Canadians at Canucks 03/10/12 – A Shacks’ Running Diary

I remember when a game with the bleu, blanc & rouge was as welcome a site to Canuck fans as Rush Limbaugh at a Gloria Allred dinner party. Seriously, it took us almost six years to win our first game against Montreal and it took us 23 cracks at them. The Canucks were the red headed step child to the Canadians back then and they beat us like they enjoyed it.


Fortunately that was 30 years ago and a lot has changed.  There's no Lafleur, Cournoyer or Richard, Montreal's days of the 'Flying Frenchmen' are gone and now the Canucks are the big kid on the block.  

Can't wait to get started.  Here’s a Shacks’ running diary:   

Pre-game

Not a lot of talk about this game to set things up, a little talk of the Canuck power play struggles, more talk about the ailing Habs.  I guess even the CBC wants to get to it.

1^st Period

The best early chance goes to Montreal off the rush. Bieksa gets caught a little flat-footed allowing Scott Gomez to break through the middle and take a pass from the wing by Palushaj.  Fortunately, it’s Scott Gomez who quite frankly sucks so no harm done (seriously Higgins and McDonagh for this guy and his $7mil contract, too bad Bob Gainey quit because he deserved to be fired).  Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come because Bieksa finally had swung my Bieksa love - hate meter back into the love with his assist to win the game on Thursday.

At the moment I'm feeling some love for Kevin.

The Canucks get the first power play and the result is the same as it’s been for the last few months.  They move the puck well and it’s generating chances but the puck is bouncing everywhere but in the Canuck’s favour these days.  I’m going to stay positive and say this means the breaks should arrive about the time the playoffs start.

Dan Hamhuis got tattooed into the boards by Louis Leblanc and was slow to get up.  Clearly Leblanc hit Hamhuis right in the numbers and drove him into the boards but the combination of Hamhuis ‘stopping and turning’ and the NHL’s new rugby-on-ice rules meant no penalty.  At least the NHL has made it clear what set of rules the Canucks should be prepared to abide by in the playoffs.  

LeBlanc gets Hamhuis square in the number. 

And crushes him pretty good.  Of course this is legal now.

Five minutes left in the period and shots are 12 – 1 Vancouver.   Montreal’s had some chances but Vancouver is showing why they’re one of the best teams in the league and Montreal’s one of the worst. 

It sure is fun watching Higgins and Kesler pursue the puck in the other end.  At this point you almost assume when these two are battling for the puck one of the two will come out of the corner with it.   

Montreal’s turned it on in the last few minutes of the period and have finally carried some of the play.  They even earned one of those rare power play things you used to see all the time.  Montreal had four shots in the final four minutes to make the shots 15 - 5 for the period.  The period wasn’t quite that lopsided but it was close. 

Am I the only one that was bored of the green men about 30 seconds after the first time I saw them? 

Wouldn't we much rather see this sight beside the penalty box? 

1^st intermission

The hockey night crew starts by mentioning how the obstruction calls have dried up.  PJ Stock thinks it’s time for Kassian to play a little with the Sedins to try to get both going and to make sure Subban isn’t taking liberties.  This actually makes sense to me.  Hrudey tries to explain Lui’s thought process when playing a loose puck.  Everyone knows this isn’t possible, he’s crazy with the puck so he probably should have just moved on like I will now.

2^nd Period

After a Vancouver power play to start the period slowed the game down, the next three minutes of action were outstanding.  It started with David Booth getting a breakaway pass because four Canadiens were pressing and when Vancouver tried to move the puck out, a rusty Andrei Markov moved up on the play instead of back.  Vancouver passed the puck around him and Booth was off to the races.  Unfortunately the breakaway is not Booth’s forte and his weak effort gave Price little trouble. Georges then crushed Kesler with a nice check behind the net.  The whistle finally stopped action when Kassian decided to show off his pugilistic prowess, squaring off with noted goon Brad Staubitz.   Staubitz may have taken the decision but the hometown crowd swayed the Russian judge making it a draw.

The Amex line has definitely been the best Canuck line at the half way mark.  Every shift they create at least one opportunity.  The Sedins on the other hand still look a touch off.  It’s not that they look bad, there just doesn’t seem to be any Sedin magic.

Craig Simpson and Jim Hughson were just discussing how the Sedins need to respond to the physical play with some of their own.  I don’t buy this myself.  Wayne Gretzky never responded to physical play, he has Marty McSorley and Dave Semenko do it for him.  This is why Kassian should ride shotgun occasionally.  Sometimes someone has to pay and it's not the Sedins who should make it happen.  This is the one thing I don’t understand about the Canuck strategy.  Please someone I’m begging you, throttle the opposition for touching a Sedin, it will make it happen less, I guarantee.

The Amex line breaks the deadlock with a nice bit of passing.  Andrei Markov is again the reason but he had a little help from his defensive partner Emelin.  The Canucks get the puck to centre 3 on 2, but Chris Higgins is at a dead standstill.  Emelin moves up to force Higgie, who slides it to a breaking Booth.  As Booth is coming across the ice to pick up the puck he draws Markov with him who doesn’t think Emelin can take him and doesn’t notice the only player on the back side is Ryan Kesler.  With both defensemen on one side of the ice Booth gives it to the on-rushing Kesler who walks in, and before Emelin can get across to check him, beats Price low to the stick.  Neither defenseman recognized they were out manned and both went to a man instead of playing in the middle and preventing the pass to the breaking man. Vancouver 1 – Montreal 0

Here you see 2 Canadians back and 3 Canucks breaking out as Emelin advances on Higgins with the puck. 

Now Markov follows Booth across the ice as Emelin backs off and Kesler comes free on the other side. 

Kesler is allowed to walk in and pick his corner before Emelin can come across to check him.

On one four on four shift there were at least three clear penalties which the refs ignored including a check from behind by Pacioretty and a hook in return by Edler.  I don’t think I like the way this is going because letting things go means most games will see 4 goals or less and guys get hurt when things get real chippy.  This needs to be explored further at a later date.

Montreal tied it on a pair of defensive gaffes from Edler and Bieksa.  First Edler loses a battle on the boards with Leblanc off the break in, allowing him to sneak down the boards creating a 2 on 1 low.  Bieksa commits cardinal sin number one for defensemen, never allow the pass across on a 2 on 1 especially when the man with the puck is that deep.  The puck gets through Juice and Geoffrion scores his first as a Hab.  Kevin let him shoot, take the man, Lui has that. 

Leblanc beats Edler on the boards and is left with a wide 2 on 1 on Bieksa 

The puck gets through Bieksa and allows Geoffrion an easy tip in goal.

It's a fickle relationship we have.  I'm back on the hate side again. Oh Kevin, why do you gotta do me like that? 

2^nd intermission

The only things of note from the intermission is the Av’s blue Colorado uniforms are sweet and Claude Giroux scored a sick shootout goal. Google it if you missed it.  Let's get to the 3^rd.

3^rd Period

Montreal starts the period with a goal 13 seconds in.  Really this one was no ones fault except Lui’s.  Cole came down the boards and took a wrister Edler blocked, it came right back to him and he backhanded it on net. Lui, who seemed off balance from the block, whiffed on the shot between his glove and pad.  Montreal 2 – Vancouver 1

Two straight delay of game penalties lead to another Montreal goal.  Luongo was being used for target practice before PK Subban scored on the Montreal fourth shot of the 50 second 5 on 3 from the top of the face off circle, one-timing a touch pass from Andrei Markov.  The Canucks might regret missing all those early chances.  Montreal 3 – Vancouver 1

At the halfway mark of the third this game is kind of depressing.  Vancouver’s compete level is almost non-existent.  The refs clearly have decided the only penalty worthy of calling anymore is delay of game and the Canucks seem completely unmotivated to fight through the checking.  I would like to stop writing now.


When the Canucks play this badly, we feel it our duty to help you through it with a hot Canuck fan.

Hot Canuck fan Raquel Raskin everybody!! 

Montreal takes a commanding lead on a 2 on 1 as Edler pinches, trying to  get back in it and Cole knocks it by him for the odd man chance.  Salo plays it correctly taking the pass but Cole’s shot sneaks through Luongo and just as it stops on the goal line, Cole gives it another whack and puts the puck and the game away.  Montreal 4 – Vancouver 1

The game ends with no fight back from a Canuck club that appears to have lost a little swagger these days.  With Vancouver having so little to play for and the league deciding rugby tactics are okay again, I fear we’re going to have a few more games like this to endure before it’s all said and done.  You hope they decide to fight through the tight checking but it’s hard to expect extra effort at this point in the season.  I know this is going to cause every columnist in Vancouver to write pages of articles about what’s wrong with the Canucks but it’ll only matter if they can’t figure things out again in April. 

Please April get here soon.