Wow, that Nucks team is going nowhere but down. They barely beat the third worst team in the league, needing a shoot out to do it. If they manage to hang on to 7 or 8 place, they will likely be another 4 straight games and done team.
They are just bad at hockey and trending down. I hope they sell the farm hard for the playoff push, then fail miserably yet again.
The Canucks are at a point where they can't rely on the offence to win. No matter how you look at their offensive depth for the future, they're in tight and can't stand 3-4 more years of aging even with the revelation of Santorelli and revivals of Higgins/Kesler. The Sedins are at the end of the line for offensively carrying the load, Burrows has vanished to nothing, Booth is an unmitigated disaster of a trade, and all the aforementioned bonuses are going to lose their ability to play in a few years.
Their defence may hold on past that, as the D can learn to play without the necessity of speed, but the change needs to be to play defence first.
Like the Flames under the waning years of Iginla and Kipruosff, the Canucks need to make a choice of rebuild now or take a couple more hard runs at the playoffs. They'll be trending to older and crappier, but they'll get their attempts in.
I was at the game tonight. Best game I've seen live in Vancouver.
Right before the opening faceoff I was wondering why Vancouver was starting their goons, but then I see who Calgary sent out. You could see right away that the wingers were going to go at it. Then when Bieksa takes the faceoff, you definitely knew it was on. It was hilarious when Bieksa wouldn't fight Wesgarth, but had no problem going after Smid. It was nice justice seeing him getting knocked on his ass. After the fights I thought the refs did a good job of trying to keep everything under control by ejecting 8 players.
While they were sorting out the penalties, Kesler and Burrows were screaming at Hudler. I'd like to know why, but it went almost the entire time. When they started playing again, those two went at Hudler the rest of the game.
In the 3rd when Gio grabbed Kassian's stick and went down, the conversation it led to in the box was hilarious. They jawed at each other the entire time. Kassian kept wanting to fight and Gio kept telling him he'd be out of the league in 2-3 years.
After Vancouver won the shootout, the crowd erupted like they had one a playoff game. It must be tough times in Vancouver when you are that happy over beating the 3rd worst team in the league, in a shootout.
I'm glad I went, and I look forward to the next one. Torts can whine all he wants about Calgary starting their 4th line, but if he starts lines 1-3, that doesn't happen. If he's concerned about the Sedins, then start Kesler's line. I've seen the team that matches up the 4th line whine about these before, and it never ceases to amaze me. You have complete control. McGratten and Wesgarth don't goon the Sedins if they are matched up. Vancouver's players also didn't have to fight if they didn't want to. Simple logic is simple.
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Westgarth at centre, with his gloves coming off before the puck's even hit the ice. An event made to look worse by the fact that Bieksa was already in full retreat. That's what makes it look bad from Calgary's perspective, and that is where the league will fault Hartley.
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I agree. There is no rule in the rule book that says you have to start your skilled guys. Hartley started a lineup that he felt would set the tone for the Flames with their physical play and energy.
I'm sure both coaches fully expected McGrattan and Sestito to go at it. Once Bieksa decided to take the faceoff, that was what caused the rest to blow up. I had to blink a few times to see if that was really Blair Jones fighting, especially just after coming off an injury.
Westgarth at centre, with his gloves coming off before the puck's even hit the ice. An event made to look worse by the fact that Bieksa was already in full retreat. That's what makes it look bad from Calgary's perspective, and that is where the league will fault Hartley.
I would almost guarantee Jones was supposed to the be the centre but he lined up on the wing to be matched up with the smallest guy on the Canucks line.
There's obviously no rule that you have to play the set position on a starting line-up since the Canucks switched centre men after Westgarth lined up there.
Westgarth at centre, with his gloves coming off before the puck's even hit the ice. An event made to look worse by the fact that Bieksa was already in full retreat. That's what makes it look bad from Calgary's perspective, and that is where the league will fault Hartley.
When Bieksa - the defencemen - goes and waives off his centermen so he can take the draw, everyone and their dog assumed it was to fight. Would the fight have happened in that way? Maybe, maybe not. I think Bieksa 'manning up' right there sent a clear signal that 'we are going to dance'. What would you think if you were Westgarth in that situation?
I am not saying 'it wouldn't have happened' had Bieksa not taken the faceoff, but if I'm Westgarth at at that moment, I am thinking: "Ok, I guess Bieksa wants to be the guy to fight me."
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If I was Hartley and Campbell asked why I started those guys, I'd say I looked at the score sheets for the last few Canucks games and saw that they had three separate times when a Canucks player was assessed a 5 minute major for fighting with no corresponding flighting major for the other team and didn't want to risk any of my skilled players getting jumped.
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When Bieksa - the defencemen - goes and waives off his centermen so he can take the draw, everyone and their dog assumed it was to fight. Would the fight have happened in that way? Maybe, maybe not. I think Bieksa 'manning up' right there sent a clear signal that 'we are going to dance'. What would you think if you were Westgarth in that situation?
I am not saying 'it wouldn't have happened' had Bieksa not taken the faceoff, but if I'm Westgarth at at that moment, I am thinking: "Ok, I guess Bieksa wants to be the guy to fight me."
I don't disagree. But the truth is, the league is going to have to hit both teams as a result of this, primarily for the optics of it, and Westgarth will be the reason Hartley eats a fine.
I would almost guarantee Jones was supposed to the be the centre but he lined up on the wing to be matched up with the smallest guy on the Canucks line.
There's obviously no rule that you have to play the set position on a starting line-up since the Canucks switched centre men after Westgarth lined up there.
Starting lineup cards don't even list position. It's "Goaltenders" and "other players"
If I was Hartley and Campbell asked why I started those guys, I'd say I looked at the score sheets for the last few Canucks games and saw that they had three separate times when a Canucks player was assessed a 5 minute major for fighting with no corresponding flighting major for the other team and didn't want to risk any of my skilled players getting jumped.
I wonder if this was actually part of the reason. Canucks really gooned it up on that Cali road trip.
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If you watch the video of the hallway attack and look at the back of the hallway, Bieksa pops his head out and starts yapping with Colborne about something.
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