tonight, there are three critical areas they need to improve upon from Game 1. The first and foremost is discipline. We saw Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre all revert to the players they had been in previous years in the first game of the series--diving, yapping, and focussing more on that part of the game than actually playing it. They need to focus on putting pucks in the net, not trying to distract their opponents with various acts of tomfoolery.
The second is to make smart decisions with the puck. Two pucks over the glass in a five minute span on Wednesday night did nothing to help the Canucks' chances, other than to give their penalty kill some extra work to do. The Canucks need to take that extra second and execute their plays with calmness and precision, something that is critical to their game when they are doing well.
And finally, they need to bring their hard hats and their lunch buckets to beat the Kings. The Canucks were outshot, outhit and outworked in their own barn in Game 1, and they need to - at least - match that compete level to stand a chance. It bears repeating that were it not for Roberto Luongo in Game 1, the score would have been far less flattering to the home side.
The Canucks need to do all of these things right from the first drop of the puck until the final horn sounds in order to avoid going to Los Angeles in a 2-0 hole.
Let's hope they're up to the task.
First and foremost, hulking forward Byron Bitz has been suspended by the NHL for his elbow to the head of Kings' forward Kyle Clifford (who will also miss tonight's game). Bitz was suspended for 2 games, meaning he will not be eligible to return until Game 4 of the series. Taking his place is pint-sized Andrew Ebbett of Vernon, B.C. What Ebbett lacks in physicality and brutality, he makes up in effort and offensive creativity. The chances are he will see some time on the second power play unit tonight if the Canucks get the chance to try and right the ship on their listless man advantage.
Also making a return to the lineup is defensemen Keith Ballard, who will take Aaron Rome's place on the back end. Ballard is a mobile, puck rushing defenseman with a love for dishing out devestating bodychecks. (Jamie McGinn only just recently touched down after being sent flying through the air by Ballard during last year's Western Conference Final).
The most noteable non-change, however, is the fact that star winger Daniel Sedin remains on the shelf with a concussion. All of this should be put aside, however, as Ballard and Ebbett (and Sedin's continued absence) are not what is going to win or lose this game for Vancouver. For the Canucks to even the series tonight, there are three critical areas they need to improve upon from Game 1. The first and foremost is discipline. We saw Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre all revert to the players they had been in previous years in the first game of the series--diving, yapping, and focussing more on that part of the game than actually playing it. They need to focus on putting pucks in the net, not trying to distract their opponents with various acts of tomfoolery.
The second is to make smart decisions with the puck. Two pucks over the glass in a five minute span on Wednesday night did nothing to help the Canucks' chances, other than to give their penalty kill some extra work to do. The Canucks need to take that extra second and execute their plays with calmness and precision, something that is critical to their game when they are doing well.
And finally, they need to bring their hard hats and their lunch buckets to beat the Kings. The Canucks were outshot, outhit and outworked in their own barn in Game 1, and they need to - at least - match that compete level to stand a chance. It bears repeating that were it not for Roberto Luongo in Game 1, the score would have been far less flattering to the home side.
The Canucks need to do all of these things right from the first drop of the puck until the final horn sounds in order to avoid going to Los Angeles in a 2-0 hole.
Let's hope they're up to the task.
Thursday 12 April 2012
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Well. That was inspiring.
It is somewhat ironic that the biggest talking point before the series with respect to the Vancouver Canucks' weak link - goaltender Roberto Luongo - was the team's strongest player in Game 1 of their opening round series against the Los Angeles Kings. In fact, you could further argue that he was the only player for the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1.
After a strong surge down the stretch of the regular season where they lost one of nine games without injured star Daniel Sedin, the Canucks came out and promptly fell flat on their face last night in what was one of their most embarassing performances of the season. Even a Canuck fan sporting the biggest pair of rose coloured sunglasses in the world (heck, that may well be me) would be shaking their head after last night's game.
The Canucks deviated almost completely from their usual game plan. The defense were charging out of position to make big hits, leaving Kings forwards all alone in front of Luongo. Were it not for the goaltender's heroics, the score would have been far less flattering than the eventual 4-2 tally. The forwards got in on the act as well, with Zack Kassian taking a charging penalty, and Byron Bitz earning himself a five-minute major and a game misconduct or a charge/elbow on Kings' forward Kyle Clifford.
It didn't stop there. The Canucks' decision making with the puck was panicked, as we saw them twice in a five minute span fire the puck over the glass, resulting in an extended period of 5-on-3 play for the Kings. We also saw several prominent Canucks revert to tactics that had earned them scorn from the league during last year's Cup Run, with both Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler diving in an attempt to earn penalty calls, the latter doing so on several occasions, choosing to focus on pleasing the Summer Olympic Diving judges rather than covering his check.
Somehow, the game remained tied until the late stages of the third period when a brutal turnover by Alexander Edler resulted in a fortuitous Kings' goal. But the Canucks were lucky to be even in the game at that point. It was unfortunate to see the Canucks waste such a stronge effort from their goaltender, but the best way forward for them may well be to just forget Game 1 ever happened. A game where they were outshot, outhit, outhustled and outworked by a determined Kings team that seemed to take the Canucks completely by surprise.
The other positive to take from this is: we have watched this team enough to know what their best effort looks like, and Game 1 was about as far as we have seen from it in a considerable amount of time. The Canucks will watch their game tape, regroup (likely without Byron Bitz, whom smart money dictates will be facing supplementary discipline for his hit) and be ready for Game 2. If things suddenly begin to go right, they may well do so with Daniel Sedin in the lineup. But as of Thursday morning, there was still no update on his condition and he remains day-to-day, while Canuck nation not-so-silently continues to curse Duncan Keith.
But for the moment, the Canucks need to look at themselves in the mirror, forget Game 1 and come at Game 2 fresh.
It is somewhat ironic that the biggest talking point before the series with respect to the Vancouver Canucks' weak link - goaltender Roberto Luongo - was the team's strongest player in Game 1 of their opening round series against the Los Angeles Kings. In fact, you could further argue that he was the only player for the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1.
After a strong surge down the stretch of the regular season where they lost one of nine games without injured star Daniel Sedin, the Canucks came out and promptly fell flat on their face last night in what was one of their most embarassing performances of the season. Even a Canuck fan sporting the biggest pair of rose coloured sunglasses in the world (heck, that may well be me) would be shaking their head after last night's game.
The Canucks deviated almost completely from their usual game plan. The defense were charging out of position to make big hits, leaving Kings forwards all alone in front of Luongo. Were it not for the goaltender's heroics, the score would have been far less flattering than the eventual 4-2 tally. The forwards got in on the act as well, with Zack Kassian taking a charging penalty, and Byron Bitz earning himself a five-minute major and a game misconduct or a charge/elbow on Kings' forward Kyle Clifford.
It didn't stop there. The Canucks' decision making with the puck was panicked, as we saw them twice in a five minute span fire the puck over the glass, resulting in an extended period of 5-on-3 play for the Kings. We also saw several prominent Canucks revert to tactics that had earned them scorn from the league during last year's Cup Run, with both Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler diving in an attempt to earn penalty calls, the latter doing so on several occasions, choosing to focus on pleasing the Summer Olympic Diving judges rather than covering his check.
Somehow, the game remained tied until the late stages of the third period when a brutal turnover by Alexander Edler resulted in a fortuitous Kings' goal. But the Canucks were lucky to be even in the game at that point. It was unfortunate to see the Canucks waste such a stronge effort from their goaltender, but the best way forward for them may well be to just forget Game 1 ever happened. A game where they were outshot, outhit, outhustled and outworked by a determined Kings team that seemed to take the Canucks completely by surprise.
The other positive to take from this is: we have watched this team enough to know what their best effort looks like, and Game 1 was about as far as we have seen from it in a considerable amount of time. The Canucks will watch their game tape, regroup (likely without Byron Bitz, whom smart money dictates will be facing supplementary discipline for his hit) and be ready for Game 2. If things suddenly begin to go right, they may well do so with Daniel Sedin in the lineup. But as of Thursday morning, there was still no update on his condition and he remains day-to-day, while Canuck nation not-so-silently continues to curse Duncan Keith.
But for the moment, the Canucks need to look at themselves in the mirror, forget Game 1 and come at Game 2 fresh.
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Welcome to the Jungle
Tonight, the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup - the ultimate grail in the game of hockey - begins anew. The next two months will be consumed with an ever shortening list of teams battling tooth and nail for every inch in their attempts to win the coveted prize.
For the Vancouver Canucks, that journey begins tonight with their first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal against the Los Angeles Kings. For the second year in a row, the Vancouver Canucks enter the playoffs as the top team in the West and the top team in the NHL overall. But for the second year in a row, they are facing an 8th place team that certainly isn't built like one.
We all remember the script from last year. The defending Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks snuck into the playoffs at 8th place and the Canucks ended up needed an overtime series-clincher from Alexandre Burrows to ice their most bitter nemesis before moving on. The Los Angeles Kings, similar to those Blackhawks, drastically underachieved during the regular season this year. Entering the season filled with optimism over the acquisition of star center Mike Richards, the Kings fell flat to begin the season. They only stayed in the thick of the playoff race largely on the back of sublime goaltending from Jonathan Quick and some sterling team defense. But for a team boasting offensive weapons such as Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Justin Williams, Drew Doughty and (at the time) Jack Johnson, the Kings were having an alarmingly difficult time scoring goals.
They fired their head coach, Terry Murray, and brought in another familiar face that preached hard work and defensive conscience. Darryl Sutter, who is no stranger to facing the Canucks (having guided the Calgary Flames to a series victory over them in the first round in 2004, en route to a Cup Finals appearance of their own) seems to have righted the ship. To boot, the Kings then traded Jack Johnson at the trade deadline for another ex-Philadelphia Flyer and former Mike Richards teammate in Jeff Carter. Carter was injured to close out the regular season, but not before showcasing his ability to put pucks in the net. He is expected to be ready in Game 1.
Suffice to say, the Kings had hoped for better in the regular season, but that is behind them now. They are in the playoffs and they have drawn the task of trying to eliminate the Vancouver Canucks in the first round. Drew Doughty didn't wait long to confidently state that "it's going to be fun when we beat them", perhaps providing the Canucks with some bulletin board material in the process.
On the Vancouver side of the ledger, the song remains the same for much of this team. Many of the players made up the same group that fought all the way to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final last season before losing to the Boston Bruins on home ice. They received incredible performances at various points from Ryan Kesler, Alexandre Burrows, Kevin Bieksa, Henrik Sedin and Roberto Luongo. The Canucks will need the team firing on all cylinders to beat a physical, regimentedly defensive Kings team.
The X-Factor in this series will likely be Kings' netminder Jonathan Quick. While he had a regular season to remember, he has - to this point - been unable to translate regular season success into playoff victories, as his playoff statistics are somewhat uninspiring. 4 wins, 8 loses, a 3.32 GAA and a .900 SVP are all drops from his regular season numbers. If the Canucks can rattle his confidence, it could go a long way to securing themselves the series.
The physical game will also be a matchup to watch. The Canucks love to establish an effective forecheck and set loose the likes of Burrows, Maxim Lapierre, Chris Higgins, Zack Kassian and Ryan Kesler to wreak havoc on defending players, but the Kings are no slouches in this regard. They were in the top three in the NHL in hits this year and will no doubt be trying to put the crunch on Canucks' defenders and offenders alike. This could well end up being the most physical series of the playoffs (unless Pittsburgh and Philadelphia degenerates into a street fight...which could well happen)
There are other storylines heading into tonight. What is the status of Daniel Sedin? We may not know until the Canucks take to the ice and we see if he is among them or not, but the Canucks did show their mettle by going on an 8-1-0 tear after their star winger was injured on a cheapshot (and possibly premeditated) play by the Blackhawks' Duncan Keith.
Regardless of who dresses, the Canucks simply need to get their game faces on. Every game matters, every win is critical, and tonight is the first step on what the Canucks hope will be another journey to the Stanley Cup Finals - only this time, with a different ending.
For the Vancouver Canucks, that journey begins tonight with their first game of the Western Conference Quarterfinal against the Los Angeles Kings. For the second year in a row, the Vancouver Canucks enter the playoffs as the top team in the West and the top team in the NHL overall. But for the second year in a row, they are facing an 8th place team that certainly isn't built like one.
We all remember the script from last year. The defending Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks snuck into the playoffs at 8th place and the Canucks ended up needed an overtime series-clincher from Alexandre Burrows to ice their most bitter nemesis before moving on. The Los Angeles Kings, similar to those Blackhawks, drastically underachieved during the regular season this year. Entering the season filled with optimism over the acquisition of star center Mike Richards, the Kings fell flat to begin the season. They only stayed in the thick of the playoff race largely on the back of sublime goaltending from Jonathan Quick and some sterling team defense. But for a team boasting offensive weapons such as Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Justin Williams, Drew Doughty and (at the time) Jack Johnson, the Kings were having an alarmingly difficult time scoring goals.
They fired their head coach, Terry Murray, and brought in another familiar face that preached hard work and defensive conscience. Darryl Sutter, who is no stranger to facing the Canucks (having guided the Calgary Flames to a series victory over them in the first round in 2004, en route to a Cup Finals appearance of their own) seems to have righted the ship. To boot, the Kings then traded Jack Johnson at the trade deadline for another ex-Philadelphia Flyer and former Mike Richards teammate in Jeff Carter. Carter was injured to close out the regular season, but not before showcasing his ability to put pucks in the net. He is expected to be ready in Game 1.
Suffice to say, the Kings had hoped for better in the regular season, but that is behind them now. They are in the playoffs and they have drawn the task of trying to eliminate the Vancouver Canucks in the first round. Drew Doughty didn't wait long to confidently state that "it's going to be fun when we beat them", perhaps providing the Canucks with some bulletin board material in the process.
On the Vancouver side of the ledger, the song remains the same for much of this team. Many of the players made up the same group that fought all the way to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final last season before losing to the Boston Bruins on home ice. They received incredible performances at various points from Ryan Kesler, Alexandre Burrows, Kevin Bieksa, Henrik Sedin and Roberto Luongo. The Canucks will need the team firing on all cylinders to beat a physical, regimentedly defensive Kings team.
The X-Factor in this series will likely be Kings' netminder Jonathan Quick. While he had a regular season to remember, he has - to this point - been unable to translate regular season success into playoff victories, as his playoff statistics are somewhat uninspiring. 4 wins, 8 loses, a 3.32 GAA and a .900 SVP are all drops from his regular season numbers. If the Canucks can rattle his confidence, it could go a long way to securing themselves the series.
The physical game will also be a matchup to watch. The Canucks love to establish an effective forecheck and set loose the likes of Burrows, Maxim Lapierre, Chris Higgins, Zack Kassian and Ryan Kesler to wreak havoc on defending players, but the Kings are no slouches in this regard. They were in the top three in the NHL in hits this year and will no doubt be trying to put the crunch on Canucks' defenders and offenders alike. This could well end up being the most physical series of the playoffs (unless Pittsburgh and Philadelphia degenerates into a street fight...which could well happen)
There are other storylines heading into tonight. What is the status of Daniel Sedin? We may not know until the Canucks take to the ice and we see if he is among them or not, but the Canucks did show their mettle by going on an 8-1-0 tear after their star winger was injured on a cheapshot (and possibly premeditated) play by the Blackhawks' Duncan Keith.
Regardless of who dresses, the Canucks simply need to get their game faces on. Every game matters, every win is critical, and tonight is the first step on what the Canucks hope will be another journey to the Stanley Cup Finals - only this time, with a different ending.
Sunday 8 April 2012
Kick Start my Heart
"We hate every single guy on that team."
Those words, attributed to Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Drew Doughty, will likely be repeated a lot over the next few days. Doughty spoke them before a March meeting between the Kings and the Vancouver Canucks when asked about who his most hated team in the NHL is. To be certain, there is no love lost between the two teams that met in the first round of the 2010 Playoffs, the Canucks emerging victorious in a 4-2 series triumph.
If familiarity breeds contempt, then pulses will be rising amongst these two West Coast foes over the next four-to-seven games, as on the final day of the NHL regular season they discovered that they would be playing each other by virtue of the Canucks shutting down the Edmonton Oilers 3-0, capturing their second consecutive President's Trophy in the process, while the Kings blew a 2-0 3rd period lead to the San Jose Sharks and lost 3-2 in Overtime to take the 8th seed.
There are many players on either side who were veterans of the last series. Drew Doughty, at that time a dynamic sophomore, was the Kings' most dangerous player. He scored 3 goals and 4 assists in the 6 game series that saw the Kings eviscerate the Canucks' penalty killing, which struggled mightily in the absence of concussed defensemen Willie Mitchell (who is now a King). The Kings actually took a 2-1 series lead before the Canucks' Swedish Trio of Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin and Mikael Samuelsson righted the ship. The three forwards combined for a whopping 14 goals and 16 assists in the six-game series, which was also noted for its massive contingent of Vancouver fans making the pilgrimage to the Staples Center in Los Angeles to turn it into a home away from home.
But that was two years ago. Suffice to say, there are a lot of differences on both sides now. The Canucks are now the battle hardened playoff veterans who have played more playoff hockey in the last two years than anyone else in the Western Conference. They have an abundance of riches in goal with both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider showing equal aptitude at winning games. They have a strong, deep defensive corps which is only going to get stronger with the return of Keith Ballard from a concussion. Whether or not Daniel Sedin can do the same will be a big question mark to begin the series, and there have been conflicting reports on that front. But with brother Henrik having a strong surge down the stretch to help carry the Canucks to an 8-1-0 finish to the season in Daniel's absence, it may buy the Canucks some time.
Veteran Samuel Pahlsson also brings some Cup winning experience to the Canucks, and with 81 playoff games on his resume, the Canucks will be counting upon him to shut down the Kings' top offensive threats. Look for Canuck superpests Alex Burrows and Max Lapierre to introduce themselves to Drew Doughty in short order, in an attempt to distract him with his own admitted hatred of the Canucks.
The series begins on Wednesday evening at 7:30. From a travel perspective, this is as good a first round as the Canucks could have hoped for, a vast improvement over the lengthy trips back and forth to Chicago and Nashville in Rounds 1 and 2 last year.
But they also need to be wary of the reset switch. It no longer matters that the Canucks finished 1st in the league while the Kings finished 8th in the Conference. It no longer matters what happened during the regular season or during the Canucks' Cup Run last year.
All that matters is the next game. And it all begins on Wednesday evening.
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