NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks’ blogger gives you his five positives from the Vancouver Canucks’ 2013-2014 season. Though it culminated with yet another disappointing first round exit that was all the more embarrassing this year, there was some impressive play throughout the season from a few key players. Corey Schneider played well in his first year as a starter, Tanev and Corrado really shaped up, and this may be the final season for Alain Vigneault.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks’ blogger Richard Hodges is back to give you his love ‘em and hate ‘em from Vancouver’s loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of Round 1. He asks Is it puck luck that demands the Canucks need be perfect to score but opponents can score with any half chance? Multiple times in this game Daniel Sedin had a perfect opportunity to shoot the puck and either hesitated or passed off. Roberto Luongo was not the problem.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Josh Hall breaks down the REAL Van City end of season award winners. His way. There’s probably no disagreeing that the Canucks team awards are a lot nazzyer, or snazzier, than the trophies Juno winners get. However, it’s almost certain the fan choices for these awards differ from one section of Rogers Arena to the next he says. Alex Burrows, Jannik Hansen, Dan Hamhuis, Daniel Sedin, Cory Schneider take a bow.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks’ blogger Richard Hodges is back to give you his love ‘em and hate ‘em from Vancouver’s loss to the Dallas Stars. Richard points Derek Roy is good. He says he’s not being used exactly right, but so far he’s above Bryan Smolinski on the trade deadline bell curve. He also asks an interesting question. Is it hyperbole to say when Kevin Bieksa comes back the Canucks will never lose? (Probably.)
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Bryan McFarlane weighs in with his Nucks three stars post. Here are the few noteworthy performers from April 7th to April 14th during the Canucks’ 2013 campaign. Daniel Sedin, Dan Hamhuis, and Ryan Kessler make the list this week. Bryan points out the impressive play of Kessler in his return and how surprising Hamhuis’ efforts were.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Bryan McFarlane weighs in with his Nucks three stars post. Here are the few noteworthy performers from April 2nd to April 9th during the Canucks’ 2013 campaign. Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, and Chris Higgins make the list this week. Bryan points out the Sedins are playing well at the perfect time, and hopes this is the year they get hot in the playoffs.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Kevin “The Flying V” Vanstone tells us today the NHL’s April 3rd trade deadline fast approaches and the Vancouver Canucks have a number of spots on the roster worthy of attention heading into this year’s playoff push. Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen have played well during their time on Vancouver’s second line, but are better fit as checking forwards on a fully healthy roster.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck brings us up to speed on the two Nucks signings this week. Please welcome to the organization Ludwig Blomstrand & Kellan Lain. Lain actually led College hockey’s Lake Superior in face off % this season, winning 56% of his 571 draws. That’s not a great sample, but it is nevertheless intriguing. Blomstrand is a 6’1, 198lbs left-winger who spent this season in Sweden’s second-tier league.
Vancouver Canucks blogger Richard Hodges Love Em Hate Em hockey blog. He recaps and rewinds the loss Saturday night between the LA Kings and Vancouver Canucks. After a strong start to the year, Keith Ballard is back in the press box as a healthy scratch. It’s confounding. The Canucks looks like they need a little something extra to put themselves ahead of the pack in the west. Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider will be relied on bigtime coming up.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Kevin “The Flying V” Vanstone says the Vancouver Canucks may not be as deep on the blue line as it seems, will Mike Gillis move to make a trade deadline deal to bolster the back end? As the Canucks approach the 20-game mark of the 2013 season there is still a healthy amount of time for players like Alex Edler to adjust. Who knows with Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa injuries.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger points out that so far, no Canucks names have been included in Team Canada’s 2014 Olympic roster. Now, the Bartender thinks that is a travesty. We all know that Roberto Luongo deserves to be between the pipes in Russia, but Phil also thinks that Alex Burrows and Dan Hamhuis deserve to get at least a tryout for the team.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger C-Mac says for all the criticism thrown at him, the slick haired Roberto Luongo has been one of the better Canucks players in 2013 and after 6 games projects professionalism. He takes a look at the best and the worst of the Canucks line-up so far. Zack Kassian, Luongo, and Chris Tanev make the “good list”. Dan Hamhuis, Jason Garrison, and Manny Malhotra make the “naughty’ list.
