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  1. Hey everyone, Here's a look at top Vancouver Canucks prospect Nils Hoglander's performance in the team's final scrimmage before the 2020-21 NHL season. The intrasquad event took place on January 9, 2021. The video broadcast itself featured no audio in the first period. Play-by-play was restored in the second period. Hoglander represented Team White and spent the match on a line with center Bo Horvat. Look for #36.
  2. Hey everyone. I've been working on a few different creative projects this month. Today, I'm excited to share with you my latest work. This one is titled EriksSonata. Enjoy.
  3. Let's go back in time to January 2012. 21-year-old Cody Hodgson was in the midst of a successful rookie season in the NHL. He scored six goals and 10 points in 11 games that January while playing mostly on the Vancouver Canucks' third line alongside Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen. It seemed he was the team's answer to their center depth and secondary scoring issues. He was the NHL's January 2012 Rookie of the Month. https://www.nhl.com/canucks/news/cody-hodgson-named-nhl-rookie-of-the-month/c-614816 In total, by January 31, 2012, he had scored 14 goals and 30 points in 50 games with an average TOI of 12:42. Canucks fans had enormous expectations for their 10th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. Only one month later, at the trade deadline on February 27, the biggest news of the day broke: Cody Hodgson had been traded. Canucks Nation let out a collective gasp.
  4. If anyone is looking for answers as to what happened in Game 1, here's a look at all of Vancouver's offensive opportunities against Minnesota (Aug. 2, 2020). Part 1: https://streamable.com/bvaw84 Part 2: https://streamable.com/z0pkab The Canucks were stuck on the perimeter all night and couldn't generate many high-percentage opportunities at all. Minnesota clogged up the middle of the ice and stayed back to prevent rush chances. They forced the Canucks to play their game. Vancouver needs to create more pressure in the lower half of the offensive zone and try to get to the inside. They need to get Stalock moving laterally. Canucks players need to be cutting through the middle of the ice or setting up passing plays with the puck going through the middle. There needs to be more happening on the inside. Once Stalock shuffles, he becomes exposed. He is an aggressive goalie with good puck-handling abilities, so the Canucks' dump-ins are that much more difficult with him back there. Right now, the Canucks are playing exactly the way the Wild want them to. As long as Alex Stalock is sharp, he can pick off the one-and-done chances from the perimeter. Vancouver's point shot-rebound opportunities were contained by the Wild's blocks and quickness to the rebounds. The team also couldn't set up any one-timers at all in the slot.
  5. The Vancouver Canucks are undoubtedly one of the more exciting teams to watch in the National Hockey League. Their high-tempo, north-south style has made their games must-watch television for any fan of the sport. Anyone who appreciates the sport’s elements of speed and skill will be dazzled by such players as Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The team’s emphasis on swift, up-and-down offence is evident throughout the lineup with rapid skaters such as Bo Horvat, J.T. Miller, Jake Virtanen, and Tyler Motte, among others, whose ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone have helped to shape the identity of this squad. There was once a lack of clear direction. However, a seemingly hopeless, disjointed situation only a few seasons ago has now given way to a much more cohesive vision. Astute draft selections have accelerated this group’s development. Some of the team’s recent acquisitions have been terrific, although a few have been detrimental. At this moment in time, it is apparent just which players do not fit the team’s philosophy. The organization seemingly knows what type of team it wants. Those who do not belong must be moved. In light of the Canucks’ upcoming 2020 Stanley Cup qualification series against the Minnesota Wild, we can contrast the two teams. The Minnesota Wild are an east-west club who rely on lateral passing plays through the neutral zone and a high degree of coordination between the players. They move up the ice as a synchronized unit and attack in the offensive zone by sending the puck from side to side. Sometimes, one entry into the offensive zone features three or four lateral passes just passed center ice. The now-KHL-bound Nikolay Goldobin, an east-west player whose passes often led to turnovers or disrupted the flow of the Canucks’ transition plays, may have found more success in that system than that of the Canucks. The Wild lack the same degree of speed and one-on-one skill that the Canucks possess. Their most important line driver is Kevin Fiala, whose contributions in transition and on the backcheck are quite significant. The team relies heavily on precision and passing plays. For a compilation of every goal scored by and against the Minnesota Wild in 2019-20, refer to these two resources: Every 2019-20 Minnesota Wild Goal: YouTube Every 2019-20 Minnesota Wild Goal Against: YouTube For a look at the performances of some of the players as well as the team’s entries and strategy against opposition entries: Kevin Fiala shift highlights vs Nashville (Mar. 3): Visual Scouting Report: Kevin Fiala [#22, Minnesota Wild] (from Mar. 3, 2020 vs NSH) - Shift Footage Alex Stalock saves vs Los Angeles (Mar. 7): Visual Scouting Report: Alex Stalock [Goaltender, Minnesota Wild] (from Mar. 7, 2020 vs LA) - Includes Six Goals Against A Minnesota Wild zone entries vs Washington (Mar. 1) – Part 1: Visual Scouting Report: Minnesota Wild Zone Entries Part 1 of 2 (from Mar. 1 vs WSH) Minnesota Wild zone entries vs Washington (Mar. 1) – Part 2: Visual Scouting Report: Minnesota Wild Zone Entries Part 2 of 2 (from Mar. 1 vs WSH) Washington Capitals zone entries vs Minnesota (Mar. 1) – Part 1: Visual Scouting Report: Washington Capitals Zone Entries Part 1 of 2 (from Mar. 1 vs MIN) Washington Capitals zone entries vs Minnesota (Mar. 1) – Part 2: Visual Scouting Report: Washington Capitals Zone Entries Part 2 of 2 (from Mar. 1 vs MIN) I wrote a brief analysis of the 2019-20 Minnesota Wild that readers can access here. The Vancouver Canucks are a different beast. Their attack strategy revolves around speed, one-on-one skill, and full-throttle, north-south movement. The majority of the forwards possess the quickness and talent to carry the puck out themselves and put pressure on the opposing defence with a puck maneuver. One of the organization’s greatest successes in 2019-20 was the acquisition of J.T. Miller, who this year was a heavy contributor to the team’s forecheck and attack off the rush. His ability to knife through the opposing defence, retrieve the puck in the corners of the rink, and fire dangerous shots on net made him a tremendous asset to the Canucks this past season. He finished the season as the team’s leading point scorer. He was exactly what the team needed — a highly-skilled, high-tempo player who could actively apply pressure to the opposition and create plays on a solo basis. ... The Canucks’ style of play requires the forwards to drive the puck up the ice and attack the opposing defence individually. Unlike the Wild, who move up the ice as a unit, the Canucks often try to pierce the opposing blue line at full speed on solo dashes. The puck will often remain on the carrier’s stick. They like to punch holes in the opposing defence with their north-south carry-ins. If the forward can not carry it in, then they will likely chip the puck past the defender and try to retrieve it in the corner. The forwards then circulate the puck along the perimeter with the defence until two opportune plays become available. Having compiled and observed all of the team’s goals and their best scoring chances of the season into the presentation at the top of this article, it is clear exactly which plays the Canucks prefer to attempt once they have established their forecheck. When the puck is sent to the point, the defence will frequently try to loft the puck towards the net. Two Canucks forwards will then swarm the net in an attempt to deflect or jam the puck into the net. When the puck is down low in the offensive zone, the primary strategy is for one of the forwards to sneak into the low slot with one in the corner and the other behind the net. In this triangular formation, the puck will go behind the net and then to the shooter in the middle of the zone. The team has no shortage of shooters on the top two lines: Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat, Tyler Toffoli, and J.T. Miller. Tanner Pearson, the other consistent member of the top-six forward group, scored all of his 21 goals in 2019-20 off of deflections, point-blank opportunities and empty-net chances. Among the six forwards, there is one whose style does not completely suit the Canucks: Boeser. ... Below, shift highlights of Brock Boeser from January 4, 2020 against the New York Rangers: Part 1: https://streamable.com/hk48c2 Part 2: https://streamable.com/6uw0eh ... The full, 4,000-word article is at Canucks Army. It features shift highlights of J.T. Miller, Tyler Toffoli, Jake Virtanen, as well as the player I think the Canucks should target, Nikolaj Ehlers. Thanks for reading. Canucks Army - Every Vancouver Canucks goal and great play of 2019-20, plus the reason to trade Brock Boeser – from a scout’s perspective
  6. In preparation for the 2020 playoff qualification series between the Minnesota Wild and the Vancouver Canucks, I decided this week to take a look at the Wild from numerous angles and create a resource for anyone looking to become familiar with this team. Every shot faced by Alex Stalock vs LA Kings (Mar. 7): https://streamable.com/m7azck Shift highlights of Kevin Fiala vs Nashville (Mar. 3): https://streamable.com/x79dae Minnesota Wild zone entries vs Washington (Mar. 1) - Part 1: https://streamable.com/qps7ow Minnesota Wild zone entries vs Washington (Mar. 1) - Part 2: https://streamable.com/uufjub Washington Capitals zone entries vs Minnesota (Mar. 1) - Part 1: https://streamable.com/499d3t Washington Capitals zone entries vs Minnesota (Mar. 1) - Part 2: https://streamable.com/661wq7 The Minnesota Wild are an east-west team. They'll go up the ice in numbers, pass off, and enter. The best thing Vancouver can do is offer defensive support and clog the blue line. Slow the Wild down and take those passing lanes away. Compare the Wild's zone entries with those of Washington. The Capitals are much more of a north-south team up the ice. They attack with speed and punch holes through their opposition's defence. They more often attempt one-on-one rushes, and when that fails, the puck goes into the corner to be retrieved. Against the Wild and Stalock, it was important for them to get the puck into the corner and not behind the goal line because he likes to come out to play the puck. The Wild don't have quite the arsenal to be effective individual attackers along the lines of the Capitals. They are more of a passing team than a grinding team. The key line driver is Kevin Fiala; he plays an aggressive style and is always pressuring the opponent at both ends of the rink. He led the team in shots this year with 175, and was also their leading point scorer. If Vancouver can force dump-ins from Minnesota, they will significantly hamper their ability to establish their attack in the offensive zone. The Wild are very unit-oriented moving up the ice. Vancouver need to take away neutral zone passing lanes. The Canucks' defence will need to maintain blue line gap control, and they need forward support. They like to force turnovers in the neutral zone and counter. In the offensive zone, they rely on east-west passing plays and deflections in the crease. Likewise, in the offensive zone, they attack in an east-west manner with quick passes through the middle. The most effective defence against the Wild is to take away their passing lanes. In the Stalock footage, the Kings primarily took advantage of Minnesota off the rush. The Canucks, one of the NHL's faster teams, will want to use a lot of speed and play an aggressive game. They can not play a tentative style or lapse into over-passing tendencies. They should not be afraid to carry it up and pressure the opposing defence. Like the Capitals, they can muscle the puck into the corner if their rush attempt fails. Upon viewing all 217 of the Wild's goals against this year and taking into account their play against Washington, it's clear that Minnesota have issues containing opposition speed. Vancouver will want to play with aggression and speed. They need to avoid over-passing. Pace is key. One of the Canucks' biggest issues is their tendency to become complacent offensively. There were times this season when the team's secondary scorers slumped. Additionally, the Canucks have trouble of their own defending against rush attempts. On paper, the Canucks are the better team. However, they need to play aggressively and relentlessly. They have north-south attackers and numerous high-velocity shooters.
  7. https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2020/4/14/21208191/brogan-rafferty-ahl-analysis-cambiekev There appears to be an expectation among followers of the Vancouver Canucks that this upcoming off-season will present some vacancies throughout the team’s defence corps. Chris Tanev and Oscar Fantenberg are pending unrestricted free agents, while Troy Stecher is slated to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 National Hockey League campaign. Much discussion has revolved around the future of Tanev, Fantenbeg and Stecher in Vancouver with the common conclusion being that salary cap constraints will force difficult decisions with regards to their status as members of the team. This has been expedited by the recent expressions of interest from the 6’7’’ former Canucks defenceman Nikita Tryamkin about a potential return to the roster as well as the emergence of 2019 college free agent signing Brogan Rafferty as one of the Utica Comets’ best players this past season. Rafferty, in particular, was the Comets’ American Hockey League All-Star representative in 2019-20, serving as a substitute at the event for the team’s offensive leader, Reid Boucher. The 24-year-old Rafferty was Utica’s most important blue liner in 2019-20. He was third among all AHL defencemen in league-wide scoring with seven goals and 45 points in 57 games, three points behind the lead held by Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jake Bean. Also of note was that he was four and six points ahead of former Canucks Adam Clendening and Derrick Pouliot, respectively, in the AHL scoring race. No other Utica defenceman was anywhere near as prolific as Rafferty this season; the second-highest scorer on the team among defenders this season was Olli Juolevi with two goals and 25 points in 45 games. One of the most pressing questions concerns the potential for either Tryamkin or Rafferty to become adequate replacements for the possibly-outgoing defencemen. In a previous article, we looked at Nikita Tryamkin’s performance this season in the Kontinental Hockey League and offered a sample of recent footage. To provide an idea of the type of game that Rafferty plays, we have an opportunity today to examine his American Hockey League performance on March 4, 2020 against the Buffalo Sabres’ farm team, the Rochester Americans. Read the full article at Nucks Misconduct: https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2020/4/14/21208191/brogan-rafferty-ahl-analysis-cambiekev
  8. Vasily Podkolzin is developing terrifically for the Vancouver Canucks. Supporters of the team should be thrilled with his development. There were some concerns about his trajectory this season after he struggled to find ice time in the KHL at the start of the year, but all doubts should be put to rest. He was a divisive prospect at the 2019 NHL Draft last June. While some analysts considered him to be a top-five prospect in that class — he began the year as the consensus third-best prospect —, he dropped to tenth overall. The Canucks, who should not have been able to draft a player of this caliber, were once again the recipients of good fortune. Podkolzin’s quality of play at Russia’s highest professional level is evident in today’s edition of Eight-Minute Insights. Our presentation features his performance on March 5, 2020 in Game 3 of the 2020 KHL playoffs against Vityaz. This game is just one of many towards the end of 2019-20 KHL campaign in which Podkolzin thrived. He scored 11 points in his final 17 games, regular season and playoffs combined, all while averaging approximately twelve minutes of ice time per night. The improvement of his offensive totals is not the only good news for Canucks fans, however. He has successfully been able to adapt his overall game to the KHL level, implementing into his performances the intelligent, two-way style of play he has become known for throughout his career. Read the full article at Nucks Misconduct: https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2020/4/3/21206888/vasily-podkolzin-khl-analysis-cambiekev
  9. Nikita Tryamkin deserves an opportunity to prove his worth to the Vancouver Canucks — plain and simple. His previous tenure with the team tantalized observers. His rare combination of size, strength and mobility left Canucks fans in awe of what the then-twenty-two-year-old was capable of becoming. At 6’7’’, 250 lbs, he intimidated opponents like few could, and he obliterated numerous victims with his incredible strength. Many were shocked, but not surprised when he departed from the Canucks. He believed that he had been misused. He desired more ice time than he received, and so he rejoined his KHL team, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Always known to be vocal, he received the team’s “A” as an alternate captain for two seasons before being stripped of the honor this past season. Recently, his agent has been adamant that Tryamkin wants nothing more than to return to the Canucks. The Vancouver Canucks struggled defensively in 2019-20. They bled scoring opportunities and were often rescued by the MVP-like play of Jacob Markstrom. Although the team’s offensive play has improved significantly since Tryamkin last represented the team, they continue to be inept once the opponent begins to carry the puck back up the ice. The organization would be wise, thus, to explore all of its options, including the enigmatic former prospect. He was not so polarizing as a player for the team. He offered exactly what he was expected to provide. His physicality overwhelmed some opposition players, and yet he could transition the puck through the neutral zone quite confidently and naturally. He has done the same for his KHL team. Today, we have an opportunity to look at one of Nikita Tryamkin’s most recent performances: Game 4 of the 2020 KHL Quarterfinals against Sibir Novosibirsk on March 8, 2020. Read the full article at Nucks Misconduct: https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2020/4/2/21190235/nikita-tryamkin-khl-analysis-cambiekev
  10. https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/canucks-hockey/the-lost-shifts-ep-3-cliff-ronning-the-undersized-and-under-appreciated-canucks-star-2202080 When one thinks about the most noteworthy players in Vancouver Canucks history, few ever look past the names that adorn the rafters of Rogers Arena and the Ring of Honour. Many are left out of the fanbase's collective remembrance. As the years progress, the fan favorites of each generation begin to become obscure to their children and their grandchildren. Alas, history is selective, and everything that is not catalogued for present and future audiences will start to become forgotten over time despite how vivid that information is today. Too many players who were at one time integral to the Canucks have become underappreciated and underrated in terms of their talent and ability. Some have remained in the public eye as ambassadors for the Canucks. Those players who have remained active in the local community should be applauded for their efforts to give back to their neighbors. However, this unfortunately does not prevent their on-ice stories from slowly slipping from the consciousness of the general populace. Even the team's most skilled supporting cast members may eventually only be remembered in name, whereas in an ideal scenario, visuals and stories would preserve their legacies. Thus, today we present a look at one of the offensive leaders of the early 1990s Canucks who defied all odds to play in the National Hockey League: Cliff Ronning. He was an underdog of the highest order, constantly battling naysayers at a proud height of five-foot-seven inches and a weight anywhere from 155 to 170 pounds (Frank Orr, Toronto Star, 21 Jan 1987). Although undersized players remain uncommon in the current NHL, the league has become much more hospitable to those who lack the size or strength to overcome the game's most monstrous behemoths. This is Episode III of The Lost Shifts featuring Ronning's performance from Game 3 of the 1992 Smythe Division Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Read the full article at Vancouver Is Awesome: The Lost Shifts Ep. 3: Cliff Ronning, the undersized and under-appreciated Canucks star - Vancouver Is Awesome I am @CambieKev on Twitter. I write for Nucks Misconduct, Last Word On Hockey, Pass It To Bulis, and now scout with the Dobber Prospects team. Enjoy the video!
  11. https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/canucks-hockey/the-lost-shifts-ep-2-mark-messier-the-anti-canuck-video-2156705 In the storied mythos of the Vancouver Canucks, Mark Messier is undoubtedly the team's greatest villain. No coach, no general manager, nor any other player remains as reviled as the notorious Messier. If one were to consult any lifelong Canucks supporter for their opinion of their team's captain from 1997 to 2000, the responses would be unanimous: he epitomizes the injustices that have maligned the team throughout their fifty-year history. He was always known for his gritty style. He was a talented playmaker, and he also possessed an excellent wrist shot. He was intelligent with the puck and reliable defensively. However, he punished opponents with vicious elbows, body checks and a malicious, physical approach. He was the ideal two-way forward. In Vancouver, his physicality was absent. From the very beginning, commentators noticed a complete lack of intensity from the player frequently regarded as fierce and passionate. He was passive and lethargic. His words were hypocritical. His conduct destroyed his reputation in Vancouver. In Episode II of The Lost Shifts, we examine Messier's play in one of his earliest performances with the Canucks: a home game against the Detroit Red Wings on October 26, 1997. It became clear within only a month that this acquisition was a blunder of catastrophic proportions. Our format today deviates from that of our Pavel Bure episode (Episode I). In order to illustrate Messier's apathetic conduct in the most effective and concise fashion, today's presentation features every piece of footage from the match in which he appears on-screen as well as a few extended shifts where his absence from the frame should be considered troublesome. Interview audio from Dan Russell's CKNW 980 show Sportstalk, as well as the insights of numerous commentators can be heard throughout the video. Episode II concludes with a five-minute montage feature. Read the full article detailing his story of betrayal and sabotage at Pass It To Bulis: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/canucks-hockey/the-lost-shifts-ep-2-mark-messier-the-anti-canuck-video-2156705 I am @CambieKev on Twitter.
  12. Dryden vs Smith: How Gary "Suitcase" Smith Became a Hero to a Generation - A CambieKev Presentation By Kevin Wong | Mar 2, 2020, 11:48am PST Gary Smith was terribly exhausted. He had been in Vancouver for less than a year, but his feelings reflected the chaos occurring within his team’s front office. In early 1974, the Vancouver Canucks were in a state of crisis. The team’s owner and president, Tom Scallen of Medical Investment Corporation. Ltd. (Medicor), had been charged with the theft of three-million dollars, alleged to have utilized the team’s finances to cover the debt of its parent company. The franchise’s first-ever National Hockey League coach, Hal Laycoe, was now their general manager, assuming the previous managerial duties of an ailing Bud Poile. Poile had fallen ill in 1972 — officially diagnosed as “exhaustion” on November 21, 1972 —, but he returned the next season as the assistant manager (“Poile Leaves”). Upon his recovery, he refused to work with Laycoe and feuded with his former subordinate. Another member of the board, assistant to the vice president Walter “Babe” Pratt, had once publicly criticized Laycoe as a coach in 1972 on a radio broadcast and was now expected to work alongside him (Beddoes). This tense, uncomfortable dynamic infiltrated every corner of the Canucks’ front office. Meanwhile, the newly-minted, on-ice product was a relative disaster. Wins were scant. The Canucks lacked goaltending depth, and following an injury to starting net-minder Dunc Wilson only a few months prior to Smith’s arrival, the team floundered without an adequate backup (Proudfoot, “No More”). At one point during the 1972-73 season, the organization offered a tryout to Long John Henderson, a 40-year-old former goaltender who had last played in the NHL in 1956 (Proudfoot, “No More”). The Canucks’ farm system was barren and the swift decay of the franchise only continued the following season. At the midpoint of the 1973-74 campaign, the Canucks fired Bill McCreary, the third coach in their four-year NHL existence. Gary Smith arrived in a May 1973 trade between the Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks that sent Dale Tallon, the team’s two-time All-Star representative, the other way. The conduct of their superiors left the players feeling demoralized, and Smith was particularly distressed. His experience with this team had so far been miserable. He commented on the difficulty of working in “such an unbelievably screwed-up atmosphere” (“Canucks’ Hall”). Interim president Coleman E. Hall, serving while Scallen appealed his sentence, contributed similar thoughts to the press, bluntly stating that “this club should be run as a business but it never has been” (“Canucks’ Hall”). Coach McCreary, following his dismissal and subsequent offering of a new role within the organization, corroborated these reports: ”There has been friction on this team right from the start at [the team’s 1973-74] training camp. The two factions on this team have made it difficult to coach, and staying with the organization may be the wrong thing for me.” - Recently-fired Canucks coach Bill McCreary, January 15, 1974 (“Canucks Fire McCreary”) Furthermore, Coley Hall was under scrutiny for operating from his winter home in Hawaii rather than in-person. Such an arrangement led to the perception of an absentee ownership situation, which the team’s followers quickly cited as one of the contributing factors to the disarray of the four-year-old franchise (MacLeod). According to the infamous Toronto-based lawyer and agent Alan Eagleson, upon speaking with Laycoe and Smith: “There’s a lot of problems in Vancouver because of the absentee ownership. Players like Don Lever, Don Tannahill and Andre Boudrias are wondering about their future” (Proudfoot, “Eagleson”). Gary Smith wondered the same. Numerous roster members required new contracts. The threat of poaching by the World Hockey Association seemed particularly real for the meager Canucks. Smith was nicknamed “Suitcase” due to his tendency to travel between leagues in the early days of his career, but it seemed now that several other Canucks would be packing their bags. In Smith’s words, “We had 18 guys in the front office — millions of them, it seemed, and none of them had any power to do anything... nobody from the Canucks was even talking to [the players] about signing new contracts... When Pittsburgh put Bryan Hextall on waivers, we could have used him, but nobody was in a position to exercise our rights to take him” (Proudfoot, “Gary Smith”). There were too many executives and none had enough authority to effectively accomplish any administrative operations. ... Read more at Nucks Misconduct: Dryden vs Smith: How Gary "Suitcase" Smith Became a Hero to a Generation - A CambieKev Presentation
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