Canucks 2011 Playoff Run

[WestCoastJoe]

Best bit for me amongst many highlights for the Canucks ...

Keith Ballard seeing McGinn coming. McGinn has worked up a major head of steam, and has intent to break bones. Ballard gets low, McGinn goes over his hip, somersaults, and is lucky he didn't break his own neck. The way McGinn plays is IMO a travesty on how hockey should be played. Same with Ben Eager. Missiles out to injure. Go as fast as they possibly can, and find a body to crash into at maximum speed. They are willing to sacrifice their own bodies, and would hope to take out a valuable player on the other team. Pathetic. If that is hockey, I'm not buying it.

Is Torres the same? I would hope not. He has some talent, being a former first round pick, fifth overall. But if a guy continues to injure other players, one has to wonder about their intent. The hit by Torres looked very clean, without any real speed in the approach. Thornton landed awkwardly.
............

Sharks are a weird team. So much talent. I had no idea that they had such a goon mentality. Eager, McGinn, even Clowe. At least one other. And then the softies: Heatley, Marleau (who has stepped it up after the Roenick insult), even Thornton much of the time. Of course Wellwood is a softie, but that is a given. With his little toy hockey stick. Weird team.

Doug Wilson has gone for size. However, speed seems to the more important ingredient in the league at this time. Wilson also went for talent, much of which is of the soft variety: Marleau, Heatley, Boyle, Thornton, Wellwood. And then a mixture of goons. Very inconsistent leadership, character and effort. Most teams they can steam roller. Their weaknesses are evident however.

[notahomer]

Missed Fridays debacle due to work. Liked the end result but I hate hockey like this. Officials have a thankless job but it was tough to watch. Lots of marginal calls, IMO. Some of the backbreakers were the kind the Refs have no choice but to call (the too many men/ delay of game). I was heading home from work Friday night and Vancouver is definately a quiet city on playoff game nights...

[1greatmysticbushape]

Old McGinn hit the ditch and ripped a stitch thanks to Ballard- sweet. also pretty cool Henrik hitting the Shark off the bench with a home run pass. he must have been thinking here I go - wtf? you gotta givem credit putting it togeather in hostile country. memorable.

[WestCoastJoe]

Couture, on jumping onto the ice before Patrick Marleau left it, leading to the penalty for too many men:

“I thought Patty was off. I thought he came off. From what I heard, he came to the bench and skated down to the door. I thought he jumped.”

Marleau sleepwalks through much of the games. He threw his teammate off by going to the bench, looking like he is going to jump the boards, and then skates to the door. LOL His teammate, Couture misreads his intentions and jumps on the ice. Henrik sees it all, and sends a poisoned letter to Couture. "Hey, here is the puck." Couture looks like he knows the jig is up, but you can't ignore the puck. Ha ha
..............

I think Bieksa should not have pounded Marleau. It woke the guy up. Better to let him sleep.
.........

Yes, the Sharks said, Vancouver had made some adjustments after San Jose scored on its first five power plays of the series, mostly when it came to limiting entry into the offensive zone. But the bigger problem was execution.

“The first one was really bad,” Dan Boyle said of his team’s five chances. “They came at us pretty hard and we were definitely slow, a step behind. It was the first shift of the game for a lot of guys and we just weren’t prepared.

These Sharks are so sleepy. Life is easy as a highly paid pro athlete. Ho hum ...

Hey, it's the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ya lunkheads. La de da ... Hey what happened there? What the ... ? How did they? 3 power play goals in less than 3 minutes. LOL Stay sleeping, guys.

..............

Best to put them away quick.

[Robbie]

Great job by Luongo for keeping the team in despite being outshot! Great job for Bieksa in knowing where the puck was!

Good luck in the final!








Now, you must be wondering where the trophy presentation pictures are?
Let's just say that just like every other conference winner, I'd rather wait to post the other trophy presentation.

-----------------------------

So...Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning...who should the Canucks face?

[notahomer]

Well, I admit it, I didn't think they'd make it this far. I'm used to cheering an underdog Canuck team scrapping its way. I'm having no problem getting used to them being the favoured team though. In many ways it seems to put more pressure to win. IMO, each series has been easier for the Canucks. Have they matured or are their opponents battle weary or is it something else alltogether? Regardless, it is going to be cool to watch this years Stanley Cup final.

[KnowItAll]

well, I am a little worried. The last two wins required some luck. Only two even strength goals in games 3 and 4. They required 3 two man advantages to score 3 goals in game 4. Tonight, they were lucky to get a phantom icing call leading to the game tying goal, and then a flukey bounce of the pucks gives them the winning shot that the goalie had no idea was coming until too late.

Yes, Canucks play great hockey and very entertaining hockey, but they will have to be better at getting earned even strength goals to win the cup.

[sj-roc]

Apparently Chris Pronger was at the game tonight. Which explains why Burrows picked up the puck so quickly after the OT goal.

[WestCoastJoe]

The Sharks woke up. Thank God it was too little, too late. They have a load of talent. Huge team.

And yet the Canucks seem to play as hard as they have to. They seem to have some extra gears.

And I am very happy for Roberto Luongo. He takes a lot of heat and a lot of hatred. I always liked him when he was in Limbo down in Florida. This must have felt like one of those games. He faces and stops over 50 shots in the game. That is when he is at his best.

You can knock him. But he is a professional. He is as hard a worker as there is. He is courageous. I have all the high hopes for him.

Bieksa is pure gold. So mentally tough. So amazingly fit. Good defence. Good offence. Skates miles.

Kesler is the horse we rode in on.

The Sedins are showing their magic. Burrows is their outstanding linemate.

Torres is playing the way he can, the way he played for the Oilers in their run at the Cup.

Kudos once again to Gillis and Vigneault and the owners.

[TheLionKing]

Apparently Chris Pronger was at the game tonight. Which explains why Burrows picked up the puck so quickly after the OT goal.

Which weather person is he dating now ?

[1greatmysticbushape]

if you live long enough you'll see it all. (no gaurentee on that though)

[Rammer]

Two of my least favourite Canucks of 2010 are playing a large roll in getting the 2011 Canucks to the promised land, Bieksa and Luongo. My hat off to both of them for their turnaround this season, now all I ask is for them to do it for one more series.

[1greatmysticbushape]

[quote="KnowItAll"]well, I am a little worried. The last two wins required some luck. Only two even strength goals in games 3 and 4. They required 3 two man advantages to score 3 goals in game 4. Tonight, they were lucky to get a phantom icing call leading to the game tying goal, and then a flukey bounce of the pucks gives them the winning shot that the goalie had no idea was coming until too late. "


the only time you worry about a guy is when they arn't complaining.

[Toppy Vann]

Two of my least favourite Canucks of 2010 are playing a large roll in getting the 2011 Canucks to the promised land, Bieksa and Luongo. My hat off to both of them for their turnaround this season, now all I ask is for them to do it for one more series.

Two things stand out that I give management and coaches huge credit for:

1. I think some credit has to go to the management here for how they finally started treating Luongo like a player that has to earn his job vs coming across as a player the coach had no control over which it seemed it was when Mike Gillis first came to the Canucks and AV was not sure of his job future. The captaincy stuff was pure amateur hour and helped contribute to less than stellar success. All that is gone and the back up gets to play and it is not seemingly like Luongo calls the shots now. Oh, and he seems so fully onside with this now.

2. Getting Kesler and Burrows just to play hockey and end all the other stuff. I read that management told them they just had to play (IIRC it was Burrows too) and not do the other stuff. It was worked fantastically and Kesler is known now I am sure for his play more than the other stuff.

I was not a fan of Mike Gillis to start more as I didn't think Nonis deserved to be gassed but he has made mistakes but corrected them - and lately seems to be doing a vastly improved job and it shows that he and his HC can work together (even though most GMs want their guy as HC).

Wasn't the story that Bieksa would have been a salary cap goner but for Salo's injury? If so, management must be laughing now.

[Sir Purrcival]

Actually, I think I would add the managements incredible job of building depth along the entire D Line. So much so that we could lose two starting D in the middle of a playoff series and plug in two other guys and not miss a beat. It is something they have been doing all season and they have a Blueline corp that is the envy of pretty much every team in the league. It really says something when your 5 and 6 Dmen could be a 3-4 or maybe even a 1-2 on a really weak team. Fantasitic job really. Probably one of the best that has been done in the league along those lines in several years.