GDT: Whales and Dogs; Gametime!

[AtLossForWords]

The Canucks play host to the 'Yotes who they have a point streak similar to that they have just at home since November.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227037&hubname=nhl

After a disappointing performance in San Jose last night, the Canucks come back home against a team they have dominated in a building they have dominated in.

It will be a low scoring contest, and against a patient team like the Canucks, the Great One will likely have his team play a very defensive game, and isn't likely to send his defenseman in on the rush early in the game.

A strong forecheck is going to be the key to this game. In a low scoring game you need to have the puck more than the other guys to win.

I hope Vigneault puts Pyatt with the Sedins again, his net prescence will be needed in this game.

[KB in Kelowna]

a 4-3 regulation loss. Basically it came down to Jeff Cowan's doble minor and Alex Burrows delay of the game for a 4 minute 5 on 3 where the Yotes score twice, weird sequence of events.

[rustybadcock]

Yeah Cowan pretty much came unglued. :confused: He's usually very controlled. Strange is right. However, we have the talent to repair situations like this, it's not like the time on the clock wasn't available. I see a team a touch behind these days. They're playing exhausted, mentally. Hard work and rest will always remidy these types of troubles. ;)

As for Beech, I think he got hit pretty hard there. I liked that Mitchell stepped up. I don't care if a guy takes an hour in penalties, it's the right thing to do. I am not sure how I feel about Beech though, he was just alright. A -1 in nearly 12 mins of ice time. I recognize that he and the team need to adjust to one another but...:slant: I dunno...I think that hit really buzzed him. I wouldn't be surprised if it hurt him in the end. I mean he got rocked. He does seem to have a knack for going to the net which I think this team could always use more of.

McIver was alright. He looked the part of a nervious kid. As the game went on he seemed to get more comfortable.

Bottom line is they got 5 shots in the first, I think 8 in the second and 7 in the third...something like that. Total lack of energy as a team. It's unacceptable if you expect to really win when you a team the struggles to score some nights. To me that's the tale of the tape, this team is skating like they have the flu. They look like it to me. Mental and physical errors from a near spotless team not long ago??? :no: No way, they went home for that four or so days off after the holiday and spent some time with the kids etc...a couple guys came back to the team with influenza. Ala Lucas is out and it also explains his shotty play of late IMO.

Peaks and valleys. The season's a long one.

RB

[AtLossForWords]

Yeah you can blame it on Cowan's terrible double minor. If he doesn't take that penalty, this team could very well have won this game. I'd personally scratch the guy for a week.

You could also blame it on the powerplay. If they did their job after the first period, then Phoenix would've been out of the game before they were back in it.

You could also blame it on Curtis Sanford, because he argueably should've had both Jovanovski's and Yandle's goals eaten up in his pads.

Mitchell's call made me puke. Perrault threw an ugly elbow at a guy who just joined this team and he had the gloves off first, because he knew what was coming. Why give a guy like Willie Mitchell an instigator, this is a guy who goes out and and plays hockey the right way, he's not a thug looking to cause trouble.

Matt Cooke is terrible, this guy doesn't deserve to play with anyone as talented as Markus Naslund. He can't hit an open net. I don't care how well the guy plays in the corners or how long he's willing to stand in front of the net if he can't hit the net with a perfect setup. This is a completely different game if Cooke pots any of his chances.

And if Aaron Miller was spearheading a group of Luc Bourdon, Alexander Edler, Nathan McIver, and Patrick Coloumbe on defense I would not put him out there on the penalty kill. He can't get the puck out of his own end. That kills you on the PK and it was his failure to get the puck out of the zone that lead to Phoenix's go ahead goal. If Willie Mitchell or Mattias Ohlund gets to that puck, it's stil 1-1 for a little while longer.

[gordphish]

Yeah you can blame it on Cowan's terrible double minor. If he doesn't take that penalty, this team could very well have won this game. I'd personally scratch the guy for a week.

You could also blame it on the powerplay. If they did their job after the first period, then Phoenix would've been out of the game before they were back in it.

You could also blame it on Curtis Sanford, because he argueably should've had both Jovanovski's and Yandle's goals eaten up in his pads.

Mitchell's call made me puke. Perrault threw an ugly elbow at a guy who just joined this team and he had the gloves off first, because he knew what was coming. Why give a guy like Willie Mitchell an instigator, this is a guy who goes out and and plays hockey the right way, he's not a thug looking to cause trouble.

Matt Cooke is terrible, this guy doesn't deserve to play with anyone as talented as Markus Naslund. He can't hit an open net. I don't care how well the guy plays in the corners or how long he's willing to stand in front of the net if he can't hit the net with a perfect setup. This is a completely different game if Cooke pots any of his chances.

And if Aaron Miller was spearheading a group of Luc Bourdon, Alexander Edler, Nathan McIver, and Patrick Coloumbe on defense I would not put him out there on the penalty kill. He can't get the puck out of his own end. That kills you on the PK and it was his failure to get the puck out of the zone that lead to Phoenix's go ahead goal. If Willie Mitchell or Mattias Ohlund gets to that puck, it's stil 1-1 for a little while longer.

Almost sums up my feelings to a tee.

I'm really frustrated with Naslund and Cooke right now. These guys have had plenty of oppurtunites to rediscover their scoring touch and just won't do it. I'd look at moving Cooke at the deadline and say good-bye to Naslund this summer.

It's why I just don't get how they can send Jaffrey back to Manitoba. He has a naturally creative approach to the game. WTF do you keep useless boneheads like Cowan and Isbister around and demote a guy like Jaffrey? That was dum-dum move.

And send McIver back down and get Bourdon up here. They need him on their PP. Earlier with him and Edler manning the point on the PP, their PP started to climb to the top of the league.

[AtLossForWords]

Almost sums up my feelings to a tee.

I'm really frustrated with Naslund and Cooke right now. These guys have had plenty of oppurtunites to rediscover their scoring touch and just won't do it. I'd look at moving Cooke at the deadline and say good-bye to Naslund this summer.

It's why I just don't get how they can send Jaffrey back to Manitoba. He has a naturally creative approach to the game. WTF do you keep useless boneheads like Cowan and Isbister around and demote a guy like Jaffrey? That was dum-dum move.

And send McIver back down and get Bourdon up here. They need him on their PP. Earlier with him and Edler manning the point on the PP, their PP started to climb to the top of the league.

I agree the shakeup was wrong. Jaffray had done well up here, and if this team is really looking for more goals, I don't see why sitting Jaffray and playing Raymond with Ritchie and Brown helps.

Oh and Gord, if Linden was in the game instead of Cowan last night, we wouldn't have lost. :boogie: :boogie: :boogie: