In the most recent Crazy Canucks podcast, the topic of conversation was pretty bleak. “We’ve been drinking…” they say, and it’s “not celebratory.”
And the world ain’t quite looking up.
Still, positives are around in Canucklan, and to shoot that down would be outright pessimistic of me. And, though my absence may seem to have coincided perfectly with the Canucks’ plummet, I really wasn’t trying to keep away from blogging. It’s been a busy, busy week, and the fact that it’s capped off by an actual effort by my favorite squad is sheer luck!
The victory last night over the Colorado Avalanche was likely the high point of this week. While the Sports Corner is quite optimistic about the team’s future, I’ll add my apparently chronic negative note. It is entirely true that the Canucks managed to pull off a gargantuan effort to overcome a theoretically better squad, and I am most appreciative of the fact that the back end didn’t seem to collapse despite lacking Bieksa, Salo, and the often-forgotten Lukas Krajicek! That’s 3 out of the team’s top 4 or 5 defensemen (depending on where you slot Krajicek), which hurts a team immensely, particularly when that same team cannot score.
But TSC rightly points out that the young’uns didn’t look out of place on the ice against Colorado’s formidable offensive legion, so — miracle of all (hockey) miracles! — we should be okay for defense.
The other positive was the Canucks’ effort. They didn’t look like they were trying to pull a Jesus out there (skating on water, as it were 
), and instead outflew the Avs… which is no mean trick! Colorado has some fast feet, and to see guys like the indomitable Kesler making the Statsnys and Sakics look like they sported lead feet was a great thrill! They hit, they spat, and they rubbed salt in Colorado’s wounds by snatching away the last-minute victory in an otherwise even matchup. It was the first Canuckian game of the season.
However, just because they managed to prove they can win a game that wasn’t against Edmonton or Washington doesn’t mean that they look ready to beat Detroit when next they face. There are three things which concern me, primarily, and they’re not things that you can simply overlook in order to form an optimistic twist to the events.
The first is perhaps the most overt. Have you looked at the goaltending standings lately? I know I haven’t. And it’s because I am afraid to witness just how far the mighty have fallen. Luongo, last year’s second-by-a-hair Vezina contender, looks like he’s not the second-by-a-hair Vancouver goaltender. Statistically that is. We all know Luongo should be the starting goaltender in Canucksville. And that he should have won the Vezina. But I digress.
Vancouver with Luongo number one is a 100-point team; Vancouver with Luongo number two is worth an 80-point estimate at best. The only teams in the league to succeed minus a netminder are far better offensively than Vancouver, and few if any advance to the second round of the playoffs — an absolute must if Vancouver is to boast any real progress this season! We need our goaltender back, and that’s no joke.
But the bigger question is why? The only reason I can think of for Luongo to be falling apart (relatively speaking — he’s still average, I suppose) is his minor groin tweak against Calgary way back in game two of the season. While it’s entirely possible that the Canucks’ goaltender is playing wounded, though, it’s hard to believe that he would be able to play as brilliantly as he has at times. Still, since this is the only solution I can present, here goes: Bench Louie. Akin to suicide? Perhaps. But if Vignault were to sit Luongo for something like five games, methinks it would give any ailments plaguing the goalie a chance to subside. If Sanford plays as well as he did in his only start, then the Canucks should fare reasonably well. If not, five games is a small price to pay for having Luongo back. I don’t know if it’ll work — what I do know is that he’s been slow across the crease and his rebound control hasn’t been as flawless as it was last season, and those are crucial to his game. Restoring his health could be the key to rediscovering his inner deity.
But the fact that we need a deity remains, and that’s even more concerning to me. Two more things trouble yours truly: Consistency in general and consistency offensively.
The “in general” thing is one which fans must count on Vignault to restore. The Canucks were one of the grittiest, most tenacious teams in the league last year. They had little in the way of “power”, per se, but they still outground (grinded?) most of their opponents in the second half. The squad has shown flashes of brilliance in this area, and when they do, even teams like the Wings have trouble handling Vancouver. But the effort hasn’t been there in spurts long enough to last a game in most cases, and sometimes it’s lacking the entire match. That simply won’t do.
Injuries cause bonding. It’s a weird effect. A twisted ankle can result in sympathy throughout the locker room. A knee-on-knee will have the bench cleared in an attempt to seek revenge. “AAAGH! I CAN’T FEEL MY BRAIN STEM!” is worth a canoe trip and free booze for the victim. A lacerated leg, a broken face, and a fractured foot? Enough sympathy to generate an effort on the ice, not just off it! 
The bigger question is will it last. This is the third time that Canucks fans have hailed their team as “back.” Will a renewed spirit help to qualm the disaster that is Vancouver? For this, we’ll just have to wait and see.
What it will not qualm is the Canucks’ offensive woes. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a billion times: the Sedins are insufficient. Once again TSC points out that the Sedins “returned to their scoring ways.” That’s a male cow (I’m in a weird mood — get over it!) Woohoo! They can score — against lame defenses! The Avs, like the Caps and Oils before them, are inept in their own zone, and even have a struggling netminding tandem, to make it that much simpler! Henrik and Daniel are good for generating pressure, but against the best teams, there needs to be another line. Kesler looks like a one-man line out there at times, and Naslund and Morrison have been on and off, but Vancouver still has yet to mount any consistent effort against a team worth its salt behind their own blue line!
It’s time the team tasted the bitter truth and gave up on aspiring to win 4-3 games. It won’t happen more than a handful of times, and never against any real opponent. Mostly, we can expectwo goals a game — three if you’re a raging optimist — and the team needs to either take that into account, or make a move to change it. Right now the Canucks seem stuck in a revolving door. They are middle of the pack defensively and offensively and can’t seem to decide which area they wish to build around. They trap in the other team’s zone and cycle in front of Luongo, all the while wondering why the heck they can’t generate or stop more goals.
This identity crisis must end should the team succeed. If they want to generate the goals, then drop Vignault’s system and give me the Naslund and Morrison of old. If they want to stick to their success last year, then get back into the trap rut. Success comes in the form of either/or. Suck it up, Canucks!
