A Great Team

[fanzone2010]

Here is article in National Post today, and why Canucks are down 3-0 in series:

WHY VANCOUVER IS DOWN 3-0

That missing Sedin Daniel Sedin led the Canucks with 30 goals this season, even though he missed the final nine games with a concussion suffered March 21, when he was hit by a vicious elbow from Chicago’s Duncan Keith. Vancouver was struggling to score before he left, and it continued to struggle in his absence, averaging 2.67 goals a game, or about a third of a goal below its season-ending average (2.94). In three playoff games without Daniel, the Canucks are averaging 1.33 goals a game. Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler have been held without a goal. Daniel Sedin is expected to practise with the team on Tuesday, but his status for Game 4 remains unclear.

Offensive depth Vancouver executed one of the few eyebrow-raising moves of the trade deadline in February when it swapped one first-round pick (Cody Hodgson) for another (Zack Kassian) in a deal with Buffalo that was supposed to provide a dose of size to the Canucks roster. It turns out they needed scoring. Hodgson finished with eight points in 20 games with the Sabres (0.40 points a game), while Kassian had three points in 17 games with the Canucks (0.18 points a game). Kassian does not have a point in the first three playoff games of his NHL career.

Goaltending Jonathan Quick, the 26-year-old Vezina Trophy candidate, has allowed just four goals in three games against Vancouver, and had faced more shots (115) than any other goaltender in the playoffs through Sunday while posting a .965 save percentage. Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, who was scratched in favour of Cory Schneider on Sunday, had an .891 save-percentage in two starts. (Schneider, who only faced 20 shots on Sunday, is at .950.)

Special teams Only three playoff teams had not scored a power-play goal heading into play Monday, and Vancouver was one of them. (Boston and Washington were the others, in a series with 11 power-play opportunities.) And the Canucks conceded a pair of short-handed goals to Kings captain Dustin Brown in Game 2, a 4-2 loss at home.

A move not made With Luongo signed through the 2021-22 season, everyone in the league seemed to be wondering what the Canucks would do with Schneider, a backup who actually outperformed Luongo in several key statistical categories this season. They decided not to trade Schneider, leaving this potential collapse open to hindsight. “If the Canucks had traded him on any of the occasions when it seemed prudent to do so,” columnist Cam Cole wrote in The Vancouver Sun, “they might have had that extra impact player they so desperately needed to help fill the void created by Daniel [sedin]’s absence.”

[elvis15]

You gotta wonder how many guys actually truly want another long post-season. I'd bet most of them are on some level excited at the idea of having nearly 5 months off, especially those that went through nasty injuries/surgeries in the last year. They can take it easy, workout and train at their leisure, be with their families, take some extended vacations... that would sound good to me.

[TimberWolf]

If there is anyone who thinks that, they're welcome to not come back next year and have even more time off.

While it isn't quite the lengthy playoffs of the NHL, any recreational sport I play that has playoffs is one I want to win. I still want to be in those games, even though I'm not getting paid for it, and I have to deal with the soreness the day after and while at work.

If any of these players can't get excited about earning millions to play a sport for part of the year, they don't deserve a contract in the NHL.

[luongotv]

Whether we win or lose i will always believe and have faith and support my Vancouver Canucks.

GO CANUCKS GO!

[luongotv]

Edmonton is gonna dominate us next year/ 2 years from now