It looks as though Canuck coach Alain Vigneault's plan to rest his team through as much of the preseason as possible was a success. The Canucks looked so rested, in fact, that there were times where I legitimately thought they were sleeping on their feet during their season opening loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.
It certainly wasn't a pretty game. Anyone expecting it to have the emotional charge that the games played in April, May and June of this year did were of course going to be disappointed...but it was an extremely sluggish effort from a group of players who clearly have some rust to shake off.
They started to come to life towards the end of the game. To their credit, they found their legs, they started to control the play, and they had a few solid chances to take the lead and win the game. Even when the game was slow to start, the Canucks weren't the worst thing about it--that dubious title went to the announcing duo of Mark Lee and Kevin Weekes. (I actually don't mind Weekes--he's hilarious, if unintentionally so).
There were some things to be happy about for the Canucks. The Sedin Twins put on their usual display of brilliance--Henrik finding Keith Ballard in behind the Pittsburgh defense with a teriffic saucer pass which Ballard buried (hopefully along with the memories of last season for him). Daniel then joined in on the fun by taking another sweet pass from Henrik, outwaiting both a Pittsburgh defender and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, before deftly ripping the puck upstairs to tie the game.
There was a surprisingly nice night from the new fourth line with center Maxim Lapierre leading the way. He was 71% on faceoffs, he scored a goal that came at the end of a great forechecking shift where they hemmed the Penguins into their own zone, and along with wingers Aaron Volpatti and Dale Weise (or as Mark Lee knows them, whatshisname and whoshisface), had a strong night.
There was second line center Cody Hodgson who looked quite dangerous, and he even had a glorious chance to put the Canucks ahead in the third period. He showed excellent patience, waited until everyone had over committed to the play...and then slid the puck just wide of the net. Newcomer winger Marco Sturm had a solid game on the defensive side of the puck, but the big goose egg next to the shots on net column in his game is a bit alarming for a player the Canucks are hoping will be able to provide some secondary scoring this year.
There were some warts to this game, too. The Canucks' penalty kill clearly missed Ryan Kesler, as two of the three goals scored by the Penguins were scored on their quick-strike power play. The Canucks' net clearly missed a goaltender who was awake, when Roberto Luongo whiffed on a 44-foot-wing-and-a-prayer shot by Matt Cooke to give the Penguins a then 3-1 lead. It was an auspicious debut for Luongo, as the first goal (scored from behind the goal line by James Neal) and the aforementioned Matt Cooke goal both had a distinct odour to them. If Canuck Nation was hoping Luongo would come out and immediately start allowing them to forget his inconsistent play in the Final, they were let down last night.
In Luongo's defense, he typically has awful Octobers and rebounds with a stellar close to the regular season. But none of that is going to matter this year--for Luongo, it's all about the playoffs.
There were a smattering of veterans who looked as though they were playing together for the first time (in truth, it was the second for many of them), and so the rust will take a bit of time to wear off. The promising thing about this game is that the Canucks were able to come back, tie it, squeak out a point and at least have some positives to look back on. But in all honesty, it was a clunker of a game and a sign that maybe--just maybe--Alain Vigneault should let his veterans play together a bit during the preseason in the future, something he hasn't done to any great extent in the past, but took to a whole new level this year.
To make matters worse, it's a long wait until Monday for the Canucks' next game. But perhaps some time on the road (they are travelling to Columbus for the start of a four-game road trip) to bond together as a team will be productive. And hopefully they'll play with a little more gas in the tank than they had last night.
Friday 7 October 2011
Monday 3 October 2011
Here I Go Again
In just a few short days, the puck will drop and the Vancouver Canucks will begin anew their quest to bring the franchise and the city its first Stanley Cup. All of this after coming so agonizingly close back in June, when they lost in Game 7 on home ice. It was the shortest off-season in the history of the team, but it certainly felt long.
That's all behind us now, as we look forward to the new season ahead. It's finally time to start getting excited about hockey again. There have been some changes over the summer--some for the better, some for the worse, some which the jury will remain out on for some time to come. In a nutshell, let's review.
Gone is offensive defensemen Christian Ehrhoff, who signed a whopping 10-year, $40million deal with the Buffalo Sabres during the summer. Replacing his 50-points from the blueline will be a challenge, but it's not impossible. Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler and Sami Salo all missed significant time last year due to injury--they missed a combined 120 games. If one or more of them are able to remain mostly healthy throughout the season, they should all be able to contribute a bit offensively to make up the lost points from Ehrhoff. This is ignoring the two most interest defenders heading into the season--Keith Ballard and Chris Tanev.
Ballard is interesting because his first season in Vancouver was, let's face it, awful. He arrived on the day of the 2010 draft as a much ballyhooed defender who was capable of skating well, putting up 25-30 points, and playing a gritty, in your face game. Specifically, he had a penchant for throwing amazing hipchecks. As Jamie McGinn of the San Jose Sharks can attest to (has he stopped cartwheeling through the air after that hit in Game 4 vs. San Jose yet?), the hipchecks were certainly there. Unfortunately, that was about all that was a hit for poor Ballard. He had his worst professional season to date, scoring a measly 2 goals and 5 assists while spending most of his time--especially during the Stanley Cup Run--in the press box.
So why is he interesting? There's an old adage that when you're on the bottom, the only direction you can go is up. (the inverse is true as well, but that's for another day) So whether or not Keith Ballard can rebound and find the form that made him a highly sought after defender by the Canucks in the first place will be an interesting story this year.
On the other end of the spectrum is Chris Tanev. Anyone who says they knew his name at this time last year is either lying, or they read HFBoards a lot. Tanev stepped into the franchise last summer as a relatively unheralded free agent signing straight out of the lower tiers of the American collegiate system, where he had played for the Rochester Institute of Technology. He had a surprisingly solid camp, and an even more surprisingly strong start to the year with the AHL's Manitoba Moose, before cracking the Canucks' roster for the remainder of the year due to the massive amounts of injuries the big club incurred.
Tanev displayed remarkable poise, patience and smarts for such a young and inexperienced player. He was even thrown into the fire of the Stanley Cup Final where he continued to acquit himself admirably. He has since bulked up over the off-season, putting on ten pounds of muscle by his own admission. In training camp, he looks stronger, faster, and he has shown a greater willingness to jump into the attack to generate offense--something he seems, again, surprisingly good at. If he is able to contribute offensively, that may also lessen the burden his defensive counterparts now face in trying to replace Ehrhoff's offense.
Up front, there are some temporary and permanent changes. Gone is hard-hitting forward Raffi Torres, whose bone crunching hits were the cause of much hand wringing amongst the Canucks' critics during the playoffs. While the intensity and intimidation of the hard charging forward will be missed, in the new era of the NHL where headshots are being examined more closely, it might be a benefit to the Canucks that he was allowed to walk.
Missing for the start of the year will be Selke trophy winner Ryan Kesler, who required surgery after the Canucks were defeated in the Finals last year. He is expected to be back by November, but his spot will be temporarily filled by another interesting Canuck rookie--Cody Hodgson.
Cut and paste Keith Ballard's story here and you would have a similar tale. Cody Hodgson was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 Entry Draft, and was immediately called by many pundits an absolute steal. A sure fire NHL player who dripped with character, intelligence and skill. This didn't change over the following year, as he lead Team Canada in scoring at the World Junior Championships, teaming with 1st overall selection John Tavares to wreak havoc. He was picked by many hockey outlets as a candidate to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in the 2009/2010 season.
Then came the back problems. Hodgson injured his back while training in the summer of 2009 and was set back drastically. He tried to battle his way through camp that year, but was ultimately slowed down far too much by the injury. Alain Vigneault inadvertently put his foot in his own mouth when Hodgson announced he was seeking a second opinion on his back, when Vigneault stated that Hodgson was perhaps not used to disappointment at this stage in his career.
Imagine Vigneault's surprise when that second opinion Hodgson saught revealed a tear in the muscles surrounding his back. Oops.
The 2009/2010 season was lost for Hodgson, who missed almost the entire year with his injury. He played just 13 regular season games and a handful more in the playoffs. The 2010/2011 season had some growing pains as well--he did see NHL time and scored his first goal, but he did not look as NHL ready as he had before his injury.
Now, he seems ready--he arrived at camp this year looking faster and stronger, and he has not missed a chance to showcase his offensive abilities. He will fill the vacant second line center spot left by Ryan Kesler until he returns, at which time the "what to do with Hodgson" discussion can begin. But for the moment, he's on the team and he's a player many in Canuck Nation are excited about.
Also missing up front is Mason Raymond, who will be out considerably longer with his broken back. Brought in to fill in is veteran Marco Sturm, who also has something to prove. Having had both of his knees surgically repaired in the last few years, he will be looking to regain the form that has seen him eclipse the 20-goal mark seven times in his NHL career. He also brings some defensive responsibility in his game, so look for him to rome all over the lineup.
In goal, the song remains the same for the Canucks (for now). Roberto Luongo is back as the No. 1 man, and Cory Schneider returns as his backup. Both are capable of playing teriffic hockey, but this is a season where no matter what they do in the regular season, they will not earn praise. For both (moreso for Luongo), the real test will be when the playoffs begin again. In spite of leading the Canucks to the Final, Luongo still faces a great deal of questions with respect to his mental toughness. (allowing 21 goals against in four losses in the Final will do that).
But overall, it's a new season. The journey begins anew, and for the Canucks, there is only one all-consuming goal: to get the storybook ending that eluded them in June. To get back to the Stanley Cup Final and, this time, skate off with the trophy in hand.
And it all begins this week. It's about time.
That's all behind us now, as we look forward to the new season ahead. It's finally time to start getting excited about hockey again. There have been some changes over the summer--some for the better, some for the worse, some which the jury will remain out on for some time to come. In a nutshell, let's review.
Gone is offensive defensemen Christian Ehrhoff, who signed a whopping 10-year, $40million deal with the Buffalo Sabres during the summer. Replacing his 50-points from the blueline will be a challenge, but it's not impossible. Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler and Sami Salo all missed significant time last year due to injury--they missed a combined 120 games. If one or more of them are able to remain mostly healthy throughout the season, they should all be able to contribute a bit offensively to make up the lost points from Ehrhoff. This is ignoring the two most interest defenders heading into the season--Keith Ballard and Chris Tanev.
Ballard is interesting because his first season in Vancouver was, let's face it, awful. He arrived on the day of the 2010 draft as a much ballyhooed defender who was capable of skating well, putting up 25-30 points, and playing a gritty, in your face game. Specifically, he had a penchant for throwing amazing hipchecks. As Jamie McGinn of the San Jose Sharks can attest to (has he stopped cartwheeling through the air after that hit in Game 4 vs. San Jose yet?), the hipchecks were certainly there. Unfortunately, that was about all that was a hit for poor Ballard. He had his worst professional season to date, scoring a measly 2 goals and 5 assists while spending most of his time--especially during the Stanley Cup Run--in the press box.
So why is he interesting? There's an old adage that when you're on the bottom, the only direction you can go is up. (the inverse is true as well, but that's for another day) So whether or not Keith Ballard can rebound and find the form that made him a highly sought after defender by the Canucks in the first place will be an interesting story this year.
On the other end of the spectrum is Chris Tanev. Anyone who says they knew his name at this time last year is either lying, or they read HFBoards a lot. Tanev stepped into the franchise last summer as a relatively unheralded free agent signing straight out of the lower tiers of the American collegiate system, where he had played for the Rochester Institute of Technology. He had a surprisingly solid camp, and an even more surprisingly strong start to the year with the AHL's Manitoba Moose, before cracking the Canucks' roster for the remainder of the year due to the massive amounts of injuries the big club incurred.
Tanev displayed remarkable poise, patience and smarts for such a young and inexperienced player. He was even thrown into the fire of the Stanley Cup Final where he continued to acquit himself admirably. He has since bulked up over the off-season, putting on ten pounds of muscle by his own admission. In training camp, he looks stronger, faster, and he has shown a greater willingness to jump into the attack to generate offense--something he seems, again, surprisingly good at. If he is able to contribute offensively, that may also lessen the burden his defensive counterparts now face in trying to replace Ehrhoff's offense.
Up front, there are some temporary and permanent changes. Gone is hard-hitting forward Raffi Torres, whose bone crunching hits were the cause of much hand wringing amongst the Canucks' critics during the playoffs. While the intensity and intimidation of the hard charging forward will be missed, in the new era of the NHL where headshots are being examined more closely, it might be a benefit to the Canucks that he was allowed to walk.
Missing for the start of the year will be Selke trophy winner Ryan Kesler, who required surgery after the Canucks were defeated in the Finals last year. He is expected to be back by November, but his spot will be temporarily filled by another interesting Canuck rookie--Cody Hodgson.
Cut and paste Keith Ballard's story here and you would have a similar tale. Cody Hodgson was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 Entry Draft, and was immediately called by many pundits an absolute steal. A sure fire NHL player who dripped with character, intelligence and skill. This didn't change over the following year, as he lead Team Canada in scoring at the World Junior Championships, teaming with 1st overall selection John Tavares to wreak havoc. He was picked by many hockey outlets as a candidate to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in the 2009/2010 season.
Then came the back problems. Hodgson injured his back while training in the summer of 2009 and was set back drastically. He tried to battle his way through camp that year, but was ultimately slowed down far too much by the injury. Alain Vigneault inadvertently put his foot in his own mouth when Hodgson announced he was seeking a second opinion on his back, when Vigneault stated that Hodgson was perhaps not used to disappointment at this stage in his career.
Imagine Vigneault's surprise when that second opinion Hodgson saught revealed a tear in the muscles surrounding his back. Oops.
The 2009/2010 season was lost for Hodgson, who missed almost the entire year with his injury. He played just 13 regular season games and a handful more in the playoffs. The 2010/2011 season had some growing pains as well--he did see NHL time and scored his first goal, but he did not look as NHL ready as he had before his injury.
Now, he seems ready--he arrived at camp this year looking faster and stronger, and he has not missed a chance to showcase his offensive abilities. He will fill the vacant second line center spot left by Ryan Kesler until he returns, at which time the "what to do with Hodgson" discussion can begin. But for the moment, he's on the team and he's a player many in Canuck Nation are excited about.
Also missing up front is Mason Raymond, who will be out considerably longer with his broken back. Brought in to fill in is veteran Marco Sturm, who also has something to prove. Having had both of his knees surgically repaired in the last few years, he will be looking to regain the form that has seen him eclipse the 20-goal mark seven times in his NHL career. He also brings some defensive responsibility in his game, so look for him to rome all over the lineup.
In goal, the song remains the same for the Canucks (for now). Roberto Luongo is back as the No. 1 man, and Cory Schneider returns as his backup. Both are capable of playing teriffic hockey, but this is a season where no matter what they do in the regular season, they will not earn praise. For both (moreso for Luongo), the real test will be when the playoffs begin again. In spite of leading the Canucks to the Final, Luongo still faces a great deal of questions with respect to his mental toughness. (allowing 21 goals against in four losses in the Final will do that).
But overall, it's a new season. The journey begins anew, and for the Canucks, there is only one all-consuming goal: to get the storybook ending that eluded them in June. To get back to the Stanley Cup Final and, this time, skate off with the trophy in hand.
And it all begins this week. It's about time.
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