Luongo vs. the world.

The sky is falling in the city of Vancouver, and spring has barely sprung. Following with the seasons, the Vancouver Canucks have taken only a few strides out of the starting gate but have had a tough start to the Stanley Cup Finals, dropping their Game One matchup against the Kings for the first time since  2007 against the Anaheim Ducks.

The ghosts of playoff past came back to haunt the Canucks in Game One, allowing the Kings to capitalize on a number of old tricks to take the first game of the series, cutting down home ice advantage in the process. Mike Richards and the Kings took advantage of Vancouver’s suspect special teams play on Wednesday, converting a pair of power play goals to quiet the home crowd after Alex Burrows gave fans something to cheer about with an early lead.

Darryl Sutter’s Kings played to the importance of the power play during Game One, keeping the trash-talking to a minimum and keeping out of the scrums in an attempt to avoid trading power plays with the Canucks. As it turns out, the Kings may as well trade special teams chances all series, the Canucks can’t seem to keep it running hot during the post-season.

While the narrative was blown well out of proportion last June, the big bad Bruins did manage to bully the Canucks effectively during last year’s Cup finals, taking advantage of Vancouver’s toothless power play on the way to victory. A year later the Canucks appear to be falling into the same old patterns after a putrid power play shifted around the ice on Monday, obviously missing a key piece to the puzzle. With or without Daniel Sedin, the Canucks must find a way to get their power play clicking to keep the Kings honest. Calls may be hard to come by  for the Canucks after Ryan Kesler did his best to validate Vancouver’s not-so-tough reputation during Game One.

Vancouver's reputation is slightly suspect.

Via /R/Hockey, Vancouver’s reputation on the ice is slightly suspect.

The home team was distracted by post-whistle antics, trash-talking and other forms of “gamesmanship” during Game One, but can expect different treatment from the referees tonight after it was clear the Canucks were doing their best to earn the extra call on Wednesday.

Vigneault on 0-for-5 pp: “I’d be kidding if I say we don’t need the power play. You need it to make sure the other team stays honest.”

— Ben Kuzma (@benkuzma) April 12, 2012

While the power play is an integral component of any team’s offensive production, during past playoff rounds the Canucks have struggled to keep consistent on the man advantage, forced instead to grind out scoring chances 5-on-5. With Daniel Sedin expected out of the lineup again tonight against the Kings, Vancouver’s skaters must focus on winning the team game at even strength in order to dictate the types of power plays awarded. After finishing the regular season with the 4^th best even-strength goal differential with 1.19 goals for/against, the Canucks must simplify their game against the Kings who held actually allowed more goals than they scored at even-strength throughout the regular season.

As you may remember, the Canucks and Kings have been down this road before. The series between Los Angeles and Vancouver only two years ago featured a potent Kings power play that carried the team to a 2-1 series lead before the Canucks responded to turn the series around at even strength. After three games the Kings held a 7-2 advantage in power play goals, relying on Michal Handzus and a different version of Drew Doughty to generate scoring opportunities. Just as the Canucks awoke from their special teams slumber and began to focus on a more sustainable game plan two years ago against the Kings, the home team must focus on winning the 5-on-5 matchup tonight after having the game taken to them in their own barn  to open the series.

Canucks Against the World

Roberto Luongo was Vancouver’s best player during Game One, and should share his playoff mindset with his teammates after the Canucks skaters had a tough time in front of the under-appreciated one. Luongo was been dragged through the mud in Vancouver, but brought his A-game on Wednesday, keeping the Canucks in a contest they showed little reason to compete in.

After allowing the Kings to dominate Rogers Arena on Wednesday, the Canucks must embrace an us-against-the-world mentality on the ice tonight in Vancouver. Taking the team’s reputation for theatrics into account, the Canucks shouldn’t expect any soft calls against their opposition during Game Two. If anything Kesler and the Canucks will pay for their previous transgressions tonight as the power play drought touches down in Vancouver.

Off the ice, the playoff atmosphere across Canada has overcome hockey fans, portraying the Canucks as villains from Vancouver during this year’s race for the Cup. Canada’s national pastime has transformed into the four-round-hate, focussing a season’s worth of animosity towards the Canucks and their fans. Byron Bitz didn’t do much to help his team’s image on Wednesday after hitting Kyle Clifford with a hard check to the head which earned a two-game suspension from Brendan Shanahan. A chorus of Boos certainly didn’t help the reputation of Rogers Arena, either.

Despite what was a dangerous and obviously illegal check to the head from the fourth liner, the Canucks must continue to force a physical game as embodied by Bitz, David Booth and other big hitters in Game One. For right or for wrong, Brendan Shanahan and the NHL’s disciplinary committee have made it quite clear that suspensions will not step up to the intensity of playoff hockey, and frankly the Canucks need to take advantage of the system they’re forced to play under.

You don’t have to call Daniel Sedin’s father to know it is much better to be the hammer, rather than the nail, in a league without legitimate supplementary discipline.

In other words, World Wrestling Federation garage league rules now apply.

Meanwhile, Duncan Keith will sit out five regular season games as punishment for his hit on Sedin, setting back the Blackhawks during the last few games of a furious playoff push. The loss of a former Norris Trophy winner will undoubtedly set back the Blackhawks over their final few regular season contests, but will five games honestly deter other players from taking a similar course of action in the future?

As in every controversial case, the answer comes down to perception. So let’s take a step back from the hockey hotbed of Vancouver where tempers flare, and focus on the league-wide precedent set with the hit and subsequent suspension.

Due to Brendan Shanahan’s suspension Duncan Keith will miss five games against the Predators (loss), Devils, Blues, Predators and Wild. As of Sunday night’s loss to the Predators, the Blackhawks currently sit six points ahead of a three-way log jam at eighth in the Western Conference. From a Chicago perspective the suspension probably did enough to deter the team from further acts of thuggery, but what about the rest of the league?

Is a five game suspension going to deter the next potential heavy hitter from crushing the cranium of some poor bastard that didn’t see it coming? Don’t bet on it. Despite the potential playoff relevance, a five game suspension to Duncan Keith is the equivalent to a week-long school suspension assessed to the class clown. Due to his most recent transgression, Keith may as well have received an award for knocking out an opposing star player, drastically improving his team’s playoff chances in the process.

#2:”Going to use it as best I can to get as much rest, eat properly, get lots of sleep and be working out, hopefully use it to my advantage.

— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiHawks) March 24, 2012

I’m guessing positive re-enforcement wasn’t exactly what Sheriff Shanahan was going for. Thanks to an embarrassingly weak decision from the league, players across the NHL have been given the green light to take matters into their own hands this late in the season as long as they have enough regular season games banked for the Shanaban.

In fact the last player to embrace this brash philosophy of physical play was Vancouver’s own Raffi Torres, who targeted the head of Jordan Eberle with a vicious shoulder last April with only two games remaining in the regular season. As you can see below, Torres clearly approached Eberle with the intent to hit a player carrying the puck, but does so with blatant disregard for Eberle’s safety or the legality of the check.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While Torres didn’t lift his feet on the hit, it was clearly a predatory attempt on another player. The fact Torres kept his arms tucked in and feet on the ice while throwing a devastating headshot is likely what kept his suspension to only four games.

Hard to blame the hitter when the victim is caught reaching for a puck with his head down, too.Canucks fans should know exactly what I’m talking about.

Had the Edmonton Oilers been in contention for a playoff spot last season, I’d bet Raffi Torres’ suspension would have doubled in order to counter-balance the loss of a star player.

Yet one year later, another late-season headshot has claimed a superstar in the NHL, all at the cost of five regular season games. This comes several days after Sidney Crosby made his second comeback of the season recovering from a concussion carried over from last year.

As Greg Wyshynski pointed out in a review of the political powers at work in the case of Duncan Keith and Daniel Sedin, NHL referees continue to miss crucial calls on the ice. Sedin’s early high hit on Keith went unnoticed by officials, leaving Keith to take matters into his own hands only minutes later.  When on-ice officials had an obvious call to make, they embarrassed themselves again, giving Keith only two minutes for an elbowing minor when even the maddest men on Madison would have had the guts to give out a major.

This follows a disturbing trend taking over the NHL, in which on-ice officials miss a call leaving league discipline to attempt to smooth over the situation. From former NHL on-ice official Kerry Fraser, via TSN:

“In too many situations witnessed this season, the officials have either missed the mark altogether or came up short by at least three minutes plus a game misconduct.  The judgment of the referees needs to be collectively and immediately retooled by NHL V.P. of Officiating, Terry Gregson, to conform to a higher standard that is currently being maintained by the Player Safety Committee.”

Colour me confused as to what Colin Campbell’s replacement was tasked to do in his first year on the job besides collectively and immediately retooling the league disciplinary system.

As Kerry Fraser alluded to, the NHL must begin to embrace a much higher standard towards head shots and other dangerous plays in today’s game. If the league is to limit the amount of concussions and other head trauma in hockey the first step is to establish penalties that truly deter further inappropriate action. Given the precedent set with four games given to Raffi Torres last year, there’s simply no way Duncan Keith even bothered to consider the consequences.

And if he did, I’m sure a mini-vacation was all that came to mind when contemplating the consequences of a predatory elbow to the head. Keith makes just under six million dollars a year with the Blackhawks and has a Stanley Cup ring to his name, do you think a few bucks and handful of regular season games lost are really going to get to him?

Not a chance, Principle Shanahan. Across the NHL hundreds of class clowns are taking notes, anticipating another open-season on hockey players during the final twenty games of the year.

Just this season Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff declared goaltenders “fair game” for the opposition after prized possession Ryan Miller was ran hard by the Boston Bruins’ Milan Lucic. Again, on-ice officials blew the call, assessing Lucic a two-minute minor for charging a goaltender which resulted in a concussion.

After the incident, players around the rest of the league took notice, exploiting the ambiguous definition of goaltender interference to new lengths.

The long-run result across the NHL left skaters parading through the goal crease at every opportunity, leaving officials lost in the fray of feet cruising through blue paint. All of a sudden good goals were called off and those allowed created a farce of interference calls as a whole.

The Sabres themselves especially took notice, fiercely defending their backup goaltender in the event any opponent dared to drive towards the Buffalo crease. All of a sudden the Buffalo’s net was a much safer place, no thanks to league action. The Sabres simply adopted a strategy out of the Boston Bruins playbook, embracing their own brand of vigilante justice after league intervention proved pointless.

While the big, bad, Bruins have always embraced a reputation as a tough team, not since devastating concussions suffered by teammates Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard in recent years did the team finally start to embrace their inner bully once again. Savard eventually lost his career due to a string of concussions, the final blow a devastating elbow that resulted in no additional discipline at all from the NHL.

Marc Savard - Concussion victim.

Even readers who have suffered a concussion of their own recently should begin to see the pattern emerging.

The NHL eventually found their sweet spot suspending Matt Cooke, but it took a pair of bodies carried off the ice before the NHL grew the balls to ban him for 10 games. So what will it cost for concussions to be taken seriously in today’s NHL? A career lost? A season lost?

The answer remains uncertain after another whiff by Brendan Shanahan and league officials, but one hit at a time teams are learning to protect themselves from each other. An eye for an eye makes the world go blind, but what good are eyes if you’re confined to the dark walls of the quiet room?

As it stands today in the wake of Duncan Keith’s five-game ban, Brendan Shanahan must drastically re-think his approach to deterrence in today’s NHL. The precedents set in his first year as chief disciplinarian have done nothing but drive owners to desperately seek protection for their players, and tracking down Sean William Scott is no easy task. Without suspensions to keep players safe, only aggression and retaliation appears to give teams the security they need heading into a long playoff push.

The garage league is back, and with Matt Cooke in the good graces of the hockey gods it’s about time league owners like Mario Lemieux stood up once again and protected the people they employ before another body ends up motionless at center ice.

For instant stats, links, news and notes from around the NHL follow @HockeyIndie on Twitter or to keep up to date specifically with all things Canucks follow The Flying V on Twitter @FlyingVHockey.

Roberto Luongo: Starter or backup?

Alain Vigneault is expected to start Cory Schneider for the second straight game tonight in Minnesota, giving Roberto Luongo a rest to begin Vancouver’s last road trip of the regular season. Traditionally a little time off this late in the season would be great for a goaltender who has been relied on so much so far this season, but one can’t help but wonder if Alain Vigneault is hiding his starter from the ghosts of the Xcel Energy Center tonight in Minnesota.

The last time Schneider received back-to-back starts for the Canucks was in late November, after the backup shut out the Phoenix Coyotes only to turn around and beat the San Jose Sharks the next night. So why now, why on game 70 against one of the worst teams in the league?

Because Luongo falls apart in the land of a thousand lakes.

Over the last five years Vancouver’s franchise goaltender has only one game worth remembering from the Xcel Energy Center. Luongo allowed six goals against during his last start in Minnesota a season ago, and has been sheltered from the Xcel Center ever since.

A year previous to his late-October collapse, Luongo allowed ten goals over two games in Minnesota during the 2009-10 season, posting an aggregate .804 save percentage and 6.17 goals-against average.

In fact, the last solid game Luongo started in Minnesota occurred almost three years ago in a late-March game against the Wild. Luongo allowed one goal on 34 shots that night, keeping the ghosts of the Xcel Energy Center at bay in a pre-playoff matchup.

Yet tonight in Minnesota the same scenario offers itself to the Canucks, and Alain Vigneault has once again elected to start his backup against the Wild. Isn’t it about time the franchise’s starting goaltender faces his fears and starts a game against the notoriously talented Wild?

Considering Schneider is likely a summer away from finding himself another home, Vigneault’s choice to sit his starter appears short-sighted. Luongo’s body could surely use the rest heading into another grueling post-season, but what happens to the Canucks next time he absolutely has to strap on the pads in Minnesota, or any other hostile arena?

Imagine for a second that Cory Schneider moves on from Vancouver this summer, and a year from now the Canucks finish the regular season atop the Western Conference, matched up against the Wild who have managed to sneak into the 8^th spot.

What then? What of the Canucks outside the comfortable confines of Rogers Arena? Does Luongo lose all confidence and implode like he did in Boston just last Spring?

The Canucks cannot expect to win a Stanley Cup without the confidence of their starting goaltender night-in and night-out, wherever the game is played. While Alain Vigneault has become a master of optimization with the Canucks, two points tonight in Minnesota is a minuscule reward compared to the long-run implications of Roberto Luongo’s lost confidence.

Win or lose tonight in Minnesota Alain Vigneault has missed another opportunity to give his starting goaltender a vote of confidence heading into a crucial playoff run, one that will land squarely on the shoulders of Roberto Luongo come April.

The Vancouver Canucks struggled early against the Montreal Canadiens to begin their five-game Eastern road trip, but bounced back to sweep all three Canadian teams during that stretch. After crossing the Hundredth Meridian from Vancouver to Montreal in one trip, the Canucks can blame a slow start on travel, but couldn’t come up with a victory south of the 49^th parallel.

While many Canucks fans were eager to write off the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes as competent competition, both basement dwellers were quick to debunk the American myth that southern, small market teams can’t keep up with the Canucks.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Canucks iced two of their worst games of the season against their southern opponents last week, letting down both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider who seemed to be the only Canucks who didn’t forget their focus in an Ottawa airport.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Back on Canadian soil, the Canucks rallied on the road in game 32 against the Maple Leafs, winning their Fifty Mission Cap in Toronto with just over half a season remaining. The win ensured the Canucks came home above .500 on the road trip after a complete collapse in Carolina in Columbus. While Alain Vigneault would probably like to bring his team back in shackles or hang them out in the December sun, it’s better to exonerate and forget about a roller-coaster road trip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Canucks may have earned early exoneration for a rough road trip, but the CBC faces a tough decision regarding a man more than familiar with the term. After watching Don Cherry in back-to-back appearances on Hockey Night in Canada featuring the Canucks, I begin to wonder if the beauty has the wherewithal to return for another season on CBC.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bolland’s Bold Words

As Vancouver struggled through their road trip out East, notorious Canuck killer David Bolland was writing a new chapter to the rivalry between the Canucks and Blackhawks while on Chicago radio.

Bolland referred to Daniel and Henrik Sedin as “sisters” while on WGN radio in Chicago, which happened to be taped in front of a live studio audience. You see, Bolland and Blackhawks fans believe that the lowly Canucks have been Lionized by hockey media. “I don’t think we’d let them on our team,” Bolland said of the two world-class talents.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The center’s controversial comments couldn’t have come at a worse time given the long wait for the next matchup between the Canucks and Blackhawks. The two teams will renew their rivalry on January 31^st and have both been playing solid hockey so far this season, so why would Bolland take a shot at the enemy?

Because like many other NHLers, Bolland is just a big kid. He was simply playing to the juvenile crowd, and worked it in to look like that: child’s play. The Sedins of all people won’t be insulted by the same lame and lazy insults that drove them to superstardom, especially when followed by respectful comments back in the realm of real sports media.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cory Schneider made the most of his time as the starting goaltender in front of Roberto Luongo however during this week’s wild 6-5 loss to the Nashville Predators the backupcollapsed and lost the position just as quickly as he had earned it.

After Schneider allowed three goals on five shots against the Predators on Tuesday, Head Coach Alain Vigneault jumped at the chance to shoot Roberto Luongo back into the spotlight, replacing Schneider with sweet Lu to start the second the second period.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Like a bat out of hell Luongo came screeching back, only to blow a two goal lead allowing Nashville to come back for a 6-5 victory. Despite the poor performance from Vancouver’s goaltenders in a crazy contest against the Predators, the Canucks continue to cruise playing solid hockey lately.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Two out of three ain’t bad for the Canucks this week considering how close the Thursday’s game against the Predators turned out to be. Both wins versus the Blue Jackets and Flames were convincing victories and there simply aren’t many nights either one of Vancouver’s goaltenders will allow five goals in one game.

Now that Luongo has settled in as the (acting) starter once again, heaven can wait for Schneider as he rightfully returns to his spot behind the Olympic Gold Medal winner. After witnessing the Boston Bruins ride veteran Tim Thomas and young prospect as their goaltending duo all the way to the Stanley Cup, the Canucks are likely to do the same with their talented tandem.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While Cory Schneider experience paradise by the dashboard light in his first big run as Vancouver’s starting goaltender, his showcase had to come to an end at some point. No one expected the Predators to pounce on the Canucks quite like they did Thursday, but the premature end to Schneider’s reign in the crease should remind fans that anything can happen in today’s NHL.

Most Canucks fans also expected Mason Raymond to start Thursday’s game against the Predators but were stunned after a rare mistake from Vancouver’s management delayed the speedy winger’s start by a few days.

Raymond was left all revved up with no place to go on Thursday after Canucks management failed to file the appropriate paperwork in time for the game against Nashville. Instead, Aaron Volpatti played what could turn out to be his last game of the season, scoring a goal in his final opportunity before a nagging shoulder would sideline the Revelstoke native.

Vancouver’s fourth line will take on a new identity now that Volpatti’s season has most likely come to an end. With the return of Raymond, Manny Malhotra will be bumped to the final line of forwards alongside Dale Weise and Maxim Lapierre.

For Crying Out Loud

Just when it seem the supposed controversy in the Canucks’ crease had been settled, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun has run rumours of Roberto Luongo’s availability up the flagpole just to see who will stop and stare.

From Garrioch:

“The talk among league executives is the Canucks have dangled Luongo in trade circles, but haven’t been able to find anybody interested in his $5.3-million cap hit and contract that runs through the 2021-22 season. Schneider will be shipped at some point.”

Considering the contradictory close in which he admits Schneider is likely to be trade sometime soon, I reason to believe Garrioch is actually trolling Canucks fans. The paragraph containing the above quote is titled “Rumours Du Jour” perfectly mimicking Calgary Flames General Manager Jay Feaster’s rant from earlier this week regarding Jarome Iginla trade rumours.

“I guess one of the questions I have – where do these things start? Legitimate sources? Or is it a blogger in the basement in his underwear that says, ‘This is the rumour du jour’? Then you guys feel the need to come and track it down.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jay Feaster, you took the words right out of my mouth.

Where is Garrioch getting this insight? Is publishing the rumour simply a ploy for attention, or did he just need something to fill the space of a blurb reserved for the rumour of the day?

While these questions will likely remain un-answered, the thought of Garrioch in his underwear will haunt Canucks fans longer than any of these silly rumours ever will.

Northwest Noise is a weekly feature covering the past week in Vancouver Canucks news, offering you a soundtrack to their season every Monday as the team marches to the beat of its own drum throughout the regular season. 

The focus is on Cory Schneider in the Canucks crease.

Over twenty games into the regular season the competition in the Canucks’ crease continues as Cory Schneider keeps in rhythm during his time under the Vancouver spotlight. Schneider has shined during Roberto Luongo’s absence from the lineup out due to injury but now that the normal number one is back and ready for action it appears the beat goes on for the blue-eyed backup.

After comparing Roberto Luongo to the man behind blue eyes earlier in the season, it seems the parallel has come to life as Luongo literally finds himself sitting behind Schneider for the time being in Vancouver. While Schneider will start Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Head Coach Alain Vigneault was honest with his priorities when it comes to the two talented goaltenders.

“Obviously Roberto is our number one goaltender, before he got hurt he was starting to find his game. We put Cory in and he wasn’t very good against Chicago but after that he was the best player on the ice against Ottawa, shutout, shutout, and then the performance he had last night, he’s played well and he’s going to play tomorrow,” Vigneault told the media Monday.

As Vigneault mentioned, Schneider’s shutout streak is one of the main reasons the backup has continued to receive the start lately. However, what Vigneault doesn’t mention is that the skaters in front of Schneider have been playing their best hockey of the season during the duo of donuts.

Not only have Vancouver’s skaters been playing some of their best hockey of the season in front of Schneider, but the Canucks have also faced some of their worst competition over his past few starts. Before Schneider’s stellar solo performance on the San Jose stage, the backup had yet backstop a win against top NHL competition. Of the Senators, Coyotes and Avalanche, only the Phoenix Coyotes are currently in playoff position.

Manny Malhotra’s opening goal in Saturday’s game against the Sharks marked the tenth unanswered even-strength goal from Vancouver’s vicious attack during Schneider’s time in the spotlight. The backup may have suffered from a lack of scoring support in earlier starts during the season, however in his recent stretch has thrived behind a hard-working corps of Canucks skaters.

The competition in the Canucks crease may have the potential to create controversy among fans; however the drive for both goaltenders to push each other has become the backbone of Vancouver’s success. As hockey fans have seen in Boston over the past few seasons, backup goaltenders are capable of becoming rock stars in the eyes of management and media, but can’t always be counted on to carry the ball.

Just as all the members of The Who were necessary to fill the sound of Behind Blue Eyes and other songs of my (dad’s) generation, Cory Schneider is only a piece of Vigneault’s Vancouver orchestra.  Pete Townshend may have come up with the concept of the deaf dumb and blind boy that shot The Who to stardom, but it took Roger Daltrey to become to voice of Tommy to fully realize the album’s potential. In the Canucks’ crease, pressure provided by Cory Schneider may be necessary to make the most of Luongo’s talent.

“The Who was built on competition, but the competition was horrendous on and off the stage.” – Roger Daltrey

After overcoming tension with backup goaltender Tuukka Rask, veteran Tim Thomas backed the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup in a Conn Smythe winning performance. Following fisticuffs between Townshend and Daltrey in the early days of The Who, it would take a collaboration of their two talents to create the timeless classic that is Tommy.

While Roberto Luongo is saying all the right things heading into Schneider’s sixth straight start against the Blue Jackets, the time spent behind blue eyes on the Canucks bench is sure to light a fire under the consummate competitor.  “Schneids has been playing unreal the last couple weeks and the guys been working hard for two years and never said a word so he deserves every minute he’s getting right now,” Luongo told the media Monday.

“Winning games is what’s important and I’m going to be ready when it’s my turn to go.”

The overture continues Tuesday with Schneider to start again against Columbus, but will Luongo’s time away from the big stage provide the miracle cure Canucks fans are hoping for when he returns?

Click here to view the embedded video.

For instant stats, links, news, notes and all the Canucks hockey you can handle, follow The Flying V on Twitter @FlyingVHockey or keep up to date with the Kevin Vanstone and his musical tastes on Twitter @FlyingVLyf.

The Don

After last week’s exciting end to Coach’s Corner it was no surprise the Don was uppity once again to start this weekend’s Saturday evening sermon off in style. Cherry’s grandfather passed down a snazzy Saddle blanket from the RCMP and had to show it off during his opening on Saturday. Not sure if Cherry demanded to show off his badge of honour for good Canadian kids everywhere, or if the producers at the CBC decided it would be a welcome alternative to staring at Cherry’s spaghetti-coloured suit.

Despite his now life-long membership to the exclusive ranks of old-school hockey heroes, Cherry couldn’t help but rain on Bruce Boudreau’s parade as the Washington Capitals’ Head Coach approaches 200 NHL wins, doing it faster than any other NHL coach.

Except for Cherry of course, who was cheated by NHL scoring back in the day, which must be the coaching equivalent to every wannabe NHLers favourite phrase. What, your junior hockey coach didn’t ruin your career too?

“He had 39 wins in OT and shootouts, I didn’t have that chance. My winning percentage in Boston was .658, so you know I’d win half of them.” Cherry whined over his lack of legitimate wins relative to Boudreau.

“I’m the fastest and will always be.” Fastest to recall your own statistics, that is.

Goalie Gaffs

Always one to defend the criticized, Cherry moved on to defend a number of goaltenders given a raw deal over the past week in the NHL. If there’s ever a goaltender undeserved of blame, close by will be Cherry, screaming at the top of his lungs about deflecting shots on your own net.

Like Cherry’s example in Jonas Gustavsson, Alex Auld had no chance on Henrik Sedin’s Sunday night goal and will have to speak with Jesse Winchester after the defender ruthlessly deflected Sedin’s shot past Auld.

After dealing with the rash of dumb deflections by defenceman, Cherry moved on the pump the tires of another goaltender facing mid-season adversity. The brash former Bruin was quick to question the toughness of the Buffalo Sabres after Milan Lucic ran Ryan Miller last week in a rare goaltending controversy caused outside of the crease.

“It’s a sad situation when you have the TV announcer (Rick Jeanneret) tougher than anybody on the team,” Cherry condemned the Sabres’ skaters, allowing Ron Maclean to lay out the landscape of today’s NHL.

“But Don, this is the new thing, they’re banking on the referees or Shanahan to put the doubt or fear into Lucic,” Maclean pointed out.

“They (referees) sure didn’t do it in the playoffs when Boston intimidated them; Thornton was the best player in Game Three (last year),” Cherry replied.

Can’t Beat Big Bad Bruins

Despite Cherry’s headstrong opinions regarding violence and strategy in the NHL, his summation of the league’s over and under-reactions to this year’s hot button issues is right on the mark. The big bad Bruins continue to play the way they have for years, and despite modern league legislation there’s little the rest of the NHL can do to stop it.

Whatever you think about Miller vs. Lucic, there is no denying the level of intimidation the Boston Bruins hold over the rest of the league. The big bad Bruins have been beating teams down for over a season now, and only the arrogant assholes from Vancouver have dared to do something about it.

Traditionally a protector of ‘the code’ (if it exists) and player respect in the NHL, Don Cherry’s omission of any mention of Mark Recchi was a predictable and sad response to needless name-calling by the veteran. Mark Recchi’s verbal assault on the Canucks this past week while on a Boston radio show stood as a sad reflection of today’s NHL landscape.

Brad Marchand punches who he wants, Milan Lucic hits who he wants, and now Mark Recchi can say whatever he wants, because the Boston Bruins play by their own rules, and god bless them for it. While arrogance may to be a poorly chosen adjective, the Canucks’ style of play in last year’s Stanley Cup Final is indirectly responsible for a considerable amount of controversy this season.

The precedent of punches over patience was set in last year’s final and the rest of the league is paying the price today, much to the delight of Don Cherry and Bruins fans everywhere. If NHL players won’t stand up to the Beantown Bullies, why should anyone else?

Henrik Sedin didn’t fight back against Brad Marchand, the Sabres (and Canucks) didn’t fight back Milan Lucic and the Bruins, and now even honourary members of the team are getting a pass in the media because of past performances.

While I’d love to drown on sour grapes and call last year’s Stanley Cup victory a sham, the opposite remains true. The Boston Bruins’ determination to push opponents, referees and the media past their comfort level has elevated the team above and beyond the competition, and it earned them a well-deserved Stanley Cup ring

How long will it take for other NHL teams to adopt their older brother’s tactics in order to do the same?

For instant stats, links, news, notes and all the Canucks hockey you can handle, follow The Flying V on Twitter @FlyingVHockey or keep up to date with the Kevin Vanstone on Twitter @FlyingVLyf.

Don Cherry

The NHL is a diverse ecosystem of players and personalities. Built around speed, skill, violence and determination, the game of hockey is a distinct brand of sport that pulls together many different skills, assets and intangibles that make the game so entertaining. With such a plethora of people to protect the sanctity of our sport, Don Cherry’s emergence as a voice of authority on Coach’s Corner has become a constant cause of concern. Despite the growing list of doubters and dreadful delivery, Cherry remains one of hockey’s greatest sources of knowledge from behind his bodacious formal wear. So lets all laugh at the NHL, shall we?

Sour Grapes is a feature that will run weekly on Mondays , offering a summary of another crazy week around the NHL from the perspective of none other than Donald S. Cherry, distilled and interpreted into plain English so NHL fans everywhere can come to appreciate the wit and wisdom behind the ranting and raving of hockey’s greatest grizzled veteran. Watch the latest episode here.

In this week’s message to the masses, the Don took time before his classic Remembrance Day remarks to condemn the Toronto Maple Leafs’ use of star top line star Tim Connolly on the penalty kill earlier this season. Connolly missed the first eight games of the year with a shoulder injury and the team’s big off-season acquisition was once again forced out of the lineup after soaking a blocked shot on the penalty kill against the Bruins last Saturday.

This does not sit well with Cherry who was much more intelligent with his players while running the Bruins bench back in the day. Cherry would sooner see Mike Zigomanis of the (once 4-0) Toronto Maple Leafs man the penalty kill. While Cherry’s solution is worthy alternative, no amount of the “pride of Toronto” could give Zigomanis the zip necessary to cover the points, even if Frank D’angelo is firing pucks from the blue line.

It wouldn’t be a true Coach’s Corner without at least one Doug Gilmour reference. Gilmour was in the media again this week celebrating his selection into the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of this year’s inductees. As is tradition on Saturday nights in Canada, one mention of Gilmour on the CBC called for a montage of Cherry and Dougie kissing, a lot.

It was just another slow Saturday Night on Canada’s Broadcast Company. But did you notice the humour that almost arose out of Cherry (allegedly) kissing a woman?

“I didn’t know I kissed him that night,” Cherry let slip as the montage rolled. “That means that girl…(was my sloppy seconds) oh, never mind.” Yepp, I’d bet a beer against a bottle cap that Don Cherry almost made a “Sloppy Seconds” joke on national television, only a broadcast slugfest with Sean Avery himself could top that.

While Ron Maclean’s slight intervention saved the day from another potentially awkward talk between Gary Bettman and young impressionable daughters everywhere, it left Canadian hockey fans to wonder: If the CBC broadcasts south of the 49^th parallel and no one’s watching, do the televisions make a sound?

Following the mash-ups of Gilmour, Cherry passed it off to another one of hockey’s elder statesmen who has less trouble articulating himself. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Mark Howe had this to say about today’s NHL:

“The players police the game. There’s so much onus put on the officials right now. I don’t mind the fighting in the game; I know they’re trying to take a lot of it out. The game in the old days got rid of the pretenders. The guys that do the whacking and the hacking, the guys that do the chirping back, that stuff got eliminated years ago. If somebody was taking a shot at your best player, someone got rid of that thing right away.”

Taking a shot at your best player? The CBC must not broadcast in Buffalo.

“(Today) You can just take runs at people left and right, and they’re coming in at full speed and in the old days you eliminated that from the game.” Of course, it was Don Cherry’s beloved Bruins taking runs left, right and center on Saturday, but I digress.

After avoiding the antics of Saturday’s anarchy between the Bruins and Sabres, Cherry and his beloved handler had some high praise for Sheldon Souray and his big bounce-back in Dallas. Souray has totalled 13 points and a plus-9 through 16 games with the Stars this season and seems to be enjoying his extra-curricular time while in Dallas.

As a picture of Souray’s current girlfriend and buxom beauty Kelly Kelly sat onscreen during the close to Coach’s Corner, a grinning Cherry blurted out the line he had been waiting for all night. “If Dallas keeps going the way they are, they could win two cups.” Grapes’ excitement says it all, nothing sells hockey in Dallas like scantily clad women and as Ron Maclean so observantly pointed out “things are looking up in big D.”

Following tradition, it seemed appropriate Ron and Don would stand at attention to close Coach’s Corner only hours after Remembrance Day; however Saturday’s special salute will be a hard one to top.

For instant stats, links, news, notes and all the Canucks hockey you can handle, follow The Flying V on Twitter @FlyingVHockey or keep up to date with the Kevin Vanstone on Twitter @FlyingVLyf.

I never said the Canucks have a good taste in music.

Meet The Band

Only a few short months ago the Vancouver Canucks had two chances to clinch the Stanley Cup versus the Boston Bruins. After failing to win the much-cherished chalice the Canucks return to NHL action with a target on their backs but no rings on their fingers. Instead, Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand and the rest of the Boston Bruins now own stones Flava Flav would be envious of.

Months later, a new season and a new slogan have moved to spin the riots and their aftermath in a positive direction, but the damage for the most part cannot be undone. Like it or not, Canucks fans are now the poster-boys (and girls) of a black mark on the city of Vancouver and its’ sports fans.

On the ice front-man Henrik Sedin and twin brother Daniel are in charge of leading the team to play-on following the devastating loss last spring. Behind the twins, former captain Roberto Luongo returns once again to silence the critics who aggressively panned his latest body of work.

After diving, biting, blowing it and burning it down the Canucks and their much-hated fans are Back in Black in 2012.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Will the twins’ return to the ice go as smoothly as brothers Angus and Malcolm Young’s return to rock?

Up front, on lead guitar – The Forwards

 Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Alex Burrows

Henrik and Daniel Sedin return to the Canucks top line in 2012 alongside long-time partner in crime Alex Burrows who has adapted his play to coincide with the connected twins. Vancouver’s top line was the driving force behind the NHL’s top scoring offense last season and will be looked upon more than ever for point production this year with Ryan Kesler out of the lineup to start the season. The absence of Kesler and winger Mason Raymond has left a degree of unpredictability on the second line, leaving the responsibility to plug the net fully with the Sedins. After experiencing the worst of the Bruins’ harsh defensive system Henrik, his brother and his hungry linemate should be prepared for a demanding start to the season.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Glory, glory hallellu / Glory for Twins One and Two / But that glory’s been denied / by Lucic and Thomas eyes/

Marco Sturm – (Cody Hodgson) – Mikael Samuelsson

Injured: Mason Raymond – Ryan Kesler

You didn’t hear it, you didn’t see it, and you never heard it, not a word of it. The Canucks have put a disappointing Stanley Cup loss behind them and begin a new season with younger players pushing the team in the right direction. A majority of the Canucks starting second line in Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond will start the season out due to injury; however depth at winger and the addition of veteran Marco Sturm leaves the Canucks in good standing to start the year. Cody Hodgson appears to have put years of developmental struggles behind him and has impressed in training camp following a summer of off-season workouts with fitness guru Gary Roberts. Without number 17 and 21 to start the season fans have no reason to be over optimistic; however Hodgson has a golden opportunity to make 21 a good year starting the season on Vancouver’s second line.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Can Cody Hodgson elevate his play to ensure he and the Canucks see the year in together?

Chris Higgins – Manny Malhotra – Jannik Hansen

Fresh off a stellar 2011 campaign with the Canucks Chris Higgins, Jannik Hansen and Manny Malhotra return to the lineup to wreak havoc on opposing forwards as the Canucks third line checking unit. The Triple-H line begins the season with a 100% healthy Malhotra who has been working throughout the off-season to fully recover from a career-threatening eye injury that cost him most of the 2011 playoffs. Chris Higgins returns to the lineup following an impressive playoff performance that earned him a new two-year contract with the Canucks to being the season. Familiar face Jannik Hansen also returns for only his second full season with the Canucks after tallying a career high 29 points over 82 games last year. While the hard hitting of Raffi Torres will be missed, the third line has surely been upgraded over the summer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Manny Malhotra and the Canucks have paid their heavy debts and now know the pain of losing the Stanley Cup; will the Triple-H line will have a chance to play the game for keeps once again?

Aaron Volpatti – Maxim Lapierre – Dale Weise

Once assumed to be the LOV line featuring Aaron Volpatti, Maxim Lapierre and Victor Oreskovich the Canucks made a sudden-move Tuesday opting to waive Victor Oreskovich in order to make room for waiver pickup Dale Weise from the New York Rangers. Weise apparently did more to wow coaches and critics in camp than Oreskovich who appeared to have his own favourable showing in the pre-season for the Canucks. The former Canuck may have become the victim of an apparent fourth line upgrade due to the aggressive play of Revelstoke, BC native Aaron Volpatti who literally fought his way into the lineup on the opposite wing. While late fan favourite Rick Rypien will be sorely missed on the ice and in the community, Volpatti’s violent play has already captured the hearts of Canucks fans with a soft spot for the tough guy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’ll take to the ice like a cock fight / Fourth hits who’s strutting now?

On rhythm and bass guitar – The Defenceman

Kevin Bieksa – Dan Hamhuis

Alex Edler – Sami Salo

Keith Ballard – Chris Tanev

A cast of familiar faces return to the Canucks’ blue line to maintain order in front of Roberto Luongo again this season. The loss of two-way talent Christian Ehrhoff will be sorely felt on the blueline, but with youth and chemistry on the Canucks’ side this six piece remains of the NHL’s deepest defensive units. Every player on the Vancouver blueline to start opening night played at least one game during the Stanley Cup Finals last year and will provide his own contribution to the Canucks D this season. The veteran presence of Sami Salo and youthful energy of Chris Tanev complemented by the consistent play of Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler and (potentially) Keith Ballard provides a diverse corps of defenceman to get back to the big dance. Having tried so hard and got so far in last year’s playoffs, the Canucks blueline is poised to take advantage of the mutual adversity experienced which will only make them stronger in the end.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Will the experience of losing together in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals matter for the Canucks blue line?

On the drums and percussion – The Goaltenders

Roberto Luongo

Behind a blue and green mask Roberto Luongo returns to the city with the sea wall in pursuit of a return to the Stanley Cup Finals. On a team built from the net out, Luongo is the cornerstone of the Canucks as well as the last line of defence. Despite the continuous (and often ludicrous) conversation surrounding Luongo he remains one of the top goaltenders in the world and enters the season more motivated than ever to propel his team to victory. Just as Keith Moon provided the driving force behind the sound of The Who, Luongo provides a calming rhythm with save after save allowing his teammates to go to work in front of him. Luongo’s fragile mentality will forever be questioned until he is able to lift the Stanley Cup over his head, but after a year of lessons learned Luongo is ready for the beginning of a new season.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canucks fans may lack a conscience when it comes to Luongo, but will the goaltender’s dreams of a Stanley Cup become a reality?

Cory Schneider

General Manager Mike Gillis has one convenient problem at the goaltending position to start the season. Backup Cory Schneider’s performance in last year’s playoffs proved the prospect is ready for a consistent NHL workload; however behind Roberto Luongo those games simply don’t exist. While it may have appeared handy to have had Schneider waiting in the wings behind Luongo last spring, the dilemma can prove costly over an entire season. There is such thing as too much talent in a shared goal crease. Management and head coach Alain Vigneault may tow the line that the tandem is a tremendous treat, but one can’t help but wonder what fans will be saying if a controversy does manage to rise its’ ugly head out of the timeshare.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This time next year will Canucks fans be telling themselves they should have known?

Tonight marks the beginning of it all as coaches and fans get a real long look at players in live action, deciding who makes the team, who finds employment elsewhere and who rounds out the TSN panel come early October.

Following in recent Canucks tradition, the team extended a number of training camp tryouts again this year to fringe players looking to re-ignite their NHL careers and at the very least, raise the competition level at camp. For Owen Nolan, Todd Fedoruk, Steve Begin and many others training camp holds the fate of their careers, leaving it all up to the athletes to play their hearts out over the next several supposedly meaningless games.

But don’t be confused- the only meaningless part of an exhibition game is the score-board; the rest is just as pertinent to a team as opening night in October. Player performances and the subsequent cuts can mean more to your favourite team than a regular season game against an Eastern Conference unfamiliar several months later ever will.

Could Brendan Morrison have been a difference maker come playoff time last season if he found a spot on the roster over say, Peter Schaefer? Training camp questions will bounce around in the minds and hearts of Canucks fans all season long, so pay close attention to these battles as training camp slugs on, there’s more riding on these games than you think.

Who’s On Second?

Off-season surgery and rehabilitation for Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond has left a large gap on the Canucks’ second line to being the season. With a number of candidates to fill the position training camp provides a golden opportunity for players looking to swim into a top-six role. From young and talented prospects to respected veterans, the Canucks second line could see a number of different configurations over the course of the pre-season.

Whoever centers the second line while Kesler heals also won’t be sure who their linemates will be until the end of camp. Chris Higgins, Mikael Samuelsson, and Marco Sturm are all competing for a look on the second line while winger Mason Raymond is rehabbing a back injury. When the speedy winger returns, the top-six becomes increasingly crowded, beginning a season-long competition for a second line spot down the stretch.

Are the Veteran Tryouts for Real?

Off-season acquisition Marco Sturm has something to prove to Canucks faithful who have already sprung to doubt the recently and repeatedly repaired winger. Sturm played less than 20 games in three of the last four seasons with the Bruins, Kings and Capitals and is looking to rejuvenate his career playing on a talent-rich Canucks lineup.

To push Sturm and the rest of the Canucks, Mike Gillis has continued in his tradition of asking several veteran players to try out with the team. In this year’s annual attempt to raise the competition level at camp Gillis has reached out to a number of notable names in Owen Nolan, Todd Fedoruk, Steve Begin and goaltender Manny Legace to offer a second chance at the NHL.

Nolan and Fedoruk are likely both vying for a spot on the Canucks fourth line, however with the depth of forwards ahead of the pair on the depth chart, the chances of making the team in Vancouver are slim. Like Brendan Morrison last year, the two veterans are looking for a second chance with the Canucks just as much as any other NHL team that could become interested following a good showing in camp. It is an odd reality for Canucks fans yet the overall increase in competition at camp only raises the effort level of everyone on the ice, always a good thing.

Will Tanev Secure Top-Six Spot?

Kevin Bieksa was so impressed with Chris Tanev’s performance during the latter half of the 2011 season he told reporters he thought the youngster could skate around the ice with a smoke in his mouth. At the start of a fresh season in 2012 Tanev has the opportunity to validate his play and lock down a sport on the Canucks final defensive pairing.

Tanev was determined to make additional strides this season and added an extra ten pounds of muscle over the summer in order to beef up his game. With older and stronger defenceman like Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome also competing for the same spots in the lineup despite the bulk-up Tanev will be forced to prove brain is better than brawn on the blueline.

Along with Alberts and Rome, veteran defenceman Anders Eriksson is likely to get a good look on the Canucks blueline as a depth option. If the Canucks’ playoff run last season is any indication, a stable of defenceman is more than necessary when preparing for the grind of four brutal rounds of playoff hockey.

Can Cody Hodgson Find a Permanent Home?

By all accounts Cody Hodgson finds himself in perfect position to earn a spot with the Canucks however with a short time-frame to showcase his talent before resident second line pivot Ryan Kesler returns, Hodgson faces a tall task in securing a permanent spot in the lineup. Despite Hodgson’s pedigree, 28 year old Andrew Ebbett could also challenge for the temporary second line position. Ebbett played 145 games with four teams over the last six seasons but has yet to stick on any NHL roster.

Cody Hodgson is a perfect fit for a vacant second line center role while Ryan Kesler is out recovering from injury, but what of the young Coho when Kesler returns? It is hard to imagine a situation in which Hodgson can hold a permanent centering role on the Canucks, who are one of the deepest teams in the NHL up the middle. So what options are left for a talented young player who doesn’t seem to fit in an already talent-rich lineup?

Some will speculate that a positive showing in Canucks camp from Coho will result in a Ryan Kesler shift to the wing on the second line; however the Canucks would be wise to think long and hard about other alternatives before changing the position of the reigning Selke winner. The combination of Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler and Manny Malhotra at the center position is one of the Canucks’ biggest strengths, one not worth tinkering with for the sake of a prospect.

A shift further down the lineup on the fourth line would make more sense for the Canucks, but only if the team is willing to carry Hodgson as a fourth line center. Unfortunately for the team Hodgson’s pedigree as a puck distributor and point generator makes little sense in a fourth line role.

No matter how he plays there may not be much room for Cody Hodgson in the Canucks lineup, but the amount of talented hockey players on the roster does make for an intriguing trade landscape if Mike Gillis decides space needs to be made. With another valuable prospect in Cory Schneider available to Gillis, it is very possible the Canucks could be looking to move some young talent early in the season.

How Much Longer is Cory Schneider a Canuck?

You don’t have to follow Bob McKenzie to know that Cory Schneider’s talent is slightly wasted behind a goaltending giant like Roberto Luongo. The latter simply isn’t designed to share the work load, he loves playing every night and he is fully considered a 1A starting goalie in the NHL, so the question remains, how long will Cory Schneider last in Vancouver?

As Cam Cole mentioned in a piece yesterday covering the young man behind the mask, Schneider’s time to emerge as a legitimate number one goaltender in the NHL is quickly approaching and with a handful of teams in need of a young crease keeper, it is only a matter of time before Schneider moves on. Just don’t expect Schneider to be headed to the most obvious fit in say, Edmonton. The Canucks aren’t about to allow a divisional rival to vastly upgrade their team.

With a surplus of talent trying out for a position on the Canucks second line and another blue-chip prospect in Cody Hodgson readily available to Mike Gillis, the trading block could become a very familiar avenue for Mike Gillis as the Canucks drive to pursue Stanley Cup aspirations.

A Diamond in the Rough?

Every year it seems one player or another far exceeds expectations at NHL training camp blowing coaches and teammates out of the water with their progress. Who will be the shining star this year, and does it make a difference on such a talented Canucks team? Teases like Sergei Shirokov have provided camp intrigue in years past, but will another young talent break out in the coming games this year?

Have another player or training camp battle worth paying special attention to? Let it be known in the comments section below.

For instant stats, links, news, notes and all the Canucks hockey you can handle  follow The Flying V on Twitter @FlyingVHockey or keep up to date with the Kevin Vanstone on Twitter @FlyingVLyf.

Back in the comfort of Vancouver, Luongo and the Canucks bounced back for one of their most complete games of the season, fighting through heavy criticism and in-game adversity to earn a 1-0 victory in a pivotal Game Five.

Luongo did a complete 180 Friday, reverting to the hometown hero who has allowed only two goals in three games at home against the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. Luongo and the rest of the team may have laid two black and gold eggs in Boston however in three Canuck victories at home Luongo has stopped 95 of 97 shots, a Conn Smythe worthy body of work.

The selective sample size of three home games is far too small for Luongo to win the Conn Smythe and his terrible time in goal on the road has certainly shattered any dreams of the playoff MVP trophy but one game away from a series victory the Stanley Cup is the only trophy Luongo’s heart truly desires.

While the away games ended in disaster for Luongo, his ability to focus in the big games throughout the playoffs has ignorantly come under question once again in these Stanley Cup Finals. Consider his body of work over this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Luongo has posted two shutouts against the Boston Bruins when the playoff series is even, tied 0-0 in Game One and again tied at 2-2 in Game Five.

Luongo has begun three of four playoff rounds with a Game One shutout victory.

In every game the Canucks have played while tied in a playoff series Luongo has allowed two goals or less, posting a .931 save percentage or better in all seven games played in this year’s playoffs.

All four of Luongo’s playoff shutouts this season have occurred in games with the series lead up for the taking.

If anything Roberto Luongo is the reason the Canucks have yet to trail a series at any point during the playoffs this season, an amazing statistic considering the amount of criticism the Canucks have caught for choking at times during the playoffs.

At worst Luongo is only at fault for letting his guard down when the Canucks have enjoyed a seemingly comfortable series lead, but he is not alone. The entire Canucks roster was sucked into a false sense of security against the Chicago Blackhawks in round one after taking a three game series lead. True to his work ethic and positive attitude Luongo responded appropriately with a big Game Seven performance, saving the city from complete disaster in the process.

After reuniting with his playoff demons in Boston the Olympic Gold Medal winner once again responded with a statement performance last night, shutting out the Bruins at home in an all important Game Five of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Inspired by the serenity of the Vancouver sea wall, Luongo tuned out fans and critics before Game Five Friday, taking an afternoon walk on the scenic path in order to clear his head and focus on the task at hand. When asked about his seawall stroll Luongo explained his Game Five preparation.

“I did it today. I don’t know if they have any seawalls in Boston, but I’m going to look for that. I put my hoody on and my headphones and I don’t know if somebody said anything, I can’t hear. But I just focus on the journey and everything I need to do to be ready for the game and that’s what gets me prepared.”

The journey has been long and ruthless yet Luongo was able to once again pull himself out of the depths of potential depression to frustrate the Bruins. This is the same Roberto Luongo who continues to be murdered by the media despite his stellar play in some big games.

Luongo knows how to win the big games.

After the latest round of Luongo bashing, one writer was confident enough to claim Tim Thomas and Carey Price (of all people) are a class above Luongo. The post entitled “Why Thomas and Price Are a Class Above Luongo” serves as a prime example of media overload. Everyone has an opinion on the story of the series during the Stanley Cup Finals, not that Luongo himself appears concerned about the opinions of fringe fans.

“The only thing I have to prove is to myself, my teammates and my family and friends. That’s who I play for. I play the game because I love it and I want to win the Stanley Cup. So that’s the only motivation I need right now,” Luongo said following Game Five.

“If Luongo’s name is engraved on the Cup this week he will not have earned an iota of additional respect from fans throughout the league, not because he is “undervalued” but because he has not yet learned that what fans already know, Luongo is not in the same class of Price and Thomas,” said CJ Shepard.

While hockey moms from Boston will attempt to devalue Luongo’s body of work with off-base opinions like those directly above, he certainly won’t lose any sleep over the criticism in the days leading up to Game Six.

“I try to block everything else out. Sometimes it’s hard to do in a city like this. You can’t let those things affect you because then they will affect your game.”

Like Luongo, Tim Thomas won’t be focussed on any off-day discussion regarding his play. Luongo’s comments regarding Maxim Lapierre’s game winning goal Friday night may have come across as confrontational towards Thomas however Luongo simply said what most of us were thinking while deviating from classic hockey clichés.

“It’s an easy save for me, but if you’re wandering out and aggressive like [Thomas] does, that’s going to happen. He might make some saves that I won’t but in a case like that, we want to take advantage of a bounce like that and make sure we’re in a good position to bury those,” Luongo told the media Friday.

It may not be advised to call out a goaltender as talented as Tim Thomas however Boston’s goaltender simply can’t play any better than he already has against the Canucks. Thomas has been without-a-doubt-lights-out throughout the playoffs and likely has the Conn Smythe locked up win or lose. So what’s wrong with a little extra confidence from the man playing opposite America’s hero?

A little swagger from the Vancouver’s former captain could be all the Canucks need to secure the Stanley Cup on the road against the Bruins.

For last minute stats, links, news, notes and all the hockey chatter you can handle, follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan

Two games into a frustrating series for the Bruins, the rambunctious Canucks hold the upper hand heading into Game Three tonight in Boston.

While both games in Vancouver were hard-fought affairs, the quick-strike attack of the Canucks has hurt the Bruins dearly following two game winning goals scored seconds away from the 60 minute mark.

Just as they struggled in their series against the Lightning, Tim Thomas and the Bruins are finding it difficult to maintain focus and composure when approaching the intermission and beginning a new period.

The Bruins allowed an Adam Hall goal only 13 seconds into Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final only to give up another devastating Martin St. Louis tally with only seven seconds to go in that same period.

In Game Six against the Bolts, Boston allowed a goal against in the first minute of both the 1^st and 3^rd periods in what ended up to be a 5-4 loss.

Following the trend, the Canucks have generated both game winning goals within twenty seconds of the period break. The quick thinking and determination of Raffi Torres, Alex Burrows and their linemates has earned the Canucks a two game edge in the series however heading back to Boston the home ice advantage could very well swing this series back in the Bruins favour.

When asked if he was concerned about how the Bruins had lost the opening two games Claude Julien remained confident in his team. ““We’ve gone through the experience of being down 2-0 against Montreal, probably even worse because we lost to them at home,” Julien told NHL media after Game Two.

“We didn’t come here just to roll over. We’re definitely going to go back home and regroup and bounce back.”

Boston won’t roll over at home, but the big bad Bruins could continue to find themselves distracted as the series switches to the east coast. Maxim Lapierre’s Game Two antics have struck a nerve in the Boston locker room following the non-suspension of Alex Burrows.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Certainly wouldn’t be acceptable on our end of it. I think you know me enough to know that. Not much I can say on that,” Julien said following today’s morning skate.

“The NHL rules on something. They decide to make a mockery of it, that’s totally up to them.”

While Lapierre refused to comment on Julien’s assessment of his tactics, the frustrating French-Canadian furthered the sentiment of any true winner without saying anything at all- If you aren’t cheating you aren’t trying.

In such a tightly contested series the edge gained by the morally questionable antics of Lapierre is undeniable and despite Julien’s protest, ethics don’t belong in a series such as this. NHL players live their whole lives to raise the Stanley Cup over their heads, don’t think for a second that Lapierre or any other Canuck will think twice about lying, cheating and stealing their way to  a Stanley Cup, nor should they.

Back at home in front of a rabid fan-base, the Bruins must adopt the same win-at-all-costs attitude in order to stage a comeback in the series. A loss tonight at the hands of the Canucks would likely finish the Bruins before a fourth game could even be played.

With a cast of playoff veterans and the experience of coming back from down 2-0 against Montreal, the Bruins have all the right ingredients to stage a comeback against Vancouver however with their own veteran presence back into the lineup in Manny Malhotra the Canucks are prepared for another tough game against the Bruins.

Tonight’s matchup could be even more physical than the opening pair of games in Vancouver with a chance for Shawn Thornton to crack the Bruins’ lineup tonight. If Thornton gets the nod expect an extremely aggressive game from every skater in black and gold not just the fourth line enforcer. The hometown crowd will thrive on a physical game from the Bruins, especially anything thrown Burrows or Lapierre’s way. With Boston searching for revenge on and off the score sheet tonight, the Canucks are in for a taxing Game Three in which the hometown officiating could allow for a little more physicality than traditionally tolerated.

Just as Boston must embrace the gamesmanship of the Canucks, Vancouver must match the physical play of the Bruins tonight in what is building up to be another big, bad, battle on ice.

Both defenceman known for their two-way play have generated points for their team in the first two games of the series; however Bieksa finds himself the key figure in two Canuck victories to open the Western Conference Final versus the Sharks. In two short games, Bieksa has easily been the series MVP.

Bieksa’s Gordie Howe hat trick in Game Two sparked the Canucks to a dominating 7-3 victory Wednesday in which he carried his team during the second period, burying a breakaway wrist shot on Antti Niemi only to bring the physical play later in the period. Wednesday’s turning point occurred after Patrick Marleau challenged Bieksa to a fight in order to spark his team, only to be seeing sparks after Juice fed the “gutless” Sharks center multiple punches.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Despite the spectacular beat down of Marleau and the subsequent Ben Eager explosion that seemed to set off the Sharks demise, Bieksa downplayed his contribution in Game Two.

“I don’t know about the impact on the game,” Bieksa told the media Wednesday.

“I don’t know what started it. Just two guys battling, it turned out to be a good battle. He did a good job.”

Only in a tightly contested Western Conference Final would Bieksa claim to have little impact in a game in which he earned the Gordie Howe hat trick is such a dramatic fashion, Marleau barely managed a scratch on the Canucks newfound hero.

“This year he’s been consistent. Obviously right now he’s playing some of his best hockey of the season. We hope that that continues,” Alain Vigneault said regarding Bieksa today.

“We need it to continue.”

In the dynamic and ever-evolving NHL playoffs Bieksa finds himself the most recent hero to step into the spotlight as the Canucks continue to thrive on a depth of players making their mark at different times throughout the playoffs.

In round one the Canucks required a full team effort to overcome the Blackhawks. In round two the team required a full effort from Ryan Kesler to overcome the Nashville Predators. In round three Bieksa has filled the series spotlight, skating shooting and fighting his way to victory in two series-opening wins.

Opposite Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley and fellow blueliner Dan Boyle, Bieksa’s ownership of the spotlight has been no easy task. The Canucks surely had the advantage on the blue line heading into the Western Conference Final against the Sharks, but not even Alain Vigneault could have seen this scoring outbreak coming from the man they call Juice.

“Well, obviously we’ve all known that Kevin is a character guy and a real competitor,” said Vigneault.

“That’s what he did tonight. That’s what he’s done for us consistently this year.”

Vancouver’s bench boss may be willing to credit Bieksa for playing at this same level all yea but it is evident that Juice has elevated his play recently during the post season, emerging among the depth of the Canucks blue line as a key piece to the puzzle.

Alongside Dan Hamhuis on the Canucks top shutdown pairing this year Bieksa has thrived as a steady defensive defenceman, however it is in the playoffs when the extra effort is required to win the day that Bieksa has continued to seize the offensive opportunities that come his way. The blueliner looked like a forward in training while skating in on Niemi during Game Two only to slide a perfectly placed shot between the goaltender’s pads.

While bigger men than he will be looking for retribution tonight after Juice pummelled Patrick Marleau Wednesday night, like the rest of the team Bieksa is focused on the larger task ahead of the Canucks.

“Our focus is on winning a series. That’s the important thing.”

In round one the Vancouver Canucks exorcised their playoff demons by finishing the Chicago Blackhawks in an emotional Game Seven victory after leading the series three games to none. In round two it was the Sharks’ turn, eliminating their long-time rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, for the second year in a row. San Jose also took a commanding 3-0 lead only to finish the Wings off in the seventh and deciding game.

Having stared playoff death in the face and played on to tell the tale, both the Sharks and Canucks are hungrier than ever for a Stanley Cup Final berth. Veterans of the NHL playoffs, the Sharks have had several opportunities to make the Cup final but have come up short year in and year out. In Vancouver the team hasn’t made it to a conference final since the much fabled 1994 cup run.

“Anytime you get further in the playoffs, you’re going to get a couple different challenges, tougher challenges, as well. Whichever line we go up against, it’s going to be a tough, hard-fought battle. Right from Game 1, from the first shift, it’s going to be a war,” Ian White told the media via conference call.

With so many devastating playoff losses in years past the Sharks playoff history reads like a NHL war memorial, but despite astonishing losses in the post-season over the last several years the Sharks are back again battling for a chance at the cup, fighting off the label as gutless choke artists one game at a time.

“We have to live for this year. It’s amazing how far we go back when there haven’t been many games played,” said Sharks coach Todd McLellan.

In Vancouver the Sedins and Roberto Luongo may not be working to right 14 seasons of playoff wrongs but the pressure remains at an all time high in British Columbia. Canucks fever has swept across the city creating a collective bandwagon the size of Vancouver Island, but all is as to be expected in the city home to Canada’s only team to survive the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs.

Despite the hype the team is trying to remain calm heading into the third round, the farthest this group of players has ever been in the playoffs. “I think we’re a pretty mature group in that locker room. We’ve approached games the same way all year long, that’s one game at a time. Obviously I know it’s cliché, but that’s exactly how we approached things all year. I don’t think that’s going to change,” Alex Burrows told the media.

Just don’t expect the rest of the country to get behind the Canucks.

Bitter or simply unimpressed by Burrows, Kesler and boastful Canucks fans, Canada isn’t ready to throw its’ support behind the west coast just yet. But if the pesky Canucks can frustrate Thornton and the Sharks on the way to a Stanley Cup Final berth the country will turn blue and green overnight.

Another loss in the Western Conference Final would be sure to leave the Sharks blue in the face as well. After being swept by the Blackhawks last season San Jose is determined to re-write their playoff history with a berth to the cup final on the line.

With a surplus of talent on both rosters, the two-way battle between top centers Ryan Kesler and Joe Thornton could decide the series. Since taking over the captaincy jumbo Joe has been the Sharks leader on and off the ice all season. While Kesler may not have the proper letter on his sweater, there is no doubt who has been the Canucks go-to guy in the first half of the NHL playoffs.

“I think he can play against anyone the way he’s playing right now. It’s up to our coaches when they decide the game plan to devise. I’m comfortable with whatever they want to do,” said Mike Gillis regarding Kesler and his performance in the playoffs.

Much like the battle between two of Don Cherry’s favourites in Kesler versus Thornton, the matchup between Roberto Luongo and Antti Niemi pits a questioned playoff performer against an opponent who refuses to lose in the post season.

A summer of doubt from Blackhawks management may have bitterly questioned the true talent of the then rookie goaltender however Niemi has proven his critics wrong with another stellar playoff performance for the Sharks so far this post season.

In his first eleventh NHL season and first ever Western Conference Final Luongo finds himself awkwardly inexperienced with the deep rounds of the playoffs relative to Niemi.

“I think overall he doesn’t really have any weaknesses. Still to lose a playoff round, you have to respect that. Overall a solid goaltender who obviously wins some games,” said Daniel Sedin when asked about facing Antti Niemi once again.

Parallel to the battle between critic favourites Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and the Sedin twins, Luongo versus Niemi will come down to a battle of wills. Both goaltenders enter the series playing impressive playoff hockey but with so much firepower uniting in the series it is likely to be a tough stretch for both protectors of the crease.

“Their top three lines, I think we’ve talked about this quite a few times, about the balance they have up front on those top three lines, where they can all score. They all have good hockey sense. So it’s going to be a real challenge for our forwards and our D,” said Alain Vigneault about the Sharks’ offence.

“I’m confident that we can do it.”

After losing to Niemi and the Blackhawks in last year’s playoffs Daniel and Henrik Sedin are determined to prove themselves in another series opposite a stingy Finnish goaltender.

Vancouver may have made its’ first Western Conference Final since ’94 riding the Conn Smyth worthy effort of Ryan Kesler in rounds one and two but if Henrik and Daniel fail to show up on the score sheet with consistency again in round three serious questions will be raised in the off season.

And bitter analysts can be a scathing bunch.

The bottom line is that the Vancouver Canucks will not be able to survive a Shark attack without significant production and defensive responsibility from the Sedin twins. The depth of the Sharks offence make the Predators seem like a beer league squad and without the entire Canucks top six firing on all cylinders Vancouver will quickly discover the playoff heartbreak that has reigned in California for so many years.

With stiffer competition and a fresh start to prove the critics wrong, Henrik and Daniel Sedin have the perfect opportunity to prove to the NHL that their back-to-back Art Ross Trophies were no gimmick. Until then the NHL jury still remains out on whether the Sedins are chokers or champs.

“We’ve been through this every year throughout the regular season, throughout the playoffs. It’s one of those things where some guys are not scoring as much and other guys are stepping up. We’ve done a good job of that all year,” said Henrik Sedin when asked about his lines struggles relative to Ryan Kesler.

Despite the myriad of storylines and angles surrounding this series the matchup simply comes down to who wants it more. Henrik Sedin may be battling some type of injury but in the playoffs playing hurt is a certainty rather than an excuse. The twins were one of the strongest duos in the NHL during the regular season but seem to have again withdrawn to the soft sisters that first entered league playing against defenders who are happy to give them a rough ride.

In the most important series on the biggest stage of their NHL careers the Sedins are once again in the spotlight in their battle for a chance at Stanley’s Cup.

“I think every game is a fresh start in the playoffs. It’s a thing where you have to move on. You look at the next game as a chance to make a difference. This is the way we look at it. Always a chance to go out there next shift, next game, make a difference, and that’s not going to change just because it’s a new series.”

Despite the lack of glorious statistics, Kesler’s game didn’t change much drastically from the first round to the second. The three-time Selke nominee is one of the most well rounded players in the NHL and has adapted his role on the Canucks as his opponents change.

In the NHL playoffs, Kesler is a coach’s dream.

Kesler may have missed out on the chance to become team captain over the summer due to his fiery passion which at times had roamed out of control in previous seasons however the limitless passion that Kesler brings to the game is his best attribute.

Without the same aggression, passion and defensive responsibility that teammate Ryan Kesler brings to the lineup Henrik and Daniel Sedin are beginning to become the back story to Kesler’s Conn Smythe worthy performance through two playoff rounds.

Few believe the Canucks would have had any shot at defeating the Nashville Predators in the second round if not for the play of Kesler, a belief hard to oppose considering Kesler was involved in 11 of 14 goals scored by the Canucks in round two. Halfway through the NHL playoffs in a four-round run at the Stanley Cup time is on the side of Henrik and Daniel Sedin with the opportunity to prove themselves in unchartered territory, the Western Conference Final.

While the Sedins may have dodged a potential bullet by hopping aboard the ‘K’ train to the third round, history does not bode well for the Twins’ point production in their first ever shot at a conference title.

Throughout the last three years in which the Canucks have made the NHL playoffs only once did either Henrik or Daniel Sedin raise their point total in the second round after three consecutive first round victories. Henrik kept a point-per-game pace against both the Blues and Blackhawks in ’09, but dropped to a -2 in the second round. Both the twins have generated a healthy numbers of points in all three first round appearances, however against the Blackhawks and the Predators the Sedins have been exposed in their own end as well as frustrated while on the attack. Neither of the Sedins have ever posted a positive plus/minus rating in the second round of the playoffs.

While strategies employed by the head coach during a playoff series often decide who gets the role of hero and who gets the role of grinder, Henrik and Daniel Sedin will always be destined to score goals for their team. Coach Alain Vigneault has designed the Canucks to center around the offensive capabilities of the Sedins and opposing shut down units will always be waiting to stop them. The Twins’ role as a top offensive threat in the NHL is unshakeable, but heading into the third round of the NHL Playoffs their effectiveness in crunch time has come under question.

After Ryan Kesler carried the team offensively in round two versus the Predators it is once again up to Henrik and Daniel to fill the score sheet in the Western Conference Final. The San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings both have more than enough offensive star power to attract a Kesler shaped shadow and just as the job of shutting down Jonathan Toews consumed him in round one, Kesler will not be available to provide the same scoring drive in round three.

While Kesler can contribute through his role as a scorer as well as a shutdown center, the Sedins are primarily a scoring line only. Henrik and Daniel Sedin will likely never be nominated for the Selke award or receive any other recognition for their defensive work on the ice, however utilising the cycle the Sedins can still manage to play solid defence by engaging in a suffocating cycle-driven attack. The twins are at their best when controlling the puck along the half wall and around the boards, keeping their checkers hemmed in their own zone unable to break out for a potential scoring chance.

Taking a look at the defensive history of the Canucks over the last three playoff runs, James Mirtle breaks down the differences between the Canucks of years past and the team that overcame the Blackhawks and Predators in rounds one and two. “The most significant difference are fewer goals for, fewer goals against, better penalty killing , better save percentage, more shots on goal and fewer against,” said Mirtle regarding this year’s edition of the Canucks.

Despite struggling against Pekka Rinne and the Predators’ stingy defence in round two, the table is set for the Canucks’ offensive leaders to emerge once again as the dynamic duo that dominated during the past two regular seasons. With the ability to sit back and watch the Sharks and Red Wings battle each other tonight in an intense Game Seven, the Sedins and the rest of the Vancouver Canucks have three days to observe and prepare for an intensely fought matchup against a Western Conference powerhouse.

In their first ever Western Conference Final both Henrik and Daniel Sedin have an opportunity to define themselves not only as skilled skaters but as playoff competitors who are capable of elevating their game against the best in the world. Ryan Kesler may have driven the bus for the Canucks through rounds one and two however on the long road to Stanley Cup glory Henrik and Daniel Sedin must take a few shifts at the wheel going forward in order to keep the Canucks and their season on track.

Let’s not forget too quickly that in his last two playoff series’ Luongo struggled mightily at times opposite two mere rookie goaltenders in Antti Niemi and Cory Crawford. Opposite Rinne and the Predators’ notorious defensive system Luongo finds himself in the toughest playoff goaltending duel of his career.

Yet both Rinne and Luongo struggled in their first round playoff matchups, surviving to prove themselves in the second round. After starting on the bench behind Cory Schneider in Game Six only to backstop the team to victory in Game Seven, can Luongo rebound opposite another world class goaltender?

Looking back at Luongo’s game logs from the first round, one gets the sense that two different goaltenders not named Schneider were playing in the Canucks crease through the series.

In four Canucks victories during the first round, Luongo allowed 6 goals on 122 shots, good for a .950 save percentage. However in the three Canucks losses, Luongo imploded to allow 11 on 53 shots totalling a.792 save percentage.

Having exorcised the demons that were the Chicago Blackhawks with a statement performance in Game Seven Luongo has the momentum on his side facing a new opponent in the Predators. After winning the biggest game of his life, one he said was bigger than the Olympic Gold Medal game, Luongo is ready to pick up where he left off in the second round.

At the other end of the rink Pekka Rinne will look to knock Luongo out of the playoffs before he attempts to knock him off out of the Vezina race. After battling with the Anaheim Ducks in an uncharacteristically high scoring series for Rinne, he is also looking to turn his game around in the second round.

Like Luongo the Predator’s goaltender started and ended his first round series with solid numbers, but strayed from his game in the thick of things. Games three and four were especially rough on Rinne in the opening round, he allowed 3 goals on 16 shots in game three only to return to the crease in game four to allow 6 goals on 29 shots, being pulled in the process. While Rinne may not be facing the same questions that Luongo has regarding getting the hook and playing under the pressure, those same doubts haunt both goaltenders heading into the series.

If anything, Luongo has the psychological advantage in the crease heading into round two. It may not be possible to play better than Cory Crawford did opposite Luongo in round one and after a series of questions and doubts Luongo is an expert at dealing with the pressure from the media and fans.

Bobby Lu has earned at least one letdown performance after what seemed like a Stanley Cup worthy series versus the Blackhawks in which his mental toughness was seriously questioned.

“It’s not easy to hear some things sometimes,” Luongo admitted to Jason Botchford of The Province. “But you learn to deal with these things. You have to realize people will have short memories.”

He may play in Nashville, but this is Pekka Rinne’s first playoff rodeo. If Rinne fails to compare to Luongo early in the series, he will face every recycled question Luongo already answered in round one. Just as Luongo knows, Rinne will have to prove himself to the pundits before he finds himself the story at the lonely end of the rink in the second round.

How Rinne fairs in round two depends greatly on the Canucks shooters. Following a difficult series against the Blackhawks for Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, the Canucks top two centers are poised to make their mark offensively in the second round.

Captain Henrik Sedin failed to find the back of the net in round one, but with five assists managed to do his part in the opposition’s end setting up twin brother and Hart Trophy nominee Daniel Sedin. Consumed by the role of shadowing Jonathan Toews, Kesler also failed to score in the series tallying only four assists while playing opposite the fellow Selke nominee.

Without a standout scorer on the Predators to specifically shut down during the second round Kesler and the Canucks should be able to use their own offensive game as a first priority weapon, rather than embracing the shutdown role. The Predators will look to take advantage of any overzealous attacking by the Canucks in an attempt to shut down Vancouver and win scoring by committee.

“They play really well defensively like Chicago, they may not have the firepower but they have a really well balanced offence.” Burrows told the media on game day.

Former Predator Dan Hamhuis understands how the Predators defensive style works after six seasons in Nashville and has been educating his teammates on what is to come in round two.

“Just asking me about certain tendencies from different players and how the team plays, obviously I’m not going to get into too many specifics, just getting as prepared as much as we can for the team.”

While the series will ultimately become a battle of defensive-minded wills, I expect both Henrik and Kesler to break out early in round two. Free of the frustrating Blackhawks and the responsibility of shutting down their dangerous speed and skill it is time for the Canucks forwards to assume the role of the league’s top offensive team.

In the crease Roberto Luongo now has a fresh opportunity to control his playoff destiny opposite Pekka Rinne and the relatively toothless Predators scorers. Having exorcised the demons of playoff failures past, Luongo has proven himself in trial-by-Blackhawk and will continue his stellar play in the second round, shaking the alternate personality that took over during three first round losses.

In Chicago they laughed at the expense of Roberto Luongo and the Canucks, fuelled by the Danny Mac Show’s anthem One Win Away – Luongo’s Tears.

To deflated Vancouver fans Luongo’s struggles against the Blackhawks are no laughing matter, but at least one writer couldn’t help but laugh at the hilarity and gamesmanship of the Chicago faithful. What can I say? After watching the Canucks lose three bitter games in a row at the hands of the ‘Hawks the rest of Vancouver and I could use a laugh.

It seems Mike Gillis could use a little cheering up as well.

Following an interesting game of officiating in game six Mike Gillis made his dissatisfaction heard in a press conference Monday.

“We directed 85 pucks at their net, if we had any power plays whatsoever it probably could have been 100,” said Gillis. Going by the box score the Canucks did in fact enjoy two power plays during game six, however two high sticking calls are a far cry from justice.

“We’ve had the best team during the regular season and that was the best game they’ve played last night during the whole year.”

Gillis maintained a positive view of his team while politely blaming the officials for his team’s struggles in the past three games.

“I’m confident if we play the same way tomorrow evening and it’s a level playing field that we will win the game.”

After being asked to expand on the “level playing field” Gillis broke out some snazzy statistics for the Vancouver media.

“In the series to date Chicago has had 59% more power plays than us.”

“First two games of the series were pretty well even, 5-4.“

“Last four games of the series Chicago has received 69% more power plays.”

“Last four games of the series when the series is close, one or two goals, Chicago has received 100% more power plays than we have, plus a penalty shot.”

Gillis truly did his homework before shooting his mouth off about the officiating in a series that has created a potential collapse for his Canucks.

Have the Chicago Blackhawks had a significant edge in power plays over the Canucks? Yes, Gillis’ numbers state just that. However with the stakes and emotions at such a high level, am I really surprised the Canucks GM found a way to go to bat for his team while restricted to the confines of a press box come game time? Of course not, Gillis is simply earning his playoff gamesmanship wings.

Remember when Mark Recchi called out Max Pacioretty late in the season just a day before the big rematch between the Canadiens and Bruins? Recchi didn’t actually believe that Pacioretty was a faker, or was embellishing something as serious as a concussion simply to gain a large suspension for Chara. Recchi “wanted to take the heat off Z for a day” and did just that, shifting the story from Chara versus the Habs to Recchi versus the world- it worked.

The Bruins crushed the Habs 7-0, leaving the Boston faithful wondering “Max who?” after the beat down.

Just as Mike Cammalleri knew Recchi was demonstrating the art of gamesmanship before our very eyes, GM Mike Gillis knew what the veteran skater was doing and took notes from the Recchi, mastering the craft for his own playoff performance.

“I’m not sure how you explain that discrepancy but we are going to be very hard pressed to win hockey games if throughout an entire series when the score is tight they get 75% more power plays than we do and that’s just the reality.”

Looking at strictly the numbers Gillis is right to claim that the Canucks have had a disproportionate number of power plays compared to the Blackhawks, however the numbers never tell the whole story.

In the NHL Playoffs, power plays are earned, not deserved.

So don’t pay attention to Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the leaders of the Vancouver Canucks who are a combined -13 in the last three losses to the Blackhawks. It’s not their fault the Blackhawks are ruining their plus/minus with all those power plays! And don’t mention the league wide pressure on Luongo’s shoulders that to date has caused him to collapse like a house of cards, his struggles are because of excessive power plays!

Just listen to Mike Gillis, because it’s all on the officials now. Or it will be, until Gillis turns around like Pauly Shore in his post-game presser tonight with an emotionless speech that could be summed up in one word.

Gotcha!

After a full season of re-stocking, re-strategizing and re-tuning their teams, both the Blackhawks and Canucks have significantly changed the makeup of their teams since last season’s playoff matchup.

In Chicago, following a successful run at the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks were forced to move key pieces like Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Adam Burish and Antti Niemi over this past off season, but have kept the core of the team intact.

In Vancouver, following two playoff losses at the hands of the Blackhawks the organization improved and re-built significant pieces of the blueline and the team’s bottom six forward corps, adding toughness and skill with key additions Raffi Torres, Manny Malhotra, Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard.

Yet a full summer of changes had failed to separate the Canucks and Blackhawks during the regular season. After splitting four games with two victories each during the season series, seven games could very likely be necessary to decide the better of these two teams. In lieu of seven games, I broke down five major team characteristics to decide my favourite in this year’s edition of Canucks vs. Blackhawks.

Offence

With a depth of talent lead by the Sedins twins and Ryan Kesler the Vancouver Canucks were consistently this year’s best team offensively this season. Following Henrik Sedin’s Art Ross trophy win last year, twin brother Daniel was equal to the task this season, winning the 2011 trophy with 104 points in the regular season. As a second line center Ryan Kesler has emerged as one of the league’s top goal scorers with 41 goals this season, tying him with Daniel for the team scoring lead. Heading into this year’s matchup with Blackhawks the Canucks are looking more dangerous than ever. With the loss of secondary scoring key Manny Malhotra and the suspended Raffi Torres (opening two games) the Canucks may be missing small pieces of the puzzle; however the team’s forward depth has stepped up all season and will continue to do so in the playoffs. Having the league’s best power play helps, too.

Just behind the league leading Canucks the Chicago Blackhawks have maintained a steady scoring attack this season with 3.07 goals per game. The loss of Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and the struggle to find a proper center for Patrick Kane may have caused the Blackhawks to miss a step during the season, but Chicago remains one of the league’s most dangerous teams up front. With names like Hossa, Sharp, Toews and the aforementioned Kane in their top six, the Blackhawks scoring threat should never be underestimated.

Advantage: Canucks – No reason for Canucks attack to slow down now, ‘Hawks not the same.

Defence

Throughout an injury riddled season the Vancouver Canucks blueline remained one of the strongest in the NHL for the entire season, despite using 12 different defenceman over 82 games. With a stable of battle-tested NHL defenceman, a top six healthy for the first time and no salary cap to restrict player movement the Canucks blueline is looking stronger than ever heading into the post season. Vancouver has been the best team in their own end all season long and with a healthy lineup there is no reason to doubt them now.

With Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell patrolling the blueline in Chicago again this season it is hard to imagine a struggling Blackhawks defence. Norris Trophy winners don’t exactly grow on trees, but Duncan Keith and parts of the Blackhawk blueline haven’t been the same as they were a year ago in Keith’s award winning season. “Keith’s game hasn’t risen much (in the second half of the season), we’re hoping playoff hockey snaps him back from whatever planet he’s been on. He’s been better than before, but still opts for the far too complicated decision,” said Second City Hockey while chatting with the Kurtenblog. If regular season performance is any indication, the Canucks forwards may not find Chicago to be quite as stingy a defence as previously encountered.

Advantage: Canucks – Keith will rise to playoff form, but can’t match Canucks depth alone.

Goaltending

For two seasons Roberto Luongo has cruised through fairly successful regular seasons only to be shelled right out of the crease by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the playoffs. After a stellar regular season that could earn Luongo another Vezina nomination this year, the Canucks goaltender returns to the playoffs to face the archrival Blackhawks without both the captaincy and Dustin Byfuglien to worry about. Rookie Antti Niemi may have outplayed Luongo in last year’s playoff series with the ‘Hawks but many including Luongo himself believe this is a new year. If Luongo shows any signs of struggle against the Kryptonite-like Blackhawks, young stud Cory Schneider is ready to step into his first ever NHL playoff game.

The Chicago Blackhawks were so confident after winning the Stanley Cup last season with a rookie goaltender that due to cap restrictions the team allowed Antti Niemi to move to San Jose, opting instead with veteran Marty Turco and rookie Cory Crawford. A year later, the Blackhawks crease finds itself in the same situation, occupied by a rookie goaltender that is playing the starting role for his first time ever in the NHL playoffs. Crawford put up solid regular season numbers, however during the playoffs if he is unable to step up in the crease like Niemi before him, playoff veteran Marty Turco is available to take over.

Advantage: Canucks – Schneider is arguably a stronger rookie than Crawford, Luongo in the zone.

Special Teams

If the Canucks dominated in goals for and goals against during the regular season for one reason above the rest, it was because of their special teams. Lead by the lethal unit of the Sedins and Ryan Kesler, the Canucks’ power play was the best in the league throughout the regular season clicking at 24.3%. On the penalty kill Manny Malhotra, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and a crew of others worked together to form the league’s second stingiest penalty kill surviving the two minutes 85.6% of the time. Without Malhotra the team’s PK isn’t quite as sharp as previous mid-season form, but Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver penalty killers seem prepared for life after Manny.

Not to be forgotten he Blackhawks remained of the league’s most dangerous teams this season on the power play operating at 23.1%. Kane, Toews, Sharp and Hossa are all extremely dangerous with the man advantage, especially with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook holding the points. On the penalty kill the Blackhawks find themselves in the bottom part of the league killing only 79.2% of their penalties. After signing Ryan Johnson to help bolster the team while down a man, Chicago hasn’t quite been able to find a way to shut down the opposition on the power play. Keith, Crawford, Johnson and others will have to step up in a big way to match the skill and precision of the Canucks power play.

Advantage: Canucks – Unlike in the past, Vancouver can afford special teams shootout with Chicago.

The Intangibles: Coaching, Experience, Psychological Edge

The Canucks have nothing to fear but fear itself. After guiding the team to a massively successful regular season despite heavy injuries Alain Vigneault has positioned himself well for another Jack Adams Trophy nomination. After losing twice in the playoffs, the Canucks know exactly what it takes to best the Blackhawks if they are up to the challenge. The Blackhawks may be in the heads of the Canucks players due to past dominance, but no need to tell that to the Canucks locker room who remain focussed on the future. “If you learn from the past, there’s a good chance the future will be different. We have to prove it in the playoffs,” Alain Vigneault told Ben Kuzma yesterday.

If the only thing the Canucks have to fear is fear itself, than the Blackhawks can only fear change. Chicago has had the better of the Canucks for two straight playoff series, leaving Vancouver and its’ fans especially frustrated after last year’s victory. Under coach Joel Quenneville the Blackhawks have won on the big stage, and have proven themselves against the Canucks. It is up to the coach Q as well as super-captain Jonathan Toews to get the team playing at their best, which is a whole league above how they performed during the regular season. Toews’ nerves of steel as well as coach Quenneville’s in-game coaching skills are huge tools in a playoff series of such magnitude.

Advantage: Blackhawks – Canucks have something to prove against playoff dominant Blackhawks.

The Series

While the psychological edge and experience of the Blackhawks is as important as any statistic the Canucks have amassed this season, Vancouver has simply played too well this season for me to legitimately doubt them. Injuries haven’t been able to stop the team, and the ghosts of playoff failures past won’t be able to either. Where series of the past that heavily involved special teams would favour the Blackhawks, the Canucks of 2011 can now afford to trade blows with the Blackhawks if need be. Despite the special teams prowess, the Canucks will likely maintain the disciplined style of play that has benefitted the team throughout the regular season. Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows especially have focussed on winning the game rather than the verbal battle, resulting in a focused game from both former mouthpieces. The new professionalism and focus that has taken over the Canucks locker room will prove key in a gritty series against the Blackhawks. With the edge in almost every statistical category, the Canucks have learned their lesson and elevated their game to a championship level. This time around, I believe the Blackhawks will be to lose at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup Champs.

Prediction: Canucks in 6.

First Round Playoff Picks

East

Capitals vs. Rangers – Capitals in 7.

Flyers vs. Sabres – Flyers in 6.

Bruins vs. Canadiens – Bruins in 7.

Penguins vs. Lightning – Lightning in 7.

West

Canucks vs. Blackhawks – Canucks in 6.

Sharks vs. Kings – Sharks in 6.

Red Wings vs. Coyotoes – Wings in 5.

Ducks vs. Predators – Ducks in 6.

What do you think? Will the Canucks overcome their playoff demons or do the Blackhawks have another year of playoff magic in store? Hit me with your series analysis, predictions or comments below.

For last minute stats, links, news, notes and all the hockey chatter you can handle, follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan.

The Canucks may have dominated the league during the regular season, however the league leaders will be forced to face their playoff demons head on, playing the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round after two season-ending series’ against the defending Cup champs.

So the question remains, do the Canucks have anything to fear in the first round versus the Blackhawks following a dominating adversity-filled season?

Canucks captain Henrik Sedin

“This year we’ve got a totally different team, and we felt as players that we have a better team. That’s a different mindset this year,” said Henrik Sedin during a conference call with NHL Media last week.

The Canucks captain has all the reason in the world to be confident in his team heading into this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canucks lead the league for the majority of the regular season, raising their game to win the Presidents’ Trophy and finish first in a number of major statistical categories.

The Canucks finished the regular season first overall with the most points, the best team plus/minus, the most goals for, the least goals against, the league’s best power play and second best penalty kill. What remains especially impressive is that they accomplished all that despite losing several key players due to injury for stretches throughout the season, especially on the blueline.

Heading into the playoffs the Canucks will be healthy enough to ice a complete blueline for the first time all season long. Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Keith Ballard, and Sami Salo are scheduled to begin the playoffs together as a six-man unit, representing possibly the deepest blueline in the NHL.

While the loss of Manny Malhotra for the remainder of the season has forced the team to rely on its’ organizational depth at forward, the team has survived the regular season grind to come together for a potentially lengthy playoff push.

Matched up with their playoff rivals, the Canucks will waste no time answering the call of critics who have questioned the team’s ability to perform in the playoffs. Like the previous two seasons, the team will have to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in order to win the Cup.

“Playing in this market, it’s not different this year than it has been in the past. Media-wise I don’t think it’s going to be,” said Sedin. “The only difference in the dressing room is that we have a better team from top to bottom.”

With Henrik Sedin taking care of the captaincy duties this season Roberto Luongo will be ready to focus specifically on shutting down the Blackhawks dangerous forwards rather than pondering the duties of a team captain, especially one facing the team that has knocked his team out of the playoffs two years running. Free of distractions outside of the crease, Luongo should be a more focussed and confident goaltender than in the past heading into this year’s playoff series with the ‘Hawks.

Luongo will also be free of a one particularly pesky distraction inside his goal crease this playoffs. After a massively successful Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, the Chicago Blackhawks were forced to trade away net presence Dustin Byfuglien last summer. Luongo’s playoff nemesis is safely stowed away on the playoff-shy confines of the Atlanta Thrashers roster.

Unlike seasons in the past, in the unlikely event that Luongo severely struggles to stop Mullet man Patrick Kane and the rest of the Blackhawks offence, backup Cory Schneider could be confidently called in to calm any potential storm in the Vancouver crease.

While any team would be sure to threaten the Canucks crease at times during a playoff series, Ryan Johnson isn’t alone in his belief that given the choice, the Canucks wouldn’t be facing the Blackhawks in round one. “I’m sure they were sitting there hoping there wasn’t a plane leaving Chicago today for Vancouver, I can tell you that much,” Johnson said Monday on ESPN 1000.

After former Canucks Shane O’Brien and Kyle Wellwood both voiced their lack of faith in their former team’s playoff hopes, it isn’t surprising to see another former Orca further stir the playoff pot. However will offering the opposition bulletin board material come back to haunt another ex Canuck, this time while on the opposing team?

Kevin Bieksa’s words to Ben Kuzma Monday didn’t seem to buy into Johnson’s comments or any other psychological advantage the ‘Hawks might have.

“We really don’t want to tip-toe around anybody and what better way to start than with the defending champs.”

Yet many individuals within the organization still have something to play for in the three remaining regular season games against the Oilers, Wild and Flames this week.

Like twin brother Henrik last year, Daniel Sedin is attempting to close out an outstanding regular season in a compelling bid for the Hart Trophy and the NHL scoring title. Daniel and Henrik could become the first brother-brother tandem to ever win the Hart in back-to-back years, emphasizing the twins’ determination to continuously grow better as players, pushing each other as they go.

The Sedins also have a shot at finishing the regular season NHL scoring race as the league’s top two players. Daniel Sedin currently has an eight point lead over brother Henrik with 100 points; however Martin St. Louis and Corey Perry stand in the way of a top two finish after 79 games played.

In addition to the twins’ dominance this season, Ryan Kesler appears to be a lock to finally win the Selke trophy. After two consecutive nominations for the Selke in the past two regular seasons, the third time will likely be the charm for the agitating two-way center from Livonia, Michigan. In addition to his defensive prowess, Kesler has battled for the team scoring lead with potential Hart Trophy candidate Daniel Sedin all season long.

In the crease, both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider have more to play for than playoff preparation. Luongo has played his way into Vezina nomination territory with the league’s most wins among goaltenders at 37. Luongo currently sits third among NHL goaltenders in both major statistical categories with a .927 save percentage and 2.14 goals against average.

Like Luongo, Cory Schneider can also make a last-ditch effort to put his name on an NHL trophy. Schneider needs to “appear” in 25 games in order to be eligible for the Jennings Trophy that is awarded to the NHL’s stingiest team. With 23 appearances to date and three games remaining, one would think a quick switch could afford Schneider his name on the trophy after contributing significantly towards the Canucks’ success during the regular season.

Ben Kuzma of The Province attempted to get to the bottom of Schneider’s Jennings bid after an agitating practice for the Canucks coach in which he vocally called out his team.

“He’s not going to get to 25,” said Vigneault. “In the big picture, Roberto is the guy and we’ve got to make sure he’s ready for the playoffs.”

Roberto Luongo later seemed to open the door for Schneider to get an opportunity to secure the appearances necessary.

Luongo admitted he didn’t know of the appearances-versus-starts criteria for the Jennings.

“I think he’s got one more start and obviously, if we have a chance to win it [together], I’d definitely let him play,” said Luongo. “I’d give him a minute. I’d give him a minute,” joked the Canucks starter.

One would hope Vigneault was confused or seeing red after a lazy team practice and what Cory Schneider has brought to the team this year. Schneider may be short of the 25 game minimum, but his impressive play in relief of Roberto Luongo has been a major part of the Canucks’ surge this season. The Canucks have flourished with abundant confidence in both their goaltenders, rather than riding Luongo in front of previous less reliable backups.

If only for a minute, Schneider deserves to find his way into two of the three remaining games this season. Luongo’s name may not be on the Jennings if not for Schneider, so why not slip him the garbage minutes he needs? If there is any hope in Vigneault throwing his backup a bone during the last games of the regular season, expect the team to have to earn Schneider the privilege after a sluggish practice Monday.

While the Canucks have achieved every team goal possible during the regular season, the team cannot afford to take their foot off the gas pedal so close to the beginning of the NHL’s second season. Vigneault is wise to protect the team from becoming complacent during potentially meaningless games.

In the Eastern Conference the Philadelphia Flyers have begun a tailspin towards the playoffs going 3-3-4 in their last ten. Unlike the Flyers, the Canucks have avoided any late-season let down, winning 12 of their last 14 in a strong effort to avoid backing-in to the regular season like so many great first season teams before them.

While their three final opponents may not be playoff bound, the Canucks have three games to sharpen their game and recuperate collectively as a team as much as they can before the playoffs begin in several days time.

With familiar playoff rivals like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks likely lined up for the Canucks in a first round playoff matchup, the team has a week to prepare for an aggressive first round series.

After an impressive month of March the Vancouver is incapable of backing-in to their reserved playoff parking spot. While shifting into neutral would be an easy solution, the Canucks are better fit to speed ahead and drive forward towards their playoff destiny.

For last minute stats, links, news, notes and all the hockey chatter you can handle, follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan.

The Flying Five; five thoughts or story lines heading into tonight’s game for you to wrap your head around.

1. Tonight the Canucks begin the last leg of the regular season with their final roster in what is the debut of Maxim Lapierre, one of two deadline day roster acquisitions. Lapierre will likely center the fourth line between Tanner Glass and Jeff Tambellini after Cody Hodgson and Victor Oreskovich were sent down to Manitoba yesterday. After first initially electing to wear #24 following in the footsteps of Matt Cooke and Darcy Hordichuk, Lapierre has smartly changed his mind and will wear #40 for the Canucks tonight, just as he did during his days in Montreal. Lapierre must have seen the Cooke comparisons coming and has smartly chosen to honour Michael Grabner rather than the NHL’s most notorious hitter. After being limited in ice time to as little as three minutes per game in Anaheim Lapierre should bring energy to the fourth line that has had its own ice time woes in Vancouver. I expect Lapierre and the fourth line to come out jumping to a receptive Rogers Arena crowd tonight.

2. Now that the trade deadline has past, rumours come and gone and the team ready to play hockey again, it is time to see what Mason Raymond is really made of. Is he the high flying winger that dazzled Canucks fans last season to the tune of 25 goals and 53 points, or was last year a flash in the pan? Is Raymond really a speedster at best, lacking the scoring touch to make an impact in today’s NHL? Raymond has shown flashes here and there of a scoring tough this season, but at this rate Raymond is in danger of becoming a liability on the Canucks second line. As Chris Higgins recovers closer and closer to game shape Raymond must find a way to earn his spot in the top six before he finds himself a ball in Alain Vigneault’s game of line juggling. With both Higgins and Jeff Tambellini in his rear-view mirror I expect Raymond will be showing the extra effort tonight, even if it doesn’t instantly translate to score sheet success.

3. At this time in the season when opposing team’s are in the middle of the battle for their playoff lives, the Canucks will have a tough time maintaining the desperate intensity some teams are living on. At five-on-five the Canucks are second overall in the NHL with a 1.29 goals for/against ratio, but will find even strength a tougher battlefield moving forward. Where the Canucks will beat their opposition is on the power play, as teams hustle their way into an extra loose puck along with an extra penalty at times the Canucks can capitalize at an alarming rate. With the league’s best power play and 3^rd overall penalty kill Vancouver has excelled in the special teams battle, and will live and die by its strength in the future. Tonight against Columbus’ 21^st overall penalty kill and 26^th overall power play the Canucks have a significant advantage when penalties get involved, it will take a hard working effort at even strength for the Blue Jackets to compete against the efficient special teams of the Canucks.

4. As the Canucks continue to play against teams in the middle of playoffs battles, the team will likely find it difficult to maintain the effort level of the opposition. With four dependable lines to roll in future games Alain Vigneault has the ability to even the workload among his players, however don’t expect Vigneault to give away the precious minutes easily. Jason Botchford reports Alain Vigneault won’t be increasing time on the fourth line “That’s what you get when you play on a fourth line, now. (Lapierre) is aware of that, he understands that. He’s gonna be an effective player when he’s playing those minutes for us,” said Vigneault. Expect Lapierre, Glass and Tambellini to earn any additional minutes in the future if Vigneault is to roll the four lines evenly. If Lapierre and his wingers impress, the subsequent rest earned for those above him on the depth chart could prove extremely important in the future.

5. With only one win in his last five games Roberto Luongo is looking to get back on track with a win over fellow Olympic gold medal winner Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. Having allowed 13 goals over those five games Luongo hasn’t been poor lately, but is still far from Olympic form. As the final games of the regular season wind down Luongo needs to focus on playing solid goaltending rather than on wins and losses, while two points is always important, Luongo’s focus this season must be on himself. At the other end of the rink tonight Steve Mason will attempt to keep Luongo away from the elusive 300th career victory. Mason enters tonight’s game with a .905 save percentage and 2.97 goals against average.

For last minute stats, links, news, notes and all the hockey chatter you can handle, follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan

In the first of two deadline day deals the Canucks acquired Lapierre and Sharp from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Joel Perrault and a 2rd-round 2011 draft pick.

In his second and final deal just before the 2011 trade deadline Mike Gillis also chose to add Florida Panthers forward Chris Higgins in exchange for defenceman Even Oberg and a 3^rd-round 2013 draft pick.

As a result of the two trades forwards Victor Oreskovich and Cody Hodgson have been sent down to the Manitoba Moose in order to fit within the NHL salary cap, both names have been removed from the Canucks.com roster and the Capgeek.com team page.

Dan Murphy believes the Canucks fourth line will consist of Glass-Lapierre-Tambellini to start versus the Blue Jackets tomorrow as Chris Higgins remains out of the lineup with a broken thumb that could keep him out for the next seven to ten days.

GM Mike Gillis on the deadline deals “I think we added experience and a different element than we have on this team.”

Heading forward, the Canucks have rounded out the team depth on the third and fourth lines. Maxim Lapierre adds a dependable center to anchor the Canucks fourth line after the realization that Cody Hodgson isn’t playoff-ready. Meanwhile the presence of Chris Higgins should light a fire under Mason Raymond who has struggled this season on the wing of Ryan Kesler. Higgins is capable of putting pressure on Raymond as a second liner, but otherwise adds experience to the bottom of the Canucks lineup. Jeff Tambellini, who stands to immediately benefit most from the trades, now has a chance to prove his worth on the fourth line while Higgins rests a broken thumb. Could Tambellini also pressure and inspire Mason Raymond to play to his true potential?

The depth now at the disposal of Alain Vigneault not only offers a myriad of lineup options, but also adds a gritty element to the bottom half of the lineup. Lapierre’s infamous ability to throw off the opposition with both his words and his outrageous facial expressions is a valuable commodity on a team that has focussed on playing hockey, rather than chirping, this season. Notice the downturn in post-whistle scrums for Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler this season? While the Canucks former motor-mouths are busy putting up points on the Canucks top six, Lapierre is here to fill the void.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As you can see Lapierre is quite capable of gathering the attention of the opposition while remaining effective for his team. Overall, can he be a distraction? Yes, but does the majority of that distraction occur in the minds of players wearing another uniform? Certainly. The Canucks are already familiar with trash-talk en français, so what harm can another mouthpiece on the team do after growing up with Burrows and Kesler? Alain Vigneault has coached Lapierre before and will know what to expect from the 25 year old center.   What remains to be seen is if Lapierre can bring his gritty agitative style to a new team without disrupting the room. If Lapierre learns to fit in with his new team and draw some penalties along the way, he will likely find himself in the good graces of management and fans in no time. All the league’s 2^nd overall power play needs is a few more cracks at the crease, right?

As for Chris Higgins, the fellow former Canadien had solid offensive seasons in the first three years of his career but has since been unable to hit the 25 point plateau. After piling up 23 points in 48 games with the Florida Panthers last season, can Higgins find his young offensive touch to contribute in a secondary scoring role for the Canucks? We won’t know for at least a week while Higgins rests a broken thumb, but his playoff experience should only add to the leadership in the locker room, further preparing the Canucks for what is shaping up to be a significant playoff run.

Given the financial restraint facing Mike Gillis I am fairly impressed with his ability to fit two additions under the cap without giving up any roster players. VP of Hockey Operation, Assistant GM and Capologist Laurence Gilman also deserves a stick tap for his precise math skills, the Canucks are a slim $950 under the daily cap limit according to Cap Geek. With two small additions the Canucks have added to an already deep lineup and now have 19 games to gel as a cohesive final unit. The final edition of the 2011 Vancouver Canucks begins its first step tomorrow at home versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.

For Canucks news, info and analysis follow me @PuckheadKvan

Sitting 2nd overall in league scoring, the Canucks most certainly are not looking to add that extra offensive talent, the team has it in spades.

On the blueline, the Canucks injury woes have pushed the organization’s defensive depth to the limit. But the worst is over, with Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard back in the fold, and Kevin Bieksa and Andrew Alberts hoping to make their return before playoffs, the team appears to have survived a fragile February. Alex Edler will be sorely missed down the stretch, but the team has long since come to terms with the occupational hazards of hockey.

It is in dealing with those hazards that Mike Gillis believes will add an extra degree of toughness and resiliency to his team.

From Iain McIntyre of the Vancouver Sun:

“How you deal with adversity and whether you continue to find ways to win are very important things that you build on throughout the course of a season,” Gillis said.

“I think what happens when you get into the playoffs having gone through that, you’re much better positioned to deal with things that come your way. This is a much stronger team than we had, top to bottom, the last couple of years. I think it’s a number of different factors, not just one. But I do have a different sense about this team now than I’ve ever had before.”

So, if Gillis isn’t shopping for defenceman with scouts watching a variety of NHL games, what exactly are the Canucks looking for? Having generated a season’s worth of chemistry across the top three lines, the Canucks fourth line stands alone as the only potential cause for concern. All due respect to fourth line regular Tanner Glass, the Canucks simply don’t have the size and toughness necessary to go to war and come out alive. And make no mistake, that’s what an NHL playoff game is, war.

Remember Dave Bolland carving up the Sedins calves without threat of retaliation? Remember how Dustin Byfuglien waltzed through Roberto Luongo’s crease as if it were his own private dance floor? Teams are sure to have taken notice, and will be giving the Canucks a rough ride every chance they get this post season. Much like Ben Eager in Chicago last season, the Canucks need an enforcer, a bruiser, a do-whatever-it-takes-major-penalties-be-damned player to keep the opposition in check, and keep the Sedins and company focused on scoring goals rather than their own safety.

The following players can do just that, while keeping the Canucks salary cap piggy bank intact.

Zenon Konopka – C – New York Islanders – $600,000 cap hit, pending UFA.

Konopka leads the league in penalty minutes (219) and is an ace in the faceoff circle, winning 57.3% of his draws. At 6’0” Konopka is no giant, however his toughness is unquestionable. Not only can he get in the minds of the opposition with his mouth, but his fists can make quite the statement as well.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gives up five inches to Steckel without missing a beat, and he even has the guts to take his bucket off pre-fight, Konopka can play on my team any day.

Matt Carkner – D – Ottawa Senators – $700,000 cap hit, signed through 2011-12.

Yes readers I am aware that Carkner is indeed a defenceman, but I am also aware that Carkner has played some forward in his day and above all else is one big, bad man on skates. Given the chance another defenceman could go down to injury in the future, Carkner’s ability to play both as a defenceman and as a fourth line forward could come handy down the stretch. At 6’4” and 238 pounds, Carkner is a wrecking ball, just ask Mr. Scrabble.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You don’t need a high-def feed to see there are forth line tough guys, and then there are fourth line enforcers. Tanner Glass is the former, Matt Carkner as you just saw, is the latter.

Wade Belak – RW – Nashville Predators – $575,000 cap hit, pending UFA.

While his stint in Nashville seems to have choked the life out of his once exciting career, Belak’s body of work in Toronto remains fresh in my mind. He was a team player, he was a character in the room, and most importantly he backed up his teammates on the ice. In Nashville, Belak has been reduced to a minimal role, playing less than five minutes a game in all but two of his 15 games played this season.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At 34, Belak has still got what it takes, and the presence of a veteran is never a bad thing.

Cam Janssen – RW – St. Louis Blues – $600,000 cap hit, pending UFA.

Similarly to Belak, Janssen seems to have been reduced to a minimal role in St. Louis. While I don’t expect either player would enjoy large minutes in Vancouver, being part of a cup contending team could summon a real energy from deep within the relatively dormant enforcers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1 minute 13 seconds of pure battle, effort like that is contagious.

Affordable NHL grit is available to those who desire it. Will Mike Gillis attempt to toughen the lineup in the absence of Rick Rypien (Get well soon, Rick) or will Gillis stand pat, offering a vote of confidence to his players and staff? Both are noble avenues of which to take towards the playoffs, but which will lead to the Stanley Cup?

The decision comes Monday, Noon Pacific Time. The results will be debated for quite some time.

For real time Canucks trade deadline information, updates, analysis and commentary follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan.

Flying up the right wing of the local indoor gym turned soccer arena, I am bumped by a fore checker running beside me, stride for stride on my left hip, fighting for body position. As I steam forward attempting to outrun the slower yet slightly bigger opponent, I see in my peripheral vision another opponent stepping forward- here comes another turnover.

At the last moment, I step in to protect the ball just before what is likely to be a three person collision. The initial fore checker in his wisdom, sees the coming tragedy and slows down, allowing his fellow defender to step up and make the tackle. Meanwhile, as the blur ahead of me steps up to challenge the ball, I brace for impact. Then, I felt it. As the defender lowered his body to lunge at the ball, the poor guy’s chin dropped to my shoulder level. Smack. Shoulder to head, no doubt about it. No intent, complete accident, and yet, he left the game in rough shape and seemed woozy when I apologized to him postgame in the facility lobby.

The sports arena, no matter the game, is a dangerous and violent place. Many NHL fans seem to forget their sport is no exception. The physical restrictions on hockey alone make it a much more dangerous game that any other. With no “out of bounds” stiff glass walls keep players in play, and at the speed at which giant athletes fly around the ice the resulting confrontations and collisions can be disastrous. This NHL season fans of the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and a handful of other teams are beginning to understand the real dangers of the game.

Marc Savard’s season is over due to a concussion, but don’t tell that to Dan Paille. Sidney Crosby’s season is in jeopardy after two questionable hits to the head, but that doesn’t keep teammate Matt Cooke from running players from behind. Most recently, Dan Hamhuis is the latest of the Canucks to fall to injury, but that doesn’t bother Alain Vigneault, who practically blamed Hamhuis for not protecting himself from the Getzlaf train.

It wasn’t an intentionally dirty or vicious hit, but an unnecessary one all the same, resulting in a concussion for Hamhuis all in the name of finishing a check. Vigneault, instead of defending the well being of his players, decided to blame Hamhuis, VIA The Province: “If Getzlaf is coming at you, you’ve got to have your head up.” Are certain players allowed to get away with what otherwise may be considered a dirty hit because of status or reputation?

While the Twittersphere raged Wednesday over what most considered a dirty hit, calling for suspensions and swearing online revenge, a suspension wouldn’t have changed the way Ryan Getzlaf plays anyways. What Getzlaf did didn’t deserve a suspension based on today’s NHL rules, but does it speak to a bigger problem?

Four games won’t change the way Matt Cooke plays either, this isn’t his first rodeo. Yet ask around the league, most guys would want him on their team. OK, maybe not Jeremy Roenick, but rather a teammate than have to play against Cooke with your head on a swivel.

The amount of player-for-player respect in today’s NHL is dropping to a disturbing level. While Matt Cooke’s wrongful intentions may be easily spotted by even the untrained hockey fan, other instances speak to a general lack of respect in the NHL that while not overly disrespectful, are leaving players injured again and again due to avoidable collisions. I return to the Getzlaf hit.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The hit itself wasn’t dirty or malicious. Getzlaf’s feet only rise off the ice following contact, and Hamhuis does seem to slightly turn his back into the contact after making the pass. But did Getzlaf really need to hit Hamhuis as hard as he did, knowing the glass will do the damage Getzlaf doesn’t himself?

Check out the beginning of the clip, the Ducks aren’t in any serious forecheck. While Cory Perry is waiting on one wall, Getzlaf is the only man in deep and could see that neither of his wingers were hustling into the zone as if to immediately cause a turnover. So why, did the 6’4” 221 pound giant decide it was necessary to finish off a check on a player in such a vulnerable position while up two goals in the third?

Because it’s not about the rules any more, or about the code, it is about respect, of which the NHL is desperately lacking. With players and coaches both defending the violent and generally unnecessary acts that occur nightly on NHL ice, why would a player change his game, or let up on that defenceless skater, if his coach will give him a pat on the back for the hit regardless?

Until there is a change in the minds of NHL players and coaches, not just in the minds of media and fans that watch the game, the NHL will continue to see more and more players lose significant amounts of time due to concussions and other injuries stemming from reckless unnecessary hits.

In the meantime, the Boston Bruins are without Marc Savard, the Pittsburgh Penguins are without superstar Sidney Crosby and the Canucks have lost another top defenceman in Dan Hamhuis.

I get dizzy just thinking about it.

Who would have known Cody Hodgson would be on the minds of those around the water cooler talking hockey this week.

The wait is over for the Canucks top prospect to dull his skates in his first ever NHL regular season game. Hodgson is expected to draw into the lineup Tuesday night as the Canucks visit the Dallas Stars. Hodgson will likely begin centering the forth line says Gordon McIntyre of The Province.

Hodgson was seen skating between Tanner Glass and Jeff Tambellini Monday.

The fellow Canucks prospect is likely to see a similar role to that of Sergei Shirokov while on his call-up with the Canucks. Vigneault will give him a fair shot to show his skill both on the forth line and on the power player, and is always eager to promote the hot hand. Considering some of the scoring streaks haunting the Canucks locker room in the games just before the All Star break, Hodgson should be highly motivated to score his way onto a longer stay with the team.

While Hodgson’s particular skill-set may be slightly miss-used centering the forth line, Alain Vigneault’s propensity to promote players who are working hard and generating chances should work in Hodgson’s favour. Hodgson is surely well aware of Sergei Shirokov’s complete turnaround from first ever NHL goal to first ever NHL benching and should play accordingly.

Hodgson raises the offensive profile of the Canucks forth line, but the team will likely find itself shy of its pre-All Star Game offensive production with Alex Edler out of the lineup for around another two months. During that time the Canucks have been forced to adapt without their top scoring defenceman, Edler was a large part of the team’s dangerous power play.

Christian Ehrhoff, Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler had led the way offensively from the Canucks blueline during the weeks preceding the All Star Game. The Canucks offensive contribution from the back end was keeping the team afloat during severe scoring scarcity, the Canucks D are a big part of the scoring attack and Edler is no exception.

In the time being Dan Hamhuis, Keith Ballard and Kevin Bieksa will get the opportunity to further increase their minutes played game per game. Keith Ballard specifically will be able to step up his play with more minutes to go around rounding out the Canucks bottom three defenceman along with call-ups Chris Tanev and Lee Sweatt.

After his impressive Canucks debut to cap off the first half of the season, Lee Sweatt will look to impress Canucks management and fans at both ends of the ice if he is to stay on the Canucks blue line long. Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome are both nursing separate injuries and are expected to make a return sometime next week. Simply put, Sweatt and Tanev are on borrowed time with the big club, but a good impression mid-season can do wonders when Vigneault comes a-calling in April.

Dallas Debut

Coming off a shellacking at the hands of the Canucks just before the All Star break, the Dallas Stars are looking for revenge at home tonight. The Stars allowed 7 goals against in back to back games in late January in what was otherwise a strong month going 8-2-1, but what side of the Stars will show up tonight? Will Kari Lehtonen continue his tremendous struggles facing Canuck shooters, or will Lehtonen and the Stars find comfort at home in Dallas?

While all is well in the Canucks camp with call-up Cody Hodgson in the fold and a team of siblings along for the trip, a slight break in the schedule has left the Stars to simmer in their poor play. Add in to the mix both Jamie Benn and Tom Wandell went down with injuries during games versus the Canucks and I expect the Stars will significantly tighten up their play tonight with revenge on the mind.

The Canucks have decided in order to stem the tide Cory Schneider will start against the rebounding Stars he shut down in a dominating 4-1 New Years Eve victory. With another game tomorrow in Phoenix, Schneider was sure to catch a start in one of the Canucks back-to-back games, credit Vigneault for recognizing the familiarity and giving Schneider the early start in a building he has won in before.

Unlike Schneider, a road game in Dallas will be something new for both Cody Hodgson and Lee Sweatt who are skating in their first NHL road games. The Canucks are expected to play on that youthful energy starting four rookie skaters in tonight’s game, with Jeff Tambellini expected to watch from the press box. I guess Vigneault didn’t like “Tamby” doing a full interview during such a troublesome scoring slump. Tambellini for the record has 1 assist in his last 15 games; maybe his brother can talk him through the struggle tonight from the press box?

Tonight Cody Hodgson, Aaron Volpatti, Chris Tanev and Lee Sweatt answer the call for the Canucks as the team relies on its organizational depth in what has become a salary cap blessing in disguise. After Lee Sweatt’s instant impact in his first NHL game, how will Cody Hodgson respond in his own long-awaited debut? With Tanner Glass and Aaron Volpatti on his wings on the forth line Hodgson will be unable to show much flash, however if the opportunity arises for him to shine on the power play Coho could be swimming into his first NHL points in no time.

Canucks at Stars – 5:30 on Sportsnet Pacific.

For last minute stats, links, news, notes and all the hockey chatter you can handle, follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan