Canucks win 3-2 in OT over Edmonton. Daniel Sedin scored game winner on PP.
It's easy to see why the Oilers have lost six straight games. That bag skate they went through didn't win them any puck battles.
Their first goal was on a brutal line change by the Canucks penalty kill crew, allowing Sam Gagner to walk in untouched and bury one past Luongo.
Then, as usual, the Sedins and Alex Burrows struck, and tied it up. The Canucks, by this point, had been outworking the Oilers, in their own rink no less, all game long. Sheldon Souray was able to put one behind a screened Luongo and send the Oilers into the third with a 2-1 lead.
Fortunately for the Canucks, the Oilers figured the game was over by that point, as long as they played some good ol' Pat Quinn defense. And don't get me wrong, they did that. One problem. They did it while getting beat to every puck by the Canucks, all period long. You can see that Quinn's coaching style could win games, as long as there's some effort to get the puck, just because as soon as a Canuck would think he had an open lane, the Oilers would suffocate him.
As soon as the Canucks got a little space on a powerplay? Bam. Sedin, Sedin, Salo, goal. And what worse to do than give the league's leading scorer some space from a 4-on-3 powerplay in overtime? Sedin, Sedin, goal. Game over.
One think Canucks fans gotta love is the presence of mind by Daniel Sedin on the pass from his brother to back up in the slot before it came to him. Make no mistake, rookie goalie Devin Dubnyk knew that pass was coming. But as soon as he took his eyes off Daniel and put them onto Henrik, Daniel backed up and was no longer in the same place that Dubnyk thought he was before. That little move by Daniel won the Canucks the game, and saved them the agony of losing to the Oilers.
Of course, it helped brother Hank to extend his lead on the NHL scoring race.
19.1.10
Video Ode to Jake Locker
I know a lot of people in Canuck land have never heard of Jake Locker. I'll admit, about two and a half years ago, I didn't either. He's the quarterback of the University of Washington, he just passed up millions upon millions of dollars to stay in college for one last year, he's already been drafted by the Anaheim Angels for his baseball talent, and he's a hometown kid that could've went to school almost anywhere he wanted to.
He's the complete blend of size, speed and athleticism. To put it in Vancouver terms, he's as fast as Geroy Simon, runs like Martell Mallett, and can throw as far as Jarious Jackson.
It's fair to say that, barring any unforeseen injuries or changes, he will go first overall in the 2011 NFL draft. Because of this, Vancouver fans should realize that they have one more year, or six home games, to take advantage of the relatively short drive it takes to get down to UW and see him play. Although, who's to say that the Seahawks don't tank (again) next season and end up drafting him?
Because of all of this, I've compiled a bunch of YouTube videos to truly recognize the talent.
--- First, Locker's freshman year highlights. He was thrown into the mix as a 17-year-old under Tyrone Willingham's spread option offense, where he came close to almost singlehandedly upsetting national football powers Ohio State and USC.
--- To show his toughness, here's the hit that he took during the USC game. And against Ohio State, check the facemasking penalty he took.
--- In 2008, Locker started the season with a loss to Oregon, but then orchestrated a huge comeback against fifteenth ranked Brigham Young, one which ended with one of the worst penalty calls in the 2008 season. Locker had a tough season in 2008 with a coach ready to be fired and no talent around him. After a 40+ point whooping at the hands of Oklahoma, Locker shattered his thumb while throwing a block against Stanford and missed the rest of the season.
--- Here are all of his highlights from the Brigham Young game.
--- Willingham was then fired, and in came Steve Sarkisian, former offensive coordinator of USC, as head coach at UW. He vowed to bring in a pro-style offense to help Locker mould into an NFL quarterback, one that could use more than just his legs. This was the result.
--- And here's one of the final ten plays of the win over third ranked USC that Husky fans will remember for a long, long time.
--- Don't worry, the kid can still use his feet.
Still not convinced? Go ahead. YouTube him. Check the stats, check the mock drafts. This kid is the real deal. And if you still need convincing, get down to the UW and see him play. It might be your last chance. Follow me on twitter @scotts_thoughts.
16.1.10
Crosby invades Vancouver notes and thoughts
--- Jim Jamieson of the Province's White Towel blog gives a good overview of Crosby's thoughts on his last stop in his current western Canada road trip.
--- According to Brad Ziemer, among others, Pavol Demitra is slated to make his season debut tonight on the third line alongside Kyle Wellwood and Jannik Hansen. Kind of an awkward, unconventional third line, I could see Mikael Samuelsson ending up on that line just to add a little more grit to the third line, and hopefully more offense to the second line with Kesler and Raymond. Remember how good Kesler and Demitra were last season, alongside Mats Sundin? Ziemer also writes that the Canucks are trying to put the media firestorm behind them.
Are the Canucks rushing into the return of Demitra? It looks like it. I remember reports from a couple months ago saying he was out for the year. But what can you do? Steve Bernier, Alex Bolduc and Ryan Johnson are all grinder type guys, and all are hurt.
--- Thought: Alex Ovechkin is most likely sick of seeing other people atop the points standings. Especially Swedes and Canadians. This is probably why he scored a goal tonight, while adding four more assists (Jesus Christ). Think this might light a fire under Crosby? Canucks better hope not.
--- Jim Hughson, a guy we all miss here in Vancouver, makes a point that this game isn't just about Crosby anymore, as it pits two potential Hart Trophy candidates together in Crosby and Henrik Sedin. My take? It's pretty crazy that two guys that have been known for their precision passing and ice vision (or, they get a lot of assists) have become goal scorers. I read yesterday that Crosby is on pace for around 50 goals, 11 more than his previous high of 39. And Henrik, too, has been filling the net much more than we're used to. This one will be a good math-up between the two, but knowing Vigneault's line matching, we won't see much of it.
--- Thought: I can pretty much guarantee there won't be a fight tonight. Colin Campbell is going to be watching coach Vigneault's every move after Derek Boogard accused Darcy Hordichuk of telling him that Vigneault was sending players out to fight. The Canucks don't need any more controversy. Why? Because in the midst of it, they've lost three straight.
But what better way to get back on track than to beat the defending Stanley Cup champs? Might as well win it.
15.1.10
Moose AHL hockey worth the money, Heat probably not
Had the chance to take in the second of a two-game set between the Manitoba Moose and Abbotsford Heat at the Abbotsford Sports and Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, in what ended up being a sell out. It was a pretty good atmosphere with tons of fans cheering for each side. The traffic jam on the way tot he rink was reminiscent of the the traffic jam before the big game in the movie Space Jam.
It was also my first experience at the ASEC, and it really impressed me. Much nicer than the new rink in Chilliwack, and I'll know in a few weeks where it ranks with the new Langley rink when I take in a Giants game there during the Olympic break.
Anyways, I was sitting in row 19 of 20 looking directly to center ice, and for $40, I'd say it was completely worth it. Seeing guys who could be playing in the NHL like Mathieu Schneider, Matt Pettinger and Cory Schneider, combined with (hopefully) future stars Michael Grabner and Sergei Shirokov, topped off with guys we will end up hating in Vancouver, Michael Backlund, was a pretty cool setting.
To the left is my view of the game, which was damn near perfect. Perfection would've being eight or so rows closer, just because of the jaw jacking near the benches that I wouldn't have minded hearing. Most notably from ex-Giant now Heat JD Watt. There were about eight fights between the two teams and Watt was involved in a lot of them.
The winner of the best scrap of the night? Guillame Desbiens. He started the third period circling center ice before pummeling whoever it was in an Abbotsford sweater that couldn't even land a single punch.
But other that Mathieu and Cory Schneider being by far the best players on the ice (Cory picked up the 3-0 shutout, Mathieu put a bullet past Matt Keetley to start scoring early in the first period), it was interesting that the future stars Backlund, Grabner, and Shirokov were actually pretty invisible out there. The more noticeable players ended up being the guys who are more than likely to end their careers in the AHL. Guys like Matt Pope, Jason Jaffray, Nolan Baumgartner and Mike Keane.
So. Would I go back to watch the Moose play in Abbotsford? Definitely. Would I go see the Heat play another team? Only if I got cheap/free tickets or I know someone on the other team, which I will when Bridgeport comes to town.
Other than that, just wanted to pass alone a pretty sweet jersey I saw at the rink just as the game was ending, an old Hartford Whalers Ron Francis sweater. Cue the Brass Bonanza.
It was also my first experience at the ASEC, and it really impressed me. Much nicer than the new rink in Chilliwack, and I'll know in a few weeks where it ranks with the new Langley rink when I take in a Giants game there during the Olympic break.
To the left is my view of the game, which was damn near perfect. Perfection would've being eight or so rows closer, just because of the jaw jacking near the benches that I wouldn't have minded hearing. Most notably from ex-Giant now Heat JD Watt. There were about eight fights between the two teams and Watt was involved in a lot of them.
The winner of the best scrap of the night? Guillame Desbiens. He started the third period circling center ice before pummeling whoever it was in an Abbotsford sweater that couldn't even land a single punch.
But other that Mathieu and Cory Schneider being by far the best players on the ice (Cory picked up the 3-0 shutout, Mathieu put a bullet past Matt Keetley to start scoring early in the first period), it was interesting that the future stars Backlund, Grabner, and Shirokov were actually pretty invisible out there. The more noticeable players ended up being the guys who are more than likely to end their careers in the AHL. Guys like Matt Pope, Jason Jaffray, Nolan Baumgartner and Mike Keane.
So. Would I go back to watch the Moose play in Abbotsford? Definitely. Would I go see the Heat play another team? Only if I got cheap/free tickets or I know someone on the other team, which I will when Bridgeport comes to town.
Other than that, just wanted to pass alone a pretty sweet jersey I saw at the rink just as the game was ending, an old Hartford Whalers Ron Francis sweater. Cue the Brass Bonanza.
14.1.10
Burrows/Auger aftermath
For the uninformed reader, Canucks recent super scorer (8 goals in 4 games) Alex Burrows had a little something to say about the officiating during his last game, when Stephane Auger foiled a chance for Burrows to pick up his third hat trick in four games. If you are informed, skip the next paragraph or two.
Auger called a phantom interference penalty while the Canucks were on a powerplay, then an additional call on Henrik Sedin, which was his third tripping minor of the night, in turn giving Nashville a four on three powerplay. Well, the Preds have an All-Canadian (god that doesn't sound nearly as cool as All-American) defensmen on their powerplay, and it turns out he has a huge shot. The Canucks found that out when he blew the game winner past Roberto Luongo.
Well, it turns out those phantom penalties were premeditated. According to Burrows, Auger told him before the game that Burrows made Auger look bad the last time the two teams played, and that he was going to get him back for that. Hence the epically brutal officiating.
It's being reported today that after a telephone hearing with NHL warden Colin Campbell that Burrows will have to pay a $2,500 fine (or the equivalent of six minutes ice time) and that Auger won't be punished at all.
We're sure Auger said something to Burrows before the game. We saw it on video. Is it possible that Auger said something different than what Burrows eluded to after the game? Probably. Burrows just played a long, hard fought game and can't be expected to remember word for word what Auger said to him. But one thing we know is that there was undisputed sincerity in the eyes of Burrows, and it wasn't just from the stationary bike he was riding during questioning.
Burrows has never done or said anything like this in his career. He seems to me like a stand-up guy, the kind of guy that doesn't pull an Anson Carter and take off after the Sedins make him look better than he is. I knew that when he signed for eight years at $2 million per.
Campbell actually missed a good opportunity to show that he could truly police everything in the league, not just the players who are committing dirty hits, nor the coach's who call out the refs. It was obvious the penalties were ridiculous. Anyone who's been around hockey and knows what an interference penalty in the NHL looks like could see that. Even Campbell.
And the thing is, we're living in a post Tim Donaghy era where it's okay to reprimand your league's officials to show the public that the integrity of the game is more important than protecting your officials' backs.
Obviously, Auger wasn't about to get suspended for the rest of the year at Burrows' request, but just a game or two suspension might have made everyone sleep a bit easier.
11.1.10
Weekly Canucks Thoughts
In what I think could be a good feature for a Vancouver based sports blog is my thoughts on the week that was with our beloved Canucks. I'll try and get them in every Sunday night, or whenever else I feel like it. Away we go.
--- Gotta start with Alex Burrows. Dude kicks off the week with two straight hat-tricks, and while doing so boosts feeder extraordinaire Henrik Sedin into first place in NHL scoring, passing his way past Joe Thornton. Burrows' goals, however, are completely different that the ones Taylor Pyatt and Anson Carter were notching when they had their own respective time alongside the twins. Those two just buried Daniel's rebounds. Burrows is actually finishing passing plays and scoring goals on shots that Steve Bernier wouldn't even think of taking, even though Bernier was originally thought to be taylor-made to occupy that spot with the Swedes when Mike Gillis brought him in.
--- Those wins early in the week were obviously nice, but they didn't even come close to what we saw on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night against the Flames. Yes, they lost. Yes, Roberto Luongo got exposed in the shootout (even though an argument could be made that he hasn't had much practice in shootouts this season). And yes, the Canucks were badly outshot and outworked for the better part of the game. But hey, Luongo played like a Team Canada starter, and that's what they need from him to be successful. That's especially needed when Christian Ehrhoff and Alex Edler have to play 32 minutes a piece between the two of them. I don't mean to play what-ifs, but I can't help but think the presence of Sami Salo, if nothing else on the powerplay, could have changed this game.
--- I know this will be seen as blasphemy among Canucks circles, but Brandon Prust is sure taking offense to the league-wide notion of Rick Rypien being the undisputed middle-weight champion of the NHL. He went blow for blow with Rypien both times they tilted Saturday night. I'm gonna predict that these guys go at it a few more times before the season ends, or at least until someone picks up a unanimous decision. Of course, Rypien being who he is, and doing what he's been doing, begs the question of why Darcy Hordichuk is needed anymore. Especially when either Michael Grabner and/or Pavol Demitra make their respective returns. A positive from this? Hordichuk has a name for himself that can hold some weight in any trade talks, something that a Tanner Glass or a Jannik Hansen hasn't established. He could be a good throw in for anything at the trade deadline.
--- Let's give the laser pointer dude some love. All the guy wanted to do was to help the Canucks. He was probably wasted, and it didn't do anything anyways, so let's get off his back about it. It would have been pretty damn cool if it would have distracted Kiprusoff, too. I've never seen a goal get called off due to fan interference. Could the refs or the NHL do anything about it? Hopefully the guys has season tickets.
--- Wrapping it up, the Canucks can pull out a hell of a lot more positives than negatives from this week. Burrows and the Sedins are hitting the climax of their chemistry, and they pulled out a loser point in a game that they were outworked. They shut down Jarome Iginla in the process, which is no easy task, and they got Luongo to play like he might want some respect, being that many are speculating Marc-Andre Fleury to assume the number two spot on the Canadian roster in the Olympics. (I think the playoffs would have been embarassing if Luongo had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on his team). Other than that, if the Canucks can stay healthy during the upcoming homestand and tread water in the brutal roadtrip, they should be in good position to take the northwest division again.
All for now.
--- Gotta start with Alex Burrows. Dude kicks off the week with two straight hat-tricks, and while doing so boosts feeder extraordinaire Henrik Sedin into first place in NHL scoring, passing his way past Joe Thornton. Burrows' goals, however, are completely different that the ones Taylor Pyatt and Anson Carter were notching when they had their own respective time alongside the twins. Those two just buried Daniel's rebounds. Burrows is actually finishing passing plays and scoring goals on shots that Steve Bernier wouldn't even think of taking, even though Bernier was originally thought to be taylor-made to occupy that spot with the Swedes when Mike Gillis brought him in.
--- Those wins early in the week were obviously nice, but they didn't even come close to what we saw on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night against the Flames. Yes, they lost. Yes, Roberto Luongo got exposed in the shootout (even though an argument could be made that he hasn't had much practice in shootouts this season). And yes, the Canucks were badly outshot and outworked for the better part of the game. But hey, Luongo played like a Team Canada starter, and that's what they need from him to be successful. That's especially needed when Christian Ehrhoff and Alex Edler have to play 32 minutes a piece between the two of them. I don't mean to play what-ifs, but I can't help but think the presence of Sami Salo, if nothing else on the powerplay, could have changed this game.
--- I know this will be seen as blasphemy among Canucks circles, but Brandon Prust is sure taking offense to the league-wide notion of Rick Rypien being the undisputed middle-weight champion of the NHL. He went blow for blow with Rypien both times they tilted Saturday night. I'm gonna predict that these guys go at it a few more times before the season ends, or at least until someone picks up a unanimous decision. Of course, Rypien being who he is, and doing what he's been doing, begs the question of why Darcy Hordichuk is needed anymore. Especially when either Michael Grabner and/or Pavol Demitra make their respective returns. A positive from this? Hordichuk has a name for himself that can hold some weight in any trade talks, something that a Tanner Glass or a Jannik Hansen hasn't established. He could be a good throw in for anything at the trade deadline.
--- Let's give the laser pointer dude some love. All the guy wanted to do was to help the Canucks. He was probably wasted, and it didn't do anything anyways, so let's get off his back about it. It would have been pretty damn cool if it would have distracted Kiprusoff, too. I've never seen a goal get called off due to fan interference. Could the refs or the NHL do anything about it? Hopefully the guys has season tickets.
--- Wrapping it up, the Canucks can pull out a hell of a lot more positives than negatives from this week. Burrows and the Sedins are hitting the climax of their chemistry, and they pulled out a loser point in a game that they were outworked. They shut down Jarome Iginla in the process, which is no easy task, and they got Luongo to play like he might want some respect, being that many are speculating Marc-Andre Fleury to assume the number two spot on the Canadian roster in the Olympics. (I think the playoffs would have been embarassing if Luongo had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on his team). Other than that, if the Canucks can stay healthy during the upcoming homestand and tread water in the brutal roadtrip, they should be in good position to take the northwest division again.
All for now.
9.1.10
Pete Carroll new Seahawks HC, USC Sucks
First it was the Washington Huskies stealing USC's offensive coordinator (Steve Sarkisian), their defensive coordinator (Nick Holt) and about half of the rest of the football staff down there. Then it was Jake Locker and the Huskies taking out then third-ranked USC and exposing Aaron Corp and the rest of an overrated defense, and now the Seahawks are going to hire Carroll, the guy who built the Trojan dynasty in Los Angeles.
For the record, I know this is a Vancouver blog. But hey, this big-time news and its all about a three hour drive away from us. And I think I've expressed my displeasure with the CFL enough on this platform.
Other than sticking it to USC, which we all hate, this is really just a publicity stunt. Paul Allen, the owner of the Seahawks and one of the richest men in America, wanted a big-time name. Jim Mora had that, the only problem was that it was his dad's name that made it famous. Carroll gives him that big name, along with an albeit tight (33-31), winning record in the NFL.
Mora was a player's coach, and many speculated that was the problem in Seattle as it seemed the players quit on their coach, shown by the pummeling they received in their last four games. Carroll, is actually kind of similar, as he's always been seen as having such a laid back attitude. The difference? A track-record that's a hell of a lot better than Mora's.
But what this team really needs to worry about is re-building it's offensive line. It's pretty obvious that Shaun Alexander didn't just decide to suck after 2005. The Vikings gave Steve Hutchinson $60 million, Walter Jones got old, and suddenly Alexander had nowhere to run. Matt Hasselbeck's back couldn't hold up with the pounding he was taking because of the terrible o-line, and the retirement of Mack Strong. All of a sudden, the offense was limited, they picked up average tailback after average tailback and Holmgren took off while the gettin' was good.
Luckily for the 'Hawks, they have two first round picks this season. They hoped the Denver trade might end up being in the top-ten, but it's still nice to have two first rounders. This could hopefully allow them to pick up a big time lineman like the Buluga kid from Iowa, and maybe be able to grab Cal's Jahvid Best late in the first round to get the re-building process going right away.
Even if they continue to lose, we can all make pretty damn sure that USC is screwed.
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