A Bag of Pucks: Canucks Fireworks with a Sprinkle of Whitecaps & Giants news

Posted by David Roberts
Filed in Sports
February 20, 2008

With the Canucks taking the maximum four points from their last two games (vs. Edmonton, at Minnesota), the bandwagon is rolling again! I'm not sure if they read my last post and decided to attack their problems, but the 'Nucks played inspired hockey in both games.

It might be because I drank a couple beers (lie!), but the Edmonton game was the best game I've seen in a while. I didn't want the fights to stop at the end! If the Canucks can continue to play as they have done recently, they will certainly make the playoffs. The video below is of the last 1:17 of the third period of the Edmonton game. Note how the video is over eight minutes and a half minutes long.

More good Canucks news: Kevin Bieksa (or as Bob Cole calls him, "Biessss-ka") will be returning to the Canucks' battered blue line after he completes a conditioning stint with the Manitoba Moose. Bieksa will take the pressure off players like Aaron Miller, who despite trying hard, cannot produce a consistent effort over the amount of ice time that was being asked of him.

Other Canuck pucks - Roberto Luongo's pads are under scrutiny, D Lukas Kraijicek may be out for the rest of the season, Peter Forsberg may still come back this season, and the debate still rages: should the Canucks be active at the deadline?

The Vancouver Whitecaps re-signed several core players during the past week. I have lived in Vancouver for my entire life and I have played soccer since I've been able to walk, but I have yet to go to a Whitecaps game. It's on my to-do list this summer.

While the Canucks are resurrecting their season, the Vancouver Giants are in the midst of yet another great one. With the season-old expansion franchise in Chillwack, an entertaining and fierce rivalry has been born. In the last season and a half, the Giants and the Bruins have played each other over twenty times (regular season and playoffs). The Giants own the head-to-head record and thrashed the Bruins again on Sunday night.

Photo courtesy of Canucks.com

[edit - decided against the Live Blog]

Reader Reviews and Comments

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I don't know why you would question the consistency of Aaron Miller? If I'm correct, and I think I am, he hasn't even played since February 1st because of a foot injury. I guess he COULD be more consistent in the way he rehabs, but that may be a little picky :) I do agree however that players like Edler could sure use a more experienced player like Bieksa back to take some of the minutes.

Posted by: Matt at February 20, 2008 10:15 PM | Quote Comment

After looking at this a few times, it looks to me that Burrows is basically the bad guy here, and it should be grounds for suspension (he needs to control his stick even if he's pissed - just like Ohlund's slash that got him a suspension, even though this wasn't a two-hander and not as bad).

Stoll shouldn't get a penalty in that situation, his "shove" was what we see all the time from players that are trying to get under the skin of the opposition. Burrows does a lot of the same stuff to oponents.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2008 10:25 PM | Quote Comment

Aaron Miller may be injured, but I I believe I heard on the radio today that he is going to be back soon. When he was playing, he was logging # 3 defenceman minutes. I like Miller as a person and to an extent as a player, provided he's in the right role (5th or 6th defenceman). I notice he gets really tired out there on the ice and sometimes seems a step behind the play. That said, he does have his brilliant moments.

As for Edler, I think he has held himself well. He has the conditioning and the skill to handle 23+ minutes each game.

As Blake Price (of the Team 1040) said today, imagine what the Canucks are going to be like with:

1. Mitchell
2. Bieksa
3. Ohlund
4. Salo
5. Edler
6. Miller

I think I can say with certainty that those six are the best defence corps in the league.

Posted by: David Roberts