A very sound, all-around good performance for a minor-league version of the Canucks that move to 2-0 for the pre-season. The Canucks easily handled the star-studded Ducks that skated their A-team. In fact, this Canucks team is very fast; I’m not certain that even Chicago is really that much faster than this version of the Canucks. The Ducks looked disjointed.

 

To see the post game notes & player reviews see Canucks blank Ducks 3-0 (Bleacher Report)

Dating back several years, and largely fuelled by tube antics of the now departed Chris Pronger, the Canucks and Ducks do not like each other. A festering hate and resentment that is further fuelled by lots of tough youngsters eager to make their respective teams should help incite an aggressive, if not violent, preseason match tonight in Anaheim.

 

Interesting sub-plots to watch tonight:

 

o   Nathan McIver

o   Mikael Samuelsson

o   Mark Parrish

o   Dave Scatchard

o   Fights, fights, fights

 

Anticipated Canucks line-up versus the Ducks....

See Canucks vs Ducks: sub-plots to watch (Bleacher Report) to read about the sub-plots & view tonight's lineup.

While much has yet to be decided given the pre-season, here’s the likely or expected opening day line-up at the start of the 2009-2010 NHL season:

 

FORWARDS:

 

D. Sedin – H. Sedin - Samuelsson

Burrows – Kesler – Bernier

Raymond – Wellwood – Shirokov

Hordichuk – Johnson – Rypien

 

Bench:

Hodgson

Parrish

 

Injured reserve:

Demitra

 

DEFENSE:

Mitchell - Bieksa

Edler – Salo

Erhoff – Schneider

 

Bench:

O’Brien

Lukowich

 

GOAL:

Roberto Luongo

Bench:

Andrew Raycroft

 

* Note: The Canucks are $3 million over the salary cap – an overage that must be eliminated by October 1, 2009. Potential cuts could include Nycholat, Lukowich, Johnson Hordichuk, Parrish & Wellwood. Though some like Wellwood seem an automatic for the team, some players will lose out to simple economics. These economics may make room for a Dave Scatchard or a rookie such as Michael Grabner.

Canucks could see drastic makeover in free agency
Canada.com
It's a little bit terrifying for a Vancouver Canucks fan when you look at the list of free ...

Rick Rypien signs new two-year deal with Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Sun

Rypien, 25, stood to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "This is the place I've always wanted to play," Rypien said. "Considering what's happened ...

Are the Sedins asking for $63 million each over 12 years?

Vancouver Sun

The Vancouver Canucks may have to dig deep if they want to hang on to the Sedin brothers.

According to a Swedish website expressen.se, Henrik and Daniel Sedin are seeking 12-year contracts worth $63 million US each. The twins are unrestricted free agents as of July 1

Kesler wants to hit jackpot with Canucks
Vancouver Sun
Ryan Kesler admits he isn't a betting man, which means two things: The Vancouver Canuck is keeping one hand on his wallet when he's around teammate Roberto ...

Bernier gets a new deal; Demitra to have surgery and long rehab; Vigneault to resign with Canucks; Luongo won't be traded unless he asks for it.

'I felt we were the better team,' Canucks GM says Globe and Mail - Canada VANCOUVER -- To hear Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis tell it, he should have been watching Game 7 of a Western Conference semi-final last ...

Roberto Luongo hurt Canucks' plans The Detroit News - Detroit,MI,USA The Canucks pieced together a pretty fair roster this season, trying to capitalize on goalie Roberto Luongo's brilliance, players such as the Sedin twins ...

Canucks re-sign forward Steve Bernier following career season The Canadian Press - VANCOUVER, B.C. VANCOUVER, BC — The Vancouver Canucks started their off-season housekeeping early by re-signing forward Steve Bernier to a US$4-million, two-year deal on ...

Canucks re-sign Bernier; Demitra to have surgery Forbes - NY,USA AP , 05.14.09, 11:43 PM EDT The Vancouver Canucks re-signed forward Steve Bernier to a two-year, $4 million contract extension on Thursday, keeping him away ...

Vigneault's future with Canucks rests in hands of management Canada.com - Don Mills,Ontario,Canada With the Vancouver Canucks having lost eight straight games, their coach looked like he was in peril until general manager Mike Gillis calmed the commotion ...

Naive Blackhawks blogger for the New York Times weighs in with an amusing perspective, and Fox Sports suggests a Canucks – Red Wings Western Final:

Partisan Preview: Vancouver vs. Chicago New York Times

Canucks discover they were a little too Eager for suspension Chicago Sun-Times

Canucks seeking to extend home-ice magic in Game 2 against 'Hawks Vancouver Sun

Red Wings, Canucks on a collision course Fox Sports

Canucks stories and predictions from Canada and the U.S. prior to Game 1 tonight:

Trash talk starts early for Canucks and Blackhawks Canada.com - Don Mills,Ontario,Canada By Jim Jamieson, Canwest News ServiceApril 30, 2009 As the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks prepared for the opening game of their second-round ...

Predictions for the Stanley Cup playoffs' second round Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Bluefield,WV,USA The Canucks came into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league and were paired against the third-hottest team in the league. ...

Canucks' Luongo vs. Hawks' Khabibulin promises to be compelling show Chicago Sun-Times - United States It will be the Vancouver Canucks' Roberto Luongo against the Blackhawks' Nikolai Khabibulin when their teams open a best-of-seven Western Conference ...

Tallon TALES: Chicago GM reminisces about his Canucks stint Vancouver Sun - British Columbia, Canada Thirty-nine years after he was the very first player ever drafted by the Canucks — No. 2 overall, famously, because the Buffalo Sabres won the spin of a ...

No love lost after hair-pulling line brawl USA Today - USA VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks' last game against the Vancouver Canucks featured a third-period line brawl that had everything ...

Who has the edge? Blackhawks vs. Canucks Chicago Tribune - United States By Chris Kuc | Tribune reporter Vancouver's top line of Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows scored six of the Canucks' 11 goals in their four-game ...

Canucks will face Blackhawks in round two of playoffs Vancouver Sun - British Columbia, Canada The suspense is over for the Vancouver Canucks and home ice is theirs in the second round.

Restless Canucks start ruckus at practice Vancouver Sun - British Columbia, Canada Alain Vigneault dialed up the intensity during Canucks practice on Monday. The Vancouver coach wants his players to be in playoff mode for the second round.

(NHL.com - USA) For Mitchell and the Canucks, it was his and his teammates' attention to detail that shut down St. Louis' top line and the Blues' eighth-ranked power play...

Mitchell gives Canucks an offensive boost

Burrows, Luongo lead Canucks' sweep of Blues (The Associated Press)

Officer injured in post-Canucks fracas (Surrey Leader)

Canucks celebration turns ugly at Surrey-Delta border (News1130)

Police ready in case Canuck fans turn frantic

Vancouver 3, St. Louis 2 (OT) USA Today

Canucks defeat Blues in OT, advance to second round CBC.ca

ST. LOUIS -- Alex Burrows scored his second goal of the game with 18.9 seconds to go in overtime and Roberto Luongo made 47 saves to help the Vancouver Canucks complete a four-game, first-round sweep of St. Louis with a 3-2 victory over the Blues Tuesday night.

Kyle Wellwood also scored for the Canucks, who won a series before the seventh game for the first time in 12 tries since 1994.

Brad Boyes and David Perron scored for the Blues, who rallied from a two-goal, second-period deficit thanks to increased traffic around Luongo. But more power play woes doomed St. Louis, which was 0-for-7 with the man advantage and 1-for-23 in the series including a four-minute double-minor midway through overtime.

See http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=290421019

- Prediction: Burrows nets the winner
- Mason Raymond looks great... could score the winner (maybe Kesler) or Backes or Tkachuk for Blues
- Canucks still dominating the face-off circle vs the #Blues - 33 to 22
- Mason keeping Blues in the game
- Canucks regain momentum
- Blues steal momentum with first goal
- Very suspect referee calls (many missed head shots & stick works)
- Canucks dominating Blues
- Edler struggling
- Spectacular effort by Wellwood

Follow the latest on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/BlogCanucks

NHL goalie boss Kay Whitmore, the former Canuck goalie, has told Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo to ditch those side flaps on his pads (see Canucks News: The Roberto Luongo Controversy).

 

"For those of you who haven't heard, the Dallas Stars allegedly complained to the NHL before the start of last year's playoffs that the Canucks goalie's knee flaps—which stuck out of his pads—gave him an unfair advantage.

 

Those flaps were supposedly helping Luongo make more saves.Then in December, Stars goalies Marty Turco and Mike Smith jokingly put on home-made mock flaps during a morning skate to perhaps seemingly further insinuate that Luongo's pads had been illegal.

In reality, the knee flaps worn by Luongo supposedly are for protective purposes and nothing more, and some other goalies in the league use them too, most notably Stanley Cup champion Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks.

A couple months ago, when the complaints by the Stars surfaced, the NHL had allowed Luongo to continue using the pads after checking the equipment. And that was also okayed during the Stars-Canucks first-round playoff series last spring too.

The reason that this is now an issue is that the league has apparently reversed its ruling, and has asked Luongo to remove the flaps."

 

Read the full story Canucks News: The Roberto Luongo Controversy.

The Sporting News reports that the Vancouver Canucks, in addition to pursuing Forsberg, are interested in veteran all-stars Jaromir Jagr, Mat Sundin, and Olli Jokinen. 

See NHL trade deadline will produce big deals

Jagr and Jokinen are very unlikely. Jagr is too expensive and moody; Florida wants to keep Jokinen if they can.

 

Mats Sundin is a potential interest and a superb fit for the Canucks. The Maple Leafs are all but officially eliminated from the playoffs – 6 points out of the last spot occupied by Boston, and the Bruins have two games in hand. Count it as 10 points because the Leafs will continue to falter. As such, the Leafs want to move him and want young prospects in return: namely a goaltending prospect.

 

The Canucks are willing to part with young goalie prospect Corey Schneider. But the Leafs will want more – probably speedy and talented center Ryan Kessler. Canucks GM Dave Nonis does not however want to part with Kessler for what could turn out to be a rental in Sundin. Maybe, maybe, the Leafs would accept Alex Burrows or Brendan Morrison and a 2^nd or 3^rd round pick, but it all depends on the competing offer from Detroit.

 

The Red Wings want Sundin, and they might be the most likely and intriguing fit for the aging superstar. The Senators want him, but Sundin will never agree to a move to arch-nemesis Ottawa (more on his no-trade clause in a moment). The Ducks want him, but would have trouble making the salary cap work and would have to give up more than GM Brian Burke is prepared to deal. Montreal wants him, but would have to give up goaltender Price or Halak and they likely won’t for a possible short-term rental.

 

That leaves Vancouver and Detroit to battle for the Leafs captain. It depends on who has the best offer, but more importantly, where Sundin is prepared to move to. Sundin does not want to leave Toronto. It has been his home for more than 13 years. He doesn’t want to move he and his family unnecessarily. However, time is running out on the aging veteran who turns 37 tomorrow. And he would like one legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup in his career.

 

If the offer is in place from the Red Wings, the only place Mats will agree to move is Detroit. The MotorCity is only a 4 hour drive from home (Vancouver is half  a world away), and the Red Wings are the odds-on favourite to win the Cup. It also features a line-up with many of his Swedish pals, such as Zetterberg, Holmstrom and Lidstrom.

 

Vancouver can make the offer to entice the Leafs, but Sundin’s heart will likely only limit a move no further than down the road to Detroit.

 

 

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The speedy young gun -- recently departed of  very speedy Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks -- who's earned a spot on the Canucks top line with the Sedins, says the Canucks are "the fastest team I've ever played on."

There's a lot of "deceptively fast" skaters on the Canucks, says Shannon.

There also appears to be consensus that the twins look decidely faster this year.

--

Additionally, Markus Naslund is ready to put a few more in the net this year... yesterday he scored five goals in team power-play drills. This as an added indication to the green light offered by coach Vigneault for Naslund to shoot more and worrly less about defensive coverage. Hopefully this will translate to more goals.

Brad Isbister and Jeff Cowan will start the season on the bench. Alexander Edler is hurt and will be in the press box. In Edler's place will be the recently acquired Mike Weaver from the waiver wire earlier this week. As such the following represents the starting line-up for tomorrow's season opener versus San Jose:

1st LINE:

D. Sedin     H. Sedin     M. Raymond

2nd LINE:

M. Naslund     R. Kessler     R. Shannon

3rd LINE:

M. Cooke     B. Morrison     T. Pyatt

4th LINE:

A. Burrows     B. Ritchie    T. Linden

1st Defence UNIT:

W. Mitchell     K. Bieksa

2nd Defense UNIT:

M. Ohlund    M. Weaver

3rd Defense UNIT:

L. Kraijeck     A. Miller

GOAL:

R. Luongo

BENCH:  C. Sanford, B. Isbister, J. Cowan

Despite their better than imagined (by most) season, the Vancouver Canucks have tinkered with the line-up by replacing older players with younger speed. 

WHO'S GONE: Jan Bulis, Rory Fitzpatrick, Marc Chouinard, Bryan Smolinski, Josh Green, Tommi Santala, Brent Sopel, Dany Sabourin.

WHO'S NEW: Mason Raymond, Brad Isbister, Ryan Shannon, Byron Ritchie, Aaron Miller, Curtis Sanford.

For those counting, 8 players are gone, 6 are new in a 24 man roster. One or two additional players will be sent down in the coming weeks (barring an injury, certainly one forward and one defenseman when Sami Salo comes back from injury.

I'd like to see Trevor Linden given a chance with the Sedins as this combination worked well late in the season particularly on the power-play but Raymond and Shannon will be given chances with Pyatt sharing the spot until a leader emerges.

Vigneault is determined to give Kessler the 2nd line center job. Morrison will have to fight through his injuries to earn back the 2nd job. However, the 2nd line will likely fluctuate a lot if a dominant combination does not emerge. The 2nd and 3rd liners will likely be juggled constantly (until a winning combo appears). Besides, Vigneault has proven he's not afraid to tinker on-the-fly.

Finally, while Sanford proved worthy of a few starts, he likely won't see more than 8 or 9 unless Luongo tires or injures.

STARTING LINE-UP (ANTICIPATED):

1st LINE:

D. Sedin     H. Sedin     M. Raymond

2nd LINE:

M. Naslund     R. Kessler     R. Shannon

3rd LINE:

M. Cooke     B. Morrison     T. Pyatt

4th LINE:

J. Cowan     B. Isbister    T. Linden

1st Defence UNIT:

W. Mitchell     K. Bieksa

2nd Defense UNIT:

M. Ohlund    A. Edler

3rd Defense UNIT:

L. Kraijeck     A. Miller

GOAL:

R. Luongo

BENCH:  C. Sanford, N. MacIver, B. Ritchie, A. Burrows

I can't say I like these...

Either go with the old uniform or the new one - don't has together a 'new uniform' out of two old ones. The first uniform and the last one are both better than this. Now the value and uniqueness of the first uniform has been devalued forever. And what's with the new stylized hockey stick in rink shoulder patch. For shame on the Canucks spending $1 million on this wasted exercise.

I have bought previous uniforms including both home and away of the last version. I will not buy this new uniform.

The Vancouver Canucks are sporting a new look: one of frugality and caution.

 

There was one over-arching need for the Vancouver Canucks this off-season – sign an offensive center man. This goal has not only been ignored, it’s been blatantly passed-over as the Canucks have contained their focus to role players and minor leaguers.

 

To date, the Canucks GM Dave Nonis has acquired the following new players:

           

G         Curtis Sanford              $600,000                     0 goals (2007)

G         Corey Schneider          $924,000 (2-way)        0 goals (2007)

LW      Brad Isbister                $525,000                     1 goal (2007)

C/W     Byron Ritchie              $625,000                     8 goals (2007)

W        Ryan Shannon              $550,000                     2 goals (2007)

D         Aaron Miller                $1,250,000                  0 goals (2007)

D         Zack Fitzgerald            $450,000                     0 goals (2007)

 

Wow. What an offensive output. What seven players, one center, no offensive center, and a grand total of 11 goals scored last year (divided by 7 players = 1.6 goals per player last year).

 

The Canucks will really challenge for the Cup this year.

 

Meanwhile, our top offensive player from last year’s playoffs, C/W Trevor Linden, and the most popular player in the history of the franchise – and one of the hardest working – remains ignored and unsigned.

 

Let’s rejoice with the acquisition of a new cadre sporting a 1.6 goals per player average… Nonis hasn’t delivered this kind of hope and hand-wringing since acquiring Keith Carney, Eric Weinrich, Sean Brown and Mikka Noranen.

Ah ha! Game 5 versus the Ducks might have been very different had Luongo been at 100%. The very strange "equipment problem" that prevented Luongo from starting in net in overtime was in fact not an equipment problem at all (as Kelly Hrudey insisted was the case)...

VANCOUVER (CP) - Goaltender Roberto Luongo still won't say why he was late returning for the first overtime period of Vancouver's loss to the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night that eliminated the Canucks from the NHL playoffs.

''It was not an equipment problem,'' Luongo said Sunday as the Canucks cleaned out their lockers. ''Let's leave it like that.''

''It was an illness and nothing serious.''

Luongo didn't answer when a reporter asked if the delay was caused because he was forced to use the bathroom (see Luongo won't say why he was late in OT (TSN)).

Many have postulated that whatever the "illness" Luongo had to go on intervenus support between the periods. And there was a real possibility that Sabourin would have had to finish the game.

Ah ha! Game 5 versus the Ducks might have been very different had Luongo been at 100%. The very strange "equipment problem" that prevented Luongo from starting in net in overtime was in fact not an equipment problem at all (as Kelly Hrudey insisted was the case)...

VANCOUVER (CP) - Goaltender Roberto Luongo still won't say why he was late returning for the first overtime period of Vancouver's loss to the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night that eliminated the Canucks from the NHL playoffs.

''It was not an equipment problem,'' Luongo said Sunday as the Canucks cleaned out their lockers. ''Let's leave it like that.''

''It was an illness and nothing serious.''

Luongo didn't answer when a reporter asked if the delay was caused because he was forced to use the bathroom (see Luongo won't say why he was late in OT (TSN)).

Many have postulated that whatever the "illness" Luongo had to go on intervenus support between the periods. And there was a real possibility that Sabourin would have had to finish the game.

There was some speculation that Markus Naslund might have been hurt and was playing hurt during the season. Ditto for Brendan Morrison. But apparently not....

VANCOUVER (CP) - Captain Markus Naslund promised Sunday he will play better for the Vancouver Canucks next season.

Naslund struggled through his worst NHL season as a Canuck in a year where goaltender Roberto Luongo became the face of the team and Daniel and Henrik Sedin finally made good on the promise of their potential.

There were many nights Naslund, 33, looked like a passenger on a train driven by Luongo, fuelled by the scoring of the Swedish twins, and kept on the rails by the Canucks commitment to tight defence.

''I know I can play better,'' Naslund said as the Canucks cleaned out their lockers and said goodbye for the summer. ''It wasn't a lack of effort, I wanted to do well. It just wasn't there.''

''I know I can do better, that's the bottom line. I'm proud of what I do. I want to show I can still perform. I'm going to come back and prove that I can play better.''
(See Naslund promises to be better next year - TSN)