Vancouver Blog

 

Where's RyJo's Mojo?

By Richard Loat - February 12, 2010

Where to start with this guy. I for one was his biggest fan to start the season, and still would gladly get a Johnson #10 jersey but the man's stock has been falling and on a bottom six that is under the microscope of every arm chair GM and Canucks fan his play has stood out even more, for the wrong reasons. Granted due to his shot blocking antics he has missed games due to injury, there's something else up with RyJo this season.

I think simply put RyJo has lost some of his mojo. I'm not sure how else to word it. He's looked out of sync now for the better part of the season and with the bottom six getting so much attention from everyone due to their inconsistent and sub par play when he has been in the lineup he's not standing out as the 4th line center he stood out as last year.

Breaking Down The Kovalchuk Rumours

By Richard Loat - January 20, 2010

Off the bat if it's not clear yet I'll let it out, I'm one of the biggest proponents to getting Kovalchuk at the deadline as a rental for this team. Heck I'd be over the moon if we could trade for him and get something of it, but there are several complications that come up and over the past week in talking to The Opiated Sherpa and my friend @MechanixFetch I think there are somethings that need to be laid down as far as ground work for the Kovalchuk Pipe Dream as far as a long term stay for the Russian goes.

Canucks Blogosphere Suggest Some New Year's Resolutions For Canucks Players

By JJ Guerrero - January 2, 2010

Last week, your favorite Canucks bloggers and Twitterers got together to suggest some special Christmas presents for each of your favorite Vancouver Canucks. This week, we suggest some New Years Resolutions for them.

To Roberto Luongo from Richard Loat (Canucks Hockey Blog)

Stay in the net. Might have to get him a shock collar at first until he gets used to it. Someone tell him please that just because he made the Olympic team doesnt mean he's Marty.

To Kevin Bieksa from Christopher Golden (@lyteforce)

Looking For A Scape Goat: Vigneault

By Richard Loat - December 16, 2009

Through all the ups and downs this season there haven't been very many constants. We've had a mismatch of players, we've been short staffed on forwards, blue liners, goaltenders. We've had a hot power play, a cold penalty kill. We've signed ECHLers, played with the waiver wire, and the only thing that's remained constant in the first 33 games of the season is Alain Vigneault.

Tonight the Canucks look to string together their first four game winning streak of the season, and it's been the stellar play of Luongo and Henrik Sedin that have pulled the Canucks up to 5 games above .500, but who have also taken the heat off of Vigneault. I was never for the Vigneault extension, and I still thing it was the wrong move. The fact of the matter is that while Vigneault continues to be inconsistent in the result he produces on ice, there's always another scapegoat to take the blame.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

By JJ Guerrero - December 10, 2009

For a team that was built for balance and depth across the lineup, I would have thought the Canucks' play would be more consistent. As we all know, the first 30 games have shown otherwise.

The Canucks are a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

It's typically believed that a homestand as long as the 8-game one the Canucks are starting tonight isn't necessarily a good thing. Especially during this holiday season when all the family festivities can be good and distracting at the same time.

Luongo's Hot, But Raycroft To Start Against Carolina

By JJ Guerrero - December 4, 2009

I was a bit surprised by Alain Vigneault's decision to rest Roberto Luongo and name Andrew Raycroft as the starter against the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow.

Considering Luongo's recent history in afternoon games – last season's injury in Pittsburgh comes to mind – perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. In fact, it's probably wise to sit Lui and minimize the risk of injury. Especially against what is currently the worst team in the league, it also gives Raycroft an opportunity to rebound from his last start ten games ago when he got yanked against the St. Louis Blues after only one period.

Can May Ray Keep It Up?

By JJ Guerrero - November 25, 2009

At quick glance, Mason Raymond's stats in the early part of this season look very similar to the early part of last's. This season, he has 14 points (8 goals and 6 assists) in his first 23 games; last season, he had 12 points (6 goals and 6 assists) in the same number of games.

The big difference is, Raymond started last season with 10 points in his first 13 games before going into an 8-game pointless streak. (He would also have a 10-game pointless streak and a 12-game one later in the season.) This season, he started slowly with 3 points in his first 13 games before putting up 11 points in his last 10 games. If anything, he's playing better and with more confidence with each passing game.

The Swedish Solution

By Richard Loat - November 6, 2009

There was expectation that Samuelsson upon inking a 3 year deal in the off season, was going to be the next Marc Chouinard, or Jan Bulis, the general feeling about him was that he was going to under perform. In fact he's done the complete opposite. After finding his way onto the Canucks, his 6th NHL team, the Swede has stepped up and led this team offensively through it's plague of injuries. Samuelsson in Detroit was hampered by the fact that he wasn't going to get top minutes because of the quality of depth Detroit has always had. Put him on a team that needs some offense, add skates and watch him go.

Salo Close To Returning; Who Sits?

By JJ Guerrero - October 28, 2009

With Sami Salo almost ready to return to action this weekend, the Vancouver Canucks will have an interesting roster decision to make.

Besides the team's collective breakdown in the latter half of their loss to Detroit last night, they had actually started to turn things around defensively. For the most part, they had started to limit the number of quality scoring chances against them in the last week or so. After allowing 22 goals against in the first 6 games of the season, they only allowed 6 goals in the next 5 games.

Grabner Gets A Promotion

By JJ Guerrero - October 17, 2009

Three years after the Canucks selected him with the 14th overall draft pick, Michael Grabner will finally make his NHL debut.

The Vancouver Canucks have recalled forward Michael Grabner from the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose.

Grabner, Vancouver's first-round draft choice in 2006, will make his NHL debut Friday when the Canucks play in Calgary.

The 23-year-old Austrian is considered a scoring winger, a better finisher than playmaker. He has four goals and six points in five games with Manitoba this season. Over the last two AHL seasons, Grabner has 52 goals.