ESPN reporting that Dan Hamhuis has signed with Vancouver for 6-years @ $4.5 Million per year. Awaiting Confirmation but most sources putting this one in as done. I will confirm when it goes through.

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Update: Confirmed deal for Dan Hamhuis

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Manny Malhotra was terrific for the Sharks last year and the deal is the right amount ($7.5 million / 3 years) for a very good 3rd line centre. Looks as though Cody Hodgeson will likely remain in Manitoba with this deal, but thats also not a bad thing.

The Canucks have added Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis within a week to the D group in Vancouver makes this team a considerably more formidable opponent. For Hamhuis it should be a good fit, close to home and since last years trade deadline Vancouver seemed to be the place he was looking to go to. The Canucks seem to have closed the door now on Willie Mitchell returning and will most likely need to get rid of someone else pretty soon. These are the moves that need to be made when you are trying to get over the hump in the playoffs so if it doesn’t work, nobody will say Mike Gillis didn’t do everything he could to get ahead.

More to come…

(2) Chicago Blackhawks (112 points)

(3) Vancouver Canucks (103 points)

Offense

By the numbers, Vancouver ranked #2 in the league with 3.27 Goals/Game for a grand total of 268 goals scored overall. Chicago ranked #3 with 3.20 Goals/Game and finished the year with 262 goals scored. The Blackhawks can seemingly score at will and will press the Canucks defenders at every turn. This time however, the Canucks can go even deeper than the hawks on the goal-scoring front so it should make for some excellent games.

The Hawks rely on a number of very strong, powerful scorers and augment that with Patrick Kane’s sniper abilities. Nobody expects Ben Eager to be putting up points but the lines that don’t score are big and tough to play against. Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp are the three big guns on this Hawks squad, which is nothing new to look at. Patrick Kane had his way with the Canucks last year so it will be on everyone to attempt to contain him as much as possible. Dustin Byfuglien will be up to his usual ‘goalie-interfering-self’ which shouldn’t catch the Canucks off guard as they dealt with it last year and every regular season game since.

The Canucks showed in the first round how even their third line is going to be putting the puck in the net. Steve Bernier brought his game up another level, as did Kyle Wellwood and that helped bring the Canucks from the edge of disaster to domination. In years past the Sedin’s also couldn’t be expected to show up every game. They proved the last two seasons that they will be there when they are needed and that’s all you can ask for.

Advantage: Canucks – The Hawks are a quick attack but they are top-heavy. The Canucks depth shined in the last two games of Round 1 and will roll lines again to attack in waves.

Defence

By the numbers, Vancouver was ranked #12 in Goals Allowed/Game at 2.66 and an overall of 218 goals. The Kings came in at #6 here with 2.48 and an overall total of 203. The Hawks were a better team defensively and with the exception of Bryan Campbell (who isn’t a defensive stud by any measure) did not have to endure too many injuries. They also have the luxury of playing Byfuglien on the back-end when they do have injuries which allows for some change-up looks that might confuse the Canucks. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook will be given the task of slowing the Sedin’s. Good luck guys.

The Canucks defence held up like the Great Wall of China when playing 5 on 5, but crumbled like the Berlin Wall on the penalty kill. Some of that blame falls on the forwards as Alex Burrows was a major culprit of not adjusting positions quick enough on the PK. Andrew Alberts was the main problem as he seems slow and lazy most of the time but still has enough upside to potentially help out. My advice to AV would be don’t play Alberts in any circumstance, but what choice does he have?

Alex Edler was absolutely magnificent in Round 1 and although he didn’t punish people as much after the first game, he showed he is willing to do what is necessary to win.

Advantage: Hawks – In years past I would say this would be a Canuck advantage, but the Hawks have Campbell back and more options to attack with. They may not be as responsible as other teams but they are quick and aggressive.

Goaltending

The chart below shows the regular season stats for the two goalies we will see in round 2:

After battling with Cristobel Huet for top spot, Antti Niemi became the obvious choice as he was winning games more often than not. Niemi stays low to the ground and isn’t very strong on his glove hand so it will be up to the Canucks to focus on those weaknesses and attempt to exploit them. Niemi is very quick however and is capable of shutting teams down with his crazy legs. I wouldn’t expect to see Huet, but this is definitely a better situation than facing Nik Khabibulin.

Luongo wasn’t phenomenal in the first round but he was very good and made almost every critical save at the right time. The problems for Luongo were related to the team as a whole, mostly on the PK and his ability to come up with the big save at the big moment really killed the momentum for the Kings. After contending with Ryan Smyth, his next step is the even more challenging Dustin Byfuglien who was too obvious in last years’ playoff matchup about running Lui. This guy will crash into Luongo at every opportunity and guaranteed the refs will miss half of it, so this is where the Canucks need to forget about all that and just move his big frame out of the way and Lui the best chance to stop the puck.

Advantage: Canucks – In this situation Luongo has the experience and the ability to be the big game goalie. Niemi is essentially a rookie who didn’t seem like he was comfortable against Nashville, a team that can barely score. He’s got his work cut out for him in this series and will rely more on his D-Men than ever before.

Special Teams

Here it gets tricky to analyze:

The Canucks Power-Play will pose a much bigger threat than the Predators did to Nashville. The Hawks Penalty Kill however was much better than the one the Kings put up so it might just be a push. There are too many variables and talented players to know what to expect but both teams will have an action plan on what to do. The Hawks will crash Luongo at every turn on their power-play as he is very prone to being distracted and has a history of getting involved in the extra-curricular activity that helps nobody. The Canucks for their part need to focus on throwing everything at Niemi in an effort to catch him off guard after his slow but shaky series against the Preds.

Advantage: Even – Both teams can score and they will score. Only the PK will determine who wins this battle. Based on round 1 I would give it to the Hawks but they will be in deeper waters against the Canuck attack whereas the Canucks are coming off the worst penalty killing stats ever. It should only get better from here.

Coaching

It was clear after the first 3 games of the first round that the Terry Murray was finding the weaknesses in the Canuck team and exploiting it. AV for his part did a phenomenal job of mixing his lines to find the better matchups and correct the issue in time to knock the Kings right out.

Joel Quenville is a damn good coach and I’m a big fan of his style of play. The only issue for him will be keeping his composure and not getting carried away with the officiating as he tends to do. The Canucks have had their problems in that area where the players and the organization (and me) may have been whining, AV kept his cool and kept his focus on the game. Quenville needs to follow suit in order to be successful and set a good example for his team.

Advantage: Canucks – Alain Vigenault has grown into a more complete and well-rounded coach than he was when he arrived in Vancouver. His demeanour is always confident and positive and it shines through even in player interviews now. Joel Quenville is a good coach but he doesn’t bring you anything you can’t get from Lindy Ruff, Jacque Lemaire, Brent Sutter, Dave Lewis etc…

X-Factor

Hawks: John Madden – Madden was acquired for his playoff pedigree and although he didn’t show it too much in round one, this guy is capable of providing the leadership necessary to go all the way. His strong two-way play was needed and will be of value in this round more than the last.

Canucks: Pavol Demitra – Demitra is starting to find his form again and is back to 80% of what he was during the Olympics for Slovakia. His past playoff hardships mean nothing now and he needs to focus on providing balance and manning the point on the PP. If he gets going he can alleviate the stress on the Sedin’s.

Prediction

Canucks in 6 – It’s the revenge factor for the Canucks this year as they want to prove they deserve this second crack at the Blackhawks. Chi-Town may have been craving a sexier matchup like the Wings, but trust me, this will be the best series of Round 2 regardless of outcome.

The Canucks beat the Kings 6-4 on the road at the Staples Center in LA and avoided going down 3-1 in the series. Going back home for game 5 is a good thing, the Canucks have been very good on home ice and hopefully they will be able to come out with some aggressive hockey and show the fans they really want to be winners.

So I managed to spit that out… now call me a whiner.

I should be happy the Canucks won, that they came back in the 3rd period as they have so many times this season to win games. I should be glad that Roberto Luongo for the most part was solid in net. I should be glad the Sedin’s finally got some chances and capitalized on them. However, all I can think of is the officiating.

I absolutely hate writing about officiating and yet here I am doing it again. I didn’t write after game 3 because I was so furious at the overturned goal and some other poor calls by the refs I felt it was best to wait it out so I wouldn’t smash the keyboard while writing. The overturned goal I understand the arguments people have against it being a goal, but as far as I’m concerned there was no ‘intent’ to direct the puck, which should be a determining factor much like the ref has the option of ‘intent’ to blow a whistle. Who knows where the correct answer lies but the explanations are so wishy washy from the league that it’s just a joke.

So moving past that, Steve Bernier gets a chance in front of Johnny Quick where a Kings player grabs his stick in the blue ice and gets dragged about a foot all the while preventing Bernier from a chance at the puck. The back official puts his arm up as if to call a penalty, the Canucks let the play go to the Kings to get a whistle and then the ref puts his arm down as if nothing happened. The Canucks complained about this (I’m guessing among other things) to the league and were told he decided to not call it after seeing the closer official let it slide. Am I missing something or did the rules get changed to both refs have to agree on calls now? I put this out to you to tell me if I’m nuts, because I have never seen or heard of that in any league in any capacity, ever.

Prior to game 4 on Hockey Night In Canada (for those in the north) the pre-game show was kind enough to play a clip of Bernier reacting to the officials arm up by calming his play and waiting for the whistle at which point he realized the ref had now dropped his arm and he should probably keep playing. Every sports news outlet on TV was talking about the conspiracy theories and how Canucks fans are going to start complaining. Well why shouldn’t we? Consider that when a sports news anchor mentions a conspiracy theory and odd calls that obviously it’s not just Canucks fans noticing this. The Kings took a ‘too many men’ penalty too but it was the most obvious one ever with 6 skaters actually involved in the play. I bet the refs apologized to Terry Murray for calling it during a stoppage in play.

Yeah, you read it right, I’m a whiner. I’m complaining because if you have watched these games the Canucks are being singled out considerably more than the Kings. Maybe it’s a reaction to Alex Burrows’ allegations of revenge from ref’s earlier in the season, maybe the league doesn’t like Canadian teams (see Calgary Flames 2004 Finals, Game 6, Gelinas goal). I don’t have an answer, but I’m within my right to voice that even though the Canucks won tonight they were playing against more than just the Kings but also the Zebra’s.

The Vancouver Canucks go home now knotted up at 2 games apiece and will like to work on their penalty kill obviously. As fans it’s OK for us to complain and cheer and be worried about officiating. For the team and the organization, just forget about it. They aren’t going to win or lose because of the officials as long as they don’t put themselves in the position to be penalized at all. Mind you I found the Canucks tentative and unable to really hit because they seemed afraid of taking penalties. The Canucks are a good team though and good teams will find a way regardless of circumstance. Good luck to them in Game 5 on Friday and hopefully they are prepared and energized to take care of business at home.

It was the wrong call without question. ‘Too Many Men’ penalties happen and like the ‘Delay Of Game’ it is often a matter of inches. However, in the playoffs and especially in Overtime you don’t call those penalties unless they are very obvious such as throwing the puck out of play or having 7 guys involved in the play. The Canucks players and fans have a right to be upset with that call by the officials but unfortunately there is no recourse. The ref’s won’t remember or care that it happened because it seems to be so inconsistent everywhere in the league and in every game that it hardly matters but that is little consolation to the rest of us.

The first game was full of jump from both teams and the deciding factor was exactly what we expected with the forwards stepping up and the depth of the team showing its full force. Obviously Mikael Samuelsson was the hero and I would say there were maybe only 2-3 players that weren’t playing the proper jump in their step. I’ll avoid names for game 1 because they won.

In game 2 however I have a name I will gladly throw under the bus without hesitation. Remember how you felt watching Shane O’Brien when he first came to Vancouver and how slow and lazy this guy was, leading the league in penalty minutes for almost 2 seasons. Well Andrew Alberts is worse and considerably more frustrating. I was happy to see him come to Vancouver as he had played pretty well in Carolina, I liked his style and his energy and he had no problem with leveling someone on every play. Since coming to Vancouver I have barely seen him move his brick-like feet and his apathy to playing with energy probably cost Vancouver the game yesterday. I know it’s a  team sport and sure they could have had a better second period but I’m going to pick on Alberts and blame him for the whole thing. Move your feet, keep your stick down, don’t elbow anybody and maybe you’ll get another chance to play. If I’m Coach V, I’m putting in pretty much any other person I can, even Evan Oberg at this point because Alberts is hurting the Canucks much more than he is helping.

To the strong points, Luongo was not fantastic but still very good and the forwards were playing with energy even if the passes were not as crisp as the first game. The D group was slow all night and maybe that is just everyone playing big minutes they are not used to. I was glad to see Edler continue his strong play and watching him obliterate Drew Dougthy in game 1 was proof that the playoffs don’t require any buildup.

Look for the Canucks to simplify their defensive strategy going into Game 3 with an aggressive fore-check. Aaron Rome should be ready to play for Game 3 and that should help as he has been spectacular this season and will allow everyone on the back end to ease up on the work load.  There should still be much confidence in the Canuck dressing room and they should be ready to avenge their Game 2 loss on the very questionable penalty call.

Series Preview

(3) Vancouver Canucks (103 pts) Vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings (101 pts)

Offense

By the numbers, Vancouver ranked #2 in the league with 3.27 Goals/Game for a grand total of 268 goals scored overall. Los Angeles ranked #9 with 2.82 Goals/Game and finished the year with 231 goals scored. Both teams obviously quite capable of putting the puck in the net and most recently the LA Kings walked all over the Orca’s with an 8 goal performance on April 1^st.

The LA scoring primarily goes through Anze Kopitar and to a lesser extent Ryan Smyth. Smyth’s mid-season injury caused Kopitar to regress and the early surge of goals was tempered even after Smyth’s return. ‘Smitty’ for his part will be a major catalyst for the Kings and should cause some major problems for Roberto Luongo. During his days with the Oilers (not so much with the AV’s), he caused havoc in front of the net by using his excellent balance to screen the goalie without drawing interference penalties. Although Edmonton only once managed to really capitalize on Captain Canada with a trip to the finals, Smyth always increased his own performance in the post-season and expect nothing less this time. The Kings are top-heavy with two lines that can score and two lines that don’t, but the ones who don’t are aggressive and determined.

The Canucks on the other hand are bursting with scoring freshness and roll 4 lines with the greatest of ease. Coach Alain Vigneault has done a masterful job of getting the most out of his players this season and at any given time at least one of the top 3 lines will be on fire. The 4^th line has been a bit of an issue all year but with forwards in abundance now it will be easier to find replacement bodies if anyone drops the ball.

Advantage: Canucks – Don’t expect Henrik and Daniel to be taking the series over, but the depth of the Canucks overall should give them the edge.

Defence

By the numbers, Vancouver was ranked #12 in Goals Allowed/Game at 2.66 and an overall of 218 goals. The Kings came in at #9 here also with 2.57 and an overall total of 211. Keep in mind the Canucks GA/G went up significantly post-Olympics as Luongo and the defence crumpled partially due to injuries and partially due to Luongo’s shaky play.

The Canuck defence is stretching to make sure it bends but doesn’t break during these playoffs. The leadership of this group has fallen to Christian Ehrhoff and Sami Salo but the guy who needs to step up is Kevin Bieksa. Since returning from injury he has read the play very well and if he chooses to bring back the aggression he has shown in the past it will be perfect timing.

LA’s D-Men are fast and will be ready to push the counter attack at every opportunity. The big story in LA this year was the outstanding play of Drew Doughty who showed the entire world what an incredible player he is at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The word ‘potential’ is no longer necessary in reference to Doughty but Jack Johnson can still be exploited as he is still replicating early-Dion Phaneuf hits that take him well out of position.

Advantage: Kings – In a perfect world Vancouver takes this section, but the injuries on the backend will give the Kings forwards plenty to exploit. It’s not an overwhelming edge but Holy Baumgartner do we have some injuries.

Goaltending

The chart below shows the similarity in stats between the two goalies:

Neither goalie gave either team much confidence down the stretch but both are capable of excellent play. Johnny Quick failed to defeat the Canucks this season and the most recent Kings win over the Nucks had Jonathan Bernier between the pipes.

Everyone knows about Luongo’s struggles but the solution is simple: RESET. Last year’s ouster at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks clearly hurt him and this whole season felt like he was just waiting to get  back to the show. This is his chance to prove it was worth the wait and set the tone early with some confident play.

Advantage: Canucks – No Brainer! Their numbers may have been close but have faith that Bobby Lou will show up ready to rock. With the exception of last year’s Game #6 against the Hawks, Luongo has been very solid in the playoffs and it should continue. His late season play was the anomaly, not the other way around.

Special Teams

Again, close numbers:

This won’t tell the story though, Vancouver’s penalty kill will no doubt be affected by the defensive injuries and the LA power-play will be able to take advantage. Luongo will have to do his best brick wall impression and Ryan Smyth makes that very difficult.

This will however be the area that the Sedin brothers will thrive in their cycle. LA doesn’t have any defenseman capable of shutting them down completely and their young players will no doubt find it tough to stay out of the box against the speed-racer Canucks. Pavol Demitra will be looked to on the PP to strengthen the attack and after years of playoff fading for him he needs to be at his Olympic best.

Advantage: Canucks – The Canucks penalty-killing group is very aggressive even without Ryan Johnson, as proven by their shorthanded tally’s during the regular season. The PP for both teams can be a nightmare to handle so this might be a wash. Give VanCity the edge based on experience alone.

Coaching

In his second full season with the Kings, Terry Murray has guided them to a great season. For a few years they had been on the cusp of being very strong playoff contenders and it finally came to fruition with a 101 point season in 2010. However, let’s not short change the 2007 Coach of the Year Alain Vigneault who for years was labelled as a guy who couldn’t guide an offense. Finally given the tools to succeed he has suddenly become a better coach (sense the sarcasm) than his many years in the game.

Advantage: Even – AV is good with the team, the fans and the media and he won’t make critical mistakes in judgement. Murray is much the same and he has been able to teach his younger group how to meet any challenge. They’re both experienced, tough coaches and will stand up for their squad in every battle.

X-Factor

Kings: Dustin Brown has never played a playoff game and the fortunes of the Kings rest on his broad shoulders. Brown is built for playoff hockey and shouldn’t disappoint but if he chokes the team may follow his lead.

Canucks: Look for Ryan Kesler to build up that hatred pretty quick against the Kings. Kesler feeds on the aggression of the other team and will be the constant spark-plug. Like Brown, his style of play is engineered to the playoffs and look to him to step up as one of the leaders of the team.

Prediction

Canucks in 5 – They were close in every statistical category all season, but the Canucks are looking to send a message this year that they can play with the big boys. The Kings are a very good team that lacks experience. Just hope the defence can go a game without someone pulling a Salo.

The 2007-2008 season ended with a lowly 7-1 whimper against the Canucks’ hated rivals the Calgary Flames. It was the end of the Trevor Linden era and unfortunately for him the playoffs weren’t on the horizon at the very end. As much as the loss was meaningless at the time the game itself was full of entertainment during and after.

You may remember Henrik Sedin holding up Luc Bourdon just enough to allow Jarome Iginla to slip into a scoring position and pot his 50th tally of the season. It was a subtle play (‘youtube’ it if you don’t believe me, it was subtle) but Henrik knew it was the right thing to do and obviously the Canucks knew it was an important milestone for Iggy & The Flames (a great band name by the way). So with the roles somewhat reversed this year and the Flames the team now on the outside looking in, the only significant thing to be decided was if Henrik could catch up to Alex Ovechkin in the scoring race and win the first Art Ross Trophy in Canuck history. As the Flames had attempted two seasons ago to spend all game trying to get Iginla the puck, the Canucks had the same thing on their mind. Every pass in the offensive zone was fired with the intent of getting it to Henrik and it was very obvious. The Flames for their part, intentionally or not, rolled over and allowed the Canucks to run their game plan of making King Henrik the new scoring champ.

With his 4 assists and Alex Ovechkin failing to record a point against Boston, the scoring title officially landed on the West Coast and with it some much deserved accolades in a 7-3 victory over the Flames. It will keep him in consideration for the Hart Trophy but I doubt that award ever comes to Vancouver. So for now just enjoy the following sentence: “The NHL’s leading scorer is a Vancouver Canuck.”

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The Los Angeles Kings become the Canucks first round match-up for the post-season. Avoiding the Detroit Red Wings is a good thing because the travel alone in the first round would have been a problem. However, don’t take the Kings lightly, they spent some time at the top of the league and finished the season only 2 points back of the Canucks with 101 overall. We’ll have a series preview for you very soon that will break it down better but expect a very tough series. Only the Avalanche have less than 100 points in the Western Conference which really makes it a toss-up. If you’re not excited for this playoff season, get yourself checked because that just isn’t right.

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Check out this Sports Illustrated Gallery also of the NHL’s fighters all ranked. Our very own Rick Rypien came in at a solid #8.

NHL – Sports Illustrated Toughest Fighter Rankings

A 4-2 loss at the hands of the SJ Sharks was not a huge surprise as the Canucks have had very little success playing at the HP Pavilion arena over the last few seasons. The game roster was the story to start the game as a few lineup changes allowed for Coach AV to see what he has to work with come playoff time. Sami Salo was a healthy scratch, which with his history is never a bad idea if you can afford it. The remainder of the defense was a patchwork with Edler, Alberts, O’Brien, Baumgartner, Rome and Bieksa filling out the lines. O’Brien made things interesting by getting injured, which may have been related to a previous problem, however that is another loss on the back end that is making fans of the Orca’s a bit nervous. Now it’s not as if this team has relied as heavily on the back end as in the years prior but it’s difficult not to be nervous as playoffs approach.

The game itself was interesting in that there was really nothing on the line for the team and that will happen again against Calgary on Saturday night. AV gets the chance to tinker with the lineup without anything at risk and thinking back it’s difficult to remember a time post-lockout where the Northwest Division was as separated in points as this year. With Edmonton all the way at the bottom, Minny just above, Calgary and Colorado fairly close and Vancouver well above, it’s not quite the dogfight it has been and it’s been a while since the Canucks have had the option to play a few meaningless games to prepare. The game was still entertaining, especially in the third as the Canucks broke Nabokov’s shutout and played with energy and didn’t back down when the Sharks started taking unnecessary penalties. If these two teams do meet in the playoffs, it definitely won’t be boring.

As for the goaltending, Andrew Raycroft played a pretty good game with just the 4th Sharks goal being soft. Nobody thinks for a moment that Luongo will take a back seat to Raycroft, but let’s say Luongo lays an egg for let’s say 2 or 3 games in the first round, anyone think AV will make a change? Obviously, you play your starter but can they afford to waste an entire post-season if everything else is good except for him? Don’t take this question too seriously as I have loads of faith in Lui and I’m sure he’ll be fine, however it’s good to get some other opinions so feel free to comment.

Looking forward, the Canucks play the Calgary Flames in the final game of the season for both squads. Another meaningless game in terms of standings for both teams but the two have played some outstanding hockey against each other over the years and the rivalry doesn’t just disappear overnight. Look for Luongo to get the start as a tune-up and hopefully nobody gets hurt, especially on defense.

Next Game

Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks – April 10, 2010 @ 7:00 PM PST – CBC (HD)

Back to back division titles is something all Canuck fans should be very pleased with.  Ignoring the other happenings and the potential to back into title with a Colorado loss, the Nucks took care of business with a 4-3 OT win over Minnesota. After so many years of inconsistency with the team from VanCity it’s great to have a 3rd division title in 4 years and 4th in 6 years. Since AV took over the coaching reigns he has provided a level of confidence in this squad that has proven to outlast some very good teams in the Northwest Division. The most recent season in which the Canucks did not win the Northwest had them missing the playoffs, primarily because of devastating injuries to the back-end for the majority of the season. As said during the Canucks broadcast by colour-man John Garrett, when the Canucks hired AV, the knock on him was that he was too focused on defensive strategies and was unable to relate to offense players and coach a successful offense. Having coached in Ottawa (under Rick Bowness) and Montreal (where he was a runner-up for the Jack Adams Award), Vigneault was stuck in that defensive label because that was the hand he was dealt. Upon coming to Vancouver, the team he inherited was full of holes in the forward ranks but very strong on defense and in goal. Using the tools available he managed to lead his underwhelming roster into becoming one of the top defensive teams in the league. Now with a more well-rounded, forward-heavy team he has used these new players to become one of the top offensive teams in the league. The ability to get the most out of the players is really what shows you how good a coach AV can be. Mike Gillis knew what he was doing when he decided to hang onto him and it seems to have paid off.

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The last few games have been very up and down, 3-8 loss, 5-4 win, 4-3 win and none of the games have given you the sense that the defense is playing at its highest level. However, leading into the playoffs the forwards are playing a strong, aggressive style that seems to be able to solve some problems. I’m still of the opinion that Willie Mitchell’s presence is sorely missed as the primary shutdown option is no longer there. Salo obviously fills that void now and he is less relied on for points now but it’s only a matter of time before some part of his body falls off. I was a big fan of Andrew Alberts with Carolina, and earlier this week but seems his play is more often bad than good. If Shane O’Brien is ready to play and has been punished enough, he is a better option without question. On quality of the player alone, Alberts is definitely the better D-Man, but SOB knows the system and has been much improved this season over previous years. If Willie Mitchell doesn’t return for the post-season, Ehrhoff, Salo, Edler, Bieksa, Rome and O’Brien are going the be the group to get it done. Rome has transitioned into the team seamlessly and won’t cause problems. Hopefully this group of 6 can get the job done.

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With roster spots being the hot topic, how can you justify sending down Michael Grabner at this point? Prior to his freak soccer ankle injury earlier in the year he was playing great. After a sub-par training camp, I was among those ready to give up on this former round-1 pick. Playing with Kesler and Samuelsson earlier in the year, he developed some chemistry and was able to show some flashes of what made him that high draft pick. Since being called up after Samuelsson’s inury he has been, in my opinion, the best Canuck forward in almost every game. His hat-trick against Anaheim was no fluke as he was constantly driving to the net and using his speed and strength to create plays for himself and his teammates. At this point in his development it makes sense that he will benefit the most from being at the NHL level. Although it’s doubtful he will keep putting up goals, if he maintains his pace and the jump in his step he will provide an energy and intensity to the lineup that will only help come post-season.

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Next Game

Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks – April 6, 2010 @ 7:00 PM PST – SNETP, VERSUS

Two Sharks forwards drop their gloves and go after a Canuck player who had just thrown a very legal hit and no penalties are called on either of the two.

Fast forward –> A Coyote player hits a Canuck player in the back after a (questionable but unpenalized at the time) hit and the Canucks are the only ones penalized.

I’m not saying anyone is out to get the Canucks but I am saying the officiating in this league is difficult to not critique every night. The inconsistency is remarkable and I’m sure I’ve said before, I can’t wait until the playoffs where the majority of whistles are put away. Kesler’s hit on Derek Morris was boarding without question, however neither official on the ice put their hand up after seeing it clear as day. The ability to retreat and make a penalty call after the play is stopped is not something I agree with unless we start going back and reviewing it every time in which case it will take 6 hours to watch a game. In Kesler’s defense, Morris looked back, knew that Kesler was on his way and should have protected himself better. Obviously the speed of the game is not very receptive to making quick decisions but that is one of the more necessary qualities of being an NHL player. Morris was lucky not to be more seriously injured and I hope players do work on that aspect of their game. Every night seems to be a different adventure in random hits and awful officiating and you never know where you may end up at the end of the night.

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Defeating a very impressive Coyote team is nothing to scoff at. The 4-1 victory was full of Canucks playing strong games, however the score and the game as a whole would most likely have been much close had Coyote netminder Ilya Bryzgalov been even remotely involved. Judging from the play itself, I believe the Canucks would most likely have won this game anyway but it’s difficult to get going if your goaltender drops the ball early and Bryzgalov did just that. On the other end, Roberto Luongo played very well and made several very acrobatic and important saves over the last two periods especially. It was nice to see him play aggressive and confident in the net and so hopefully he doesn’t look back from here. The players in front of him seem to be chugging along without problems though. A franchise record 28th home win was especially productive for Henrik Sedin, who bottled up 3 points on the night to shoot past the temporary tie in the scoring race with OV. Passing Markus Naslund on the list of Canucks single-season points seems a forgone conclusion, but Pavel Bure and his 110 points are now well within reach. Henrik has obviously gone about his points in a much different fashion than Bure or Naslund but it’s progressed to the level where he may be able to hold onto those levels for much longer than either of those two former Canucks.

Another plus has to go to D-Man Andrew Alberts, who saw game action in Shane O’Brien’s absence. Alberts has been downright awful since coming over from Carolina, which I’ll admit I was not expecting. Having watched him in Carolina, I assumed he would bring the same qualities of steady, hard hitting intensity that had made him very efficient. The first few games he played put me in my place and I had written in a blog after the trade deadline that indicated he would fit right in and boy was I wrong. Tonight we saw what Alberts brought to the Hurricanes. 16:01 TOI, 3 Hits, +1 was the stat-line for Alberts and anytime a player can step in and eat up 15+ mins it indicates very strong depth. With Willie Mitchell still out and SOB riding the pine for maybe more than 3 games, it will hopefully come in handy come playoffs to have Alberts around.

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Next Game

Vancouver Canucks @ Los Angeles Kings – April 1, 2010 @ 7:30 PM PST – SNETP, NHLNET-US(HD), CSN-NW

Great news coming out of Vancouver today with the announcement of Ryan Kesler signing a contract extension. The deal is said to be signed for 6 years / $30 million, keeping the energetic forward with the Orca’s through the 2015-2016 season.

This was the guy that was going to be the one to worry about this off-season and with it now out of the way, it really solidifies the core of the team. If you are a fan of Canucks hockey, this is a good thing and it shows General Manager Mike Gillis’ commitment to keeping a competitive team on the ice. Last summer after the Sedin’s and Luongo were signed everyone looked forward to this moment and if it would be possible. Kesler himself had said that players would have to take less money in order to keep strong teams together. Averaging out at 5 million/year it’s a lot of money but he probably could have gone on the open market and made more. Posing that question, do you think he took less?

It’s a fair deal for a guy who’s tough as nails to play against and wants to win more than anything. I can be on board with that type of player without question. Burrows, D. Sedin, H. Sedin, Luongo, Kesler are all locked up so MG needs to focus on the defense a bit more. Although the depth is there, top tier D-Men are missing and that should be his next target. However, that job never stops, so leaving that for another day, be glad this guy is staying put. I wouldn’t want to go up against him if he hadn’t signed here.