I Watched This Game: Canucks at Sharks, March 10, 2011

Canucks 5 - 4 Sharks (SO)

With this game, the Pass it to Bulis California (and Glendale) road trip draws to a close with a 4-0 record. Clearly, fans should be clamoring to send Skeeter and Harrison out of Vancouver more often. The trip ended in an exciting and dramatic fashion, but I can't help but feel like the Canucks were the villains in this story. The Sharks showed energy and focus, and battled hard to come back three times. Logan "Bumblebee" Couture was constantly buzzing around and creating chances. Torrey "Jazz" Mitchell scored on an amazing individual effort that got the heart racing. Ryan "Hot Rod" Clowe managed two goals and nearly completed the hat trick to win the game, but all of them fell short, defeated almost single-handedly by Cory "Megatron" Schneider. Schneider won a game the Canucks probably deserved to lose -- and I would know, because I watched this game:

• Give the Canucks credit for being solid in the offensive zone when they could manage to stay there. They played a solid game except for their inability to get out of their own zone, and their inability to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Normally, their transition game is their greatest strength, but in this game, they fell victim to the Sharks' puck moving tonight. The Sharks must have stocked up on iron, zinc, palladium and osmium, as they showed a lot of transition mettle.

• The Canucks dominated much of the first period, before falling flat in the second. It's sort of a recurring theme. The Canucks are +28 in the first, and only +3 in the second. The thing that didn't go as usual is that the Canucks didn't Win Da Turd, where they're +34. Once the first period was over, the Canucks were outshot 16-42. That's insane.

• The Canucks' first goal (above) came on some truly wizardous sedinerie. What was most wizardous about it was that the Sharks were checking them hard, had active sticks, and the Sedins managed to keep puck control. I've said it before -- the Canucks are best when they create chances, rather than wait for them. On this play, the Sedins, like Harvey Dent, made their own luck.

• Still, no one's above capitalizing on chances when they're given. It seems every time the Sharks failed on coverage, Niemi was bailing them out with ridiculous saves. A couple even went in. On Raymond's goal (here), Niclas Wallin lost track of Raymond while Niemi lost track of the puck. It was a window of only a second, and Raymond deserves a lot of credit for capitalizing on the chance. Daniel Sedin's power play goal (here) was a clear demonstration of why the opposition should never ever give him time and space.

• The Canucks started the second by allowing two goals and then taking a penalty. On that penalty, the Sharks announcers said, "Vigneault looking very calm on the bench." "I don't think I've ever seen him really lose it." I've seen him lose it. Tell him Wellwood's playing like a man possessed.

• Man, the Canucks' power play generated a lot of scoring chances tonight, didn't it? It even generated some for the Canucks.

• Seriously, though, the Canucks' power play was dangerous -- for both teams -- and bailed them out of a game they would otherwise have lost. The Canucks generated 12 shots on the PP, but 3 of them were on Schneider, so it was back and forth for a while. Still, can't argue with two goals.

• The Canucks' penalty kill did well statistically, in terms of allowing only one goal, but they allowed 16 shots on 7 penalties, and couldn't seem to leave the zone. Cory "Megatron" Schneider was the only reason the Sharks' third-ranked PP in the league didn't bury the Canucks tonight.

• The referees were calling everything they saw and a lot they didn't tonight. Recently, the Canucks have had referees content to put the whistles away, and they didn't adapt very well to the new standard. As a result, they took 7 penalties, including one in overtime. The Canucks should be glad when the referees start calling everything. It lets them take advantage of their superior special teams.

• Besides Schneider, another bright spot on the night was Chris Higgins. The dude didn't log much statistically, but he provided a good screen for the Sami Salo goal (here), and adds another weapon to the second PP unit. Higgins is a three-time 20-goal scorer and those are typically nice power-play assets. In fact, Higgins is a lot like Wellwood -- a depth center in a checking role who can play a role on the power-play and jump into the top six should there be injury. Also, like Wellwood, he has something to prove. Unlike Welly, though, Higgins has the grit necessary to fit in the bottom six, so the Canucks give up nothing for his versatility.

• On the subject of the 4th line, Lapierre had a good game, too. He lost both faceoffs he took after the first, but still finished 3 for 5, and logged three hits and a blocked shot to go along with his three shots on goal. Glass wasn't bad either. In such a close game, Vigneault still confidently rolled his fourth line. Love to see that. Love it.

• Sami Salo has found his step again, hasn't he? He was victimized on the Setoguchi goal, but his missile from the point is back in force. More like Sami Silo, am I right?

• Only two Canucks finished plus one -- Sami Salo and Aaron Rome. Dan Hamhuis was a -2, but he wasn't all bad, with four blocked shots and over 26 minutes of ice time, including 7:36 on the penalty kill. The Sharks were constantly pressuring, and sometimes Hammy just couldn't get off the ice. It'd be wrong to say he was out of gas, though, because he drives an electric car. It's much better for the environment.

• Including the shootout, Schneider made 47 saves tonight. That's insanely good. Still, the Canucks weren't as bad defensively as the shot totals make them look. They were good clearing away rebounds and limiting shots to the perimeter... mostly. They got tired on a lot of shifts because they couldn't get the puck out, and that's when things got hairy. The culprit isn't their defense itself, but their puck possession and ability to get out of their zone. While at times it looked like a lot of things were wrong for the Canucks, it all came down to their trouble moving the puck up. Ask Gillis if he foresaw that the Canucks would have so much trouble moving forward.

• Megatron (yes, I'm going to call him that) was good in the shootout, stopping all three shooters, including Kyle Wellwood, who seemed destined to score. Also impressive was Alex Burrows, with a nifty move in the shootout we've all seen before. He's got two "go-to" moves for the shootout or a breakaway -- one on the forehand, and one on the backhand. They usually work for him, though, so one has to wonder why he's 0-3 on penalty shots. What's the difference?
  

I Watched This Game: Canucks at Coyotes, March 8, 2011

Dan Hamhuis's overtime winner was pure wizardous sedinerie.

Rejoice, Canucks fans! Last game wasn't just a triumph, it was a return to form, or at least, something close to it. While the Canucks can say their Nashville game was one of their best, I respectfully disagree -- the Canucks aren't at their best playing tight-checking hockey. They're at their best generating chances, and last night they were given none and created all. They shook their defenders, played a good cycle game, and used their defense well. Adjusting to injuries seemed no problem. The team that played last night could easily be called a contender, despite having more than $10 million worth of salary missing the game. Where did my elite team go? I don't care, anymore, it's just good that they came back, at least for a game, and that I watched it.

• The Canucks' transition game and their power play, keys to their success, looked dangerous again last night. They aren't quite there yet, but for the first time in over a month, I felt like I was watching an elite team again. A lot of fans are satisifed with wins, but there's a difference between winning games and ...winning.

• The Canucks showed last night something they hadn't shown all: resilience. Last season, the Canucks had the best comeback rate in the league. This season, they usually strike first, but bad things can happen when they don't. This is the first game the Canucks have ever won when trailing after the first period. After getting down 2-0, they remained patient, stayed with their game, and were rewarded. Until last night, their bounceback seemed a thing of the past. Something else that was resilient a long time ago: flubber.

• Two of the Canucks goals (this one and this one) came on lucky bounces, but that doesn't mean their victory was just luck. Phoenix got their lucky bounces on the goals that didn't go in. Burrows and Kesler both had their chances, and either Bryzgalov was amazing or the puck was more amazing in its refusal to go in. Bryzgalov was the better goaltender last night, but he admittedly had way more chance to shine. It'd be easy for the 'Yotes to blame the loss on bad puck luck, but really, they made their bed.

• Ballard was quietly very impressive in his limited ice time. He registered only one shot on goal, but his trip back to Phoenix apparently reminded him of how he used to be a puck mover, cause he did a great job of pushing it forward. Is he ready for more ice time? Nope. He only logged one hit, and that tells me he's still feeling the injuries he's playing through. Alain Vigneault seems content to give him more time before he does something drastic like giving him more time.

• Tambellini slotted well into the second line, recording five shots and four hits. One would normally say he's versatile, fitting into both the top and bottom six, but he isn't, really. He never looks comfortable in the bottom six. Sure, he can hit, but he doesn't respond well to a limited role and winds up doing too much. He has two real jobs on this team: scoring, and pushing Mason Raymond. He belongs on the second line or in the press box.

• I love Tanner Glass. As the staple of the fourth line, he kept his shifts simple, and Lapierre and Oreskovich began to follow. Glass didn't even look for a pass when he had a shot at the goaltender -- straight at the chest. For a fourth line, getting an offensive zone faceoff is a victory in itself. With Lapierre and Oreskovich both only recently joining (or re-joining) the Canucks, it's good to see Glass reminding them what their line is for.

• I said an offensive zone faceoff is a victory for the fourth line, and one of the reasons is that they didn't start with the puck. Glass took one faceoff and lost it, Lapierre took four and only won one. Since his trade, Lapierre has won only 33% of faceoffs. Small sample size, I know, but the Canucks were in need of a center, not a winger, because centers can take faceoffs. As a great man once observed, once we find our center, we are sure to win.

• The "Woo!" by Canucks fans after a goal was barely audible, but it made me smile. I know it annoys some people but I love it because, like the towel-waving, it's truly a Canucks thing. Lots of Canucks fans complain about it, but they must hate joy.

• Dan Hamhuis has been playing well of late, and it's good to see him get rewarded. He had two goals, including the game-winner (above) and this one, and jumped up into the rush pretty well. Most impressive, though, was the stirring speech he gave to those worried about the Coyotes' possible relocation. "How can you worry if your team will have a home, when so many in this country are already homeless?"

• Who's been missing Edler the most? The second power play unit. Last season, the second unit had Raymond, Kesler and Samuelsson. Last night, it had none of those three, and it showed. Samuelsson did a fine job on the point for the first unit, but without consistently dangerous forwards, the second unit, like Peter Petrelli in the third season of Heroes, is just too easy to contain.

• I wasn't pleased with the way the third period went, but it went that way because of the Coyotes, not because of the Canucks. The 'Yotes would do anything, it seems, to push the game to overtime. They blocked everything up and scoring seemed like their fourth priority, defense, defensive play, and defending. The last faceoff was a great example of this -- they had 2.5 seconds in the offensive zone after an icing call. They could have pulled the goaltender safely, or at least lobbied for more time to score, but Tippett made no effort whatsoever. They played for the OT loss.

• This was the first game the Canucks won after being behind to start the second, but it was also the second game in a row the Canucks' power play looked dangerous, and both Sedins had three point nights. With all the devils that have been exorcised of late, you'd think the Canucks hired someone or something.

I Watched This Game: Canucks vs Predators, March 3, 2011

Canucks 3 - 0 Predators

The Canucks didn't score, so I used this video from a year ago.

With Daniel and Harrison out on a road trip in Oregon, enjoying the thrill of having your gas pumped by someone else, it fell to me to cover this game. Like anyone swapping footwear with Sideshow Bob, I've got some big shoes to fill. So far, the Canucks have 0 points in games that I cover. I am the worst of the lucky charms. That's right -- I'm the red balloon. Just like the last game, this game was a throwback to a previous era of the Canucks. Actually, since February began, it's felt like we've been watching a different hockey team. These are the Canucks of 07-08. Think about it: injuries so bad on the blueline that they have to go further down the depth chart than they should ever have to. Failure to gain any kind of traction or get onto any kind of roll. Scoring chances that just won't go in, no matter how much they should. Long, grinding games where the Canucks just hope the other team makes the big mistakes first. Luongo as the only reason the Canucks stay in the game up to the third period. I get that this is the 40th season and the Canucks are looking back on the past, but I'd rather re-live last December than 2008. That season, like this game, sucked. And I watched it.

• This makes the 12th game that the Canucks have alternated between win and loss. Some have laughed that fans would consider this a slump, but those who've been watching the team know it really is. The Canucks are playing frustrated. Passes aren't connecting, shots are missing, coverage is failing, and the Canucks are getting hemmed into their zone more often than they should. It's a testament to the skill of the team that they can stay at the top of the conference while playing like this, but as @mozy19 observed, we've got to hope this doesn't keep up in May, or we can swap John Garrett out for Bob from ReBoot.

• The Predators surprise a lot of people by being a good team. When you consider their leading scorer heading into the game was Shea Weber, with 39 points, and the Canucks' leading scorer has more than double that total, you'd expect the skill level of the teams to be pretty lopsided. And you'd be right. Still, you won't find a more hard-working team than the Predators. The Canucks got outworked, plain and simple, but that happens to a lot of teams who play the Predators. The Canucks need to be harder, better, faster and stronger. Daft Punk may be the cure -- with all the distortion, how do you know that's not really Robert Smith's voice?

• Really, though, what's going on with the Canucks? They just don't look as dangerous anymore, and their transition game is a big part of what's wrong. With Edler gone, it's not hard for the opposition to predict who's going to be counted on to make a breakout pass. And to all those who cursed Bieksa and his pinching, notice how often the Canucks lose the zone while trying to get set up now. Bieksa and Edler did a lot that doesn't show up on the scoresheet -- they had a way of making the Canucks spend more time in the offensive zone. Give Alain Vigneault credit for making things work without them.

• But then, take that credit away again. He's not making it work. The Canucks are finding ways to win despite horrible play, but it's not like Edler and Bieksa were the only defensemen on the team that can do what they do. Ballard was counted on as a puck-moving defenseman on every non-Canuck team he's played. Hamhuis played a similar role in Nashville when they lost Weber and Suter to injury. Gillis gave AV six defensemen who can play his system. Losing two should not mean the system falls apart -- especially not for a Jack Adams candidate. Get it figured out, Alain.

• The Predators commentators predicted a goaltending duel before the game began, and had to feel smart about it after the game. They shouldn't. "Goaltending duels" are the most ridiculous concept ever created to hype up a game, as goaltenders don't interact with each other. Luongo would have played the same way if the Canucks had scored 6 or 7 goals. I bet he misses the times when they did. All in all, Luongo was tested a lot more than Rinne. When the Canucks buzzed around Rinne, it wasn't Rinne that kept the puck out, but the Canucks' inability to hit an open net.

• There have been some ridiculous almost-goals, haven't there? Another thing reminiscent of 07-08, where the likes of Taylor Pyatt would consistently miss open nets. This has gone on for a few games. The Canucks have had some really bad puck luck, of late. They keep getting close, but like Hall and Oates, all they see is missed opportunity.

• I'd forgotten about Shane O'Brien's "aw shucks" look after taking a penalty. The Canucks still have a feared power play, so opposing game plans tend to include not taking penalties (for the Predators broadcasters, it was one of their "Ford Keys to the Game"), and leave it to O'Brien to forget where he is. I remember how angry that look used to make me when he took bad penalties. I bet Nashville fans everywhere hate that look now.

• No players particularly deserve credit for the loss. Ehrhoff finished a -2, but that's because he was on the ice once the Canucks really needed to score, which includes the whole of the third period. It could be argued that Hornqvist's goal was the backbreaker, but the Canucks had gone 57 minutes without being able to score, and I'm not convinced the last three minutes would have been any different. Shame on Dan Hamhuis for losing the puck there, but it's hard to stay mad at him. He probably knew the Canucks weren't going to score, and wanted Hornqvist to think he was a nice guy. Did you see the way Hornqvist cheered when he scored? Poor guy needed that goal more than the Nucks needed to stop it.

• There were only two Canucks last night who seemed like they wanted to win. One was Roberto Luongo, the other was Jannik Hansen. His display on the penalty kill, getting the puck in the offensive zone and then retrieving it on the forecheck three times got well-deserved cheers from the crowd. That could have been a momentum changer, but the game had more inertia than Homer Simpson.

• Speaking of the crowd, why so quiet? The "7th man" was useless last night. The Canucks would have done better going with an actual seventh man, like the Avalanche did. I understand it was a boring game, but the crowd could help out if they gave the Canucks something to feed off of. They could have at least shouted "Off-ui," which is well-known as the cure for ennui.

• While I usually immediately believe everything Vigneault and Gillis ever tell me, I wasn't buying the bit about the Canucks being in good shape after two periods. The score was tied, but the game was not going well. The Canucks were content to play Nashville's game of trying not to make mistakes. The Canucks are best when they generate chances, not when they wait for them. The team used to be saying during this quasi-slump that they were getting away from their game. Now Vigneault is saying that tight-checking hockey is just what's going on in the league right now. What gives?

• I barely noticed the fourth line, which is good. Maxim Lapierre took no penalties, and there wasn't much in the way of rough stuff between whistles, either. To all those doubting Lapierre could fit in, we now have the incontrovertible proof in the 8:13 he played last night. Cower before my anecdotal evidence.

• Finally, let's note that the injuries and the slump, these qualify as adversity. I'd like to see the Canucks rise well to face it. I haven't forgotten the Sharks of 2009 saying they lost in the first round because they weren't well-equipped to find ways to win when things were going poorly. The Canucks have managed a .500 record since things have been going poorly. It's not awful, but it makes for a lot of Game 7's. This is a team that has never won when trailing after the first period. Let's hope they discover some resilience before the postseason hits.