Will we be designing his ticket out of town too? Van/NJ Liveblog!
Jan 12th, 2009 | By Mike | Category: Liveblog, Nation-Building, Rants***************
January 13 9:45 AM Update – You’ll be seeing Demitra with a few less minutes tonight as he drops to the fourth line (and an angry Vigneault makes a bald joke or too). Meanwhile MySpace gets his slot next to PIM-happy Sundin, making the second line two lumbering big guys along with the fastest small guy on the team. Viggy viggy viggy…
On the other end the Devils are irked at their loss to the Ducks a few nights ago while their newest guy skates at home alone waiting for Lou to get rid of someone so he can make the roster.
Fun fact for today – the last three VAN/NJ meetings have been shutouts:
A year ago, Roberto Luongo hung a 5-0 goose-egg on Brodeur. In 2005-06, Brodeur beat Alex Auld 3-0 and, in 2003-04, Dan Cloutier outduelled Brodeur 4-0.
Don’t expect a similar result when Clemmensen runs head long into the manchild Labarbera but who knows. We’ll liveblog the taste out of the mouth of this game anyway. See you then.
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I’m sorry I can’t recap this past weekend anymore so then has already been done. The Blues game? AWFUL. And somehow they came out better against San Jose and still lost. Bad bounces a plenty.
And the underlying theme of Sundin sitting in the box while his team loses continues.
An aside: Raise your hand (mighty high) if you guessed, at this stage in the season, the most uplifting parts of the season would be the out of no where play of Labarbera & Wellwood combined with the career record shattering pace of Willie Mitchell? Whoever you are my friend, you deserve a cookie.
Mercifully, the missing chunk of this Vancouverian experiment looks to be close to returning. I’d reckon he stays out to after the all star break; why race him back? But if he does return hopefully that degree of confidence and swagger the team had in November will come back in earnest.
However, if he does come back, what to do with Curtis “I just got beat by Mike Grier” Sanford? Puck Rakers is already guessing where the Sandman may land (say that three times fast), including as a Blue Jacket or as a Dallas Star (Avery for Sanford? C’mon Gillis, you know an Avery/Kesler/Burrows line would be hilarious).
Clearly, if Sanford does get moved, it’ll be a slight hit to the locker room where Sanford is well liked. And how can you not like a guy who is this honest?
“I was never the most talented guy or the biggest guy, obviously,” said the 5-foot-10 Owen Sound, Ont. native. “It’s a position that’s as much about thinking as reacting. You start to over-think and analyze and you find yourself in trouble.”
Damn straight. If only others – like aging Swedish mercenaries – would have such a frank take on thinking and reacting.
If Sanford goes, we wish him all the best. And, better yet, hope he can bring a solid package in return.
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Up next is my adopted hometeam the NJ Devils who show up at GM Place tomorrow. What a fun time for each team:
- Both have similar records (Devils=25-15-4, Canucks=22-17-5)
- Both have lost their typically durable rockstar goalies to injuries early on
- Both pillaged the Wild FA’s in the offseason (Demitra/Rolston)
- Both have their veteran mercenaries joining in midseason (Sundin/Shanahan)
- Both teams only have two gentlemen in the forty point range (both Sedins/Parise, Elias)
- Ah, but only the Devils have a RW named Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. Hot damn dude.
Vancouver is 2-2 against the hated Atlantic division teams this year. Considering Lou and his boys are so adverse to travel, let’s hope a collective Canuck team effort ensures a long trip home for them.
And Mats? STAY OUT OF THE BOX.
January 12th, 2009 5:18 pm
A solid package in return for Sanford? Try a 6th round pick. He isn’t worth a hell of a lot. Now his value is decreasing further.
Sundin is God.
1st penalty against the Sharks: a botched all. The guy stepped in front of him.
2nd penalty: at least he was backchecking to prevent the 2 on 1!!! A flukey high stick it was.
January 13th, 2009 7:31 am
Or he’ll go on waivers and we get nothing. And don’t knock a sixth round pick! Juraj Simek was a sixth rounder and he’s dreamy in that Swiss way.
And stop making excuses for Sundin. He’s still getting back into it, but don’t roll over for him. The Blues call was horrid, absolutely terrible. I can forgive the Sharks a little bit less, but with the PIM leader clocking 20 minutes a game and a requisite Sedin hooking call every other game, do we really need the chosen one doing it too? Especially when the game is on the line?? At least take them in the first when we can still catch up!
January 13th, 2009 11:15 am
Vigneault’s bluffing, using a bit of bluster to try to nudge his players. I’d be shocked if Demitra was on the fourth line for more than a shift or two.
Let’s face it — Demitra is the third-best forward on the team, and even with Sundin, they’re still short two top-6 forwards. Pyatt has been useless. Raymond keeps evoking Richard Park with that blinding speed and no finish. Wellwood has been a fine story, but he looks half asleep out there most of the time. I don’t mind Bernier — if only he could consistently bang in those rebounds and goal-mouth passes from the Sedins.
I know Salo is injured for long stretches every year, and it always seems like the team suffers in those stretches. I have no stats to back it up, just a hunch. They’ve been lucky to not plummet in the standings through this stretch without Luongo. Right now, I’d say we’re in for more of this inconsistency, but with more wins than losses, which should still get them into the playoffs. And although I’m generally not optimistic about these things, I can still see the Canucks coming together and peaking as they head into the playoffs…maybe even doing some damage in the first two rounds.
January 13th, 2009 3:20 pm
Jeremy – re: Demitra. Well maybe, he could be bluffing but wouldn’t that make the whole tactic ineffective? At least make him play there half the game and then, when AV starts juggling everything, move him!
I hear you on Raymond, but he’s still young. Only his second season. He may not be Kane-like gifted but he’ll learn his finish (and honestly look at his linemates most of the season…certainly not the best either).
Raymond, Wellwood, Bernier and Pyatt do form the core of a very silent problem. 4 of the top 9 (damn near half) are woefully hit or miss. If we add Demitra in there, then we’re past the 50% marker. Two of these guys simply have to get more consistent. I think Demitra will eventually get there, but I’d like to see Bernier definitely round out his game. I think Pyatt, at the trade deadline, will be moved unless he goes gangbusters with Sundin.
The past 20+ games without Luongo could have been a nightmare. Sanford, Schneider and Labarbera did great all things considered. This team is going to have to really hit their strides soon. Vancouver is at 49 points and LA (14th in the conference) is at 40. We all know how quickly such a lead can evaporate so the gimme games (like the Atlanta and St. Louis) can’t be pissed away when Luongo returns.
I wouldn’t lock the playoffs in at all yet. Still plenty of games to play and way too many variables (injuries especially) that could derail these guys.
January 14th, 2009 10:28 pm
Yeah, I hear you. Nothing to disagree with here. I fear that if Luongo has a relapse, which is all but assured, the season is sunk.
January 14th, 2009 11:01 pm
Sanford for Avery?
Might not be the best idea, considering how our most intense rivalry right now is with Calgary, and guess who’s on that team?
Also considering how we still have to play them twice more this season, Phaneuf might make those games a little extra dangerous.
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