Nucks Misconduct

Vaya con Dios, Brah: Canucks & Lightning

2010-02-09T23:30:21Z

Ohlund nurturing baby Edler in a previous season. [flickr.com]

Matty, Matty, Matty.

It's been sometime. Too long some would say. The last time we saw you wasn't so hot.

But you had to go. It was time. 11 seasons is a long haul in this day and age. We all shared a sniffle when you left (30 seconds after free agency begun). But you had a family to feed and new challenges to tackle. You now patrol a different blueline, swapped an Edler for a Lundin and now bash skulls with the Crosbys and Oveckins of the league instead of the Iginlas and Zetterbergs. (Having just written that, some would suggest you chose poorly). Tampa offered you more sun and the chance to play every defenseman's dream: like Willie Mitchell.

Speaking of which, do send Willie a lobstergram or a build-a-bear or something. He's more Lindros than man these days.

We've moved on too, namely in the form of Christian Ehrhoff. He's younger, a pinch more German and schools you in almost every statistical category except hits and PK time. Same goes for baby Edler in fact. You know let's not even look at stats because the only d-man you're better than now is SOB and he, to his credit, at least has a goal.

We didn't come to be mean Matty (truth be told, we don't want to be on this road trip at all). But it's not often you see a guy who bleed Canuck blue (or green or black or mauve or yellow or whatever our color is) as long as you did and not get a bit amped up. On the one hand, if you scored your first goal tonight it would seem almost right. On the other hand, if Raymond makes you look like a pylon as so many Hawks did in the playoffs, that would warm our hearts in a way.

So although those colors don't look right (but hurting a Duck sure does) you're not forgotten sir. For many of us we keep looking for #2 out there on some nights.

As Johnny Utah says, "Life sure has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it?"

Gamethread on.

Demitra Should be Back on Thursday

2010-02-09T22:36:35Z

According to the coach of the Slovka Olympic team, Demitra is in Vancouver because of his wife's sickness. However, he's expected to join the team on Thursday.

Original Link

Google Translated Link

If the report is accurate (and we have no reason to believe it not to), then we should see Demitra back very soon. Also, given the short absence, his wife's health problem is probably not very serious, which is good news.

Don't Wizz On The Electric Fence: Canucks-Lightning Preview

2010-02-09T18:30:17Z

Canucks (35-20-2)		Lightning (25-21-11)
	AT

Time	4:30 PM PST	TV	Canucks PPV
Season Series	0 - 0	Last Meeting	2-1 Canucks (02-27-09)
The Enemy	Raw Charge	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 25-52-78 St. Louis: 18-45-63

Canucks	Category	Lightning
3rd	Conference Position	7th
8-2-0	Last 10	7-2-1
3.18 (3rd)	Goals Per Game	2.54 (19th)
2.42 (5th)	Goals Against Per Game	2.79 (20th)
1.35 (2nd)	5 On 5 GF/GA	.89 (24th)
21.5% (5th)	Power Play	19.1% (9th)
81.2% (18th)	Penalty Kill	80% (22nd)
30.2 (14th)	Shots Per Game	28.9 (22nd)
28.9 (7th)	Least Shots Against Per Game	30.9 (19th)
77.8% (6th)	Winning % When Scoring First	69.7% (17th)
85.7% (5th)	Winning % When Leading After 1	66.7% (22nd)
46.7% (3rd)	Winning % When Trailing After 1	27.3% (20th)
95.8% (4th)	Winning % When Leading After 2	85% (19th)
28.6% (2nd)	Winning % When Trailing After2	11.5% (18th)
51.2% (9th)	Faceoffs %	51.5% (6th)
15.6 (25th)	Least PIM's Per Game	16.9 (30th)
+34 (4th)	+ / - GF/GA	-12 (21st)

Update: Ryan Johnson and Nolan Baumgartner are healthy scratches tonight, and with Demitra out, Steve Bernier, Brad Lukowich and Jannik Hansen will replace them.

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

The Canucks will get their first look at Mattias Ohlund in a different jersey. Should be a surreal experience, especially if Ohlund plays a hell of a game and/or pummels somebody. Is he going to go a little easy on the Sedins? Doubt it. Nor should he. Mattias got a bit of a raise to sign in Tampa and sure, he's mentoring that Viktor Hedman kid, but in 50 games he has no goals and 10 assists and a -8.

The Lightning have currently won 3 straight games for only the 2nd time this year. For a while there they were in trouble. In October, they had a 4-3-4 record, in November a 6-4-4 record, in December a 5-8-2 record, in January a 7-6-1 record. They have won all 3 of their games in February so far, hoping to solidify a playoff spot. They are hanging in there by a thread, only 2 points up on 9th and 10th spot (as of 5:11 pm Monday). Yeah, the East is a gong-show from the 6th-12th spots. Only 5 points separate those teams.

In their last 5 games, Tampa is 3-1-1. They have only allowed 9 goals in that span. In those games:

-Steven Stamkos, not suffering from the sophomore jinx at all, has 4 goals and 8 points

-Martin St. Louis has 4 goals and 7 points

-Steve Downie, who looks to be playing on the St. Louis-Stamkos line has 4 assists

-Vincent Lecavalier has 1 goal and 2 assists

-Alex Tanguay has 1 goal and 2 assists

-Kurtis Foster has 3 assists

-Ohlund has nadda, zip, zilch

-Hedman has 1 assist

Given their goals against lately, it appears the team is buying into Rick Tocchet's system. Defense and goaltending have been an issue for Tampa last year and much of this year. However, on top of the improved defensive play, Antero Niittymaki has started all of the Lightning's games lately and has played awesome, stealing the job away from Mike Smith.

Check out Tampa's scoring leaders. That is an impressive top 6 right there, and it is going to be tough for the Canucks to match up against that. Speaking of matching up, it will be interesting to see if the Lightning, like the other road teams playing the Canucks lately, can contain the Burrdins. That's a tough thing about being on the road is that the opposing team can put out their best checking line against the Twins and Burrows, as they get the last change. Well those 3 need to fight through that. They need to cycle the puck more rather than making fancy passes that are repeatedly getting picked off.

With Pavol Demitra returning to Vancouver for personal reasons, Mikael Samuelsson will most likely regain his spot with Kesler and Raymond. We'll see if Steve Bernier draws back into the lineup back onto line 3 or if Jannik Hansen cracks the roster or both.

The Canucks have to shake their habit of sleepwalking early in road games. It is becoming a filthy habit. What I found interesting was the contrast in opinions (about confidence) from Canucks players after the Bruins game. Sami Salo said: "I don’t think anybody is going to be overconfident in Florida," while Christian Ehrhoff said: "We’ve lost confidence the last few games here. If the confidence is not there, the plays aren’t as crisp and there’s confusion on the ice. We’ve got to find our confidence." So which one is it? I'll go with over-confidence, in general. That needs to stop.

OK, now for a few clips to get your juices flowing:

1. Highlights from the Canucks win over Tampa in February 2009

2. Lecavalier fights Burrows

3. Gratton loses it on Burrows, Ohlund scraps O'Brien

4. Andre Roy vs Nathan McIver Classic Tilt from the past...or was it? Not according to McIver.

Tuesday Morning Coffee- Lightning Strikes

2010-02-09T18:28:03Z

via photos.upi.com

There was a time this season where the Canucks saw this game and no doubt licked their chops. The Lightning have been on the outside looking in, and have suffered through some dysfunctional ownership that made Phoenix look like the model of consistency at times. But with Oren Koules and Len Barrie now out of the picture and Jeff Vinik in, the Lightning may have a chance at succeeding again. More on this crucial battle tonight after the jump...

Despite righting the ship on Saturday morning, the Canucks still have a daunting task ahead of them with 3 games over the next 4 nights. Common sense would tell us that Luongo plays tonight in Tampa, Thursday in Florida and then Andrew Raycroft slotting in the next night in Columbus. Let's hope that common sense is used. With the Colorado Avalanche drawing even with the Canucks in points last night, they need to continue winning to try and gain some separation at the top of the division before the Olympic break. A strong performance tonight to gain some momentum in the last half of this first chunk of the Road Trip From Hell (tm) will go a long way in achieving that.

Obviously having Pavol Demitra return to Vancouver for personal reasons is a blow to the team, and his absence will see Jannik Hansen draw back into the lineup. Chances are Steve Bernier will be let out of the dog house and Darcy Hordichuk will be the odd man out tonight. Maybe this means Bernier will finally awaken from his slumber and... yeah, I know. I can't even type the words.

So as I am sometimes want to do, I scoured youtube for a video that would fit the theme of this post and I actually came up with two: one is some NWOBHM goodness from Tokyo Blade, the other an unintentionally funny Aerosmith clip...

You'll note this is a Joe Perry-less version of the band. Must have been in the Toxic Twins heyday. And does Steven Tyler not make the most unconvincing hood ever? First guy to go down in a gang fight no doubt...

Anyways, back to the important stuff... We have our usual pre-game and game day posts to fill you in on all you need to know heading into this matchup, but here's something to ponder: Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf sprained an ankle last night and is awaiting MRI results, a serious injury could see him miss the Olympics. Who gets the call, Steven Stamkos or... Alex Burrows. Yes, at the risk of sounding like a homer, I think Yzerman would be a genius to replace Getzlaf with a guy who has the offensive and defensive capabilities of an Alex Burrows. Something to think about anyways...

This muffin tastes like... fail.

I don't know what was more painful to watch last night: The Oilers getting pasted... again, St. Louis getting thumped by the Avs, or the hit Jeff Carter laid on the Devils' Anssi Salmela?

The JS Gigeure love-a-thon came to a screeching halt as the Leafs battled back to tie the game only to lose in the third. Dion Phaneuf had an assist and was a -1. Nazim Kadri made his NHL debut as an emergency call up from his junior team, necessitated by a couple Leafs players felled by food poisoning. Kadri was also a -1.

As far as the Oilers, what can you say? I guess now it's just a matter of who gets traded out, and who gets fired first, Pat Quinn, Steve Tambellini or Kevin Lowe. My guess is they clean house at the end of the year, but if they had to pick a survivor, bet on Quinn.

The NHL announced today that 6 teams will open their seasons in Europe next year, paving the way for Gary Bettman's ultimate goal of having every team play everywhere all the time. The Vancouver Canucks will play all 82 games on the road, opening their season in Mumbai against the Devils, then the next night in Florida against the Panthers. Meh. Can't they just play for their fans, and not on the other side of the freakin' planet?

Luongo Meets His Idol

2010-02-09T06:55:09Z

Roberto Luongo recently met his childhood idol Grant Fuhr on an Olympic segment called Difference Makers. Check out the clip here. Great stuff. Fuhr was one of my faves too.

UFA Market Set

2010-02-09T03:04:58Z

Alright, At Sean's request, here's a list of all the pending UFA D'men and Centres. Now that San Jose has traded a second rounder for at most six months of Niclas Wallin , I'm guessing that's a benchmark for what similar UFA's might require.

So the list after the jump. Sorry it looks like a tabular nightmare -- I just don't have time to format it all pretty-like.

Lidstrom, Nicklas 41 DET D UFA 7.450 7.450
Niedermayer, Scott 37 ANA D UFA 6.750 6.000
Gonchar, Sergei 37 PIT D UFA 5.000 5.500
Kubina, Pavel 34 ATL D UFA 5.000 5.000
Johnsson, Kim 35 MIN D UFA 4.850 5.300
Martin, Paul 30 NJD D UFA 3.833 4.500
Blake, Rob 41 SJS D UFA 3.500 3.500
Clark, Brett 34 COL D UFA 3.500 3.500
Mitchell, Willie 34 VAN D UFA 3.500 3.500
Rathje, Mike 37 PHI D UFA 3.500 3.500
Zidlicky, Marek 34 MIN D UFA 3.350 3.500
Morris, Derek 32 BOS D UFA 3.300 3.300
Salei, Ruslan 36 COL D UFA 3.025 3.275
Foote, Adam 39 COL D UFA 3.000 3.250
Sutton, Andy 36 NYI D UFA 3.000 3.500
Van Ryn, Mike 32 TOR D UFA 2.900 3.350
Lydman, Toni 33 BUF D UFA 2.875 3.150
Jones, Randy 29 LAK D UFA 2.750 3.000
Schneider, Mathieu 42 VAN D UFA 2.750 1.550
Corvo, Joe 34 CAR D UFA 2.625 2.750
Smith, Jason 37 OTT D UFA 2.600 2.600
Tallinder, Henrik 32 BUF D UFA 2.562 3.250
Pothier, Brian 34 WAS D UFA 2.500 2.500
Volchenkov, Anton 29 OTT D UFA 2.500 3.200
Ward, Aaron 38 CAR D UFA 2.500 2.500
Aucoin, Adrian 37 PHX D UFA 2.250 2.250
Seidenberg, Dennis 29 FLA D UFA 2.250 2.250
Eaton, Mark 34 PIT D UFA 2.000 2.000
Hamhuis, Dan 28 NAS D UFA 2.000 2.500
Morrisonn, Shaone 28 WAS D UFA 1.975 1.975
Leopold, Jordan 30 FLA D UFA 1.750 1.750
Mara, Paul 31 MTL D UFA 1.675 1.675
Lukowich, Brad 34 VAN D UFA 1.567 1.800
Boynton, Nick 32 ANA D UFA 1.500 1.500
Krajicek, Lukas 28 TBL D UFA 1.475 1.475
Ference, Andrew 32 BOS D UFA 1.400 1.625
Exelby, Garnet 29 TOR D UFA 1.392 1.725
Jurcina, Milan 28 CLB D UFA 1.375 1.375
Colaiacovo, Carlo 28 STL D UFA 1.283 1.400
Lilja, Andreas 35 DET D UFA 1.250 1.250
Michalek, Zbynek 28 PHX D UFA 1.250 1.500
O'Donnell, Sean 39 LAK D UFA 1.250 1.250
Frogren, Jonas 30 TOR D UFA 1.065 0.900
Sydor, Darryl 39 STL D UFA 1.000 1.000
Schubert, Christoph 29 ATL D UFA 0.883 0.900
Paetsch, Nathan 28 BUF D UFA 0.850 1.050
McKee, Jay 33 PIT D UFA 0.800 0.800
Weaver, Mike 33 STL D UFA 0.800 0.800
Mottau, Mike 33 NJD D UFA 0.762 0.775
Bergeron, Marc-Andre 30 MTL D UFA 0.750 0.750
Bouillon, Francis 35 NAS D UFA 0.750 0.750
Hnidy, Shane 35 MIN D UFA 0.750 0.750
Bell, Brendan 28 CLB D UFA 0.700 0.700
Hale, David 30 TBL D UFA 0.700 0.725
Krajicek, Lukas 28 PHI D UFA 0.700 0.700
Strudwick, Jason 35 EDM D UFA 0.700 0.700
Lebda, Brett 29 DET D UFA 0.650 0.850
Sifers, Jaime 28 MIN D UFA 0.650 0.650
Eriksson, Anders 36 PHX D UFA 0.600 0.600
Foster, Kurtis 29 TBL D UFA 0.600 0.600
Popovic, Mark 28 ATL D UFA 0.600 0.600
Wozniewski, Andy 31 BOS D UFA 0.600 0.600
Meyer, Freddy 30 NYI D UFA 0.588 0.600
Skoula, Martin 31 PIT D UFA 0.575 0.575
Hutchinson, Andrew 31 DAL D UFA 0.550 0.600
Lundin, Mike 26 TBL D UFA 0.550 0.550
Scott, John 28 MIN D UFA 0.550 0.550
Johnson, Aaron 28 CGY D UFA 0.540 0.540
Brookbank, Sheldon 30 ANA D UFA 0.525 0.550
Arsene, Dean 30 EDM D UFA 0.500 0.500
Callahan, Joe 28 SJS D UFA 0.500 0.500
Fahey, Brian 30 COL D UFA 0.500 0.500
Guenin, Nate 28 PIT D UFA 0.500 0.500
Harrison, Jay 28 CAR D UFA 0.500 0.500
Henry, Alex 31 MTL D UFA 0.500 0.500
Janik, Doug 31 DET D UFA 0.500 0.500
Lee, Chris 30 PIT D UFA 0.500 0.500
Murphy, Cory 33 NJD D UFA 0.500 0.500
Nycholat, Lawrence 32 VAN D UFA 0.500 0.500
Skinner, Brett 28 COL D UFA 0.500 0.500
Welch, Noah 28 ATL D UFA 0.500 0.500
Engelland, Deryk 29 PIT D UFA 0.492 0.500
Conboy, Tim 29 CAR D UFA 0.487 0.500
Leach, Jay 31 SJS D UFA 0.244 0.500
Leach, Jay 31 MTL D UFA 0.244 0.500 (are there really two Jay Leach's in the league?)

Marleau, Patrick 31 SJS C UFA 6.300 6.300
Jokinen, Olli 32 NYR C UFA 5.250 5.500
Modano, Mike 41 DAL C UFA 3.450 2.250
Koivu, Saku 36 ANA C UFA 3.250 3.250
Cullen, Matt 34 CAR C UFA 2.875 2.800
Madden, John 38 CHI C UFA 2.750 2.750
Plekanec, Tomas 28 MTL C UFA 2.750 2.750
Higgins, Chris 28 CGY C UFA 2.250 2.250
Weight, Doug 40 NYI C UFA 2.200 2.000
Halpern, Jeff 35 TBL C UFA 2.000 2.000
Lombardi, Matthew 29 PHX C UFA 1.817 2.350
Belanger, Eric 33 MIN C UFA 1.750 1.750
Stajan, Matt 27 CGY C UFA 1.750 1.750
Morrison, Brendan 35 WAS C UFA 1.500 1.500
Williams, Jason 30 DET C UFA 1.500 1.500
Primeau, Wayne 35 TOR C UFA 1.400 1.400
Comrie, Mike 30 EDM C UFA 1.250 1.250
Wellwood, Kyle 28 VAN C UFA 1.200 1.200
Johnson, Ryan 35 VAN C UFA 1.150 1.200
Moore, Dominic 30 FLA C UFA 1.100 1.100
Prospal, Vaclav 36 NYR C UFA 1.100 1.100
Conroy, Craig 39 CGY C UFA 1.050 1.000
Lang, Robert 40 PHX C UFA 1.000 1.000
Metropolit, Glen 37 MTL C UFA 1.000 1.000
Niedermayer, Rob 36 NJD C UFA 1.000 1.000
Slater, Jim 28 ATL C UFA 0.840 0.840
Wallin, Rickard 31 TOR C UFA 0.800 0.800
Craig, Ryan 29 TBL C UFA 0.787 0.800
Mair, Adam 32 BUF C UFA 0.758 0.775
Nichol, Scott 36 SJS C UFA 0.750 0.750
Burish, Adam 28 CHI C UFA 0.713 0.725
Arnason, Tyler 32 NYR C UFA 0.700 0.700
Malhotra, Manny 31 SJS C UFA 0.700 0.700
Armstrong, Derek 38 STL C UFA 0.688 0.688
Hilbert, Andy 30 MIN C UFA 0.650 0.650
Lundmark, Jamie 30 CGY C UFA 0.600 0.600
Shannon, Ryan 28 OTT C UFA 0.600 0.600
Perrault, Joel 28 PHX C UFA 0.588 0.625
Barch, Krys 31 DAL C UFA 0.575 0.575
Betts, Blair 31 PHI C UFA 0.550 0.550
MacKenzie, Derek 30 CLB C UFA 0.550 0.550
McCormick, Cody 28 BUF C UFA 0.550 0.550
Petersen, Toby 32 DAL C UFA 0.550 0.550
Scatchard, Dave 35 NAS C UFA 0.550 0.550
Smith, Nathan 29 MIN C UFA 0.550 0.550
Yelle, Stephane 37 CAR C UFA 0.550 0.550
Giroux, Alexandre 30 WAS C UFA 0.500 0.500
Helminen, Dwight 28 SJS C UFA 0.500 0.500
Hendricks, Matt 30 COL C UFA 0.500 0.500
Hollweg, Ryan 28 PHX C UFA 0.500 0.500
Newbury, Kris 29 DET C UFA 0.500 0.500
Pyorala, Mika 29 PHI C UFA 0.500 0.500
Ross, Jared 28 PHI C UFA 0.500 0.500
Ryan, Michael 31 CAR C UFA 0.500 0.500
Stastny, Yan 28 STL C UFA 0.500 0.500
Ebbett, Andrew 28 MIN C UFA 0.487 0.500
Konopka, Zenon 30 TBL C UFA 0.487 0.500
Stuart, Colin 28 CGY C UFA 0.483 0.500

If it's me, I'm targeting Christoph Schubert as a rental (or maybe not -- I was under the mistaken impression he'd be a German Olympian along with Erhoff, but he is not on the roster) and taking a long run at Dan Hamhuis in the summer.None of the C's do much for me, so perhaps Gillis will have to look to a larger pool. Not that Gillis runs the team to please me.

Demitra Heads Back To Vancouver For Personal Reasons

2010-02-08T21:19:47Z

Demitra Heads Back To Vancouver For Personal Reasons

Dammit Demo! Hope it's nothing serious, but this is bum. He was just getting going too. He may not play for the Canucks before the Olympics, the CKNW site states.
Maybe he's getting traded, haha. OK, that's unlikely at this point.

Canucks recall Jannik Hansen from Manitoba

2010-02-08T18:57:04Z

About time, I guess. Full story on the Vancouver Sun's site.

Quote from the Vancouver Sun:

"VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks recalled forward Jannik Hansen from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL Monday.

Hansen, 23, completed a five-game conditioning assignment with the Manitoba Moose, recording two points (0-2-2) and five penalty minutes, according to a news release.

Hansen rejoins the Canucks where he has appeared in 24 games and registered nine points (5-4-9) and six penalty minutes in 2009-10.

The Herlev, Denmark native was drafted by Vancouver 287th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft."

Monday Morning Coffee- Release The Hounds

2010-02-08T15:19:16Z

You had to know this was coming: A couple games without production from the Sedins and Alex Burrows and the Vancouver media are after them like starving Rottweilers.

Anyone who thought that the Sedins and Burrows would be able to maintain that mind-boggling pace the rest of the way was simply wrong. Of course they were going to have some quiet times. Is it a story? Is it their fault the team went into a mini-slide? No and no. If anything, blame their amazing 3rd period in Toronto. That little performance likely rallied the coaching staffs in Montreal, Ottawa and Boston to focus more effort on shutting the Sedin line down.

it's not all doom and gloom, folks. Yes the Canucks didn't want to be at .500 on the road trip at this point, but with the Lightning, Panthers and Blue Jackets coming up this week, the Canucks have an opportunity to stockpile a few more points before the Olympic break.

Despite their Phoenix-like distractions in Tampa Bay, it looks like stability may be around the corner for the Lightning. With new owner Jeff Vinik moving into place, and Steven Stamkos looking every bit the blue chipper they thought he would be, Tampa Bay might actually survive all this craziness of the last two seasons. This will be the first time the Canucks face Mattias Ohlund since he bolted for the Bolts back in July. He has played well for them, providing solid leadership and mentoring young players like Viktor Hedman. Will be strange to see him on the opposite side of the ice, but just in case they've forgotten... keep your heads up, boys!

Keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!!

Not sure if it's true, but I heard that you can actually hear the party in New Orleans from the International Space Station. What a thrilling Super Bowl that was, eh? Drew Brees came out and was simply masterful, one of the best performances in the big game in a long time. 32 of 39, are you kidding me? The thing I have never understood is the whole knocking of someone's choice in the big game. There's two teams. You either choose one, or you don't watch the game. My rationale for choosing the Saints was simple. As a Canucks fan, I can relate to a long wait with nothing to show. That and the city of New Orleans' need after all they've been through. That onside kick was coaching brilliance.

Honestly though, as good as that game was the game between the Penguins and Capitals was one of the best regular season hockey games I have seen in a long time. The Penguins looked like they had their foot on the throat of the Caps and their winning streak, until Alex Ovechkin came out and laid waste to the lead notching the hat trick to tie, salting it in OTwith the set up on the winner. Right now, the Capitals look unstoppable. You have to think they might be looking at the Olympic break as a bit of a curse, as they have to shut it down and lose that momentum. You also wonder if maybe they're peaking too early...

Congrats to the Bruins for snapping their losing streak yesterday. But for cryin' out loud, can they get a better picture of Tukka Rask for NHL.com? Dude looks like a freakin' mortician.

Some Canucks Stats To Chew On

2010-02-08T04:50:40Z

I hate extended breaks between Canucks games, even if they are only a few days. However it's in times like these that I can look at stats a little closer, and no, not CORSI either. I stick to the basics and leave the technical stuff to others. Here are some Canucks stats I'll throw your way to hopefully amuse you a little.

-The Canucks are 2nd in the NHL in goals-for in the first period this year, although you wouldn't think that given the last few games. They are 28th in goals-for in the 2nd period and 2nd in goals-for in the 3rd period.

-Vancouver is 26th in the NHL in least goals-allowed in the first period, 1st overall in least goals-allowed in the 2nd period and 2nd in that category in the 3rd period (Devils are #1).

-The Canucks are 3rd in the NHL in goals-for (181). They are 2nd in the NHL in goals-for at home (110) and 4th in goals-against (62).

More after the jump..

They are 3rd in power play goals scored at home (29) and 11th in power play goals against (18).

-The road is a different story. Vancouver is 17th in the NHL in goals-for on the road (71 in 26 games), 11th in goals-against (76), 9th in power play goals for (21), and 20th in power play goals against (23).

-The Canucks have a 17-15-1 record when outshooting opponents. They have a 17-5-1 record when being outshot.

-The Canucks are well into the bottom half of the League in minor, major and misconduct penalties-taken.

Now on to some all-time Canucks individual stats with the Sedins in particular:

-Daniel Sedin's 195 goals puts him only 2 behind Thomas Gradin.

-Henrik's 25 goals this season moves him into 15th spot on the list, 2 goals behind Brendan Morrison.

-Current Canucks all-time leaders in assists:

1. Trevor Linden: 415

2. Stan Smyl: 411

3. Markus Naslund: 410

4. Henrik Sedin: 404

5. Thomas Gradin: 353

6. Daniel Sedin: 349

-Current Canucks all-time leaders in points:

1. Markus Naslund: 756

2. Trevor Linden: 733

3. Stan Smyl: 673

4. Thomas Gradin: 550

5. Henrik Sedin: 538

6. Daniel Sedin: 514

7. Pavel Bure: 478

-Daniel's 7 game-winning goals this season puts him only 6 away from leader Markus Naslund (49). Naslund played 12 seasons in Vancouver, Daniel is playing in his 9th. Henrik's 5 GWG's moves him past Stan Smyl and into 9th spot.

-Alexandre Burrows is now 5th overall in shorthanded goals (12). He recently passed Petri Skriko, and is is now 1 SHG behind Stan Smyl and Alexander Mogilny. Pavel Bure is the all-time Canucks leader with 24 shorthanded goals.

-Roberto Luongo's 30 wins this season puts him past Richard Brodeur and into 2nd spot on the all-time list with 145 wins. That is 66 wins behind Kirk McLean, who took 11 seasons to reach 211 wins. Luongo is in his 4th year.

Thanks to NHL.com and Canucks Library for the stats.

Sunday Morning Coffee- Win the game, lose on style points...

2010-02-07T18:55:20Z

More photos » Michael Dwyer - AP

3 days ago: Vancouver Canucks' Pavol Demitra, left, of Slovakia, scores against Boston Bruins' Tuukka Rask, of Finland, in a shootout during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, in Boston. The Canucks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Stop me if you've heard this one: it wasn't pretty, but the Canucks found a way to win. I always love to read fan reactions after a day like this, where people bemoan the fact that we had to come from behind. I am not discounting the poor play, but sometimes you just have to live by the Al Davis creed "Just win, baby". This team has some issues, there's no denying that. But on this record-setting road trip, does it really matter how we win? More after the jump...

The Canucks definitely put themselves in a bad spot by repeating a theme we have seen far too often lately, an early penalty that leads to an early goal. Before the end of the first, they were down two and struggling to get any kind of sustained pressure. Roberto Luongo shook off the shorthanded markers and shut the door the rest of the way, doing exactly what he was brought to Vancouver to do, lock it down and give the team a chance to win. The line of Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond and Pavol Demitra really stepped up and led as the Bruins, like the Sens and Habs before them did a great job of neutralizing the Sedins and Alex Burrows. Darcy Hordichuk had a spirited tilt with Bruins' tough guy Sean Thornton, that accomplished what they were looking for, a little spark to build on. After Mason Raymond's goal halfway through the 2nd, the Canucks began to press, and in the 3rd took it to the Bruins, firing 18 shots in the final frame at Tukka Rask. A Sami Salo shot attempt from the point dribbled past a Bruins player when Salo's stick exploded, but Tanner Glass made amends for his penalty on the opening shift as he fired a shot on goal, Pavol Demitra getting a piece of it and getting it through Rask to tie the game at 2. The Bruins pressed hard in overtime, mustering 8 shots at Luongo, but he stood tall. Demitra finished his best game since his return to the lineup after recovering from shoulder surgery as he scored the only goal in the shootout.

Ugly? Yes. But until they start judging hockey like figure skating (and believe me, anything is possible in Gary Bettman's world) a win is a win is a win. 2 points, and move along. The Canucks had played at an extremely high level for a long period of time, doing an incredible job of stockpiling points at home in preparation for this trip. Now back to .500 for the first half of the first portion of the trip, they head to Florida for games against the Lightning and Panthers, looking to continue their domination of the Southeast Division.

More coffee please...

As if the 10 am start time for yesterday's game wasn't bad enough, this 9 am puck drop for the Pens/Caps game is ridiculous when you consider it's solely to accommodate NBC's golf coverage, which no one will even be watching until Tiger checks out of sex rehab and gets back to the links to start winning tournaments in preparation of his alimony settlement. The deal with the league and NBC is a joke, and hockey will not grow in the US until they get the game off NBC and Versus and back on ESPN.

If there's anyone out there surprised by the outcome of the Leafs/Senators game last night, please contact me at once, I have an outstanding investment proposal from Nigeria I need to discuss with you. You know they were going to do whatever it took to win for the boss, and the Sens were due (shame we didn't capitalize on that the other night). Much respect for Matt Carkner for taking a hellacious beating from Colton Orr and shaking it off. Those two have had some jaw-dropping battles this year. I want to see Rypien take on Carkner when the Sens come to Vancouver in the first game back from this road trip. He couldn't do worse against him than Tanner Glass did...

The Flames earned a loser point in Tampa last night, but they still look inconsistent, still not scoring much and relying on Kiprusoff to save them from their shoddy defensive play. You have to wonder what Ales Kotalik was thinking getting into a scrap last night. Not only did he risk injury, he was ejected for not having his jersey tied down...

Funny how there's so much talk about the struggles of Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo, yet we don't hear much about how Team USA goalie Ryan Miller is struggling lately. The Sabres are 2-7-1 in their last 10, the same as the Edmonton Oilers. Miller has definitely cooled off, and without solid goaltending the US will not be as dangerous a threat, especially with the D not being as solid as some countries...

I know they're 10 points out of a playoff spot, but the Carolina Hurricanes are playing some damn good hockey right now, and look like they haven't shut it down yet, which will definitely affect what happens with them as the trade deadline approaches. Atlanta had a big win last night as they began the Post- Kovalchuk era, with a 4-2 victory over Florida to move within a point of the 8th place Philadelphia Flyers. They aren't done by a long shot and I won't be surprised if they manage to get into the post season...

I know they're injured, but every loss by the Detroit Red Wings just baffles the hell outta me. How does a team go from two straight cup appearances to being out of the dance if the playoffs were to start today. Chris Osgood has been nowhere near as good as we have seen in the past...

Luongo 3 Bruins 2

2010-02-06T22:57:43Z

That is all.

Strange faces in weird places: Canucks & Bruins

2010-02-06T17:06:32Z

WTF Boston?

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Vancouver hasn't visited Boston since December of 2006. Just to refresh your memory, here are some other 2006 'naked' truths (zing!):

Canucks were the third best in the league (105 pts), Bruins were 13th (76 pts)
Pluto got demoted as a planet (shaking fist angrily at the sky)
Heatley was a Senator and Hossa was a Thrasher
Reese Witherspoon and her monkey face inexplicably won an Oscar for Best Actress
Jagr was still in the NHL
A mutant rabbit ravaged the sleepy town of Felton, England. Seriously.
Hasek had the best save% in the league
A classy drunk in Ottawa levied the Shania Twain defense to stay out of jail.
Eric Lindros still played hockey (mentally he was on the forest moon of Endor)
Two words: Zinedine Zidane.
"I had a vision for this club and it included a Stanley Cup and a parade. I wasn't able to accomplish the job." -- Fired Canuck coach Marc Crawford, June 2006
Milan Lucic was 19 years old and Mason Raymond was 21
"What do you do? Punch little buttons and things?" - Larry King know the interwebs.
Steve Bernier had 31 points in 62 games. He has 20 points in 51 this year. Go ahead...facepalm.

The Canucks go from trying to stop 11 straight wins in Ottawa one day to trying to force 10 straight losses in Boston on another. Sure, why not.

Gamethread....yawn....Go Canucks go....zzzzzzzzz....

Saturday Morning Coffee- Taking stock of things

2010-02-06T15:31:27Z

One of the interesting things about sports is how heated rivalries can change the demeanor of people. Seemingly mild-mannered, everyday Joes become transformed into shirtless, face-painted maniacs in support of their team, and even more when a team that is identified as one of your strongest rivalries comes to town. With the news breaking last night of Brian Burke's son Brendan and a passenger losing their lives in a car accident in Indiana, the notion of rivalries goes out the window. More after the jump.

The sports world was abuzz earlier this season when Brendan Burke came out, with his father by his side. It was an extremely moving story of the courage to live life honestly, and of unconditional love between parent and child. The lessons learned here from Brendan's decision to tell his father, and from the classy and inspiring way Brian handled it should be held up as an example to all who face challenges with their loved ones.

As a parent, the news hit me hard. The Burke's, as well as the family of his passenger, 18 year old Mark Reedy were forever changed yesterday. For a day even, we need to stand beside someone who is still, and will always be, part of the Canucks family. All the things that have happened in his time as Canucks GM and since then, that's just his job. Brian Burke the person is hurting right now, and that outweighs the rivalry.

My hope is that because of the courage shown by Brendan and Brian, one day this won't even be a story. People won't have to come out of the closet, because there won't be one. Race, religion, sexual orientation... none of it really matters, it's the person inside that counts. We all bleed red.

On behalf of all of us here at Nucks Misconduct, we send our deepest sympathies to the Burke and Reedy families. Our thoughts are also with everyone in Leafs Nation, as the pain we as fans suffered not so long ago with the tragic loss of Luc Bourdon is still fresh in our minds. Pension Plan Puppets has an incredible write up on the story, please take the time to read it. There are links there as well to the background on the story of Brendan Burke worth reading.

The show must go on...

As I write this it's just under 3 hours from game time, god I have a real love/hate relationship with these early starts. Part of me likes the notion of getting the game out of the way and having the rest of my day to do with as I please, the other part, well... remembers Pittsburgh (knock on wood). The Canucks have lost 2 straight, and to be honest, really haven't played that well.

The Sedin line has been held pointless since their explosion in Toronto, Roberto Luongo has only played 4 period of hockey on this road trip, and our defense, as well as bottom 6 forwards are being exposed as weaknesses. Add in more drama in the form of the statements coming out of the Cody Hodgson camp regarding his return from injury and you have a team that appears poised on the edge of a major slump. One loss, and this Canucks team that had been cruising along rather well for almost 2 months could slide hard into a slump. A win, and they draw even on the trip and have a couple days off to regroup and prepare for a game in Tampa Tuesday.

The best part is, we play a Boston team ~~due for a loss~~ due for a win in the worst way. Their slump is reaching Oiler-like status, and with the Canucks struggles of late, someone is due to break out of it. Remember the game at the end of January? Calgary laid the boots to the sad sack Oilers. I get the feeling today's game will be just like that, though it could be a coin toss who wins. The truth though is it's likely the Canucks will snap out of this funk they're in. Boston simply has no offense, and have struggled to put the puck in the net all season. While everyone talks about the draft picks they got from Toronto, it couldn't be more obvious how much they miss Phil Kessel's goal production.

Roberto Luongo will start for the Canucks, and it looks like Steve Bernier's spiral to purgatory continues as he will likely sit in the press box tonight. Pavol Demitra draws the 2nd line assignment with Kesler and Raymond, Mikeal Samuelsson will be on the 3rd line. The pre-game thread is already up, so grab some coffee, whip up a nice omelet (I am leaning towards french toast this morning myself...) and enjoy the game.

I also once again want to thank Sean and Mike for their support and thank all of you as Nucks Misconduct moves into it's second year of existence. It's a thrill to have your stuff read by so many people, and as a bonus, this place has broken me of my Canucks.com addiction. So thank you for that, heh.

"I'm not talking about Cody Hodgson," Mike Gillis said from Boston. "He doesn't play for our...

2010-02-06T09:02:45Z

"I'm not talking about Cody Hodgson," Mike Gillis said from Boston. "He doesn't play for our team."
When asked what he made of Hodgson's statement, Gillis replied: "I don't care."
"[Hodgson] has some ideas of his own," Gillis said. "I haven't talked to him, so I'm not going to comment until then."

From the Globe and Mail. Read into it what you wish, I just hope this whole thing gets settled quick.

Jannik Hansen Needs Love

2010-02-06T08:37:28Z

Interesting fact about the forwards: Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows, Mikael Samuelsson, Mason Raymond are all on pace to set (or have already shattered) pervious highs in goals, assists, and points. Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler are both on pace to set new career highs in points, while Kesler has already topped his pervious high in assists.

That's Right, all six top 6 forwards are on pace to set new career highs in points. Don't think we need to worry too much about them.

The "Third" line made up of Pudge and Steve "Hands Of Stone" Bernier has been, disappointing, to say the least. (Demo excluded here for obvious reasons) Amazingly, Bernier is on pace to match his "production" of last year (32 Points) while Pudge is on pace for 23 points after finishing last year with 27. Despite what the numbers say, I don't think too many Canucks fans have been happy with the play of Pudge and Bernier so far this year.

Which brings me to my main point: What does Jannik Hansen have to do to crack the line up? Even with the ridiculous amount of injuries suffered by Canuck forwards this year, Hansen has only managed to play in 24 of 56 games. So far, we've seen a handful of guys get the call before Hansen including:

Shirokov (remember him?)

Matt Pettinger (wtf?)

Michael Grabner (no problem here)

Alexandre Bolduc (again, wtf?)

Tanner Glass (I like the dude actually)

While Hordichuk, Pudge, Bernier all seem to be ahead of Hansen on the depth chart.

I just don't get it. Hansen has way more upside than any of the guys mentioned above except maybe Grabner and Bernier (ya, I know it sounds ironic, Bernier with "upside") is a more established NHL player than everyone except Pudge and Bernier, yet he continues to ride the pine. Hansen has decent offensive skills, is a good skater, good PKer, and seems to be a great team guy, I really can't understand why AV can't find room for Hansen on the third or fourth line.

Id like to see Hansen get a try on the third line while one of Pudge or Bernier sits out because quite frankly neither of them has deserved third line ice time this season. At the very least, throw Hansen on the fourth line in place of Blackout, who I really dont think this team needs anymore. What's the point of having Blackout play 3 minutes a game and MAYBE get in a fight when we got the Ripper to do that kidna stuff and he's clearly a better overall player?

Thoughts guys?

Poll

Jannik Hansen Deserves To Be In The Lineup Over...

Battle In Beantown: Canucks - Bruins Preview

2010-02-06T02:06:51Z

Canucks (34-20-2)		Bruins (23-22-10)
	AT

Time	10:00 AM PST	TV	Sportsnet Pacific
Season Series	0 - 0	Last Meeting	1-0 Bruins (Oct.28/08)
The Enemy	Stanley Cup Of Chowder, Ghosts of the Garden,	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 25-52-78 Bergeron: 12-21-33

Canucks	Category	Bruins
3rd	Conference Position	12th
7-3-0	Last 10	1-6-3
3.20 (3rd)	Goals Per Game	2.31 (30th)
2.43 (5th)	Goals Against Per Game	2.46 (6th)
1.33 (3rd)	5 On 5 GF/GA	.87 (25th)
21.9% (5th)	Power Play	17.6% (19th)
81.6% (16th)	Penalty Kill	86.3% (3rd)
30.1 (14th)	Shots Per Game	30.8 (10th)
28.7 (7th)	Least Shots Against Per Game	29.5 (12th)
77.8% (7th)	Winning % When Scoring First	69.6% (15th)
85.7% (5th)	Winning % When Leading After 1	86.7% (4th)
44.8% (5th)	Winning % When Trailing After 1	21.9% (25th)
95.8% (4th)	Winning % When Leading After 2	75% (26th)
25% (5th)	Winning % When Trailing After2	9.1% (21st)
51.4% (9th)	Faceoffs %	51.9% (5th)
15.6 (27th)	Least PIM's Per Game	11.7 (12th)
+32 (4th)	+ / - GF/GA	-14 (23rd)

Hey look! Another team that is floundering that the Canucks should destroy! The Bruins have not won a game since January 14 (against the Sharks of all teams) leaving the fans and the team bewildered. Hell, I'm amazed myself. But take a look at all the injuries they have had to put up with this year. Insane.

Now take a look at how their best players are performing this year compared to last year and it's pretty easy to figure out why they are last in the NHL in goals for. I'm sure there are a host of other issues like team D and the play of Tim Thomas to blame as well. I don't really care how bad they are doing. The Canucks had better bring their A-game against them or suffer the consequences. This is the B's last home game before they go on the road for 4 straight before the Olympic Break.I expect them to play a strong game.

Boston has only scored 7 goals in their last 5 games. In that span:

-David Krejci has 2 goals and 2 assists

-Marc Savard has 3 assists

-Mark Recchi has 2 goals

-Derek Morris and Dennis Wideman have 2 assists each

-Blake Wheeler has 1 goal and 1 assist

-Futility deluxe: Marco Sturm and Milan Lucic have 1 goal. Zdeno Chara and Michael Ryder have 1 assist each. Patrice Bergeron has no points in that 5-game span.

Terrible.

The Canucks' top line has cooled off. In the last 2 Canucks games (both losses):

-Hank has no points

-Dank has 1 assist

-Burrows has zero points.

Much of the Canucks' success rides on these guys and it really should not always be that way. Where is the secondary scoring? Well, as I had hoped, the Canucks addressed that issue today. Pavol Demitra will play on Line 2 with Kesler and Raymond while Samuelsson will play with Wellwood and Glass. I like this move. I think we are about to see some great things from the new RPM line. Teams are covering the Burrdins more and more so these lines need to provide some relief thus creating space for the Burrdins. There will be some gusto on Line 2 because you know Demitra has been waiting to earn his spot there. I thought he did that against the Senators.

Steve Bernier will watch this one from his cozy doghouse, apparently. Watch and learn, Stevie.

Bottom line though is that the Canucks have to come out stronger in this game. The loss to the Sens was a pure example of a team not being ready to play or not willing to play right out of the gate.

-Let's see how Roberto Luongo responds after his break.

I smell good things in this matinee game. Get your caffeine in, it starts early. And Luongo....stretch that f**king groin out good pregame.

Go Canucks!

How about a video to get you into the groove? Well this one was a terrible and tragic incident that ended Marty McSorley's career.

Cody Hodgson is back to playing hockey again, but he won't be working with Vancouver Canucks...

2010-02-05T22:35:52Z

Cody Hodgson is back to playing hockey again, but he won't be working with Vancouver Canucks director of player development Dave Gagner.

....

While Hodgson said he didn't want to dwell on the past, it confirms what many have suspected — that Hodgson and his camp were not happy with the Canucks and Gagner after the injury occurred.

September's training camp should be a blast.

Entering The Terrible Twos!

2010-02-05T21:50:42Z

Let's ignore the losing streak, our laughable bottom six, the injuries, Matty Schneider, laser pointers, diving, Burrows/Auger, tampering and Death To Scoring Chances (sure, I cheated there) to do something that's easy enough: blatant self adulation!

One year ago today Sean and I christened the HMS Nucks Misconduct and set sail in the choppy NHL bloggy waters. We had our highs (the spring of 2009, winning the NW, sweeping St. Louis) and some lows (the Chicago series, the non-existent trade deadline, Mats Sundin...ha!) but overall not a bad way to start things off.

As we've said before, the bulk of the fun in our community comes from you all. Just last month you blew out our best traffic to date. More fun with numbers one year in:

Members: 957
FanPosts: 350
FanShots: 657
Comments: 79,447

A big thanks still goes out to Mirtle, the entire (seriously, even the janitors) team at SBN and the other SBN NHL blogs for making our network the place to be for everything hockey-related.

But, again, thanks to you guys and gals out there for keeping us going. As long as you keep chiming in on the gamethreads or keep penning great fanposts and fanshots, we'll be here.

...there, that wasn't so bad. You may now return to your Friday responsibilities of gambling on the next Salo injury, rubbing the rabbit's foot for Cody Hodgson and what booze compliments Cinnamon Toast Crunch for tomorrow morning's game.

Luongo's Rest and Samuelsson's Best, Plus More

2010-02-05T19:56:52Z

Mike Gillis said during last night's game that Roberto Luongo, after starting 30 straight games, needed a break because he was fatigued, and/or, his energy levels were "a little bit low." He said that starting Andrew Raycroft was planned. Some argued immediately that Luongo already had a break from January 30th, after getting pulled after one period against the Leafs to January 2nd where the Canucks played the Canadiens. Gillis told the Sun: "Game days aren’t rest days. He still had to prepare [in Toronto] as if it was a regular game. It’s not just one day we’re looking for, but a few days’ and this was an opportunity to give him three days off."

We will soon find out if Lou sharpens his game as the Canucks play the Bruins on Saturday morning. I have to say though that this year's Luongo is not the one from the past few years. There have merely been moments of sheer brilliance from Lou this season. Fatigue? Olympics distraction? Pressure?

I think there is a good chance that Pavol Demitra will start on Line 2 with Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond on Saturday. As soon as Demo was promoted to that line last night there was instant chemistry. I lost count of how many times he had a pissed off look on his face from missing scoring opportunities, but you can see that he is about bag his first goal of the season. He currently has 3 assists in 9 games. You might say that it's unfair to Mikael Samuelsson to be demoted to Wellwood's line right now but let's face it: after last night's half-assed effort, it won't hurt to change things up a bit.

I'm not discrediting Samuelsson's .66 points per game pace. Speaking of that:

-Samuelsson's scoring before telling Team Sweden to go fuck themselves: 53 games played, 10 goal and 24 points, which is a .452 points per game pace.

-Sammy's scoring after the big FU: 17 games played, 9 goals and 13 points, for a .76 points per game pace.

Demitra averaged .768 points per game last season playing on line 2. Just sayin'. I think it's fair to say who belongs where. Demitra belongs on line 2. Samuelsson belongs in the bottom 6, as he was in Detroit. Thanks for filling admirably in Demitra's absence Sammy, but perhaps it's time to step aside.

I think he has been slowing a bit lately, and since he is notorious for being streaky, drop him to line 3 for a bit and play Demitra in his stead. Just my opinion. Just going by what I saw last night.

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

If Steve Bernier is a sensitive guy, I sure hope he doesn't read newspapers or websites. He is being crucified everywhere. I wonder if he plays as himself on NHL10 and boosts his stats to feel better about himself. Actually, the Steve Bernier on NHL10 is pretty good. Ah, life in the fantasy world. I like what he's doing on the power plays right now. He goes right to the net and screens the other goalie. I think he is doing a good job of that.

But geez, he could have got a huge monkey off his back by scoring on that breakaway late in period 2 last night but...no dice. Bernier has 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 16 games.

UPDATE: Looks like Bernier will ride the pine against Boston.

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

I'm hardly concerned about the 2-game losing skid. The loss to Montreal was really about early gaffs followed by mostly solid play for a large percentage of the game. The loss to Ottawa was a terrible effort through the first 2 periods followed by a desperate 3rd period when it was all but too late to come back. The Canucks seem almost too confident to me. It is time that they come back down to earth and learn all over again that it takes a consistent, ballsy effort to win games. That will come, maybe as soon as Saturday.