Kassian Perfect Fit for Canucks

As Vancouver recovers from the shock of the Cody Hodgson trade, it is obvious that this was a truly emotional move made by the Canucks. Angry callers ranted on local radio stations, while many others silently mourned the loss of the youngster they had fallen in love with over the last five months.

Coming back the other way is Zack Kassian, a young power forward who had been playing his rookie season for the Buffalo Sabres. A year younger, he is nowhere near the development of Hodgson.

There is understandably the fear that this will be a repeat of Neely-for-Peterson, the deal that saw the Canucks ship out a future Hall-of-Famer for a guy whose name would be forgotten if not for his part in this very trade.

Comparing Hodgson to Cam Neely is premature to say the least. Even more unfair is calling Kassian another Barry Peterson. It is easy to write off this unfamiliar name as an inferior talent, but this great unknown boasts a ceiling every inch as high as Hodgson’s.

Zack Kassian was drafted 13^th overall in the 2009 draft. He is widely considered to be the cream of the prospect crop when it comes to power forwards. Scouts portray him as an extremely complete player, with imposing size and strength and a willingness to throw punches, while possessing uncharacteristically soft hands and exceptional skating ability.

He showed off his abilities largely while playing for the OHL dynasty Windsor Spitfires. After joining them during the 2009/10 season, Kassian was an impactful piece in the second of back-to-back Memorial Cup championships for Windsor.

This is where he begins to separate himself from Cody Hodgson. His tough, gritty game contrasts the finesse of Hodgson. There is no player in the Vancouver Canucks organization like Zack Kassian. And while he may not be ready by then, there is a hope that he will help the Canucks this spring to fill the void that was so exploited by the Boston Bruins a year ago.

The Vancouver fan base has been begging management to toughen up their squad. Instead of a Band-Aid rental player, Gillis went for the Cadillac of gritty young stars. It should be seen as a success, but it seems nobody was prepared for the price the Canucks would have to pay.

Cody Hodgson was the oasis in the desert that is the Canucks’ farm system. He was the next Trevor Linden, the one who would lead Vancouver through the next era of prosperity. He was someone you could build a franchise around.

For such ridiculous dreams, it is amazing how widespread these notions are in the wake of his departure. In their fury they overlook the fact that Kassian is even more capable of meeting such expectations.

Zack Kassian is definitely not a sure thing. There is a substantial chance that he could be a bust. However, it is exactly this heavy risk that works in this favour. Hodgson is a safe bet, he will not disappear, but he does not have the same upside that Kassian does. Kassian’s potential calibre has a significantly wider range, including a higher ceiling.

That ceiling would look a lot like a Milan Lucic, which should have Canuck Nation salivating. People talk about changing the team’s culture; becoming bigger, nastier, a club that nobody would mess with. Zack Kassian is the kind of player who is capable of that kind of impact. If he hits his potential, the Canucks will be able to build a very impressive team around him down the road.

Yes, Gillis did make this move for the present. A big part of this decision was improving Vancouvers chances in 2011. Just do not confuse that with being short-sighted. Kassian may contribute to a post-season run this year, but he has the ability to help the Canucks to many more deep runs at the Stanley Cup after the Luongo-Sedin era is long gone.

A Cody Hodgson team would be a skill team, much like the one of today, bound for regular season success, and not much else. With Zack Kassian as a cornerstone of the franchise, Vancouver could be a team built for the playoffs.

Everyone Hates the Canucks, Deal With It

You’ve heard it by now. The media, the polls, the rants by the immaculately wise fans, about how the Vancouver Canucks are the most hated team in the league. Inspired by the diving, whining, and high flying hits in the 2011 playoff run, supporters on the West Coast have had to put up with a lot of flak.

Born out of that is the war of words that has been raging since April of last year. There are only two powers: Canucks fans, and “other”. In coffee shops and offices the discussions consist of the regular polite small talk with a little kick. Online, however, people tend to be a considerably more courageous. Personal attacks and call-outs between guys who will never so much as look each other in the eye are run-of-the-mill on chat rooms and forums.

Why?

Is there really a need to defend so valiantly the pride of the organization? After all, the razzing from around the hockey world is nothing new to successful clubs. There is no team that has followed a superb regular season by a deep post-season run who has ever avoided the same type of hatred Vancouver received.

The source of the real problem is the way Canucks fans have handled the remarks. The standard method has always been to ignore. Most often these attacks are brushed off with a quiet pride, knowing the hatred is born out of suffering.

This approach is usually taken by fans of historically great teams. They have grown used to winning, and the harassment that comes with it. When followers of a struggling rival come calling, they know the drill.

Vancouver, as their fans have heard repeatedly, is not one of those franchises. The famed 40-year drought has been littered with painfully irrelevant teams. Many of today’s supporters have spent much of their lives playing second fiddle (more like fifth) to the powerful Flames and Oilers squads of the eighties. The BC natives were the ones giving to the Albertans in bars, rather than the other way around.

Now, for the first time in their lives, the Canucks have spent the past couple seasons as serious contenders. And they are loving it.

People who have endured so long with absolutely nothing to brag about finally have just that. Suddenly, four decades worth of pride has come out in less than a year. Inevitably, the smack talk has been massively overdone. Even the normally classy audience at Roger’s Arena has turned into an anthem-booing mess. Canuck Nation has been given the unshakable reputation of arrogance. And there is nothing fans sick of losing hate more that arrogance.

As a result, these non-playoff supporters have turned unreasonably harsh on Vancouver. Their insults are nastier, and they dig deeper for dirt about the actual players. The Canucks, on ice actions are more scrutinized that those of any other team. Every single incident is blown out of proportion, and guys like Burrows and LaPierre have been turned into rats.

However, anyone without a clear bias (not many) can see that the Canucks are among the least suspended teams in the NHL. Some like to spin this fact, claiming the league is soft towards Vancouver. The reasons for this favouratism are always different, depending on who you ask, but the common denominator is that they are all baseless.

Nonetheless, these conspiracy theories only add fuel to the fire; they are conveniently adopted as fact. Canucks fans, instead of realizing how silly this talk is, let it agitate them into heated arguments. The reputation worsens, the haters get angrier, they find more dirt, and Vancouverites retaliate, doing even more damage to their own image. Such is the vicious cycle of ignorance.

This commotion is made more ridiculous is the fact that the actual athletes are seemingly indifferent. While fans are lapping up the hype the media is serving up, opposing players are continuing their business-as-usual approach.

With the obvious exception of the once-a-year Canucks-Bruins matchup, the “most hated team in the league” does not generally receive a lot of the cheap shots and rough play a truly despised group would expect. Even yesterday’s archrival Chicago Blackhawks have never given Vancouver an abnormally hard time in a regular season game.

In this case, the cliché is true: rivalries are for fans. If looked at beyond the first glance, the notion of other players hating Vancouver’s appears artificial. The animosity that is supposed to be sparking these heated debates does not actually exist, which makes this whole thing even sillier.

Rather than dwelling on fabricated anger towards their team, Canucks fans would be better off taking the high road. Just as those more used to winning ways have done, it must be realized that “haters gonna hate.”

These arguments cannot be won. No Toronto Maple Leafs fan is going to read a post and go,” You know what, he’s right. I’m gonna convert to a Canucks fan right away.” Somehow people still put up a fight, holding on to slim hopes of changing their adversaries’ minds. Beyond that prayer, there is no point in satisfying their hunger to get under Vancouver’s skin.

They simply have to accept that they will take some verbal abuse, and be glad to know the better man will have playoff hockey to watch.

Obviously it is unlikely the entire Canucks fan base will all of a sudden decide to be classy. Understandably, it is not easy to take a ribbing with dignity, or even without cursing them out. However, Vancouver is enjoying the most prosperous years they are likely to have in a long time. Rather than wasting the good years endlessly bashing the doubters, why not rationalize and enjoy the ride.

Then again, we are hockey fans. When did people start expecting us to be rational?

Salo Lost in Suspension Bickering

The low-bridge hit in Saturday morning’s game was less about Marchand than it was about Salo.

The 37-year-old Canucks defenseman suffered a concussion after a questionable hip check by Boston winger Brad Marchand, although it is doubtful that was the only upper body injury he sustained. Sami Salo seemed also to be favouring his left should while being followed off the ice by trainer Mike Burnstein.

The hit happened as a loose puck was drifting up the boards in the Boston end. Salo pinched from the blue line to race Marchand for possession. Marchand reached the puck first, motioned as if to clear the zone, and then out of nowhere dropped to take Salo’s knees from underneath him.

Most would agree that it was a dirty hit, the real debate being to what degree. NHL Head Disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan weighed in with a five-game suspension for Marchand. Excessive, as is nearly all supplementary discipline this season, but relative to Shanahan’s standards, five makes sense.

Of course, Vancouver fans will lobby for more, while the Bruins base will wonder why this “clean” hit was even penalized, and some keeners will go to the usual lengths of comparing similar plays from the past, which are not really similar at all. No matter what Shanny does, no one will be happy.

However, the focus of this entire incident has been on the offender, not the victim. The blow to Salo hurts more than his shoulder. It has been nearly eight years since he last played greater than 70 games in a regular season. Halfway through this campaign, he had only missed four games.

It finally seemed that luck was going his way. Then his new-found health was dashed by a cheap shot, and the normally even-keel Salo suddenly burst into frustration, tossing his stick into the glass, refusing to be helped off the ice. Realizing Salo was hurt yet again, many watching in their living rooms did the same to their remotes.

You can’t help but feel for the guy. He is the epitome of blue-collar. With his slap shot power diminishing, he has worked hard to improve his defensive game. His contributions in his own end have quietly been priceless for the Vancouver Canucks, as shown by the highly publicized statistics concerning their play without Salo in the lineup. In this year’s version, they are 1-4 when he is injured.

He is nothing but class, always taking the high road, a behavior fast disappearing in the Canucks organization. You can bet the farm Sami Salo will not be bashing Marchand in the press.

Unfortunately, the story of Salo’s career has been one of bad things happening to a good person. From the legendary snake-bite in his native Finland, to the endless list of injuries he has endured, he has had to put up with more trouble than anybody deserves much less a man of Salo’s character. And that’s before the Brad Marchand incident.

Naturally, his struggle will be simply subtext to the jawing by both clubs’ management (and some players, too.) One can only hope than maturity will somehow set in, and these men will realize that it’s not about Alain, or Claude. Not Alex, or Brad, or Maxim. It’s about Sami, and it’s about respect.

Canada's Loss Reveals Goaltending Troubles

After yet another heartbreaking loss to the Russians, the Canadian skaters are doing exactly what they should after their goalie tandem gave up six goals: blaming themselves.

Canada was handed a 6-5 loss, their riveting comeback effort falling just shy after trailing by five with little more than 10 minutes left in the game. Regardless, the six goals allowed by the Canadian goaltending were not used as an excuse.

In all of their post-game interviews, not one bad word was spoken of either starter Scott Wedgewood or reliever Mark Visentin. The teammates took the entire blame on their own shoulders, an impressive display of leadership in the midst of a very difficult outcome.

The trouble is leaders will more often say what is right than what is true. The fact is, Russia’s goaltending let 5 goals through them on 54 shots, while Canada’s duo allowed 6 goals on just 24 shots. The deflections off the snake-bitten Ryan Murray offer no excuses. Netminders at this level must make more of those tough saves.

This is not a country that is used to such feeble performances between the pipes. Canada has a proud history of legendary goalies backing stingy defenses. When team Canada needed stand-on-your-head goaltending, fans had the luxury of taking it for granted.

Nowadays, Canada’s net at the World Juniors is increasingly average. In a tournament that not long ago was dominated by prodigious goalies out of Quebec, the talk has shifted to traditionally attack-minded European sides.

Examples from the 2012 tournament are the flashy Czech Petr Mrazek, and Russia’s Andrei Vasilevski who, despite the rough finish, kept the Canadian offense at bay for 50 out of 60 minutes.

The Canadian keepers did not have the same kind of star power coming in to this tournament, and while Scott Wedgewood’s exceptional play early on got people talking, getting yanked halfway through the semi-finals will be his mark on the World Juniors.

The performance against the Russians, along with the collapse of Mark Visentin in the 2011 gold medal game, continues a trend that has spanned the better part of a decade. The days of spectacular goaltending are in the rear view mirror for World Junior fans, which makes the same effect on Canada’s senior squads inevitable.

Fortunately, the Canadian Juniors of the mid to late 2000s brought such overwhelming talent in the offensive zone that they continued to steam roll their way through the holidays. Panic has been delayed up to now.

The cover-up could only last until Canada was twice knocked out of contention by the hated Russians. The lack of success has lifted the veil from over the Canadian net, and the fear is that this nation is on the path to a full-blown goaltending crisis.

This would be, no doubt, the worst position that could possibly dry up for any program. Over the last century, no matter how the game has evolved, the goaltender has remained the most critical component of a hockey team. If Canada truly is running out of young netminders, the result 20 years down the road will be disastrous.

To avoid this catastrophe, Hockey Canada must do all the necessary digging to find out why they are not developing goalies. Right now, all we have is speculation by decreasingly wise hockey writers, none of whom offer any legitimate solutions.

Hockey Canada knows best why they fall short, and if they are serious about maintaining this country’s hockey dominance, they will be humble enough to honestly assess and address any of their findings.

It is truly important that they recognize that goaltending is a serious issue, and take any necessary action, or else put their fans through suffering on far bigger stages than the World Juniors.

Don't Count Out the Bruins

You may recall the playoff bracket posted to this blog before the first round of the playoffs began, and specifically, the prediction of Boston over Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals. And as painful as it is, that pick still stands, and here’s why.

The formula for a Stanley Cup has long been accepted as solid goaltending, stingy defense, and grit. These are the most important factors, and they grow more impactful as a team runs deeper into the post-season.

In a rough-and-tumble sport where toughness is only magnified during the playoffs, players get worn down, and it will often be the team that can rough the other up enough to earn an edge in fatigue that has the advantage.

The Bruins are bigger, and badder than the Canucks, there is no arguing that. They have sandpaper in their bottom six, top six, and starting six d-men. No matter which line or pairing they have on the ice, Boston will be constantly grinding away at the Canucks stamina.

When you play that gritty style, goals will be hard to come by. That was evidenced by Game 1 last night. The series will come down to which side can dominate defensively and between the pipes. Both of those traits happen to be Boston’s specialty.

Expect the pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg to give the Sedin twins more than their fair share of trouble. If Hank and Danny had trouble with Nashville’s Weber-Suter pairing, how will they handle maybe the best duo in the league?

When the Sedins do not score, as was the case in the Preds series, they have to rely on secondary scoring. In the second round, it was Kesler who provided virtually all of it. But that was against a sub-par bottom four defensemen.

The Bruins have three pairings that can play, and they play stingy. If Chara and Seidenberg can control the Sedins, it will not be as easy for the bottom nine to score goals. What makes it worse is they have to score on Tim Thomas.

If Pekka Rinne was a test for Vancouver, they were being tested for this series, because Tim Thomas might be the best there is this year. And in this playoff run, he has developed a habit of showing up big in the biggest games.

If you combine that factor with the grit that the Bruins bring, which will likely result in a worn, tired, and likely injury depleted Canuck team, it adds up to a Boston team that will gain more of an advantage as the series stretches longer.

The Canucks have the skill to take games early on, but they have had trouble closing out series, and the Bruins have a knack for coming back. Don’t be surprised if Vancouver blows a lead to lose the series.

Vancouver fans certainly hope that will not be the case, because after all the anticipation, an ending like that would be heartbreaking.

Diving Could Become Dangerous

Was it a trip, or a dive? One fan base is always certain of the answer, while supporters of the other club know the opposite to be true. It puts the referee in an impossible position, and it is why embellishing has become an issue for the NHL.

Like most other controversies the league faces, the fans’ opinions are split. The liberal view is that diving should be accepted as a valid strategy, a part of the game, while traditionalists argue that it is a cheap tactic, and does not belong it the game.

But even as awareness increases, faking spills is becoming a more frequent occurrence. If this trend is allowed to continue, it will prove more than just an annoyance; it could become dangerous.

In basic terms, a officiating is meant to protect the players. Diving impairs the referee’s ability to officiate, and consequently, player safety suffers. Referees have a very difficult job, more so than most fans will concede. Refs have so much on their plate already, having to judge whether a play was a dive or not really is unfair.

You hear it come up in many casual hockey conversations; that the quality of officiating has gone down in recent years. If that is true, then it is the players, not the referees who are to blame.

The diving problem is also indirectly linked to the more hot-button topics in the league today. Much has been made about how officials, in front offices and on ice rinks, must be held more responsible for the prevention of serious injuries.

But the NHL’s big boys can help get rid of headshots in ways other than handing down tougher suspensions. Increasing the length of these bans will not be as effective as expanding the types of plays that are suspendable.

Many times, deciding if a player was legitimately tripped up or not borders on impossible when viewed at full speed. But if Colin Campbell’s office examined these questionable plays in slow-motion, determining that the fall was embellished, in some cases, would become obvious. We know it would work; in fact, viewers in living rooms make it look easy.

Not to say that they should give suspensions for going down a little easy, or holding the stick to one’s body to aid the ref in spotting a hook. Than would be extreme. But if someone is obviously trying to make an innocent play look viscous (i.e. Mike Ribero), there is an opportunity for the league to make a statement.

Unfortunately, this gamesmanship is not the issue people want to talk about when Sidney Crosby is out with a concussion, and another cheap-shot cost Marc Savard his career. But if the NHL is not careful, it is exactly these kinds of incidents that diving will produce.

The league would be wise to deal with diving now; because it is easier to kill a virus that an epidemic.

Final Four Proves Goaltending's Worth

From the old NHL to the new one, some things never change.

These 2011 playoffs have proven that goaltending is the cornerstone to a successful playoff run. As the Conference Finals begin, the common denominator between the final four is the last line of defence. It is no accident that these teams have made it so far thanks to solid play between the pipes.

Whether it has been Dwayne Roloson, Roberto Luongo, Antti Niemi, or Tim Thomas, series have been won and lost in goaltending duels. Big names, and small, old and young, this is a bunch that is getting it done.

The baby-face of these four backstoppers is the San Jose Sharks' Antti Niemi. The sophomore already has a Stanley Cup ring, and after leaving Chicago for the West Coast, questions were raised about whether this rookie sensation was a one-hit-wonder, or if he was for real. Answered.

Niemi chalked up 35 wins in San Jose's effort to take the Pacific Division, and his 2.38 GAA was ninth among the league's starters. More importantly, he has been clutch in the playoffs. Goaltending is not just about being good, its about being good when it matters, and in five overtime appearances so far, he has not conceded a goal. He has let everyone know that last season was no fluke.

Roberto Luongo has had a different mission. His 2009/10 season produced his worst save percentage of his career at .913, and worse, the Canucks bucked out of the post-season at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks for the second straight year. The brunt of the criticism landed on Luongo's shoulders, and he needed a bounce-back.

This year has been that sort of season for Luongo. A Vezina candidate, he has been solid in net during the Canucks' playoff run. He did take a stumble during the quarter-final series against Chicago, but after Schneider was awarded the start in Game 6, he stormed back and delivered a performance in the deciding game that was nothing short of brilliant.

The semis boasted a goaltending duel, as Luongo stared down another nominee for the Vezina in Nashville's Pekka Rinne. While Rinne received much praise for his spectacular play, Luongo quietly outdid him, posting better numbers, and winning more games. No scintillating saves, he just made it look easy.

Tim Thomas is famous for his scintillating saves, however, and he has had himself a season for the ages. The 36-year-old's .938 save percentage is the NHL's single-season record, and he produced a Dead Puck-esque 2.00 GAA. A lot of people chose the Boston Bruins before the playoffs to come out of the east, and their explanations more often that not included his name.

But Thomas was slow out of the gate against the hated Montreal Canadiens. Boston dropped the first two games, and Thomas' best-even save percentage was no where to be found, as he now was below .900. Boston's goalie needed to turn his game around if the rest of the team was to do the same.

That is precisely what happened, as Thomas picked up his game, and the Bruins took the next three games, and the series lead. Even when the Habs forced a seventh, Thomas outdid Carey Price when it counted most, and Boston never looked back.

In the second round, Thomas completely outclassed the Philadelphia Flyers goaltending corps. Philly was a mess, and Thomas stayed dominant. As a result, the Bruins also dominated the series, sweeping the Flyers.

Tim Thomas is certainly not the only greybeard excelling in net. His third round opponent Dwayne Roloson, at 41 years old, makes Thomas look like a prospect fresh out of the draft. Roloson has never been a superstar goalie, and his best days were widely thought to be behind him. No one was even sure if he was going to play another season, or announce his retirement.

He ended up deciding to sign on for one more year with the New York Islanders, and after a decent start there, was dealt at the deadline to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has proven to be a massive upgrade over Dan Ellis and Mike Smith.

His experience has bred consistency, as he was great down the stretch for the Lightning, and has now shifted to outstanding for the playoffs. In a tight series against the Penguins, he was the difference. When they were up against the heavily favoured Capitals, Tampa's goaltending advantage helped them sweep.

Roloson has led this Lightning team, and his level of play has not wavered. If Tampa Bay still has Dan Ellis playing in goal, this playoff run simply does not happen.

Even with all the changes made during the lockout to encourage scoring, goalies have maintained their  importance. In fact, throughout every era hockey was endured, the foundation of a dynasty has always started in the crease.

Edmonton had Grant Fuhr, the Islanders had Billy Smith, the Habs has Ken  Dryden, Toronto had Johnny Bower. Each one of these men are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The game can change all it likes, but you can never alter this principal.

Offence gets the glory, but goaltending wins championships.