Who Do the Canucks Want to Face in the First Round?

With the Canucks having sewn up their spot in the playoffs via a clever combination of playing in the terrible Northwest division and being the best team in the NHL, the time has come to consider who the Canucks will face in the playoffs. With a comfortable 10 point lead on the Red Wings for first place in the Conference, the Canucks could safely go .500 over their remaining 8 games and still be guaranteed top spot. So let's look at the teams that could end up in the 8th spot and face the Canucks in the first round.

Mathematically, there are still 12 teams that could potentially finish in 8th. Still, it's safe to say that the Red Wings and the Sharks won't be taking such a drastic fall. Similarly, the Blues, Blue Jackets, and Wild are unlikely to make improbable runs to the playoffs over their few remaining games. That still leaves 7 viable teams who could wind up facing the Canucks in the first round: the Coyotes, Blackhawks, Kings, Predators, Ducks, Stars, or Flames. Which of those teams would be an ideal match-up for the Canucks? Obviously, the Canucks don't need to be afraid to face any team this postseason, but which team would be preferable?

Calgary Flames
Currently 10th with 85 points
Season Series: 4-0-1

Likelihood of 8th: The Flames are the least likely to make the playoffs of all the teams on the bubble, thanks to having the fewest games remaining. They haven't done themselves any favors, either, losing their last three games, two of them against teams just above them in the standings. In order to make the playoffs, they will need to win each of their final six games and have two of the teams ahead of them go under .500 down the stretch. If all goes well for the Flames, their final game of the season against the Canucks will be a potential playoff preview and a win-and-you're-in scenario. Otherwise, it will instead be a chance for Daniel Sedin to cement the Art Ross Trophy in the same way Henrik did last season: with sheer absurdity.

Do we want them in the first round? Yes please. It's hard to argue with a 4-0-1 record, with the only loss coming via the shootout. The Canucks have owned the Flames like they're majority shareholders this season. In addition, it just feels right: in their only two runs to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Canucks met and defeated the Flames in the opening round of the playoffs. That's the kind of history I can get behind.

Dallas Stars
Currently 9th with 86 points
Season Series: 4-0-0

Likelihood of 8th: After a strong start to the season, the Stars have regressed severely, to the point that if the playoffs started today, they wouldn't be in them. This shouldn't be a surprise. The early success of the Stars was a function of good luck and a hot goaltender, two things that rarely persist throughout a season. Still, the Stars have a decent chance to sneak into 8th spot, as they are just 1 point behind Anaheim and 2 points behind Nashville, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with 9 games remaining. Considering that their final four games are against the woeful Blue Jackets, Avalanche, and Wild, it would not be the least bit surprising.

Do we want them in the first round? As Professor Farnsworth would say, "Oh my, yes." The Canucks haven't just beaten the Stars in each of their meetings, they've throttled them, with an overall goal differential of +15 over four games. In those four games, the Stars have been exposed as exactly what they are: a mediocre team that has gotten extraordinarily lucky. It's difficult to imagine a better first round opponent for the Canucks to face.

Anaheim Ducks

Currently 8th with 87 points
Season Series: 2-2-0

Likelihood of 8th: Since the Ducks are already in 8th, their odds of finishing in 8th are quite good. Unfortunately, they're also the only team in this discussion that has a negative goal differential and they've gone through some tough times without their superb Swiss netminder, Jonas Hiller. Of course, now comes the news that Hiller is back with the team and will be playing tonight. The question then becomes, will he be the pre-injury Hiller again or will there be an adjustment period. With only 9 games remaining in their schedule, an adjustment period could easily result in the Ducks slipping out of the playoffs.

Do we want them in the first round? Goodness gracious, no. While there is no doubt in my mind that the Canucks would win a playoff series against the Ducks, it would not come without a cost. The Ducks are a big, fast, and physical team, especially when it comes to the playoffs. Their top line doesn't just score goals; they finish their checks and aggravate goaltenders. I would rather the Canucks didn't enter the playoffs bruised, battered, and beleaguered. If the Ducks finish in 9th or 7th? Great. Keep them out of 8th.

Nashville Predators
Currently 7th with 88 points
Season Series: 1-2-0

Likelihood of 8th: As I (very safely) predicted at the start of the season, the Nashville Predators will make the playoffs. It is always foolish to bet against Barry Trotz and his band of Bee-Gee-loving brothers. Please note that the reports of the Predators loving the Bee Gees are as yet unconfirmed. The Predators are in a slightly precarious situation, however, as they have only 8 games remaining compared to 9 for many of their compatriots. Given how tight the standings are, the Predators can't afford to let up.

Do we want them in the first round? The Predators are one of only two teams on this list that has a winning record against the Canucks. They pushed last year's Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, to 6 games, and were arguably the 'Hawks toughest test of the postseason. They're a tough, hardworking team with top-end talent on defense, a potential Hart candidate in goal, and balanced scoring throughout their forwards. And yet, I'm not the least bit scared of them. The Canucks have the skill, grit, and mentality to beat the Predators; it would be a tight series, but definitely a winnable series. Home ice advantage will be key: the Predators are 20-8-7 at home but only 19-17-3 on the road.

Los Angeles Kings
Currently 6th with 88 points
Season Series: 1-1-1

Likelihood of 8th: Like the Predators and the Blackhawks, the Kings have a slim two-point lead on the Dallas Stars to remain in the playoffs. Their appointed starter, Jonathan Quick, has faltered down the stretch, leading the Kings to go with their other Jonathan, the rookie Bernier, more and more. Thanks to a solid defensive corps and five forwards with 20+ goals, the Kings have been able to weather their occasionally shaky goaltending, and it's likely that they will be enough to keep them in the top 8 in the West, but it's entirely likely it will be by the skin of their teeth.

Do we want them in the first round? More than you'd think. Yes, the Kings have a winning record against the Canucks, but their two victories came at the start of the season when the Canucks faltered out of the gate and took a few games to get their legs under them. Having witnessed the Canucks' victory over the Kings in person with a multitude of other Canucks fans, I would love to see a west coast match-up with the potential for bus/plane-loads of Vancouverites invading the Staples Center. That said, what matters is what happens on the ice, and the offensive firepower of the Canucks grossly outclasses that of the Kings. Plus it's a re-match of last season's first round, which is always fun.

Chicago Blackhawks

Currently 5th with 88 points
Season Series: 2-1-1

Likelihood of 8th: Yet another team with 88 points, the Blackhawks are the least likely of the trio to slip to 8th or out of the playoffs altogether. The Blackhawks had no business being as far down in the standings as they were throughout most of the season, as a multitude of bad bounces and losses in one-goal games made them look far worse than they actually are. They have had one of the best goal-differentials in the Western Conference (currently second behind the Canucks) all season long, even when they were slumming it with the cellar dwellers. As much as they are not as good as last season, particularly on their bottom-six and in goal, they still have high-end talent in their top-six forwards and a great group of defensemen. They won't slip to 8th...

Do we want them in the first round? … and besides, we don't want to face them in the first round. There's no poetry to meeting and defeating the Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs after being ousted by them in the second round the last two seasons. It would be a far better story for the Canucks and Blackhawks to meet once more in the second round, with the chance to turn the relationship between the two teams into a true rivalry. After all, it's not a rivalry if one team keeps winning all the important games. Let's save the Blackhawks for Round Two.

Phoenix Coyotes

Currently 4th with 91 points.
Season Series: 2-2-0

Likelihood of 8th: The Coyotes are the least likely team on this list to fall to 8th, if only because they have a 3-point cushion and there are so many teams below them. It's not out of the realm of possibility, but the Coyotes are more likely to focus on trying to catch the Sharks for the Pacific Division. That said, they only have 7 games remaining, 5 of them at home, where they have struggled in comparison with their road record. If that trend continues, one of Nashville, Los Angeles, or Chicago could catch up to them and take away their home ice advantage. I don't see them slipping all the way to 8th, however.

Do we want them in the first round? If they did fall to 8th, it would be a decent match-up for the Canucks, who have split their season series with the Coyotes (with some help). Phoenix has elite goaltending, as long as Bryzgalov is on his game, decent defense (including, if can you believe it, Adrian Aucoin), a misshapen conglomeration of the NHL's discarded forwards, and a brilliant coach. The brilliant coach is the one to keep an eye out for: Dave Tippett is as good a coach as there is in the NHL and he keeps the Coyotes competitive despite their lower payroll.

So who should it be? Unsurprisingly, the two teams in this group that the Canucks would most want to face are the two teams currently outside the Top 8. For the sake of nostalgia, the Calgary Flames would be a dream match-up, but they'll be hard-pressed to even make the playoffs. Instead, I hope to see the Dallas Stars squeak their way into the playoffs, preferably by going all-out over their remaining 9 games, leaving them with nothing left for the playoffs. In lieu of the Flames or Stars, say it with me: anyone but Anaheim.

I Watched This Game: Canucks at Ducks, March 6, 2011

Canucks 3 - 0 Ducks

After the highly contentious atmosphere in the Staples Center last night, the Honda Center was downright pleasant. It's not just that the Anaheim fans are generally more congenial (one woman gave us free hot dogs), but the building itself is a little nicer, a little more organic. Whereas the Staples Center is cold, metallic, and looming, provoking aggression and ill will, the pastel paint job and burnt sienna seating of the Honda Center provoke congeniality, oneness with humanity and spiritual contentment. The Ducks fans were downright nice, although it might have been that they were defeated from the outset. They were outnumbered by Canuck fans from the moment the doors opened, and their teams found themselves trailing less than a minute in, after Manny Malhotra scored on Vancouver's first shot. It was difficult for the Anaheim fans to muster much enthusiasm, especially since their attempts were quickly drowned out by the excitable Canucks contingent, like whom and with whom, [we] watched this game.

• Cory Schneider recorded his first NHL shutout tonight, getting his body in front of all 26 shots as though he didn't want to let in any goals. It was weird. He didn't have to be overly acrobatic in these saves, but Schneider never is. He's positionally sound, like a shooter tutor, but without all the holes. According to Sportsnet, he also scored all three Canucks goals, recording his first career hat trick (take that, Luongo!) Like Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, he played every role tonight. Unlike Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, it was a treat to watch him.

• It was less of a treat to watch Dan Ellis, who had many problems tonight. One of which was the first shot of the game, later extrapolated into the first shot of periods. Only in the third did he manage to stave off this problem, pushing it to the second shot. Ellis wasn't good tonight, but it may not have been his fault. It may not have been Ellis. The in-arena announcer introduced him as Dan Sexton. Was it Sexton? If so, that might explain why he sucked at playing goal.

• It's a shame Ellis wasn't on top of his game, as he only had to face 16 Canuck shots. Ryan Getzlaf, alone, had 11. The Canucks, as a whole, barely outshot Ryan Getzlaf. But don't rush to claim Vancouver was outplayed. After scoring so quickly in the first and second periods, they clearly saw no need to push the play.

• The 1/2 Pound Hot Dog sold at the Honda Center is obscenely large. It's almost as obscene, porkwise, as Antiochus Epiphanes' decision to sacrifice a pig on the altar of the temple in Jerusalem. Way uncool, Antiochus. Totally not rad.

• You might think we at PITB could run out of ways and reasons to praise Jannik "Baby Dragon" Hansen, but he continues to find new ways to amaze. On Saturday, he was the game-winning goal scorer, but tonight, he temporarily transformed into a playmaking wunderkind akin to Bertolt Brecht. Seriously, he was so Brechtian he broke the fourth wall. And on the second goal, it was impossible to miss his use of Verfremdungseffekt.

• Maybe the proximity to Hollywood Boulevard has inspired the third line to become star producers. They're the Weinsteins of the Canucks right now, and it shouldn't surprise. When this line originally broke out back in early November, it was during a mild scoring slump for the rest of the team. Unsurprisingly, they've again become the most consistent scorers during a dry spell for their more offensively inclined compatriots. This has been a longer spell, but it's merely meant a longer string of great play from Malhotra, Torres and Hansen. They've got 10 goals in their last eleven games, and they're doing it a number of different ways. Tonight, they scored one goal on the rush, and one goal on the forecheck.

• Meanwhile, Mason Raymond can't catch a break, save the literal way. You'll recall, back in December, when he scored a hat trick against Calgary and appeared to be finding his game, only to suffer a broken thumb and miss a month. Now, as he appeared to be re-finding his game, he injured his shoulder in an open-ice collision with a Duck player. He went straight to the dressing room, returning to test the shoulder for one shift, but then it was back to the dressing room. Word is he'll be re-evaluated Monday. Here's hoping the doctors declare him awesome and give him a sucker and a balloon.

• Rumour has it Keith Ballard has been playing injured, which might explain why Aaron Rome has been getting more icetime than him despite being objectively Aaron Rome. That said, Rome had more icetime tonight than every Canuck but Dan Hamhuis. Maybe everyone has groin injuries? It was probably the trip to Knott's Berry Farm. That roller coaster really jerks you around. Granted, Rome wasn't terrible tonight, but he also wasn't Christian Ehrhoff or Sami Salo. In short: like the Jews might have said two thousand years ago, I'm a little tired of Rome.

• The Ducks were really after Dan "Community Man" Hamhuis tonight. They may have been upset that his overt community work was upstaging CHOC night. He came out for the warmup skate with a fanny pack full of epi pens.

• I suspect the Ducks were actually trying to provoke Tanner Glass into a scrap, especially once he rebuffed George Parros' attempt to start one after the Canucks went up by two. We've seen, in the past, that when one team wants to fight and the other doesn't, the best method to force their hand is headhunting their top guys. Seeing as Hamhuis was almost always on the ice (23:55) and had just recently returned from a concussion (sustained against this very team), he was a provocative target. Anaheim charged him often, but thankfully, the Canucks stayed zen and, like Ferdinand the Bull, refused to fight.

• Speaking of Parros and Glass, it was interesting to see the two scrappers chat together before the game. We imagine the conversation went something like this: Hey, how are you? Pretty good. Want to fight later? Maybe. Isn't it great being an Ivy leaguer? Yeah, totally. Well, see you later.

• After a string of 16 unsuccessful man advantages, Daniel Sedin finally broke the slump by scoring a power play goal. How did he do it? Well, he turned Andreas Lilja into a Sedin and executed a perfect slap pass. I always suspected the Sedins were pod people.

• In an ironic twist, Maxim Lapierre was the featured player in the Anaheim Ducks' digest for this game. As an Anaheim Duck. Yikes. They should update their content.

• After the game, we met Matt and Savanna, a couple of local Bulies who had taken in the game. It was neat. As we walked to our car, they spotted Harrison's Tanner Glass shirt and shouted "Pass it to Bulis!" What followed was about a half hour of kindly chatting. They are solid people, which is more than I can say for the people of Futurama's planet Trisol. They are made of water.

• And finally, tonight marked our first meeting with mysterious third contributor Qris Johnson. He was a quality dude. He'll be taking over the next two IWTGs as we make the long trek from LA to Phoenix, then from Phoenix to San Jose. Be nice to him.

I Watched This Game: Canucks vs Ducks, February 09, 2011

Canucks 3 - 4 Ducks

It feels like it's been forever since we've watched the Canucks suffer a home regulation loss, and I'm a little uncertain of how to feel about it. At this point in the season, it's not unlike like being gored by a unicorn: sure, it's undesired, but it's so rare that you're kind of impressed. Only the fourth time this season the Canucks have skated away from a home game without a point, it's pretty hard to muster up the usual fan despair. Heck, the Red Wings lost too, so the only thing on which the Canucks missed out was stretching their nine-point Western Conference lead into an eleven-point lead. They were going to lose eventually, and despite the brush with inevitability, they remain in pretty good standing. I watched this game:

• Of course, for reasonable, like-minded people that are finding it difficult to freak out at this loss, we have the terrifying problem of Dan Hamhuis's addition to the list of broken Canucks. Hamhuis is the backbone of the Canucks' defense corps; without him, the Canucks defense is an invertebrate. Hit from behind by Ryan Getzlaf, Hamhuis briefly went unconscious, which is not ideal, because he wasn't getting his wisdom teeth removed. Of course, while he was in the dreamworld, because he's such a community-oriented guy, he helped a young girl rescue her brother from Jareth, King of the Goblins, but that's another story for another time.

• The hit wasn't dirty. For people looking to cast blame: there is none. In a high-speed sport, accidents happen. Ryan Getzlaf was finishing a check, a move for which all coaches would applaud him. Yes, he was briefly off his feet, but it looks to me like it was the contact with Hamhuis--not his innate wickedness--that caused him to catch air. Some say Hamhuis shouldn't have turned away, but let's get serious. Do these same people curse out their kneecap when it jumps at the tap of a doctor's tendon hammer? Bracing oneself for impact is a natural reflex of the body. I'm sure Dan Hamhuis, a professional hockey player, would be the first one to tell you not to turn like that, but in a split second, the body doesn't always cooperate with the mind. Let's just hope he's okay and move on. Getzlaf isn't a dirty player.

• What he is, however, is a remarkable player. His pass on the Ducks' third goal was dangerously close to Wizardous Sedinerie, as he cribbed a page from Henrik's book of spells (otherwise known as the Nyturan Demonta), perfectly executing a swiveling backpass to Bobby Ryan. Ryan impressed also, receiving and burying that pass entirely on the backhand. I've heard rumblings that the Canucks can't handle the Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan line and that this is some sort of fatal flaw, but who can? They're one of the best lines in hockey, and there's no shame when they burn you. Let's try to give credit when due. Getzlaf is a superstar, and in his first game back from injury, he made sure we knew it. That said, when you steal Henrik's book of spells, you free some pretty malevolent spirits, so Getzlaf should expect some Evil Dead-style demonic high jinks.

• Speaking of malevolent spirits, a theory about these sudden injury troubles: for years, Sami Salo has been possessed by an injury demon. It's decades-old; it once lived in Bobby Orr's knees. Anyway, while rehabbing the Achilles injury, Salo finally rid it from his body, but the demon remains in the bowels of Rogers Arena, jumping from defenceman to defenceman, looking for a suitable host. Someone call Max Von Sydow.

• Christian Ehrhoff had an ugly game, on the ice for three of Anaheim's four goals on the evening and, in each case, the guy caught behind the play. He wasn't always the one to blame, but not once was he the last man back, and that's concerning. His rush-jumpy tendencies may fly when burgeoning superstar Alex Edler is the watchman, but when it's Chris Tanev or Aaron Rome, you might want to stay a little closer to home. With the blueline decimated by injuries, now is not the time for Ehrhoffian defensive offensivity. It's the time for sound defensive play.

• Speaking of Chris Tanev, he continues to look wise beyond his years. Is he in sync with the Sedins already? In this game, he pulled off Kevin Bieksa's jump through the middle and a slap-pass from the point to Daniel. Neither resulted in a goal, but still, these are specialized set plays. Not since Neo learned kung-fu have I seen someone learn something so complicated so quickly. I think Tanev might be The One. He doesn't even see the game; he's sees phosphorescent lines of code.

• Alarming thought which is no longer as alarming as it once was: Kevin Bieksa is now the rock of our defense corps. #JuiceWillSaveUs

• Jannik Hansen's high-pitched monotone gets me every time. During an intermission interview with Kristin Reid, he coughed, and his pitch didn't change a bit. That is commitment.
  

• Lost in the loss was the fact that last night was a three-point night for Daniel Sedin. He had a goal and two assists, and his line looked great all night. He narrowly missed tying the game in the final seconds, too, if not for the puck making a Barry Sanders-level juke. Yes, Sedin was excellent. For folks complaining that the Ducks' top line was too much for the Canucks, need I remind you that this street goes both ways? The Sedins were on for exactly as many goals as Getzlaf's line. By the by, on Daniels's power play goal, Henrik might not have gotten an assist, but did you notice his sneaky trip on Todd Marchant? It wasn't a slewfoot; Henrik simply shades in behind him and plants his skate, and Marchant, skating backwards, trips over it. As a result, Daniel has a buttload (a Byfuglienian buttload, at that) of room.

• Alex Burrows now has 6 goals in his last 7 games, and I loved the way he scored this one. Henrik and Burr do this all the time, and it works surprisingly often. Henrik gets set up behind the net and he just waits there for something to open up. Eventually, one of the checkers gets impatient and lunges at Henrik, and Alex Burrows cuts to the crease, and Henrik gets him the puck. The way Corey Perry played is is the wrong way to play it. The correct defensive play is to wait for Henrik to fall asleep.
  

• Did you know the Canucks had 38 shots and attempted 73? It felt like they had about 20. I don't recall McElhinney making many incredible saves, either.

• Mason Raymond's act is wearing thin. I know he's been picking up points lately, but that seems more a result of his linemates than his individual play. Somebody remind him that skating quickly around the outside is for Clara Hughes. Is he aware that a team's defensive strategy against any offensive threat is to keep him doing exactly what he does willingly?

• Ryan Kesler had a good game, scoring a crucial goal late in the game, and winning 15-of-21 draws, but he had too many rushes end for him when he gave the puck to Raymond and wound up not getting it back. Kesler and Raymond had chemistry last season, but this year, they've gone in completely different directions. Often, Kesler's best stuff comes when he doesn't pass to Raymond, or when he's on with the Sedins. This doesn't bode well for Raymond. It makes him an expendable, tradeable asset. If he doesn't prove himself untouchable in a hurry, he's in danger of being sent to a worse team. He'd better pick it up in a hurry, or he'll find himself playing for a seller.

• Speaking of acts wearing thin, nobody breaks up a promising rush faster than Raffi Torres. Far too often, he's a baffling, downright bungling presence. Watching him skate on a line with Jannik Hansen is like watching inspectors Holmes and Clouseau try to solve a mystery together. One does all the right things, the other breaks vases and falls down staircases.

• And finally, I have never, ever in my life, seen two men chew gum with more ferocity than Mike Gillis and Alain Vigneault as they waited for Dan Hamhuis to get up.
  

PITB & The Canucks California Road Trip, Vol. I

Have you seen the Canucks' schedule in March? They're away quite a bit. They play 15 times in 31 days, with 9 of those contests in other people's buildings, as part of two lengthy road trips. The first will be five games, and the second will be four.

That first road trip is the annual California road trip, a rite of passage for Canucks fans. It's a jaunt that takes them through all three of California's hockey cities--Los Angeles, Anaheim, and San Jose--as well as the nearest out-of-state hockey town, Phoenix (if you can call it a hockey town when the team plays somewhere else and no one cares). If you're a Vancouver resident, you know that California is about a day's drive away, but when you factor in the sunshine and the cheap hockey tickets, it often seems closer than Chilliwack. You can take a week off work, see the Canucks play a handful of games for the price of one good ticket in Rogers Arena, and you can go to California. It's a triple win.

This year, Pass it to Bulis is making the journey. Four games. Four people. 8 crazy nights. It's like hockey Hannukah. Skeeter and I will be loading up the car with our luggage and our wives, and chasing our favourite hockey team around the Southwest United States in a Nissan Versa. We'll be listening to Sufjan Stevens, eating at In n' Out Burger, meeting up with Qris (our mysterious third contributor) in Anaheim, and blogging every minuscule detail, like when we get a piece of toast that looks like Batman while eating breakfast at a Perkins.

Also, we accidentally bought an extra ticket for the San Jose game. Do you want it? Simply tweet this:

RT & follow @passittobulis for chance to win ticket to #Canucks game in San Jose, March 10! #worstcontestever http://bit.ly/gkw5lI

Note: this contest is now closed. Congratulations to @indelibleline on winning the Worst Contest Ever!

It's our worst contest ever! The winner will be randomly selected from all entrants, but I like your chances. Seriously, how many Canucks fans are there in San Jose that also read this blog. It's just you. That said, a drive to San Jose is a paltry 16 hours, but how many Canucks fans want to drive 16 hours for one ticket? Did I mention this was our worst contest ever? If you're a Vancouver resident and you come all that way just to sit with us, we promise to share our popcorn, but that's all. That's how bad this contest is. That said, maybe you're a weird San Jose fan who like to consort with the enemy. We promise not to leer at you.



We have to imagine there will be more than a few Canucks fans--maybe even a few Bulies--who are already planning to make the trip. Are you going? Let us know in the comments.

I Watched This Game: Canucks vs. Ducks, December 08, 2010

Canucks 5 - 4 - Ducks (Shootout)

My favourite thing about come-from-behind victories is the following day's media coverage. Despite a Canucks' victory, articles are still overwhelmingly negative, because the journalists have pre-written pieces about a Canucks loss. When it becomes a win, they hold their tone. They'll claim it's because the Canucks shouldn't be in a position to need a desperate comeback, but I suspect it's because their workload just doubled with all the late revisions, and they're pissed. Late comebacks of this sort force them into a corner where they have to majorly overhaul their story and still meet their deadlines. As Iain MacIntyre tweeted, last night's outcome forced him to hammer out 800 words in about 35 minutes. Good thing he's a pro.

I'd like to take this moment to welcome our new readers from Canucks Hockey Blog, where PITB's popular I Watched This Game is now being cross-posted. Here's how we do it:

• Putting aside my massive Canuck bias, I do think the universe screwed Curtis McElhinney out of what would have been only his 11th career win in 5 NHL seasons. He played well enough to get it, and I'm pretty sure the rule in the NHL is that the play is blown dead when a goaltender gets hit in the mask, especially when he's bleeding all over the place. I felt like Daniel Sedin's goal, which came after Christian Ehrhoff's high slapshot broke the McElhinney's face, shouldn't have counted. That said, and this is in poor taste, it can now be safely said that Daniel Sedin is literally out for blood.

• Ryan Kesler was the night's first star, and for the second game in a row, he was clearly the best Canuck forward. His powerplay goal supports my controversial theory that he's the engine of the Canucks' top unit. His game-tying goal (above) was ugly, but it exhibited the high level of effort Kesler puts out every night. No wonder he made a baby.

• Let's talk about Jeff Tambellini, the plucky, manic, little Port Moody forward. Tamby scored his 5th goal of the season last night, along with the shootout winner on a beautiful, sudden snapshot. It goes without saying that Tamby is a goal-scorer; his goals per game average is .42, which puts him third on the Canucks behind Ryan Kesler and Daniel Sedin. Tambellini contributes defensively, too. He had five hits to lead all Canucks forwards, the fourth game in a row that he's done that. One of those hits was a brilliant backcheck, an Anaheim rush where Tambellini came all the way from behind the goal line to knock the Duck forward off the puck before he even reached the Canucks' blue line. I'm with Iain MacIntyre; Tamby's an NHLer.

• The Ducks had about six or seven just crazy, blatant offsides, most courtesy of an overeager Bobby Ryan. Seriously, it was like he built a crappy time machine, and was living about three seconds in the future. Not since Bob Saget's NSFW rendition of the Aristocrats has a man been so consistently offside.

• The penalties in this game wreaked brief havoc on Canucks units and my fragile psyche in the third, as Tanner Glass took shifts on both the first and second lines. I broke a lamp. I nearly called 911. But, thankfully, he never got on the third line, so it all worked out.

• I think the Canucks really miss Andrew Alberts. He averages 15:30 of physical, hitty hockey, and without him, the Canucks just aren't as big. Consider that, after he missed the game against the Blues--the first game he'd missed all year--we suddenly started hearing about the Canucks lack of grit. It might have been an issue last night as well, but thankfully, Anaheim/Vancouver games are always bloodthirsty, physical affairs. These teams hate each other like cats hate dogs. Or other cats. Or humans. You know what? Cats are jerks.

• Daniel and I often argue about Kevin Bieksa, but there's no dispute over Bieksa's fighting ability. He can chuck 'em. He is the last Canuck I would ever fight. I suspect Aaron Voros now feels similarly.

• The best Shorty & Garrett banter moment follows. Garrett, dubious of a Christian Ehrhoff penalty call: "Ehrhoff's saying, 'who's holding whom?'" Shorty: "You really think Ehrhoff is saying that?" That'll teach you to put words in Ehrhoff's mouth. Whom? English is his second language!
  

• Keith Ballard's minutes finally went up, as he played 17:19, including a tasty 1:45 of powerplay time. Let us congratulate Alain Vigneault for having both Kevin Bieksa and Aaron Rome in the lineup and resisting the temptation to give them a single second of powerplay time. You've turned a corner, AV.

• Correction: Aaron Rome got 15 seconds. I trusted you, AV.

• Anyway, I thought Keith Ballard had a great game. I especially liked the way he was skating the puck out of his own end. Remembering how sluggish his legs were in the preseason, it was great to see him beating forecheckers with his speed.

• This one should have been a laugher (the Canucks outshot the Ducks by 40 to 20), but there were two factors that kept this close. First, Anaheim blocking shots (they blocked 21), and second, Luongo not blocking shots. Both trends were unfortunate. But after you rag on Luongo for a few softies, remember to give him credit for his shootout performance. Before last night, he hadn't stopped a shootout attempt all season, leading to two skills competition losses. Last night, he stopped them all, and we won. Coincidence? No. It's a causal element.

• Ryan Getzlaf played just under thirty minutes last night. That's a ton of ice time, considering he's a forward. I'll tell you why Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has to do this: his defense-corps are not very good at starting the rush, and only the Ducks' star forwards can create offense from their pitiful zone starts. The Canucks did a good job of exploiting this, too. They were turning the puck up ice faster than I've ever seen them, even gleefully dumping it in because the Anaheim d-corps was just going to turn the puck over anyway.

• How do I know the puck spent an inordinate amount of time in Anaheim's zone? Offensive zone starts. The Canucks took 21 offensive zone faceoffs, and only 13 in the defensive zone. Kesler and Malhotra won 8 of 11 in their own zone, but Henrik Sedin won the night, breaking his brief faceoff funk with a 15-for-24 showing.

• And finally, a word about Henrik Sedin. His inclination towards passing the puck in traffic has made him fairly predictable, don't you think? He needs to be a little more surprising. Here's what you do, Henrik. Next time you're in a fight along the end boards, lick the defender's cheek. No one will expect that.

I Watched This Game: Canucks at Ducks, October 13, 2010

Canucks 3 - 4 Ducks

Beautiful goal by Daniel, but penalties (and lack of penalties) ultimately did the Canucks in.

It's never fun to write a game review after a loss. On the one hand, there's plenty to criticize, which is the blogger's delight*; on the other hand, there is the existential despair that accompanies the seeming loss of self when a group with which one has allied oneself so closely faces pain and suffering. Still, I watched this game and I have thoughts about it. Let me share my existential angst, so as to share suffering and thus, in a sense, relieve it.

I am reluctantly without cable. Frequently I will watch Canucks games at Harrison's house, sometimes on the online feeds from Canucks.com, and occasionally, as tonight, I will head out to a local sports bar to watch the game. Harrison was AWOL, but managed to track me down at the sports bar despite my not mentioning it by name to him. It was freaky. He could only stop by briefly, but he assured me he was recording the game and would watch it and comment on it tomorrow. After procuring cheap burgers and a pitcher of Sleeman's, my wife and I watched the Canucks lose. Ugh. Here are some thoughts, which are truncated as I have a presentation to make in Philosophy of Mind tomorrow that I need to prepare for.

• As much as it pains me, the reffing needs to be mentioned. I'm a firm believer that calls even out over time and that bad calls are unavoidable. What was painful tonight was that they so directly affected the result of the game. The first Anaheim goal came after a 5-on-3 powerplay caused by a delay of game penalty that had no business being called. It was incredibly clear on the replay that Kesler's clearing attempt deflected off Selanne's stick. The last Anaheim goal came off a turnover created by Bobby Ryan, as he came off the bench and played the puck before the player he was replacing came off the ice. It was clearly too-many-men, but it went uncalled and was exacerbated by a sloppy change by the Canucks defence: 3-on-1 = goal.
• That said, the Canucks put themselves in a position to lose this game by not burying the Ducks when they had the chance. Samuelsson missed the net on one chance that immediately came back and turned into a Ducks goal. Daniel Sedin had a glorious opportunity to put in a wraparound into a wide open net but instead tried to centre it. The Canucks dominated the game for long stretches, but just weren't able to finish.
• The second line has created chances in all three games this season, but hasn't been able to find the net. The Sedin line has been getting goals, but just hasn't been clicking. This game is an example: both Sedins were a team-worst minus-2 on the night, when normally their puck possession game keeps them ahead at even-strength. Once the two top lines get their acts together, the Canucks will be just fine in terms of goalscoring.
• Raffi Torres got a goal tonight and had three hits, but he still doesn't seem to be gelling with his linemates. Part of the problem is that he tried to do too much. Instead of making the simple play, he will frequently try a riskier cross-ice pass, which frequently gets picked off. He needs to simplify his game and he will be more effective.
• His riskiness paid off once, though, as he made a nifty little back-pass to set up Henrik, who tried to Wellwood the puck into the net. It didn't turn into a goal, but it was a nice play by Torres and some shifty work by Henrik.
• Kevin Bieksa will get some flack after this game. After all, he took a slashing penalty that put the Ducks on their second two-man advantage that became a goal and also was caught chasing the puck instead of taking his man on Corey Perry's goal. I was going to follow that previous sentence with a defence of Bieksa and why his mistakes tonight weren't that bad, but that's pretty damning, isn't it? Fine, Bieksa was bad tonight. He'll make up for it, you'll see.
• Rick Rypien only played 6:56 in this game, but he did go 3 for 4 in the faceoff circle, threw a hit, and blocked a shot. Reasonable work for that amount of time. One of the concerns with him slotting in at fourth-line centre was his faceoff ability (his career win percentage is 43.4%). Obviously this is a small sample-size, but hopefully it's a sign that he's improved in this area because he will need to fill in while Bolduc is injured.
• So, the Canucks have their first regulation loss of the year. Had to happen at some point, but it's too bad that it happened against the hapless Ducks. To be fair, there was no way that Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan were going to be held scoreless for too long, as they each scored their first points of the season. I just hoped it wouldn't happen tonight. Here's hoping that the two third-period leads the Canucks have blown don't turn into a trend. I would much prefer last season's tendency to constantly come back in the third, please.

*This video must be watched through to the end, if only for the sudden realization that it was created by Todd Bertuzzi in a reveal of Shyamalanian proportions.

Harrison's Thoughts:

I too watched this game, but very, very late at night and after a long day of packing and unpacking boxes after a move. I barely have the energy to add much, and I have even less upon discovering that the Canucks lost. Still, here are a few things of note:

• Skeeter delicately stated that the refs might have played a role in this loss. Let me go one step further and say I've seen poachers and negligent zookeepers with better game management. The Canucks did well to have sustained offensive pressure, and Anaheim played an undisciplined game, especially in the first period, but apparently the refs weren't paying attention. I'm going to say there were about four egregious missed calls in the first period alone, not to mention the bad call on Kesler and, of course, the missed too many men call that gave Bobby Ryan the game-winner. Unacceptable reffing.
• Four is a solid number of goals, but we should have scored more. There were long stretches in this game when it looked like Anaheim thought they were playing half-court.
• Expect to see a few more goals from Raffi Torres' exactly like this one. You'll note that it's just like the one he scored in the preseason against the Sharks. Little known Torres fact: he has above average puck-tipping skills. Torres tips like the waitress is pregnant.
• Speaking of Torres, you might notice he wagged his tongue when he scored. A little nod to Kyle Wellwood, perhaps? Golly, I miss Kyle Wellwood.
• I've probably overused this observation, but Dan Hamhuis = good at hockey. I love watching him play. I don't remember the last time the Canucks had a defenseman who played with such poise.
• How good are the Sedins? They weren't very good tonight, but they still got three points between them. And Daniel Sedin is on pace for 82 goals, primarily because he's out for blood and sick of getting the shaft. He gets more shaft than a film class on Blaxploitation.
• Put Samuelsson back with Kesler and Raymond. They need him more than the Sedins do right now. The Sedins can play with somebody else (so long as it's not Tanner Glass). Put them with Jannik Hansen for the time being, I don't care. Samuelsson isn't the reason the Sedin line is getting points, and it's time to get Kes and Ray going.
• Something to think about: Ryan Getzlaf may have scored four points tonight and won in the short-term, but he's also going bald real fast, so, in the long run, he loses.