Canucks first round

[Dude]

Cassles

What's with Cassels taking an earlier flight to Detroit yesterday, and skipping practice? Why would he have to take a different flight?

Could be his head again (I saw him get levelled in the Kings game).

 

[TheRob]

The Wings are scared.

Interesting to hear what they are saying on the other side of the fence. This is taken from the Dtroit Free Press.

If their first playoff practice is any indication, the Red Wings have indeed turned their intensity back on.

Monday's session was the first since the Wings finished the regular season with a loss Sunday afternoon and then waited an hour to find out the first round would bring Vancouver to their doorstep. The session at Joe Louis Arena involved heavy skating, an emphasis on special teams, and several spirited scrimmages. Captain Steve Yzerman participated in his first real on-ice workout since returning last Wednesday from a lengthy knee injury, but Scotty Bowman said he wasn't sure Yzerman would be available for Wednesday's Game 1.

The Wings take an NHL-best 116 points into the playoffs, but their play since clinching the President's Trophy March 28 has been dismal. They beat the league-worst Atlanta Thrashers in the next game, then went winless in seven to close out the 82-game stretch. Many on the team said again and again they had to play better even though the games meant nothing, but it didn't happen.

Now it appears the allure of the Stanley Cup has changed their disposition.

"I think our practice for the first time in a long time was a little bit better," center Sergei Fedorov said. "Everybody skated with a little bit more purpose. That's how you get ready. I hope practices and that game on Wednesday will prove to ourselves we got it back."

Fedorov and linemates Brendan Shanahan and Kris Draper likely will draw one of the more challenging assignments. With elite defensemen Nick Lidstrom and Chris Chelios, they will play the majority of shifts against Vancouver's top line, which has former Wolverine Brendan Morrison centering Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi. Naslund ranks second in league scoring with 90 points and has nine goals and eight assists in his past nine games. Bertuzzi, a premier power forward, finished third in the NHL with 85 points and has 13 points in his last six games.

Between the three of them, they have 99 goals and 242 points.

"They have good puckhandlers on that line," Fedorov said, "and I think it's going to be a matter of how much you skate against that line."

The Canucks are capable of rolling four lines, and they like to put the puck in the net. They did so 254 times during the regular season, surpassing the Wings' 251 goals to top the league.

"Both teams play an exciting style of hockey," Shanahan said. "I don't think it's going to be a situation with two teams sending in one guy and having four guys back. I think everybody is going to play hard in both ends of the ice, but I think there's going to be a lot of attack."

Ten Canucks have scored in double digits, and second-line center Andrew Cassels has 39 assists among 50 points. Daniel Sedin, the second overall pick in the 1999 draft, has 32 points to 36 from his brother, Henrik, the third overall pick that year.

The Canucks have put up those numbers while managing to play decent defensively, forging a 2.54 goals-against average to the 2.24 that placed Detroit third in the league. Dan Cloutier has done the lion's share of work in net, going 31-22-5 with a 2.43 goals-against average. His main help on defense comes from Ed Jovanovski, whose 48 points are tied for sixth among league defensemen, and from Mattias Ohlund.

Vancouver's offensive talent gives it a power play that boasts an 18.4 success rate, and a penalty kill that succeeds 85 percent of the time.

The Wings went 3-1 against the Canucks in the regular season but haven't seen them since early January, right as the Canucks began what would become a 28-9-3-3 post-Christmas tear that got them into the playoffs for the second straight year. While Vancouver was playing at full speed, the Wings coasted.

"I think it's a concern," Fedorov said. "I don't know how it's going to affect us in the playoffs, or if it will. Hopefully, we will be the team we were during the major part of the season, which is a fast-paced, skating team, moving the puck well, executing well, skating through the neutral zone. . . . That's the way we want to play."

 

[handcannon]

the bane of my eastern existence

Allow me to whine like Buckfast at a Mr. Big'n'Tall for a moment.

The Canucks game is being shown on the Canadian Broadcasting Network on Wednesday alright, but only if you live in Manitoba or West. If you are a Canucks fan living in Ottawa, for instance, you are about as out of luck as Fastshow on a nightclub dancefloor at 2:00 a.m.

In their infinite wisdom, the denizens of the "Mother-network" assume that the majority of Ottawans would want ot watch the Senators get spanked by whomever the Christ they are playing in the first round.

What about my needs, CBC? What about my taxes?

Fcuking Bastards.

I'd rather watch a Red Green special followed by re-runs of North of 60.

Balls.

 

[Gaffa]

Handy...

Fear ye not and save yourself some anguish and heartache. Sure as Fastshow would fail in the last chance dance department, our beloved 'Nucks are about to meet the end of 'the run'. Wings in 4, maybe 5.

My 2 year old little boy told me so.

The pesemism thing has worked for 'em so far.

miseralbleoldsodgaffa

 

[Dude]

Handcannon,

Time to show your true colors: hop on a bus and get your ass over to Motor City. If you can't get tix, find a pub (where they require fire arms get checked at the door), and cheer on the boys while wearing your Canuck jersey. You may get shite kicked, but it'll be worth it!

Jealous,

Dude.

 

[Fastshow]

Sweet Jesus....

My 2 year old little boy told me so.

He's two?! Already? Next you're going to tell me Dev's starting school.

Where has all the time gone? I remember when all this was fields.....

I don't know what you lot are so wound up about, you didn't have to sit through the Coventry Blades vs. the Dundee Donkeys on the weekend on Grandstand. Neither did I, mind you, but I did nevertheless while my Saturday night 2:00 dancefloor special put her prosthetic legs back on.

I think the Canucks will take them in 6. They have to get a split in Detroit and their best chance of that is winning the first game. I imagine the Wings have been resting players for some time but it's difficult in any sport to turn it up a notch when you're playing against players who have been playing consistently at the top of their games for some time as the Canucks seem to have been. I don't care how experienced, old or 'wily' you are, that's a tough thing to do. Crawford's bound to have them firing, this is where he really earns his money.

 

[Gaffa]

Yep...2 years old...

...and whats more, everytime we walk past 'the firm' Dev always wants to go in to see her Uncle Ian.

It was cute at first, but now I'm beginning to wonder about you...

They ripped the looney out of 'the Garage' ice surface yesterday and with it went the hopes of all canuck fans.

 

[Fastshow]

taste....

She's clearly a lady of class, refined taste and distinction. She obviously didn't get it from her mother because look who she ended up with. There's a compliment in there somewhere if you look hard enough, I suppose.

Go Canucks Go.

 

[Yankee]

Ottawa

Handcannon, a friend of mine is living in Ottawa. He has a dish and a bunch of his workmates are from here. They will be watching the 'Nucks en masse this evening. Why don't you drop in?

 

[Regs]

Nice one Apprentice, you fcuking WOP... no sweep for the Red Wings here

Detroit looked tired but very dangerous at times. Can you imagine if the 'Nucks come home up 2-0 in the series?

Destiny 2002.

~TB.

 

[handcannon]

Yankee doodle dee.

Fcuk, now you tell me. Thanks Yankee.

I'm going out on a limb here and saying Nucks in 3.

I figure by game 4, Team Geriatric will be so knackered that they'll forfeit the game in favour of staying home, sipping soup through a straw and watching Matlock.

When 41 year-old Igor Larionov is your best player, you know you're in trouble. Didn't he play for the Canucks once?

Thought so.

Is Trevor Linden's middle name "Clutch" or what?

Burke you grumpy, yet loveable genius, come 'ere and give us a cuddle.

 

[john]

Wow, what a result!

With Federov in for X Rays, Yzerman already on leg, and Dom playing like a complete sivv...............what else could we ask for?

Things are starting to line up nicely for the Canucks............is it Friday yet?????????????/

John

 

[Regs]

Cloutier will win the Conn Smythe this year if he keeps that up!

This is fcuking awesome and almost better than the Olympics. Almost.

~TBhopinghedidn'tputanyjinxonanyone.

 

[Demolition]

Looks like they are comming back home up 2- 0. Might as well finish them off in 4

 

[Keeper]

Right the fcuk on.

Those Canucks are smooooooth and sexxxxy.

 

[hammerhead]

Cloutier

I didnt see highlites yet, what happened with the goal from center?? Wa Cloutier just not paying attention?? Those are killer

 

[Dude]

He was leaving the crease to get a hotdog at the time.

 

[hammerhead]

Those GM place hotdogs are pretty good. With a nice cold beer. It gets hot in that equipment, and pro hockey is hard work. He must have been hungry.

 

[Zaurrini]

Congrats!

These people picked Wings in six....

Bastards!

CDK
J_B
TheRob
Zaurrini