Nucks Misconduct

You're all clear, kid, now let's blow this thing and go home: Canucks & Coyotes

2010-03-11T02:00:26Z

Next Game

Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010, 7:00 PM PST
Jobing.com Arena
Opposition Blog: Five For Howling

"He wants to contribute and still feels like he has a lot to give . . . whether he's in the lineup every day, or whether he's just a player that can help our power play or whatever role he's given in the lineup, he'll be a real positive influence," Tippett said.

That's Tippett on some chump named Mathieu Schneider. You may remember him as the oldest player in the NHL (though Chelios was recalled today) who just recently bitched and moaned his way off Vancouver for being told to accept the very same conditions Tippett is talking about. Better yet, when he didn't get all of the icetime he felt he deserved, he became a (...wait for it...) negative influence. He can't even start for the Dogs until his most recent injury clears up.

Moving along, the RTFH™ is at long last ending. The goal was to finish .500 and they're guaranteed to end the trip above that mark. With a win tonight, they'll be at 86 points, five behind Chicago and seven behind San Jose. Hell 86 points would put them above any team in the East except for Washington. On the flip side, Phoenix is 29 - 3 - 2 when scoring first, is hunting for their 40th win of the season and old dreamy eyes Taylor Pyatt needs one more goal to reach 100 for his career.

Last night proved anything is possible now, from a crying goaltender to a F-U hat trick in one period. With news that Hands of Stone is out until at least the playoffs, time to sprinkle in a healthy damn Dane dose into the mix. Hansen has two straight GWGs and is the primary benefactor of Bernier's injury. Many of us have waited to see the kid get consistent icetime and - though it took until March - it's finally here. He looks mighty fine climbing into a X-Wing too, don't ya think?

Everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?

Gamethread on.

Dog-Hunting: Canucks-Coyotes Game Preview

2010-03-10T19:51:18Z

Canucks (41-23-2)		Coyotes (39-22-5)
	AT

Time	7:00 PM PST	TV	TSN
Season Series	1-0-1 Canucks	Last Meeting	4-0 Canucks (01-07-10)
The Enemy	Five For Howling	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 26-62-88 Wolski: 19-31-50

Canucks	Category	Coyotes
3rd	Conference Position	4th
7-3-0	Last 10	6-4-0
3.24 (2nd)	Goals Per Game	2.56 (23rd)
2.54 (8th)	Least Goals Against Per Game	2.42 (5th)
1.30 (2nd)	5 On 5 GF/GA	1.16 (5th)
21.4% (5th)	Power Play %	14.9% (30th)
80.6% (20th)	Penalty Kill %	83.7% (8th)
30.4 (12th)	Shots Per Game	30 (14th)
29.1 (8th)	Least Shots Against Per Game	29.4 (11th)
80% (3rd)	Winning % When Scoring First	85.3% (1st)
86.4% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 1	95.2% (2nd)
47.2% (5th)	Winning % When Trailing After 1	31.3% (17th)
96.2% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 2	89.7% (10th)
37% (1st)	Winning % When Trailing After2	17.4% (13th)
51.2% (8th)	Faceoffs %	50.4% (13th)
15.6 (26th)	Least PIM's Per Game	12.1 (11th)
+39 (3rd)	+ / - GF/GA	+14 (8th)

Update: 3 more helpers for Henrik and he will become the all-time Canucks leader with assists, passing Trevor Linden.

******************************

Do the Canucks have it in them to win the final game of the road trip? Or are they going to mail it in, with a sweet flight home awaiting them after the game? I do know the Canucks have thrown in the towel at the end of road trips more than once this season: the 7-2 loss to the Ducks in October and more recently, the suckage against the Wild in the final game before the Olympics.

Andrew Raycroft will play in net tonight to give Luongo the rest, as there are plenty of games left to play in the last few weeks of the season. This coming on the heels of what Lou called his worst played period of his life (period 1 against the Avalanche). But hey, you're a pro, Lou. Bounce back next game. What a win that was by the way. I'm still chuckling about it today.

6 points for the Sedins last game. I think they are coming alive, finally. Right in the nick of time. Let's see if Samuelsson plays on their line tonight. He scored 3 goals and 1 assist against the Avs and is my hero of the damned week.

Phoenix has won 2 games in a row, but have not played since Saturday...a 4-0 win over the lame Ducks. New Dog Wojtek Wolski has 2 goal and 1 assist in his first 2 games in Phoenix. Lee Stempniak has 1 goal and 1 assist with his new team. Derek Morris has 1 assist. These guys add to the depth that Phoenix already had. They aren't great players per se...but any line can strike at any moment.

Alright, a couple clips for ya:

Taylor Pyatt Destroys Rome:

Burrows' hat trick goal. His 2nd hatty in 2 games.

It's ok to laugh at this now, right? Right?!

How much do the Canucks want this one? We will find out shortly. Do it, boys!

A from the crowd look at the Golden Goal... (hat tip to @mlse)

2010-03-10T17:32:10Z

A from the crowd look at the Golden Goal... (hat tip to @mlse)

Bernier's Sports Hernia

2010-03-10T17:04:49Z

Bernier's Sports Hernia

Turns out Bernier's been injured since January. I guess that explains a few things.

Wednesday Morning Coffee- In The Hall Of The Mountain King...

2010-03-10T15:21:44Z

More photos » David Zalubowski - AP

1 day ago: Vancouver Canucks right winger Mikael Samuelsson, back, of Sweden, celebrates after scoring his third goal in the second period as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan, center, and goalie Craig Anderson react in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Tuesday, March 9, 2010. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Given the grueling nature of this back half of the Road Trip From Hell (tm), no one would have blamed the Canucks for coming up short last night in Denver. With a .500 record for the trip assured, and playing their 5th game in 8 nights, they could have mailed it in. And being down 3-0 after 1 period it certainly looked like that was the case. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, if you give this team a chance to come back in a game, they will not just take, but ram it down your throat.

Roberto Luongo regained his composure and gave the Canucks the opportunity to win the game last night, and led by a hat trick performance by Mikeal Samuelsson, the Canucks did exactly that, skating out of the Mile High City with a 6-4 victory. Samuelsson now has career highs in goals (27) and points (47). Henrik Sedin had another 3 assist night, helping him to move past Joe Thornton for the NHL lead in that category, as well as move to within 4 points of Alexander Ovechkin for the scoring lead. Henrik needs just 3 more assists to pass Trevor Linden for the all time team lead in assists.

Daniel Sedin ended his goal scoring drought with an empty netter, and Alexandre Burrows collected his team leading 30th of the year. For the second game in a row, Jannik Hansen potted the game winner, and while the pinball shot off himself and Avs goalie Craig Anderson may not have been pretty, it's a testament to the gritty effort this guy is capable of when given the chance.

10 come from behind victories for the Canucks now this season, 4 more than any other team in the league. While it may be a trend that causes indigestion in the Canucks faithful, it's also a sign of a team that maybe isn't getting the respect it deserves. It certainly, for me anyways casts the Chicago loss in a different light. 3rd game in 4 nights and an emotional week for Luongo, those things combined and I am willing to give him a pass on this one.

No time for them to rest on their laurels however, as the boys are now in Phoenix for the final game of the RTFH (tm). Give the Coyotes credit, they've managed to hang in there and now appear poised, barring a total collapse down the stretch, to make the playoffs for the first time in ages. Not that anyone in Phoenix has noticed, mind you. You know your team's in sad shape when the league trots out the stat that you're only losing $20 million this year as a positive thing. And can I remind everyone the NHL is notorious for being a little fast and loose with numbers?

An interesting little sidenote to tonight's match is that the Canucks could face defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who was dealt by the club to Phoenix a week ago at the trade deadline. A rivalry that already has some heat to it just got a whole lot spicier. With a win, the Canucks will finish this road trip at an inconceivable 9-5. Most experts said if we could come out of this at 7 and 7 we would be lucky. Look for this to give the Canucks legs tonight, and help them open up a 6 point lead over the Avs for the Northwest Division lead.

That's not a head shot... this is a head shot!

As we wait for the NHL's disciplinarian to hand down a punishment to Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke for his blindside hit on Marc Savard of the Bruins, Edmonton's Ryan Whitney decided to one up Cooke and go all Dave Brown on Ottawa's Chris Neil last night.

I don't believe Whitney is a past offender, but they simply can't let him get away with a slap on the wrist here. And even more shocking was the referee apparently arguing with Ottawa coach Cory Clouston that the hit was in the arm, not the head. Dangerous and stupid, Whitney needs the book thrown at him for this one.

The Calgary Flames made the race for 8th more interesting with a big road win in Detroit last night. Jarome Iginla and Rene Bourque are red hot for the Flames right now, as they scored 91 seconds apart as part of a 3 goal 3rd period for a come from behind 4-2 win over the Red Wings. Detroit now drops into the 9th seed, 1 point behind Calgary.

Newcomer Luca Caputi thrilled the hometown crowd in Toronto with a 3rd period goal and Nikolai Kulemin scored the OT winner as the Maple Leafs downed the Bruins 4-3. The win overshadowed a great game from Boston's Mark Recchi, the league's oldest active player who had a goal and 2 assists for Boston. Not bad for a guy the same age as me.

Minnesota managed just 11 shots on goal in a 3-2 shootout loss to Florida. The fact that they even got a point out of that effort should cause for celebration. Or maybe it just highlights how badly the NHL needs to revise it's point system to start rewarding the winners of games instead of losers.

Canucks Beat Avalanche 6-4

2010-03-10T08:42:31Z

More photos » David Zalubowski - AP

"Thanks, bud. You saved my ass from absolute failure."

Browse more photos »

I've seen a lot from Canucks teams over the years but very rarely have I seen a Canucks team like this, who falls down 1, 2 or 3 goals before making a comeback to win games. This Canucks team from Roberto Luongo-out seems disturbingly comfortable to do so on the road trip from hell. Again, when down 3-0 and 4-1 against the furious Avalanche team Vancouver, fueled by Mikael Samuelsson's hat trick and Alexandre Burrow's game winner did it again....which was to erase a 3-goal deficit to win.....and win the game in regulation.

You wait for it to blow up in their faces. You wait for a blow-out to happen to bring them back down to earth but it isn't happening.

-Samuelsson had 3 goals and 1 assist

- Henrick Sedin had 3 assists

-Daniel Sedin had 1 goal and 2 assists

-Ryan Kesler and Christian Ehrhoff each had 2 assists

It was enough to silent the already-quiet dismal Colorado crowd. The Duchene, Hejduk and Stewart line combined for 3 goals, 1 assist and 10 shots..so what?? They finished a +3 and nothing to show for it, except that the Canucks now hold a 4 point lead for the NW Division title.

And please, please please leave Hansen on the roster. How much more does he have to prove?

BOXSCORE and HIGHLIGHTS

It's Not That I'm Lazy, It's That I Just Don't Care: Canucks & Avs

2010-03-10T01:00:20Z

Next Game

Vancouver Canucks
@ Colorado Avalanche

Tuesday, Mar 9, 2010, 6:00 PM PST
Pepsi Center
Opposition Blog: Mile High Hockey

Complete Coverage >

In perusing articles for tonight's game (done at work which truly helped inspire tonight's theatrical selection), did you know that six Canucks already have career bests in goals? 'tis true. Courtesy of Das Province: Alex Burrows (29), Henrik Sedin (26), Mikael Samuelsson (24), Mason Raymond (22), Christian Ehrhoff (12) and Jannik Hansen (7).

I wonder if Markus Naslund smirks at seeing Mr. Everything with the lead in goals. Raymond is 13th best in the NHL, tied with Kessel and one behind Malkin? And how the hell did F-U Sweden, after all those seasons confined in Detroit, wait until now to pop? Oh right, the Wings had depth. Moving on.

On the ~~fourteenth~~ thirteenth stop of the RTFH©, we see the Colorado Avalanche who, along with tomorrow night's opponent, are this season's playoff gate crashers. It's bad enough they're nipping at Vancouver's heels in the standings, but Milan Silent-J is back to piss all over our dreams. And if he doesn't do it, maybe Stastny (don't we have one of them?), Stewart or Douche-ane will. Or Anderson perhaps, assuming there isn't any visual jailbait lurking around.

No reason to be scared Milton. Just think about how Vancouver has schooled Colorado in three straight for a combined 16-4 score and laugh warmly.

The ratio of people to cake is too big. Gamethread on.

Beware Of Avalanche: Canucks-Avalanche Preview

2010-03-09T19:00:22Z

Canucks (40-23-2)		Avalanche (37-22-6)
	AT

Time	6:00 PM PST	TV	Sportsnet Pacific
Season Series	3 - 1 Canucks	Last Meeting	5-2 Canucks (11-20-09)
The Enemy	Mile High Hockey	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 26-59-85 Stastny: 12-49-61

Canucks	Category	Avalanche
3rd	Conference Position	6th
6-4-0	Last 10	6-4-0
3.20 (3rd)	Goals Per Game	2.88 (9th)
2.52 (8th)	Least Goals Against Per Game	2.54 (9th)
1.30 (2nd)	5 On 5 GF/GA	1.14 (6th)
21.3% (5th)	Power Play %	17.7% (18th)
80.9% (20th)	Penalty Kill %	82.7% (12th)
30.4 (12th)	Shots Per Game	27.1 (30th)
29.1 (9th)	Least Shots Against Per Game	31.9 (25th)
80% (4th)	Winning % When Scoring First	68.8% (15th)
86.4% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 1	81.5% (8th)
45.7% (5th)	Winning % When Trailing After 1	45.5% (6th)
96.2% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 2	81.8% (20th)
34.6% (2nd)	Winning % When Trailing After2	23.5% (5th)
51.1% (9th)	Faceoffs %	47.6% (28th)
15.7 (26th)	Least PIM's Per Game	13.2 (17th)
+37 (3rd)	+ / - GF/GA	+20 (5th)

The Canucks have only played a division rival once (a 6-2 loss to Minny) since January 21. They are 12-6 against NW division foes. More after the jump.

Roberto Luongo

#1 / Goalie / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Born: Apr 04, 1979

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Roberto Luongo	55	3130	33	18		127	2.43	1529	1402	.917	4

Craig Anderson

#41 / Goalie / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180

Born: May 21, 1981

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Craig Anderson	57	3414	33	18		139	2.44	1814	1675	.923	6

Many had expected Craig Anderson to board the suck boat by now but he has not. Problem there is that the Canucks have his number this season:

-a 5-2 win on November 20.

-an 8-2 killing of the Avs on November 14 that saw Anderson get chased from the net after 39:00 played, easily his worst performance of the season.

-a 3-0 to the Canucks on November 1

-to his credit (finally) a 3-0 Avs win on October 3.

So far, Vancouver is nearly his worst enemy, but make no mistake, Anderson is the real deal. Check out his game-by-game stats here.

Let's see who's cookin' for the Avs lately. In their 4 games since the Olympic Break:

-Chris Stewart has 5 goals and 4 assists. Good god.

-Paul Stastny has 7 assists

-T.J. Galiardi has 3 goals and 2 assists

-New Av Peter Mueller has 1 goal and 3 assists. He ain't slowing down on his new team. Not on a line with Hejduk and Duchene.

-Matt Duchene has 1 goal and 2 assists

-Canuck "killer" Milan Hejduk has 2 goals. Not gonna kill anybody that way, Milan.

Who is this Chris Stewart guy?

-NHL player of the week...named yesterday..no shit.

-drafted in the 1st round in the 2006 draft by the Avs

-has 24 goals and 51 points in 60 games for the Avs this season. Money money, yeah yeah

This will be no easy task for Vancouver. Sure I say that nearly every time we play them and we beat their asses this season, but I get this feeling that this game will be different. If Vancouver beats the Avs in regulation tonight, they will hold the NW Division lead by 4 points. Wouldn't that be sweet?

A funny stat, considering that the Canucks are now nicknamed the Comeback Kids, is that the Avs are 20th in the NHL when leading after 2 periods.

Stats be damned. Luongo has to outplay Anderson. The Sedins have to start rolling. Even though Colorado's PP is ranked 18th there is no point in giving them too many chances. Check out the Avs' scoring depth.

Alright...a couple clips to get you into the groove:

The last meeting between the 2 teams (highlights):

Henrik Sedin's first career hatty came against Colorado in November:

Rypien fights McLeod:

Rypien, where have you gone???

OLD SCHOOL: Joe Sakic AND Trevor Linden score hat tricks in the 1996 playoffs, in the same game. Bite me, Corey Hirsch. Sakic won that war.

Tuesday Morning Coffee- (Insert Big Game Metaphor Here)

2010-03-09T15:49:29Z

More photos » David Zalubowski - AP

3 months ago: Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin, front, of Sweden, is congratulated after his goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

You know you're a true blue fan when you actually get excited at the fact your team is now only 1 time zone away from being home. The Canucks roll into Denver tonight for a battle of the top 2 teams in the Northwest Division, on game 13 of the Road Trip From Hell (tm). How important is this game? A win tonight can go a long way to helping the Canucks clinch their 3rd division title in 4 years.

How long has it been since the Canucks played the Avalanche? You have to go all the way back to November 20th, part of that bizarre back to back that saw the Canucks play them on the 14th, then not again til they met on the 20th. After a 3-0 shutout loss, the Canucks have won 3 straight against the Avs, including an 8-2 pounding on the 14th. While I don't expect that to happen tonight, this game will be one hell of a battle, as Colorado looks to keep pace with the Canucks in the race for the Northwest.

If not for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Avs would be the surprise story of the year. Craig Anderson's goaltending and some strong play from their youngsters like Chris Stewart, Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene, and the job by Coach of the year candidate Joe Sacco have had the Avs at or near the top of the NW standings all season long. Despite the earlier losses this Colorado team is strong defensively, giving up an average of 1.68 even strength goals per game, the best in the NHL. The Canucks, who are playing their 5th game in 8 nights will have their hands full, and their 5 on 5 play will be vital to their success.

Henrik Sedin got off the schneid with an empty netter Sunday afternoon in Nashville, but the team is still looking for the twins to get back to contributing more offensively. Fortunately their linemate Alexandre Burrows, as well as Ryan Kesler, Mikeal Samuelsson and others have picked up the slack. Roberto Luongo will need another strong performance tonight, he was solid, especially late in the game against the Predators, allowing the Canucks to pull off their 9th come from behind victory of the season.

Belgian ROFLs?

From the man who brought you the newest martial arts technique, the Donkey Konga slap fighting method, Semin shows us a fail on a shootout attempt that forever trumps Markus Naslund's hilarious gaffe a couple years back:

The best part is at the :30 second mark. Pure gold. Sure, every blog will have this up, but I could watch this over and over and over.

A couple other big games tonight, but the one a lot of people will be paying attention to is Calgary on the road to take on Detroit. Both teams have won 2 in a row and are separated by just a point for that last playoff spot. A Detroit win is a serious blow to the playoff aspirations of the Flames, whose fans will set off a chinook of douchebagginess should they win.

Could hear something today about the suspension of Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke, as the GM's continue their meetings in Florida. Some heated debate on Twitter, as fans, bloggers and journalists are all taking sides and focusing on a topic that has already been raging for years. I predict Twitter crashes if the suspension is announced today.

Puck Daddy's second gallery of Golden Roar photoshops is up, and there's some killer ones in there.

And finally, if you're in Victoria, the Salmon Kings are filming a commercial on Thursday at the Save on Foods Memorial Center. If you're going to be there, let me know so I can say hi. Should be fun, and they're giving away tickets as well as pizza for all, and an invitation to the screening of the commercial once it's complete. Hope to see some of you there!

And now the 25-year-old can celebrate being the cover athlete for the NHL 2K11 video game,...

2010-03-08T20:25:31Z

And now the 25-year-old can celebrate being the cover athlete for the NHL 2K11 video game, following in the footsteps of Alexander Ovechkin, Rick Nash, Jason Spezza, Joe Thornton, Marty Turco, Martin St. Louis, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan.

That's your Ryan Kesler folks.

(g/t Kukla)

Monday Morning Coffee- Great Dane with a great goal

2010-03-08T19:07:36Z

More photos » Mark Humphrey - AP

3 days ago: Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen (36), of Denmark, scores against Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35), of Finland, in the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 7, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn. The goal broke a 2-2 tie and the Canucks went on to a 4-2 win. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Browse more photos »

Jannik Hansen popped a rebound off his initial shot behind Pekke Rinne of the Nashville Predators to help the Canucks complete a 3rd period comeback and win 4-2 yesterday in the music city. The win was the 9th come from behind victory for the Canucks, a category they lead the NHL in. Is this a reason to be concerned, or is it a sign the Canucks are moving into that upper echelon of teams in the league? More after the jump...

Some will tell you that the fact that the Canucks have to continue to battle back is a sign there are issues with the team and they're not going anywhere. Granted, the fact that the Canucks have been giving up the first goal rather consistently is a trend that could lead to disaster if they don't stop it. But when you factor in the intangibles: Missing two of their top 4 defensemen, and despite the underwhelming names, and seemingly endless 'highlight' reel of mistakes they've made, the wins keep coming. Since losing Mitchell to a concussion in January, the Canucks are 12-5 and are poised to finish no worse than .500 on the Road Trip From Hell (tm). Obviously the Canucks would rather have both Mitchell and Bieksa back, but it's a testament to the depth of the organization that they continue to roll along in spite of the adversity.

Issues aside, the simple fact is, good teams find a way to win. The Canucks reached the 40 win plateau earlier than ever in team history, and have done it through a myriad of injuries, massive controversy and the aforementioned record setting road trip. It certainly fills you with confidence as we head into the stretch drive that this team may finally be ready to make some noise in the post season for the first time since 1994.

Tomorrow night is huge, as they battle the Colorado Avelanche in Denver in one of those ultra important divisional matchups. A Canucks win and they have a 4 point lead, a loss and the Avs will once again be tied in points, with the Canucks owning the tie breaker. My guess is we see Luongo tomorrow, then Andrew Raycroft Wednesday in Phoenix. Raycroft has been a pleasant surprise this year, providing the Canucks with some decent back up goaltending in his limited time. Knowing the Canucks will likely promote Cory Schneider to the back up role next year, Raycroft is making the most of this opportunity.

Around the breakfast nook...

Ridiculous timing aside, one can only hope the GM's meetings in Florida today get some real definitive action on the headshots that are plaguing the game. The trick is in finding the balance between protecting the health of the players, punishing offenders correctly and maintaining the physicality of the game. No easy task for sure, and with fresh evidence provided by Matt Cooke yesterday on Marc Savard they will have the ability to make deliberate headshots a thing of the past. We hope.

After Friday, much of the talk was perhaps the Chicago Blackhawks made the right call by not dealing for a goalie at last week's trade deadline. After witnessing the 2nd period explosion by the struggling Detroit Red Wings yesterday which saw them pound 4 past Cristobal Huet and the eventual game winner past Annti Niemi as they hung on to win 5-4. Now much of the talk is do they really want to face the Red Wings in the first round with the goaltenders they stood pat with.

Calgary got big games from Jarome Iginla and Rene Bourque yesterday as they beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2. It was a win for the first game in a Flames uniform by Vesa Toskala. Maple Leafs fans across Canada are awaiting the eventual collapse that Toskala is known for. The Flames win certainly helped their playoff chances, but are still not gaining ground on 8th place Detroit.

When And Where The Current Canucks Were Drafted

2010-03-08T17:38:20Z

I thought I'd list off where, when and by whom the current Canucks squad was drafted. I added some retro links to the players as well. (Players' age in brackets). Just a little eye candy for you. Enjoy.

ROBERTO LUONGO (30): Drafted in the first round, 4th overall by the Islanders in the 1997 draft.

-Interview with Hockey's Future after his rookie season in Florida (March 2001).

-Hockey's Future's rookie season review for Lou (April 2001).

ANDREW RAYCROFT (29): Drafted in the 5th round, 135th overall by the Bruins in the 1998 Entry Draft.

-Raycroft gets his chance in Boston (January 2003). He went on to win the Calder Trophy after that season.

KEVIN BIEKSA (28): Drafted in the 5th round, 151st overall in the 2001 Entry Draft.

-Attributes much of his success to playing with Willie Mitchell (August 2007).

ALEXANDER EDLER (23): Drafted in the 3rd round, 91st overall in the 2004 Entry Draft.

-Graded 8/10 by Hockey's Future.

CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF (27): Drafted in the 4th round, 106th overall by the Sharks in the 2001 Entry Draft.

-Hockey's Future talks with Ehrhoff before his first season with the Sharks (October 2003).

WILLIE MITCHELL (32): Drafted 199th overall in the 8th round by the Devils in 1996.

-"should have many 40 point maybe more seasons to come."- Hockey's Future, June 2001. It's OK to laugh.

SHANE O'BRIEN (26): Drafted in the 8th round, 250th overall by the (Mighty) Ducks in the 2003 Draft.

-Still a fair distance away from being able to be trusted with any significant minutes at the NHL level, the first step to establishing himself as an NHL-caliber player will be reducing the number of penalties he takes.- Hockey's Future, August 2006. Heheh. Doing a fine job now though, SOB!

AARON ROME (26): Drafted in the 4th round, 104th overall by the Kings in the 2002 Entry Draft.

-"His window of opportunity is quickly closing."- Hockey's Future, June 2008. Hey shutup! I like this guy!

SAMI SALO (35): Drafted in the 9th round (239th overall) by the Senators in the 1996 Entry Draft.

-According to this guy, one of the reasons the Sens traded Salo to Vancouver was because of his inability to stay healthy. He had missed 130 games in his first 3 years as a Sen. Well isn't that special?

---------------------------------------------------------------

HENRIK SEDIN (29): Selected in round 1 (3rd overall) by the Canucks in 1999.

-Sedin-Sedin-Weinhandl. The best offensive and defensive line for Modo (October 1999).

DANIEL SEDIN (29): Selected in round 1 (2nd overall) by the Canucks in (duh) the 1999 Draft.

-Puck control and twintuition.

ALEXANDRE BURROWS (28): Undrafted. Signed as a free agent by the Canucks on November 9, 2005.

-"Confusion and chaos at the net is Burrows’ style, and it’s worked well for him. While not posting excessive numbers himself, he creates opportunities for the team." -Hockey's Future, December 2004.

RYAN KESLER (25): Drafted in the 1st round, 23rd overall by the Canucks in 2003.

-Feature article on Kesler (July 2003).

PAVOL DEMITRA (35): Selected in the 9th round, 227th overall by the Senators in the 1993 NHL Draft.

-In August 1996 the Senators traded Demitra to the Blues for some schmo named Christer Olsson. Little did they know what talent they had in Demo. Also, I had forgotten that Demo won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2000.

MASON RAYMOND (24): Drafted in the 2nd round, 51st overall by the Canucks in 2005.

-Raymond's player profile at Hockey's Future.

KYLE WELLWOOD (26): Selected in the 5th round (134th overall) by the Maple Leafs in the 2001 Entry Draft.

-"Gretzky-like vision". Wellwood interview with Hockey's Future (December 2002).

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON (33): Drafted in the 5th round, 145th overall by the Sharks in 1998.

-Samuelsson's day with the Cup.

-Samuelsson was part of the deal that sent Adam Graves out of Manhattan.

STEVE BERNIER (24): Selected in the 1st round (16th overall) by the Sharks in 2003.

-Back in August 2006, Hockey's Future rated Bernier an 8.0, saying he had excellent hands but had to work on his speed and skating. Nowadays...

TANNER GLASS (26): Drafted in the 9th round, 265th overall by the Panthers in the 2003 Draft.

-Fierce competitor. Glass' player profile at Hockey's Future.

DARCY HORDICHUK (29): Selected in the 6th round, 180th overall by the Thrashers in the 2000 NHL Draft.

-Hordichuk has a cool website that has not been updated this season.

RICK RYPIEN (25): Never drafted. Signed as a free agent by the Canucks in November 2005.

-Rypien player profile at Hockey's Future.

-Rypien's year-by-year fight totals at Hockeyfights.com.

RYAN JOHNSON (33): Drafted in the 2nd round, 36th overall by the Panthers in 1994.

-Scratching and clawing for a roster spot, even in Florida (October 1999). \

JANNIK HANSEN (23): Drafted in the 9th round, 287th overall by the Canucks in 2004.

-Hansen's profile page at Hockey's Future.

Canucks Set Franchise Record For Quickest Time To 40 Wins

2010-03-08T03:53:09Z

Taken directly from the Vancouver Sun, here is the current and former records:

1. 2009-10 Game 65 (40-23-2)

2. 2006-07 Game 67 (40-22-5)

3. 2002-03 Game 70 (40-18-12)

4. 1991-92 Game 71 (40-21-10)

5. 2005-06 Game 74 (40-28-6)

5. 2008-09 Game 74 (40-25-9)

7. 1992-93 Game 76 (40-27-9)

8. 2003-04 Game 79 (40-24-15)

9. 2001-02 Game 80 (40-30-10)

10. 1993-94 Game 81 (40-38-3)

Canucks-Predators Game Thread

2010-03-07T19:46:51Z

I think we've previewed this game enough. Ryan Kesler has a message for the Preds:

Sunday Morning Coffee- The Sermon

2010-03-07T16:43:17Z

Good morning brothers and sisters, I know we have a lot to get through today, as dark forces have conspired to get the game on early. Though we were beaten by the forces of darkness and bandwagonnering on Friday, we are not broken, and the Lord said to me "Though the season series is tied, we scored one more goal so we are claiming victory. And Andrew Ladd shall not pass through these gates, so fear not, for he is a douchebag most unholy". But we have little time to savour victories, moral or otherwise. The wolves in sheep's clothing await us in Tennessee, and we must be prepared.

The Predators of Nashville are a strange anomaly, brothers and sisters. They exist in a land that cares not about this blessed game, yet somehow they survive. The temple at which they play has had more name changes than we've had jerseys, and they somehow have managed not to get rid of their coach. Now I know he is frightening to look at, but the Lord assures me he's just ugly and not of the Devil.

One often thinks of Nashville as the home of country music, wholesome and good, a slice of Americana. I say it's home to harlots and tramps, liars and drunks! Songs of wanton sex, drinking, gambling and all sorts of immoral behavior! And don't get me started on Dolly Parton! Stop that snickering back there, I hear you...

Now I know that one of the heroes that led our glorious nation to gold plays for the enemy today, but you need not worry, for the Lord has seen fit to smite him, just a little bit, giving us the advantage, being his preferred children and all that.

Much like the Isrealites, it feels like we have been wandering forever, just looking for our home, and we will have to cross treacherous mountain peaks and the searing hot desert before we get to the promised land, but I assure you, it will be worth it, brothers and sisters. This time the soldiers shall not fail. This time we shall raise the chalice high. Our saviour shall lead us, in the name of the one most holy, praise be to Luongold. Amen.

Now, we have refreshments in the back, and I do believe Sean brought Rice Krispie squares.

Take Your Fiddle And Shove It..: Canucks-Predators Preview

2010-03-07T09:06:25Z

Canucks (39-23-2)		Predators (35-24-5)
	AT

Time	12:00PM PST	TV	Sportsnet Pacific
Season Series	2 - 1 Predators	Last Meeting	3-2 Predators (01-11-10)
The Enemy	On The Forecheck	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 25-58-83 Erat: 19-20-39

Canucks	Category	Predators
3rd	Conference Position	7th
5-5-0	Last 10	5-3-2
3.19 (3rd)	Goals Per Game	2.73 (12th)
2.53 (8th)	Least Goals Against Per Game	2.81 (20th)
1.29 (2nd)	5 On 5 GF/GA	1.04 (11th)
21.4% (5th)	Power Play %	16.8% (23rd)
81.1% (19th)	Penalty Kill %	75.9% (28th)
30.4 (12th)	Shots Per Game	30.1 (13th)
29 (8th)	Least Shots Against Per Game	29.1 (9th)
79.3% (4th)	Winning % When Scoring First	80.8% (2nd)
86.4% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 1	95% (2nd)
45.7% (5th)	Winning % When Trailing After 1	36.8% (10th)
96.2% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 2	90.9% (10th)
32% (2nd)	Winning % When Trailing After2	10% (21st)
51% (9th)	Faceoffs %	49% (20th)
15.8 (26th)	Least PIM's Per Game	9.2 (1st)
+34 (3rd)	+ / - GF/GA	+7 (12th)

Still 9 points up on 9th place Calgary, the Canucks sometimes seem to play like they have that cushion. There is not that 60-minute effort as much lately. At least, not consistently. There are the bad 2nd periods, and then there are the numb skull first periods. Nothing was a more hair-pulling experience than the first period in the last game against Chicago. The Canucks went into the

1st intermission down 5-1 and the great Luongo was done for the night. A frustrating effort against a team that you want the Nucks to show up against.

If the Canucks lose today they will still keep their top spot in the NW Division, tied with the Avalanche for 80 points but with the edge in wins. But it's time to get on a roll. Colorado is approaching fast. I don't care if the Sedins are seeing the other teams' top checkers on the road. Get your asses going! Even with each Twin earning 3 assists against the Red Wings the other night, they have been too silent over the last 10 games or so for my liking. It's not like the Sedins have sucked on the road all year.

Allow me to focus on Hank. Prior to the road trip from hell (tm), Hank played 22 road games, scored 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points. On the RTFH (tm) Hank has played 11 games and has scored 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points. It would have looked a lot worse had he not had that 3 assist night against Detroit. Like I said before: if the Sedins don't put up points the Canucks have a tough time winning. The pressure is on boys...you are making the big bucks after all.

Meanwhile, the steal deal of the year Alexandre Burrows is finding the net lately and getting the job done. Yes, they need secondary scoring to take the heat off the Twins, and they are getting it lately, especially with Kesler and Demitra and Wellwood in a sense. But the Sedins need to snap out of it. Get dirty! Dig deep for god's sake!

Lou....oh Lou....don't do that again....

Vancouver was out-worked badly against the Hawks. They spotted them 7 power plays! Cut it out! Take control of the Preds and stay out of the box. Amazing stat above is that the Preds have taken the least amount of penalties out of any NHL team, yet their PK is ranked 28th. Nuts!

-The Preds have won 3 of their last 4 games against Vancouver. This is the last meeting between the 2 teams this season.

-Love that Shea Weber shot from the point for Team Canada during the Olympics? Well you won't see that today. Weber has a hand injury. Amen. Cody Franson has been recalled.

-The Preds are 11-6-1 against NW Division teams this season.

-Nashville is 19-1-0 when leading after the first period this season. Wow.

-Nashville has won 125 of 154 games at home since 2005-06. That is 2nd best overall behind the Red Wings.

-Head coach Barry Trotz, he of the gargantuan head, has 399 victories as head coach.

Where am I getting this info from? Check this out.

I don't like the Preds. I don't mind Dan Hamhuis because he's from my hometown and I went on a canoe trip from hell with him once, but that's about it. But I can respect some things about them beyond their home ice dominance: they have made some steals come draft day, or just drafted wisely:

STEALS:

-Martin Erat in the 7th round in 1999

-Pekka Rinne in the 8th round in 2004

DRAFT DAY PARADISE:

-Alexander Radulov in the first round in 2004, even though he is a shitbag.

-Ryan Suter in the 1st round, Shea Weber in the 2nd round in the 2003 Draft

-Scottie Upshall in the first round in 2003

-Dan Hamhuis in the 1st round and Jordin Tootoo in the 4th round in 2001

-Scott Hartnell in the 1st round in 2000

-Adam Hall and Andrew Hutchinson in the 2nd round in 1999

Great stuff hey? Yeah yeah yeah, whatever.

OK, I'll calm down. Sometimes I think I'm too emotionally involved in this team...No rah-rah videos. Just a nice little Paganini piece to settle me down a bit. Feel it. Paganini's 24 caprices are gold, but I love #6 the best. Gives me chills.

Oh, and this is pretty damned funny..(Wish the game was in Van)...

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends: Canucks & Blackhawks

2010-03-06T00:30:14Z

Next Game

Vancouver Canucks
@ Chicago Blackhawks

Friday, Mar 5, 2010, 5:30 PM PST
United Center
Opposition Blog: Second City Hockey

Complete Coverage >

We are just shy of a year since the delightful Vancouver/Chicago linebrawl. Vancouver would win that playoff-like game 4-0, but many realized that night that these teams could develop the requisite palatable hatred for one another necessary for a good rivalry. Maybe rivalry is too strong a word, but damn good hockey nonetheless.

Just that night alone we had Eager and Bieksa, Burrows and Keith's hair, SOB skating around looking to feed his fist to someone, Luongo flopping around and a general introduction to that walking puke named Dustin Byfuglien. The same cast of characters turned it into a great playoff series a few months later, one that Chicago deserved to win. And this year? They've added Mitchell sending Toews into the Van Allen Belt with a clean hit (yes...clean...get it over it) in a game that had a combined five roughing calls. In their next tilt Chicago eeked out a 1-0 win and Rypien and Eager dropped the gloves. And two months ago Vancouver routed Chicago and added that whole Kesler/Ladd "coward" comment to the saga.

So you know the drill already. You'll see the big hits, the usual suspects jawing and the after-the-whistle gentlemanly discussions on the socio-economic plight of the Nepalese. They'll jump all over The Captain every chance they can. I doubt they'll applaud Kesler's Olympic effort (though I could be wrong). Doesn't get much more interesting for Alberts debut either.

A big two points against a big opponent. The Canucks can open up a four point gap between them and Colorado with a win. Not a bad way to kick off the weekend.

Coconuts go! Gamethread on.

Put The Medals Away. This Is War. Canucks-Blackhawks Preview

2010-03-05T19:00:26Z

Canucks (39-22-2)		Blackhawks (42-16-5)
	AT

Time	5:30 PM PST	TV	Sportsnet Pacific
Season Series	2 - 1 Canucks	Last Meeting	5-1 Canucks (01-23-10)
The Enemy	Second City Hockey	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 25-58-83 Kane: 26-46-72

Canucks	Category	Blackhawks
3rd	Conference Position	2nd
6-4-0	Last 10	6-3-1
3.19 (3rd)	Goals Per Game	3.16 (4th)
2.48 (7th)	Least Goals Against Per Game	2.35 (2nd)
1.32 (2nd)	5 On 5 GF/GA	1.19 (4th)
21.7% (5th)	Power Play %	19.9% (7th)
81% (19th)	Penalty Kill %	84.5% (6th)
30.5 (12th)	Shots Per Game	34.2 (1st)
29.1 (8th)	Least Shots Against Per Game	24.2 (1st)
79.3% (4th)	Winning % When Scoring First	76.2% (7th)
86.4% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 1	76.7% (12th)
47.1% (4th)	Winning % When Trailing After 1	47.6% (3rd)
96.2% (3rd)	Winning % When Leading After 2	93.1% (8th)
33.3% (2nd)	Winning % When Trailing After2	28.6% (3rd)
51.1% (9th)	Faceoffs %	52.4% (3rd)
15.6 (26th)	Least PIM's Per Game	11.5 (8th)
+36 (3rd)	+ / - GF/GA	+39 (2nd)

This is the final meeting of the regular season between these 2 teams, and when they face eachother it's a loaded situation. There is no love between the 2 teams and let's face it, Chicago is a measuring stick of sorts for Vancouver. Whether it's from the hair-pulling and the Bieksa-Eager tilt, the Hawks defeating of the Canucks in last year's playoffs, or the current comparisons of the 2 teams all season long and who could beat who in a playoff series this year, this game is loaded and worth checking out.

I'm typing this before the Sharks play the Habs tonight. Currently Chicago is the top team in the West, tied with San Jose in points, same amount of games played but the Cocks have 2 more wins. Chicago has played 2 games since the Olympics ended: a 5-3 loss to the Islanders and a 5-2 win over the Oilers on Wednesday night. In those 2 games:

-Patrick Lame has 1 goal and 4 assists

-Jonathan Toes has 1 goal and 3 assists

-Dinkan Keith has 3 assists

-Dustin Buttfucklien has 2 goals

-Cryin' Campbell has 1 goal and 1 assist

A look at the comparative stats above shows why the Hawks are as successful as they are. But the same mostly applies to the Canucks. However the Hawks' PP, PK and shots for and against per game stats are the most disturbing. Vancouver is better off to keep this game 5 on 5 as much as possible.

Hopefully the Canucks continue to get scoring from all 3 lines. Have the Sedins awoken from their slumber? 6 points for them combined last game. All assists. Kesler is turning into a road warrior. He has 5 goals and 10 points in the Canucks' last 10 road games. Kyle Wellwood did something on his Olympic holiday...don't know what it was but it's working so far.

You know that Roberto Luongo gets up for a game against Chicago, with the demons of the past perhaps still haunting him and needing to be exorcised. Patrick Kane claimed to have Lou's number during the Olympics but that did not materialize in the gold medal game. How about now?

As great as the Hawks are, the Canucks only have 3 less wins than them.

How about a few videos to get your blood pumpin' a little?

1. Canucks beat Chicago in January

2. Mitchell kills Toews...then...as the gods would have it...Malkin took out Mitchell weeks later.

3. The Line Brawl that will never be forgotten from last season:

4. Patrick Sharp knows Andrew Alberts.

Friday Morning Coffee- Find that book yet, Kane?

2010-03-05T16:24:52Z

More photos » Darryl Dyck - AP

about 1 month ago: Vancouver Canucks' Mikael Samuelsson, bottom, of Sweden, scores against Chicago Blackhawks' Antti Niemi, of Finland, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

Browse more photos »

There are certain games that you circle on the calendar for obvious reasons: a particular team, division rival, etc. And then there are games that are not just about rivalries, but a test of where your team is at in that quest for Lord Stanley's mug. This afternoon in Chicago is one of those games. The Blackhawks are 9 points ahead of the Canucks right now, but the two teams actually match up pretty closely. More after the jump...

The Canucks managed to get through the first half of the Road Trip From Hell (tm) with a .500 record, but have won the last two outings, an OT come from behind effort in Columbus and then a 6-3 Wednesday in Detroit. Tonight however begins a stretch of 4 games in 6 nights, all against playoff bound teams in the Western Conference before returning home.

The first 2 games of the series were tight, hard fought one goal games, each team winning on the road. The last visit of the Hawks to Vancouver however was a blowout, 5-1. The game was even more remarkable with Salo, Mitchell and Bieksa all out of the lineup. Salo has returned fortunately, but the Canucks will still need an effort akin to the one they got that night from players like Christian Ehrhoff, Shane O'Brien and the newest Canuck, Andrew Alberts.

The great thing about these games are the interesting little sub plots: Luongo not only going head to head with Patrick Kane again (did you find that book, by the way? I suggest calling the cab company you rode to CHP in, they might have hung onto it for you), Kane versus his Team USA linemate Ryan Kesler as well as Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith trying to score on the goalie that helped them to gold. Add in the Andrew Ladd/ Ryan Kesler feud and this one has all the makings of a classic.

It's amazing how a playoff series can develop a rivalry, and since that tilt last year, the Canucks and Hawks have developed a serious hate for one another that leads to some great hockey for the fans. There's been a lot of discussion about the Hawks and whether they should have tried to upgrade their goaltending situation. Kind of weird to be saying that when you are the team that's let in the least amount of goals in the NHL, but as we all know, the playoffs are a much different beast. Huet has little playoff experience, and Niemi's a rookie, so people are bound to ponder if this will hamper the Hawks in their quest this year.

As much as I think the Canucks will battle hard tonight, Chicago is tough at hime, and even though we already won a game at the United Center this year, I see a loss coming tonight. The fatigue factor on the last part of this trip is going to be huge, especially the last 3 games over a 4 night span. For tonight anyways, we will look forward to what should be a great game between two of the Western Conference's best teams.

Ray Ferraro: Wagon Repair Technician

Last night's Habs/Sharks game featured a pretty gutless hit from Maxime Lapierre of the Canadiens on Scott Nichol of the Sharks, which led TSN's Ray Ferraro to mutter something about someone 'fixing his wagon'. Watch the hit (hat tip to Kukla's Corner) and then decide for yourself if this is suspendable.

I am stunned that the referee watched the hit in its entirety and didn't even flinch. Then again, Evgeni Malkin went unpunished for his hit on Willie Michell, who is still suffering from post-concussion syndrome, so I am not holding my breath on this one.

So a quick look at the Western Standings shows that Detroit, Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas, Anaheim and Minnesota are all fighting for one playoff spot. Gotta give credit to the Blues, they looked out of it not too long ago, the Ducks and Wild have also done well to stay in the hunt. My guess who comes out on top of all of this? Anaheim, because they have better goaltending than these other teams (including Calgary, Kiprusoff is fading again and the team has nothing in the tank). I won't be surprised if the Predators fade though. If that happens, expect either Dallas or St. Louis to squeak in.

Mike Gillis on CDC Podcast

2010-03-05T04:30:13Z

Mike Gillis on CDC Podcast

Mike Gillis talks about the acquisition of Andrew Alberts, Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa's time frame for return, plus who has to step up to fill Willie's role