Metaneos

The Canucks were dominated in the first period of the game. They didn't dig themselves out of the hole they'd dug for themselves, and lost the game by a sizable difference. Ah, well. It happens. No Canucks players really distinguished themselves, this game. The rookie, Jake Virtanen was injured, and didn't play the whole game. I'll note Bieksa looked fine playing for the Ducks. Seems to be skating smoothly and comfortably. Shame he was run out of Vancouver, but at least he's playing for a contender, now. The Canucks do miss his ability to get shots on the net from the point, though. No one's really replaced that in this lineup. The Canucks are in severe need of one more penalty killing forward. Their PK is killing them one blown PK at a time. As a team, the Canucks have probably shown everything they're capable of this season. They can get hot, and string off a few wins, but it'll probably be win one, lose one for the most part. In terms of advance...

Good game for the 'Nucks. They lost in a shootout, but they could've won. Should've won, if not for noted Canucks killer, Antti Niemi. No Canucks' players had a bad game, tonight. Everyone was at their best. What beat the Canucks was their inability to finish on the power play early in the game, and their inability to kill penalties early in the game. Don't let anyone tell you different. The best Canucks players played at their best, and the role players did their jobs. Can't ask for much more, except possibly for the second Dallas goal back. Then again, Miller just couldn't react to that blistering slapshot. He was beaten cleanly. Stretched out, and treated like a drum, then. Some notes, The Sedins impressed, once again. Sometimes they score against the flow of play, sometimes they dominate play. Tonight, they cleanly beat their matchups. Alex Edler, he can dominate a hockey game, but he's very reserved on the ice. I'd like to see him demand the...

Good game for the Canucks. They pulled out a win by the skin of their teeth. They had some fortuitous luck, too. Some notes, Sedins were outshot whilst on the ice, this game, but their line scored two points. It doesn't seem like the Sedins were outshot, though. Vrbata scored two goals. Finally had some production to go along with his great play. Vancouver really need to assess if they wish to keep him for next season. If not, they should consider finding another team for him in exchange for picks or prospects. Edler and Tanev have been playing well lately. Makes me wonder what the hell other observers are seeing to be calling Edler a terrible player. His play is solid, and his Corsi stats back this statement up. He's at the same level this year as he was last year. And he was near incredible, last year. Same goes for Hamhuis and Weber. They've been solid, if not spectacular. The Canucks should consider resigning both for next season, if possible. If not, then they sho...

Thomas Drance - Canucks Army Oh, wow. Short term, this might be an okay contract, but six years? This is probably too long contract for Kesler, who already has shown signs of decline in his game.

The Hockey News Sami Salo, retiring, huh? Would've like for him to retire as a Canuck, but Gillis wouldn't give the man the two year contract Salo wanted. C'est la vie , I suppose, He played for the Canucks for nine years, and was consistently their best defence-man. Balls of steel, that man.

The Vancouver Canucks. Grr! I'm a sports geek. Spent some time, recently, learning about these new fangled stats economists are gleaming from hockey games. They're amazing, these numbers. Simply fascinating. It's really opened up the game for me, allowed me to watch the games in a whole new way. And my joy at these new stats are tempered by the Canucks. The Can'tnucks. The Goddamn Fucking Canucks. This has really been a summer of discontent for me, watching the off-season roster moves the Canucks have made. I suppose one could count last season's extensions of Dorsett and Sbisa as off-season moves. But when I do that, it makes this summer seem a great deal worse. My goodness. This Canucks team is going to be filled with question marks throughout the line up. So many rookies will have to take roster spots throughout the year. And the questions arise from the fact these rooks have never actually outplayed the outgoing veterans for these positions. And the vete...