Jannik Hansen (2), Mason Raymond (2), Kyle Wellwood, and Jason Krog scored for the Canucks in their full value 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
All the goal scorers are former Manitoba Moose. Hansen and Raymond's pre/early season play were the reason why the likes of Matt Pettinger (since claimed on waivers to Tampa Bay), Wellwood and Krog were sent down to the Manitoba Moose. Injuries/sickness (Demitra/Rypien) gave Wellwood and Krog a chance to prove they belong in the show. Wellwood is making the most of his chance.
Out of shape coming into camp, Wellwood may be able to lose the "Wellfed" nickname if he can be a consistent threat. Wellwood has never shown consistency in his NHL career. 29 other teams were given the chance to claim Wellwood on re-entry waivers when he was called up earlier in the week, and 29 teams declined to add Wellwood to their roster. This despite the fact that whichever team claimed him would only have to pick up half his salary.
You can't teach great hands, which Wellwood has. His power play goal, where he held the puck, made a nice move, and wristed a shot top shelf displayed his offensive talent. Hopefully, the Canucks will be able to teach Wellood a good attitude.
Coming into the game with the 29th (out of 30) ranked power play in the league, the Canucks managed to score 4 power play goals! The Canucks special team struggles in their first 7 games has been well documented. Coach V told reporters after the pregame skate that he was being asked about special teams wherever he went. He explained that he quoted player-coach Reggie Dunlop (played by Paul Newman), from the legendary movie "Slapshot", in his reply; "We're working on it, we're working on it". (Look for a little known "Slapshot" fact in my notes at the end of this post.)
Steve Bernier struggled defensively against the Oil. Twice guilty of not picking up the late trailer on Oil rushes that resulted in goals. He's young, and still learning, but his two mistakes were blatant. I like Bernier playing with the Sedins, though, and don't want to see them broken up. Mark my words, this line will breakout.
The Kesler-Burrows-Hansen line are still the Canucks most effective line. I can't stand when this line is called a checking line. Checking lines very rarely are an offensive threat. This line is. This line is an all around line that is effective all over the ice. Note to Mike Gillis, sign Kesler and Burrows to extensions a.s.a.p.
The Oil did their best to run the Canucks. Kudos to Rob Davison and Mattias Ohlund. Davison for taking on Oil behemoth Steve MacIntyre, after MacIntrye ran Ohlund. Davison lost the bout, but love how he went right after Oiler enforcer.
Sometimes a fella can only take so much. Ohlund was getting run a lot and when he just got out of the way of Eric Cole's high open ice hit attempt (looked like Cole's elbow came up), Ohlund lost it. I can't remember a time when Ohlund became so incensed that he actively challenged somebody to drop the mitts. Ohlund went after Cole and clearly won the fight.
Did anyone notice how the Canuck bench reacted? Go to the link below and take a look at Kevin Bieksa's face after the camera turns to the Canuck bench after the fight. CBC announcer Jim Hughson said it best, "When Ohlund gets mad, he is a bear of a man".
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=xzOardhZeCY&eurl=http://www.hockeyfights.com/forums/f9/edmonton-vancouver-10-25-08-a-107175/
Cole is going to have a beauty of a shiner on his left eye, courtesy of one of the many upper cuts Ohlund threw.
Luongo let in a terrible goal on Oiler's Robert Nilsson's snap shot from far out. But came up big on Sam Gagner's penalty shot. Luongo has yet to show his "A" game since his opening night shut out. Despite this, there's nobody else in the league that I want in the Canucks net.
Despite the win, there will be people pointing fingers to the snake bit Sedins. They are not being rewarded for their hard work. Don't be fooled by the lack of production, they aren't playing badly. If the Canucks are .500 without much production from them, look out when they start to bury their chances.
Notes:
- Will be quite the homecoming for former Vancouver Giant Milan Lucic when the Boston Bruins visit the Canucks Tuesday night. Lucic is the toast of Beantown with his Cam Neely like play. Lucic scored the first hat trick of his career Saturday night versus the Atlanta Thrashers. Bruin faithful littered the ice with hats after Lucic buried his third.
Interesting note from this game, the face off dots in one end were a few feet closer to the goal line than the dots in the other end. Teams switched ends at the 10minute mark of the first period to make things even.
- Carolina Hurrican Brandon Sutter got rocked by an open ice hit by the New York Islanders Doug Weight. Sutter was taken to the hospital for a observation and tests. No word as to his condition, however, no doubt that he was concussed.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=mhepQWlvQKs
Canadian icon Don Cherry equated the hit on Sutter to the hit that preceded the famous attack by then Canuck Todd Bertuzzi on then Colorado Avalanche Steve Moore. In the game previous to the attack on Moore, Moore elbowed a vulnerable Marcus Naslund as Naslund was on one knee. The Weight hit on Sutter was different. Sutter was completely upright and Weight used his shoulder, not his elbow. I disagree with Grapes on this one.
- The Flyers-Devils game featured something that you don't ofter see anymore, simultaneous fights. Very "Slapshot" like.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6PPnUpRdE
All the goal scorers are former Manitoba Moose. Hansen and Raymond's pre/early season play were the reason why the likes of Matt Pettinger (since claimed on waivers to Tampa Bay), Wellwood and Krog were sent down to the Manitoba Moose. Injuries/sickness (Demitra/Rypien) gave Wellwood and Krog a chance to prove they belong in the show. Wellwood is making the most of his chance.
Out of shape coming into camp, Wellwood may be able to lose the "Wellfed" nickname if he can be a consistent threat. Wellwood has never shown consistency in his NHL career. 29 other teams were given the chance to claim Wellwood on re-entry waivers when he was called up earlier in the week, and 29 teams declined to add Wellwood to their roster. This despite the fact that whichever team claimed him would only have to pick up half his salary.
You can't teach great hands, which Wellwood has. His power play goal, where he held the puck, made a nice move, and wristed a shot top shelf displayed his offensive talent. Hopefully, the Canucks will be able to teach Wellood a good attitude.
Coming into the game with the 29th (out of 30) ranked power play in the league, the Canucks managed to score 4 power play goals! The Canucks special team struggles in their first 7 games has been well documented. Coach V told reporters after the pregame skate that he was being asked about special teams wherever he went. He explained that he quoted player-coach Reggie Dunlop (played by Paul Newman), from the legendary movie "Slapshot", in his reply; "We're working on it, we're working on it". (Look for a little known "Slapshot" fact in my notes at the end of this post.)
Steve Bernier struggled defensively against the Oil. Twice guilty of not picking up the late trailer on Oil rushes that resulted in goals. He's young, and still learning, but his two mistakes were blatant. I like Bernier playing with the Sedins, though, and don't want to see them broken up. Mark my words, this line will breakout.
The Kesler-Burrows-Hansen line are still the Canucks most effective line. I can't stand when this line is called a checking line. Checking lines very rarely are an offensive threat. This line is. This line is an all around line that is effective all over the ice. Note to Mike Gillis, sign Kesler and Burrows to extensions a.s.a.p.
The Oil did their best to run the Canucks. Kudos to Rob Davison and Mattias Ohlund. Davison for taking on Oil behemoth Steve MacIntyre, after MacIntrye ran Ohlund. Davison lost the bout, but love how he went right after Oiler enforcer.
Sometimes a fella can only take so much. Ohlund was getting run a lot and when he just got out of the way of Eric Cole's high open ice hit attempt (looked like Cole's elbow came up), Ohlund lost it. I can't remember a time when Ohlund became so incensed that he actively challenged somebody to drop the mitts. Ohlund went after Cole and clearly won the fight.
Did anyone notice how the Canuck bench reacted? Go to the link below and take a look at Kevin Bieksa's face after the camera turns to the Canuck bench after the fight. CBC announcer Jim Hughson said it best, "When Ohlund gets mad, he is a bear of a man".
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=xzOardhZeCY&eurl=http://www.hockeyfights.com/forums/f9/edmonton-vancouver-10-25-08-a-107175/
Cole is going to have a beauty of a shiner on his left eye, courtesy of one of the many upper cuts Ohlund threw.
Luongo let in a terrible goal on Oiler's Robert Nilsson's snap shot from far out. But came up big on Sam Gagner's penalty shot. Luongo has yet to show his "A" game since his opening night shut out. Despite this, there's nobody else in the league that I want in the Canucks net.
Despite the win, there will be people pointing fingers to the snake bit Sedins. They are not being rewarded for their hard work. Don't be fooled by the lack of production, they aren't playing badly. If the Canucks are .500 without much production from them, look out when they start to bury their chances.
Notes:
- Will be quite the homecoming for former Vancouver Giant Milan Lucic when the Boston Bruins visit the Canucks Tuesday night. Lucic is the toast of Beantown with his Cam Neely like play. Lucic scored the first hat trick of his career Saturday night versus the Atlanta Thrashers. Bruin faithful littered the ice with hats after Lucic buried his third.
Interesting note from this game, the face off dots in one end were a few feet closer to the goal line than the dots in the other end. Teams switched ends at the 10minute mark of the first period to make things even.
- Carolina Hurrican Brandon Sutter got rocked by an open ice hit by the New York Islanders Doug Weight. Sutter was taken to the hospital for a observation and tests. No word as to his condition, however, no doubt that he was concussed.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=mhepQWlvQKs
Canadian icon Don Cherry equated the hit on Sutter to the hit that preceded the famous attack by then Canuck Todd Bertuzzi on then Colorado Avalanche Steve Moore. In the game previous to the attack on Moore, Moore elbowed a vulnerable Marcus Naslund as Naslund was on one knee. The Weight hit on Sutter was different. Sutter was completely upright and Weight used his shoulder, not his elbow. I disagree with Grapes on this one.
- The Flyers-Devils game featured something that you don't ofter see anymore, simultaneous fights. Very "Slapshot" like.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6PPnUpRdE
- Canuck Darcy Hordichuk and MacIntyre, both 28, were teammates on the 1998-99 Saskatoon Blades and then opponents the next season when MacIntyre moved on to Red Deer and Prince Albert.
Hordichuk on MacIntyre:
"Let me tell you about Steve MacIntyre, I fought him three times to make the Blades. He actually chipped my teeth in the first fight. I know him well. He's a big farm boy and he's definitely a tough kid. He gets the respect he deserves. But my job is to fight and, if he is running around, then I have to do my job."
- A little know fact regarding the movie "Slapshot". Filmed in Syracuse, NY, and loosely based on Syracuse's minor league team, directors liked the look of then Syracuse player Bruce Boudreau's apartment. So much so that they used it in the movie as player-coach Reggie Dunlop's (Paul Newman) apartment. Bruce Boudreau is presently the head coach of the Washington Capitals.
"Let me tell you about Steve MacIntyre, I fought him three times to make the Blades. He actually chipped my teeth in the first fight. I know him well. He's a big farm boy and he's definitely a tough kid. He gets the respect he deserves. But my job is to fight and, if he is running around, then I have to do my job."
- A little know fact regarding the movie "Slapshot". Filmed in Syracuse, NY, and loosely based on Syracuse's minor league team, directors liked the look of then Syracuse player Bruce Boudreau's apartment. So much so that they used it in the movie as player-coach Reggie Dunlop's (Paul Newman) apartment. Bruce Boudreau is presently the head coach of the Washington Capitals.
2 comments:
Good post after a great game Scoop.
I can't help but want to sit down for another viewing of Slapshot after all this chit chat - not too mention, in tribute of a late great, Paul Newman.
As for the last week or so, what Coach V could have also quoted from our two piece tan leather suit wearing coach of the Federal League, was "yes, we've had a lot of losses", although it's only October.
At around .500, the Nucks are hangin in there and are showing some signs of a good hockey team, which I agree, has yet to see Captain Lou's A-Game or the Sedin's keep the kind of consistency that will shed their unflatering nickname, indefinatley.
That said, Captain Lou, lean in; forget what upper managament wants you to do now that you're captain and your PR duties have expanded... grow back the wig man! As a good coach once said, keep doing the things that got you there.
As for the Sedins, I think some time to get used to the fact they're now the official number one line is only fair. It is arguable the have been the number one line for sometime, but now there is no question - so a transition period is warranted - although, not much of one.."the sis..." isn't behind them yet.
One comment on Wellwood - if he can stay away from the buffets and more importantly, gets tired of under-achieving because of the all too familier "my shyte don't stink" attitude that comes with being naturally gifted, then he is going to move up on the Canucks depth chart in a hurry. The guy has hands and he showed that he also has patience on his goal last night - put that with a desire to make a name for yourself as a top goal scorer, then we have the makings of a "Rudy" like story. Until then, all we have is a guy who scored a nice goal that nobody else in the league wants, even for half his salary.
As for former Canucks, does anyone have the patience to listen to the Crow (Marc Crawford) as a color man for CBC?
I mean come on; first we lose the HNIC theme song and now we have to listen to that squak box as a replacement? Nice enough guy, don't get me wrong, and he knows the game as good as any, but I find myself finishing his sentences while he's in mid-pause trying to think of his next word.
He's a rookie, which is the only saving grace right now, but unless he picks up his game I will begin my cross country canvass for his removal come January 1...St. John's by February.
gotta love the synopsis bulldog.... the flyers/devils was a thing of beauty. nice to see ohlund step up....you have to notice the respect that earns from teammates....not for nothing, but a good scrap will get you that.
when are you going to tear apart Avery like grapes did on HNIC? i cant stand that 'little prick" (as per dennis lemieux slapshot)'owwwn owwns...
whats the deal with the schedule....no games on Sunday? bulldog serisouly go after bettman
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