Something that hasn’t received enough attention until only recently is how poor the Canucks have been at 5-on-5 play. Sure their power play is fantastic at a league best 26.7% and their penalty killing is respectable, ranking 12th in the league at 84.4%. But it is their play at even strength that is concerning. Currently Vancouver ranks 22nd in 5-on-5 play, not good enough for a team that prides itself on its skill level and depth.

This was not the case last regular season, when the Canucks finished the regular season second best in 5-on-5 play, behind those f***ing the Boston Bruins. But in the playoffs, the Canucks struggled at 5-on-5 play, and ran into trouble in the final when the referees whistles went missing.

Poor play at 5-on-5 is an indication to me that the team isn’t working hard enough. Scoring on the power play isn’t easy, but it doesn’t take nearly enough grit to do as scoring 5-on-5.

Looking at their roster, there’s no reason that they ought to be poor at even strength. It’s still early in the season, but there ought to be more production.

When I look at the team’s even strength goal scoring leaders, alarm bells go off for me. Jannik Hansen and Chris Higgins, each with 5 even strength goals, lead the team. Those two players have combined for more even strength goals this year than their top four forwards: Henrik Sedin (3), Daniel Sedin (2), Alex Burrows (3) and Ryan Kesler (0).

The NHL season is still early, but it’s not THAT early. Nineteen games have passed and it’s time for the Canucks’ best players to get going.

Don Cherry did something that he rarely does on Coach’s Corner yesterday, he talked about the Vancouver Canucks. Cherry said the Canucks weren’t paying the price (actually he said ‘playing the price’, but we know what you meant Don). He also said that people were unfairly pointing the finger at Roberto Luongo (actually, he said Lulongo… he said Bieska too in case you’re wondering), that the Canucks need to block more shots and that they need to stop whining. And you know what? He’s right… Mostly.

Skip ahead to the 5:15 mark for Cherry’s Canucks rant:

So are the Canucks ‘paying the price’ enough? No, I don’t think they are. I don’t necessarily think that this is something people should be overly concerned about yet, it’s still early after all, but they’re not playing up to their potential yet. I don’t say this because for statistical reasons, I say this because I watch the games. Their effort could be better, and I expect that to improve.

What Cherry is out to lunch on was using the blocked shots stat as an indicator of a team’s desire to win. Blocked shots can depend on a whole host of factors. A team will have more blocked shots when they give up more shots against, are shorthanded a lot or play a tight defensive system that allows shots from the outside, but not many odd man rushes. It’s also a poor indicator when you consider that the Canucks were ranked 25th in blocked shots last season, and the Stanley Cup champion Bruins were ranked 15th. The New York Islanders led the league in blocked shots last season, and the Maple Leafs were second. Both of those teams missed the playoffs.

And what about Cherry’s assertion that the Canucks are whiners, and that’s one of the reason that everyone hates Vancouver? I’m not sure that the Canucks have a lot more whiners on their team than other teams in the league (Chris Pronger whines all the time, but never gets called a whiner), but that’s definitely the perception. To borrow a phrase from David Pratt, in this case, ‘perception is reality’. It doesn’t matter if the Canucks do a lot of whining, if that’s the perception, it won’t help their case with the referees.

The Canucks have a reputation as being whiners and divers and that needs to stop. Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre don’t and won’t get the benefit of the doubt on borderline calls. It’s part of the reason they didn’t get calls in the Stanley Cup final. It’s also the same thing that happened to former Canucks Todd Bertuzzi and Jarkko Ruutu. Bertuzzi was perceived as a whiner (probably because he complained about EVERY penalty and offside call against him) and Ruutu was perceived as a diver. I don’t think the current Canucks are as bad as those two, but the perception is as such.

What the Canucks need to do is be squeaky clean in the area of diving and complaining to the refs. Cut out every bit of nonsense, because any shred of diving or whining will get magnified. If the Canucks can shred that reputation, it’ll help them win games come playoff time.

Alright, today we give something for the ladies. In case you missed it, Ryan Kesler will be appearing in ESPN’s the Body Issue. That is all. Take it away Right Said Fred!

Remember this time last year? The Canucks were Stanley Cup favourites. They were picked by many to not just contend for the Stanley Cup, but to win it. And they came pretty darn close.

The Canucks had a dream season in 2010-11, save for four games in the Stanley Cup Final. They were the best team in the regular season, had the best power play, scored the most goals and had the lowest goals against. The Canucks had just two significant losses in the offseason (Christian Ehrhoff and Raffi Torres), yet the pundits don’t seem to like their chances nearly as much this season. The TSN Power Rankings has the Canucks ranked fifth. It seems like a lot of people don’t think the Canucks can make it back to the Stanley Cup Final, and I think they’re wrong.

Of course, winning the Stanley Cup is a tall order. A lot needs to go right, and you need some luck along the way. The Canucks certainly had their fair share of luck last season, and they’ll need a bit more this year. But luck aside, the Canucks have a lot going for them.

A lot of talk has been centered around what the Canucks have lost. The Canucks will be without Christian Ehrhoff and Raffi Torres (both lost to free agency), as well as Mason Raymond who is out long term due to injury. Yet, once Ryan Kesler returns in November, the Canucks will have an improved  lineup than the one dressed for game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Game 7 Lineup:

Bieksa-Salo

Edler-Ehrhoff

Alberts-Tanev

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows

Tambellini-Kesler-Higgins

Hansen-Lapierre-Torres

Glass-Malhotra-Oreskovich

2011-12 November Lineup:

Bieksa-Hamhuis

Edler-Salo

Ballard-Tanev

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows

Sturm-Kesler-Samuelsson

Hansen-Malhotra-Higgins

Volpatti-Lapierre-Weise

A lot of people forget that the Canucks were without Dan Hamhuis and Mikael Samuelsson during the Stanley Cup Final. A lot of people also forget that Chris Higgins and Maxim Lapierre were not with the team for most of last season’s record breaking regular season. Missing Mason Raymond will hurt, but Marco Sturm should be able to fill his shoes aptly. Chris Tanev looks to be improved and Keith Ballard can’t possibly have a worse season than he did last year, can he?

My argument is not that the Canucks are without warts, far from it. But this team is in the mix with about seven or eight other teams as the top contenders for the Stanley Cup in 2011-12. The Sharks, Kings and Blackhawks should be much improved this season and along with the Red Wings (who are always good) will be the toughest competition in the west. Should the Canucks get back to the final, the Capitals and Penguins appear better as well.

If Roberto Luongo is strong in net, their defence stays healthy and their forwards continue their scoring prowess, the Canucks will be the best team in the Western Conference. And that’s not a bad position to be in.

The Canucks announced on Tuesday that Ryan Kesler underwent hip surgery and will be out 10-12 weeks, meaning that he’ll likely start the season in November. It’s interesting that they waited until August to do the surgery. Perhaps they were waiting to see if his hip would get better without surgery (as they claim) or perhaps there’s something sneakier going on. Is it possible that the Canucks purposely chose to have Ryan Kesler have surgery late in the summer, meaning that he would miss a month of the regular season while he recovers, thus saving precious cap space? Perhaps I’m reading too much into this, but it’s certainly plausible. Having Sami Salo injured for more than half a season last year was of great reward to the Canucks, because they were able to save on the cap while still getting Salo back for the playoffs.

If Ryan Kesler misses one month or more of the regular season, the Canucks could save about $1 million off of their cap. But who would fill-in for Kesler during his absence?

Enter Cody Hodgson. The prized prospect of the Canucks organization will be hard pressed to make this team. He’s a natural centre and Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler and Manny Malhotra aren’t going anywhere. Max Lapierre is also a lock to be the fourth line centre. So where does that leave Hodgson? Sure, he could try to make the team as a winger, playing on one of the top three lines, but even that would be tough. With Daniel Sedin, Alex Burrows, Mikael Samuelsson, Jannik Hansen, Marco Sturm and Chris Higgins, the Canucks have all the wingers they need for their top 3 lines. And that list doesn’t include Mason Raymond, who will likely return sometime in December.

Whether or not Hodgson is ready to play on the Canucks second line is up for debate, but he might not be as far away as some think. There’s a perception that Hodgson has been a major disappointment, and that simply isn’t true. What has been disappointing is his luck with injuries. If you look at Hodgson’s stats, it reads of a remarkable junior career and one year of pro hockey. His numbers were not draw dropping in the AHL last season (30 points in 52 games), but he was leading the Moose in scoring until he suffered a broken orbital bone. He had just 2 points in 8 regular season games with the Canucks and only 1 point in 12 playoff games, but that can hardly be seen as a disappointment. With rare exception, Hodgson had no skilled players to play with, and received very little playing time on the fourth line. Clearly, his role was to play it safe and be responsible defensively (which he accomplished).

So an injury to Ryan Kesler offers the perfect chance for Cody Hodgson to get a chance to play significant and meaningful minutes with the Canucks. Barring another long term injury to Henrik Sedin or Ryan Kesler, Cody Hodgson likely won’t get another chance like this. So whether it was by design or not, Cody Hodgson: your time is NOW. This will be your best chance to become a full-time NHL player.

This Friday is one of the most exciting days of the year for hockey fans, July 1st, the start of free agent season! Only trade deadline day and the draft (especially this year with Jeff Carter and Mike Richards getting traded) can come close to matching the intrigue of July 1st. Last year Mike Gillis signed Dan Hamhuis, Manny Malhotra and Jeff Tambellini on the first day of free agency. The previous year Gillis re-signed Daniel and Henrik Sedin, just hours before July 1st.

This year probably won’t be as eventful for the Canucks. Kevin Bieksa signed a five year deal today, worth $4.6 million per season. Core players such as Christian Ehrhoff and Sami Salo are all still unsigned as of this moment. Depth players such as Andrew Alberts, Raffi Torres, Chris Higgins, Tanner Glass and Jeff Tambellini are also set to be unrestricted free agents on July 1st. Some are more likely to return than others, and it will be a balancing act for GM Mike Gillis. Ehrhoff, Salo, Torres and Higgins could go either way, and I think the rest will not be returning.

With all of that said, Gillis is likely to have a little bit of spending room (especially if they are able to unload Keith Ballard and his $4.2 million cap hit), and should be active on the free agent front. I believe that Gillis will be in the market to get tougher on the fourth line, get depth on defense (especially if he isn’t able to re-sign Christian Ehrhoff and Sami Salo), and improve scoring from the second line. The likely result on defense will be the return of at least two of Ehrhoff, Salo and Ballard.

With that in mind, here are the players that GM Mike Gillis should have on his free agent wish list:

Simon Gagne

Age: 31

2010-11 Salary: $5.25 million

2010-11 Statistics: GP: 63, G: 17, A: 23, Pts: 40

2010-11 Playoff Statistics: GP: 15, G: 5, A: 7, Pts: 12

The most talented free agent forward not named Brad Richards, one might think that Simon Gagne will probably get overpaid this offseason. But with his concussion history, maybe not. Gagne is not the player he once was, but he is still very effective, offensively and defensively. He would slide into the Canucks system seemlessly and would help out Ryan Kesler tremendously on the second line. He is a gold medal winner, and has been to a Stanley Cup final. Gagne likely won’t duplicate his career year from 2005-06 (47 goals and 79 points), but he could easily put up a 30 goal/60 point season (if healthy). But with Gagne, health is always the number one concern. If the Canucks decide to sign him, it’ll be a gamble. If Mike Gillis can convince him to sign a short term deal for $3 million, I think Gagne is worth the risk.

Erik Cole

Age: 32

2010-11 Salary: $2.9 million

2010-11 Statistics: GP: 82, G: 26, A: 26, Pts: 52

2010-11 Playoff Statistics: n/a

A gritty power forward with a scoring touch, Erik Cole could be a nice fit with on the Canucks second line. He has a Stanley Cup ring and has been a consistent 20-30 goal scorer. But he does not come without risk. Firstly, he has a long injury history. Secondly, his heart seems to be in Carolina. He played his entire career in Carolina, save for one disappointing year in Edmonton. But he might be worth the risk. If they can get him for $2.75 million on a 1-2 year deal, I say roll the dice.

Ville Leino

Age: 27

2010-11 Salary: $0.8 million

2010-11 Statistics: GP: 81, G: 19, A: 34, Pts: 53

2010-11 Playoff Statistics: GP: 11, G: 3, A: 2, Pts: 5

One of the Flyers playoff heroes from 2010 (21 points in 19 playoff games), Leino is a candidate to play with play a scoring role on the Canucks second line. He has proven that he can produce at a second line level, and more importantly he has proven that he can do it come playoff time. He’ll be in the market for a new contract worth probably in the neighbourhood of $2.5-3 million.

Chad LaRose

Age: 29

2010-11 Salary: $1.7 million

2010-11 Statistics: GP: 82, G: 16, A: 15, Pts: 31

2010-11 Playoff Statistics: n/a

Chad Larose would be a good fit for the Canucks third line. He’s a gritty player that will likely put up 15 goals while delivering bodychecks (he was 4th on the Hurricanes in hits) and killing penalties. If they can add Larose for about $1.75 million, it would be a good find.

Joel Ward

Age: 30

2010-11 Salary: $1.5 million

2010-11 Statistics: GP: 80, G: 10, A: 19, Pts: 29

2010-11 Playoff Statistics: GP: 12, G: 7, A: 6, Pts: 13

Joel Ward was an absolute force in this year’s playoffs, but whoever signs him this offseason should not expect that same player for 82 regular season games. Ward has size and a scoring touch, but he has never put up more than 35 points in a regular season. He would fit onto the Canucks 2nd or 3rd line and the hope would be that he would be able to elevate his game in the playoffs. Sign him for under $2 million and you’ve got a bargain.

Honourable Mentions

Maxime Talbot: A gritty player with a Stanley Cup ring, Talbot is loved by his teammates. He also finds a way to step up in big games. He scored both of the Penguins goals in game 7 of the Stanley Cup final in 2009. His regular season numbers are a little underwhelming, never putting up more than 26 points in a season. It is in the playoffs where he has made his reputation. He has 33 points in 66 playoff games.

Mike Grier: At age 36, his best days are clearly behind him, but Mike Grier would provide experience and physical play, likely in a fourth line role.

Ben Eager: He’s not exactly the most popular player among Canucks fans, but Eager would give the Canucks a lot of things they don’t have right now. He is a big bodychecker and a good fighter. He has championship experience and even a bit of a scoring touch. He scored 11 goals for the Blackhawks in 2008-09, and had 7 last season.

Michael Rupp: Another player with championship pedigree (notice a trend here?), Rupp would be a nice fit on the Canucks fourth line. At 6’5″ and 230 lbs he is a big man with the ability to pop in the odd goal. He had 9 goals last year and 11 the year before.

Earlier this week we took a look at the Canucks goaltenders and defencemen, deciding who is likely to return and who is likely to move on. Today, we look at the Canucks’ forwards.

Mike Gillis doesn’t have a lot of work to do with his forwards, but he does have options. His most important forwards are already under contract for next year, so it’ll be just a matter of tinkering with his depth forwards. Given the lack of production from his second line at even strength, he may want to find a better winger to play with Ryan Kesler.

Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows

They’re all part of the core of this team and all locked up long term. They’re not going anywhere.

Mikael Samuelsson

Samuelsson had no shortage of critics this season but I wasn’t one of them. He is a smart, versatile player with a good shot and can get on some nice scoring streaks at times. He was playing hurt for a while this year which hurt his production, but I think he can regain his old form. He’s also a Stanley Cup winner and has underrated grit. He stays.

Mason Raymond

The time for Mason Raymond to prove that he is a legitimate second line winger is almost upon us. He turns 26 before next season and in my mind the jury is out on him. He might have been a prime candidate to be trade bait this offseason, but given his current injury, he won’t be. The Canucks will hope that he can show more grit and more finish, especially if he is going to be playing alongside Ryan Kesler for long periods of time. He stays.

Manny Malhotra

He’s a leader, does a lot of the intangibles and assuming his eye recovers 100%, he will be back for another season. He stays.

Chris Higgins

Chris Higgins is an unrestricted free agent and had a very impressive playoffs. There’s probably not enough money for him here and he will sign elsewhere. He goes.

Maxim Lapierre

Lapierre probably exceeded everyone’s expectations in the playoffs this year and that should earn the restricted free agent a raise. He’s earned probably $1.3-1.5 million. The question is if the Canucks can afford to pay him and play him on the fourth line. The other question is if they need to make space for Cody Hodgson. I think Lapierre is trade bait. He goes.

Cody Hodgson

Cody Hodgson didn’t get a lot of playing time with the big club this season, but that may change next year. The organization’s top prospect is now 21 years old and needs to play. Is more AHL time in his future or do the Canucks play him out of position on their 2nd or 3rd line? In the end I think the Canucks play him on the wing. He stays.

Jannik Hansen

Hansen had a breakout year, and will return to the team, but at what price? He’s a restricted free agent and could get more than $1.5 million. They’ll find a way to do it though. He stays.

Raffi Torres

Torres signed a bargain basement $1 million deal last summer, and I don’t think he intends to be a bargain this time around. I think he brought an important element to the Canucks this year but I think he will sign elsewhere for more money. He goes.

Tanner Glass

I think Tanner Glass’ time with the Canucks is over. He seems to be well liked in the dressing room but he’s kind of a “tweener”. He can do a little of everything, but doesn’t do any one thing particularly well. I think they will replace him with a bigger, more physical player. He goes.

Jeff Tambellini

I thought Tambellini was a nice insurance policy this season, a speedy player that can fill-in at times, but I don’t think the Canucks will want to give him another chance given younger players like Cody Hodgson and Sergei Shirokov should be able to do that as well. He goes.

Victor Oreskovich

Oreskovich had a real nice finish to the season. His combination of size, speed and youth are perfect for the fourth line. He stays.

I’m not one to use Canucks marketing campaign slogans on a regular basis (I’ve never said that ‘we are all Canucks’), but never has ‘this is what we live for‘ been more true. Game 7, Stanley Cup Final, at home. This IS what we live for. It’s what the players live for, it’s what the fans live for. Quite simply stated, it’s the biggest game in Canucks history. It’s bigger than 1994. There will probably never be a bigger game for this franchise. This is their time. They will become legends if they win, or be labeled as chokers should they come up short.

Making Sense of Game 6

If you’re like me, you were angry at the Canucks performance in game 6, then went into a deep depression for over 24 hours and it’s only now that you’re getting excited for game 7. So just what happened in game 6? As funny as it sounds, I don’t think the Canucks were that bad in game 6. Obviously they weren’t spectacular, but they needed a save from Roberto Luongo. With each goal let in, the Bruins received an enormous surge of momentum. The Canucks couldn’t weather the storm, and it became 4-0 very quick. In game 7, the Canucks will need their goaltending to be air tight, especially early.

Injuries

By now you’ve probably heard about Mason Raymond’s injury. He won’t be in the lineup for game 7, and the health of Andrew Alberts and Alex Edler are uncertain also (though I expect both to play). Ryan Kesler is banged up, as is Henrik Sedin, Chris Higgins and a whole host of others. I expect Jeff Tambellini to spot in for Mason Raymond, but the rest of the walking wounded will likely play, and will need to dig down deep for the game of their lives.

What worries me most about these injuries is that maybe the Canucks are no longer the better team on paper. With Dan Hamhuis injured and Christian Ehrhoff hobbled with a bad shoulder, their defense is in shambles. Their high end talent up front is severely banged up. Who is the better team right now?

Keys to Victory

1. Roberto Luongo. He has been spectacular at home and terrible on the road. He needs that to continue. Momentum has been so huge in this series, Luongo has to play the game of his life.

2. Goals. The Canucks haven’t scored enough in this series, and they need that to change (duh). The Canucks power play has to get it together. They need to solve Tim Thomas. I think the way to do that is to throw a whole lot of pucks on goal and hope they get a good bounce. If they get too picky, they will shoot themselves in the foot.

3. Sedins must show up. They’re the Canucks best players and it’s time for them to step up. I feel like the key for them is to quicken up their cycle. Because Hudson Bay rules seem to be in play during this series, if the Sedins spend too much time on the cycle, they will get crosschecked off the puck. Daniel Sedin predicted that the Canucks will win game 7, and now it’s time to back it up.

4. Don’t anger the hockey gods. Before game 6, the poll question on Team 1040 was “who will Henrik Sedin give the Cup to first?”. They can’t afford to think along those lines. The team that deals with the distraction of being one win away from the Stanley Cup the best will be best suited to actually winning it.

5. Heart. There’s not likely to be a lot of power plays and scoring chances, as is the case in most game 7s, so the Canucks will probably have to win this in the trenches. Who has more heart? We will find out.

As a longtime Canucks fan I just feel like ONLY the Canucks could put us on such an emotional roller coaster, such as this. To do what they did against Chicago in the first round and then have such a bizarre series against the Bruins, who’d have thunk it? But in a way, isn’t this how you knew it would be? If the Canucks were to lose this year, you know they would do it in absolutely the most painful way possible, just when you think they’ve got it won. But on the flip side, if they were to win the Stanley Cup, you just knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. One of two scenarios will play out on Wednesday night. This is what we live for.

The Vancouver Canucks will get a chance to scratch a 40 year itch if they can find a way to win game 6 in Boston tonight. The Stanley Cup is in the building, and for only the second time in franchise history, the Canucks have a chance to carry it home.

This journey the Canucks are on has been long and hard, proving once again that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in all of sports to win. They have played 106 games over eight months, including over two months of grueling playoff hockey. They dealt with adversity against the Blackhawks, injuries to Mikael Samuelsson and Manny Malhotra, and had Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler play through pain. They’ve had a great ride, but there’s still one more hill to climb.

To win the Cup, they need one more win, and it won’t be easy. Vancouver has been down right terrible in both games in Boston this series, and that will need to change. Boston has been a different team on home ice, they’ve been faster and have hit harder and more often than in Vancouver. The challenge for Alain Vigneault’s men will be to match that intensity, and not allow the Bruins to dominate physically. Their passes will need to be crisp and quick, in order to nullify the Boston forecheck.

Keys to the game:

1. Move the puck. You always hear how teams want mobile ‘puck moving’ defencemen, and this is why. Chris Tanev showed how valuable that asset can be in game 5. He was so calm and cool with the puck, as Kevin Bieksa said, he looked like he could play with a cigarette in his mouth. If the Canucks can move the puck out of their zone onto the tape of their forwards instead of losing the puck off the Boston forecheck and/or dumping the puck out of the zone, it will go a long way to helping win the game. This is true in any game of course, but particularly with the Bruins, and particularly in Boston.

2. Another great game from Luongo. Roberto Luongo has been spectacular at home and terrible on the road in this series. That will need to change tonight, as the Bruins will be desperate and bound to throw a lot of pucks on net.

3. The power play. The Sedins and Ryan Kesler will need to find a way to get the power play working tonight. It hasn’t looked very good in this series, and there would be no better time for it to wake up than tonight.

Those are the three keys to the game, but of course there are many more. They’ll need to throw lots of pucks on Tim Thomas with traffic. They’ll need to clear rebounds for Luongo. They’ll need to play with desperation. They’ll need to want it more. In short, they’ll need to give it their all to win it all. And if they do, they’ll go down in Vancouver sports history, and will be legends forever.

It was a slow day in Canuckland today given that the team has been given their second day off without practicing and the fact that they won’t play game 1 of the conference finals until Sunday. That was, until Jason Botchford of the Province dropped this in the Twitter world:

I choose to read lots into news malhotra is skating #callitacomeback

This is unexpected and encouraging news. Manny Malhotra’s career was thought to be in jeopardy after he suffered a serious eye injury on March 16. Malhotra was skating with a full cage, by himself. The Canucks aren’t saying that he’s on the comeback trail, but it doesn’t make sense for him to be practicing unless that was a possibility.

Malhotra’s eye first appeared better in some celebration videos inside the Canucks dressing room (notice he’s not wearing sunglasses):

Who knows if and when he could possibly return, but if he could it would do wonders for the team. Malhotra helps in a lot of areas, and would give them another centre they so desperately need right now. It would turn the Canucks from a three line team into a four line team. Currently they are a team that plays only three lines primarily when the score is close in the third period. If he could return to his previous form, he could be matched up against other teams’ top lines, freeing Ryan Kesler to play in more of an offensive role.