CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

CAUSE TWO OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD….”
Hockey”s Future Prospect of the Year is Cody Hodgson, with honourable mentions Jon Blum and Cory Schneider second and third.
This was after a thorough analysis of NHL prospects – on a monthly basis – by Hockey’s Future.
Candidates for selection [...]

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by Ron Spence

I spent the evening of – and most of the day after – the Canucks’ implosion, traveling from Victoria to Bangkok.
And, I was dreading my reception in Thailand, with all of their paranoia over the Swine Flu.
But, the unhappiest customs guys were in Vancouver. When I made the mistake of asking them [...]

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by Ron Spence
This year’s roster is one of the Canucks’ best – ever.
Gone are the days of all those re-tread players.
The spreadsheet below – courtesy of hockeydb.com - lists the names of 19 former Canucks,  who are amongst the 50 players to play on 8 or more teams.
The current Vancouver roster has some multi-team players.
Pavel Demitra and Darcy Hordichuk have played [...]

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Vancouver will be playing the L.A. Kings on monday, again on friday – and for a third time a month from now – so I have combined some of Rich Hammond’s and the L.A. Kings‘ notes on the California team:

The Kings have rebounded from a four-game skid with consecutive home wins.
The key has been an [...]

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Some quotes from David Pollak:
“We weren’t prepared to play at the level we needed to play at,” the coach said. “That team’s playing way too well to give them a 2-0 lead.”
“I don’t think it’s a disease by any means,” the coach continued, when asked if losing could be considered contagious. “We’re going through our [...]

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by Ron Spence
We know that there was some Bouwmeester foreplay.
Mike Gillis talked to to Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin at 5:45 a.m. PST – deadline day.
He was inquiring about Jay Bouwmeester and it was a short conversation.
“I asked him what he needed in return, he told me and it was undoable,” Gillis said. “It was a brief [...]

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by Ron Spence
The Vancouver Canucks have rolled the dice at 38 amateur drafts and have selected almost a goalie per year.
How many of their goalie picks have donned a Canucks’ jersey?
Ten – of the fifty-one goalies who have worn a Canucks’ NHL jersey – and some of those were for only a game or two each [...]

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by Ron Spence
A number of blogsites have linked – or quoted – our recent Jason LaBarbera article.
Some have focused on his lack of formal goalie training, others his inconsistency.
But, one question is always asked.
Why did the Canucks keep him and dispatch Curtis Sanford to Manitoba?

Curtis [...]

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by Ron Spence
Is anyone surprised by Shane O’Brien’s recent comments?
I mean, the kid is totally undisciplined.
There’s a fight at the end of Vancouver’s last game against San Jose and Shane is right in the middle of it.
“When they do that to our skilled guys [the Sedins], a little switch goes off and I have [...]

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