With the playoffs starting tonight, it's time for me to give a quick breakdown of each series, along with my predictions for round 1 as well as the Final. My season in review started with the East, so we'll start this one in the West.
Western Conference
(1) San Jose vs. (8) Colorado
The Avalanche surprised everyone this year by even making the playoffs, but they started to struggle at the end of the year. The Sharks are notorious for early playoff exits, so this one could be interesting, but I don't see the Avs being able to keep it up when the intensity increases. It won't be quick, but San Jose will come out on top.
Prediction: Sharks in 6.
(2) Chicago vs. (7) Nasvhille
Chicago is probably the best team in the league this year. The only question mark is their goaltending, but even that isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Nasvhille will have to play their game to perfection to even have a chance against the Hawks, and even if they do that, I don't see them winning more than one game. This will be over in a hurry.
Prediction: Hawks in 4.
(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Los Angeles
L.A. is a young, exciting, quick team, but they lack playoff experience. Ryan Smyth will stand out as the Kings' star in this sereis, but Kopitar will crumble when things get tough. The Canucks, on the other hand, are hungry and eager to prove their critics wrong, so they'll be fired up to take this one. Luongo has been shaky, but I'm thinking he'll have no problem stepping up his game once they start to mean something. Honestly, if the biggest question mark facing the Canucks is the play of Roberto Luongo, they're in pretty good shape. Shaky this season or not, he's still Roberto f***ing Luongo. Come on. The Kings will make a series of this, but they'll lose in the end.
Prediction: Canucks in 6.
(4) Phoenix vs. (5) Detroit
Phoenix surprised everyone with their strong season, but offence is a question, as is their ability to win without a shootout. The only reason Detroit didn't finish in the top three is because of their injuries at the start of the season, so their status as underdog is in question. They have a ton of experience; they're more talented, and because of the injuries, they're relatively well rested. Phoenix will bore everyone to tears with low-scoring, dull games, but Detroit will make short work of the desert dogs in a series of close ones.
Prediction: Wings in 5.
Eastern Conference
(1) Washington vs. (8) Montreal
Yes, there are goaltending questions in D.C., but the Captials' offensive firepower will prove to be too much for the Habs to handle. Not knowing who your starting goalie is (Halak vs. Price) can't help either. Washington will take this one easily.
Prediction: Capitals in 4.
(2) New Jersey vs. (7) Philadelphia
Martin Brodeur has struggled in the playoffs recently, but he's still going to have enough to take on the Flyers. Add Kovalchuk to the mix, and they've got a strong all-around team. Philadelphia has struggled all season, and there's no reason to think they'll pull it together in time to get past the Devils. Game 1 notwithstanding, New Jersey is the better team.
Prediction: Devils in 6.
(3) Buffalo vs. (6) Boston
Boston has no offence and questionable rookie goaltending. They have good defence and an effective but boring system, but Ryan Miller will be too much for them to work on, and the Sabres' offensive depth will wear the Bruins down in the long run.
Prediction: Sabres in 7.
(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Ottawa
The last two times these teams played in the first round, the winner went on to lose in the final. That won't happen this year. Neither team is strong enough to compete in the long run, and the winner of this will be out in the second round. Ottawa has played better than expected this year, and Pittsburgh has disappointed somewhat, but the two teams are pretty evenly matched -- when healthy. No Kovalev in Ottawa means the Senators are done in this one, again, not counting game 1.
Prediction: Penguins in 6.
So, there's my take on round 1. As for my predictions for the East and West, I see New Jersey beating Washington in the East final, and the winner of Chicago-Vancouver (probable round 2 matchup) beating Detroit in the West. The cup will go to the West this season.
I should have more time available to break down each round of the playoffs, and we can look forward to the return of CanucksTalk as I break down each game the morning after. Thus, until Friday, cheers!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
HockeyTalk: Season in review
Okay, it's been a few months. I've been lazy. Now that the playoffs are under way, I thought it would be a good time for me to take a look at the predictions I made at the start of the season and see how it all panned out. There were a few big surprises, most notably Phoenix and Colorado, but overall, things turned out pretty much how I thought they would.
Eastern Conference:
1. Washington
Is anyone at all surprised that the Capitals won the President's Trophy? They already have the best player in the league, a solid supporting cast, and recently, enough grit to look like a complete team. The question is whether they'll have the chutzpah to get it done in the playoffs. I predicted them doing very well this season, and they didn't disappoint.
2. New Jersey
Brodeur has been criticized all season for being inconsistent, but he put up very good numbers all year and took his team to the top of the Atlantic. Adding Kovalchuk was a great move, and it should put them in position for a long playoff run. I thought they'd finish in the middle of the pack in the East, mainly because of a lack of offense, but they've quietly had a good run.
3. Buffalo
Ryan Miller has played unreal, and they've had enough offensive depth all year to stay competitive at the top of the division. I was wrong about this one. I thought they'd struggle to make the playoffs -- but I did say that they had a good team on paper and that it would be nice to see if they could translate that to on-ice success. (so there!)
4. Pittsburgh
The Penguins had a very inconsistent season, due in large part to Malkin's disappearing act, but they're still a strong team. No team with Crosby will be bad for a long, long time. I picked them as one of the top four teams in the East. I was right. (Easy choice)
5. Ottawa
The Senators have also been incredibly inconsistent all season, but they really overachieved this year, finishing strong to make the playoffs. Losing Kovalev will hurt them in the playoffs, but still, they did a lot better than I predicted.
6. Boston
Wow. Just wow. I picked the Bruins to finish at the top of their division and near the top of the conference. I guess this just goes to show that you can't be highly successful without strong offence. Thomas crapped the bed, so it's a good thing Rask was ready. This team is done in five.
7. Philadelphia
Another disappointment. I honestly thought they had the pieces in place to dominate this year, but without any goaltending to speak of, they didn't get much done. They made the playoffs, butI predict an early exit for the Flyers this year.
8. Montreal
I predicted the Canadiens would be fighting three other teams for a playoff spot, and they were. They're not a bad team, per se, but they're not very good either. They're too small as a group, and not having a clearly defined number-one goalie is never a good thing. Too bad for the frenchmen that they drew Washington for round 1.
9. New York Rangers
What I said at the start of the season: "They won’t be a joke this year, but they’re far removed from being a serious threat. It’s too bad, too – Lundqvist is a fantastic goalie who deserves a better team in front of him." That says it all. I figured they'd be about where they ended up.
10. Atlanta
They pulled together nicely after the Kovalchuk trade, and they finished a bit higher than I expected, but I don't think anyone is surprised -- or impressed -- with the Thrashers' season this year.
11. Carolina
I figured Carolina would have a better season, finishing in the 5-8 seed in the East. I don't follow the 'Canes, so I really can't put my finger on what happened to this team this year. A big disappointment.
12. Tampa Bay
I figured Tampa would have a better season, finishing in the 5-8 seed in the East. I don't follow the Lightning, so I really can't put my finger on what happened to this team this year. A big disappointment. (note: yes, the repetition is on purpose. I feel the same way about both these teams and the way things ended)
13. New York Islanders
What I said in October: "They might be on the way up, but it’s a long time and a lot of early draft picks away." Again, this just about sums it up. They have the potential to become a very good team in a few years, but that's still quite a long time from now. No surprise at their finish.
14. Florida Panthers
Losing Bouwmeester (trade) and Horton (injury) hurt a team that wasn't very good to begin with. Dark times indeed. I'll say it again: too bad, too. I've always liked the Panthers.
15. Toronto
I can't help but smile seeing The Team In The Center Of The Universe finish last in the conference and second-last in the league... and not having a draft pick to show for it. Brian Burke, the pompous, arrogant, ass, deserves this team, and the city deserves him. Here's to "I don't believe in the future" Burkie spending five years ruining a team that, again, wasn't all that good to begin with.
Western Conference
1. San Jose
Once again, the Sharks had an excellent regular season. Heatley wasn't as good as some people expected he would be, but this is still a very solid team. I still don't think they have the heart for the playoffs, but we'll see what happens when they go up against the Avs. I predicted them to finish high, and they did.
2. Chicago
The Hawks are clearly the favorite in the West. They have a strong, deep offence, a strong, deep defence, and (somewhat) reliable goaltending. They have to get it done this year, so look for them to be very hungry in the playoffs. Huet and Niemmi will be the only question marks for them this year.
3. Vancouver
Offensive depth in Vancover? Who knew? They've improved their scoring; they got some defensive depth and mobility, and they play just gritty enough to get things done. This is the best team the Canucks have had since '93, and they've got a very good chance to win it all this year. Luongo has been shaky, and injuries to the defence could be a concern, but I have to believe in this team.
4. Phoenix
Wow. Who saw this coming? If Dave Tippet doesn't win the Jack Adams this year, there's something very wrong with the people who vote for this award. Phoenix has been consistent all ear, an they certainly deserve to be in their position. I have some suspicions about the legitimacy of a league-owned team finishing near the top of the conference, but that's just my opinion. They have had to rely a lot on the shooutout to win game this year, so that could hurt them, but it's been a good run. It's unfortunate for the Coyotes and their fans (both of them) that they have to face Detroit in the first round.
5. Detroit
The only surprise here is that the Wings didn't finish higher. They had a lot of injuries early on, but this team is too good and too complete to not make the playoffs and be considered a heavy favorite. This is a team that's played 11 plaoyoff rounds in the past three seasons and won nine of them. They won't go away quietly.
6. Los Angeles
I'm quite surprised at L.A.'s season. I thought they'd improve on last year, but I didn't think they'd finish in the playoffs. Good for them. They have a young, exciting team that will be very fun to watch during the playoffs and next season. However, they'll be out quick against a hungry Canucks team. Quoting Johnny Depp from Charlie and The Cocolate Factory: "You're just happy to be here, aren't you?" They won't have the gas in the tank to make any kind of splash in the post-season.
7. Nashville
As I said at the start of the season, they're not a bad team. They're not a good team either. They played well enough without a lot of talent to make it into the playoffs, but they'll fall hard against the 'Hawks.
8. Colorado
I really thought the Avalanche would be fighting with the Coyotes for last in the conference. They ended up fighting with Phoenix, for sure, but it was for playoff positioning. A very pleasant surprise, but I think it will be over quick against the Sharks.
9. St. Louis
I thought they would finish higher based on the great end to their season last year, but something was missing for the Blues this season. They can always hope that things go right next year.
10. Calgary
Again, I have to laugh at this one. Flames fans were so smug at the start of the year, going on about their "Olympic lock" defence, goaltending, and forwards, it's really nice to see them quiet down so much. I did say the Flames would probably finish in the playoffs, but I also left a note that it wouldn't be a shock to see them struggle to make the playoffs -- and they did. This is an aging team with no offensive depth, no defensive depth, and a clearly misguided GM. With no prospects to speak of, the future looks very bleak for the Flames. Couldn't have happened to a better team.
11. Anaheim
This one surprised me. I figured they'd be in the top six. Obviously their losses hurt more than I predicted. Funny how the last three teams to trade Chris Pronger have missed the playoffs the following season.
12. Dallas
No surprise here. The rebuild has begun in Texas. Farewell to Mike Modano. Even though he always tended to burn the Oilers and Canucks, he has always been one of my favorite players.
13. Minnesota
Again, no surprise. The Wild just aren't a very good team. Havlat is no Gaborik, and the new coach's system hasn't produced any better results. It's a shame, as apparently Minnesota boasts some of the best hockey fans in the U.S. They certainly deserve better than this.
14. Columbus
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, no surprise here. They have a few great players, a good goalie, and a good coach, but the team just isn't good enough to be taken seriously by anyone.
15. Edmonton
I'm shocked by this, but it was a blessing in disguise as it's provided the Oilers with a chance to truly rebuild. Hopefully they don't screw it up next year by rushing Seguin/Hall into the lineup. Things should be very good in Edmonton in two or three years.
Hey, would you look at that? I'm done. Look for my playoff preview to follow.
Eastern Conference:
1. Washington
Is anyone at all surprised that the Capitals won the President's Trophy? They already have the best player in the league, a solid supporting cast, and recently, enough grit to look like a complete team. The question is whether they'll have the chutzpah to get it done in the playoffs. I predicted them doing very well this season, and they didn't disappoint.
2. New Jersey
Brodeur has been criticized all season for being inconsistent, but he put up very good numbers all year and took his team to the top of the Atlantic. Adding Kovalchuk was a great move, and it should put them in position for a long playoff run. I thought they'd finish in the middle of the pack in the East, mainly because of a lack of offense, but they've quietly had a good run.
3. Buffalo
Ryan Miller has played unreal, and they've had enough offensive depth all year to stay competitive at the top of the division. I was wrong about this one. I thought they'd struggle to make the playoffs -- but I did say that they had a good team on paper and that it would be nice to see if they could translate that to on-ice success. (so there!)
4. Pittsburgh
The Penguins had a very inconsistent season, due in large part to Malkin's disappearing act, but they're still a strong team. No team with Crosby will be bad for a long, long time. I picked them as one of the top four teams in the East. I was right. (Easy choice)
5. Ottawa
The Senators have also been incredibly inconsistent all season, but they really overachieved this year, finishing strong to make the playoffs. Losing Kovalev will hurt them in the playoffs, but still, they did a lot better than I predicted.
6. Boston
Wow. Just wow. I picked the Bruins to finish at the top of their division and near the top of the conference. I guess this just goes to show that you can't be highly successful without strong offence. Thomas crapped the bed, so it's a good thing Rask was ready. This team is done in five.
7. Philadelphia
Another disappointment. I honestly thought they had the pieces in place to dominate this year, but without any goaltending to speak of, they didn't get much done. They made the playoffs, butI predict an early exit for the Flyers this year.
8. Montreal
I predicted the Canadiens would be fighting three other teams for a playoff spot, and they were. They're not a bad team, per se, but they're not very good either. They're too small as a group, and not having a clearly defined number-one goalie is never a good thing. Too bad for the frenchmen that they drew Washington for round 1.
9. New York Rangers
What I said at the start of the season: "They won’t be a joke this year, but they’re far removed from being a serious threat. It’s too bad, too – Lundqvist is a fantastic goalie who deserves a better team in front of him." That says it all. I figured they'd be about where they ended up.
10. Atlanta
They pulled together nicely after the Kovalchuk trade, and they finished a bit higher than I expected, but I don't think anyone is surprised -- or impressed -- with the Thrashers' season this year.
11. Carolina
I figured Carolina would have a better season, finishing in the 5-8 seed in the East. I don't follow the 'Canes, so I really can't put my finger on what happened to this team this year. A big disappointment.
12. Tampa Bay
I figured Tampa would have a better season, finishing in the 5-8 seed in the East. I don't follow the Lightning, so I really can't put my finger on what happened to this team this year. A big disappointment. (note: yes, the repetition is on purpose. I feel the same way about both these teams and the way things ended)
13. New York Islanders
What I said in October: "They might be on the way up, but it’s a long time and a lot of early draft picks away." Again, this just about sums it up. They have the potential to become a very good team in a few years, but that's still quite a long time from now. No surprise at their finish.
14. Florida Panthers
Losing Bouwmeester (trade) and Horton (injury) hurt a team that wasn't very good to begin with. Dark times indeed. I'll say it again: too bad, too. I've always liked the Panthers.
15. Toronto
I can't help but smile seeing The Team In The Center Of The Universe finish last in the conference and second-last in the league... and not having a draft pick to show for it. Brian Burke, the pompous, arrogant, ass, deserves this team, and the city deserves him. Here's to "I don't believe in the future" Burkie spending five years ruining a team that, again, wasn't all that good to begin with.
Western Conference
1. San Jose
Once again, the Sharks had an excellent regular season. Heatley wasn't as good as some people expected he would be, but this is still a very solid team. I still don't think they have the heart for the playoffs, but we'll see what happens when they go up against the Avs. I predicted them to finish high, and they did.
2. Chicago
The Hawks are clearly the favorite in the West. They have a strong, deep offence, a strong, deep defence, and (somewhat) reliable goaltending. They have to get it done this year, so look for them to be very hungry in the playoffs. Huet and Niemmi will be the only question marks for them this year.
3. Vancouver
Offensive depth in Vancover? Who knew? They've improved their scoring; they got some defensive depth and mobility, and they play just gritty enough to get things done. This is the best team the Canucks have had since '93, and they've got a very good chance to win it all this year. Luongo has been shaky, and injuries to the defence could be a concern, but I have to believe in this team.
4. Phoenix
Wow. Who saw this coming? If Dave Tippet doesn't win the Jack Adams this year, there's something very wrong with the people who vote for this award. Phoenix has been consistent all ear, an they certainly deserve to be in their position. I have some suspicions about the legitimacy of a league-owned team finishing near the top of the conference, but that's just my opinion. They have had to rely a lot on the shooutout to win game this year, so that could hurt them, but it's been a good run. It's unfortunate for the Coyotes and their fans (both of them) that they have to face Detroit in the first round.
5. Detroit
The only surprise here is that the Wings didn't finish higher. They had a lot of injuries early on, but this team is too good and too complete to not make the playoffs and be considered a heavy favorite. This is a team that's played 11 plaoyoff rounds in the past three seasons and won nine of them. They won't go away quietly.
6. Los Angeles
I'm quite surprised at L.A.'s season. I thought they'd improve on last year, but I didn't think they'd finish in the playoffs. Good for them. They have a young, exciting team that will be very fun to watch during the playoffs and next season. However, they'll be out quick against a hungry Canucks team. Quoting Johnny Depp from Charlie and The Cocolate Factory: "You're just happy to be here, aren't you?" They won't have the gas in the tank to make any kind of splash in the post-season.
7. Nashville
As I said at the start of the season, they're not a bad team. They're not a good team either. They played well enough without a lot of talent to make it into the playoffs, but they'll fall hard against the 'Hawks.
8. Colorado
I really thought the Avalanche would be fighting with the Coyotes for last in the conference. They ended up fighting with Phoenix, for sure, but it was for playoff positioning. A very pleasant surprise, but I think it will be over quick against the Sharks.
9. St. Louis
I thought they would finish higher based on the great end to their season last year, but something was missing for the Blues this season. They can always hope that things go right next year.
10. Calgary
Again, I have to laugh at this one. Flames fans were so smug at the start of the year, going on about their "Olympic lock" defence, goaltending, and forwards, it's really nice to see them quiet down so much. I did say the Flames would probably finish in the playoffs, but I also left a note that it wouldn't be a shock to see them struggle to make the playoffs -- and they did. This is an aging team with no offensive depth, no defensive depth, and a clearly misguided GM. With no prospects to speak of, the future looks very bleak for the Flames. Couldn't have happened to a better team.
11. Anaheim
This one surprised me. I figured they'd be in the top six. Obviously their losses hurt more than I predicted. Funny how the last three teams to trade Chris Pronger have missed the playoffs the following season.
12. Dallas
No surprise here. The rebuild has begun in Texas. Farewell to Mike Modano. Even though he always tended to burn the Oilers and Canucks, he has always been one of my favorite players.
13. Minnesota
Again, no surprise. The Wild just aren't a very good team. Havlat is no Gaborik, and the new coach's system hasn't produced any better results. It's a shame, as apparently Minnesota boasts some of the best hockey fans in the U.S. They certainly deserve better than this.
14. Columbus
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, no surprise here. They have a few great players, a good goalie, and a good coach, but the team just isn't good enough to be taken seriously by anyone.
15. Edmonton
I'm shocked by this, but it was a blessing in disguise as it's provided the Oilers with a chance to truly rebuild. Hopefully they don't screw it up next year by rushing Seguin/Hall into the lineup. Things should be very good in Edmonton in two or three years.
Hey, would you look at that? I'm done. Look for my playoff preview to follow.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Canucks Talk: Time to worry?
First of all, my apologies for not updating the blog. November was a bit hectic for me, and I didn't get a chance to do any work -- at all -- on the blog or on the video project. I'll post the December highlights at the end of the month, and at some point, I'll post the highlights from November, just so they're up there. I do plan on updating this blog again, at least weekly.
Now, on to the topic at hand. I wasn't worried about the Canucks' brutal start this season. I wasn't even worried at the 20-game mark, when they were only 10-10-0. I've always maintained that the first 20 games don't really say anything about the team and their strengths as a whole. Now, though, I'm starting to worry. We're now seeing a trend -- and this isn't a new thing for this team -- of glaring inconsistency. I made a few statements, albeit not publically, about their most recent four-game road trip.
Essentially, I said that the Canucks would need six points on this trip, whether that meant going 3-1-0 or 2-0-2, to stay competitive, silence some of the critics, and show that they're the team everyone said they would be at the start of the season. They were mostly recovered from injury and Luongo has his slow start behind him, so this was the time to show what they were made of. After two strong games against the Devils and Flyers, they crapped the bed, so to speak, against the Hurricanes and Predators. My concern is that this is what they're made of. I really, really hope not, but it is very alarming.
I've got a pretty good track record with these kind of predictions. In 2006-07, right before the trade deadline, the Oilers had a road trip -- my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think it was a six-game trip. I told my friends at the start of the trip that if Edmonton didn't pick up at least nine points on the trip, Ryan Smyth would get traded at the deadline. Sure enough, they only got eight points, and Smytty was gone (Once again, the details are fuzzy, but that was the gist of it). At the start of last season, I predicted that the Canucks would win the division. Everyone laughed at me, but I was so sure of it that I made a $100 bet with a friend of mine. He thought I was a fool for making this bet, but he was eating crow in April when I walked away with his cash!
Anyways, my point: The Canucks are starting an eight-game homestand tonight, and they need 12 points to stay competitive in the division, the conference, and the league. If they fail to do this, making the playoffs isn't quite a lost cause yet, as there will still be another 40 games to play, but it will make things a lot harder for them. In short, this homestand is crucial. As I write this, The Canucks are up 4-2 against Atlanta in the third period, so so far so good. Things are going mostly right, but the boys are still taking a fefw too many stupid penalties. On this trip, I'll document their record and show how many points out of the available points they'll need and determine whether they've been successful or not.
Why the sudden slide? I really can't put my finger on it. The same thing happened last January, where nothing seemed to go well. They pulled themselves out of that, only to go back into the same useless funk against Chicago. This season, they'll play a couple of great games, and then come out with absolutely no effort and get beat by teams that have no business beating them. I don't know if there are problems in the dressing room, problems with the coaching staff, or problems with personnel in general, but I get the feeling there's something really wrong with that team that's dragging morale WAY down and causing the team to play this poorly. If they don't pull things together soon, something will need to change, whether it's a trade, a benching, or a coach firing (which would get my vote -- more on my dislike for Vigneault in a future post).
I will never stop being a Canucks fan, and I firmly believe that this is the strongest team the Canucks have had in 15 years, but they need to play like it, and if they don't, it's going to be harder and harder for me to keep my optimism. Hope is not lost yet, but it's slipping away, and there needs to be a major change before it can be firmly in grasp again.
That's it for tonight. As I said, I'll keep this blog updated more regularly from now on and keep providing my insight. Until next time, Cheers!
Now, on to the topic at hand. I wasn't worried about the Canucks' brutal start this season. I wasn't even worried at the 20-game mark, when they were only 10-10-0. I've always maintained that the first 20 games don't really say anything about the team and their strengths as a whole. Now, though, I'm starting to worry. We're now seeing a trend -- and this isn't a new thing for this team -- of glaring inconsistency. I made a few statements, albeit not publically, about their most recent four-game road trip.
Essentially, I said that the Canucks would need six points on this trip, whether that meant going 3-1-0 or 2-0-2, to stay competitive, silence some of the critics, and show that they're the team everyone said they would be at the start of the season. They were mostly recovered from injury and Luongo has his slow start behind him, so this was the time to show what they were made of. After two strong games against the Devils and Flyers, they crapped the bed, so to speak, against the Hurricanes and Predators. My concern is that this is what they're made of. I really, really hope not, but it is very alarming.
I've got a pretty good track record with these kind of predictions. In 2006-07, right before the trade deadline, the Oilers had a road trip -- my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think it was a six-game trip. I told my friends at the start of the trip that if Edmonton didn't pick up at least nine points on the trip, Ryan Smyth would get traded at the deadline. Sure enough, they only got eight points, and Smytty was gone (Once again, the details are fuzzy, but that was the gist of it). At the start of last season, I predicted that the Canucks would win the division. Everyone laughed at me, but I was so sure of it that I made a $100 bet with a friend of mine. He thought I was a fool for making this bet, but he was eating crow in April when I walked away with his cash!
Anyways, my point: The Canucks are starting an eight-game homestand tonight, and they need 12 points to stay competitive in the division, the conference, and the league. If they fail to do this, making the playoffs isn't quite a lost cause yet, as there will still be another 40 games to play, but it will make things a lot harder for them. In short, this homestand is crucial. As I write this, The Canucks are up 4-2 against Atlanta in the third period, so so far so good. Things are going mostly right, but the boys are still taking a fefw too many stupid penalties. On this trip, I'll document their record and show how many points out of the available points they'll need and determine whether they've been successful or not.
Why the sudden slide? I really can't put my finger on it. The same thing happened last January, where nothing seemed to go well. They pulled themselves out of that, only to go back into the same useless funk against Chicago. This season, they'll play a couple of great games, and then come out with absolutely no effort and get beat by teams that have no business beating them. I don't know if there are problems in the dressing room, problems with the coaching staff, or problems with personnel in general, but I get the feeling there's something really wrong with that team that's dragging morale WAY down and causing the team to play this poorly. If they don't pull things together soon, something will need to change, whether it's a trade, a benching, or a coach firing (which would get my vote -- more on my dislike for Vigneault in a future post).
I will never stop being a Canucks fan, and I firmly believe that this is the strongest team the Canucks have had in 15 years, but they need to play like it, and if they don't, it's going to be harder and harder for me to keep my optimism. Hope is not lost yet, but it's slipping away, and there needs to be a major change before it can be firmly in grasp again.
That's it for tonight. As I said, I'll keep this blog updated more regularly from now on and keep providing my insight. Until next time, Cheers!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Canucks This Week: No videos
I haven't been feeling well the last little while, and I've been having troubles capturing the games, so I'm quite a bit behind in splitting the clips to make the weekly highlight videos. Unfortunately, this means I'm going two weeks without posting anything new. However, I will have a new video up on November 23rd, with three weeks of game highlights! Stay tuned! Tomorrow, I'll make a post about the NHL at the 20-game mark and compare it to my preseason predictions, and I'll post a Canucks This Week blog entry later in the week with my breakdown of the team over the past little while. Things will get back on track soon, I promise!
Until next time,
Mike
Until next time,
Mike
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Canucks This Week: Weeks 3 and 4, October 12th to 25th, 2009
All right, 6 games, 6 minutes, a whole lot of great saves, hits, fights, and goals! Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEf32DcAw5E
Let me know what you think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEf32DcAw5E
Let me know what you think!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Canucks This Week: October 21st, 2009
What a week! Another tough loss to the Flames, a tight win against the Wild, a close loss to Edmonton, and a much-needed win against the Black Hawks. The Canucks finally got their first road win -- and it couldn't have come against a better team -- and Luongo looks like he's finding his game. Here's my breakdown of the last four games and a look at what's ahead:
What will it take to extinguish the Flames?
So the Canucks started out fairly strong against Calgary -- a couple of fights early on to set the tone, a lot of decent chances, and some quality stops by Luongo. What the hell happened? They came out so flat in the second period, I wasn't surprised at all to see them go down to that team. I don't understand that.
I really think the Flames are overrated, so why can't the Canucks beat them? Maybe it was just a case of them overthinking the game. Maybe they got it so far in their heads that they needed revenge that they just couldn't stick to the basics to come out ahead. They played all right in the third, but it really seemed more like the Flames were letting up a bit, and it's only natural for the team that's down to press hard in the late stages of the game. Another bad game for Louie; let's hope it's his last. We play Calgary again in December; I'm sure by then the Canucks will be firing on all cylinders and they'll get their revenge.
The Wild -- still Mild.
That was a dull game. Looking at that, it's no wonder that these teams are at the bottom of the division. Both teams played a tight defensive game, which can be exciting, depending on how they're playing it, but this had New Jersey-Anaheim '03 written all over it. Luongo let in one weak goal, but he was otherwise solid. I think he took the bad game on Friday and decided it's time to buckle down. His play since then has supported this theory.
With this whole game, it really looked like both teams were aware of how badly they've struggled, and they were just trying to make sure they didn't get embarrassed: playing to "not lose," which is one of the things I hate the most about Vigneault's coaching style (You have to play to win if you want to win big. Playing to not lose won't work against the good teams. See Vancouver-Chicago, round two, game six, 2009 NHL Playoffs for proof). It was good that the Canucks won this one, but it's not something that will be hard to forget.
Edmonton -- just a little more time???
Everyone was talking about how the Canucks could have tied it if they just had a few more seconds, blah, blah, blah... It doesn't make up for the fact that they played like crap for 40 minutes in that game. In the first period, they were fired up, going hard, and outplaying the Oilers, until the midway point.
They didn't get going again until they were down by a goal with 10 minutes left in the third period. I don't know what happened to them. They got outworked, outhit, and outplayed by the Oilers, and all that's left are excuses: Khabibulin was on fire, the team was tired from travel, Rexall Place is a tough arena to play in, the refs called a bad game. Let's break these down.
Khabibulin was on fire: Yes, he played well, but all the shots were from outside. No one went to the net to screen him or work for rebounds. When you're not scoring goals, you need to get back to the basics and score some "ugly" ones. When the game is over, all that matters is how many more you scored than your opponent, not how nice they all looked.
Travel: Sure, that was their third game in four days, but it's not like the travel from Calgary to Vancouver to Edmonton is worse than what they've dealt with in the past. There's no excuse to play that poorly for over half the game. Don't forget they had only one game in the week prior to that. They had plenty of rest before this string of games.
Rexall is a tough arena to play in: The Oilers were 18-17-6 at home last year. It's not that tough to win in Edmonton. Sure, they're a better team under Quinn, but that's another bad excuse.
Reffing: The bad calls went both ways all night. This was a classic case of the refs "evening up" the tally -- they'd respond to a missed call by calling a bad one on the next play; a bad call would result in a missed call against the other team on another play, etc. You can't blame the refs for this one.
The only excuse the Canucks have -- and Ryan Kesler, to his credit, said it publicly -- is that they got outworked by a team that didn't work that hard. Another tough road loss.
Chicago: An early-season turning point?
Well, this has been a long time coming. After choking against the 'Hawks last year, I don't know of any Canuck fan who hasn't been eagerly, and nervously given the poor start, waiting for this one. My PVR malfunctioned, so I didn't get to see the first period, but what I saw was a Canucks team who knew exactly what they needed to do: play their game and play it better than the 'Hawks played theirs.
The Canucks outworked the Black Hawks in most areas, but it was still a fairly even game. Luongo was outstanding -- neither of the Chicago goals were his fault -- and they did the one thing they failed to do in the playoffs against Chicago: FORECHECK! That was the difference tonight -- that and Mitchell's hit on Jonathan Toews, which TSN accurately called the "TSN Turning Point" tonight. When they got the lead, instead of trying to sit on it with five minutes left, which is precisely what killed them this Spring, they kept pressing, keeping the Black Hawks pinned in their end, and they kept going with strong positional play when things went in the other direction.
This is the kind of game the Canucks need to play from now on, especially with all the injuries, and I really hope they recognize that and carry it forward for the rest of the year. Finesse isn't what will win them the Cup this year; it's got to be because of hard work.
Looking Ahead
For the upcoming week, the Canucks are playing Saturday at home against Toronto, Sunday at home against Edmonton, and Tuesday at home against Detroit.
Unless they overlook the Leafs, this one should be easy. They are a complete joke, even more than I thought they would be this season. It will be a completely devastating loss if they come off a great win against Chicago with a stinker to Toronto.
Edmonton? Fatigue might be the factor here, but again, that's not just another weak excuse they don't need. Look for them to take their .500 record against the Oilers, play strong, and smoke them the way they should have on Monday.
Detroit, despite their slow start, will be a challenge. We always have trouble playing the Wings, and Tuesday will be no different -- don't let their record fool you. It's going to take more of the stuff they showed against Chicago and less of what they brought to Edmonton if they're going to beat this team.
Final Thoughts
Watching the game live in Edmonton on Monday, there was one big thing I noticed, and that was the play of Shane O'Brien. I've never been a fan of his. I think he takes way too many penalties and is too slow a skater to really be an impact player. However, watching him closely the other night, I saw a guy who finishes his checks regularly, plays a great positional game, and really shows some good hockey sense. He still has a tendency to take dumb penalties, but they have been going down this year. I'm no longer a hater, and while I won't go as far as to say he's one of my favorites on this team, I do now see what so many others have been saying about him since the Canucks acquired him last year -- he's a great asset that this team will regret losing.
Also, it shouldn't go without noting that Michael Grabner scored his first NHL goal tonight. Good for him! Here's hoping he has a great career as a Canuck.
I've been saying all year long so far that it's no time to panic: not when they started off 0-3, not when two more key players go hurt, and certainly not now. The slow start was never something to worry about; if they kept playing badly after the 10-or-20-game point, then I'd be a little worried. I really think they started to right the ship on Saturday, and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect wins in all three of their next games. Until next week, thanks for reading Canucks This Week!
What will it take to extinguish the Flames?
So the Canucks started out fairly strong against Calgary -- a couple of fights early on to set the tone, a lot of decent chances, and some quality stops by Luongo. What the hell happened? They came out so flat in the second period, I wasn't surprised at all to see them go down to that team. I don't understand that.
I really think the Flames are overrated, so why can't the Canucks beat them? Maybe it was just a case of them overthinking the game. Maybe they got it so far in their heads that they needed revenge that they just couldn't stick to the basics to come out ahead. They played all right in the third, but it really seemed more like the Flames were letting up a bit, and it's only natural for the team that's down to press hard in the late stages of the game. Another bad game for Louie; let's hope it's his last. We play Calgary again in December; I'm sure by then the Canucks will be firing on all cylinders and they'll get their revenge.
The Wild -- still Mild.
That was a dull game. Looking at that, it's no wonder that these teams are at the bottom of the division. Both teams played a tight defensive game, which can be exciting, depending on how they're playing it, but this had New Jersey-Anaheim '03 written all over it. Luongo let in one weak goal, but he was otherwise solid. I think he took the bad game on Friday and decided it's time to buckle down. His play since then has supported this theory.
With this whole game, it really looked like both teams were aware of how badly they've struggled, and they were just trying to make sure they didn't get embarrassed: playing to "not lose," which is one of the things I hate the most about Vigneault's coaching style (You have to play to win if you want to win big. Playing to not lose won't work against the good teams. See Vancouver-Chicago, round two, game six, 2009 NHL Playoffs for proof). It was good that the Canucks won this one, but it's not something that will be hard to forget.
Edmonton -- just a little more time???
Everyone was talking about how the Canucks could have tied it if they just had a few more seconds, blah, blah, blah... It doesn't make up for the fact that they played like crap for 40 minutes in that game. In the first period, they were fired up, going hard, and outplaying the Oilers, until the midway point.
They didn't get going again until they were down by a goal with 10 minutes left in the third period. I don't know what happened to them. They got outworked, outhit, and outplayed by the Oilers, and all that's left are excuses: Khabibulin was on fire, the team was tired from travel, Rexall Place is a tough arena to play in, the refs called a bad game. Let's break these down.
Khabibulin was on fire: Yes, he played well, but all the shots were from outside. No one went to the net to screen him or work for rebounds. When you're not scoring goals, you need to get back to the basics and score some "ugly" ones. When the game is over, all that matters is how many more you scored than your opponent, not how nice they all looked.
Travel: Sure, that was their third game in four days, but it's not like the travel from Calgary to Vancouver to Edmonton is worse than what they've dealt with in the past. There's no excuse to play that poorly for over half the game. Don't forget they had only one game in the week prior to that. They had plenty of rest before this string of games.
Rexall is a tough arena to play in: The Oilers were 18-17-6 at home last year. It's not that tough to win in Edmonton. Sure, they're a better team under Quinn, but that's another bad excuse.
Reffing: The bad calls went both ways all night. This was a classic case of the refs "evening up" the tally -- they'd respond to a missed call by calling a bad one on the next play; a bad call would result in a missed call against the other team on another play, etc. You can't blame the refs for this one.
The only excuse the Canucks have -- and Ryan Kesler, to his credit, said it publicly -- is that they got outworked by a team that didn't work that hard. Another tough road loss.
Chicago: An early-season turning point?
Well, this has been a long time coming. After choking against the 'Hawks last year, I don't know of any Canuck fan who hasn't been eagerly, and nervously given the poor start, waiting for this one. My PVR malfunctioned, so I didn't get to see the first period, but what I saw was a Canucks team who knew exactly what they needed to do: play their game and play it better than the 'Hawks played theirs.
The Canucks outworked the Black Hawks in most areas, but it was still a fairly even game. Luongo was outstanding -- neither of the Chicago goals were his fault -- and they did the one thing they failed to do in the playoffs against Chicago: FORECHECK! That was the difference tonight -- that and Mitchell's hit on Jonathan Toews, which TSN accurately called the "TSN Turning Point" tonight. When they got the lead, instead of trying to sit on it with five minutes left, which is precisely what killed them this Spring, they kept pressing, keeping the Black Hawks pinned in their end, and they kept going with strong positional play when things went in the other direction.
This is the kind of game the Canucks need to play from now on, especially with all the injuries, and I really hope they recognize that and carry it forward for the rest of the year. Finesse isn't what will win them the Cup this year; it's got to be because of hard work.
Looking Ahead
For the upcoming week, the Canucks are playing Saturday at home against Toronto, Sunday at home against Edmonton, and Tuesday at home against Detroit.
Unless they overlook the Leafs, this one should be easy. They are a complete joke, even more than I thought they would be this season. It will be a completely devastating loss if they come off a great win against Chicago with a stinker to Toronto.
Edmonton? Fatigue might be the factor here, but again, that's not just another weak excuse they don't need. Look for them to take their .500 record against the Oilers, play strong, and smoke them the way they should have on Monday.
Detroit, despite their slow start, will be a challenge. We always have trouble playing the Wings, and Tuesday will be no different -- don't let their record fool you. It's going to take more of the stuff they showed against Chicago and less of what they brought to Edmonton if they're going to beat this team.
Final Thoughts
Watching the game live in Edmonton on Monday, there was one big thing I noticed, and that was the play of Shane O'Brien. I've never been a fan of his. I think he takes way too many penalties and is too slow a skater to really be an impact player. However, watching him closely the other night, I saw a guy who finishes his checks regularly, plays a great positional game, and really shows some good hockey sense. He still has a tendency to take dumb penalties, but they have been going down this year. I'm no longer a hater, and while I won't go as far as to say he's one of my favorites on this team, I do now see what so many others have been saying about him since the Canucks acquired him last year -- he's a great asset that this team will regret losing.
Also, it shouldn't go without noting that Michael Grabner scored his first NHL goal tonight. Good for him! Here's hoping he has a great career as a Canuck.
I've been saying all year long so far that it's no time to panic: not when they started off 0-3, not when two more key players go hurt, and certainly not now. The slow start was never something to worry about; if they kept playing badly after the 10-or-20-game point, then I'd be a little worried. I really think they started to right the ship on Saturday, and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect wins in all three of their next games. Until next week, thanks for reading Canucks This Week!
Canucks This Week: No video this week
I just wanted to post an update about the video project. I had a busy weekend, so I couldn't get the Friday and Saturday games transferred to my PC. I went to the game on Monday, and I was helping a friend move on Tuesday, so I haven't had a chance to work on it. I decided that watching the game tonight was more important than working on the video. If I put the video together tomorrow, it would be several days and two games behind, so I decided that I'll make a video on Monday of highlights of the previous two weeks. Check on October 26th for highlights from weeks 3 and 4, with seven games worth of highlights! Sorry about the delay...
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