Feb 2, 2012 Detroit @ Vancouver Shacks' Take

It’s a Thursday night treat as Detroit visits the Canucks tonight.  This is the biggest test Vancouver has faced since, well Tuesday.  That doesn’t make me less excited to watch this one.  Here’s Shacks’ Take:

Pre-Game

Superior Hockey IQ, Cody Hodgson, is the subject of the opening.  Rookie of the month, 10 points including 6 goals in 11 games in January.  Does Vancouver finally have a bona-fide superstar in a good Canadian kid – with apologies to Trevor Linden who was good but he ain’t getting into the hall of fame any time soon.  Time will tell but for the first time since Trevor, there’s hope. Also Chris Higgins is a late scratch due to illness.  Andrew Alberts will take his place on the 4^th line which should be some source of amusement.

1^st Period

It’s Todd Bertuzzi’s 37^th b-day today.  He looks good out there this season.  I still don’t like him.  I hope he has a crappy night.

Canucks are at it early displaying that they haven’t forgotten from Tuesday's game how to give up an odd man chance. Bieksa watched and Hamhuis fell so Val Filpulla  could receive a gift breakaway just over a minute in.  Fortunately he’s a man named Val and Luongo easily stopped him as he lost possession trying the triple deke.

Luongo shows he doesn’t care who’s birthday it is robbing Bertuzzi on a breakaway as he went around Raymond and then lifted Bieksa’s stick as Bieksa meandered by to pick up the loose puck. Bieksa looks like he's trying to prove he doesn't need Hamhuis' help to give up a glorious chance.  Bert goes with his backhand move and Luongo snags it out of mid air. 

Now it's Hamhuis' turn to one up Bieksa by allowing Cleary to fake a shot and dance around him. Cleary then walks in and deposits the puck far side by Luongo’s blocker for a 1 - 0 lead. The Nucks look completely unprepared to start this one and Bieksa and Hamhuis look like they went for pints pre-game.

We’re at the 10 minute mark and I’m wondering when the Canucks will show up. It’s kinda like watching the Wings play the Chicago Wolves. Shots Detroit 12 - Vancouver 1.

Canucks get a power play and finally shows just a little life, however, both Hank and Kes miss cross ice feeds which would have given them glorious opportunities. Gentlemen, heads outta butts please.

Finally some effort. Booth strips Datsyuk in the corner and brings the puck out hard to try and jam in it. Kesler picks up the rebound and slots it stick side. 1 - 1 and that nauseous feeling I had watching the 1^st 10 minutes is abating.  You’ll notice that Kronwall and Stuart are surprised multiple Selke award winner Pavel Datsyuk was beaten on a puck battle — they are completely unprepared to take Booth, allowing him to get to the front of the net.

Notice Stuart and Kronwall converge on Booth but stop short of him thinking, 'Datsyuk has things in contol.'

Booth is able to walk out to the front of the net.

Well. given that start, you knew it was only a matter of time before bad habits returned. On an ugly change, Rome and Salo have trouble deciding which one should be on the ice, so they both kinda stand around until Rome leaves — Salo ends up waving his stick at Datsyuk as he takes a pass and skates by on his way to the net. Fortunately, Luongo seemed not to notice the comedy routine at the bench and made an awesome glove save off a shot labeled for the top corner. I wonder sometimes why Datsyuk would shoot with those sick moves of his. When he’s that open, he should stickhandle until Lui falls over.

1st Intermission.

I didn't know this but Cory Schneider may or may not be traded before the deadline! Apparently this is an option the Canucks have. Ian MacIntyre and BMac traded thoughts on Schneider. BMac playing bad cop saying trade him, MacIntyre the good saying they need him because they’re not sure they can win with Luongo only.  I believe every sports talking head in Vancouver and perhaps Western Canada weighed in on this one today.

2^nd Period

After killing the last half of a penalty to start the period Vancouver starts the 2^nd better than the 1^st. They’re still being out played but at least they’re not giving out out-manned chances like candy to trick-or-treaters.

It’s a good thing the Canucks have one of the best goaltending tandems in the league. Just as Schneider was by far the best Canuck Tuesday, Luongo has been the only Canuck who hasn’t looked terrible tonight.

10 minutes into the 2nd and Vancouver hasn’t had a shot yet this period. The Sedin’s still play for us right? The only place you might find them now is on the side of a milk carton. Shots in the 2^nd: Detroit 11 - Vancouver 0.

Here’s a photo of a couple of hot Canuck fans just to distract you form the game so far.

12 minutes in and Vancouver finally gets a chance, only Raymond gets caught from behind on a 2 on 1. Really? Raymond caught on a 2 on 1? They’re not moving their legs at the moment. On the bright side, Raymond’s rush finally leads to a couple of shots both by Kesler, the second causing Howard to make a nice little arm save on the glove side to prevent Vancouver from taking a completely undeserved lead.

Unfortunately Vancouver gets confused by their momentary success and allows Detroit to take advantage of some brutal back checking when Hansen stares at the puck instead of looking for a man. The man named Val takes advantage and slides a pass cross ice to an open Hudler, who has time to tee up and rip a shot far side for a 2 - 1 Detroit lead.

On the ensuing draw, Lapierre fights Abdelkader in a rematch of a fight from their last meeting.  Just like the rest of this game so far, it was a disappointment. 

I just spotted a Sedin, do I win a prize? That’s kind of mean because I realize there have been few Canuck sightings of any type so far.

Hansen just took an uncharacteristically stupid penalty, poking Eriksson’s skates on an icing, causing Eriksson’s feet to slip out and crash into the boards. For some reason the fans are booing this call. I think Hansen’s lucky Eriksson didn’t get hurt and he didn’t get 5 minutes.

A bad pass by Ian White caused a turnover, handing the Sedins an excellent chance that Daniel almost put in with 5 seconds left in the period. Hopefully, this is not the last time the twins make an appearance this game.

2^nd Intermission

Debating the Sedins lack of production.  BMac is re-affirming their disappearance and McIntyre concurs.  They are starting to worry about their lack of prominence.  I’ll worry when the playoffs start and they’re not producing, until then, rest your legs boys.  They also said some stuff about Bertuzzi but I fast forwarded through that part.

3^rd Period

Shots on Goal Detroit 30 – Vancouver 11, shot directed at net Detroit 53 – Vancouver 18 and that’s how you get the Sedins split up as Daniel’s on a line with Kesler and Booth, and Hank’s with Hodgson and Raymond. Burrows is with Lapierre and Hansen.

Maybe they should have tried this earlier because the Canucks have looked good to start the period and Sedin, Hodgson & Raymond had the most sustained pressure the Canucks have produced all night.

Canuck’s just double-shifted Mason Raymond with the 4^th line, which tells you all you need to know about Coach V’s opinion of the top 6 forwards.

Ballard and Bertuzzi had a fight after Ballard gave Bert a hip check he didn’t appreciate.  Despite Ballard’s goon-like ways recently, he grabbed on for dear life and took the fight to the ground as quickly as possible to avoid being pummeled by a man 4” taller and 45 lbs. heavier.  Smartest move of the night by a Canuck so far.

Here’s Ballard taking his only punch before holding on for dear life.

If the top line isn’t gonna do it, nice to have the third line come through.  Some good forechecking by Lapierre and Burrows caused a turnover at the top of the Wing’s face-off circle.  Drew Miller tried to beat three Canucks and almost made it, if it wasn’t for that dastardly Burrows who just got a piece of the puck, pushing it to Lapierre who tapped it back to Burrows.  Burrows wound up and hammered it from the dot, upstairs where Mom keeps the cookie jar. 2 – 2.

Miller avoids the first two Canucks but got greedy trying to beat the third.  Coach Babcock will use this as a teaching moment.

I wonder if there’s any paint left on the walls after Coach V was finished his intermission pep-talk.  This is a completely different team than the one that played the first two periods.  Shots on goal in the third, Vancouver 9 – Detroit 0. 

Off a rebound from Detroit’s first shot of the period 12 minutes into the 3^rd period, Drew Miller atones for his earlier gaffe, tying the game on some sloppy work by Aaron Rome.  Rome tried to shovel a loose puck back to Luongo, which actually caused a scramble that left a loose puck. Miller corralled the loose rebound and flipped it over a prone Luongo.  Detroit leads 3 – 2.

Vancouver evens things 3 ½ minutes later off a face-off win. Salo shoveled the puck over to Raymond on the side boards who banked a shot that was going well wide off Brad Stuart and behind Jimmy Howard. 3 – 3.

The final few minutes bring few chances and is played fairly evenly, which leads to:

Overtime  

The Sedins are back together for OT despite being split for the entire 3^rd period.  AV sent another message by starting Raymond and Booth.

Canucks are 5 – 0 when the game ends in OT.  Detroit is 5 – 0 when the game finishes in shootout.  It appears the boys better finish this one before the clock runs out.

Daniel tried a sweet spin around back hand pass that Edler should have converted into Vancouver’s best chance of ot but Edler fanned on the coulda been highlight of the night. 

Not to be out done, Burrows misses a clear breakaway pass because his stick just catches the linesman’s leg as he turned to receive the pass.  The overtime ends without a single good chance for either team. 

 Burrows can’t avoid the linesman with no one in sight.

The Shootout

Edler starts things again and tries a silly backhand forehand move that has no chance of working to start things.

Datsyuk follows with a sweet shot stick side for a 1 – 0 lead.

Raymond tries a double move on a goalie back on his goal line, somehow he can’t get Howard to move out of the way so Raymond throws the puck into the corner in frustration.

Hudler can and does win it on a quick shot, again low stick side.  Game over Detroit 4 – Vancouver 3. 

In a game the Canucks were lucky to be in, Vancouver squeaks out a point.  At some point the Canucks are going to need someone besides the goalie to be their best player but that’s a worry for another day.