NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Andrew Deutschmann provides us with the top 5 players he would like to see the Canucks part ways with this off season. Number one is obviously Roberto Luongo. Paying him to split time with Cory Schneider is just ridiculous. Let him go on to another team and get on with his life. This has dragged out long enough not only for management, and Luongo, but for the fans as well.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Andrew Deutschmann gives us some snippets of Mike Gillis’ post season press conference, or lack there of. No, the news of the firing of AV didn’t come, not yet at least. There is still time for that. But what intrigued Andrew the most was the fact that Gillis touched on some of the young guys like Kellan Lain, Brendan Gaunce, Nicklas Jensen, and Frank Corrado.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger C-Mac weighs in on the overachievers and underachievers in Van City for the end of the 2012/13 regular season. Jason Garrison was on the underachiever side of this list at the quarter season mark, but he made a superb turnaround. Alex Edler is the single most disappointing player that the Canucks have had to endure this season. David Booth could well be the victim of Vancouver’s buyout amnesty.
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.
Richard Hodges previews the Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Vancouver Canucks March 26th matchup. Richard asks Is a four game winning streak enough to erase the doom and gloom that persisted in early March? Most of the credit is due to Cory Schneider, who has been brilliant during those four games. Van City won’t have David Booth, Ryan Kesler, Steve Pinizzoto, Dale Weise and Zack Kassian tonight…
Richard Hodges previews the Vancouver Canucks vs. LA Kings March 23rd matchup. Richard says the Nucks lineup could be in trouble today versus the Champs. Take the depleted line-up that scraped out a road win over Phoenix and subtract Alex Edler and you have the hand the Canucks have been dealt this afternoon. Cory Schneider stars in net for Van City today. Good Luck here boys.
Richard Hodges previews the Vancouver Canucks vs. Phoenix Coyotes March 21st matchup. Richard says before Shane Doan scored in the third period Thursday, the Phoenix Coyotes had gone 245 minutes and 32 seconds without a goal. They’ve also lost four straight in that span, dropping out of the playoffs for now. David Booth has a high ankle sprain. Zack Kassian has his back issues that make it tough to predict when he gets back in the line-up.
Richard Hodges previews the St. Louis Blues vs. Vancouver Canucks March 19th matchup. Richard says the Blues will get a boost tonight when Andy McDonald returns after missing four games. Exactly what the Canucks didn’t want to hear. Yes, the Canucks are in a tailspin, having lost 11 of their last 16. Last time these two met you may remember Jake Allen’s beautiful save off Alex Burrows in overtime. Season turning point? Who knows.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks writer Josh Hall is back at it again gracing the pages of NWSB. Tonight he weighs in post-game style on the Wild vs. Canucks matchup from Monday night. He’s not impressed and points out with 20 games remaining in the shortened 2013 season Cory Schneider has inferior numbers that he can almost guarantee would be higher had Roberto Luongo been traded before the season commenced.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks writer Josh Hall is back writing for NWSB again. Tonight he weighs in post-game style on the Red Wings vs. Canucks matchup from Saturday night. One positive he can find was Alex Burrows on the new franchise record of fastest goal in Canucks history. Six seconds for the puck to bulge twine off a beauty feed from Daniel Sedin. The bad, the crowd at Rogers Arena was as dead as ever on a night meant to be special for something.
Richard Hodges previews the Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks March 14th matchup. Richard says the Canucks are back in town, which means the traditional first game home trap is in play tonight. The Preds will miss Paul Gaustad, Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist while the Canucks are essentially healthy with Kevin Bieksa if you try not to think about Ryan Kesler. Thankfully, Bieksa will be back tonight.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks’ blogger Richard Hodges give you his love ‘em and hate ‘em from Vancouver’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in a shootout. Whatever Mason Raymond did in the shootout worked. But man was it ugly. Was it legal? Richard doesn’t even care. It went in he says. The game’s first highlight was David Booth laying out Matt Calvert. Nice way to start the game.
