Shack’s Running Game Diary – Canucks @ Chicago – 03/21/12

Pre-game

This is the cheesy 'little ball
of hate' I remember.

The talk starts with how the two teams are going in opposite directions even though the team doing well, Chicago, is four places behind 2^nd place Vancouver.

Ray Ferraro talks about how the Canucks don’t think they’ve been doing the little things it takes to win games and that the Canucks think they can take some solace from the Blackhawks who have won eight of ten since losing nine straight. 

Funny seeing the ‘little ball of hate’ look so good in a suit. Doesn’t seem right.

1^st Period

If it was a quick start the Canucks were looking for to break the slump, they got their wish as Jannick Hansen opens the scoring 27 seconds in. He takes a Sami Pahlsson cross ice feed at centre and out muscles and out skates Johnny Oduya who stopped moving his feet and kept swiping at the puck, allowing ‘the honey badger to get a step, bring the puck just past the face off dot and wire a shot to the far corner.  Vancouver 1  - Chicago 0

At first, Oduya actually has a step on Hansen 

But Oduya reaches instead of keeping his feet moving.
Once he missed the puck Hansen has a step.

Because Oduya's stopped skating Hansen gets the space he
needs to pick his spot and score the first goal.

A couple of interesting notes from the first few minutes: First the Canucks are trying to get the Sedins away from Bolland and aren’t above quick changes to accomplish the task, while Chicago will switch Bolland to compensate.  Second, Luongo looked horribly shaky on his first touch.  All Canuck fans just shifted uncomfortably in their seats, I know it.

Okay what the @#*& is going on, the penalty on Stalberg to start the game is one I haven’t seen called in about three months.  If that’s a penalty again the Canucks will be much better off down the stretch. 

This was standard operating procedure just
2 days ago.

Now I’m thoroughly confused, Bollig gave Kassian a quick face wash and it was called a penalty.  I thought in the new NHL they only called a penalty after the third retaliation.

Speaking of things that confuse me, Mason Raymond has been absolutely flying and the Canuck's best forward so far.  The one thing that didn’t confuse me was Raymond getting a glorious chance on a 2 on 1, only to be robbed by Crawford as Mason tried to go high glove.

Patrick Sharp misses an empty net hitting Chris Higgins in the skate off a nice cross crease feed by Stalberg.  Sharp can’t be happy about that one.

Clearly an elbow to the chops and I can't see
a puck anywhere. Of course giving a 5 minute
penalty might upset the Hawks so 2 is enough. 

Well, I’m glad to see the consistency is back with the reffing. First, Keith elbows Sedin right in the chops when he didn’t even have the puck yet.  If the league were making a video on what’s an elbow targeting the head of a defenseless player this would be the one to use.  Of course it’s only two minutes because a twitching player sprawled on the ice is required for a five minute penalty. Then Bolland hooks Henrik after he gets a couple steps and looks like he has an odd man rush ahead.  Of course a 5 on 3 isn’t allowed unless it’s caused by a delay of game penalty.  I guess it took this referee crew half a period to remember the new rules.

After a slow start by Luongo and the Blackhawks, both warmed up in the second half of the period.  Lui was forced to make several good saves including a sweet blocker on a Hossa shorthanded 2 on 1. Despite a 3 – 0 power play advantage, Chicago outshot Vancouver 12 – 6.  Good thing otherwise the ‘Brothers of Doom’ would have nothing to write about tomorrow.   

1^st Intermission

Sticking to the Canucks, the panel discusses the hit on Sedin.  All three panelists, Crawford, MacKenzie & Ward all believe it’s suspendable.  No shit, boys, it’s just not worth a 5 minute penalty.

2^nd Period 

No Daniel on the bench to start the second.  Bad sign for Vancouver and Keith.  I can’t wait to see how many haters tweet and write Sedin is faking it to get a worse suspension for Keith.

Andrew Alberts just got caught on the ice against Hossa, Kane and Brunette and faster than you can say blonde and redhead the game is tied.  Brunette and Hossa cycle the puck and it finally ends up on Hossa's stick at the side of the net.  When Seabrook comes down and occupies Alberts' attention, Kane sneaks back in from the point and Hossa’s centring feed comes to a wide Kane in the slot, who wastes no time burying it.  Turns out its Higgins who let Kane get by him for the goal.

The Canucks are now mad at Keith and are letting him know.  Unfortunately it’s Henrik who's doing most of the talking.  This is followed by Bieksa getting a penalty for giving Shaw a little whack with his stick. Bieksa just doesn’t get the whole concept of intimidation.  Taking stupid penalties against guys who didn’t actually elbow Daniel in the head is just stupid. Stupid. 

I'm still mad at Kevin from last game so we'll
just keep the meter right where it was.
Kevin when will I love you again?

Now Burrows takes a penalty punching Kane in the head.  I won’t call it stupid, at least he targeted a useful player. 

Vancouver takes a third straight penalty trying to get an extra shot at Keith.  Technically Kassian actually got two for roughing Seabrook, and Burrows and Keith got offsetting 4 minute roughing penalties with matching misconducts, the misconducts likely just to get Keith off the ice for a while and prevent this game from digressing any further.  Personally I like these penalties, Burrows was face-washing Keith while Bieksa was punching him.  At least the boys are showing signs of life.

Hank takes back-to-back weak penalties and now Chicago is enjoying their 5^th power play of the period. These penalties I do not approve of. Strangely, Vancouver has had at least as many quality chances killing the penalties as Chicago had on the power play.

2^nd Intermission

The talk is about the hit by Keith on Sedin.  Everyone agrees this one is a minimum of three games and the potential for more.  The problem being how long have the Canucks lost Sedin.  The panel is right if Sedin is out for an extended period, a three-month suspension won’t make the Canucks feel any better.  Yep sure am glad no ones afraid to cheap shot a Sedin.

3^rd Period

The first five minutes of the period sees good end-to-end action.  The score remains tied despite good chances for Raymond and Kassian for Vancouver and Hossa for Chicago.  Hossa really looks like a man out there, he’s been Chicago’s best player so far.

Vancouver seems less intent on exacting revenge now and more intent on playing hockey.  The game seems much more evenly matched after much of the second was spent in the Canuck's zone.

Vancouver has had several grade ‘A’ chances in this period.  Crawford has been by far the best player in the 3rd, stopping a one timer from Higgins, a deflection from Hank and chances in tight from Raymond and Burrows.  If Vancouver keeps this up local writers won’t have anything to write about.

The new travelling secretary for the
Canucks?  

It’s like the opposite night tonight where Mason Raymond is definitely the best Canuck forward and the Canucks actually sort of stood up for a Sedin without completely screwing up.  I’m just waiting for the announcement that Costanza is the assistant to the Canucks’ traveling secretary.

The final few minutes of the game go exactly as one might expect with both teams playing cautiously and neither team really getting a great chance.  This has been the best Canucks game to watch in weeks so, rightfully, we get some overtime. 

Overtime

Kevin Bieksa drops another notch on the love/hate meter trying an ill-timed drop pass that Stalberg turned the other way and almost capitalized on.  This led to 30 seconds of sustained pressure in the Canuck's zone.  Sometimes Bieksa just needs to make the safe play but I’m sure he’ll do something to get me to love him again soon, it’s almost impossible to stay mad at that guy.  He always does something surprising.

Bieksa thinks Burrows is cutting behind him.

Instead Burrows is going straight up the boards and
Bieksa hands Stalberg the puck for a great
chance going the other way.

Not in overtime in this game Kevin.
I'm not talking to you the rest of the night.

Chicago wins this one off a three on two with about two minutes left.  Bolland broke down the left side then feeds Oduya busting in to be the extra man on the rush.  Oduya brings it to the slot and shoots one that would have gone wide but instead glances off Shaw’s stick at the side of the net and into the net.  Chicago 2 – Vancouver 1.

Bolland has the puck on the half boards with Oduya sneaking
in to be the odd man.

Oduya moves in as Edler tries to decide whether to come at
him or stay with Shaw.

As Edler comes out to Oduya he shoots.  The puck would have
missed but instead hits Shaw's stick and bounces in.

Despite the loss, it seems Vancouver can turn it up when they need to as this was a great game to watch and any result that happens after regulation ends has no bearing on how an actual game would end since ‘real hockey’ is not continuous 4 on 4. 

Post game   

Dave Schultz wouldn't have waited to elbow
anyone, he would have faced him and
put 'the hammer' to him. 

More discussion about the Keith hit and I’d like to address one issue.  The talk that Sedin's earlier elbow to the head meant Keith was just taking ‘old school revenge' is asinine.  If Keith wanted to take care of things ‘old school’ he drops his gloves as soon as Daniel hits him and beats the crap out of him face to face, he doesn’t wait until he’s vulnerable and elbow him when he’s not looking.  Old school is not giving cheap shots, it’s handling things mano a mano.