Monday, March 31, 2008
Flames 2 Canucks 6
One down, three to go.
The Detroit Red Wings gave the Vancouver Canucks a gift earlier in the day - the ability to control their own playoff destiny again - and the Canucks took full advantage. They beat the visiting Flames 6-2 and took over eighth place in the Western Conference.
The game was a remarkable contrast from the one they played in Calgary just less than a week ago. Last week, they built a 2-0 first period lead and then wilted down the stretch to lose 3-2. Last night, the Canucks actually initiated a lot of the physical stuff and had to claw back from two first period deficits before finally pulling away.
With three games left in the regular season, it doesn't get any clearer than this: win and they're in. And as Ed Willes (Vancouver Province) said this morning, all the criticism the team has faced would be forgotten:
Like Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf did last week, Markus Naslund and Trevor Linden stepped it up when it mattered the most and were absolutely phenomenal.
Here's Jason Botchford (Vancouver Province):
It was only one game but it was a good one. Three more of those this week would be nice.
More from the MSM:
A visit from the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
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The Detroit Red Wings gave the Vancouver Canucks a gift earlier in the day - the ability to control their own playoff destiny again - and the Canucks took full advantage. They beat the visiting Flames 6-2 and took over eighth place in the Western Conference.
The game was a remarkable contrast from the one they played in Calgary just less than a week ago. Last week, they built a 2-0 first period lead and then wilted down the stretch to lose 3-2. Last night, the Canucks actually initiated a lot of the physical stuff and had to claw back from two first period deficits before finally pulling away.
With three games left in the regular season, it doesn't get any clearer than this: win and they're in. And as Ed Willes (Vancouver Province) said this morning, all the criticism the team has faced would be forgotten:
For the Canucks, the only salient facts to emerge from their 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames is they're now back in eighth place in the Western Conference and with three homes games left on their schedule, they control their own destiny.Not completely forgotten, in my opinion, but at least pushed aside temporarily (like, until the next loss). Last night, the team played like a team. They looked like they cared. They hit, they scored and they stood up for each other.
This is all you need to know. Everything else is irrelevant. So save the deeper analysis for another time because it was out of place after this night.
Like Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf did last week, Markus Naslund and Trevor Linden stepped it up when it mattered the most and were absolutely phenomenal.
Here's Jason Botchford (Vancouver Province):
It was an improbable throwback to a different era, an iconic image that infused hope into a fan base that had no reason for any.And Brad Ziemer (Vancouver Sun):
As a smiling Trevor Linden glided across the ice after scoring his second of the game -- his biggest, most important goal of the season, the one that breathed new life into the Canucks' foundering playoff hopes -- his arms were outstretched to the heavens. The grateful, elated, relieved, in-love crowd showered him with a lingering standing ovation. It could have been his last as a player.
It was memorable.
So was Linden's play. So was Markus Naslund's. So were the Canucks, a team who somehow beat the Calgary Flames 6-2 Sunday when the mood, the momentum and the flow suggested they had no chance.
If they really will both be gone after this season ends, Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund gave us something to remember Sunday night.The rest of the lineup was good too. Jeff Cowan and Byron Ritchie were noticeable, which means they were doing their job. Alex Burrows got Iggy off his game. Brad Isbister played big and threw his weight around. Taylor Pyatt played big and attacked the net constantly.
They also gave Vancouver Canuck fans hope.
Linden and Naslund are two of the big reasons why we are able to put off the post-mortem and instead are once again talking about the playoffs.
It was only one game but it was a good one. Three more of those this week would be nice.
More from the MSM:
- Ahead again in the playoff race. (Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun; Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- Relaxed Roberto. (Marc Weber, Vancouver Province)
- From the Calgary side of things. (Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald; George Johnson, Calgary Herald)
- Zanstorm took in the game from GM Place... (Waiting For Stanley)
- and Temujin liveblogged it. (Waiting For Stanley)
A visit from the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
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Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Calgary+Flames
Labels: Flames, game recap, Linden, Naslund
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Canucks 2 Flames 3
I'm still trying to come up with the right words to describe last night's 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. Heartbreaking, disappointing, infuriating, frustrating come to mind. Pissed is another.
I'm pissed off.
The Canucks shouldn't have lost last night. Not with the way they came out and outplayed the Flames in the first period. Not with the way they controlled the play, drew four powerplays, outshot the Flames 21-7 and built a 2-0 lead. They did everything right in the first 20 minutes.
And then they pissed it away.
In the final forty minutes, the Canucks were thoroughly dominated and outshot 33-13. They looked outmatched and out of it. Scarily, it was eerily reminiscent of how they looked against the Ducks in the second round of the playoffs.
The Canucks were outshot 18-3 in the second period, though thanks to Roberto Luongo, they still held a 2-1 lead going into the third. It should have been enough. After all, going into tonight's game, no team had been able to beat them in regulation when leading after two periods. They had a league-best 26-0-1 record when leading after two periods. I guess there's a first time for everything.
It wasn't just the game they pissed away. Had the Canucks hung on for the win, they would have crawled to one point back of the Minnesota Wild for the Northwest Division title with one game in hand. They would have extended their lead to four and five points against the ninth place Nashville Predators (who, by the way, shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets last night) and tenth place Edmonton Oilers respectively. This morning, the Canucks are in seventh place, four points back of the Northwest Division lead and only a two and three point lead against the Predators and Oilers.
Brad Ziemer (Vancouver Sun) probably described this game the best:
If there is one positive after the loss, it's that the Canucks, amazingly enough, still control their own destiny. If they want to make the playoffs and even win their division, all they have to do is win their games. They don't need help from other teams. They just need to worry about their own.
As demoralizing as it was to piss away a couple of points last night, at least they don't have to sit for long and dwell over it. They get back at it against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. I hope the team that showed up in the first period is the team that shows up. And shows up for the entire game.
More from the MSM:
Tonight against the Avs.
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I'm pissed off.
The Canucks shouldn't have lost last night. Not with the way they came out and outplayed the Flames in the first period. Not with the way they controlled the play, drew four powerplays, outshot the Flames 21-7 and built a 2-0 lead. They did everything right in the first 20 minutes.
And then they pissed it away.
In the final forty minutes, the Canucks were thoroughly dominated and outshot 33-13. They looked outmatched and out of it. Scarily, it was eerily reminiscent of how they looked against the Ducks in the second round of the playoffs.
The Canucks were outshot 18-3 in the second period, though thanks to Roberto Luongo, they still held a 2-1 lead going into the third. It should have been enough. After all, going into tonight's game, no team had been able to beat them in regulation when leading after two periods. They had a league-best 26-0-1 record when leading after two periods. I guess there's a first time for everything.
It wasn't just the game they pissed away. Had the Canucks hung on for the win, they would have crawled to one point back of the Minnesota Wild for the Northwest Division title with one game in hand. They would have extended their lead to four and five points against the ninth place Nashville Predators (who, by the way, shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets last night) and tenth place Edmonton Oilers respectively. This morning, the Canucks are in seventh place, four points back of the Northwest Division lead and only a two and three point lead against the Predators and Oilers.
Brad Ziemer (Vancouver Sun) probably described this game the best:
After a roller-coaster season, it probably should come as no surprise that the Canucks are not going to make things easy on themselves as they head down the home stretch of the regular season.The Canucks are like a box of chocolates and all that.
Tuesday's game was in many ways a microcosm of their season. They were very good in the first period and then played terrible the rest of the way.
Who knows which team will show up tonight in Denver.
If there is one positive after the loss, it's that the Canucks, amazingly enough, still control their own destiny. If they want to make the playoffs and even win their division, all they have to do is win their games. They don't need help from other teams. They just need to worry about their own.
As demoralizing as it was to piss away a couple of points last night, at least they don't have to sit for long and dwell over it. They get back at it against the Colorado Avalanche tonight. I hope the team that showed up in the first period is the team that shows up. And shows up for the entire game.
More from the MSM:
- Louie was hot, the team was not. (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun; Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- A meltdown of epic proportions. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province; Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail)
- Their best players were better than our their best players except for Luongo. (Ed Willes, Vancouver Province)
- Calgary's points of view. (Jean LeFebvre, Calgary Herald; Randy Sportak, Calgary Sun)
- Hannah adds another word to describe the game. (Canucks Fangirl)
- Sean walked into a bar, caught the last two goals... and drank. I would've too. (Waiting For Stanley)
- And this is after a Flames win. Tough crowd. (Hit The Post)
Tonight against the Avs.
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Monday, November 19, 2007
Flames 1 Canucks 4
If you look at their statistics over the past six games, you'd never have guessed that the Canucks were missing two or three of their top-four defensemen.
They're the only team in the league that hasn't lost in regulation time against a divisional opponent. Once 10 points back of the first-place Minnesota Wild, they're only three points back now. They play the Oilers and the Wild on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and if they somehow extend their win streak a couple more games, they could actually pass Minnesota. Now that's wild.
We've been saying this for a couple of weeks now, but the defense has stepped it up a notch. That they're doing it with Ohlund, Salo, Bieksa and Krajicek all missing games is impressive. That they're doing it with a couple of rookies and a waiver wire pick-up filling in is an eye-opener.
I can't say enough about Alex Edler's and Luc Bourdon's play.
In the last six games, Edler has played a lot - he's averaged more than 20 minutes of ice-time - and played well. He's moved up to the shutdown pairing with Willie Mitchell and he's chipped in with a couple of assists and a plus-two rating.
Luc has steadily gotten better and more comfortable during his six-game stint. Last night, he logged 17:48 minutes of ice-time and looked as steady as he's ever looked in a Canucks uniform. (It's helped, of course, that he's partnered up with veteran Aaron Miller and that Miller himself has played better.) Luc was a plus-one last night and is a combined plus-four since his call-up.
About the game around the blogosphere:
Tuesday night vs. the Edmonton Oilers
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- 5-0-1 record in six games
- 11 points out of a possible 12
- 9 goals allowed in six games
- +7 in even-strength goals
- Louie's 1.47 GAA and .946 save percentage
They're the only team in the league that hasn't lost in regulation time against a divisional opponent. Once 10 points back of the first-place Minnesota Wild, they're only three points back now. They play the Oilers and the Wild on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and if they somehow extend their win streak a couple more games, they could actually pass Minnesota. Now that's wild.
We've been saying this for a couple of weeks now, but the defense has stepped it up a notch. That they're doing it with Ohlund, Salo, Bieksa and Krajicek all missing games is impressive. That they're doing it with a couple of rookies and a waiver wire pick-up filling in is an eye-opener.
I can't say enough about Alex Edler's and Luc Bourdon's play.
In the last six games, Edler has played a lot - he's averaged more than 20 minutes of ice-time - and played well. He's moved up to the shutdown pairing with Willie Mitchell and he's chipped in with a couple of assists and a plus-two rating.
Luc has steadily gotten better and more comfortable during his six-game stint. Last night, he logged 17:48 minutes of ice-time and looked as steady as he's ever looked in a Canucks uniform. (It's helped, of course, that he's partnered up with veteran Aaron Miller and that Miller himself has played better.) Luc was a plus-one last night and is a combined plus-four since his call-up.
About the game around the blogosphere:
- Mike the Yankee Canuck liveblogged the game.
- Hannah the Canucks Fangirl has her recap up.
- Canucks win war of attrition (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Beat up blueline passes test (Jim Jamieson, Vancouver Province)
- Practicing shootouts sounds good, but... (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Ohlund gets 4 games for Wild slash (Jim Jamieson, Vancouver Province)
- Path to victory is clear (Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Flames go 2-and-out again (Steve MacFarlane, Calgary Sun)
- Flames flattened by high-flying Canucks (Jean Lefebvre, Calgary Herald)
Tuesday night vs. the Edmonton Oilers
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Labels: Bourdon, Edler, Flames, game recap, Ohlund
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Game Day Post: Green Riders at Lions, Flames at Canucks
It's a busy sports day in Vancouver today with the BC Lions hosting the CFL West Final against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 1:30 PM and then the Canucks hosting the Calgary Flames across the street at 5:00 PM. Apparently, the local folks are expecting 80,000 people to come down for the festivities (John Coleburn and Joe Ruttle, Vancouver Province).
I didn't get to follow the Lions' season as closely as I would've liked and I only made it to BC Place for only one game this year so other than a simple "GO LIONS" and "ROAR YOU LIONS ROAR", I can't really say much. Yes, these Lions have been good (Lyndon Little, Vancouver Sun) and a win today will earn them another Grey Cup appearance - it would be their third appearance in four years - and a chance to repeat as CFL champs.
The Canucks will be looking for their fifth win in six games when they face a Calgary team that played the late CBC game last night. Very rarely does the schedule work well in the Canucks' favor and this is one such instance.
It's funny how this game works. A couple of weeks ago, it was all doom and gloom in Canuckland, but now, after taking nine out of the last possible ten points, the Canucks have their swagger back. I love watching this team play like this. I love watching them skate and get dirty in the corners. I love seeing them pay more attention to the defensive side of the rink. I hope that slow start is now behind them.
I haven't seen anything cross the wire yet, but I'm guessing Mattias Ohlund is a maybe for tonight's game. No one, not even Mattias himself, liked the chop on Koivu and I think most are in agreement that he should miss a game or two. Even though Koivu was a slimy little snot for throwing a flying elbow at Mattias' head - and you know, the league is supposed to be cracking down on blows to the head - Mattias should have just been the bigger man.
More from today's MSM:
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I didn't get to follow the Lions' season as closely as I would've liked and I only made it to BC Place for only one game this year so other than a simple "GO LIONS" and "ROAR YOU LIONS ROAR", I can't really say much. Yes, these Lions have been good (Lyndon Little, Vancouver Sun) and a win today will earn them another Grey Cup appearance - it would be their third appearance in four years - and a chance to repeat as CFL champs.
The Canucks will be looking for their fifth win in six games when they face a Calgary team that played the late CBC game last night. Very rarely does the schedule work well in the Canucks' favor and this is one such instance.
It's funny how this game works. A couple of weeks ago, it was all doom and gloom in Canuckland, but now, after taking nine out of the last possible ten points, the Canucks have their swagger back. I love watching this team play like this. I love watching them skate and get dirty in the corners. I love seeing them pay more attention to the defensive side of the rink. I hope that slow start is now behind them.
I haven't seen anything cross the wire yet, but I'm guessing Mattias Ohlund is a maybe for tonight's game. No one, not even Mattias himself, liked the chop on Koivu and I think most are in agreement that he should miss a game or two. Even though Koivu was a slimy little snot for throwing a flying elbow at Mattias' head - and you know, the league is supposed to be cracking down on blows to the head - Mattias should have just been the bigger man.
More from today's MSM:
- Wild will lack Koivu; Ohlund hit reviewed (Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune)
- Wild rematch could get ugly (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Gritty Kesler relishing shutdown role (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
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Labels: Flames, game day preview, Kesler, Ohlund, roar you lions roar
Friday, November 09, 2007
Canucks 3 Flames 2
For about 30 minutes last night, the Canucks completely dominated the Calgary Flames. For 30 minutes, they looked like the Canucks of last season. They were solid on "d", aggressive on the forecheck and won all the little battles for the puck. They worked hard and built a 3-0 lead.
That is, until Matt Cooke's borderline hit on Daymond Langkow set off a brouhaha and a scrap between Dion Phaneuf and (normally) mild-mannered Mattias Ohlund and started a Flames comeback attempt that just fell a goal short.
While I'm not going to chastise the Cooker for the hit - though I'll admit it was as borderline as the Aucoin (?) one on Daniel Sedin earlier in the game - I have to question his timing. The hit came only a minute after the Canucks' fourth line had scored two goals in 16 seconds and the Flames were as good as dead. Why give them some life?
Besides that, the Canucks were good, and when they weren't, Luongo was there to bail them out. I know I mentioned this last week as well but Louie is rounding back into last year's form. Last night, he stopped 36 of 38 shots (holy crap did Calgary actually have 24 shots on goal in the third period???) and has a solid .916 save % in his last seven games. (When you take away the Nashville debacle, it's actually a pretty darn good .925 save %.)
The kids were good again. Jannik Hansen was the Canucks' most noticeable forward in the first part of the game, and in fact, his line with Morrison and Cooke were a handful. Alex Edler again played 22 minutes - second most on the team - and was as solid as he was on Saturday. Luc Bourdon only played 10 minutes but wasn't noticeable, which of course, is a good thing. Probably one of my favorite parts of the game was the one powerplay that featured Kesler, Hansen, Bourdon and Edler (and Pyatt). They created some good pressure too.
One guy who probably had his best game as a Canuck was Aaron Miller. 22:03 minutes of ice-time, one assist and a plus-1. Now that's the Aaron Miller the Canucks were looking for.
It's been a good start to this Northwest Division swing. They're 2-0 so far, improving their divisional record this season to a still perfect 5-0. They're back at 'er tonight against Colorado. Time to work on that home record.
About the game around the blogosphere:
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That is, until Matt Cooke's borderline hit on Daymond Langkow set off a brouhaha and a scrap between Dion Phaneuf and (normally) mild-mannered Mattias Ohlund and started a Flames comeback attempt that just fell a goal short.
While I'm not going to chastise the Cooker for the hit - though I'll admit it was as borderline as the Aucoin (?) one on Daniel Sedin earlier in the game - I have to question his timing. The hit came only a minute after the Canucks' fourth line had scored two goals in 16 seconds and the Flames were as good as dead. Why give them some life?
Besides that, the Canucks were good, and when they weren't, Luongo was there to bail them out. I know I mentioned this last week as well but Louie is rounding back into last year's form. Last night, he stopped 36 of 38 shots (holy crap did Calgary actually have 24 shots on goal in the third period???) and has a solid .916 save % in his last seven games. (When you take away the Nashville debacle, it's actually a pretty darn good .925 save %.)
The kids were good again. Jannik Hansen was the Canucks' most noticeable forward in the first part of the game, and in fact, his line with Morrison and Cooke were a handful. Alex Edler again played 22 minutes - second most on the team - and was as solid as he was on Saturday. Luc Bourdon only played 10 minutes but wasn't noticeable, which of course, is a good thing. Probably one of my favorite parts of the game was the one powerplay that featured Kesler, Hansen, Bourdon and Edler (and Pyatt). They created some good pressure too.
One guy who probably had his best game as a Canuck was Aaron Miller. 22:03 minutes of ice-time, one assist and a plus-1. Now that's the Aaron Miller the Canucks were looking for.
It's been a good start to this Northwest Division swing. They're 2-0 so far, improving their divisional record this season to a still perfect 5-0. They're back at 'er tonight against Colorado. Time to work on that home record.
About the game around the blogosphere:
- Hannah missed all three goals but she still posted about the game.
- Mike the Yankee Canuck congratulates Trevor on passing Stan Smyl as the team's all-time assist leader.
- Luongo holds the fort (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Don't panic. Just make a play (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Chief firefighter (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- Road warriors (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- Goal-scoring's secondary (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- Canucks' window for Cup is Luongo (Tony Gallagher, Vancouver Province)
- Bourdon leaping mental hurdles (Randy Sportak, Calgary Sun)
- Missing in passion (Randy Sportak, Calgary Sun)
- 'Nux continue Flames funk (Jean Lefebvre, Calgary Herald)
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Game Day Post: Canucks at Flames
One of the topics we touched on last night's episode of The Crazy Canucks was whether or not the Canucks can build on the momentum from Saturday night's win against the Colorado Avalanche. It is, after all, tough to build momentum when you have so many days off in between games (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun).
I know it's cliche, but they don't have much of a choice but to do it, do they? They have to come out hard and replicate the effort from Saturday. The Flames have lost three straight 4-1 games and they're not exactly happy campers (Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail). The last thing the Canucks would want to do is give them any semblance of life.
If you're a glass half-empty kinda guy, as of this morning the Canucks are 26th in the league standings. They're also 4th in the Northwest Division and 14th in the Western Conference. If you're a glass half-full kinda guy, the Canucks are only three points from a playoff spot. It's early, I know, but a decent effort tonight and they could be, despite a lousy October, back within a single point of the top eight in the West.
Funny how these things work, huh?
My keys to the game:
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I know it's cliche, but they don't have much of a choice but to do it, do they? They have to come out hard and replicate the effort from Saturday. The Flames have lost three straight 4-1 games and they're not exactly happy campers (Eric Duhatschek, Globe and Mail). The last thing the Canucks would want to do is give them any semblance of life.
If you're a glass half-empty kinda guy, as of this morning the Canucks are 26th in the league standings. They're also 4th in the Northwest Division and 14th in the Western Conference. If you're a glass half-full kinda guy, the Canucks are only three points from a playoff spot. It's early, I know, but a decent effort tonight and they could be, despite a lousy October, back within a single point of the top eight in the West.
Funny how these things work, huh?
My keys to the game:
- Don't wake up Iggy.
- Pull a Tonya Harding on Dion.
- Take away Keenan's ice cubes.
- Adversity helps motivation (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Team gets a breather before games come fast and furious (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Practice does not always make perfect (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- Phaneuf's leg injury isn't serious (Jean Lefebvre, Calgary Herald)
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Labels: Flames, game day preview, podcast
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Preseason: Flames 0 Canucks 4
I wasn't surprised that last night's 4-0 win versus the Calgary Flames was as chippy as it was (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province). After all, we hate these guys almost as much as we hate the Leafs.
"It was crazy, I guess it's going to be a fun series against them this year," Jeff Cowan said. "It was intense right from the start to the end.What surprised me though was the collective play of the younger guys. Maybe it shouldn't have because of the praise we've been hearing about this group especially during training camp, but against a Flames team that iced a fairly veteran lineup, they certainly stepped it up a notch.
"Their style of play is real dirty and grinding and with Keenan there it's only going to get worse."
Michael Grabner, often-criticized for his soft play, didn't seem to mind going into the tough areas and scored a goal and an assist. Jason Jaffray scored a beauty when he knocked down a Grabner shot and then fired it into the net. Ryan Shannon was good again and scored a goal skating down the wing - more on Shannon later today. Alex Edler, Nathan McIver, Corey Schneider - all stood out in a tough game, albeit in the preseason, against a tough team.
More of today's links, including a chat with Mike Keenan and more rave reviews for the younger Canucks:
- Wannabe winners. (Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun)
- Schneider makes the perfect start. (Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun)
- Iron Mike's mettle tested. (Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun)
- Keenan a favourite in Vancouver - thanks to Luongo. (Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald)
- Tense times again for Luongo, Keenan. (Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail)
- Learning to love that new uniform. (Tom Mayenknecht, Vancouver Sun)
(Photo credit: canucks.com)
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Labels: Flames, game recap, Grabner, Keenan, Schneider
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Keenan To Coach Calgary?
If this TSN report is true and Mike Keenan indeed becomes the new head coach of the Calgary Flames, which Flames star player does he pick a fight with first? Iggy? Kipper? Alex Tanguay? Robyn Regehr? Dion?
His career record certainly suggests that this is inevitable. We know first-hand about how he treated Trevor Linden (though getting Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe and Jarkko Ruutu back in trade kinda made up for it). We also know about how he squabbled contract with Roberto Luongo, perhaps the biggest reason why Louie now wears a Canucks jersey. There are also his well-documented tiffs with Curtis Joseph, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, and even Wayne Gretzky. Heck, he didn't get along with his buddy Jacques Martin when both were in Florida.
If Keenan starts chomping ice behind the Flames bench next season, things could get interesting in Cowtown. Oh, and those Flames players I mentioned earlier? With the exception of Tanguay, all are free agents after next season.
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His career record certainly suggests that this is inevitable. We know first-hand about how he treated Trevor Linden (though getting Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe and Jarkko Ruutu back in trade kinda made up for it). We also know about how he squabbled contract with Roberto Luongo, perhaps the biggest reason why Louie now wears a Canucks jersey. There are also his well-documented tiffs with Curtis Joseph, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, and even Wayne Gretzky. Heck, he didn't get along with his buddy Jacques Martin when both were in Florida.
If Keenan starts chomping ice behind the Flames bench next season, things could get interesting in Cowtown. Oh, and those Flames players I mentioned earlier? With the exception of Tanguay, all are free agents after next season.
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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, Calgary+Flames, Mike+Keenan
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Flames 3 Canucks 2
So I turned on the TV last night to watch my first Canucks game in a week, and then found out that Bob Cole and Greg Millen were calling the game. I thought maybe it was CBC's idea of an April Fool's joke, but alas, it was indeed Bob and Greg who bumbled through the entire telecast. Very funny, guys.
To be fair, the Canucks themselves bumbled through the first two periods. The atmosphere was very playoff-like, complete with white towels and a Willie Mitchell beating of Jarome Iginla. For the next 30 minutes, however, they played anything but playoff-like.
The Canucks had some awful defensive breakdowns and the Flames built a 3-0 lead by the second intermission. Offensively, they weren't much better. They had five powerplays - four of them in the second period - but couldn't connect on any of them.
A different Canucks team came out in the third period and they actually made it a closer game than Calgary would have wanted. They struck early to give them some momentum and outplayed the Flames the rest of the way. They threw 18 shots on Mikka Kiprusoff, compared to only four Flames shots on Roberto Luongo, and just fell short of the comeback.
Calgary will be a tough team in the playoffs. After a so-so most of the regular season, they seem to be peaking at the right time; last night's was their sixth consecutive win. Here's hoping they draw Nashville or Anaheim in the postseason.
More from the Mainstream
About the game around the blogosphere
My 3 Stars of the Game
Official Statistics
Next Game
A Tuesday night visit by the Los Angeles Kings.
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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, Calgary+Flames
To be fair, the Canucks themselves bumbled through the first two periods. The atmosphere was very playoff-like, complete with white towels and a Willie Mitchell beating of Jarome Iginla. For the next 30 minutes, however, they played anything but playoff-like.
The Canucks had some awful defensive breakdowns and the Flames built a 3-0 lead by the second intermission. Offensively, they weren't much better. They had five powerplays - four of them in the second period - but couldn't connect on any of them.
A different Canucks team came out in the third period and they actually made it a closer game than Calgary would have wanted. They struck early to give them some momentum and outplayed the Flames the rest of the way. They threw 18 shots on Mikka Kiprusoff, compared to only four Flames shots on Roberto Luongo, and just fell short of the comeback.
Calgary will be a tough team in the playoffs. After a so-so most of the regular season, they seem to be peaking at the right time; last night's was their sixth consecutive win. Here's hoping they draw Nashville or Anaheim in the postseason.
More from the Mainstream
- Early fight spurs Flames to victorty. (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province)
- Losing lessons hard to take. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Parity could drive scribe to drink. (Ed Willes, Vancouver Province)
- Pyatt denies he rejected deal. (Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province)
- Naslund eyeing playoffs as a fresh start. (Steve McFarlane, Slam Sports)
- Camaraderie helps 'Nux reach lofty heights. (Jean Lefebvre, Calgary Herald)
About the game around the blogosphere
- The Chief Canuck and Yankee Canuck both recap the game.
My 3 Stars of the Game
- Daymond Langkow (CAL): Three points - one goal and two assists.
- Mikka Kiprusoff (CAL): Big saves, especially in the third period.
- Matt Cooke (VAN): Another abrasive game plus a couple of assists.
Official Statistics
Next Game
A Tuesday night visit by the Los Angeles Kings.
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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, Calgary+Flames
Labels: Flames, game recap
