Evaluating Chris Tanev

With the news that Kevin Bieksa has started practicing with the team again, the next step will be his return to the Canucks lineup, maybe even as early as tomorrow's game against Detroit. This means that one of the Canucks' current defensemen will be hitting the pressbox, unless Sami Salo breaks again. It's almost a certainty that the odd man out will be Chris Tanev. The reasons are numerous: he's an inexperienced rookie, he's not yet used to the long haul of an NHL schedule, and Aaron Rome has kidnapped Vigneault's children and is holding them for ransom in a ploy to get more ice-time.

You will notice, however, that none of those reasons mention the quality of Tanev's play. Part of this is that it's been very difficult to properly assess Tanev: the word that keeps coming to commentator's lips is "poised", but poise is remarkably hard to quantify. It's hard to miss his lack of panic with the puck and his ability to make good outlet passes; mentally, he seems ready for the NHL and certainly has a higher ceiling than someone like Aaron Rome. But is he currently ready physically for the NHL, particularly the grind of the playoffs? Alain Vigneault has stated that Tanev won't be returned to the minors and that he has been impressed with his play, but he'll likely see significant time in the pressbox; come playoff time, with Alex Edler and Andrew Alberts returning, will Tanev see any playing time at all? Would his development be better served playing more significant minutes with the Manitoba Moose?

To help answer some of these questions, I want to take a look at Tanev's history and some of Tanev's statistics over his 27-game stint with the Canucks. All of the statistics are from NHL.com and behindthenet.ca, with the minimum games played set to 20.

Most of the focus for Tanev has been on his remarkable growth spurt that changed his hockey fortunes from being unable to find a place to play to the NHL in just 5 years. At the age of 16, Tanev was 5'0" and 100 lbs. Now he's 6'2", 185 lbs, and still growing into his frame. For some perspective, he's the same height as Christian Ehrhoff but almost 20 pounds lighter. Manny Malhotra is 6'2", but weighs 220 lbs. At the age of 21, Tanev still has some time to grow.

Unfortunately, he's not going to fill out that frame this season. As poised as he has been on the ice, he's taken a lot of punishment, finding himself on the receiving end of hit after hit. To his credit, he takes hits to make plays and is able to avoid some checks, but he frequently gets knocked down and outmuscled along the boards. He does not yet have NHL-level strength, which is an especially daunting prospect as the Canucks approach the playoffs. As the intensity ratchets up and the physical play increases, there is a concern that Tanev will not be able to handle it.

That said, Tanev's quick adjustment to the speed of the NHL game is a credit to his abilities and his intelligence. Although he averages only 13:54 in ice-time, Vigneault has not been shy about using him in difficult situations. With Ehrhoff continuing to get prime offensive opportunities, the rest of the defense has started the majority of their shifts in the defensive zone and Tanev is no exception. Tanev starts in the offensive zone only 43.5% of the time: amongst Canucks defensemen, only Andrew Alberts has started more in the defensive zone. He moves the puck in the right direction as well: he finishes his shifts in the offensive zone 52.2% of the time, second only to Christian Ehrhoff amongst Canucks defensemen. The major difference is that Ehrhoff starts in the offensive zone 60.4% of the time, leading all Canucks defensemen.

Tanev's CORSI rating shows further proof of his ability to move the puck up ice: he has the third highest CORSI amongst Canucks defensemen with a +9.59 rating, behind only Ehrhoff and Hamhuis. And his rating is not due to playing against scrubs: his quality of competition is third amongst Canucks defensemen behind Bieksa and Hamhuis, and his quality of teammates is second worst amongst Canucks defensemen. Despite his limited icetime, Tanev is facing tough competition with poor linemates and keeps the puck moving in the right direction. Remarkably, he's managed to do so without taking a single penalty.

These statistics confirm what we're seeing on the ice: Tanev makes smart plays that move the puck out of the defensive zone with possession. The key word there is possession. Jim Jamieson got a great quote from Tanev's father: "When he got the puck in the corner I always made him wait and make the pass to somebody's stick, and he's been doing that from a very young age." This is one of the reasons he's absorbing so many hits, however, as he avoids simply banking the puck off the glass, preferring to make a pass that retains possession. Unlike many rookie defensemen who hang on to the puck too long because they're unsure what to do with it, Tanev hangs on to the puck because he knows exactly what to do with it. This patience is one of his best qualities, but also one of the reasons he's taking so much physical punishment.

It's understandable that the Canucks would want to keep Tanev around in case of further injuries, but I can't help but think that a prospect of his caliber would be better served playing big minutes in all situations with the Manitoba Moose as they head into the playoffs. With the Canucks, Tanev gets under 14 minutes of icetime per night, minimal time on the penalty kill, and no time whatsoever on the powerplay. Mind you, his development wasn't hurt too much when he was unable to find a team to play for at the age of 16, so my concerns are likely overblown. Suffice it to say, I'm a big fan of Tanev and I look forward to watching him develop as a Canuck.

I Watched This Game: Canucks at Predators, February 18, 2011

Canucks 1 - 3 Predators

Yesterday, someone told me that, considering Vancouver's injury troubles, the Canucks had to try for a 6-5 or 8-7 victory, but that was never realistic. The Canucks' defencemen aren't just counted on for defense; they also facilitate breakout passes and jump into rushes. They're also the linchpin of the Canucks' offense, sending the team through the neutral zone with speed, then trailing the play and jumping into the rush. It's more than just defense Vancouver's lacking right now--it's guys that can play their system. Unfortunately, the Nashville Predators have a full lineup of guys that play their system, and that system involves clogging up the neutral zone. Effectively, The Nashville Predators are the Shawshank State Penitentiary of the NHL: the only way to beat them is to make a perfect breakout. I watched this game:

• When Mike Gillis acquired Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard, it was to provide Alain Vigneault with a full stable of horses for Vigneault's defense-powered system, effectively guaranteeing that all three pairings could play it. It's an obvious statement, but you don't want guys on your team that can't play your system, because you don't want opponents getting a break from it (ask the Chicago Blackhawks' coaching staff about the downgrade to their bottom-six forwards). Unfortunately, icing a full lineup, especially in the face of injuries, often necessitates dressing less-skilled guys. Vigneault typically alternates between two pairings, guaranteeing that one puck-mover is on the ice at all times, but he didn't have that luxury last night. Sami Salo's not quite ready to hit the ice every second shift, and Christian Ehrhoff can't be on the ice all night. That means the other four guys are getting more icetime than they should, and the effect is plenty of vacation time for Nashville.

• Speaking of Christian Ehrhoff, he's neither a number one defenceman nor a generator, and tasked with powering the Canucks for the entire evening, he showed he didn't quite have the juice (and speaking of not having the Juice, the team missed Kevin Bieksa something fierce). Ehrhoff's an interesting guy. He's a D-man, yes, but he's much more concerned with making breakout passes than winning defensive puck battles. He's not interested in being the man back. Often, if hemmed in the defensive zone, he'll get impatient and take a sloppy penalty or make a sloppy play, especially when he knows he's the only guy who can facilitate a breakout rush. We saw this yesterday, as Ehrhoff was on the ice for two of Nashville's three goals, and made a sloppy ring around the boards that led to the third. He also took the only two Canuck penalties on the night. Poor guy's spread a little thin.
  

• The Sedins struggled as well. Granted, they scored a powerplay goal (above), but they had a tough time getting into the offensive zone and setting up. This isn't surprising. The Sedins don't much care for the neutral zone, which is why they have so many plays to bypass it, such as sending the puck the length of the ice for someone to skate onto, or flipping the puck way up in the air, over everyone. Typically, Vigneault plays Ehrhoff and Edler with the Sedins to ensure they have someone who can send them into the offensive zone with speed. They're having a hard time playing their game when they have to go back to the defensive zone to get the puck.

• Loved Garrett's misspeak on the Daniel Sedin goal: "Did that sh*t hit O'Brien's stick?" Garrett's so street. I wanted Shorty to answer, naw. That's Daniel Sedin's 30th goal of the season, by the way. He appears to have quite a knack for that sort of thing.
  

• Mason Raymond continues to frustrate. He had 5 shots, which is something, but most were from the outside. Furthermore, he wasn't utilizing his speed through the neutral zone. In a game where the defenders aren't capable of making the expected passes, your speedy wingers have to help cut through some of that neutral zone pressure. Instead, Raymond disappeared, like a midget into a cabinet.

• Chris Tanev and Yann Sauve both had nice, quiet games. Sauve, especially, was doing a great job of putting forwards into the boards when they tried to step around him and gain the zone. He had a game-high 4 hits. Tanev continues to be calm under pressure. These two guys look like future NHL regulars. Evan Oberg, on the other hand, was the first defender the Canucks have utilized this season that didn't look like he belonged in the NHL. For a guy whose nickname is Obi, he didn't look much like a Jedi to me. Not once did he turn a forechecker away with a mind trick, for instance. This isn't the zone you're looking for. Oberg looked small and jittery. Pucks jumped off his stick, and he was caught out of position a few times. He steadily lost his coach's trust as the game went on, dipping to a team-low 4 shifts in the third period, when Tanev and Sauve had twice that number.
  

• The Aaron Rome trip n' fall that led to Nashville's second goal (seven seconds after the Canucks tied the game) was unfortunate, but I can't decide if it was more or less fortunate than Chris Tanev's face deflecting the puck to Mike Fisher on the same one. After Rome Tanev played the surprise 2-on-1 so nicely, and took away the pass expertly. Unfortunately, his face had other plans. Suffice it to say, if the Canucks thought the hockey gods might give them a little bit of good luck back, they were sorely mistaken. Like Ryan Kesler said after the game, that goal was a back-breaker.

• For the third straight game, the Canucks' third line had the most jump. But they still had nowhere near as much jump as Kris Kross.

• I liked Tanner Glass and Victor Oreskovich's shift after Nashville took a two-goal lead. As we've observed in the past, it really isn't smart to fight when you're up by two, but it's a desirable time to fight if down by two. Glass and Oreskovich made some massive hits in an attempt to goad a Nashville player into a scrap, but unfortunately, the Predators were wise not be swayed. Another thing that's wise not to be swayed: summer footwear. Wait, my mistake, that's suede.
  

• And finally: give the Canucks a ton of credit for generating the amount of shots that they did. They put 36 on Pekka Rinne, and attempted another 28. Mikael Samuelsson and Ryan Kesler had 9 shots blocked between them. Unfortunately, Rinne was able to see the shots that got through, so he stopped them. I hate when goalies do that.

• I was impressed with the boisterousness of the Nashville crowd. They had an announced attendance of 15,337, just under 2000 below capacity, but it felt like a sellout. They were loud and they were proud. It's too bad they weren't also black, because that's a James Brown hat trick.

Quick Hits (From Behind)

Quick Hits (From Behind) is an irregular feature on Pass it To Bulis, wherein two hockey fans chip in their thoughts on current hockey news and get assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Hi there! Do you like links? Because PITB's got a handful of good reads to help you with your chronic e-somnambulism. But come back here when you're done. We need you.

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

• The Eh Factor - I Have a Confession Regarding Matt Cooke

Nowadays, he's a gutless puke, but there was a time when Matt Cooke was a fan favourite player in Vancouver. Give Charron credit for bravely being the first former Cooke acolyte to admit the dirty truth:

I used to be a huge Matt Cooke fan when he was with the Canucks, but that was before he morphed into the Matt Cooke he is today. There was a time when he was a pest, but he didn't hit dirty, he just annoyed. There was a time when, in the wake of the Todd Bertuzzi suspension, Matt Cooke was moved to his spot on the Canucks' top line with Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund and scored three goals and was a +9 during a six game winning streak which won the Canucks the division title

[...] Matt Cooke was once what Alex Burrows is right now: a marginal top line player who was a fan favourite. Burrows isn't dirty, just annoying if you're wearing a different jersey, and this is what Matt Cooke used to be, and, while I hate the 'pest' role, a lot of players do it very effectively without putting anyone but themselves in danger.

Oh my, Matt, how things have changed.

Charron is spot on about Cooke once being what Burrows is now, and fans love those sorts of players: underdogs who find chemistry with the stars and find an invaluable niche filling gaps. I've gone on record that Alex Burrows is my favourite player (or was, before a certain fourth-line winger agreed to Scrabble me), and Matt Cooke once was for a lot of the same reasons. I'm not so into him now.

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

• Head to the Net - This is Why You Should Appreciate Sami Salo

We like to poke fun at Sami Salo's injury history (it's sort of remarkable). But HTTN points out the guts and resolve it takes to rehabilitate that many debilitating injuries. He deserves a ton of credit for working his way back, especially at his age. HTTN:

At the age of 36, [Salo] has suffered no fewer than 40 injuries during his hockey playing career. The latest of which is a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the off-season, which to this point still offers no guarantee of a complete recovery.

Salo is not like me – just another person who’s into an active, healthy lifestyle. We’re talking about a professional athlete, someone who has dedicated his entire life to playing hockey, and whose sport has only given back grief.

Everytime Salo has been injured, it has been gut-check time. Will he have it in him to perform the rehab necessary to repair this injury? After the muscles, tendons, and bones are healed, will he be willing to get his body back into the same shape it was in before? We’re not talking about good shape, or excellent shape, we’re talking elite athlete shape.

We often forget the humanity of the athletes for whom we cheer. Salo had to be even more frustrated than the fans were with this latest freak accident, but rather than show him support or root for his return, we grumbled about his cap hit and wished the injury-prone blight away. And, of course, al he did instead was work his ass off to get back when he could have safely retired without anybody batting an eye. Great work by HTTN.

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

• Elliotte Friedman - Time For Kessel to Step Up, Plus 30 thoughts

Friedman's 30 thoughts are always a must-read, and this week's installment is no exception. But I'm particularly interested in thought #4, which sounds suspiciously like a speculation made by PITB at the beginning of the season. Friedman:

No one was happier about Henrik Sedin's Hart Trophy victory than brother Daniel. I would wager, however, that part of the motivation for Daniel's spectacular season is Henrik owning that hardware. They are fiercely competitive with each other (in a good way) and Daniel undoubtedly doesn't like Henrik having one up on him.

The phrase you are looking for, Elliotte, is out for blood, and the praise you are looking for is rightly ours. Fork it over, pal.

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

• Tim Campbell - Moose lineup a moving target

If you think the injuries, cap issues, and the looming trade deadline are throwing the Canucks' roster into a bit of a tizzy, consider the poor Manitoba Moose, who have to deal with all the same issues as well as another hockey team taking their players. Imagine having to worry about the roster of two hockey teams at once. Sometimes we forget that every prospect who gets a brief sniff of the NHL is actually a vital part of the Moose's core. Campbell also details how Alex Edler and Sami Salo's injuries have effected the Moose, and how Chris Tanev's return would be welcome. I'm particularly interested in Lorne Henning's indication that Tanev has too much potential to stay with the team just to sit:

If Andrew Alberts is ready to go after his latest injury setback, and there were indications that could have been in last night's late game, then the Canucks will have eight defencemen with Salo's return.

And that leaves open the possibility of Tanev's return to the Moose.

"Andrew Alberts is coming back, too, so we're going to have a lot of defencemen," Canucks assistant GM Lorne Henning said Monday. "Chris has played very well but if everybody's back, chances are we'll want him to keep playing. He's played phenomenal."

Unfortunately for Moose fans, he jinxed everything and the Keith Ballard injury knocked the Canucks back down a guy. It also complicated things for both organizations' plans for Tanev. The Canucks and the Moose want him to play somewhere, but if Salo returns to starting roster on Saturday, Tanev will effectively be the Canucks' seventh healthy defenseman. What do they do with him at this point? Ballard and Edler are a long way off. Provided nobody else gets hurt, how long do the Canucks let Tanev sit in the press box without game action? If I were Rome and Alberts, I'd watch it, because every shaky outing is an excuse to get Tanev back in the lineup. Should keep both guys on their toes.

Causes For Concern, For the Canucks Fan That Knows No Other Way

Don't Panic, Canucks Fans. There Are Still Plenty of Reasons to Panic.

Welcome to the stretch drive, the unpredictable and unstable back half of the NHL regular season. With All-Star weekend now in the rearview, the next break in the schedule is the part where it ends, and the looming conclusion to the campaign is enough to send teams and their fans into a tizzy. A win streak or an untimely losing skid can alter one's position faster than drawing a character card in Candyland. With so much on the line, the questions can come fast and furious. Are we good enough? Are we tough enough? Do we have enough depth? It's a nervous time.

Canucks fans should be used to this by now: we go through it every year. But, this year is different. This year, the Canucks appear to be in good standing, and there are seemingly few reasons to panic. Longtime fans could be forgiven for not quite knowing what to do with themselves. PITB is here for you. In the past, we've tried to inject perspective into the fanbase by Babcocking the Canucks, but this time, we need not dream up doomsday scenarios willy-nilly. These are real concerns. Here, for your masochistic pleasure, are a myriad of reasons to caress that familiar panic button--enough worries to make this whole situation feel delightfully familiar. Pure, abject terror after the jump.

Can the Canucks really win the President's Trophy? Vancouver has never finished on top of the league. Despite sharing the top spot, for the moment, with Philadelphia, they'll likely have to close out the season in record-setting fashion to keep it. The Canucks are currently on pace for an 112-point season. So are the Flyers. Can they hold them off? If not, can they win the Western Conference? Neither have the Canucks ever accomplished this feat. They currently hold a respectable 5-point lead over the second place Detroit Red Wings, but the Red Wings have won the West six times in their history, and twice in the last three years. When it comes to winning the conference, they have experience the Canucks don't.

How about that fourth line? This season alone, 12 separate guys have started a game in one of the three spots on the Canucks' fourth line. Some of these guys don't even play in the NHL anymore. The line has yet to develop any consistency or identity. The team has effectively gone the entire season without a fourth-line center. At times it's seemed like the Canucks have no idea what they want from the position at all.

Rick Rypien remains on leave for personal reasons. Will he come back? Will he come back in playing shape? Does the team even want him back? Will Alex Bolduc return? If he does, can he stay healthy? Is Aaron Volpatti ready for the playoff grind? In last year's playoffs, coach Alain Vigneault basically benched the entire fourth line in favour of a three-line rotation. The Canucks have said they don't want to repeat this, but with the questions surrounding their fourth line, one has to wonder how they'll suddenly become comfortable with the guys they've got. Apart from Tanner Glass, nobody appears to have the coach's trust.

The organization has called up Cody Hodgson. Is he going to play? Are they going to try him as the fourth-line center? I wonder if this is a bit of a gambit to see if the Canucks have an internal candidate before Mike Gillis targets a fourth-line center at the trading deadline. Every other guy on the farm who might be capable of filling the spot has seen a look, and nobody's stuck. Hodgson's really the last possible option down there. If he doesn't pan out this season, what's next?

What about the rest of the forward corps? The third line hasn't scored since the Jurassic period, and Ryan Kesler's linemates from last season have not been able to duplicate their success. Mason Raymond has gone cold, and Mikael Samuelsson has been spotty, leaving Kesler without a real scoring threat on his wing. He'll be an easy target in the playoffs if, when he's on the ice, he's the only forward teams have to worry about.

There are questions surrounding Kesler too. Kesler has a tendency to improve drastically in the back half of NHL seasons. The Canucks would dearly benefit from a continuation of this trend, but Kesler's really in uncharted waters here. He's an All-Star center now. He's third in the league in goals scored, having already surpassed his career-high in this regard. He and Daniel Sedin have scored nearly one-third of the Canucks' goals. The success of the team depends on Kesler continuing his torrid pace. Can he? Will Gillis make a splash at the deadline and perhaps acquire another scoring forward as insurance, or to complement him?

And once we're doing worrying about the forwards, let's look to the defense, where one could be forgiven for thinking things look somewhat bleak. Alex Edler has undergone a microdiskectomy and is projected to miss somewhere between eight weeks and the rest of the season. Will he return? If he does, will he return to form? What if he doesn't come back at all? A primary ingredient of the Canucks' success this season has been the consistency of their top two defensive pairings. Can the Canucks overcome the shake-up?

Can Keith Ballard fill in while Edler's away? Is either Chris Tanev or Lee Sweatt an NHL regular? They say Sami Salo is making strides, but he's still not strong enough to return. Nobody's certain he ever will be. Will Salo play this season at all? If Gillis feels that neither Salo nor Edler are going to return this season, does he trust the other guys to get it done or does he turn his attention to acquiring another depth defenceman?

HAVE YOU PRESSED THE PANIC BUTTON YET?

If not, good for you, because I think we're gonna be okay.

I Watched This Game: Canucks at Avalanche, January 18, 2011

Canucks 3 - 4 Avalanche (OT)

Give the Canucks credit for showing up to play this one. After a horrendous outing in Minnesota exposed their tired road legs, the excuses for a second consecutive poor performance were readymade. Instead, the Canucks vehemently defied the wishes of their bodies in Colorado, and kept up with the speedy Avalanche. They outshot the Avs 43 to 30 and picked up a well-earned point. It could have been two points, even, had the Canucks managed to push through their mental sluggishness the way they did their physical sluggishness.

Unfortunately for them, it was not so, and the mental mistakes came fast and furious. Bad penalties; bad passes; bad reads; lazy backchecks. Against a young, aggressive team like the Avalanche, that crap's not gonna fly. Although, by getting the regulation tie, I guess it sort of did. Hmm. Okay, it did, but then, in the end, it didn't (not unlike the Avro Arrow). Whatever. I watched this game:

• Likely, neither team will be completely happy with the way they played (the Canucks were slow and sloppy, and the Avalanche let a tired road team take the lead three times) but both teams will be happy to leave the stadium with points. (It's like sports day in grade school. Everybody gets a ribbon!) And the Canucks have to be pleased with their Temple of Doom performance, in which they reached inside of themselves and played their hearts out.

• The Canucks' power play covers all manner of sins sometimes. Both Edler and Ehrhoff blasted PP goals from the point that gave their team the lead, and these goals were vital. Had the Canucks had to open up and play from behind for even one second in this game, their suspect defensive play would have been even more prominent, and it could have gotten out of hand.

• It's been a long time since the Canucks have had a sexy callup like Sergei Shirokov, so it was nice to see him play a standout game in his first NHL action this year. He scored his first career goal on a beautiful move (above), and he had a game-high six shots. But, before you get excited, consider he's played two fewer games this month--and nine fewer NHL games. He had fresh legs. He was like Anne Bancroft on skates, his legs were so fresh. Let's wait to see whether or not he can be a standout when the rest of his team isn't playing on fumes, but he was a breath of fresh air last night. Most importantly, he looked capable of creating his own offense, something Kesler's wings have to be able to do. A good start for Shirok.

• The other callup, Chris Tanev, acquitted himself admirably as well. He finished the night a minus-1, but it's hard to fault him on the Luongo misplay that gave David Jones his first of two on the night. Jones was his man, for sure, but everyone in the building thought Luongo would swallow up that puck as it came off the boards. Other than that, Tanev was solid. He got on the ice for just under thirteen minutes, far more than anyone would have expected. He admirably broke up a 3-on-1 when Keith Ballard heeded Qris's advice to step it up, pranks-wise and decided to pull the old fall-down-so-the-rookie-has-to-fend-off-a-3-on-1 routine. Funny guy, that Ballard.

• Don't tell the Vancouver media I said this, but here's your proof that the star awards mean nothing: Alex Edler was named the game's third star. Clearly, someone didn't watch the game (probably John Garrett, who has made a living watching games, but always seems to be attending his first one). While it's true that Edler had a standout game offensively with a goal and an assist, he played one of his worst games of the season defensively. He constantly lost his man, he bobbled pucks at the blue line, he looked dreadfully slow. Despite finishing the game even in the plus/minus category, Edler was on the ice for two Colorado goals, both on the penalty kill, and both times he got absolutely embarrassed by David Jones in front of the net. Jones isn't a small guy, but Edler's bigger, and the fact that Edler allowed himself to get moved right out of the play twice is unacceptable. Watch the highlight package. Colorado goals one and four are mirror images of one another, as Jones simply shades Edler into the useless area, opening up the exact same cross-ice pass. On the first goal, you can find Edler at the side of the net when the pass comes across. On the fourth goal, that's him in the middle, lazily dropping down to block nothing, opening up the same pass and rendering himself helpless to prevent Jones from finding the rebound. A terrible game from #23.

• Kevin Bieksa, on the other hand, played solidly. Nearly every shift, he was breaking up an odd-man rush or clearing the zone before things got dangerous. He finished with 2 hits, 4 takeaways and 3 blocked shots, and considering these three stats are typically undercounted (especially when you play for the road team), that's one hell of a stat line.

• Keith Ballard had a decent game as well, but has anyone noticed how often this guy falls? He's like an ancient empire on skates. Methinks Keith "Babylon" Ballard needs to heed the words of the prophet Jeremiah.

• Is Adam Foote a diplomat's son? He's clearly got some sort of immunity. Foote's a handsy guy, but it doesn't seem to matter who he grabs, punches, or holds--there's never a call. He could grope the First Lady and someone would call it a smart, veteran play.

• The referees missed some egregious offenses, but Raffi Torres sure made it easy on them, huh? Both of his penalties were of the are-you-kidding-me variety, especially his second one. Who tugs on a jersey? Not since Theodore Tugboat have I seen such pathetic tugging. Skeeter and I observed that Raffi Torres has three modes: 1) skateskateskateskate 2) get puck, and 3) put puck. Unfortunately, none of the three modes is any more detailed than that, and Raffi often skimps on the details. Torres is playing some dumb hockey right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he suffers a benching in the near future.

• Speaking of penalties, Henrik Sedin's penalty in overtime was fully warranted. Granted, his man went down easy, but everyone knows there are a two situations where you should never stick your arm out. The first is when you're chasing to break up a two-on-one. The second is when you're on a school bus. That's how you lose a limb.

• A better performance by Roberto Luongo and the Canucks probably leave Denver with a win. He'll get no pass; he was the freshest Canuck and he should have played like it. When your star goaltender is rested and your team isn't, you need a star goaltending performance, and the Canucks didn't get it. The second and third goals are both ones he probably should have had. Know what else he should have had? A Bacon Mushroom Melt. It's only ever at Wendy's for a limited time, and it's delicious. But now it's gone, and who knows how long he'll have to wait for them to bring it back? /regret
  

• And finally, Jeff Tambellini was the fourth-line center last night, and while he did a fine job (especially in the faceoff circle, where he was 5-for-6) I'm not sure I like him and Mason Raymond on that line together. They're too tiny, and tiny on the fourth line is a bad idea, unless it's an ironic nickname for someone huge, like Tiny, the classic character from SNES's Clayfighter.
  

I Watched This [YoungStars] Game: Canucks Prospects vs. Sharks Prospects, September 13, 2010

I Watched This Game is a recurring feature on Pass it to Bulis!, chronicling the observations and insights of some guys who watched a hockey game.

Night and day, the difference between yesterday's YoungStars game and the one a day earlier. I'm talking about everything: the sound quality, the stream, the announcing, and the play of the Baby Canucks were drastically improved from yesterday. Perhaps everybody involved in the game read my rant from the day before? I doubt it, but I can't think of any explanation for things going from inexorable worstness to decency in twenty-four hours, apart from guilt over displeasing me. Just spitballin'.

I watched most of the game, and while it was hard to concentrate when my wife was watching Dirty Dancing, loudly, in HD, on the television behind me, I was able to notice things. Those things are below. But, before we go there, can I just say that Dirty Dancing sucks? Holy crap, it's a terrible movie. The acting is wooden, the whole thing is cheesy, the movie friggin' ends with Patrick Swayze mouthing "It's all because of you" or some stupid garbage... I don't mind a well-done chick flick. For instance, I think I'm with Seth Rogen--You've Got Mail was sweet. But Dirty Dancing is a steaming pile of excrement born from out of anus of the world. Never watch it.

• Aaron Volpatti was amazing last night, and he'd better be. At twenty-five, he's got a good six to seven years on some of these kids, making him kind of a creeper. Aaron Vol-PedoBear was hitting kids with his Vol-PaddyWagon all night, just like the night before. Last night, however, he also scored two goals and got in a fight that set a physical tone for the game. He was the best player on the ice. I hope he makes the team, just so I can make more puns with his name. Aaron Volpatti was all-world; we should call him Aaron Vol-Pangaea... They'll be better than that one.
  
• The tandem of Kevin Connauton and Chris Tanev was fantastic. Connauton had a bit of trouble controlling the puck, at times, and there was one power play where I thought he really lacked the poise he's shown on other occasions, but he was jumping up in the rush, pushing the Sharks prospects back, and making space all night. That said, the rush of the night went to Chris Tanev, who took the puck all the way from behind his own net to the Sharks net, where he set up Volpatti for the score. (It wasn't a tap-in either. In the clip above, Tanev admits it was a "pretty bad pass.") Tanev had two goals and an assist. Both he and Connauton look ready for the next level.
• Jordan Schroeder finally showed a couple flashes, and it's about time. Jason Botchford had the best line on Twitter: "It is Penticton. It is the prospects tournament. It is this week. OK, now tell Jordan Schroeder." He put the criticism on hold with a great bit of puck control, poise and stickhandling to set up a power play goal in the 2nd.
  
• That said, both he and Billy Sweatt, who showed a ton of speed breaking away (although he didn't finish) may have been outplayed by Pierre Olivier-Morin. Kudos to the Kurtenblog: you guys called it, he's pretty good.
• Eddie Lack was remarkable yet again. For those of you saying that Corey Schneider has zero competition for the Canucks' backup job next season, well, you're probably still right. But Lack's making a case. In fact, both goaltenders last night played very well.
  
• The Canucks' best line of the night was Alex Friesen, Prab Rai, and Matt Fraser. Rai tends to impress me and then disappoint me within the same shift, but he was good all the way through last night. Fraser scored the Canucks' first goal on a one-timer after some great work by Alex Friesen, and he deserved it. The strong play bodes well for Fraser, as he and Morin are still not signed. Look for one or both of them to get contracts.
  
• Taylor Ellington got in a fight with a guy and I don't remember who it was, but when Ellington lost his footing and found himself on his back, the other guy punched him square in the nose with a late shot. It was classless and gutless. Anybody else see that or remember who it was? Maybe Gogol?
• I heard Blake Price say Eddie Lack was known as "The fastest glove in all of Europe." It's unfortunate that he had to leave, because "Fastest glove in all of Penticton" is much less impressive.

The Canucks' prospects are doing off-ice workouts today and resting up for a tilt with the Ducks' prospects tomorrow night. As usual, we'll have our thoughts the next day.