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The 2009-2010 Vancouver Canucks, How Bad Was It?

Tonyz Tanti — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:30:48 +0000

Well, we’ve all had a chance to take a deep breath, sit back and really think about the year that was for our beloved Vancouver Canucks. Gone is the emotion/heartbreak/disappointment/anger from their second straight second round loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. What’s left is a better chance for impartial analysis as to what they did, what they have and what they should do.

Was it as Bad as we Thought?

It’s been over a month since the Canucks were ousted by the Blackhawks. At the time we knew the Blackhawks were good, but we also thought the Canucks could have and should have been better. Perhaps they should have, but consider this. The Canucks lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, which suggests they’re a pretty good team. The Blackhawks beat a hard working bunch with a strong defense (Nashville), a high scoring team (Vancouver), an all around talented team (San Jose) and a gritty team (Philadelphia). Basically, they beat different teams and it didn’t faze them one bit. The Canucks stretched the Hawks to 6 games, as far as any of their other three opponents.

I’m not arguing that the Canucks couldn’t have played better or that they don’t have problems they need to fix, but I’m starting to think that they weren’t as bad as we thought they were. We need to give the Blackhawks a bit of credit.

Your Best Players Need to be Your Best Players

So what just happened? Why did the Canucks look so terrible at times against the Blackhawks? For me, it starts with the old adage that your best players need to be your best players. I believe that Daniel and Henrik Sedin were good enough in the playoffs, each notching better than a point per game in the post season. It was the Canucks most important player, Roberto Luongo, who did not play up to par. True, the Chicago Blackhawks can make a lot of goalies look silly, but Luongo ended the playoffs with a save percentage below .900, not good enough for a goalie of his ability. Quite simply, the Canucks as they were constructed this year can’t and won’t win a Stanley Cup with average or below average goaltending.

But now, a little perspective. A lot of uneducated hockey fans are suggesting that the Canucks trade Luongo and “give Schneider a shot”. Lets not lose our minds here folks. Luongo may have had an off-season, but he can certain bounce back and giving the reigns to an unproven good AHL goalie is probably not a prudent move. For those of you in favour of letting Louie go, consider that his cap number will be going down next season, from $6.75 million to $5.33 million. That cap number puts him in 9th place among the other goalies in the league.

Who Would You Rather Have?

For those Luongo haters I also ask you this: how many goalies in this year’s playoffs would you want ahead of Luongo? Certainly not either of the Stanley Cup Final goaltenders. Would it be Evgeni Nabokov, he the man who plays behind all that talent in San Jose and year after year can’t get it done when it matters? How about Ilya Bryzgalov, who after a terrific regular season posted similar numbers to Luongo and lost in the first round. It’s getting harder and harder to make the case for Martin Brodeur now, with his best days behind him he looks like he’s beginning to lose a step and has had a few playoff flops in recent years. The Marc-Andre Fleury argument has always been “he’s got a Stanley Cup ring” but look at this year’s playoffs and I defy you to say that you’d be more comfortable with him in net. Steve Mason proved that having one amazing year doesn’t necessarily mean that it can be sustained, so lets forget about Tuukka Rask, Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard, Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak. That leaves Ryan Miller, who was the best goalie in the league this year, and I would take him ahead of Luongo, but his teams (Team USA and Buffalo) didn’t do as well as Luongo’s this year.

The point? The best option for the Canucks remains to keep faith with Luongo and hope that he has a bounce-back season. Perhaps he needs to play less, and perhaps they’ve learned their lesson in that respect. Maybe he doesn’t need to play every game to be a great goalie, maybe he just needs to get used to resting more.

Where was the Grit?

Against the Chicago Blackhawks it seemed to be non-existent. While the Canucks defensemen were getting pounded, the Blackhawks defensemen cruised around with ease. A little more grit that can play in their top 9 or even in their top 6 should be a high priority for GM Mike Gillis, but once again, a little perspective is needed. Yesterday, Alex Burrows underwent shoulder surgery, while Ryan Kesler revealed he also played through a shoulder injury in the playoffs. It should come as no surprise that grit would be an issue when the two grittiest players in the Canucks top 6 forwards have shoulder injuries. So maybe it’s not quite as bad as we thought.

Defense

What was once the Canucks greatest strength not long ago is now their greatest need. Losing Willie Mitchell hurt greatly, and I contend that he is their most important defenseman. Christian Ehrhoff had a great season, but is not great defensively. Sami Salo actually stayed healthy for longer than anyone predicted, and had a solid season. Kevin Bieksa is now another year removed from his great breakout season, and I’m among those who think that he won’t regain the form that rewarded him with a big contract. Alex Edler stepped his game up more than anyone in the playoffs, which was a pleasant surprise. The Canucks D is missing a bit of nastiness though, something Kevin Bieksa is supposed to provide. It’s also missing a stud on the blueline that can eat up big minutes against the other team’s best players while contributing offensively.

The Recap

The Canucks had a nice regular season, not a great one. They won their division, but finished fourth in points in the Western Conference. They were a clear notch below the Sharks and Blackhawks in the regular season and failed to make it past the second round. That is not the mark of an elite team ready to knock on the door. There were a lot of positive things that happened this year though (the emergence of the Sedins as elite players, Kesler and Burrows proving they can score consistently, Edler and Ehrhoff taking steps forward in their development). Mike Gillis has some things to tweak, no doubt. But how bad was it? It wasn’t so bad, and it can sure get a lot better.

Ten Days Away

The NHL entry draft is ten days away, which not only marks the day that teams pick future NHL stars, but also the start of the NHL trade frenzy! Speaking of frenzies, the free agency frenzy begins in just over two weeks.Check back before the draft and July 1st to get in-depth analysis of just what Mike Gillis’ options are.

Game 6 Recap – Hawks Too Much For Canucks

Tonyz Tanti — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:45:32 +0000

The better team won. Face it. I have heard lots of whispers from the Canucks players and from fans that somehow the Hawks aren’t the better team, which boggles my mind. They were the better team during the last two regular seasons, they were the better team the last two playoffs. Sure there were some mitigating factors. Willie Mitchell’s injury sure hurt. Playing game 6 with a less than 100% Sami Salo and losing Alex Edler made things difficult. Lots of the Canucks forwards were banged up. Injuries ARE excuses, legitimate excuses. Injuries don’t mean you automatically lose, but they make things more difficult. These injuries meant that the Canucks had to be extra good, seeing as how they were underdogs to begin with. In the next few days I’ll take a retrospective look back at the Canucks season that was, but for now, lets concentrate on what happened in the deciding game, game 6 versus Chicago.

The Start

The Canucks got off to a terrible start in game 6. The shots on goal and the score were very misleading stats after the first period. The Blackhawks got probably the best five chances to score, but were stonewalled by Roberto Luongo. Luongo was positively in vintage form in the first period and gave his teammates a mulligan for a terrible start. Despite the bad start, his big saves got the crowd really involved, who were much more into the game than they were at the start of game 3 and 4 of this series.

‘Balls of Steel’

Canucks fans are normally known for unimaginative, lame cheers. You know the ones, “Turrrrrrrrrrrcoooooo!” and “Calgary Sucks!”. Well, we took a giant step forward with the “Balls of Steel!” chant for Sami Salo in game 6. Salo did indeed play, and was clearly under distress. He showed great courage, and should have provided a boost for his teammates.

Edler gets Byfuglien’d

The beginning of the end came in the first period when Alex Edler got hit into the boards by Dustin Byfuglien. Edler fell awkwardly on his leg and suffered an injury, which knocked him out of the game. Edler was the Canucks’ best defenceman in the playoffs, and given the depth on defence, he was probably the player they could most ill afford to lose.

Bad Bieksa

In the game preview yesterday, I asked the question of whether we would see the good Bieksa or the bad Bieksa. In game 5, we saw the good Bieksa. In game 6, not surprisingly, we saw the bad Bieksa. His unbelievable misplaying of the puck in the neutral zone which lead to Chicago’s second goal was a huge moment in the game. It kind of summed up his season: too casual.

Demitra’s Grand Finale

Demitra decided to roll the dice on a play at the blueline and he crapped out. His giveaway which lead to David Bolland’s breakaway goal made it 3-0 going into the second intermission. It was an absolute dagger. Alain Vigneault wasn’t impressed and benched him the rest of the game. That play will be Demitra’s last as a Canuck.

The Comeback

Could they? Would they? They didn’t. Shane O’Brien’s goal early in the third made things interesting, but only for a moment.

The Nail in the Coffin

Patrick Kane’s goal to make it 4-1 all but sealed it up. Another Canuck blunder, the Blackhawks made it look easy. Despite the fact that the Canucks stayed almost completely out of penalty trouble, the Hawks waltzed into GM Place and had their way. Nevermind the home ice advantage, the crowd, having last change. None of it mattered because the Blackhawks were too fast, too strong, too mean, too skilled, too good. There’s no shame in losing to the Blackhawks, they were the better team, but to lose in that fashion, was an embarrassing way to end the season.

10 Canucks Questions to Ponder Before Game 6, Salo Takes Game Day Skate

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:20:34 +0000

It goes without saying that tonight’s pivotal game 6 is the biggest game of the year. If anyone knows what to expect, please let me know, because I can’t figure this team out. They’re down 3-2 in the series but both of their wins were by fairly large margins. They were great at home all year, but have dropped both home games in this series, and looked terrible while doing so. With that said, lets take a look at the ten most important questions heading in to today’s matchup:

1. Will Salo play?

It was assumed that Sami Salo would miss game 6 after testicle-gate, but it looks like he might play! Salo participated in practice this morning (although skating gingerly) and participated in the power play meeting. He’s going to be a game time decision. If he can’t play, look for Lawrence Nycholat to play in his place.

2. Will Kevin Bieksa be good Bieksa or bad Bieksa?

Good Bieksa showed up in game 5, playing steady defensively and contributing offensively. Unfortunately that’s been a rare site this year. Lets hope we see the good Bieksa for the second night in a row.

3. Will Roberto Luongo step up?

He has in all three games in Chicago but didn’t in game 3 and 4. He’ll need to fight to see pucks and will need to keep his composure.
4. Will the Canucks stay disciplined?

Lets hope so because their PK has been brutal in these playoffs.

5. Will the Canucks PK do the job?
They have a playoff worst 67.3% penalty kill percentage.They were 4 for 4 in game 5, which was huge.

6. Whose top scorers will rise to the occasion?

The Sedin twins haven’t dominated a game in a while and Mikael Samuelsson is due also. Burrows had his best game in game 5. Patrick Kane has been quiet of late, which seems like the calm before the storm, while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp have been great all series long. Those players, among others, will be key to their team’s success.
7. Will Dustin Byfuglien get up to his old tricks?

He will probably interfere with Luongo most of the night, but it’s how Luongo and the Canucks D respond to it that matters. Hopefully the refs actually call him for goalie interference one of these days also.
8. Will the Canucks get traffic in front of Antti Niemi?

Two of the three goals that Niemi let in last game were because of Burrows screening in front, so probably not a bad idea.

9. Who will score the first goal?

Chicago scored first in the last two games at GM Place and if the Canucks could pop the first one in it could calm some nerves and put the pressure on the Hawks. It might also get GM Place to be a bit noisy.

10. How loud will the fans at GM Place be tonight?

It’s been quiet all playoffs long. Time for the fans to step up. Put down your blackberries and your sushi in the club seats and make some noise!!! Hopefully fans will take cheering as a way to make the team play better, not just as a matter of recognizing excellence.

Game 5 Recap – Canucks Live Another Day, Lose Salo

Tonyz Tanti — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:25:39 +0000

After an impressive 4-1 win, the Canucks will live to play another game. So just how did this team, that looked so beleaguered on home ice in game 3 and 4, manage to extend the series? Remarkably, the keys to victory have become astonishingly clear (to this blogger at least).

The Canucks got excellent goaltending from Roberto Luongo, while the team in front of him limited the chances against. They also stayed away from penalty trouble for the most part, and killed them off when they took them. Everything else in this series has remained fairly constant. They’ve been good on the power play and at even strength. Just clean up your PK and get Louie to be on top of his game.

The Return of Bieksallent

In my series prediction I said that Kevin Bieksa needed to play like he hasn’t in two seasons and/or Luongo has to be great, and well, they both did that last night. Kevin Bieksa played like he did in 2006-07 last night and it was much needed. The guy has been in my doghouse all year, playing more like a fifth defenceman than a top four defenceman. After Sami Salo went down with an injury, Bieksa was counted on big time and he stepped up.

Salo Injured – But Still Ballin’

Thankfully contrary to early reports, Sami Salo DID NOT rupture his testicle in game 5. What exact injury he has though, is uncertain. He’s apparently day-to-day, but who knows what that means come playoff time. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be back for game 6, but after that is anybody’s guess. I could go on a parade of ball jokes now, but they’re kind of tired already (so much so that you can follow ‘Sami Salo’s Testicle‘ on Twitter).

Big Game From Burrows

Alex Burrows only had an empty netter last night, but that doesn’t tell the story. Burrows was planted firmly in front of Antti Niemi on two of the three goals that Niemi gave up. Those screens were the main reason that those goals went in and Burrows hasn’t gotten enough credit for it.

Game 4 Recap/Game 5 Preview – Time for Luongo to Step Up

Tonyz Tanti — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:31:48 +0000

Apologies for not getting the game 4 recap out sooner, but all of the Canuckz.com team were out drowning their sorrows after one of the most disheartening games in recent memory. For the second straight game the Canucks were outsmarted, getting scored on and getting laughed at by the stronger, faster, cockier and so far better Chicago Blackhawks. Without getting into it too much, I’m sure we want to forget it by now, the Canucks need better goaltending from Roberto Luongo, more disciplined play, and better penalty killing.

And now, moving ahead to game 5….

A lot of what the Canucks need can start from Luongo. Perhaps that’s a bit simplistic to suggest, but Luongo should be their best player and should be their best penalty killer. So if Luongo plays well, the team feeds off it, and their penalty kill improves automatically.

Penalty Kill

Speaking of the penalty kill, apart from getting better goaltending, they need to get more aggressive. The PK had a turn around against the LA Kings by getting aggressive all over the rink. They have gotten away from that again in this series. They need to make it difficult for the Hawks to gather speed through the neutral zone and difficult to set-up in the offensive zone.

Play Their Game

The Canucks need to play Canuck hockey. By this I mean they need to play to their strengths and not get side tracked by all of the Chicago nonsense. I would leave Byfuglien alone in front of Luongo on the power play for starters. You’re not going to move him, so better to have just one big body in front of Louie rather than two. The entire team also needs to do their best to stay out of the box, seeing how their PK is playing. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be aggressive, but they can’t take any needless penalties after the whistle and such.

News from the Twitter World:

Getting some great news from the world of Twitter on today’s game from some of the media guys in Chicago.

More reason for the Canucks to be disciplined, Eric Duhatschek points out that it looks like the refs will be calling it tight tonight.

Dan Murphy is reporting that Pavol Demitra will be back in for today’s game, with Tanner Glass drawing out. Demitra will move to the second line and play with Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler. Worth a shot in my opinion, although I think I would have played Mikael Samuelsson on the second line and moved Mason Raymond to the third.

Murph is also reporting that Luongo has shaved his playoff beard. I guess as Geno Reda pointed out, sporting the second lowest save percentage among NHL goalies after the Olympics (minimum 15 games played) has him wanting to change his luck.

They Can Do It:

The Canucks aren’t dead yet, although it doesn’t look good. I believe that tonight’s pivotal game 5 will be the toughest to win. If they can manage to win game 5, they figure to be due for a win at GM Place. If they can do that and force a game 7, the weight of the world will be on the Blackhawks not to blow a 3-1 series lead on home ice. A few things need to go right, but it’s not impossible and it’s been done before. If that happens, it will be because Luongo was great, their forwards keep scoring and their penalty kill steps up. Hopefully for Canucks fans, that starts tonight.

Game 2 Recap – Hawks Even up the Series

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:54:47 +0000

What an entertaining game we saw on Monday night. High intensity, high drama, complete with a last minute goal to win the game. Unfortunately for Canucks fans, the Blackhawks prevailed on this night, winning 4-2 and evening the series coming back to Vancouver. Lets take a look at the bad, good and what to look forward to.

THE BAD:

The Canucks lost, so lets start off by venting about what they did wrong. After getting an early goal and having all the momentum on their side, they were unable to get the knockout blow to make it 3-0 in the first. Still, 2-0 was a good lead but not good enough. The momentum seemed to turn on a dime and the Canucks couldn’t muster much of an attack the rest of the game. Antti Niemi was barely tested the rest of the way which allowed the Blackhawks back in it.

With that said, the Canucks lost this game on the power play. It looked terrible tonight, in particular their last three power plays in the second and third period. They had one measly shot in their final three attempts, all of which would have turned the momentum in their favour and would have gone a long way to ensuring a victory. This is especially critical when you are facing a goalie who hasn’t looked great yet in this series in Antti Niemi. To make matters worse, they allowed the Hawks to score shorthanded, evening the game and setting the stage for Kris Versteeg to win it late.

THE GOOD:

It wasn’t all bad for the Canucks on Monday night. First, their start was phenomenal. I’m sure the United Center faithful were shaking in their boots to start the game off. Also, Roberto Luongo looked strong once again, which is a good sign for this Canucks team. They also limited their penalties, giving the Blackhawks only two power plays in the game. Through two periods, the Canucks were in good shape, ahead by a goal and playing fairly even with Chicago. Alex Burrows made one of the smartest plays this season, giving the puck to Ben Eager to draw a too many men on the ice penalty.

The third period in my opinion would have been a lot different had they been better on the power play. If they could have generated a few more chances, even if they didn’t score, that would have gone a long way to shifting the momentum in their favour.

LOOKING AHEAD:

It goes without saying that game three is a big one. Will the Canucks be able to assert some dominance at home as they have most of this season? Will having last change allow the Sedins to free-wheel a little more than they have thus far? We’ll find out on Wednesday night, in what promises to be another nail biter.

Game 1 Recap – Canucks Storm Niemi

Tonyz Tanti — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:00:21 +0000

The Canucks looked like a team still pissed off about their series loss last year, storming the Blackhawks right off the hop, while the Blackhawks looked a bit surprised by the push and never really seemed to recover. They’ve earned at least a split in Chicago, which is huge for a team like the Canucks that is so much better at home than on the road.

Goaltending

The Canucks looked like the better team in game 1, no doubt, but if the teams switched goalies the score would have been much different. Roberto Luongo looked real good, while his counterpart Antti Niemi looked absolutely terrible. Niemi made some big saves early, but looked shaky while doing so. His pads were like trampolines, bouncing pucks into the middle of the ice for Canucks to pounce on. Meanwhile, Luongo looked like the Luongo of old. The only goal beating him being scored on a 5-on-3. He was square to the shooter, letting out very few rebounds and even making a couple of acrobatic stops. Cristobal Huet replaced Niemi in the third period which begs the question: who starts game 2? Well, evidently the Hawks have completely lost faith in Huet, because it will be Niemi playing again in game 2 according to Joel Quenneville.

Full Team Effort

The Canucks are 3-1 in this year’s playoffs playing in arenas with smoking hot ice girls (the Kings ice girls for your reference). Ok, seriously though, Saturday night’s game was a complete team effort. All four lines scored a goal, and all six defensemen looked very strong. Two of the guys most in my doghouse, Kevin Bieksa and Andrew Alberts, I have to admit looked steady.

Grit Factor

I thought that the Blackhawks were pretty good at finishing their checks on the Canucks d-men (which should scare the crap out of all Canucks fans, they can ill afford an injury to one of their top defensemen). The Canucks meanwhile, did much the same and their hustle was nice to see. Vancouver consistently won loose puck battles, including Mason Raymond outworking Brent Sopel to gain possession and set-up Christian Ehrhoff on the first goal.

Cheapness Factor

You know what I mean by “cheapness factor”, those dirty little cheap plays that are so huge in the playoffs but aren’t serious enough to warrant a penalty, but throw the other team off their game. Examples of these are face washes, spraying snow on/falling down on/bumping the opposing team’s goalie, and taking cheap shots on the other team when the game is out of hand. Chicago was great at this last year, but they were unable to do much of it in game 1. With all the talk of Dustin Byfuglien before this series, he was a non-factor, as were most of the Hawks getting into Luongo’s kitchen. It was Henrik Sedin, I repeat, Henrik Sedin spraying Antti Niemi instead. Every time a Blackhawk got near Luongo, he was quickly ushered away by the Canucks defensemen. Once the game was out of reach, I expected a few cheap shots by the Hawks or at least challenging someone to a fight. The Blackhawks did very little to respond in front of their home crowd and went very quietly.

Looking Ahead

As good as the Canucks looked and as bad as the Blackhawks looked, game 2 will probably look a lot different. Chicago got its wake-up call and will respond with a much better effort. If Luongo continues to outplay Niemi as bad as game 1, it probably won’t matter. Look for a more determined Blackhawk team with some mixed-up lines and the insertion of one or both of Adam Burish and Ben Eager. I expect the Canucks to go with the same lineup, with the only potential lineup change being Ryan Johnson in for Rick Rypien.

Introducing Geraldz Diduck – Round 2 Preview

Geraldz Diduck — Sat, 01 May 2010 10:01:54 +0000

Please welcome the newest blogger to Canuckz.com, the one we like to call ‘Geraldz Diduck’

The so-called “parity” of the salary cap era is on display, as the three top seeds are now eliminated in the East. But what about the parity between the West and the East? It seems as though the only strong team remaining in the East is the Pittsburgh Penguins and compared to their counterparts in the West; San Jose, Chicago, Detroit and Vancouver, they look overmatched.

After besting a hot Halak in Montreal, and defeating either a decimated Flyers squad, or a sub-par Bruins team; the Pens should cruise to their third consecutive Stanley Cup final. After this relatively easy road to the final, the dream of repeating as Cup champs ends there. The Pens only chance repeating as Cup champions would be a Conn Smythe performance from Sid the Kid, or possibly the good fortune of playing a beaten, bruised, and injury riddled team coming out of the West. The West is too strong and the Stanley Cup will return to the more dominant Conference.

So which team will hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup this year? My prediction is the Vancouver Canucks and the Detroit Red Wings in the Conference final with the winner being crowned Stanley Cup Champion.

Vancouver vs. Chicago

What a series this will be. After last year’s 7 goal Roberto Luongo debacle in game 6, not to mention Patrick Kane’s three goal performance, this series is personal. These two teams have a deep seeded hatred toward each other and it should be fantastic to watch the emotions run high.

The Canucks were defeated last year in the second round due to two major factors; secondary scoring and Luongo’s inability to win the big game.

The primary and secondary scoring for the Vancouver Canucks is greatly improved to that of last season. The Sedin twins have taken their games to another level and, more importantly, are producing in the playoffs at greater than a point per game clip. Following the Sedin example there is an abundance of offensive talent the disposal of Alain Vigneault including: Burrows, Samuelsson, Kesler, Raymond, Demitra, Wellwood, and Grabner. The versatility of these players has made it easier for Vigneault to juggle lines when the chemistry has dissipated, allowing for three lines that can produce offensively at any time.

As for the debate on the current mental and physical state of Roberto Luongo, the jury is still out. The question of Luongo’s ability to win the big game seems to have been answered after his gold medal winning Olympic performance at the 2010 Vancouver Games. Luongo is a winner and desperately wants to avenge the 7-5 result that ousted Vancouver from playoffs one year ago. He will be focused, sharp, and the Luongo of old. Compared to a playoff rookie in Antti Niemi, who has looked weak at times thus far, Luongo and the Canucks easily win the goalie battle.

The Blackhawk forwards have a good mix of youth and talent. The addition of Marian Hossa puts pressure on the best of NHL defensemen with his size and skill. Hossa, Kane, Toews and Sharp allow Chicago to roll two good scoring lines and this will present a problem for this depleted Canuck defence. If Andrew Alberts, possibly the worst Canuck to ever dawn a jersey, sees any action against this offense, he will be exploited to no end.

The defensive battle is definitely won by the Hawks with the likes of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and a healthy Brian Campbell. The Canucks, on the other hand, are an injury away from disaster on the back end. When Aaron Rome, Nolan Baumgartner, Lawrence Nycholat look like studs, your defence is in trouble.

The key to this series will be the play of the second and third lines, as well as, the roll players. Players such as Kesler, Burrows, Ryan Johnson and Jannik Hansen for the Canucks; and Bolland, Byfuglien, Fraser and Versteeg for the Hawks. The contributions and hard work from these types of player will win or lose this series. This category is a tie.

Prediction: I’m going to differ from Tonyz Tanti’s prediction yesterday, Canucks in 6

Canucks vs Blackhawks – Round 2 Series Preview and Prediction

Tonyz Tanti — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:41:50 +0000

This image (along with this song) has haunted Canucks fans for almost an entire calendar year. Patrick Kane, mouth guard dangling and all, scoring the insurance goal late in game 6, his third goal of the night. The Canucks insist that they should have won that series, to which I disagree (they had fewer points than Chicago, and were beaten in six!). The Hawks were the better team last year, and throughout the regular season have been the better team this year. No doubt, they are the favourites. With that said, this series should be a close one and could go either way, depending on a few keys of the series:

Traffic in Front of Luongo:

The Blackhawks were very successful last season getting traffic in front of Roberto Luongo, bumping him, falling on him (accidentally on purpose of course), basically completely throwing him off his game. The Canucks defensemen will need to make life miserable for Blackhawks wishing to crash the crease. But more importantly, Roberto Luongo needs to not let it bother him. Last year he showed his frustration, which only fueled the fire.

Traffic in Front of Niemi:

Something I never understand about teams in the playoffs is that when a team is playing a star goalie, they try to get lots of traffic in front, but when they play a mediocre goalie, they’re not so concerned with it. Just because Antti Niemi doesn’t have a great resume shouldn’t mean that the Canucks shouldn’t become concerned with screening him, bumping him, etc. He put up good numbers against the Predators in round 1, but he’s never really been tested mentally as much as he will this series. Shaking his confidence will be key.

Seabrook and Keith:

No doubt Joel Quenneville will try to get this pairing out against the Sedin line as much as possible. The Sedins will need to outplay them to win the series. It’s also important because both Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith play so many minutes. If the Sedins can tire them out or the other lines can wear them down with body checks and sustained pressure, it will go a long way to helping the Canucks’ cause.

Shutting Down the Hawks Top Guns:

The Blackhawks have a lot of fire power. Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, etc. are very dangerous players and the Canucks will need to keep them in check. That job will be shared primarily by the Canucks defense corps. This is the biggest mismatch going into this series. With 2-3 potent scoring lines, their d-men will be tested big time. Last year the Canucks D seemed incapable of handling the Hawks speed. This year the Canucks have pretty much the same group, save for Christian Ehrhoff in for Mattias Ohlund.

The X-Factor

I believe the X-factor of this series is revenge. The Canucks seem to still be pissed off about last season’s playoff loss and they seem more mature. I also think they’re better equipped to deal with the roller coaster ride that Chicago can take you on with their crazy goal spurts.

What’s Different this Time:

Going into last season’s playoff series against the Blackhawks the Canucks were on a roll. They had ended the regular season well and steam rolled a good young St Louis Blues team. Roberto Luongo was sensational in that series.

The 2008-09 edition of the Canucks was bigger and slower than this edition. Gone are Mattias Ohlund and Mats Sundin. Willie Mitchell is gone due to injury. In are Christian Ehrhoff and Mikael Samuelsson.

As for the Blackhawks, all of their young players are a year older and a year better. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith have gone from good young players to bonafide superstars. Hossa, Niemi and Madden are the notable additions to their lineup while Havlat, Khabibulin and Barker are the most notable players no longer with their club.

Prediction:

This is a Canucks blog but it is not a homer blog, I’m going to say Chicago in 7. The Canucks have a great opportunity to beat the Blackhawks but they will need either Kevin Bieksa to play like he hasn’t played like in two seasons or Roberto Luongo to get on a roll like he hasn’t been able to do for a few months. Both are unlikely, which is why I believe Chicago will come out with the series victory.

Game 6 Recap – Luongo Steps Up

Tonyz Tanti — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:04:56 +0000

Roberto Luongo saved his best game in the first round for game 6, and was the best player on the ice. Everyone will be talking about his big save off of Ryan Smyth, dubbed the “save of the series” by Jim Hughson, but his game was more than that save, as big as it was. The Los Angeles Kings were the best team on the ice for the first 40 minutes but it was none other than their team captain Roberto Luongo that kept them in it. They were outshot 26-11 through the first two periods, but were bailed out by Luongo until the Canucks finally found their groove and grossly outplayed the Kings in the third.

The Kings power play finally ran out of steam in game 6, going 0 for 5. Give credit to the Canucks coaching staff for making the right adjustments on it. They were much more aggressive on their penalty kill, not just in their own zone, but all over the ice, making the Kings entries more difficult.

Great observation by the Hockey Night in Canada analysts in the second intermission about the fatigue of Michael Handzus. The checking centre, given the responsibility of limiting the Sedins in this series, really looked like he couldn’t handle the big minutes tonight. Handzus played 21 minutes in game 6, up significantly from his 18 minutes of ice time that he averaged in the regular season. Watching labour around the ice reminded me a lot of Mats Sundin huffing and puffing last season, unable to keep up.

For the Canucks, this series was about a few things. Luongo finding his game, the Sedins dominating and coming up big in the clutch, as well as the emergence of Alex Edler. All great things to see, but they’ll need even more in the second round. They’ll play Chicago unless Nashville comes back to win that series, in which case they would play the winner of Detroit-Phoenix. Who would you want to play? Drop a note in the comments section. I loved Luongo’s reaction, saying he wants Chicago (check it out here at the 6:40 mark), wanting some redemption for last season’s playoff series. I’m not sure that’s the most favourable matchup, but it would definitely be the most exciting.