Friday, October 05, 2007
It Starts Tonight
As the puck drops tonight to start the Canucks' 2007-2008 season, I want to expect more from this team. I know they put together a heckuva season last season - winning the Northwest Division and making the second round of the playoffs qualifies as a heckuva season. I know that they essentially have the same core of players returning and upgraded the bottom part of the roster. Trust me, I'd take Byron Ritchie, Brad Isbister and Aaron Miller over Marc Chouinard, Tommi Santala and Rory Fitzpatrick any day (with all due respect to Rory).
Have they done enough to take them over the proverbial hump?
Well, they did very little and will have to rely on the Sedins to continue to play like point-a-game-plus players and for Roberto Luongo to continue to play like a Hart and Vezina candidate. When healthy, the top-six defensemen can stack up against any in the league.
Which leaves one question: what about that lack of scoring thing?
It goes without saying that Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison have to produce more, and at least to start the season, the Canucks are relying in large part on the youngsters to provide some offense. Can Ryan Shannon and Ryan Kesler, both playing with Naslund, and Mason Raymond, playing with the Sedins, answer the bell? If they can, this team can go far in the playoffs. Otherwise, I won't expect more than how they did last year and just let them surprise me.
Much, much more from the MSM:
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Have they done enough to take them over the proverbial hump?
Well, they did very little and will have to rely on the Sedins to continue to play like point-a-game-plus players and for Roberto Luongo to continue to play like a Hart and Vezina candidate. When healthy, the top-six defensemen can stack up against any in the league.
Which leaves one question: what about that lack of scoring thing?
It goes without saying that Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison have to produce more, and at least to start the season, the Canucks are relying in large part on the youngsters to provide some offense. Can Ryan Shannon and Ryan Kesler, both playing with Naslund, and Mason Raymond, playing with the Sedins, answer the bell? If they can, this team can go far in the playoffs. Otherwise, I won't expect more than how they did last year and just let them surprise me.
Much, much more from the MSM:
- Public rarely sees Canucks coach's game face. (Ed Willes, Vancouver Province)
- Get comfortable. (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Morrison: Canucks' forgotten man. (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Naslund isn't feeling any heat. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Doghouse filling up early. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Weaver has little doubt. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Veteran rearguards find new life. (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- Coach's lunchtime plea. (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- Charged up Cooke ready for Sharks. (Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Ready to rumble. (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- What does Vigneault do for an encore? (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- Vancouver turns Willie's world upside down. (Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun)
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks
Labels: game day preview
1 Comments:
http://communities.canada.com/theprovince/blogs/kurtenblog/archive/2007/10/05/canucks-sharks-let-s-get-wasted.aspx
A Vancouver-San Jose preview of a different kind...
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