Kevin Bieksa Will Drag His Knuckles Across Your Face

Often lost in the ongoing dispute over Kevin Bieksa's defensive ability is his extraordinary knack for fisticuffs. Juice (so called because he likes pineapple juice, but also conveniently fits with his predisposition to rage) has had a reputation as a fighter to be avoided since he broke into the NHL by one-punching arrogant and highly-disliked prospect Fedor Fedorov in a parking lot. Canucks' management was pleased with this, likely because A) toughness is never unwanted, and B) Fedorov had been asking for it for awhile.

Since then, the long-held opinion has been that Kevin Bieksa--like Bruce Banner--is not your friend when he's angry. He's also an entertaining scrapper, sometimes beginning spats with a GSP-style Superman punch. Early in his career, Bieksa was often compared to Ed Jovanovski, a contrast that wasn't quite accurate, hockey-wise. It was apt, however, during fights: Jovanovski was generally to be avoided because he punched to concuss (just ask Adam Deadmarsh); Bieksa is similarly spirited when he trots out the knuckles. He fights to win. There is rarely any debate over his contributions to Vancouver when he resorts to violence.

Speaking of fighting and winning, he's already done so twice this season, both times decisively walloping his opponents (Kevyn Adams and Aaron Voros, respectively). Canuck fans treated both affairs as a rare treat, but in the big picture, he's actually fought 27 times in six seasons as a Canuck.

And, according to HockeyFights.com, he trends towards indisputable victory. Of those 27 fights, according to his fight card (where winners are determined through voting) he's 24-1-2. Put another way: in six years, he's lost only 2 times, and of those two, neither was overly decisive. His wins are much more so. Of his 24 wins, 15 have garnered at least 70% of the vote, with 8 garnering 90% or more. The verdict? Bieksa will crush you. After the jump, exhibits A through E:

Kevin Bieksa vs. Aaron Voros (December 8, 2010)

Kevin Bieksa vs. Alexandre Picard (October 21, 2008)

Kevin Bieksa vs. Craig Adams (October 22, 2007)

Kevin Bieksa vs. Karl Stewart (February 7, 2007)

Kevin Bieksa vs. JF Jacques (December 4, 2006)

Bieksa averages about five fights a season, so we can be expectant that he'll drop the gloves a few more times before April. That is, unless nobody else wants a concave face.

In Defense of Bieksa's Defense

Kevin Bieksa did not end last season well. His infamous double slide (what does it mean?) in the playoffs against the Blackhawks gave those who dislike Bieksa plenty of ammunition throughout the summer to criticize the beleaguered blueliner and demand him to be traded. In fact, with the acquisition of Ballard and Hamhuis, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Bieksa was on his way out of town, given his $3.75 million contract does not include a no trade clause.

The trade rumours did make sense: after all, Bieksa has put up two 40+ point seasons, intriguing numbers for any GM wanting to add an offensive weapon to their blueline. Meanwhile, a large portion of Canucks fans have become disillusioned with Bieksa, discounting his offensive contributions because of his defensive deficiencies. Many hoped that opposition GMs would perk up at the sight of a 40-point defeseman and conveniently ignore his career -18 rating and boneheaded mistakes.

Then, Sami Salo shockingly got injured playing floor ball. Shane O'Brien failed to make the starting roster. Ballard and Hamhuis, models of health prior to joining the Canucks, fell victim to injuries just a few games into the season. And suddenly, Kevin Bieksa is a key defensive cog in the Canucks machine.

Kevin Bieksa's detractors are quite vocal (I should know, I frequently watch Canucks games with one), but I think their distaste is misguided. I won't deny what their eyes are telling them: Bieksa does make mistakes. Those mistakes, however, are rarely as egregious as they may seem, not as plentiful as imagined, and not as detrimental to his overall defensive play as generally posited. In fact, 12 games into the Canucks season, Bieksa has been a defensive stalwart. Instead, as mentioned in a Houses of the Hockey's blog post, Bieksa's detractors are suffering from confirmation bias: due to a few plays like the double-slide mentioned above, every mistake Bieksa makes is magnified and held up as confirmation of his awful defensive play. Meanwhile, every great defensive play is ignored as being inconsequential or simply, "Every defenseman should make that play." The statistics paint a different picture.

I'm going to make a radical suggestion here: the coaching staff often know what they're doing. This isn't a popular suggestion amongst Canucks fans who always know better than those inside the organization, but there is a reason Alain Vigneault is a professional NHL coach who has led the Canucks to 1st in the Northwest three of the last four seasons. Even though his decisions sometimes confuse and infuriate me, he has also been phenomenally successful as the head coach of the Canucks. Sometimes, but only sometimes, I know better than Alain Vigneault, but it's fair to give him the benefit of the doubt.

And the way Alain Vigneault has been using Kevin Bieksa in the absence of Dan Hamhuis is illuminating. Bieksa has faced the highest Quality of Competition (QoC) on the Canucks this season. He and Alberts have consistently been sent out against the top competition, with Bieksa seeing significantly more ice time per game than Alberts. Meanwhile, Alexander Edler and Christian Ehrhoff, while leading the Canucks in ice-time, have been playing very sheltered minutes, with Edler facing the lowest QoC of any defenseman not named Keith Ballard.

So, Bieksa faces the toughest competition night in and night out while playing an average of 22 minutes a night. The composition of those 22 minutes is also enlightening. In the absence of Dan Hamhuis, Bieksa leads all Canucks defensemen in shorthanded time-on-ice. He is consistently relied upon to kill penalties and is only exceeded in total minutes shorthanded by Manny Malhotra, who never seems to leave the ice on the penalty kill.

Now, all of this time spent on the ice would be detrimental to the Canucks success if Kevin Bieksa was the defensive liability he is purported to be. And yet, while he has only managed to put up 3 points this season (with 1 on the powerplay and therefore not contributing to his +/-), Bieksa is still +4.

Now I hear the stat-heads shouting already, "Small sample size!" so let's open things up from just goals scored at even-strength (which plus-minus tracks) to shot-differential at even-strength (which the Corsi statistic tracks). In a nutshell, Corsi is meant to be a measure of puck possession, using the metric of shots, including missed shots and blocked shots. Bieksa, despite being used against the opponent's best players, ranks just behind Christian Ehrhoff for his on-ice Corsi numbers with a 10.09 rating. Simply put, Bieksa moves the puck in the right direction: when he is on the ice, more pucks are directed at the opponent's net than his own.

So how do we explain this, when the story we've been given is that Kevin Bieksa is an offensive defenceman who is a liability in his own end? How do we explain Alain Vigneault consistently using him against the top players from the opposition? How do we explain his shorthanded time-on-ice? How do we explain his Corsi numbers? We've seen the mistakes with our own eyes, we decry every error he makes during each game, but the statistics for this season indicate that those mistakes either aren't as egregious as they seem or are made up for by the rest of his game. Bieksa is strong on the boards and smart with his stick, currently leading all Canucks defencemen in takeaways. He gets into shooting lanes and is third on the team in blocked shots. And he's a solid passer, getting the puck out of the defensive zone safely and still in Canuck possession.

But my theory is that one of the main reasons for his solid defensive statistics is due to what is likely the strongest area of his game: pinching down the boards in the offensive zone. Bieksa is extremely aggressive in the offensive zone, pinching all the way down past the goal line at times. With his strength along the boards, he frequently is able to keep the puck deep in the offensive zone, where the Sedins can cycle, the Kesler line can skate with the puck, and the third line can grind down the opponent's defense. And every successful pinch by Bieksa is a failed attempt to clear the zone for the other team, negating their ability to create offense. Sometimes, this tendency leads to odd-man rushes the other way, but Bieksa has shown excellent awareness thus far this season, limiting those opportunities and using his strong skating to get back into position quickly.

I mentioned confirmation bias earlier, and I admit that I am susceptible to this issue myself, as I like Bieksa and feel he has been unfairly maligned. I confess, I find myself frequently watching Canucks games keeping a close eye on positive contributions by Bieksa and risk letting those confirm my bias towards him, but I feel that the statistics strongly indicate that he is much stronger defensively than his reputation would indicate. He's not Willie Mitchell and I doubt he'll shake the reputation as offense-first, but he deserves praise for his play in the absence of Dan Hamhuis and I sincerely hope he continues his strong defensive play throughout the season.

Every Goal, Defenseman Edition: Alex Edler & Kevin Bieksa

Last year's Canuck defense corps scored 42 of the team's 268 goals, an impressive total good for second among team scoring by defenseman to the Phoenix Coyotes. Offense from the blue line was preached all season long, and the offensive abilities of a newly-acquired Christian Ehrhoff and a still-developing Alex Edler were allowed to flourish. With this year's acquisitions of Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis, as well as, hopefully, a healthy Kevin Bieksa, these numbers could be even higher. But why are we looking ahead? Let's take this week to revisit each and every one of the 42 goals scored by a Canuck defenseman. In bold, you will find each goal's chronological standing among the 42. Up today: Alex Edler's 5 goals and Kevin Bieksa's 3.

As we get into the guys with lower totals, I'll start pairing them together so you're not left feeling short-changed. I figured Edler and Bieksa would be a good pair because, unlike the Canucks' other defensive goal-scorers to come, these guys will wear the Orca next season as well.

Alex Edler

1. Nov. 28 vs. the Edmonton Oilers (12)

Edler's first goal of the season is a power play tally from the point, but what makes it special is the little bit of patience he shows when he thinks about slapping it, then pulls it back to avoid a defender and goes with a clever little wrist shot instead. I've been touting Edler's power play intelligence all through this series, and this is just another reason why I'm right. A lesser power play quarterback might try to force that shot through, and if it's blocked by Tom Gilbert's shin, it's nothing except for maybe a 2-on-1 the other way.

2. Dec. 2 vs. the New Jersey Devils (14)
It's no wonder Edler's often talked about with superstar potential. The guy's got a wicked wrist shot, the hardest slapshot on the team, incredible passing ability, size, mobility, and so on, and so on. Here is another example of that great wrist shot, as Kesler puts him in a prime opportunity to score and he wires a wrist shot past Marty Brodeur.

3. Mar. 7 vs. the Nashville Predators (32)
Edler's third goal of the season is also on a feed from Ryan Kesler, but the real wizard here is Pavol Demitra, whose determined soccer kick starts this play. Demitra disappointed overall, but he had some flashes of brilliance. He could surprise you, and I think he surprised everyone with this. Again, Edler scores with a wrist shot and not a slap shot. I remember his fifth goal of the season being an empty-netter, so if his next goal isn't a Howitzer it means he didn't score once with his booming slapper last season. That would be a major surprise.

4. Mar. 18 vs. the San Jose Sharks (35)
There's the slapshot I was looking for. Edler has a cannon, and while it only got him one goal last season, you have to imagine he's got more goals like this in him next year. I'm amused at how often Kyle Wellwood is the net presence in these clips. I liked him in that role, but I want someone who goes for loose pucks as desperate as Kesler or Burrows, not lackadaisical Welly. Think it'll be Raffi Torres next season?

5. Apr. 4 vs. the Minnesota Wild (38)
Edler's fifth goal of the season is an empty-netter to seal a win against the Wild. Nice draw weight. I'm surprised Edler only got 5 goals last season. Expect that total to increase as he develops his confidence with the puck. Edit: I originally yawned at this, but commenter OPAQUE reminded me that, after this goal, the Wild scored two goals out of nowhere to send it to overtime, where Salo won it with this goal. Thanks for the reminder! Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Kevin Bieksa

1. Oct. 1 vs. the Calgary Flames - Kevin Bieksa (1)

Bieksa's first goal of the season is also the Canucks' first goal of the season, cutting into the Flames lead in last year's season-opening loss. While we were wrong in assuming it was the start of a career year for Juice, it's a nice reminder now of what he might be capable of this upcoming season, provided he's with us all year. I've soured on Bieksa a bit, but he is a good offensive catalyst, even if his defensive lapses drive me nuts.

2. Apr. 10 vs. the Calgary Flames (41)

Did you know that Kevin Bieksa's three goals last season were all against the Calgary Flames? I didn't know. I also didn't realize they came in the first and last games of the season. I know his season was buggered by the lacerated tendon, but that's still quite odd. Anyway, Bieksa's second goal of the season is an easy one, as the Sedins do all the heavy lifting here with a give-and-go and a drop-pass before finding Juice wide open, breaking to the net. Good on him for going there, although we learned last season that even Brad Lukowich thought he was Brett Hull when the Sedins were on the ice.

3. Apr. 10 vs. the Calgary Flames - Kevin Bieksa (41)

I remember this goal. Bieksa was kind of choked to score it, because the team was trying to get Henrik touches and pad his lead in the points race. Bieksa looks even more grim than usual, primarily because of the irony. He was just trying to get it on net so Henrik could get a stick on the rebound. Instead, he scores. After the season Bieksa had, you can see why he wasn't expecting to.

What is Kevin Bieksa's Problem, Anyway?

I wonder what's going through Kevin Bieksa's mind these days. Everybody from Mark Spector to your grandma knows that he's on the block, that Gillis is fielding offers from all over the league, and that he'll likely have to move before training camp begins. That has to be an awful, awful feeling. Apart from feeling giddy when Dustin Byfuglien was sentenced to life in Atlanta, I tend to have sympathy for hockey players who are suddenly forced to uproot their lives. People get upset when players get no-movement clauses--even more so when they invoke them--but how wonderful would it be to do something you love without the looming threat that you'll be forced to move against your will? Caught up in trade rumours and with one foot out the door, does Kevin Bieksa deserves our sympathy?

He certainly won't be receiving our love. Fans are still furious over the swan dives that gave Kris Versteeg a free path to the net in game four of the Chicago-Vancouver series, and for most of us, it was the last straw. Guys like Tatoes over at Canucks.com have been banging the drum for years, but the paradigm has shifted, and he's no longer in the minority: Vancouver fans no longer want Kevin Bieksa.

Some continue to bang his drum. Bieksa can bring grit, offense, and a genuinely surly attitude. It's hard to forget his 42-point season, which, at the time, drew some comparisons to Jay Bouwmeester and garnered some Team Canada chatter. His inconsistent regular-season play has been blamed on those freak muscle lacerations, and it's certainly a convincing argument. Here's Canucks.com poster RUPERTKBD with a very, very valid point:

Here's something for you to try:

Take a sharp metal instrument and slice the muscles and tendons in one of your legs. Then spend a few months healing and rehabbing. Finally, as soon as you are physically able, step back into the pressure of playing in the fastest, most physical league in the world, playing a sport that relies heavily on the use of your legs.

Before I forget, for maximum effect, this procedure should be repeated two years in a row.

Absolutely correct. Bieksa's leg injuries have no doubt affected his ability to be the sort of player he was before they occurred. But the circumstances have not been enough to prevent AV from joining the ranks of those fed up with Juice. Mark Spector claims Alain Vigneault has soured on him also:

[...] people who are close to the Canucks say that head coach Alain Vigneault isn’t real big on Bieksa anymore. He wanted more responsibility this past season, we’re told, and when he got it in the playoffs he was not reliable.

Unreliable indeed. Here's the problem: injuries or not, Bieksa is inconsistent on a cosmic scale. Let's recall that his damningly poor play to throw game four came on the heels of his history-making game-winner in game three. Bieksa's successful pinches lead to game-winning goals. Problem is, his stupid mistakes tend to as well. It seems to me that AV is tired of the dizzying disparity of his play and its results. Kevin Bieksa is a defenseman capable of playing at the high level of the NHL's elite defenseman. Recall that he had 43 points the same season Jay Bouwmeester had 42, and cashed in for nearly $7M a season from the Flames. But Bieksa is not an elite defenseman, because, for every moment where he looks like Jay Bouwmeester in Florida, there's a moment where he looks like Jay Bouwmeester in Calgary: unimpressive, sometimes downright detrimental.

Spector also states, "Either Bieksa thinks he’s better than he is, or for some reason, he’s not playing to his potential." In truth, it's both. Kevin Bieksa knows that he can be better than he's been the last two seasons, and I'm sure it's weighing heavily on him that he's gone from help to hindrance. That he's had to ask for more responsibility, rather than simply being worthy of it (as he was back in 08-09) must tear him apart. Problem is, when he gets it, he's trying to do too much, trying to force an all-star resurgence, and it's affecting his play. Don't be fooled by that smug, surly look on his face: it's not overconfidence, it's frustration--frustration that he can't get back to where he once was. Maybe, for a time, the injuries held him back, but I think he's physically strong. It's his mental strength that's taken a beating. A change of scenery and a fresh start can only help.

So don't feel bad for Kevin Bieksa. A trade might yield larger returns for him than they do for us.

History Will Be Made, Like That Time Kevin Bieksa Scored That Big Goal

For all you Eastern bias people, here's an NHL commercial featuring Kevin Bieksa as the hero. It's pretty cool, just like it was cool to see Bieksa play a dominant game last night, like he used to before he nearly cut a leg off two seasons in a row. In case you are some sort of half-hearted Luddite, and you can't be bothered to watch the video from beginning to end, the caption reads, "What if Bieksa stayed at home?" Not bad, not bad, although it seems unclear to me whether they meant played more defensively or, more literally, stayed at his house. I guess either way history wouldn't have been made. Other captions that might also have been appropriate:

• What if Bieksa had never one-punched Fedor?
• What if Wellwood didn't need so much help staying in shape?
• What if the Canucks had signed Bouwmeester and traded Bieksa like everyone wanted last offseason?

But I like the one they went with.