The Horvatian One Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Today, March 16th marks the one year mark of Manny Malhotra's eye injury, I still remember sitting there during th game vs the Colorado Avs and seeing the trail of blood Manny left on the ice and thinking that cant be good. if im not mistakrn Trev and Harper were also at the game. here's an good read from november Frustration grows as Canucks’ Malhotra continues comeback Facebook | Twitter | Email | Instapaper Iain MacIntyre, National Post Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 LOS ANGELES — When his left eye went dark, there was probably a time last spring when Manny Malhotra didn’t even think about playing hockey. There was surely a time this fall when he didn’t think he could play it this poorly. Compared to the alternative of not playing at all and going the rest of his life without vision in one eye, things are not so bad for Malhotra, the person. But for Malhotra, the player, things have rarely been worse. When Malhotra managed to go minus-4 last week in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the 31-year-old Vancouver Canucks forward reached a defensive nadir untouched in his first 789 games in the National Hockey League. Malhotra finished fifth in Selke Trophy balloting last season and his six first-place votes were more than anyone except winner and teammate Ryan Kesler. Malhotra is fiercely dedicated to the defensive side of his game, conscientious to a fault. But when the Canucks landed In LosAngeles late Sunday night after an impressive 6-2 win in Chicago, Malhotra’s minus-10 rating for this season was 675th out of 681 NHL players. The Canucks took Monday off in the Southern California sunshine. Nobody needs more of a mental break than Malhotra, who is as frustrated with his bottom line as any of Vancouver’s combustible fans. “Very much so,” Malhotra said. “There is a little leeway I give myself knowing I didn’t have those added months of training. At the same time, you want to contribute. You want to be yourself. I have to push myself to get better quickly and catch up as soon as possible. “There is a frustration element that you’re back (playing), but just not able to perform the way you were. That’s frustrating. Giving yourself a little bit of time, it makes things easier. But the frustration — I keep bringing that word up — is still there. I just want to be better, want to be able to contribute, want to be able to perform like I did before.” Before that puck ramped up Colorado defenceman Erik Johnson’s stick last March 16 and sickeningly struck Malhotra’s eye. Before the surgery in New York that saved Malhotra’s sight and career and allowed him to make an astonishing comeback in the Stanley Cup final. Before he lost nearly all of his July and August training due to two followup “procedures” on his eye that nobody wants to talk about. It wasn’t until shortly before this six-city road trip, which ends with games Thursday and Friday against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, that Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault explained how much Malhotra had been set back during the summer by post-surgery training restrictions. “Manny, with everything that happened to him in the summer, might have worked out at 50 or 60 per cent for three weeks,” Vigneault said then. “That’s all he did. I figured it was going to be like this. “The tough part for me right now is managing Manny as far as him not getting overly disappointed or frustrated with himself. He knows that the game he’s putting on the ice is not the one he wants to put on. We know we just have to work our way through this.” Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Monday: “The procedures had to be done on a schedule based on what was done previously. It wasn’t like we could pick the days. We knew it would be impossible for Manny to be perfectly prepared for the season. There was absolutely no way he could be.” As with the team, Malhotra’s progress has been erratic. After finishing plus-1 in the trip-opening 5-1 win in Calgary — the first game this season Malhotra was better than even — he went a career-worst minus-4 in Minnesota. Malhotra was even Friday in St. Louis and again on Sunday. He hasn’t scored in 15 games and has five assists. Malhotra has been a minus player seven times. For context, consider he was below even in only 15 games all last season, and just three times in the final 32 games before his injury. “We talk about that internal competition that constantly goes on with our group,” Malhotra said. “You just don’t want to let your teammates down. We have that kind of bond around here that we’re playing for one another. They’re understanding, but at the same time I want to get better and pull my own weight. “Early on, conditioning was a real issue. Just not having that training period, cardio wasn’t what it should have been. The number of skates I’d normally do in the summertime, I didn’t get a chance to do that. Everything was off.” Malhotra is starting to feel better physically. As Vigneault said, Malhotra’s greater challenge is mental. He refuses to talk in detail about his ordeal last spring and summer. “It’s just the basic sense of wanting to put it behind me and move on,” he explained. “I just want to move forward. I want to get better and focus on the things I need to do to help this year instead of: ‘Hey, remember last year, remember that?’ ” He said he is also long past the recovery stage where merely playing again was a medical and emotional victory, although he added: “Do I appreciate being in the NHL that much more? Yes. I’ve never taken that for granted. I do cherish the opportunities I have now and being in the position I’m in.” That’s a good thing to remember these days. Vancouver Sun Tags: Hockey, NHL, Sports, Alain Vigneault, Manny Malhotra, Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arman_Canucks21 Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 The guy is an absolute warrior; a soldier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmotamed Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Except when Raymond is back from a broken back... Which has to do with his spine... We all are dogging on him. How shameful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj vic Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I too remember that game when he got injured and felt that his career may be over. Thankfully that wasn't the case. Thankfully as well the Canucks organization has stuck by Manny, allowing him time to regain form which he has recently begun to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoreyPerry Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 game 2, manny chants, i think every canucks fan had shivers run down their spine watching that, and still do, what a ride this team took us all on last year. Responding to that comment about raymond, I didn`t like raymond`s play before the injury, sure cut the boy some slack, but his play just gets redundant after a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeStealth Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Except when Raymond is back from a broken back... Which has to do with his spine... We all are dogging on him. How shameful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnsey Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 It is remarkable how much love this guy has. I am in no way saying he doesnt deserve because he definitely does, but it still amazes how loud the Manny chants were when he showed up playing in Game 2. The guy was only in his first season, and for him to have that much love from a team he hadn't played with for a year yet, is just amazing. Personally i dont care if he gets to the quality 3rd liner he was, i dont care if he becomes a top 6 guy. His personality and just him in general is amazing. I remember watching some locker room videos of the team in the playoffs and he seemed to always be the first player to congratulate the team on a win. He is such a team player, and one that we need to lock up for the rest of his career. imo he is kinda like Linden (in his later years), sure he is not a guy expected to get 60-80PTS but his leadership is absolutely amazing for a year he has had. Honestly cant say enough about the guy, got so much respect for his drive and ambition :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILL BILL NECRO Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 It is remarkable how much love this guy has. I am in no way saying he doesnt deserve because he definitely does, but it still amazes how loud the Manny chants were when he showed up playing in Game 2. The guy was only in his first season, and for him to have that much love from a team he hadn't played with for a year yet, is just amazing. Personally i dont care if he gets to the quality 3rd liner he was, i dont care if he becomes a top 6 guy. His personality and just him in general is amazing. I remember watching some locker room videos of the team in the playoffs and he seemed to always be the first player to congratulate the team on a win. He is such a team player, and one that we need to lock up for the rest of his career. imo he is kinda like Linden (in his later years), sure he is not a guy expected to get 60-80PTS but his leadership is absolutely amazing for a year he has had. Honestly cant say enough about the guy, got so much respect for his drive and ambition :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Certainly don't mind locking up Manny, but nowhere near his current 2.5 per. That was pretty rich, even at his peak. And it looks like he'll always be a step behind that now. But 1.5 for a 4th liner of his calibre? Sign me up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keslerian one Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 1.5M for a couple years - yes. Strengths: Reliable veteran, good leader, versatile, faceoff man, kills penalties. Weaknesses: Not a difference maker, doesn't play too physical, not dominant in anything outside of the faceoff circle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luongo.is.god Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 game 2, manny chants, i think every canucks fan had shivers run down their spine watching that, and still do, what a ride this team took us all on last year. Responding to that comment about raymond, I didn`t like raymond`s play before the injury, sure cut the boy some slack, but his play just gets redundant after a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrippledCanuck Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Except when Raymond is back from a broken back... Which has to do with his spine... We all are dogging on him. How shameful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Doughty Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Manny! Manny! Manny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 When one-eye Manny hobbled into the lineup over Hodgson in the finals, that was the final straw for Cody. 2 goals, no assists in 30 playoff games. It's a shame about the eye injury, but we've always kinda overrated him. I hope he improves soon. Cheers. TOML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossram Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 He earned 23pts in 08/09 53pts in 09/10 39pts in 10/11 At the end of the season of 9/10 he took nucks to salary arbitration asking for 3.6mil per yr and got a raise earning 2.5 and 2.6 in a 2yr contract. Replacing his old contract of 760k then boom next season hits and his point totals lower. So basically he outperforms in a contract yr and then slouches once he gets a contract. You cannot blame his fractured vertabrae on his regular season play last year as injury happened in the playoffs. This year 45gp and 16 points yes he came back from an injury but if he wasnt ready he shouldnt have come back. Mason gets criticized because of the combination of his point output which I agree should scale to less games played than previous years but he also makes so many sloppy plays, dosent go to dirty areas, falls down with every slight breeze etc etc. all he has is his speed but if he cant use to effectively then whats the point of having it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehamburglar Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I like him lots, but still. Why do we hate on Raymond so much even though he came back from a much more severe injury? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
250Integra Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I like him lots, but still. Why do we hate on Raymond so much even though he came back from a much more severe injury? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollumpus Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I like him lots, but still. Why do we hate on Raymond so much even though he came back from a much more severe injury? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehamburglar Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Because a player suffered an injury, we have to automatically like him? I'm happy that Raymond recovered from a potential career-ending injury but that doesn't mean I like his on-ice play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckfan_sincebirth Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 excellent post! good read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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