You call that a slump?
Not only are the Canucks allowing horrendous odd-man rushes that require acrobatic saves, but they’re failing to provide any kind of pushback. Yet, thanks to the spot-on performances of both Canuck goaltenders, the team has been managing to still take away points. As frustrating as it must be for Vancouver fans, some solace must be taken in knowing how much more irritating it must be for those from the teams trying to catch up to the Canucks.
Oh, to be a Canucks fan
It’s probably not the most obvious time to look back at the year that was, but with The Cascade running a best of 2011 list for almost every category on the planet, it feels fitting to take a moment to look back at what the year meant for Canucks fans.
One-game series: Just how much the win in Boston meant for the Canucks
In some ways it was a battle for redemption. In other ways, it was a beacon of hope. In yet other ways, the face off against the Bruins was a scramble for dignity. Yet, most of all, it was a first-class hockey game with an incomprehensible number of dramatic storylines playing out from start to finish.
Quick goals by Canucks assist their Wild pursuit
Over the last couple of weeks the Canucks have begun to remind their fans that they are a quality team. They can win games. What has curiously distinguished the Canucks’ improved performance of late has been their ability to strike with multiple goals in quick succession
HBO’s 24/7 series would perfectly suit the Canucks
On Friday, November 25, HBO began the season preview for 24/7 Flyers/Rangers: Road to the Winter Classic. Though the matchup might not excite Canucks fans, with a little imagination it becomes clear – a Canucks version is absolutely necessary.
Matt Climie hits the Canucks lineup in backup role
Matt Climie has played seven games with the Canucks AHL affiliate so far this year, and has come away with five wins for the Wolves – with an incredible .940 save percentage. His play enabled the team to go on a four-game winning streak. Perhaps general manager of the Canucks Mike Gillis is hoping that even in his backup role, Climie will bring some of that luck to his Vancouver team that has struggled to put any consecutive wins together this season.
Canucks take to the tweeties
Fans of the Canucks who also happen to be rabid Twitter addicts have been salivating over the last couple months as several key Canuck players (and a couple less-key ones) have opted to join the popular social networking service.
Statement game by Canucks proof they still have it
The Canucks were starting to concern fans with their lacklustre start to the season – seven regulation losses heading into the game. Meanwhile, Chicago came into the game with just two regulation losses, sitting atop the Western Conference with 19 points. Add in the loss of Alex Burrows to the lineup, and it wasn’t hard for fans of the Canucks to imagine a different outcome than the one they ended up witnessing – a 6-2 shellacking of a Chicago team that had a lot to prove after being ousted by the Canucks in the first round of the playoffs last season.
Alexander Sulzer slips quietly onto blueline
Although it’s too early to say for sure, it looks as though Sulzer could be just what the Canucks are looking for from a depth defenceman – reliable.
A nightmare on Abbott Street
What does Roberto Luongo dress up as for Halloween? For the past five seasons, he’s gone as one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL; this season has been no different. Rogers Arena has felt more like a haunted house than home in October for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo.
Booth brings incredible potential to Canucks after major trade
Currently a second-line centre, the six-foot 212-pound Booth has the potential to go either way; he could continue to falter this season as some suspect he will, or he could improve his game and take it to heights many predicted he would reach after he notched 60 points three seasons ago (and 40 the season before).
Undrafted Volpatti finds a place on the Canucks
Aaron Volpatti is only the second player from Revelstoke to ever play in the NHL, the first in 25 years. The hardworking 26-year-old was signed by the Canucks without ever being drafted
Dale Weise sets sights on fourth line
At six-foot-two and 210 pounds, newly-acquired Canuck Dale Weise is a big, hardnosed physical right winger who will hope to prove himself on the fourth line this year, after being claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers just days before the start of the season.
Here comes Duco
Duco won’t land a permanent roster spot, but he’s certainly getting himself noticed over the course of this preseason, and that certainly bodes in his favour. The fact that he also seems to be the player most willing to drop the gloves also makes him an appealing candidate, but only if he can be counted on to play responsibly.
Canucks open practice to public at Rogers Arena
On the weekend of September 17-18, the Canucks held two open practices at Rogers Arena. They were free, and included a mix of veterans and new recruits.
Newcomer Nicklas Jensen shows major promise
Picked in the first round of this year’s NHL Entry Draft, 29th overall, 18-year-old Nicklas Jensen offers the Canucks organization another high quality right winger
Rypien tragedy a lesson for hockey fans
As a fan of hockey fights, it can be easy to forget just how real the combatants are. What Rypien’s death hopefully adds is the realization that these players are human, not just physically, but mentally as well.
Marco Sturm joins a newly modified Canucks squad
Mike Gillis did not have much time to mourn after his team failed to show up in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. After acquiring Nicklas Jensen, Alexandre Grenier, and a couple others in the NHL Entry Draft, Gillis had to quickly deal with an impending free agency period.
The Cup run that almost was
It wouldn’t be fair to call it a failure of a season, after winning the President’s trophy and falling just one place short of first in the most grueling postseason imaginable. Yet one can’t help but wonder what could have been and what exactly went wrong with the team just one win away from the ultimate prize. For longtime fans it was like watching the greatest movie with the bitterest of endings. From controversy to injury, the final round didn’t go the way anyone hoped, but maybe these are the lessons this group needed to learn for another shot next year.
Double standards in injury reporting
June 4 was a glorious day in Vancouver. This wasn’t just because of a win in game two – this is the day that Canuck fans everywhere saw Manny Malhotra sporting a helmet once more, rather than some Versace sunglasses.
Roberto Luongo makes history
Roberto Luongo AKA Luuuuu entered the NHL on November 28, 1999 recording a win against, you guessed it, the Boston Bruins. He faced 44 shots in his first game and made 43 saves. “I found out about my call-up after a practice in the AHL. I got called into the coaches’ office. After getting the news, I was very excited and nervous. The day of the game I had lots of butterflies but was overcome with joy and happiness,” he reflected in the Forty Years Canucks guide. “After my first game ended I was proud that I had finally realized my dream and couldn’t wait for the next one.” His first ever shutout came just under a month later… again defeating the Bruins!
Shots, Shots, Shots for Boom Boom Bieksa
Kevin Bieksa has come up huge in the 2011 playoffs; not only with three goals and an assist in the first three games of the Conference Finals, but also with his extraordinary defensive play. If the 7-3 victory in game two against the Sharks was maybe the most fun game of the playoffs to date, it should be no surprise that Bieksa played an enormous role in making that happen, managing a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (goal, assist and a fight) and first star in the game. That is because although Kevin Bieksa is one of the toughest players in the NHL, he’s also one of the most entertaining.
A moment with UFV grad Daniel Skeeter, co-founder of Pass it to Bulis
Pass it to Bulis is a Canucks blog that has been around for just over a year. Co-founded by Daniel Skeeter and UFV alumnus Harrison Mooney, the blog presents a fresh perspective on the face of the game. Mooney’s humourous takes and Skeeter’s analytical skills work well to present an entertaining view of a sometimes overly-serious topic for Vancouverites. Blog highlights include a California road trip to follow the Canucks – where the writers ended up sitting behind Manny Malhotra’s father-in-law, otherwise known as the father of Victoria’s basketball darling Steve Nash. Also, the bloggers initiated a scrabble battle against Dartmouth alum Tanner Glass, raising an estimated $8000 for Canuck Place in the process. Take pride, UFV – Mooney did us proud, beating Glass 344-313.
Pustules, shin splints, and mad whale disease – oh my!
Injuries are serious things no matter what sport you’re playing. The NFL and NHL are currently deeply concerned about the dangers of concussions; the frightening truth is that fans are at danger of injuries every bit as serious. Bandwagoning has its own set of dangers that are very real, and while a lockout isn’t realistic for a fantastically large fan base, there are some simple steps bandwagoners can take to avoid potential tragedy.
