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Benched Whale - A Vancouver Canucks Blog
The Canucks came out tonight, like they did in Games 1 and 3, and were the better team on the ice. They worked harder, they shot more and Ryan Kesler was again a beast.
It was only a few games ago that we were asking: where are the goals? This 41 goal scorer didn't have any goals in the post season but clearly, you could see he was working hard. So we said the goals would come.
Kesler now has 3 goals in two games and came up with this beauty of a powerplay goal:
But that was the goal that gave the Canucks the one goal lead in the third. The first 47:28 before it seemed to follow the same script that we've been watching for the previous three games before: Canucks get one goal lead, Predators tie, Canucks get another goal, Predators tie sometime in the 3rd period....then OT
But tonight, the Kesler goal on the PP changed that and the Canucks fought hard to win in regulation tonight.
Henrik potted the empty netter, which doesn't pass for an actual goal there Henrik, but it did give the Canucks a 4-2 win.
But this game seemed like it was reflective of when the Predators stopped working as hard as their opposition.
During the 5-3 powerplay, with Lapierre and Rome in the box, the Predators were only able to get 1 shot on net. 1 shot. Now I know the Canucks don't have a great record for 5-3's either, but in Game 4 of the playoffs, just 1 shot? And where were the scary-ass shots from Weber? The Canucks did a good job and limiting his ability to shoot the puck, which had him switching positions like he was on a pendulum, but I wouldn't be pleased if I was a Preds fan. And if his slapshot takes too long to set up, why not settle for wristing it in and hope that with traffic in front, it might bounce in?
And since I'm picking apart Nashville here, we all see that the Sedins haven't been producing, it may have been better if he started to shift the coverage of Weber/Suter from the Sedins/Burrows to Kesler/Higgins/Raymond. Just a thought.
But in the end, maybe it's just that Weber and Suter are tired and the Preds just don't have the offensive players that score enough goals to get past the 2nd round. Weber and Suter looked like they just didn't want it as bad tonight. Not to say that they didn't play well, because they give a beating to the Sedins and Burrows every shift. And they have both logged a lot of minutes and at times stay on for some very, very long shifts.
It's not over yet, but since it has looked like the Canucks have been the better team throughout the series, it seems tough to think the Preds can come back from being down 3-1.
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I've been a little wrapped up blogging about two different teams in the playoffs. It's been pretty crazy to try to cover two playoffs teams at once. LHB has taken away a lot of my attention from blogging about the Canucks, and for that I'm sorry. But now that the Lightning have swept the Caps, I have found myself with time to devote the rest of the series to blogging about the Canucks primarily. So programming should return back to being a bit more regular around here for all those people complaining to me about my laziness.
Playing your style of game
Unlike the Lighting-Caps series, this one looks like it could go the distance. Which, if the Canucks win, this will be unfortunate since it seems every other winner of the 2nd Round will have a lot more rest than Vancouver. This could end up problematic for the Canucks in the long run, but right now we're just worrying about Round 2.
One thing that is interesting after getting through the Tampa/Washington series, is how the Lightning continued to keep playing 'their game'. Now yes their game is a 1-3-1 system that to some can suck the fun out of hockey, but it works and in the playoffs, you have to play the style that works for your team. The Lightning executed that perfectly and are now on a 7 game win streak.
The Canucks aren't the Lightning, and I hope will never, adopt the Lightning's 1-3-1 system. Seriously, watching one team that plays that system all year is enough, I really don't want two employing that style. But the issue with the Canucks is that I find that they keep getting away from their game. They have gotten better in Game 3 in comparison to Games 1 and 2 where they adjusted to playing the style of defensive hockey that Nashville can play. But what the Canucks were successful on all year was their style of aggressive, goal scoring play.
Now going into Game 4, I'm not personally as worried about the Sedins' style of play because I see them working hard, and I have to assume that with the chances they have that the scoring will come in time. Like the style of the play of the overall team, the Sedins played their best game of the series so far on Tuesday. So there's progress right? But it's frustrating to not see them score, no?
So although I may not be worried about them, the reality is that if your best players aren't your best players, then you aren't going to be successful. And really, there are only so many more games for them to do it without dragging this series on for the full 7 game span. They need to step it up asap and start showing up on the score sheet. no comments
Playing your style of game
Unlike the Lighting-Caps series, this one looks like it could go the distance. Which, if the Canucks win, this will be unfortunate since it seems every other winner of the 2nd Round will have a lot more rest than Vancouver. This could end up problematic for the Canucks in the long run, but right now we're just worrying about Round 2.
One thing that is interesting after getting through the Tampa/Washington series, is how the Lightning continued to keep playing 'their game'. Now yes their game is a 1-3-1 system that to some can suck the fun out of hockey, but it works and in the playoffs, you have to play the style that works for your team. The Lightning executed that perfectly and are now on a 7 game win streak.
The Canucks aren't the Lightning, and I hope will never, adopt the Lightning's 1-3-1 system. Seriously, watching one team that plays that system all year is enough, I really don't want two employing that style. But the issue with the Canucks is that I find that they keep getting away from their game. They have gotten better in Game 3 in comparison to Games 1 and 2 where they adjusted to playing the style of defensive hockey that Nashville can play. But what the Canucks were successful on all year was their style of aggressive, goal scoring play.
Now going into Game 4, I'm not personally as worried about the Sedins' style of play because I see them working hard, and I have to assume that with the chances they have that the scoring will come in time. Like the style of the play of the overall team, the Sedins played their best game of the series so far on Tuesday. So there's progress right? But it's frustrating to not see them score, no?
So although I may not be worried about them, the reality is that if your best players aren't your best players, then you aren't going to be successful. And really, there are only so many more games for them to do it without dragging this series on for the full 7 game span. They need to step it up asap and start showing up on the score sheet. no comments
If the roles were reversed, I would probably bitching about this outcome.
But we won. And Kesler is a beast.
Canucks take a 2-1 series lead with the next game on Thursday. no comments
But we won. And Kesler is a beast.
Canucks take a 2-1 series lead with the next game on Thursday. no comments
After drowning some of my sorrows from Saturday night in a pint of beer, I'm moving on from this weekend. And with these past few days off, I think I've resumed my sense of calm about the series. My primary annoyance this past weekend was not with the loss or how they played the overtime, but rather, how they played in regulation. They played like they didn't care that there was a game on the line.
So hoping for a better effort tonight, ok boys?
In the meantime, here are some links I've been reading:
There will be some lineup changes coming into Game 3 with Cody Hodgson on the 4th line centering Tanner Glass and the now demoted Mikael Samuelsson according to Ben Kuzma of The Province.
And Sami Salo is a possibility to be also back in the lineup after skating with the team on Monday.
And, I hate to return to the negative, but go read this article by the Kurtenblog, who writes "If your go-to goalscorers don't score goals, you're screwed."
Botchford writes that this big kerfuffle with the Predators complaining to the NHL and CBC talking about how the green men should be limited is ridiculous. Oh and they will be at Game 3 in Nashville CBC.
And from the lovable Shane O'Brien, this insight:
"I wouldn't want to see myself in one of those tight green suits — I can tell you that. I guess they feel good about themselves to dress up in all green. I noticed there are never any chicks sitting beside them, they're always sitting beside dudes. Maybe they've got to figure that out and they'll be able to get a date or something." -The Province
Leave it to Shane O'Brien to pay attention to whether the green men come with girls to the games
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So hoping for a better effort tonight, ok boys?
In the meantime, here are some links I've been reading:
There will be some lineup changes coming into Game 3 with Cody Hodgson on the 4th line centering Tanner Glass and the now demoted Mikael Samuelsson according to Ben Kuzma of The Province.
And Sami Salo is a possibility to be also back in the lineup after skating with the team on Monday.
And, I hate to return to the negative, but go read this article by the Kurtenblog, who writes "If your go-to goalscorers don't score goals, you're screwed."
Botchford writes that this big kerfuffle with the Predators complaining to the NHL and CBC talking about how the green men should be limited is ridiculous. Oh and they will be at Game 3 in Nashville CBC.
And from the lovable Shane O'Brien, this insight:
"I wouldn't want to see myself in one of those tight green suits — I can tell you that. I guess they feel good about themselves to dress up in all green. I noticed there are never any chicks sitting beside them, they're always sitting beside dudes. Maybe they've got to figure that out and they'll be able to get a date or something." -The Province
Leave it to Shane O'Brien to pay attention to whether the green men come with girls to the games
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I'm gonna steal a line from my enemy blogger friend Fang Faction who said in their recap: The final score reads “1-0,” but it should probably read “5-0.”
But did it feel more subdued this game? Do you feel like we won the big prize last series and now we're just going backwards?
Maybe a little. But maybe my enthusiasm for this game will pick up as the series goes on.
Thoughts from game 1 after the jump...
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No time to rest as the next round starts tonight for the Canucks. Some thoughts and links to previews/analysis later today, but sometimes the best way to get to know your playoff opponent is to get to know the people that know them the best.
Seth Street and Jake Old from Fang Faction offered to amuse me with answers in record time last night about the Vancouver-Nashville matchup.
Fang Faction is one of the newest additions to Bloguin, and launched really just in time for the playoffs. I'm sure we'll hear from the boys as the series goes on but for now be sure to add @FangFaction on twitter. From the bloggers I know that are Predator fans, they are good people, though they do seems to get a little jumpy every time a Vancouver writer pens a piece about Shea Weber not re-signing* in Nashville.
What is the biggest weakness that Nashville has going into the series?
I think they've had two notable weaknesses from the previous round and late in the season: slow starts and giving up big leads. I still have trouble thinking about that 3-0 against the Red Wings they let slip away late in the season. They also spotted Anaheim two easy goals early in two different games in that series. That has to stop for the Preds to win.
If you had to pick one player from your team that would be easy for other teams to hate on, who would it be?
Either Shane O'Brien or Jordin Tootoo. They play hard and physical (or as other teams would say, dirty) and it seems like fans of every team we play usually have nothing but bad things to say about them. Plus Toots can also rack up points, so it will more than likely make him hated even more.
How much do Nashville fans love Shane O'Brien? Is it considered a success if he doesn't get a penalty in a night?
Nashville fans always have a soft spot for O'Brien in their hearts, mostly because he is so effective at getting under the skin of opposing players (and fans for that matter). It's considered a success if he is physical and probably actually committing penalties that just aren't called. But it is frustrating as hell when he commits some dumb penalty to give the opposing team all the momentum at a critical point in a game.
It seems that Nashville fans are all 'good people', will playing a series against your team make me hate you?
Yes, you will hate us all. Just kidding. I don't think our fans are that bad (not as bad as Detroit fans anyway...but then again, nobody is that bad)...however I probably just think that because I'm a Predators fan.
Prediction?
Well, I'm a Preds fan, so I have to pick the Predators! Though it won’t be an easy series for us. We played well against Vancouver in the regular season, and as long as we keep the Brothers Sedin, Burrows and Ehrhoff in check; I think we can take it in six games. Possibly even five if Pekka Rinne can continue to play his stellar game. We’ll see, like I said it won’t be easy, especially since Luongo finished the regular season as second best goalie, and played brilliantly last night. Hopefully for us he will play sluggish like he did earlier in the series against Chicago. It will be a fun series regardless!
*Relax he will re-sign otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the captaincy during the summer. Right? right.
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Seth Street and Jake Old from Fang Faction offered to amuse me with answers in record time last night about the Vancouver-Nashville matchup.
Fang Faction is one of the newest additions to Bloguin, and launched really just in time for the playoffs. I'm sure we'll hear from the boys as the series goes on but for now be sure to add @FangFaction on twitter. From the bloggers I know that are Predator fans, they are good people, though they do seems to get a little jumpy every time a Vancouver writer pens a piece about Shea Weber not re-signing* in Nashville.
What is the biggest weakness that Nashville has going into the series?
I think they've had two notable weaknesses from the previous round and late in the season: slow starts and giving up big leads. I still have trouble thinking about that 3-0 against the Red Wings they let slip away late in the season. They also spotted Anaheim two easy goals early in two different games in that series. That has to stop for the Preds to win.
If you had to pick one player from your team that would be easy for other teams to hate on, who would it be?
Either Shane O'Brien or Jordin Tootoo. They play hard and physical (or as other teams would say, dirty) and it seems like fans of every team we play usually have nothing but bad things to say about them. Plus Toots can also rack up points, so it will more than likely make him hated even more.
How much do Nashville fans love Shane O'Brien? Is it considered a success if he doesn't get a penalty in a night?
Nashville fans always have a soft spot for O'Brien in their hearts, mostly because he is so effective at getting under the skin of opposing players (and fans for that matter). It's considered a success if he is physical and probably actually committing penalties that just aren't called. But it is frustrating as hell when he commits some dumb penalty to give the opposing team all the momentum at a critical point in a game.
It seems that Nashville fans are all 'good people', will playing a series against your team make me hate you?
Yes, you will hate us all. Just kidding. I don't think our fans are that bad (not as bad as Detroit fans anyway...but then again, nobody is that bad)...however I probably just think that because I'm a Predators fan.
Prediction?
Well, I'm a Preds fan, so I have to pick the Predators! Though it won’t be an easy series for us. We played well against Vancouver in the regular season, and as long as we keep the Brothers Sedin, Burrows and Ehrhoff in check; I think we can take it in six games. Possibly even five if Pekka Rinne can continue to play his stellar game. We’ll see, like I said it won’t be easy, especially since Luongo finished the regular season as second best goalie, and played brilliantly last night. Hopefully for us he will play sluggish like he did earlier in the series against Chicago. It will be a fun series regardless!
*Relax he will re-sign otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the captaincy during the summer. Right? right.
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