Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened? - Page 2

CanuckJohnny · 07-18-2023, 08:50 AM

Canucks in FEBRUARY

L 3-0 vs MIN - Canucks open the month with an embarrassing effort, outshot 39 to 15. Backstrom cruises to an easy fifteen save shutout.
W 3-2 vs WPG - Fresh off a new three year contract extension, Brad Richardson earned first star honours as his line was buzzing all night, he was plus two and he assisted on Chris Higgins' game winner in the third.
W 4-1 vs SJS - It was Ryan Stanton who rewarded his general manager with a huge game after his extension, earning first star with a one goal, two assist performance. Vancouver peppered backup goalie Alex Stalock with 46 shots, while Jumbo Joe and the Sharks had no answer.
L 5-3 vs PIT - It was a battle of the backups as two division leaders met head to head, and Jacob Markstrom was handed his first loss of the season while Thomas Greiss emerged victorious. Vancouver looked outclassed and overwhelmed at times, allowing 38 shots total. Malkin scored, while Crosby added a goal and assist.
L 3-1 @ MIN - Backstrom and the Wild continue to dominate the Canucks. Horvat had the lone Vancouver goal, his eighth of the year. Ryan Miller was peppered with 41 shots, saving 38 in the losing cause.
L 2-1 @ CHI - Danny and Hank get a rare reunion on the top line together against their old rivals, but the Canucks come up flat in another big game against a great team. Ryan Miller made 41 saves in a losing effort while the Canucks only managed a lacklustre 17 on Corey Crawford. Alex Burrows scored only his second of the season to open the third and give his teammates some hope, but there was no collective push for a tying goal and coach Dale Hunter looked frustrated on the bench after his third straight loss.
L 2-1 vs BOS - Another old rival, another loss, and the third straight game in which Vancouver has mustered only a single goal. The fourth line got on the board first, with Burrows assisting on a Dustin Jeffrey goal. Burr seems to like these rivalry games. However in the second it was old nemesis Brad Marchand with both goals in the frame, including the eventual game winner, his 28th of the year.
L 5-0 @ CGY - Markstrom got shelled and Vancouver continues to plummet with their fifth straight L. This time the Canucks were shut out by Jonas Hiller, while Curtis Glencross scored two goals on Markstrom and the Flames added tallies from Gaudreau, Backlund and Monahan.
W 1-0 vs MIN - Ryan Miller willed his team to victory with a 38 save shutout, but the Canucks overall still looked weak out there. This is their fifth game in a row without scoring multiple goals. Chris Higgins netted the only goal of the game in the second for his tenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Bieksa, but Dale Hunter is going to have to find a way to inspire some offense from this group.
OTW 3-2 @ NYR - Against Henrik Lundqvist Vancouver finally eked out some offense, albeit from unlikely sources, as Richardson and Weber scored in the second to give them a lead only to see it evaporate in the third when J.T. Miller and Derick Brassard both scored to even things up. Dustin Jeffrey was the unlikely hero, potting the overtime winner with just over a minute to go, assisted by Bo Horvat.
L 3-1 @ NJD - Cory Schneider with the win over Jacob Markstrom, and Jagr with a goal and an assist. The only Canuck goal came off the stick of Frank Corrado.
L 3-1 @ NYI - The Canucks were badly outplayed, outshot to the tune of 38-25, and not even great goaltending from Ryan Miller is able to consistently cover for that. In spite of still being atop their division (barely) the Canucks did not look like a playoff team, while the Islanders did, even with backup goalie Chad Johnson tending the net. Vrbata scored the lone Canucks goal.
L 4-3 @ BOS - Dan Hamhuis shined with a three assist night, and Derek Dorsett (back in the lineup from injury) scored his third of the year, but Vancouver was outplayed again, with Brad Marchand again putting up two goals against them and Reilly Smith getting the winner with 44 seconds to go in the third was a real heart breaker.
W 3-0 @ BUF - After a big trade the Canucks come out with a W. Miller comes away with the 23 save shutout against his former team, while Dustin Jeffrey takes advantage of some extra minutes to get his fifth of the season. Hansen and Vrbata also scored to close out a dismal month on a winning note.

Record (February): 32-24-5 (5-9-0), 69 points (nice), 6th in West (1st in Pacific)

Stat Leaders:
G - Vrbata (23), Henrik (14), Kassian (13)
A - Bonino (22), Henrik, Daniel (21), Weber (18)
Pts - Vrbata (39), Henrik (35), Bonino (30)
+/- - Bonino (+13), Stanton, Jeffrey (+11), Corrado, Burrows (+6)
PIM - Kassian (100), Hansen (34), Dorsett (33)
Shots - Vrbata (173), Weber (141), Daniel (135)
Hits - Kassian (187), Richardson, Hansen (105), Hamhuis (99)
TkA - Tanev (44), Hamhuis (36), Weber (24)
SB - Tanev (155), Corrado (104), Hamhuis 84
FO% - Horvat (56.2%), Bonino (55.4%), Henrik (53.9%)

Goalies:
Miller - 24-17-4, 2.03 gaa, .934 sv%, 5 so, 0.48 GSAA/60
Markstrom - 4-3-0, 2.59 gaa, .915 sv%, -0.11 GSAA/60

Injuries:

D Yannick Weber (shin) DTD

Prospects:

F Brendan Gaunce (OHL) 47gp, 20-26-46, has demonstrated improvement in going to the dirty areas and being willing to take a hit to make a play
F Cole Cassels (OHL) 48gp, 15-39-54, showing better discipline in staying out of the box and not losing his cool
F Jared McCann (OHL) 48gp, 18-35-53, showing lots of growth at both ends of the ice, stronger on his skates, his shooting mechanics are looking better and he's been breaking up more plays on defense
D Nikita Tryamkin (KHL) 39gp, 6-18-24, working on getting his shots through and making a solid defensive impact
D Gustav Forsling (SHL) 40gp, 2-13-15, improving his edgework and shooting accuracy
D Henrik Tommernes (SHL) 40gp, 10-15-25, making better defensive reads
G Thatcher Demko (NCAA) 23gp, 2.52gaa, .920sv%, 16wins, improving his blocker side
D Ben Hutton (NCAA) 31gp, 7-19-26, shot accuracy seems to be getting better
F Joseph LaBate (NCAA) 31gp, 16-14-30, his playmaking and stick checking are seeing improvement
F Alexandre Grenier (AHL) 58gp, 15-19-34, 108pim, he is making strides with his endurance and determination to show consistent effort throughout games

CanuckJohnny · 07-18-2023, 08:54 AM

Breaking News

Canucks Finalize Trade with Sharks, move out Sbisa and Matthias

With the deadline looming less than a week away, Trevor Linden has been active and pulled the trigger on a deal last night to move out two pieces of a relatively successful team this year. Both Shawn Matthias and Luca Sbisa were having good seasons with Vancouver, and they both were due a new contract this offseason. Linden has instead chosen to send them both packing to San Jose, along with some later round drafts, in order to acquire prospect defensemen Dylan DeMelo and Konrad Abetshauser as well as a third round selection in the upcoming NHL entry draft.

Trade: SJS acquires D Luca Sbisa (25 years old, 53gp, 2-8-10, +3), F Shawn Matthias (27 years old, 53gp, 9-21-30, +1), VAN 2015 5th, VAN 2016 6th, VAN 2016 7th; VAN acquires D Dylan DeMelo (21 years old, 6-2 200lb defensive defenseman with NHL upside, 25 pts in 56 AHL games this year), D Konrad Abeltshauser (22 years old, 6-5 225lb two way defenseman with minor league/depth callup potential, 10 goals and 26 points in 57 AHL games this year), SJS 2015 3rd

In the press conference announcing the trade Trevor Linden said, "we greatly appreciate the work of Luca and Shawn and they have been an important part of our team this year. However, we are excited to get younger with a couple of promising young defensemen in DeMelo and Abeltshauser and to acquire more draft capital in the top 100 picks of this year's draft." When asked about the message this sends to a team that is currently atop their division, he was realistic, stating, "We believe in our group, and that guys will step up to fill the roles that Shawn and Luca have vacated. We also are aware that we aren't a contender right now. The recent string of losses should emphasize that point. We are always trying to win and we think we can get in and make some noise with our skill, teamwork and experience. But from a management perspective we need to recoup future assets to continue to be competitive long term and build a sustainably contending team in the future."

Trade Grade:Canucks C+ they do manage to acquire futures for players they maybe weren't going to re-sign, but the return for a middle six forward and top six defenseman is middling and they should have waited to see if they could get more at the deadline. DeMelo could eventually play NHL minutes but probably on a bottom pair in a defensive role, and Abeltshauser isn't expected to ever see regular NHL icetime. Sharks B they believe in their weak division that they can make the playoffs and have another run at a Cup for Jumbo Joe. We don't see it, but this does instantly make them more competitive without giving up any quality assets. Matthias gives them scoring on the left side, which they were sorely lacking after the ageing Patrick Marleau. Sbisa should immediately slot into their top four as well, and maybe if he clicks with Brent Burns this could be great for his career as well. If San Jose can sign these two players, both still in their prime, while losing very little, this is a big win for them.

CanuckJohnny · 07-18-2023, 11:49 PM

February Recap

Chicago continues to be the undisputed class of the league, leading in most significant statistical categories, with Patrick Kane dominating the league and leading in goals (37), assists (47) and points (84). His recent injury, which could keep him out until the playoffs, will be the greatest adversity they have faced this year so it will be interesting to see how they respond and who steps up.. The Central looks incredibly competitive after them, with St. Louis, Nashville, Minnesota and Colorado all having good seasons and able to make a case for being a contender. Of those five teams, Minnesota has the worst goal differential at +23. By way of comparison, the top team in the Pacific, Vancouver, has a goal differential of +1. The Canucks are barely clinging to their lead in the Pacific, with Calgary pressing. San Jose, Los Angeles, Edmonton and Arizona are all tied with 63 points trying to squeak into that final playoff spot in their division. The Kings have an inside track with two games in hand, but their -18 goal differential looks bad and they will need some semblance of offence down the middle from a struggling Anze Kopitar (25 points so far and just 4 goals) and Mike Richards (just 6 points in 29 games).

Detroit is firing on all cylinders, riding a five game win streak into March and leading the Eastern Conference. Their top line of Nyquist, Datsyuk and Tatar has created lots of offence and Jimmy Howard has been closing the door in net. The Islanders have surpassed the Penguins to lead the Metro, but Pittsburgh has three games in hand and they have been one of the more dominant teams all year. Boston is in the conversation as one of the contenders in the East, but missing Chara will hurt them. Brad Marchand is fourth in the NHL with 32 goals. Inspired by Jaromir Jagr and backstopped by prime Cory Schneider (six shutouts this year), the Devils are charging hard into the playoff race, on a seven game winning streak to put them in the top wild card slot. The Rangers are struggling with McDonagh and Girardi out, but still find themselves within striking position of the final playoff spot, four points back of the Capitals but with two games in hand. Washington is pushing though, with a resurgent Ovechkin and the addition of veteran Scott Hartnell to round out their scoring.

Team Stat Leaders:
GF/gm - Chicago (3.27), Boston (2.94), Detroit (2.92), St. Louis (2.90), Pittsburgh (2.82)
GA/gm - Chicago (1.89), Detroit (1.95), St. Louis (2.03), Nashville (2.16), Pittsburgh (2.21)
PP - Chicago (23.8%), Detroit (22.7%), Carolina (21.8%), Pittsburgh (20.4%), Washington (19.4%)
PK - Detroit (91.6%), Minnesota (89.0%), Dallas (87.1%), San Jose, Washington (86.1%)

Goalie Leaders (min 20gp):
GAA - Howard (Det) 1.78, Crawford (CHI) 1.90, Elliott (STL) 1.95, Backstrom (MIN) 1.96
Sv Pct - Miller (VAN) .934, Holtby (WSH) .932, Bobrovsky (CBJ) .930, Varlamov (COL) .929
GSAA - Holtby (WSH) 22.85, Miller (VAN) 21.87, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 19.14, Varlamov (WSH) 16.44
SO - Hutton (NSH) 13, Crawford (CHI), Varlamov (COL) 9, Fleury (PIT) 8

Rookie Leaders:
Points - Gaudreau (CGY) 43, Larkin (DET) 39, Pastrnak (BOS) 37, Klingberg (DAL) 34, Trocheck (FLA) 31

Other Stat Leaders:
Takeaways - O'Reilly (COL) 65, Doughty (LAK), Suter (MIN) 49, Vlasic (SJS) 48, Filppula (TBL), Gorges (BUF) 47
Hits - L. Schenn (PHI) 391, Bortuzzo (PIT) 301, Borowiecki (OTT) 238, Maroon (ANA) 202, Bjugstad (FLA) 190
Blocked Shots - Greene (NJD) 251, Alzner (WSH) 210, Beauchemin (ANA) 183, Stuart (WIN) 182, Schultz (PHI), Suter (MIN) 174
PIM - Bortuzzo (PIT) 181, Borowiecki (OTT) 179, L. Schenn (PHI) 164, Clarkson (TOR) 147, Clifford (LAK) 115
FO% - J. Staal (CAR) 63.0%, Carter (LAK) 57.6%, Gordon (EDM) 56.6%, D. Moore (NYR) 56.5%, Horvat (VAN), Dubinsky (CBJ) 56.2%
+/- - Seabrook (CHI) +36, Toews (CHI) +35, Saad (CHI) +34, Bergeron (BOS), Keith (CHI) +32

Injuries:
F Corey Perry (ANA) OUT 2-3 months (foot)
D Zbynek Michalek (ARI) OUT 2-3 weeks (back)
D Zdeno Chara (BOS) OUT 1-2 months (leg)
F Patrick Kane (CHI) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Jack Johnson (CBJ) OUT indefinitely (back)
D Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) OUT 2-3 months (knee)
F Nathan MacKinnon (COL) OUT 3-4 months (elbow)
D Trevor Daley (DAL) OUT 1-2 months (groin)
D Sergei Gonchar (DAL) OUT 1-2 weeks (upper body)
F Stephen Weiss (DET) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee)
F Aleksander Barkov (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (eye)
D Erik Gudbranson (FLA) OUT 2-3 months (knee)
F Jason Pominville (MIN) OUT 2-3 months (neck)
D Shea Weber (NSH) OUT 1-2 months (back)
F Craig Smith (NSH) OUT indefinitely (knee)
F Casey Cizikas (NYI) OUT 3-4 months (back)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) DTD (hip)
D Dan Girardi (NYR) OUT 2-3 weeks (hamstring)
D John Moore (NYR) OUT indefinitely (concussion)
D Dan Boyle (TBL) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
F Ryan Callahan (TBL) DTD (arm)
D Anton Stralman (TBL) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Brooks Orpik (WSH) OUT 1-2 months (arm)
D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) OUT indefinitely (elbow)
F Andrew Ladd (WPG) OUT 2-3 months (leg)

CanuckJohnny · 07-20-2023, 07:09 AM

TRADE DEADLINE PREVIEW

The Sellers:

Toronto Maple Leafs - They should be selling anyways. With the season in the tank and living in the cellar of the Eastern Conference, Dave Nonis ought to have a clear vision of where he wants to take this team. They've played their cards close to their chest so far so it's anybody's guess what they'll do. Could they move on from 29 year old captain Dion Phaneuf, who's due an extension anyways? Is Tyler Bozak a piece they can move on from to reload with a younger core? Does Lubomir Visnovsky hold any value? Since acquiring him from the Islanders he has 8 points in 34 games.

Dion Phaneuf could be the biggest trade piece available this year, but is he available? Some analysts believe he certainly should be.

Buffalo Sabres - Tim Murray's club is a team in disarray. No chance at the postseason, a fractured locker room, discontented players and no real direction. This is an important deadline for them to reset, show some cohesive vision and foresight, and hopefully move out some pieces for futures. Murray should decide which of his two 26 year old netminders he will re-sign and move the other one for assets. Neuvirth has carried the starter's load this year, but Enroth seems equally capable and might be less expensive to retain. Defensive defenseman Josh Gorges may be an attractive piece for playoff teams, he's top five in the NHL in blocked shots and all his underlying numbers look good defensively even on a poor team. But do they keep him around to mentor their young blueline and the likes of Tyler Myers, Nikita Zadorov and Rasmus Ristolainen. 31 year old Matt Moulson has had a productive season and if they're willing to part with him and his 39 points they could see some value there. Diminutive captain Brian Gionta could also bring a return from a contender that would value his feistiness, effort and skill.

Anaheim Ducks - They have struggled and find themselves in the basement of the West, yet they are mostly aligned to be a competitive team now. Do they blow it up or run it back another year? Both their goalies are on expiring contracts, do they trade the 31 year old Koshechkin who has taken the starter's crease (Rumour has it they have had discussions with teams about moving him)? Or move out 25 year old Freddy Andersen while his value is high? If they choose to move forward with a rebuild they have a lot of assets that playoff bound teams would covet. The veteran Francois Beauchemin on the back end, with his experience and defensive chops, would be a key addition for any serious contender. Dany Heatley has the skill and reputation of a scorer, and although he has been used sparingly and been relatively unproductive, some club would probably bet on his experience and take a swing at him for cheap. Offseason acquisition Ryan Kesler hasn't seemed to gel with his new team or find his former 40-goal Selke form. Do they cut bait with him already and take what they can get? He's a proven playoff performer.

The Buyers:

Chicago Blackhawks - Why mess with a good thing? And why fix what isn't broken? Well, the recent injury to superstar Patrick Kane definitely puts the Blackhawks, whose window is now, in the conversation to add talent at the deadline. Whether they want to replace Kane up front with a top six talent who can give them even more scoring depth in the postseason, or if they want to bolster a defensive corps that looks really strong with the top three (Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson) but very thin after that (Rundblad, Gragnani, Rozsival) remains to be seen, but they should be involved this deadline as a team on a mission.

With Patrick Kane injured until at least the playoffs, how will a dominant Blackhawks team replace his 84 points? Or do they even see a need to?

Los Angeles Kings - The defending champs are having an off year, but so is their entire division and doubtless they will believe in themselves to get back in and make some noise. They are no strangers to turning a bottom seed berth into a Stanley Cup run, so expect them to look at adding while their window is open. They could use some firepower down the middle for sure, and could spend some of their promising forward prospects such as Tanner Pearson or Adrian Kempe or draft picks to try to add someone significant.

New Jersey Devils - They should be looking to make the most of Jaromir Jagr's strong play in the twilight of his career. Their M.O. has always been depth and defensive responsibility up front, so while they may want to add a top six scorer on paper, it's unlikely Lou Lamoriello goes that route. They could really use a top four defenseman if they can afford it, but the prospect cupboards are pretty bare. At any rate, at least they should try to acquire another NHL calibre defenseman to bolster that blueline.

The What?

Nashville Predators - The Preds are truly an enigma. Rumours swirl about Pekka Rinne's discontent with being dislodged from his crease for upstart Carter Hutton. But hey, who can argue with 13 shutouts? Will Nashville keep both their goalies or move an apparently disgruntled Rinne? Up front they are all about defense, apart from 20 year old Filip Forsberg - he has carried that offense all year and is second in the league with 35 goals, but is that sustainable into the playoffs? Mike Ribeiro is the only other forward with over 40 points. After James Neal with 36 points the next highest scoring forwards are Eric Nystrom (8-9-17) and Mike Fisher (7-10-17). With such a lack of scoring depth, can they go deep enough in the playoffs to justify deadline acquisitions? They do have arguably the best young defense corps in the league, with Shea Weber and then a future top four of Josi, Ekholm, Ellis and Seth Jones, all of whom are under 25. Do they move some of their upcoming offensive talent in the prospect pool (Fiala, Arvidsson, Sissons) to find immediate help up front? Or stick with their identity and see how far they can go?

Arizona Coyotes - Word on the street is that they have been shopping star offensive defenseman Keith Yandle. In his prime at 28, Yandle is up for a new contract and maybe that is the hangup, but with the Pacific wide open this year, is this a franchise that can afford to bail on a potential playoff appearance? Especially with the opportunity to give ageing captain Shane Doan one last shot at playoff glory? Their goalie tandem of Mike Smith and Devan Dubnyk has been solid, and coach Dave Tippett has them playing responsible, competitive hockey. Do they go for it and try to add some exciting talent to get them through the logjam in the Pacific and into the postseason, where anything can happen? Or will they go through with moving out key players and extending a rebuild?

The Coyotes are shopping dynamic defenseman Keith Yandle, but reports are the asking price is high. Perhaps they hold onto him and risk losing him this offseason if he won't re-up in the desert, or maybe the price will come down as the deadline approaches.

CanuckJohnny · 07-22-2023, 06:04 PM

DEADLINE 2015

TRADE: CHI acquires C Dave Bolland, RW Brad Boyes; FLA acquires F Phillip Danault, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, CHI 2015 2nd, CHI 2016 1st
ANALYSIS: Chicago gets ahead of the game early, acquiring a top six winger to replace Kane down the stretch and adding familiarity and depth down the middle with Bolland. Florida does well to gain future assets as they aren't competitive this season and didn't look to be re-signing either, but Chicago's draft picks will likely be low ones. Chicago wins this one.

TRADE: PIT acquires RW Blake Wheeler; WPG acquires G Tristan Jarry, F Kasperi Kapanen, 2015 PIT 1st, 2015 PIT 3rd, 2016 PIT 3rd
ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh gets a big fish with power forward Blake Wheeler, an unexpected move by Winnipeg as Blake is in the prime of his career and has 35 points so far this season. His physicality in the top six could be huge for a Penguins club that looks to go far in the playoffs. Two prospects that could be good NHLers, as well as this year's first and two thirds is a high price to pay though, so Winnipeg wins this deal.

TRADE: NJD acquires LD Mark Stuart; WPG acquires D Will Butcher, 2015 NJD 2nd, 2016 NJD 4th
ANALYSIS: Winnipeg wasn't necessarily seen as a big seller going into this deadline, but this is another move where they trade a quality NHL player for picks and prospects. Stuart is in the top 5 of the NHL in blocked shots and should add a top four capable defensive defenseman to New Jersey's blueline. The Devils win this trade.

TRADE: LAK acquires C Bryan Little, RW Michael Frolik; WPG acquires F Tanner Pearson, LAK 2015 1st
ANALYSIS: The fire sale in Winnipeg is on as the 27 year old Bryan Little gets moved to a Kings squad that desperately needs scoring, especially down the middle. Little has 38 points in 49 games for the Jets, and should take a lot of pressure off of Kopitar offensively. Even at the cost of a first and a solid prospect in Pearson this is a win for Los Angeles as they seek to defend their championship.

TRADE: SJS acquires RW Matt Frattin, LW David Clarkson; TOR acquires F Kevin Labanc, 2016 SJS 3rd, 2015 SJS 6th
ANALYSIS: San Jose trying to keep pace with their Californian rivals, but they can't seem to find a deal for a big name yet. They instead add a depth piece in Frattin and some sandpaper in Clarkson. Toronto meanwhile isn't blowing it up yet like expected, but they do some solid business getting a prospect and some picks in exchange for players who aren't part of the long term plan. Small win for San Jose.

TRADE: NSH acquires LW Matt Moulson, RW Brian Gionta; BUF acquires 2015 NSH 1st, 2016 NSH 4th
ANALYSIS: Nashville steps up to make a statement that they are going for it. Matt Moulson gives instant offensive credibility to a top six that lacks it with his 18 goals and 39 points through 53 games. Gionta is a key veteran addition that brings leadership, skill, grit and experience. Don't count him out because of his small stature, he will find a way to impact a playoff game for them for sure. The cost was a first round pick, and the question may be asked whether it wasn't better for Nashville to play the long game here and build around their young blue line, but all in all the Predators still win this deal, giving up what should be a later first round pick to give themselves depth that could carry them to a more significant playoff run.

TRADE: CGY acquires G Vasili Koshechkin, 2016 ANA 6th; ANA acquires F Markus Granlund, 2016 CGY 2nd
ANALYSIS: Calgary is in the playoffs, albeit due to the weakness of their division, and so they shore up their goalie situation. Ramo wasn't a solid option to back up Hiller, and some in their front office weren't confident going into the postseason leaning solely on Hiller, so they go out and get Koshechkin who was available and is having a solid season with Anaheim after signing from Russia. He took over the crease for the Ducks and has four shutouts and 17 wins for a struggling Anaheim club. The Flames should feel more confident with him in a tandem with Hiller. The market for Koshechkin was slim, so Anaheim did alright to get a potential NHLer in Granlund as well as a second. Hopes for him garnering a stronger return at the deadline fizzled, but they get something at least. Calgary wins this trade.

TRADE: DET acquires D Keith Yandle, RW B.J. Crombeen; ARI acquires F Anthony Mantha, D Joe Hicketts, G Jared Coreau, 2015 DET 1st, 2017 DET 2nd
ANALYSIS: Arizona pulls the trigger, moving out star offensive defenseman Keith Yandle. They do get quite a haul for him, but as a young productive blueliner in his prime some thought they could've done even better. Detroit lands perhaps the best player (and definitely best defenseman) so far this deadline. Mantha should be a top six NHLer down the road for Arizona, and Hicketts and Coreau both could grow into NHL players, but the 1st rounder will be a later one, and they must be disappointed at really only gaining the one premier prospect for Yandle. Detroit wins this trade, especially since the Arizona franchise and Shane Doan look to be throwing in the towel on a significant playoff run.

TRADE: MIN acquires LW Dustin Jeffrey, 2015 PHI 3rd, 2016 VAN 5th, 2017 VAN 6th; VAN acquires D Carson Soucy, 2015 MIN 2nd
ANALYSIS: Dustin Jeffrey looked very effective in a bottom six role for Vancouver this year, and it's a savvy move by Linden to capitalize on his plus eleven rating and solid two way play to turn some later round picks into a second and also pull hulking defense prospect Carson Soucy into the deal. Soucy may only ever be a depth defender at the pro level, but this trade is still a win for Vancouver. Minnesota moves some future value to shore up their bottom six and augment their winger depth for a playoff run. They had targeted Jeffrey earlier this season for his energetic play, occasional offensive flashes and two way acumen.

TRADE: CGY acquires RW Derek Dorsett, F Hunter Shinkaruk, D Nikita Tryamkin, 2015 VAN 3rd; VAN acquires LW Mason Raymond, 2015 CGY 2nd
ANALYSIS: Trevor Linden manages to turn a third into a second again, but this time it costs him a fair bit, two prospects with high ceilings if they hit, though consensus is that neither has a good chance to make the league. He also absorbed Mason Raymond's contract, bringing him back to the team he started with. The big fish for Calgary in this deal is Dorsett, whose physical, energetic, fearless style is just what they want for a post-season run. Vancouver maybe wasn't going to re-sign but he was a fan favourite and will be loved in Calgary. The Flames win this trade with their division rival.

TRADE: CHI acquires RD Roman Polak, RD Lubomir Visnovsky; TOR acquires D Adam Clendening, 2015 CHI 3rd, 2016 CHI 3rd
ANALYSIS: Well, the Leafs get this deal in under the wire but they failed to make the big splash many were expecting considering their position in the basement of the East. Dave Nonis must be confident his club will bounce back next season and that captain Dion Phaneuf will be back and in top form. They do a solid bit of work to move a couple of defensemen that didn't have a future in the Maple Leaf sweater in order to get a prospect and a couple picks, but Chicago wins this trade, picking up the veteran Visnovsky and a solid NHL calibre defensive defenseman in Polak to bolster their blueline for their playoff run.

TRADE: DAL acquires G Cam Talbot, F Cristoval Nieves; NYR acquires RW Alex Hemsky, G Jussi Rynnas
ANALYSIS: The Stars weren't able to come to an extension with Alex Hemsky and end up taking what they can get, in this case one of the better backups in the league in 27 year old Cam Talbot. Glen Sather clearly believes his team can push through into the postseason with this move. The Rangers win this deal slightly, but will look foolish if they are on the outside looking in come playoff time.

TRADE: STL acquires F Marek Hrivik; NYR acquires RD Brent Regner
ANALYSIS: Not much here, two minor leaguers swapping teams. Hrivik might have some upside but he's unlikely to make the NHL. Regner isn't really NHL level but may be a younger, serviceable depth piece worthy of the occasional callup.

TRADE: DAL acquires D David Rundblad; CHI acquires 2016 DAL 4th
ANALYSIS: Chicago moves out a promising younger defenseman who showed good progression and made the most of his opportunities this season. After the veterans they acquired this deadline he was headed to the waiver wire though, and Dallas sends a fourth rounder Chicago's way to guarantee his services are theirs. Dallas wins this trade, although Chicago did well to get something for a player who would certainly have been claimed on waivers anyways.

WAIVER WIRE:
PIT claims C Ben Smith (CHI)
NYI claims RW Jeremy Morin (CHI)
STL claims D Marc-Andre Gragnani (CHI)

CanuckJohnny · 07-23-2023, 11:44 AM

Canucks in MARCH

W 3-1 vs STL - Yannick Weber got a goal and an assist in a win over a very solid St. Louis Blues team. Horvat (9) and Kassian (14) also scored. Ryan Miller made 21 saves.
W 1-0 vs SJS - Bonino scored the lone goal in the first game for both teams post deadline. Miller made 23 saves behind a rock solid defensive effort for the shutout.
W 3-2 @ ARI - Bo Horvat had two goals, the first one assisted by Mason Raymond for his first point in a Canucks uniform since being reacquired from Calgary at the deadline. Yannick Weber had two assists, bringing him to 21 for the year so far, and Daniel scored the game winner mideway through the third and also picked up an assist.
L 5-3 @ SJS - Vrbata scored two goals (24, 25) in a losing cause as San Jose was all over the Canucks. Deadline acquisition David Clarkson scored two goals and added an assist, while underrated pickup Matt Frattin also scored (his 13th of the season) en route to the victory.
W 2-1 vs ANA - Both Sedins scored a goal as the Ducks' woes continue. Ryan Kesler scored on his former team, but his was the only Anaheim goal to beat Ryan Miller, who made 28 saves for the win.
W 1-0 vs LAK - Miller played another solid game, with the 28 save shutout earning him first star on a night he had little run support. Chris Higgins scored the lone Canuck goal past Jonathan Quick but it turned out to be enough.
W 5-1 vs TOR - Phil Kessel was coming off a hat trick against Calgary but was stymied by Ryan Miller and only picked up an assist on the lone Maple Leaf goal of the night by Morgan Rielly. It was a rough affair, with a first period fight between Kassian and Devane and a second period bout between Sestito and Kadri. Two roughing penalties were also given out as well as a misconduct. Vancouver fired 40 shots on Bernier and got five past him, including two by Chris Higgins.
L 1-0 vs PHI - Steve Mason was a brick wall for the Flyers, stopping all 28 Vancouver shots while Shayne Gostisbehere rifled his third of the year past Ryan Miller on a second period powerplay to give Philly the win.
OTW 4-3 vs CBJ - Markstrom prevailed in a battle of the backups with Curtis McElhinney. Henrik had the unlikely hat trick, tying the game late in the third with his second then capping off the trick in overtime with just 43 seconds left to play.
W 2-1 @ LAK - Jannik Hansen (10) and Zack Kassian (15) both scored in the first period, with Hamhuis assisting on both goals. The lead would hold despite a Jeff Carter goal in the second and a threatening push in the third from the Kings. Miller made 25 saves for the victory.
SOL 3-2 @ ARI - The Sedins were reunited on the top line, with Kassian being the designated 'triplet' for the day, after Hunter inexplicable put his lines in a blender following two wins. Bo Horvat was moved up to the third line, Bonino demoted to the fourth line, and Mason Raymond moved up to the second line. Vrbata and Daniel scored, but goals from Shane Doan and Mikkel Boedker left us tied after regulation. The game went to a shootout, where no Canucks shooter managed to solve Mike Smith. Boedker and Sam Gagner scored shootout goals for the Coyotes to get the extra point.
W 2-0 vs WPG - The Jets minus Wheeler, Little and Stuart got steamrolled. Vancouver outshot them 38-12. Pavelec put in a good effort, making 36 saves, but goals from Mason Raymond and Henrik Sedin (who also had an assist for a two point night) lifted the 'Nucks to the win. Miller had one of the easiest shutouts of his career, making only 12 saves, but he'll take it.
OTL 3-2 vs COL - Henrik's 20th of the year and a 32 save performance by Miller was wasted as Iginla (of course) ended it a minute into overtime.
W 2-1 vs DAL - Deadline acquisition Cam Talbot made 34 saves for the Stars but still left with the L. Henrik had two assists and Ryan Stanton scored for the second straight game.
L 2-0 @ STL - Brian Elliott shut out the visiting Canucks and David Backes scored two goals. In spite of the loss Chris Tanev earned second star honours with an all around impressive defensive effort in 21:32 of icetime. Three hits, two takeaways and a blocked shot were his statline.
L 3-1 @ NSH - Vancouver played a weak game and made Carter Hutton look good, scoring only once on him in 23 shots. Mike Fisher (10), Roman Josi (10) and Gabriel Bourque (9) all scored on Jacob Markstrom as Nashville cruised to victory. Filip Forsberg was first star with two assists. Dan Hamhuis suffered an upper body injury and may be out for a week or two.

Record (March): 42-28-7 (10-4-2), 91 points, 6th in West (1st in Pacific)

Stat Leaders:
G - Vrbata (27), Henrik (20), Kassian (15), Higgins (13), Hansen (12)
A - Henrik (32), Daniel (25), Bonino (24), Weber (22), Higgins (21)
Pts - Henrik (52), Vrbata (45), Daniel (36), Bonino, Higgins (34)
+/- - Stanton (+15), Bonino (+14), Corrado (+12), Burrows (+9), Vrbata, Hansen, Horvat, Tanev (+5)
PIM - Kassian (120), Higgins (39), Sestito (39), Hansen (38), Hamhuis, Weber (34)
Shots - Vrbata (228), Weber (181), Daniel (169), Higgins (165), Hamhuis (159)
Hits - Kassian (232), Hansen (134), Richardson (126), Hamhuis (112), Bonino (87)
TkA - Tanev (55), Hamhuis (45), Corrado, Higgins (29), Richardson, Bonino, Vrbata (27)
SB - Tanev (191), Corrado (144), Hamhuis (108), Weber, Edler (101), Bonino, Vrbata, Stanton (54)
FO% - Horvat (56.0%), Henrik (53.4%), Bonino (53.1%), Richardson (52.1%)

Goalies:
Miller - 33-20-5, 8 SO, 1.87 GAA, .937 SvPct, 30.86 GSAA
Markstrom - 5-4-1, 1 SO, 2.58 GAA< .916 SvPct, -1.13

Injuries:

D Dan Hamhuis (neck) OUT 1-2 weeks

Prospects:

F Cole Cassels (OHL) 58gp, 21-48-69, looking a little more agile on his skates
F Jared McCann (OHL) 58gp, 20-37-57, showing self discipline in staying out of the box lately
G Joacim Eriksson (SHL) 32gp, 17-11, .873sv%, developing his mental toughness and ability to stay in games when things go poorly early
D Gustav Gorsling (SHL) 48gp, 5-15-20, -4, showing growth at both ends of the ice, his first step is quicker, his passes are crisper and he's been using his stick more effectively to break up plays
D Ben Hutton (NCAA) 38gp, 9-24-33, -2, has been playing more aggressively and adding some snarl to his game
F Dane Fox (AHL) 69gp, 20-27-47, 131pim, showing improved passing skill
F Nicklas Jensen (AHL) 69gp, 25-27-52, 120pim, -6, has been learning to be a pro in how he carries himself and prepares day in and day out
F Jake Virtanen (WHL) 58gp, 20-36-56, +2, is throwing even better and harder hits
D Carson Soucy (AHL) IOW 59gp, 4-11-15, 80pim, +1, UTI 12gp, 3-4-7, 10pim, -2, has shown improved puck handling and protection skills since coming over and starting to work with Utica's coaches, which has earned him increased opportunity and led to very good production early on in his career with the Comets

CanuckJohnny · 07-23-2023, 11:45 AM

League News Wire

March 16th, 2015 - NYR F Chris Kreider was suspended for 7 games after a head shot on Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell. Campbell left the ice for some time but team doctors determined he would be alright and he returned.

Mar 27th, 2015 - WPG D Zach Bogosian received a 7 game suspension after his illegal hit to the head on star MTL F Max Pacioretty knocked him out of the game. "Patches" will be out of the lineup for a while as he suffers from dizziness and nausea but team doctors are hopeful his return will be relatively swift.

CanuckJohnny · 07-23-2023, 12:07 PM

March Recap

Chicago hasn't slowed down a lot while missing Patrick Kane, driven by consistent two way play from Toews and Saad and the best pairing in the league in Keith and Seabrook. Keith leads all defensemen in scoring with 64 points. Nashville is gaining ground on them all the same and hit fifty wins. Filip Forsberg is tied for the league lead in goals with Ovechkin with 44, Ribeiro just hit fifty assists and Matt Moulson has 7 goals and 13 points in 15 games since joining the team at the deadline. It doesn't hurt at all that Carter Hutton, an unknown before this season, has been an absolute revelation in net, stealing and keeping the crease from Pekka Rinne and sitting currently on a league leading 16 shutouts. The Central is stacked, also featuring a strong St. Louis team, Colorado with their skill and goaltending and Minnesota, who should make the playoffs and make some trouble there, especially if Pominville can come back in time for the postseason. Niederreiter has 33 goals for them so far, good for seventh in the NHL. Over in the mediocre Pacific it is the Canucks atop the division and then a logjam trying to squeeze into those final two spots and get in the playoffs. Currently the Sharks and Coyotes have the inside track, sitting at 79 points each, but the Ducks are just two points back and the Oilers, though four points back, have a game in hand on Arizona. Surprisingly, the Flames and Kings, after both adding at the deadline, have faded from the race and the defending champs look to end up watching this postseason to see who will supplant them.

Detroit has continued to consistently dominate in the East and should cruise to the #1 seed. Howard has been incredible in net, and Tatar (24-53-77) and Nyquist (32-28-61) have brought youthful offense to augment the star studded veteran lineup. Boston is dynamic and solid. Brad Marchand is having a standout season for them, now tied with an injured Patrick Kane for second in the league scoring race at 84 points and Patrice Bergeron is his steady self, reliable at both ends and great in the circle. Tampa Bay has the third seed in the Atlantic cleanly locked up and is hoping their blueline can get healthy for the playoffs. The Penguins and Islanders are neck and neck at the top of the Metro, with the #2 seed looking like it will end up playing Philadelphia in round 1 of the playoffs. Crosby has been dominant and looks to be the only player to hit the century mark this year, in spite of his injury earlier in the year that cost him some games. He is currently riding a league best 21 game point streak. The Capitals are solidly locked into a playoff spot as a Wild Card as Ovechkin has surged offensively and is now tied for the league lead with 44 goals and could push fifty yet again if he stays hot. The Devils are two points back of the Capitals, and whoever manages to earn the first wild card spot will be rewarded by not having to face the juggernaut that is Detroit in the first round. The Rangers faded quickly after losing Chris Kreider to a suspension, and they are a loss or a Devils victory away from mathematical elimination.

Team Stat Leaders:
GF/gm - Chicago (3.11), Boston (3.00), Detroit (2.99), Minnesota (2.84), Pittsburgh, St. Louis (2.80)
GA/gm - Chicago (1.76), Detroit (1.99), St. Louis (2.09), Nashville (2.10), Vancouver, Colorado (2.12)
PP - Chicago (24.5%), Detroit (22.9%), Washington (21.9%), Carolina (20.7%), Montreal (20.0%)
PK - Detroit (90.3%), Minnesota (88.8%), San Jose (87.4%), Dallas (86.6%), Colorado (86.4%)

Goalie Leaders (min 25gp):
GAA - Crawford (CHI) 1.77, Howard (DET) 1.80, Miller (VAN) 1.87, Varlamov (COL) 1.90, Backstrom (MIN) 1.95
Sv Pct - Miller (VAN) .937, Varlamov (COL) .933, Holtby (WSH) .932, Neuvirth (BUF) .929, Bishop (TBL) .927
GSAA - Miller (VAN) 30.86, Varlamov (COL) 27.03, Holtby (WSH) 25.18, Neuvirth (BUF) 19.09, Bishop (TBL) 13.23

Rookie Leaders:
Points - Gaudreau (CGY) 56, Pastrnak (BOS) 51, Klingberg (DAL) 44, Larkin (DET) 39, Draisatl (EDM), Akeson (PHI) 35

Other Stat Leaders:
Takeaways - O'Reilly (COL) 69, Vlasic (SJS) 61, Doughty (LAK) 60, Brodin (MIN) 58, Suter (MIN) 57, Gorges (BUF), Tanev (VAN) 55
Hits - L. Schenn (PHI) 431, Bortuzzo (PIT) 371, Borowiecki (OTT) 325, Bjugstad (FLA) 273, Maroon (ANA) 245, Kassian (VAN) 232
Blocked Shots - Greene (NJD) 308, Alzner (WSH) 250, Beauchemin (ANA) 210, Brodin (MIN), Stuart (NJD), Suter (MIN) 207
PIM - Borowiecki (OTT) 243, Bortuzzo (PIT) 216, L. Schenn (PHI) 176, Clarkson (SJS) 149, Clifford (LAK) 138
FO% - J. Staal (CAR) 60.0%, Carter (LAK) 58.2%, Elkins (CBJ) 57.4%, Tavares (NYI) 56.9%, D. Moore (NYR) 56.2%
+/- - Saad (CHI), Toews (CHI) +40, Seabrook (CHI) +39, Keith (CHI) +37, Steen (STL) +35, Eriksson (BOS), Lee (NYI) +34

Injuries:
F Corey Perry (ANA) OUT 1-2 months (foot)
F Jakob Silfverberg (ANA) OUT 2-3 months (hand)
F Patrice Bergeron (BOS) DTD (knee)
D Zdeno Chara (BOS) DTD (leg)
D Jack Johnson (CBJ) OUT indefinitely (back)
D Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Nate Schmidt (CBJ) OUT 2-3 months (knee)
D T.J. Brodie (CGY) DTD (ribs)
D Deryk Engelland (CGY) OUT 2-3 months (neck)
F Sven Baertshi (CGY) OUT 2-3 weeks (foot)
F Patrick Kane (CHI) OUT 2-3 weeks (knee)
F Nathan MacKinnon (COL) OUT 2-3 months (elbow)
D Trevor Daley (DAL) OUT 1-2 months (groin)
F Stephen Weiss (DET) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee)
F Scottie Upshall (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (back)
D Erik Gudbranson (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
F Aleksander Barkov (FLA) DTD (eye)
D Willie Mitchell (FLA) DTD (ribs)
D Alec Martinez (LAK) OUT 2-3 weeks (shoulder)
F Jason Pominville (MIN) OUT 1-2 months (neck)
F Max Pacioretty (MTL) DTD (head)
D Shea Weber (NSH) OUT 1-2 weeks (back)
F Craig Smith (NSH) OUT 3-4 months (knee)
F Casey Cizikas (NYI) OUT 2-3 month (back)
D John Moore (NYR) OUT indefinitely (concussion)
F Mats Zuccarello (NYR) DTD (shoulder)
F Chris Kreider (NYR) OUT 2-3 weeks (abdomen)
F Maxim Lapierrre (STL) OUT 2-3 weeks (elbow)
F Ryan Reaves (STL) OUT 3-4 months (elbow)
F Paul Stastny (STL) DTD (hernia)
F Jaden Schwartz (STL) DTD (eye)
D Dan Boyle (TBL) DTD (knee)
D Anton Stralman (TBL) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee)
D Brooks Orpik (WSH) DTD (arm)
D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) OUT 3-4 months (elbow)
F Andrew Ladd (WPG) OUT 1-2 months (leg)

CanuckJohnny · 07-24-2023, 10:54 PM

CANUCKS in April

L 2-1 @ CHI - the last game of the year against rival Chicago (barring a playoff meeting) ended sadly for the Canucks, as Yannick Weber scored the only Vancouver goal. Blackhawks deadline acquisition Roman Polak scored from the blueline to open the scoring and veteran Brad Richards netted the eventual winner past Ryan Miller.
L 3-2 @ WPG - an ailing Jets team running with backup goalie Michael Hutchinson defeated Vancouver on goals from Ellerby, Clitsome and Scheifele. Hansen and Richardson answered for Vancouver and Bonino picked up assists on both goals but it wasn't enough. Hutchinson made 35 saves in the win. Adding injury to insult, Chris Higgins went down with what looked to be a decently serious shoulder injury.
W 4-2 vs LAK - Latvian Ronalds Kenins was called up to replace Higgins in the lineup and makes his debut. The Kings look dominant, outshooting Vancouver 41-21, but Ryan Miller makes 39 saves and Quick has an off night. Vrbata scored two (up to 29 on the year) and Hank potted the winner on the powerplay midway through the third.
W 3-0 vs ARI - this was a wild game, with no scoring until the third but tons of penalties. The second period saw 24 minutes in penalties dished out between the two teams, including an elbowing minor, goalie interference, two roughing minors and a misconduct. In spite of taking three straight third period penalties (including a roughing on Bieksa and a boarding on Burrows) the Canucks blew the doors off in the third, with goals from Hansen, Daniel and Raymond (an empty netter to seal it). Hank had two helpers. Miller made 32 saves for the shutout.
OTW 3-2 vs EDM - A couple of rookies opened the scoring for Vancouver, as Corrado picked up his sixth from the blueline and Horvat notched his twelfth, a powerplay marker from Edler and Vrbata, to cap his rookie campaign. In the second the Oilers evened it up with goals from Arcobello and and Perron, and with no scoring in the third we went to extra time. Two minutes into the overtime period it was Nick Bonino scoring his eleventh of the year to win it and end the season in style, with assists going to Edler and Horvat (his 30th point of his rookie year).

Record (April): 45-30-7 (3-2-0), 97 points, 6th in West (1st in Pacific)

Injuries:

D Dan Hamhuis (neck) DTD
F Chris Higgins (shoulder) OUT 2-3 weeks

CanuckJohnny · 07-24-2023, 10:56 PM

Canucks REGULAR SEASON RECAP

Team Stats (Rank):
GF/gm: 2.26 (20th)
GA/gm: 2.10 (T-4th)
Sh/gm: 29 (19th)
ShA/gm: 31 (16th)
PIM/gm: 8.63 (T-20th)
PP: 14.3% (21st)
PK: 83.8% (16th)
SHG: 5 (T-4th)
FO%: 53.0% (1st)
TkA: 458 (T-15th)
GvA: 440 (T-2nd)
Hits: 1802 (7th)
SB: 1236 (T-11th)

Stat Leaders:
G - Vrbata (29), Henrik (21), Kassian (16), Hansen (14), Higgins (13), Daniel, Horvat (12), Bonino (11)
A - Henrik (35), Bonino, Daniel (27), Weber (22), Hansen, Higgins (21), Hamhuis (20), Tanev, Vrbata (19)
Pts - Henrik (56), Vrbata (48), Daniel (39), Bonino (38), Hansen (35), Higgins (34), Horvat (30), Weber (29), Kassian (25)
+/- - Bonino (+15), Stanton, Corrado (+14), Tanev, Burrows (+8), Edler, Hansen, (+7), Henrik (+6)
PIM - Kassian (126), Sestito (56), Higgins (39), Hansen (38), Hamhuis, Weber (36), Tanev (31), Bonino, Burrows, Bieksa (28)
Shots - Vrbata (246), Weber (193), Daniel (179), Higgins (171), Hamhuis (160), Hansen (158), Henrik (151)
Hits - Kassian (239), Hansen (144), Richardson (132), Hamhuis (113), Bonino (89), Tanev (84), Horvat (81)
TkA - Tanev (56), Hamhuis (46), Richardson, Bonino, Higgins (31) Corrado (30), Vrbata (27)
SB - Tanev (205), Corrado (161), Edler (110), Weber (109), Hamhuis (108), Bonino (61), Stanton (58), Vrbata (56)
FO% - Horvat (55.4%), Henrik (53.4%), Bonino (53.2%), Richardson (51.7%)

Goalies:
Miller - 36-22-5, 9 SO, 1.86 GAA, .938 SvPct, 35.67 GSAA
Markstrom - 5-4-1, 1 SO, 2.58 GAA, .916 SvPct, -1.02 GSAA

CanuckJohnny · 07-24-2023, 11:02 PM

April Recap and Season Summary

Ryan Miller carried his Canucks to top berth in the Pacific Division. Without much run support, he was a workhorse, playing 63 games while posting top numbers in almost every goaltending statistical category. Vancouver has been strong at home, with a 28-8-5 record there, but on the road they have struggled with a losing record of 17-22-2. Meanwhile, San Jose came on strong after multiple moves around the deadline to bolster their lineup to finish second in the division. They will face Anaheim, who squeaked in by tiebreaker over Edmonton, in the first round in a battle of mediocrity. Neither team would've made the playoffs in the Central. The Kings and Flames both made deadline trades to bolster their lineups for the playoffs, only to see their squads falter down the stretch and miss the postseason entirely.

Chicago cruised to a President's Trophy even with Patrick Kane injured for the final stretch. They look like the class of the league at this point and boast a +108 goal differential. Nashville finished with 53 wins and still only placed second in their division. Matt Moulson was a good addition at the deadline for them, and Shea Weber should be returning to the lineup soon. Filip Forsberg finished with 45 goals, tying Ovechkin for second in the NHL. Carter Hutton concluded his surprising campaign with an eye-popping 16 shutouts. How will he fare in the playoffs? They will face off against the Blues in round one - St. Louis had an impressive season as well, led by Backes and Steen up front and solid goaltending from Brian Elliott. The Wild are Vancouver's 'prize' for winning the Pacific. They have nine more points than the Canucks and an impressive +52 goal differential and with Backstrom backstopping them they look to go far in the postseason. The Avs take the final wildcard playoff spot with 101 points, they have potential even though they are missing some firepower up front with Tanguay and MacKinnon out.

Detroit just keeps getting better as the season goes on, and by the end of the year they were a legitimate challenger to the Blackhawks for the President's Trophy. Their +95 goal differential is also second to only Chicago. The powerhouse got even stronger at the deadline when they added Keith Yandle from the Coyotes, the second highest scoring defenseman this season (to, you guessed it, Chicago's Duncan Keith). Boston has been strong all year and they earned home ice advantage in their first round series against Tampa. With experienced winners like Bergeron and Marchand, young rising stars like Pastrnak and Hamilton (whose 25 goals led all blueliners this season) and Tuukka Rask manning the net, they are a formidable opponent. Toronto has earned the lowly distinction of finishing last in NHL with a measly 57 points, the only club to fail to win at least 30 games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been on fire with Crosby leading the way. His 27 game point streak (he hasn't been held off the scoresheet since February 12th, over two months ago) has vaulted him to the top of the league in goals (with 46 to Ovi's and Forsberg's 45), assists and points, despite having missed six games due to injury early in the year. He's a man on a mission and the Devils will have to find a way to slow him down if they want to come out on top in their first round series. The Islanders have looked good all year and pushed the Penguins. John Tavares finished the season tied for fifth in the NHL in scoring. He is going to have to lead their young forward group against the Flyers in round one, and Jaroslav Halak will need to come up big in net. Philly will be looking to recently extended captain Claude Giroux (29-49-78) to make sure that doesn't happen. Giroux drives their offense, on a line with Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. With physical defenseman Luke Schenn injured, the Flyers will need everyone to step up physically and be hard to play against. The Capitals get into the final playoff spot with 86 points, five more than the Rangers who made a respectable push, but they will be desperately overmatched against Detroit. Scott Hartnell was a great add for them, and Ovechkin looked rejuvenated with the additional secondary scoring, sandpaper and leadership Hartnell brought, but they will need to pull off an incredible upset if they want to move past the first round. Columbus will look to reload next year after a rough season that saw them lead the league in man games lost and play much of the year without two of their top four defensemen. Even Nate Schmidt, acquired mid-season to step into the injury-vacated roles available, was bitten by the bug and missed the rest of the year after hurting his leg. Next year they could look much better simply by staying healthier.

Team Stat Leaders:
GF/gm - Chicago (3.06), Detroit (3.04), Boston (2.94), Minnesota (2.88), Pittsburgh (2.84), St. Louis (2.76), NY Islanders (2.73), Nashville, Philadelphia (2.63), Colorado, Tampa Bay (2.57)
GA/gm - Chicago (1.77), Detroit (1.94), St. Louis (2.07), Nashville, Vancouver (2.10), Minnesota (2.15), Boston, Pittsburgh (2.16), Colorado (2.18), Tampa Bay (2.23)
PP - Chicago (24.0%), Detroit (22.6%), Washington (21.5%), Carolina (21.2%), Pittsburgh (20.0%), Montreal (19.6%), Boston (18.6%), Philadelphia (17.9%), Minnesota (17.6%), Anaheim (17.3%)
PK - Detroit (90.0%), Minnesota (89.3%), San Jose (87.9%), Colorado (86.3%), Dallas (86.1%), Columbus (86.0%), Washington (85.6%), Chicago (85.3%), Nashville (85.2%), NY Islanders (85.0%)

Goalie Leaders (min 25gp):
GAA - Howard (DET) 1.72, Crawford (CHI) 1.76, Miller (VAN) 1.86, Backstrom (MIN) 1.93, Varlamov (COL) 1.96, Elliott (STL) 2.01, Rask (BOS) 2.02, Fleury (PIT) 2.06
Sv Pct - Miller (VAN) .938, Varlamov (COL) .931, Holtby (WSH) .930, Bishop (TBL) .928, Task (BOS), Neuvirth (BUF), Backstrom (MIN) .927
SO - Hutton (NSH) 16, Crawford (CHI) 14, Varlamov (COL) 11, Fleury (PIT), Howard (DET) 10, Bishop (TBL), Miller (VAN) 9, Elliott (STL), Rask (BOS) 8
GSAA - Miller (VAN) 35.67, Varlamov (COL) 25.21, Holtby (WSH) 24.47, Neuvirth (BUF) 18.14, Rask (BOS) 17.98, Bernier (TOR) 16.43, Bishop (TBL) 16.15,
Niemi (SJS) 14.31

Defensemen Leaders:
Points - Keith (CHI) 15-53-68, Yandle (DET) 17-44-61, Spurgeon (MIN) 9-50-59, Streit (PHI) 19-38-57, Shattenkirk (STL) 18-39-57, Josi (NSH) 10-47-57, Green (WSH) 17-39-56, Hamilton (BOS) 25-29-54, Barrie (COL) 11-43-54, Letang (PIT) 9-43-52

Rookie Leaders:
Points - Gaudreau (CGY) 64, Pastrnak (BOS) 54, Klingberg (DAL) 47, Akeson (PHI) 40, Larkin (DET) 39, Trocheck (FLA) 37, Draisatl (EDM) 36

Other Stat Leaders:
Takeaways - O'Reilly (COL) 75, Doughty (LAK) 66, Vlasic (SJS) 63, Suter (MIN) 61, Brodin (MIN) 59, Gorges (BUF) 58, Tanev (VAN) 56, Slavin (CAR) 55
Hits - L. Schenn (PHI) 431, Bortuzzo (PIT) 399, Borowiecki (OTT) 347, Bjugstad (FLA) 305, Maroon (ANA) 266, Clifford (LAK) 241, Kassian (VAN) 239, Backes (STL) 233
Blocked Shots - Greene (NJD) 330, Alzner (WSH) 273, Suter (MIN) 227, Gorges (BUF), Schultz (PHI) 222, Beauchemin (ANA) 218, Stuart (NJD) 215, Vlasic (SJS) 211, Brodin (MIN) 210
PIM - Borowiecki (OTT) 264, Bortuzzo (PIT) 250, L. Schenn (PHI) 176, Clarkson (SJS) 156, Clifford (LAK) 149, Bodie (TOR) 142, Maroon (ANA) 127, Kassian (VAN) 126
FO% - J. Staal (CAR) 59.9%, Carter (LAK) 57.7%, Elkins (CBJ), White (PHI) 56.6%, Tavares (NYI) 56.4%, Toews (CHI) 56.3%, Bergeron (BOS) 56.1%, Bellemare (PHI) 56.0%
+/- - Saad (CHI), Seabrook (CHI) +42, Toews (CHI) +41, Keith (CHI), Steen (STL) +39, Backes (STL) +36, Eriksson (BOS) +35, Lee (NYI) +34

Injuries:
F Corey Perry (ANA) OUT 1-2 months (foot)
F Jakob Silfverberg (ANA) OUT 1-2 months (hand)
D Justin Faulk (CAR) OUT 1-2 months (hernia)
D Brett Pesce (CAR) DTD (shoulder)
D Jack Johnson (CBJ) OUT indefinitely (back)
D Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Nate Schmidt (CBJ) OUT 2-3 months (leg)
D Deryk Engelland (CGY) OUT 1-2 months (neck)
D Corey Potter (CGY) OUT 3-4 months (leg)
F Sven Baertschi (CGY) OUT 1-2 weeks (foot)
F Patrick Kane (CHI) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee)
F Alex Tanguay (COL) OUT 1-2 weeks
F Nathan MacKinnon (COL) OUT 2-3 months (elbow)
D Trevor Daley (DAL) OUT 2-3 weeks
F Stephen Weiss (DET) DTD (knee)
F Scottie Upshall (FLA) OUT 2-3 weeks (back)
D Erik Gudbranson (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Alec Martinez (LAK) OUT 1-2 weeks (shoulder)
F Jason Pominville (MIN) OUT 1-2 months (neck)
D Shea Weber (NSH) DTD (back)
F Craig Smith (NSH) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Seth Jones (NSH) DTD (leg)
F Mike Cammalleri (NJD) DTD (eye)
F Casey Cizikas (NYI) OUT 2-3 months (back)
D John Moore (NYR) OUT indefinitely (head)
F Chris Kreider (NYR) DTD (abdomen)
D Luke Schenn (PHI) OUT 1-2 months (leg)
D Mark Streit (PHI) OUT 2-3 months (ribs)
F Maxim Lapierre (STL) DTD (elbow)
F Ryan Reaves (STL) OUT 3-4 months (elbow)
D Jason Garrison (TBL) DTD (hamstring)
D Korbinian Holzer (TOR) OUT 1-2 months (knee)
D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) OUT 3-4 months (elbow)
F Andrew Ladd (WPG) OUT 2-3 weeks (leg)
D Ben Chiarot (WPG) OUT 1-2 weeks (back)

CanuckJohnny · 07-25-2023, 10:45 AM

Playoff Series Preview

Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs Minnesota Wild (WC1)

VERSUS

Tale of the Tape:

CANUCKS
45-30-7, 97 points, 1st in Pacific
GF/gm 2.26 (20th)
GA/gm 2.10 (T-4th)
PP 14.3% (21st)
PK 83.8% (16th)
Goals Vrbata (29), Henrik (21), Kassian (16)
Assists Henrik (35), Bonino, Daniel (27)
Points Henrik (56), Vrbata (48), Daniel (39)
Injuries Hansen DTD (upper body), Higgins DTD (upper body)
Goalie Ryan Miller (36-22-9, 1.86gaa, .938sv%, 35.67gsaa, 9so)
Lineup
Daniel - Hank - Kassian**
Raymond - Richardson - Vrbata
Sestito - Bonino - Burrows
Kenins - Horvat - Archibald*
Hamhuis - Tanev
Edler - Weber
Stanton - Corrado
*With Hansen and Higgins both out and the team moving out bottom six winger depth at the deadline, Archibald gets the call after spending the year in Utica. He is a physical two way winger who found some scoring at the minor league level this season
** The Sedins have been reunited lately after coach Dale Hunter played them separately most of the year. They were having late season success next to Jannik Hansen, but with "the Honey Badger" out Zack Kassian will have his chance with them after a breakout year of sixteen goals for him.

WILD
47-23-12, 106 points, 4th in Central
GF/gm 2.88 (4th)
GA/gm 2.15 (6th)
PP 17.6% (9th)
PK 89.3% (2nd)
Goals Niederreiter (38), Parise (22), Pominville (16)
Assists Spurgeon (50), Koivu (49), Suter (37)
Points Niederreiter (67), Koivu (63), Spurgeon (59)
Injuries Pominville OUT 1-2 months (upper body), Fontaine DTD (lower body), Brodin DTD (lower body)
Goalie Niklas Backstrom (29-11-7, 1.93gaa, .927sv%, 9.79gsaa, 7so), Darcy Kuemper* (17-11-2, 2.24gaa, .918sv%, -0.39gsaa, 2so)
Lineup
Parise - Koivu - Brodziak
Vanek - Granlund - Mozyakin
Niederreiter - Coyle - Cooke
Zucker - Jeffrey** - B. Sutter
Suter - Spurgeon
Scandella - Blum
Falk - Dumba
* The aging Backstrom has been solid this season but has been sharing the crease a bit more with 24 year old Darcy Kuemper. Backstrom has started 8 of the last 12 games down the stretch, but rumours are that coach Mike Yeo will be giving the game 1 start to the younger Kuemper.
**Jeffrey's offensive pace has slowed since coming to Minnesota from the Canucks at the deadline, but he has provided reliable two way play and fulfilled his defensive responsibilities on the fourth line admirably.

Preview:

Between the Pipes
Vancouver has the edge in net, with workhorse Ryan Miller nominated for a Vezina after his stellar season. Even down the stretch with the playoffs and division clinched, coach Dale Hunter continued to rely on Miller, not even giving rookie Jacob Markstrom a start in April. Minnesota has had great numbers all year from their tandem of Backstrom and Kuemper. Backstrom has carried a bit more of the load and has better stats and more experience, but Kuemper looks like a rising star and has earned every start he's gotten. Reports are that Kuemper will take the crease for game one, and the question will be whether the flexibility of two capable netminders will be an asset or liability in this postseason for the Wild.

Blueline
While the Canucks' top pairing of Hamhuis and Tanev has been steady as a rock all season, there are question marks and inexperience after that. Alex Edler, their #3, has a good reputation and has been solid but not great since returning from an injury that kept him out at the start of the year. After him the Canucks have seen surprisingly good seasons from Yannick Weber (offensively) and Frank Corrado (defensively) and Ryan Stanton has steadily been there and been a plus. Minnesota clearly has the better blueline overall, with Spurgeon being one of the best two way defenders in the league. He was third amongst defensemen in the NHL with 59 points. Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin (who is expected to return soon) are two of the premier shutdown defensemen in the NHL. And Jonathan Blum and Matt Dumba both look to be coming into their own as exciting NHL defensemen, while Scandella and Falk provide dependability.

Up Front
The Sedins are clearly on a decline from their former point per game selves back in the glory days of President's Trophies and Cup Finals runs. Can they find their magic for a series? The Canucks offense is bone dry and if they want to win they'll need to get some pucks by whoever ends up manning the Minnesota crease. Vrbata had a productive season, mostly stapled to Nick Bonino's wing, and with the injuries and lack of depth he will now be relied upon to drive a line without much in terms of complementary talent. Mason Raymond is a shadow of his former self ever since his injury in the Finals in 2011. Rookie Bo Horvat will be the veteran presence on a fourth line between two AHL callups in Kenins and Archibald. This is overall a weak group lacking depth and secondary scoring. But Hansen and Higgins could both return and turn the tide of the series. The Wild have a much stronger and deeper forward group. With Koivu, Granlund and Coyle down the middle they roll three capable lines. Throughout the lineup they play responsible two way hockey. Their 'third' line of Niederreiter, Coyle and Cooke is physically intimidating and offensively dangerous. The Wild have a clear advantage at forward.

Summary
The Canucks may have home ice advantage due to divisional seeding but make no mistake, the Wild are the better team here. They are a top 10 team in the NHL in goals scored, goals allowed, powerplay and penalty kill efficiency. They may be missing the offensive punch an injured Pominville could add to the lineup, but with Brodin returning to the d-corps any game now they have a solid solid top six and and a top four of Suter, Spurgeon, Brodin and Blum that most teams in the league wish they could have. Vancouver might find lightning in a bottle if Ryan Miller gets hot and continues his excellence but eventually they will have to score some goals and outplay a better team. The Wild take this series in five.

CanuckJohnny · 07-25-2023, 07:07 PM

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS

CanuckJohnny · 07-26-2023, 10:47 PM

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS

Round 1: Conference Quarterfinals

GAME 1
Colorado 3 @ Chicago 4 (CHI leads series 1-0)
Goals: Duchene 1 (Talbot), Mitchell 1 (Barrie, Carey), Duchene 2 (Wilson, E. Johnson)
Goals: Saad 1 (Toews), Hossa 1 (Boyes, Richards), Bickell 1 (Hartman, Polak), Sharp 1 (Brennan, Versteeg)
Goalies: Varlamov (L, 35 saves on 39 shots), Crawford (W, 39 saves on 42 shots)

St. Louis 1 @ Nashville 2 (NSH leads series 1-0)
Goals: Shattenkirk 1 (Stastny, Tarasenko)
Goals: Neal 1 (Ribeiro), Fisher 1 (Ekholm, Moulson), Ekholm 1 (Ellis), Neal (2) 2 (Forsberg, Ribeiro)
Goalies: Elliott (L, 22 saves on 26 shots), Hutton (W, 33 saves on 34 shots)

Minnesota 7 @ Vancouver 2 (MIN leads series 1-0)
Goals: Suter (1), Granlund 2 (2), Dumba (1), Vanek (1), Scandella (1), Koivu (1)
Assists: Koivu 2 (2), Vanek (1), Mozyakin (1), Zucker (1), Jeffrey (1), Scandella (1), Blum 2 (2), Parise (1), Granlund (1), Brodziak (1), Spurgeon (1)
Goals: Archibald (1), Henrik (1)
Assists: Horvat (1), Kassian (1), Hamhuis (1)
Goalies: Kuemper (W, 23 saves on 25 shots), Miller (L, 24 saves on 31 shots)

Anaheim 0 @ San Jose 2 (SJS leads series 1-0)
Goals: Matthias 1 (Couture, Pavelski), Marleau 1 (Couture)
Goalies: Andersen (L, 30 saves on 32 shots), Niemi (W, 23 save shutout)

Washington 1 @ Detroit 5 (DET leads series 1-0)
Goals: Johansson 1 (Backstrom, Volpatti)
Goals: Helm 1 (Zetterberg, Datsyuk), Andersson 1 (Franzen, Yandle), Helm (2) 2 (Franzen, Andersson), Quincey 1 (Zetterberg, Tatar), Glendening 1 (Abdelkader)
Goalies: Holtby (L, 33 saves on 38 shots), Howard (W, 17 saves on 18 shots)

Tampa Bay 2 @ Boston 3 OT (BOS leads series 1-0)
Goals: Boyle 1 (Stepan, Stamkos), Filppula 1 (Johnson, Stamkos)
Goals: Hamilton 1 (Pastrnak, Krejci), Marchand 1 (Seidenberg, Bergeron), Pastrnak (OT) 1 (Krejci, Bartkowski)
Goalies: Bishop (L, 60 saves on 63 shots), Rask (W, 15 saves on 17 shots)

New Jersey 1 @ Pittsburgh 4 (PIT leads series 1-0)
Goals: Cammalleri 1 (Jagr)
Goals: Crosby 1 (Wheeler, Spaling), Br. Sutter 1 (Malkin, Hornqvist), Br. Sutter (2) 2 (Bennett, Downie), Scuderi 1 (Spaling, Crosby)
Goalies: Schneider (L, 44 saves on 47 shots), Fleury (W, 17 saves on 18 shots)

Philadelphia 4 @ NY Islanders 6 (NYI leads series 1-0)
Goals: Schultz 1 (Gostisbehere, Voracek), B. Schenn 1 (Giroux, Voracek), Couturier 1 (Raffl, Howden), Akeson 1 (Jokinen)
Goals: Hamonic 1 (Franson, Tavares), Hamonic (2) 2 (Tavares, Okposo), Lee 1 (Tavares), Strome 1 (Leddy, Bailey), Winnik 1 (Boychuk, Strome), Tavares 1 (Lee, Leddy)
Goalies: Mason (L, 23 saves on 29 shots), Halak (W, 17 saves on 21 shots)

GAME 2:
Colorado 0 @ Chicago 1 (CHI leads series 2-0)
Goals: Sharp 2 (unassisted)
Goalies: Varlamov (L, 18 saves on 19 shots), Crawford (W, 21 save shutout)

St. Louis 4 @ Nashville 0 (Series tied 1-1)
Goals: Pietrangelo 1 (Shattenkirk), Backes 1 (Pietrangelo, Steen), Butler 1 (Gragnani, Berglund), Tarasenko 1 (Shattenkirk, Berglund)
Goalies: Elliott (W, 30 save shutout), Hutton (L, 32 saves on 36 shots)

Minnesota 3 @ Vancouver 2 (MIN leads series 2-0)
Goals: Koivu 2 (Blum, Parise), Niederreiter 1 (Coyle, Suter), Parise 1 (Brodziak, Scandella)
Goals: Vrbata 1 (Daniel), Vrbata (2) 2 (Tanev, Henrik)
Goalies: Kuemper (W, 13 saves on 15 shots), Miller (L, 42 saves on 45 shots)

Anaheim 2 @ San Jose 3 2OT (SJS leads series 2-0)
Goals: Kesler 1 (Lindholm, Getzlaf), Blacker 1 (Thompson, Palmieri)
Goals: Matthias 2 (Vlasic, Desjardins), Pavelski 1 (Demers), Wingels (2OT) 1 (Nieto, Sbisa)
Goalies: Anderson (L, 37 saves on 40 shots), Niemi (W, 27 saves on 29 shots)

Washington 2 @ Detroit 3 OT (DET leads series 2-0)
Goals: Chimera 1 (Backstrom), Letestu 1 (Ovechkin, Green)
Goals: Nyquist 1 (Datsyuk), Andersson 2 (Helm, Smith), Glendening (OT) 2 (Datsyuk, Tatar)
Goalies: Holtby (L, 44 saves on 47 shots), Howard (W, 38 saves on 40 shots)

Tampa Bay 3 @ Boston 2 (Series tied 1-1)
Goals: Callahan 1 (Stepan, Boyle), Johnson 1 (Carle, Filppula), Palat 1 (Brewer, Barberio)
Goals: Marchand 2 (Bergeron, Krug), Krug 1 (Krejci)
Goalies: Bishop (W, 17 saves on 18 shots), Rask (L, 22 saves on 25 shots)

New Jersey 3 @ Pittsburgh 4 OT (PIT leads series 2-0)
Goals: Zajac 1 (Brunner, Zidlicky), Elias 1 (Larsson, Josefson), Greene 1 (Zajac, Brunner)
Goals: Goc 1 (Downie, Harrington), Wheeler 1 (Harrington, Crosby), Hornqvist (Harrington), Kunitz (OT) 1 (Goc, Downie)
Goalies: Schneider (L, 32 saves on 36 shots), Fleury (W, 15 saves on 18 shots)

Philadelphia 1 @ NY Islanders 2 2OT (NYI leads series 2-0)
Goals: Voracek 1 (Lupul, Giroux)
Goals: Tavares 2 (Lee), Lee 2 (Winnik, Bailey)
Goalies: Mason (L, 39 saves on 41 shots), Halak (W, 56 saves on 57 shots)

CanuckJohnny · 07-26-2023, 10:50 PM

Canucks Imploding Already?

After a second straight loss at home to start their postseason there was a lot of visible frustration on the Canucks bench. Veteran goalie Ryan Miller was seen in an angry, animated discussion with Alex Edler, Dale Hunter was yelling and frustrated at his bench, rookies Darren Archibald and Ronalds Kenins sat slumped on the bench after the game and captain Henrik Sedin had few answers afterwards in the press conference. "It's unfortunate and it's something where we wanted to have better results in front of our fans. We need to regroup and go win the next game so we're going to prepare for that." Miller was more candid, "You can't win in the playoffs getting outshot like that. We need to pull together as a team and put a full sixty minutes in. That was embarrasing."

Vrbata was moved up to play with the Sedins and that did look successful early but the Canucks had no push or offense past that first line and got hemmed into their own end for much of the game. They are hoping for Hansen to return to the lineup soon to give them a spark. Can they steal a game or two in Minnesota to keep their season alive?

CanuckJohnny · 07-27-2023, 12:40 PM

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS

Round 1: Conference Quarterfinals

GAME 3
Chicago 4 @ Colorado 0 (CHI leads series 3-0)
Goals: Shaw 1 (Seabrook, Bolland), Toews 1 (Oduya, Sharp), Keith 1 (Seabrook, Toews), Saad 2 (Toews, Sharp)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 24 save shutout), Varlamov (L, 32 saves on 36 shots)

Nashville 4 @ St. Louis 1 (NSH leads series 2-1)
Goals: Jarnkrok 1 (Moulson, Fisher), Nystrom 1 (Roy), Ribeiro 1 (Forsberg, Josi), Roy 1 (Ekholm)
Goals: Steen 1 (Pietrangelo, Stastny)
Goalie: Hutton (W, 40 saves on 41 shots), Elliott (L, 21 saves on 24 shots)

Vancouver 1 @ Minnesota 5 (MIN leads series 3-0)
Goals: Horvat 1 (Edler)
Goals: Granlund 3 (Spurgeon, Vanek), Niederreiter 2 (Vanek, Suter), Cooke 1 (Haula, Spurgeon), Cooke (2) 2 (Spurgeon, Suter), Scandella 2 (Granlund)
Goalies: Miller (L, 27 saves on 32 shots), Kuemper (W, 23 saves on 24 shots)

San Jose 4 @ Anaheim 3 (SJS leads series 3-0)
Goals: Frattin 1 (Sheppard, Desjardins), Wingels 2 (Demers, Couture), Couture 1 (Nieto), Thornton (Couture)
Goals: Kesler 2 (Leopold, Thompson), Rakell 1 (Fowler, Vatanen), Lindholm 1 (Kesler, Beleskey)
Goalies: Niemi (W, 30 saves on 33 shots), Andersen (L, 23 saves on 27 shots)

Detroit 0 @ Washington 1 (DET leads series 2-1)
Goals: Hartnell 1 (Kuznetsov, Alzner)
Goalies: Howard (L, 23 saves on 24 shots), Holtby (W, 42 save shutout)

Boston 4 @ Tampa Bay 0 (BOS leads series 2-1)
Goals: Hamilton 2 (Spooner, Bergeron), Lucic 1 (Pastrnak, Hamilton), Bergeron 1 (Eriksson), Pastrnak 2 (McQuaid, R. Smith)
Goalies: Rask (W, 24 save shutout), Bishop (L, 34 saves on 38 shots)

Pittsburgh 2 @ New Jersey 0 (PIT leads series 3-0)
Goals: Malkin 1 (Bennett, Kunitz), Martin 1 (Harrington, Downie)
Goalies: Fleury (W, 22 save shutout), Schneider (L, 36 saves on 37 shots)

NY Islanders 2 @ Philadelphia 0 (NYI leads series 3-0)
Goals: M. Donovan (Bailey, Hamonic), Lee 3 (Okposo, Franson)
Goalies: Halak (W, 26 save shutout), Mason (L, 27 saves on 29 shots)

GAME 4
Chicago 5 @ Colorado 3 (CHI wins series 4-0)
Goals: Versteeg 1 (Kruger, Shaw), Sharp 3 (Saad, Toews), Bickell 2 (Hjalmarsson, Hartman), Polak 1 (Hartman), Brennan 1 (Bolland, Hossa)
Goals: Duchene 3 (Loktionov, Barrie), Landeskog 1 (Duchene, Elliott), Landeskog (2) 2 (Iginla, O'Reilly)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 24 saves on 27 shots), Varlamov (L, 21 saves on 26 shots)

Nashville 3 @ St. Louis 1 (NSH leads series 3-1)
Goals: Forsberg 1 (Josi, Ellis), Fisher 2 (Bourque), Neal 3 (Forsberg, Ribeiro)
Goals: Backes 2 (Stastny, Pietrangelo)
Goalies: Hutton (W, 21 saves in 22 shots), Elliott (L, 27 saves in 30 shots)

Vancouver 4 @ Minnesota 3 OT (MIN leads series 3-1)
Goals: Burrows 1 (Horvat, Archibald), Bonino 1 (Hansen, Sestito), Vrbata 3 (Stanton, Henrik), Bonino (OT) (2) 2 (Weber)
Goals: Niederreiter 3 (Spurgeon, Suter), Niederreiter (2) 4 (Parise, Suter), Dumba 2 (Falk, Vanek)
Goalies: Miller (W, 31 saves on 34 shots), Kuemper (L, 33 saves on 37 shots)

San Jose 4 @ Anaheim 1 (SJS wins series 4-0)
Goals: Burns 1 (Desjardins, Hertl), Hertl 1 (Gustafsson, Burns), Desjardins 1 (Braun), Hertl (2) 2 (Nieto, Sbisa)
Goals: W. Karlsson 1 (Leblanc, Leopold)
Goalies: Niemi (W, 26 saves on 27 shots), Andersen (L, 24 saves on 27 shots)

Detroit 5 @ Washington 1 (DET leads series 3-1)
Goals: Andersson 3 (Crombeen, Helm), Tatar 1 (Zetterberg), Zetterberg 1 (Yandle, Datsyuk), Abdelkader 1 (Yandle, Nyquist), Zetterberg (2) 2 (Datsyuk)
Goals: Green 1 (Ovechkin, Carlson)
Goalies: Howard (W, 13 saves on 14 shots), Holtby (L, 43 saves on 48 shots)

Boston 2 @ Tampa Bay 3 (Series tied 2-2)
Goals: Marchand 3 (Krug), Soderberg 1 (Lucic, Krejci)
Goals: Johnson 2 (Marchessault), Connolly 1 (Kucherov), Marchessault 1 (Johnson)
Goalies: Rask (L, 15 saves on 18 shots), Bishop (W, 34 saves on 36 shots)

Pittsburgh 0 @ New Jersey 1 (PIT leads series 3-1)
Goals: Hrabarenka 1 (Harrold, Cammalleri)
Goalies: Fleury (L, 18 saves on 19 shots), Schneider (W, 41 save shutout)

NY Islanders 1 @ Philadelphia 3 (NYI leads series 3-1)
Goals: Tavares 3 (Okposo)
Goals: Giroux 1 (Bellemare, Schultz), Giroux (2) 2 (Schultz, Voracek), Giroux (3) 3 (B. Schenn, Schultz)
Goalies: Halak (L, 32 saves on 35 shots), Mason (W, 19 saves on 20 shots)

CanuckJohnny · 07-27-2023, 12:42 PM

Tom Sestito crosses a line, earns demotion

Tom Sestito was back in the big leagues, finding his way back onto the Canucks after trade deadline day left their forward depth depleted. Injuries left the door open for him to play a regular role in the postseason as well, not that he has performed well, going -4 in four games with one assist.

He squandered all that yesterday, however, going on a profanity laden tirade about European players in a radio interview. It would seem he was inebriated at the time, and issued an apology, but bridges with a lot of key Canucks personnel have been burned and Trevor Linden immediately sent him packing back to Utica. "That sort of conduct is not only unprofessional, it is unacceptable in our organization. We will not be re-signing Tom this offseason and we apologize to any who were offended by his recent comments. He does not speak for the Vancouver Canucks organization," commented Trevor in a press conference.

Vancouver is on the ropes in their series with Minnesota, and head home to Rogers Arena for a must win game to stay alive.

CanuckJohnny · 07-27-2023, 06:49 PM

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS

Round 1: Conference Quarterfinals

GAME 5
St. Louis 6 @ Nashville 2 (NSH leads series 3-2)
Goals: Shattenkirk 2 (Porter, Oshie), Schwartz 1 (Shattenkirk, Tarasenko), Steen 2 (Butler, Stastny), Shattenkirk (2) 3 (Lapierre), Tarasenko 2 (Shattenkirk), Berglund 1 (Shattenkirk, Alfredsson)
Goals: Ribeiro 2 (Forsberg, Neal), Neal 4 (Moulson, Bourque)
Goalies: Elliott (W, 20 saves on 22 shots), Hutton (L, 36 saves on 42 shots), Rinne (5 saves on 5 shots)

Minnesota 1 @ Vancouver 5 (MIN leads series 3-2)
Goals: Parise 2 (Mozyakin, Granlund)
Goals: Hansen 1 (Edler), Raymond 1 (Hamhuis), Raymond (2) 2 (Tanev, Hansen), Vrbata 4 (Hamhuis, Weber), Richardson 1 (Stantons, Vrbata)
Goalies: Kuemper (L, 30 saves on 35 shots), Miller (W, 24 saves on 25 shots)

Washington 4 @ Detroit 2 (DET leads series 3-2)
Goals: Ovechkin 1 (Backstrom, Green), Chimera 2 (Ovechkin, Backstrom), Ovechkin (2) 2 (Backstrom, Hillen), Carlson 1 (Ovechkin, Chimera)
Goals: Nyquist 2 (Yandle, Tatar), Glendening 3 (Quincey, Nyquist)
Goalies: Holtby (W, 27 saves on 29 shots), Howard (L, 10 saves on 13 shots)

Tampa Bay 2 @ Boston 5 (BOS leads series 3-2)
Goals: Callahan 2 (Stepan, Hedman), Kucherov 1 (Sustr)
Goals: Bergeron 2 (Marchand), Bergeron (2) 3 (McQuaid, Chara), Krug 2 (Bergeron, Eriksson), R. Smith 1 (Chara, Krejci), Krug (2) 3 (Krejci, R. Smith)
Goalies: Bishop (L, 36 saves on 41 shots), Rask (W, 18 saves on 20 shots)

New Jersey 0 @ Pittsburgh 2 (PIT wins series 4-1)
Goals: Comeau 1 (Sill, Ehrhoff), Wheeler 2 (Letang, Malkin)
Goalies: Schneider (L, 26 saves on 28 shots), Fleury (W, 28 save shutout)

Philadelphia 2 @ NY Islanders 1 OT (NYI leads series 3-2)
Goals: Voracek 2 (Gostisbehere, Giroux), Simmonds (OT) 1 (Raffl, Coburn)
Goals: Leddy 1 (Tavares, Winnik)
Goalies: Mason (W, 41 saves on 42 shots), Halak (L, 30 saves on 32 shots)

GAME 6
Nashville 3 @ St. Louis 1 (NSH wins series 4-2)
Goals: Forsberg 2 (Neal, Josi), Moulson 1 (Fisher, Jarnkrok), Fisher 3 (Ellis, Ribeiro)
Goals: Pietrangelo 2 (Schwartz, Berglund)
Goalies: Rinne (W, 13 saves on 14 shots), Elliott (L, 26 saves on 29 shots)

Vancouver 1 @ Minnesota 3 (MIN wins series 4-2)
Goals: Daniel 1 (Henrik, Vrbata)
Goals: Vanek 2 (Suter), Niederreiter 5 (Blum), Brodin 1 (Blum)
Goalies: Miller (L, 28 saves on 31 shots), Kuemper (W, 21 saves on 22 shots)

Detroit 2 @ Washington 0 (DET wins series 4-2)
Goals: Yandle 1 (Abdelkader, Nyquist), Yandle (2) 2 (Abdelkader, Nyquist)
Goalies: Howard (W, 10 save shutout), Holtby (L, 39 saves on 41 shots)

Boston 3 @ Tampa Bay 4 (Series tied 3-3)
Goals: Fraser 1 (Krejci, Lucic), Lucic 2 (Krug, Hamilton), Bergeron 4 (Marchand, Hamilton)
Goals: Connolly 2 (Kucherov, Boyle), Hedman 1 (Namestnikov, Kucherov), Stralman 1 (Hedman, Garrison), Callahan 3 (Hedman)
Goalies: Rask (L, 38 saves on 42 shots), Bishop (W, 48 saves on 51 shots)

NY Islanders 1 @ Philadelphia 4 (Series tied 3-3)
Goals: Donovan 2 (Clutterbuck, Kulemin)
Goals: White 1 (Akeson), Lupul 1 (Voracek, Giroux), Voracek 3 (Gostisbehere, Giroux), Lupul (2) 2 (Del Zotto, Bellemare)
Goalies: Halak (L, 17 saves on 21 shots), Mason (W, 23 saves on 24 shots)

GAME 7
Tampa Bay 3 @ Boston 2 (TBL wins series 4-3)
Goals: Stepan 1 (Killorn), Emmerton 1 (Garrison), Connolly 3 (Stralman, Namestnikov)
Goals: Kelly 1 (Bartkowski, Paille), Krug 4 (Bergeron, Eriksson)
Goalies: Bishop (W, 32 saves on 34 shots), Rask (L, 17 saves on 20 shots)

Philadelphia 2 @ NY Islanders 3 OT (NYI wins series 4-3)
Goals: Colaiacovo 1 (Simmonds, Bellemare), B. Schenn 2 (Coburn, Giroux)
Goals: Tavares 4 (Hamonic, Bailey), Hickey 1 (Lee, Boychuk), Lee (OT) 4 (Conacher, Hamonic)
Goalies: Mason (L, 44 saves on 47 shots), Halak (W, 16 saves on 18 shots)

CanuckJohnny · 07-27-2023, 06:52 PM

Canucks eliminated in six games

After going down by three games in their series against Minnesota Vancouver found some push back and won the next two, with stellar play from Ryan Miller, an injection of energy from Jannik Hansen, steady offense from Radim Vrbata and a two goal game four performance from Nick Bonino that was capped off with his overtime winner.

In Game Six they just didn't have enough and looked overwhelmed by a better team. Yannick Weber went down with a lower body injury and the team played a chunk of the game with five defensemen. There was no real offensive push aside from the Sedins and Vrbata. Ryan Miller was good but not great, and they needed him to steal this one to have a chance.

Dale Hunter sounded discouraged in his Press Conference post game, "it's frustrating, you know, we were close, I feel like we could've had something here. We lost some good depth guys at the deadline, those were tough. It stings a lot right now, I feel like we had a better chance. I don't want to talk about it a whole lot right now guys." Linden has taken some criticism after trading away valuable roster players mid-season, only to see them contribute in the postseason for other teams (Matthias and Sbisa for San Jose) or even have success in a series against Vancouver (Dustin Jeffrey) while the Canucks languish for a lack of depth scoring and NHL level bottom six wingers. In his presser Linden said, "we have a lot of evaluating and discussing to do. This loss hurts for all of us, and what we want to do is take some time and make intelligent decisions about our future and direction. We will be conducting our exit interviews next week and then our staff will be working together on our vision for the offseason. Our goal is to get better as an organization, to set ourselves up for consistent playoff success, and we are going to keep moving towards that goal."

CanuckJohnny · 07-27-2023, 07:00 PM

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS

Round 1 Summary

In the West, Chicago cleanly swept Colorado. The Avs put up a solid resistance in game two but lost in overtime and could never find any momentum against the best team in the regular season. Chicago will move on to face Nashville in round 2 as the Preds handled a strong Blues squad that gave them some trouble, especially dynamic offensive defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk who had eight points, in six games. Nashville ran with Carter Hutton, as they have almost all year (and been rewarded with sixteen regular season shutouts), until he allowed five goals in game five and the Blues were within striking distance. Rinne came in in relief that game and then started and won game six. Who will have the crease in round two against the vaunted Blackhawks offense that has Patrick Kane returning to the lineup?

Minnesota looks to have an easy route assigned it by fortune, going through the easier Pacific Division due to the Wild Card playoff arrangement. They took Vancouver out in six games, going with the less experienced but equally skilled Darcy Kuemper in net over veteran Nicklas Backstrom. Yeo was criticized at the outset of the series for the decision but he has been vindicated. In the 'battle of mediocrity' San Jose swept Anaheim, who barely put up a fight. At times Ryan Kesler looked like the only Duck who was trying. The Sharks will face the Wild in round two, and though they have home ice advantage because of the format, the Wild had 19 more regular season points than them. Minnesota should waltz to a conference finals date with the other clear favourite in the West, Chicago.

Detroit was the most dominant team in the East, but they struggled a bit against eighth seed Washington. In the end Detroit's depth and scoring was apparent as they defeated the Capitals in six games. Alex Ovechkin was not a huge factor, taking until game five to score his first of the series. Deadline acquisition Keith Yandle came as advertised, providing two goals and four assists in the series. Boston was arguably the third best team in the conference for most of the year, but they were upset in a fairly even series with Tampa Bay. Boston boasted more firepower and had great performances from Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci and Krug but Tampa played a great team game and hung in there in the back and forth series, eventually taking the decisive game seven on the road 3-2, with youngster Brett Connolly scoring the winner (his third goal of the series). The Lightning will have an even tougher test ahead of them with Detroit, but if Ben Bishop can keep them alive in net and they pull off another upset it would be quite the underdog story.

Pittsburgh had little trouble with the Devils, dispatching them in five games. Jagr's run was ended by his old team, and Pittsburgh comes into round two as a strong favourite to move ahead to the conference finals. They will face an Islanders club that barely staved off a Flyers comeback from down 3-0 in their series. John Tavares carries the Islanders to any success they have offensively and Jaroslav Halak can have some big games, but don't think they're going to be any match for a loaded Penguins team that hasn't even been challenged yet.

07-18-2023, 08:50 AM	#21
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Canucks in FEBRUARY L 3-0 vs MIN - Canucks open the month with an embarrassing effort, outshot 39 to 15. Backstrom cruises to an easy fifteen save shutout. W 3-2 vs WPG - Fresh off a new three year contract extension, Brad Richardson earned first star honours as his line was buzzing all night, he was plus two and he assisted on Chris Higgins' game winner in the third. W 4-1 vs SJS - It was Ryan Stanton who rewarded his general manager with a huge game after his extension, earning first star with a one goal, two assist performance. Vancouver peppered backup goalie Alex Stalock with 46 shots, while Jumbo Joe and the Sharks had no answer. L 5-3 vs PIT - It was a battle of the backups as two division leaders met head to head, and Jacob Markstrom was handed his first loss of the season while Thomas Greiss emerged victorious. Vancouver looked outclassed and overwhelmed at times, allowing 38 shots total. Malkin scored, while Crosby added a goal and assist. L 3-1 @ MIN - Backstrom and the Wild continue to dominate the Canucks. Horvat had the lone Vancouver goal, his eighth of the year. Ryan Miller was peppered with 41 shots, saving 38 in the losing cause. L 2-1 @ CHI - Danny and Hank get a rare reunion on the top line together against their old rivals, but the Canucks come up flat in another big game against a great team. Ryan Miller made 41 saves in a losing effort while the Canucks only managed a lacklustre 17 on Corey Crawford. Alex Burrows scored only his second of the season to open the third and give his teammates some hope, but there was no collective push for a tying goal and coach Dale Hunter looked frustrated on the bench after his third straight loss. L 2-1 vs BOS - Another old rival, another loss, and the third straight game in which Vancouver has mustered only a single goal. The fourth line got on the board first, with Burrows assisting on a Dustin Jeffrey goal. Burr seems to like these rivalry games. However in the second it was old nemesis Brad Marchand with both goals in the frame, including the eventual game winner, his 28th of the year. L 5-0 @ CGY - Markstrom got shelled and Vancouver continues to plummet with their fifth straight L. This time the Canucks were shut out by Jonas Hiller, while Curtis Glencross scored two goals on Markstrom and the Flames added tallies from Gaudreau, Backlund and Monahan. W 1-0 vs MIN - Ryan Miller willed his team to victory with a 38 save shutout, but the Canucks overall still looked weak out there. This is their fifth game in a row without scoring multiple goals. Chris Higgins netted the only goal of the game in the second for his tenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Bieksa, but Dale Hunter is going to have to find a way to inspire some offense from this group. OTW 3-2 @ NYR - Against Henrik Lundqvist Vancouver finally eked out some offense, albeit from unlikely sources, as Richardson and Weber scored in the second to give them a lead only to see it evaporate in the third when J.T. Miller and Derick Brassard both scored to even things up. Dustin Jeffrey was the unlikely hero, potting the overtime winner with just over a minute to go, assisted by Bo Horvat. L 3-1 @ NJD - Cory Schneider with the win over Jacob Markstrom, and Jagr with a goal and an assist. The only Canuck goal came off the stick of Frank Corrado. L 3-1 @ NYI - The Canucks were badly outplayed, outshot to the tune of 38-25, and not even great goaltending from Ryan Miller is able to consistently cover for that. In spite of still being atop their division (barely) the Canucks did not look like a playoff team, while the Islanders did, even with backup goalie Chad Johnson tending the net. Vrbata scored the lone Canucks goal. L 4-3 @ BOS - Dan Hamhuis shined with a three assist night, and Derek Dorsett (back in the lineup from injury) scored his third of the year, but Vancouver was outplayed again, with Brad Marchand again putting up two goals against them and Reilly Smith getting the winner with 44 seconds to go in the third was a real heart breaker. W 3-0 @ BUF - After a big trade the Canucks come out with a W. Miller comes away with the 23 save shutout against his former team, while Dustin Jeffrey takes advantage of some extra minutes to get his fifth of the season. Hansen and Vrbata also scored to close out a dismal month on a winning note. Record (February): 32-24-5 (5-9-0), 69 points (nice), 6th in West (1st in Pacific) Stat Leaders: G - Vrbata (23), Henrik (14), Kassian (13) A - Bonino (22), Henrik, Daniel (21), Weber (18) Pts - Vrbata (39), Henrik (35), Bonino (30) +/- - Bonino (+13), Stanton, Jeffrey (+11), Corrado, Burrows (+6) PIM - Kassian (100), Hansen (34), Dorsett (33) Shots - Vrbata (173), Weber (141), Daniel (135) Hits - Kassian (187), Richardson, Hansen (105), Hamhuis (99) TkA - Tanev (44), Hamhuis (36), Weber (24) SB - Tanev (155), Corrado (104), Hamhuis 84 FO% - Horvat (56.2%), Bonino (55.4%), Henrik (53.9%) Goalies: Miller - 24-17-4, 2.03 gaa, .934 sv%, 5 so, 0.48 GSAA/60 Markstrom - 4-3-0, 2.59 gaa, .915 sv%, -0.11 GSAA/60 Injuries: D Yannick Weber (shin) DTD Prospects: F Brendan Gaunce (OHL) 47gp, 20-26-46, has demonstrated improvement in going to the dirty areas and being willing to take a hit to make a play F Cole Cassels (OHL) 48gp, 15-39-54, showing better discipline in staying out of the box and not losing his cool F Jared McCann (OHL) 48gp, 18-35-53, showing lots of growth at both ends of the ice, stronger on his skates, his shooting mechanics are looking better and he's been breaking up more plays on defense D Nikita Tryamkin (KHL) 39gp, 6-18-24, working on getting his shots through and making a solid defensive impact D Gustav Forsling (SHL) 40gp, 2-13-15, improving his edgework and shooting accuracy D Henrik Tommernes (SHL) 40gp, 10-15-25, making better defensive reads G Thatcher Demko (NCAA) 23gp, 2.52gaa, .920sv%, 16wins, improving his blocker side D Ben Hutton (NCAA) 31gp, 7-19-26, shot accuracy seems to be getting better F Joseph LaBate (NCAA) 31gp, 16-14-30, his playmaking and stick checking are seeing improvement F Alexandre Grenier (AHL) 58gp, 15-19-34, 108pim, he is making strides with his endurance and determination to show consistent effort throughout games

07-18-2023, 11:49 PM	#23
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	February Recap Chicago continues to be the undisputed class of the league, leading in most significant statistical categories, with Patrick Kane dominating the league and leading in goals (37), assists (47) and points (84). His recent injury, which could keep him out until the playoffs, will be the greatest adversity they have faced this year so it will be interesting to see how they respond and who steps up.. The Central looks incredibly competitive after them, with St. Louis, Nashville, Minnesota and Colorado all having good seasons and able to make a case for being a contender. Of those five teams, Minnesota has the worst goal differential at +23. By way of comparison, the top team in the Pacific, Vancouver, has a goal differential of +1. The Canucks are barely clinging to their lead in the Pacific, with Calgary pressing. San Jose, Los Angeles, Edmonton and Arizona are all tied with 63 points trying to squeak into that final playoff spot in their division. The Kings have an inside track with two games in hand, but their -18 goal differential looks bad and they will need some semblance of offence down the middle from a struggling Anze Kopitar (25 points so far and just 4 goals) and Mike Richards (just 6 points in 29 games). Detroit is firing on all cylinders, riding a five game win streak into March and leading the Eastern Conference. Their top line of Nyquist, Datsyuk and Tatar has created lots of offence and Jimmy Howard has been closing the door in net. The Islanders have surpassed the Penguins to lead the Metro, but Pittsburgh has three games in hand and they have been one of the more dominant teams all year. Boston is in the conversation as one of the contenders in the East, but missing Chara will hurt them. Brad Marchand is fourth in the NHL with 32 goals. Inspired by Jaromir Jagr and backstopped by prime Cory Schneider (six shutouts this year), the Devils are charging hard into the playoff race, on a seven game winning streak to put them in the top wild card slot. The Rangers are struggling with McDonagh and Girardi out, but still find themselves within striking position of the final playoff spot, four points back of the Capitals but with two games in hand. Washington is pushing though, with a resurgent Ovechkin and the addition of veteran Scott Hartnell to round out their scoring. Team Stat Leaders: GF/gm - Chicago (3.27), Boston (2.94), Detroit (2.92), St. Louis (2.90), Pittsburgh (2.82) GA/gm - Chicago (1.89), Detroit (1.95), St. Louis (2.03), Nashville (2.16), Pittsburgh (2.21) PP - Chicago (23.8%), Detroit (22.7%), Carolina (21.8%), Pittsburgh (20.4%), Washington (19.4%) PK - Detroit (91.6%), Minnesota (89.0%), Dallas (87.1%), San Jose, Washington (86.1%) Goalie Leaders (min 20gp): GAA - Howard (Det) 1.78, Crawford (CHI) 1.90, Elliott (STL) 1.95, Backstrom (MIN) 1.96 Sv Pct - Miller (VAN) .934, Holtby (WSH) .932, Bobrovsky (CBJ) .930, Varlamov (COL) .929 GSAA - Holtby (WSH) 22.85, Miller (VAN) 21.87, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 19.14, Varlamov (WSH) 16.44 SO - Hutton (NSH) 13, Crawford (CHI), Varlamov (COL) 9, Fleury (PIT) 8 Rookie Leaders: Points - Gaudreau (CGY) 43, Larkin (DET) 39, Pastrnak (BOS) 37, Klingberg (DAL) 34, Trocheck (FLA) 31 Other Stat Leaders: Takeaways - O'Reilly (COL) 65, Doughty (LAK), Suter (MIN) 49, Vlasic (SJS) 48, Filppula (TBL), Gorges (BUF) 47 Hits - L. Schenn (PHI) 391, Bortuzzo (PIT) 301, Borowiecki (OTT) 238, Maroon (ANA) 202, Bjugstad (FLA) 190 Blocked Shots - Greene (NJD) 251, Alzner (WSH) 210, Beauchemin (ANA) 183, Stuart (WIN) 182, Schultz (PHI), Suter (MIN) 174 PIM - Bortuzzo (PIT) 181, Borowiecki (OTT) 179, L. Schenn (PHI) 164, Clarkson (TOR) 147, Clifford (LAK) 115 FO% - J. Staal (CAR) 63.0%, Carter (LAK) 57.6%, Gordon (EDM) 56.6%, D. Moore (NYR) 56.5%, Horvat (VAN), Dubinsky (CBJ) 56.2% +/- - Seabrook (CHI) +36, Toews (CHI) +35, Saad (CHI) +34, Bergeron (BOS), Keith (CHI) +32 Injuries: F Corey Perry (ANA) OUT 2-3 months (foot) D Zbynek Michalek (ARI) OUT 2-3 weeks (back) D Zdeno Chara (BOS) OUT 1-2 months (leg) F Patrick Kane (CHI) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Jack Johnson (CBJ) OUT indefinitely (back) D Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) OUT 2-3 months (knee) F Nathan MacKinnon (COL) OUT 3-4 months (elbow) D Trevor Daley (DAL) OUT 1-2 months (groin) D Sergei Gonchar (DAL) OUT 1-2 weeks (upper body) F Stephen Weiss (DET) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee) F Aleksander Barkov (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (eye) D Erik Gudbranson (FLA) OUT 2-3 months (knee) F Jason Pominville (MIN) OUT 2-3 months (neck) D Shea Weber (NSH) OUT 1-2 months (back) F Craig Smith (NSH) OUT indefinitely (knee) F Casey Cizikas (NYI) OUT 3-4 months (back) D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) DTD (hip) D Dan Girardi (NYR) OUT 2-3 weeks (hamstring) D John Moore (NYR) OUT indefinitely (concussion) D Dan Boyle (TBL) OUT 1-2 months (knee) F Ryan Callahan (TBL) DTD (arm) D Anton Stralman (TBL) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Brooks Orpik (WSH) OUT 1-2 months (arm) D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) OUT indefinitely (elbow) F Andrew Ladd (WPG) OUT 2-3 months (leg) Attached Images

07-20-2023, 07:09 AM	#24
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	TRADE DEADLINE PREVIEW The Sellers: Toronto Maple Leafs - They should be selling anyways. With the season in the tank and living in the cellar of the Eastern Conference, Dave Nonis ought to have a clear vision of where he wants to take this team. They've played their cards close to their chest so far so it's anybody's guess what they'll do. Could they move on from 29 year old captain Dion Phaneuf, who's due an extension anyways? Is Tyler Bozak a piece they can move on from to reload with a younger core? Does Lubomir Visnovsky hold any value? Since acquiring him from the Islanders he has 8 points in 34 games. Dion Phaneuf could be the biggest trade piece available this year, but is he available? Some analysts believe he certainly should be. Buffalo Sabres - Tim Murray's club is a team in disarray. No chance at the postseason, a fractured locker room, discontented players and no real direction. This is an important deadline for them to reset, show some cohesive vision and foresight, and hopefully move out some pieces for futures. Murray should decide which of his two 26 year old netminders he will re-sign and move the other one for assets. Neuvirth has carried the starter's load this year, but Enroth seems equally capable and might be less expensive to retain. Defensive defenseman Josh Gorges may be an attractive piece for playoff teams, he's top five in the NHL in blocked shots and all his underlying numbers look good defensively even on a poor team. But do they keep him around to mentor their young blueline and the likes of Tyler Myers, Nikita Zadorov and Rasmus Ristolainen. 31 year old Matt Moulson has had a productive season and if they're willing to part with him and his 39 points they could see some value there. Diminutive captain Brian Gionta could also bring a return from a contender that would value his feistiness, effort and skill. Anaheim Ducks - They have struggled and find themselves in the basement of the West, yet they are mostly aligned to be a competitive team now. Do they blow it up or run it back another year? Both their goalies are on expiring contracts, do they trade the 31 year old Koshechkin who has taken the starter's crease (Rumour has it they have had discussions with teams about moving him)? Or move out 25 year old Freddy Andersen while his value is high? If they choose to move forward with a rebuild they have a lot of assets that playoff bound teams would covet. The veteran Francois Beauchemin on the back end, with his experience and defensive chops, would be a key addition for any serious contender. Dany Heatley has the skill and reputation of a scorer, and although he has been used sparingly and been relatively unproductive, some club would probably bet on his experience and take a swing at him for cheap. Offseason acquisition Ryan Kesler hasn't seemed to gel with his new team or find his former 40-goal Selke form. Do they cut bait with him already and take what they can get? He's a proven playoff performer. The Buyers: Chicago Blackhawks - Why mess with a good thing? And why fix what isn't broken? Well, the recent injury to superstar Patrick Kane definitely puts the Blackhawks, whose window is now, in the conversation to add talent at the deadline. Whether they want to replace Kane up front with a top six talent who can give them even more scoring depth in the postseason, or if they want to bolster a defensive corps that looks really strong with the top three (Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson) but very thin after that (Rundblad, Gragnani, Rozsival) remains to be seen, but they should be involved this deadline as a team on a mission. With Patrick Kane* injured until at least the playoffs, how will a dominant Blackhawks team replace his 84 points? Or do they even see a need to?* Los Angeles Kings - The defending champs are having an off year, but so is their entire division and doubtless they will believe in themselves to get back in and make some noise. They are no strangers to turning a bottom seed berth into a Stanley Cup run, so expect them to look at adding while their window is open. They could use some firepower down the middle for sure, and could spend some of their promising forward prospects such as Tanner Pearson or Adrian Kempe or draft picks to try to add someone significant. New Jersey Devils - They should be looking to make the most of Jaromir Jagr's strong play in the twilight of his career. Their M.O. has always been depth and defensive responsibility up front, so while they may want to add a top six scorer on paper, it's unlikely Lou Lamoriello goes that route. They could really use a top four defenseman if they can afford it, but the prospect cupboards are pretty bare. At any rate, at least they should try to acquire another NHL calibre defenseman to bolster that blueline. The What? Nashville Predators - The Preds are truly an enigma. Rumours swirl about Pekka Rinne's discontent with being dislodged from his crease for upstart Carter Hutton. But hey, who can argue with 13 shutouts? Will Nashville keep both their goalies or move an apparently disgruntled Rinne? Up front they are all about defense, apart from 20 year old Filip Forsberg - he has carried that offense all year and is second in the league with 35 goals, but is that sustainable into the playoffs? Mike Ribeiro is the only other forward with over 40 points. After James Neal with 36 points the next highest scoring forwards are Eric Nystrom (8-9-17) and Mike Fisher (7-10-17). With such a lack of scoring depth, can they go deep enough in the playoffs to justify deadline acquisitions? They do have arguably the best young defense corps in the league, with Shea Weber and then a future top four of Josi, Ekholm, Ellis and Seth Jones, all of whom are under 25. Do they move some of their upcoming offensive talent in the prospect pool (Fiala, Arvidsson, Sissons) to find immediate help up front? Or stick with their identity and see how far they can go? Arizona Coyotes - Word on the street is that they have been shopping star offensive defenseman Keith Yandle. In his prime at 28, Yandle is up for a new contract and maybe that is the hangup, but with the Pacific wide open this year, is this a franchise that can afford to bail on a potential playoff appearance? Especially with the opportunity to give ageing captain Shane Doan one last shot at playoff glory? Their goalie tandem of Mike Smith and Devan Dubnyk has been solid, and coach Dave Tippett has them playing responsible, competitive hockey. Do they go for it and try to add some exciting talent to get them through the logjam in the Pacific and into the postseason, where anything can happen? Or will they go through with moving out key players and extending a rebuild? The Coyotes are shopping dynamic defenseman Keith Yandle, but reports are the asking price is high. Perhaps they hold onto him and risk losing him this offseason if he won't re-up in the desert, or maybe the price will come down as the deadline approaches. Last edited by CanuckJohnny; 07-20-2023 at 07:10 AM.

07-23-2023, 11:44 AM	#26
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Canucks in MARCH W 3-1 vs STL - Yannick Weber got a goal and an assist in a win over a very solid St. Louis Blues team. Horvat (9) and Kassian (14) also scored. Ryan Miller made 21 saves. W 1-0 vs SJS - Bonino scored the lone goal in the first game for both teams post deadline. Miller made 23 saves behind a rock solid defensive effort for the shutout. W 3-2 @ ARI - Bo Horvat had two goals, the first one assisted by Mason Raymond for his first point in a Canucks uniform since being reacquired from Calgary at the deadline. Yannick Weber had two assists, bringing him to 21 for the year so far, and Daniel scored the game winner mideway through the third and also picked up an assist. L 5-3 @ SJS - Vrbata scored two goals (24, 25) in a losing cause as San Jose was all over the Canucks. Deadline acquisition David Clarkson scored two goals and added an assist, while underrated pickup Matt Frattin also scored (his 13th of the season) en route to the victory. W 2-1 vs ANA - Both Sedins scored a goal as the Ducks' woes continue. Ryan Kesler scored on his former team, but his was the only Anaheim goal to beat Ryan Miller, who made 28 saves for the win. W 1-0 vs LAK - Miller played another solid game, with the 28 save shutout earning him first star on a night he had little run support. Chris Higgins scored the lone Canuck goal past Jonathan Quick but it turned out to be enough. W 5-1 vs TOR - Phil Kessel was coming off a hat trick against Calgary but was stymied by Ryan Miller and only picked up an assist on the lone Maple Leaf goal of the night by Morgan Rielly. It was a rough affair, with a first period fight between Kassian and Devane and a second period bout between Sestito and Kadri. Two roughing penalties were also given out as well as a misconduct. Vancouver fired 40 shots on Bernier and got five past him, including two by Chris Higgins. L 1-0 vs PHI - Steve Mason was a brick wall for the Flyers, stopping all 28 Vancouver shots while Shayne Gostisbehere rifled his third of the year past Ryan Miller on a second period powerplay to give Philly the win. OTW 4-3 vs CBJ - Markstrom prevailed in a battle of the backups with Curtis McElhinney. Henrik had the unlikely hat trick, tying the game late in the third with his second then capping off the trick in overtime with just 43 seconds left to play. W 2-1 @ LAK - Jannik Hansen (10) and Zack Kassian (15) both scored in the first period, with Hamhuis assisting on both goals. The lead would hold despite a Jeff Carter goal in the second and a threatening push in the third from the Kings. Miller made 25 saves for the victory. SOL 3-2 @ ARI - The Sedins were reunited on the top line, with Kassian being the designated 'triplet' for the day, after Hunter inexplicable put his lines in a blender following two wins. Bo Horvat was moved up to the third line, Bonino demoted to the fourth line, and Mason Raymond moved up to the second line. Vrbata and Daniel scored, but goals from Shane Doan and Mikkel Boedker left us tied after regulation. The game went to a shootout, where no Canucks shooter managed to solve Mike Smith. Boedker and Sam Gagner scored shootout goals for the Coyotes to get the extra point. W 2-0 vs WPG - The Jets minus Wheeler, Little and Stuart got steamrolled. Vancouver outshot them 38-12. Pavelec put in a good effort, making 36 saves, but goals from Mason Raymond and Henrik Sedin (who also had an assist for a two point night) lifted the 'Nucks to the win. Miller had one of the easiest shutouts of his career, making only 12 saves, but he'll take it. OTL 3-2 vs COL - Henrik's 20th of the year and a 32 save performance by Miller was wasted as Iginla (of course) ended it a minute into overtime. W 2-1 vs DAL - Deadline acquisition Cam Talbot made 34 saves for the Stars but still left with the L. Henrik had two assists and Ryan Stanton scored for the second straight game. L 2-0 @ STL - Brian Elliott shut out the visiting Canucks and David Backes scored two goals. In spite of the loss Chris Tanev earned second star honours with an all around impressive defensive effort in 21:32 of icetime. Three hits, two takeaways and a blocked shot were his statline. L 3-1 @ NSH - Vancouver played a weak game and made Carter Hutton look good, scoring only once on him in 23 shots. Mike Fisher (10), Roman Josi (10) and Gabriel Bourque (9) all scored on Jacob Markstrom as Nashville cruised to victory. Filip Forsberg was first star with two assists. Dan Hamhuis suffered an upper body injury and may be out for a week or two. Record (March): 42-28-7 (10-4-2), 91 points, 6th in West (1st in Pacific) Stat Leaders: G - Vrbata (27), Henrik (20), Kassian (15), Higgins (13), Hansen (12) A - Henrik (32), Daniel (25), Bonino (24), Weber (22), Higgins (21) Pts - Henrik (52), Vrbata (45), Daniel (36), Bonino, Higgins (34) +/- - Stanton (+15), Bonino (+14), Corrado (+12), Burrows (+9), Vrbata, Hansen, Horvat, Tanev (+5) PIM - Kassian (120), Higgins (39), Sestito (39), Hansen (38), Hamhuis, Weber (34) Shots - Vrbata (228), Weber (181), Daniel (169), Higgins (165), Hamhuis (159) Hits - Kassian (232), Hansen (134), Richardson (126), Hamhuis (112), Bonino (87) TkA - Tanev (55), Hamhuis (45), Corrado, Higgins (29), Richardson, Bonino, Vrbata (27) SB - Tanev (191), Corrado (144), Hamhuis (108), Weber, Edler (101), Bonino, Vrbata, Stanton (54) FO% - Horvat (56.0%), Henrik (53.4%), Bonino (53.1%), Richardson (52.1%) Goalies: Miller - 33-20-5, 8 SO, 1.87 GAA, .937 SvPct, 30.86 GSAA Markstrom - 5-4-1, 1 SO, 2.58 GAA< .916 SvPct, -1.13 Injuries: D Dan Hamhuis (neck) OUT 1-2 weeks Prospects: F Cole Cassels (OHL) 58gp, 21-48-69, looking a little more agile on his skates F Jared McCann (OHL) 58gp, 20-37-57, showing self discipline in staying out of the box lately G Joacim Eriksson (SHL) 32gp, 17-11, .873sv%, developing his mental toughness and ability to stay in games when things go poorly early D Gustav Gorsling (SHL) 48gp, 5-15-20, -4, showing growth at both ends of the ice, his first step is quicker, his passes are crisper and he's been using his stick more effectively to break up plays D Ben Hutton (NCAA) 38gp, 9-24-33, -2, has been playing more aggressively and adding some snarl to his game F Dane Fox (AHL) 69gp, 20-27-47, 131pim, showing improved passing skill F Nicklas Jensen (AHL) 69gp, 25-27-52, 120pim, -6, has been learning to be a pro in how he carries himself and prepares day in and day out F Jake Virtanen (WHL) 58gp, 20-36-56, +2, is throwing even better and harder hits D Carson Soucy (AHL) IOW 59gp, 4-11-15, 80pim, +1, UTI 12gp, 3-4-7, 10pim, -2, has shown improved puck handling and protection skills since coming over and starting to work with Utica's coaches, which has earned him increased opportunity and led to very good production early on in his career with the Comets

07-23-2023, 12:07 PM	#28
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	March Recap Chicago hasn't slowed down a lot while missing Patrick Kane, driven by consistent two way play from Toews and Saad and the best pairing in the league in Keith and Seabrook. Keith leads all defensemen in scoring with 64 points. Nashville is gaining ground on them all the same and hit fifty wins. Filip Forsberg is tied for the league lead in goals with Ovechkin with 44, Ribeiro just hit fifty assists and Matt Moulson has 7 goals and 13 points in 15 games since joining the team at the deadline. It doesn't hurt at all that Carter Hutton, an unknown before this season, has been an absolute revelation in net, stealing and keeping the crease from Pekka Rinne and sitting currently on a league leading 16 shutouts. The Central is stacked, also featuring a strong St. Louis team, Colorado with their skill and goaltending and Minnesota, who should make the playoffs and make some trouble there, especially if Pominville can come back in time for the postseason. Niederreiter has 33 goals for them so far, good for seventh in the NHL. Over in the mediocre Pacific it is the Canucks atop the division and then a logjam trying to squeeze into those final two spots and get in the playoffs. Currently the Sharks and Coyotes have the inside track, sitting at 79 points each, but the Ducks are just two points back and the Oilers, though four points back, have a game in hand on Arizona. Surprisingly, the Flames and Kings, after both adding at the deadline, have faded from the race and the defending champs look to end up watching this postseason to see who will supplant them. Detroit has continued to consistently dominate in the East and should cruise to the #1 seed. Howard has been incredible in net, and Tatar (24-53-77) and Nyquist (32-28-61) have brought youthful offense to augment the star studded veteran lineup. Boston is dynamic and solid. Brad Marchand is having a standout season for them, now tied with an injured Patrick Kane for second in the league scoring race at 84 points and Patrice Bergeron is his steady self, reliable at both ends and great in the circle. Tampa Bay has the third seed in the Atlantic cleanly locked up and is hoping their blueline can get healthy for the playoffs. The Penguins and Islanders are neck and neck at the top of the Metro, with the #2 seed looking like it will end up playing Philadelphia in round 1 of the playoffs. Crosby has been dominant and looks to be the only player to hit the century mark this year, in spite of his injury earlier in the year that cost him some games. He is currently riding a league best 21 game point streak. The Capitals are solidly locked into a playoff spot as a Wild Card as Ovechkin has surged offensively and is now tied for the league lead with 44 goals and could push fifty yet again if he stays hot. The Devils are two points back of the Capitals, and whoever manages to earn the first wild card spot will be rewarded by not having to face the juggernaut that is Detroit in the first round. The Rangers faded quickly after losing Chris Kreider to a suspension, and they are a loss or a Devils victory away from mathematical elimination. Team Stat Leaders: GF/gm - Chicago (3.11), Boston (3.00), Detroit (2.99), Minnesota (2.84), Pittsburgh, St. Louis (2.80) GA/gm - Chicago (1.76), Detroit (1.99), St. Louis (2.09), Nashville (2.10), Vancouver, Colorado (2.12) PP - Chicago (24.5%), Detroit (22.9%), Washington (21.9%), Carolina (20.7%), Montreal (20.0%) PK - Detroit (90.3%), Minnesota (88.8%), San Jose (87.4%), Dallas (86.6%), Colorado (86.4%) Goalie Leaders (min 25gp): GAA - Crawford (CHI) 1.77, Howard (DET) 1.80, Miller (VAN) 1.87, Varlamov (COL) 1.90, Backstrom (MIN) 1.95 Sv Pct - Miller (VAN) .937, Varlamov (COL) .933, Holtby (WSH) .932, Neuvirth (BUF) .929, Bishop (TBL) .927 GSAA - Miller (VAN) 30.86, Varlamov (COL) 27.03, Holtby (WSH) 25.18, Neuvirth (BUF) 19.09, Bishop (TBL) 13.23 Rookie Leaders: Points - Gaudreau (CGY) 56, Pastrnak (BOS) 51, Klingberg (DAL) 44, Larkin (DET) 39, Draisatl (EDM), Akeson (PHI) 35 Other Stat Leaders: Takeaways - O'Reilly (COL) 69, Vlasic (SJS) 61, Doughty (LAK) 60, Brodin (MIN) 58, Suter (MIN) 57, Gorges (BUF), Tanev (VAN) 55 Hits - L. Schenn (PHI) 431, Bortuzzo (PIT) 371, Borowiecki (OTT) 325, Bjugstad (FLA) 273, Maroon (ANA) 245, Kassian (VAN) 232 Blocked Shots - Greene (NJD) 308, Alzner (WSH) 250, Beauchemin (ANA) 210, Brodin (MIN), Stuart (NJD), Suter (MIN) 207 PIM - Borowiecki (OTT) 243, Bortuzzo (PIT) 216, L. Schenn (PHI) 176, Clarkson (SJS) 149, Clifford (LAK) 138 FO% - J. Staal (CAR) 60.0%, Carter (LAK) 58.2%, Elkins (CBJ) 57.4%, Tavares (NYI) 56.9%, D. Moore (NYR) 56.2% +/- - Saad (CHI), Toews (CHI) +40, Seabrook (CHI) +39, Keith (CHI) +37, Steen (STL) +35, Eriksson (BOS), Lee (NYI) +34 Injuries: F Corey Perry (ANA) OUT 1-2 months (foot) F Jakob Silfverberg (ANA) OUT 2-3 months (hand) F Patrice Bergeron (BOS) DTD (knee) D Zdeno Chara (BOS) DTD (leg) D Jack Johnson (CBJ) OUT indefinitely (back) D Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Nate Schmidt (CBJ) OUT 2-3 months (knee) D T.J. Brodie (CGY) DTD (ribs) D Deryk Engelland (CGY) OUT 2-3 months (neck) F Sven Baertshi (CGY) OUT 2-3 weeks (foot) F Patrick Kane (CHI) OUT 2-3 weeks (knee) F Nathan MacKinnon (COL) OUT 2-3 months (elbow) D Trevor Daley (DAL) OUT 1-2 months (groin) F Stephen Weiss (DET) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee) F Scottie Upshall (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (back) D Erik Gudbranson (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (knee) F Aleksander Barkov (FLA) DTD (eye) D Willie Mitchell (FLA) DTD (ribs) D Alec Martinez (LAK) OUT 2-3 weeks (shoulder) F Jason Pominville (MIN) OUT 1-2 months (neck) F Max Pacioretty (MTL) DTD (head) D Shea Weber (NSH) OUT 1-2 weeks (back) F Craig Smith (NSH) OUT 3-4 months (knee) F Casey Cizikas (NYI) OUT 2-3 month (back) D John Moore (NYR) OUT indefinitely (concussion) F Mats Zuccarello (NYR) DTD (shoulder) F Chris Kreider (NYR) OUT 2-3 weeks (abdomen) F Maxim Lapierrre (STL) OUT 2-3 weeks (elbow) F Ryan Reaves (STL) OUT 3-4 months (elbow) F Paul Stastny (STL) DTD (hernia) F Jaden Schwartz (STL) DTD (eye) D Dan Boyle (TBL) DTD (knee) D Anton Stralman (TBL) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee) D Brooks Orpik (WSH) DTD (arm) D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) OUT 3-4 months (elbow) F Andrew Ladd (WPG) OUT 1-2 months (leg) Attached Images

07-18-2023, 08:54 AM	#22
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Breaking News Canucks Finalize Trade with Sharks, move out Sbisa and Matthias With the deadline looming less than a week away, Trevor Linden has been active and pulled the trigger on a deal last night to move out two pieces of a relatively successful team this year. Both Shawn Matthias and Luca Sbisa were having good seasons with Vancouver, and they both were due a new contract this offseason. Linden has instead chosen to send them both packing to San Jose, along with some later round drafts, in order to acquire prospect defensemen Dylan DeMelo and Konrad Abetshauser as well as a third round selection in the upcoming NHL entry draft. Trade: SJS acquires D Luca Sbisa (25 years old, 53gp, 2-8-10, +3), F Shawn Matthias (27 years old, 53gp, 9-21-30, +1), VAN 2015 5th, VAN 2016 6th, VAN 2016 7th; VAN acquires D Dylan DeMelo (21 years old, 6-2 200lb defensive defenseman with NHL upside, 25 pts in 56 AHL games this year), D Konrad Abeltshauser (22 years old, 6-5 225lb two way defenseman with minor league/depth callup potential, 10 goals and 26 points in 57 AHL games this year), SJS 2015 3rd In the press conference announcing the trade Trevor Linden said, "we greatly appreciate the work of Luca and Shawn and they have been an important part of our team this year. However, we are excited to get younger with a couple of promising young defensemen in DeMelo and Abeltshauser and to acquire more draft capital in the top 100 picks of this year's draft." When asked about the message this sends to a team that is currently atop their division, he was realistic, stating, "We believe in our group, and that guys will step up to fill the roles that Shawn and Luca have vacated. We also are aware that we aren't a contender right now. The recent string of losses should emphasize that point. We are always trying to win and we think we can get in and make some noise with our skill, teamwork and experience. But from a management perspective we need to recoup future assets to continue to be competitive long term and build a sustainably contending team in the future." Trade Grade:Canucks C+ they do manage to acquire futures for players they maybe weren't going to re-sign, but the return for a middle six forward and top six defenseman is middling and they should have waited to see if they could get more at the deadline. DeMelo could eventually play NHL minutes but probably on a bottom pair in a defensive role, and Abeltshauser isn't expected to ever see regular NHL icetime. Sharks B they believe in their weak division that they can make the playoffs and have another run at a Cup for Jumbo Joe. We don't see it, but this does instantly make them more competitive without giving up any quality assets. Matthias gives them scoring on the left side, which they were sorely lacking after the ageing Patrick Marleau. Sbisa should immediately slot into their top four as well, and maybe if he clicks with Brent Burns this could be great for his career as well. If San Jose can sign these two players, both still in their prime, while losing very little, this is a big win for them.

07-22-2023, 06:04 PM	#25
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	DEADLINE 2015 TRADE: CHI acquires C Dave Bolland, RW Brad Boyes; FLA acquires F Phillip Danault, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, CHI 2015 2nd, CHI 2016 1st ANALYSIS: Chicago gets ahead of the game early, acquiring a top six winger to replace Kane down the stretch and adding familiarity and depth down the middle with Bolland. Florida does well to gain future assets as they aren't competitive this season and didn't look to be re-signing either, but Chicago's draft picks will likely be low ones. Chicago wins this one. TRADE: PIT acquires RW Blake Wheeler; WPG acquires G Tristan Jarry, F Kasperi Kapanen, 2015 PIT 1st, 2015 PIT 3rd, 2016 PIT 3rd ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh gets a big fish with power forward Blake Wheeler, an unexpected move by Winnipeg as Blake is in the prime of his career and has 35 points so far this season. His physicality in the top six could be huge for a Penguins club that looks to go far in the playoffs. Two prospects that could be good NHLers, as well as this year's first and two thirds is a high price to pay though, so Winnipeg wins this deal. TRADE: NJD acquires LD Mark Stuart; WPG acquires D Will Butcher, 2015 NJD 2nd, 2016 NJD 4th ANALYSIS: Winnipeg wasn't necessarily seen as a big seller going into this deadline, but this is another move where they trade a quality NHL player for picks and prospects. Stuart is in the top 5 of the NHL in blocked shots and should add a top four capable defensive defenseman to New Jersey's blueline. The Devils win this trade. TRADE: LAK acquires C Bryan Little, RW Michael Frolik; WPG acquires F Tanner Pearson, LAK 2015 1st ANALYSIS: The fire sale in Winnipeg is on as the 27 year old Bryan Little gets moved to a Kings squad that desperately needs scoring, especially down the middle. Little has 38 points in 49 games for the Jets, and should take a lot of pressure off of Kopitar offensively. Even at the cost of a first and a solid prospect in Pearson this is a win for Los Angeles as they seek to defend their championship. TRADE: SJS acquires RW Matt Frattin, LW David Clarkson; TOR acquires F Kevin Labanc, 2016 SJS 3rd, 2015 SJS 6th ANALYSIS: San Jose trying to keep pace with their Californian rivals, but they can't seem to find a deal for a big name yet. They instead add a depth piece in Frattin and some sandpaper in Clarkson. Toronto meanwhile isn't blowing it up yet like expected, but they do some solid business getting a prospect and some picks in exchange for players who aren't part of the long term plan. Small win for San Jose. TRADE: NSH acquires LW Matt Moulson, RW Brian Gionta; BUF acquires 2015 NSH 1st, 2016 NSH 4th ANALYSIS: Nashville steps up to make a statement that they are going for it. Matt Moulson gives instant offensive credibility to a top six that lacks it with his 18 goals and 39 points through 53 games. Gionta is a key veteran addition that brings leadership, skill, grit and experience. Don't count him out because of his small stature, he will find a way to impact a playoff game for them for sure. The cost was a first round pick, and the question may be asked whether it wasn't better for Nashville to play the long game here and build around their young blue line, but all in all the Predators still win this deal, giving up what should be a later first round pick to give themselves depth that could carry them to a more significant playoff run. TRADE: CGY acquires G Vasili Koshechkin, 2016 ANA 6th; ANA acquires F Markus Granlund, 2016 CGY 2nd ANALYSIS: Calgary is in the playoffs, albeit due to the weakness of their division, and so they shore up their goalie situation. Ramo wasn't a solid option to back up Hiller, and some in their front office weren't confident going into the postseason leaning solely on Hiller, so they go out and get Koshechkin who was available and is having a solid season with Anaheim after signing from Russia. He took over the crease for the Ducks and has four shutouts and 17 wins for a struggling Anaheim club. The Flames should feel more confident with him in a tandem with Hiller. The market for Koshechkin was slim, so Anaheim did alright to get a potential NHLer in Granlund as well as a second. Hopes for him garnering a stronger return at the deadline fizzled, but they get something at least. Calgary wins this trade. TRADE: DET acquires D Keith Yandle, RW B.J. Crombeen; ARI acquires F Anthony Mantha, D Joe Hicketts, G Jared Coreau, 2015 DET 1st, 2017 DET 2nd ANALYSIS: Arizona pulls the trigger, moving out star offensive defenseman Keith Yandle. They do get quite a haul for him, but as a young productive blueliner in his prime some thought they could've done even better. Detroit lands perhaps the best player (and definitely best defenseman) so far this deadline. Mantha should be a top six NHLer down the road for Arizona, and Hicketts and Coreau both could grow into NHL players, but the 1st rounder will be a later one, and they must be disappointed at really only gaining the one premier prospect for Yandle. Detroit wins this trade, especially since the Arizona franchise and Shane Doan look to be throwing in the towel on a significant playoff run. TRADE: MIN acquires LW Dustin Jeffrey, 2015 PHI 3rd, 2016 VAN 5th, 2017 VAN 6th; VAN acquires D Carson Soucy, 2015 MIN 2nd ANALYSIS: Dustin Jeffrey looked very effective in a bottom six role for Vancouver this year, and it's a savvy move by Linden to capitalize on his plus eleven rating and solid two way play to turn some later round picks into a second and also pull hulking defense prospect Carson Soucy into the deal. Soucy may only ever be a depth defender at the pro level, but this trade is still a win for Vancouver. Minnesota moves some future value to shore up their bottom six and augment their winger depth for a playoff run. They had targeted Jeffrey earlier this season for his energetic play, occasional offensive flashes and two way acumen. TRADE: CGY acquires RW Derek Dorsett, F Hunter Shinkaruk, D Nikita Tryamkin, 2015 VAN 3rd; VAN acquires LW Mason Raymond, 2015 CGY 2nd ANALYSIS: Trevor Linden manages to turn a third into a second again, but this time it costs him a fair bit, two prospects with high ceilings if they hit, though consensus is that neither has a good chance to make the league. He also absorbed Mason Raymond's contract, bringing him back to the team he started with. The big fish for Calgary in this deal is Dorsett, whose physical, energetic, fearless style is just what they want for a post-season run. Vancouver maybe wasn't going to re-sign but he was a fan favourite and will be loved in Calgary. The Flames win this trade with their division rival. TRADE: CHI acquires RD Roman Polak, RD Lubomir Visnovsky; TOR acquires D Adam Clendening, 2015 CHI 3rd, 2016 CHI 3rd ANALYSIS: Well, the Leafs get this deal in under the wire but they failed to make the big splash many were expecting considering their position in the basement of the East. Dave Nonis must be confident his club will bounce back next season and that captain Dion Phaneuf will be back and in top form. They do a solid bit of work to move a couple of defensemen that didn't have a future in the Maple Leaf sweater in order to get a prospect and a couple picks, but Chicago wins this trade, picking up the veteran Visnovsky and a solid NHL calibre defensive defenseman in Polak to bolster their blueline for their playoff run. TRADE: DAL acquires G Cam Talbot, F Cristoval Nieves; NYR acquires RW Alex Hemsky, G Jussi Rynnas ANALYSIS: The Stars weren't able to come to an extension with Alex Hemsky and end up taking what they can get, in this case one of the better backups in the league in 27 year old Cam Talbot. Glen Sather clearly believes his team can push through into the postseason with this move. The Rangers win this deal slightly, but will look foolish if they are on the outside looking in come playoff time. TRADE: STL acquires F Marek Hrivik; NYR acquires RD Brent Regner ANALYSIS: Not much here, two minor leaguers swapping teams. Hrivik might have some upside but he's unlikely to make the NHL. Regner isn't really NHL level but may be a younger, serviceable depth piece worthy of the occasional callup. TRADE: DAL acquires D David Rundblad; CHI acquires 2016 DAL 4th ANALYSIS: Chicago moves out a promising younger defenseman who showed good progression and made the most of his opportunities this season. After the veterans they acquired this deadline he was headed to the waiver wire though, and Dallas sends a fourth rounder Chicago's way to guarantee his services are theirs. Dallas wins this trade, although Chicago did well to get something for a player who would certainly have been claimed on waivers anyways. WAIVER WIRE: PIT claims C Ben Smith (CHI) NYI claims RW Jeremy Morin (CHI) STL claims D Marc-Andre Gragnani (CHI)

07-23-2023, 11:45 AM	#27
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	League News Wire March 16th, 2015 - NYR F Chris Kreider was suspended for 7 games after a head shot on Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell. Campbell left the ice for some time but team doctors determined he would be alright and he returned. Mar 27th, 2015 - WPG D Zach Bogosian received a 7 game suspension after his illegal hit to the head on star MTL F Max Pacioretty knocked him out of the game. "Patches" will be out of the lineup for a while as he suffers from dizziness and nausea but team doctors are hopeful his return will be relatively swift.

07-24-2023, 10:54 PM	#29
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	CANUCKS in April L 2-1 @ CHI - the last game of the year against rival Chicago (barring a playoff meeting) ended sadly for the Canucks, as Yannick Weber scored the only Vancouver goal. Blackhawks deadline acquisition Roman Polak scored from the blueline to open the scoring and veteran Brad Richards netted the eventual winner past Ryan Miller. L 3-2 @ WPG - an ailing Jets team running with backup goalie Michael Hutchinson defeated Vancouver on goals from Ellerby, Clitsome and Scheifele. Hansen and Richardson answered for Vancouver and Bonino picked up assists on both goals but it wasn't enough. Hutchinson made 35 saves in the win. Adding injury to insult, Chris Higgins went down with what looked to be a decently serious shoulder injury. W 4-2 vs LAK - Latvian Ronalds Kenins was called up to replace Higgins in the lineup and makes his debut. The Kings look dominant, outshooting Vancouver 41-21, but Ryan Miller makes 39 saves and Quick has an off night. Vrbata scored two (up to 29 on the year) and Hank potted the winner on the powerplay midway through the third. W 3-0 vs ARI - this was a wild game, with no scoring until the third but tons of penalties. The second period saw 24 minutes in penalties dished out between the two teams, including an elbowing minor, goalie interference, two roughing minors and a misconduct. In spite of taking three straight third period penalties (including a roughing on Bieksa and a boarding on Burrows) the Canucks blew the doors off in the third, with goals from Hansen, Daniel and Raymond (an empty netter to seal it). Hank had two helpers. Miller made 32 saves for the shutout. OTW 3-2 vs EDM - A couple of rookies opened the scoring for Vancouver, as Corrado picked up his sixth from the blueline and Horvat notched his twelfth, a powerplay marker from Edler and Vrbata, to cap his rookie campaign. In the second the Oilers evened it up with goals from Arcobello and and Perron, and with no scoring in the third we went to extra time. Two minutes into the overtime period it was Nick Bonino scoring his eleventh of the year to win it and end the season in style, with assists going to Edler and Horvat (his 30th point of his rookie year). Record (April): 45-30-7 (3-2-0), 97 points, 6th in West (1st in Pacific) Injuries: D Dan Hamhuis (neck) DTD F Chris Higgins (shoulder) OUT 2-3 weeks

07-24-2023, 10:56 PM	#30
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Canucks REGULAR SEASON RECAP Team Stats (Rank): GF/gm: 2.26 (20th) GA/gm: 2.10 (T-4th) Sh/gm: 29 (19th) ShA/gm: 31 (16th) PIM/gm: 8.63 (T-20th) PP: 14.3% (21st) PK: 83.8% (16th) SHG: 5 (T-4th) FO%: 53.0% (1st) TkA: 458 (T-15th) GvA: 440 (T-2nd) Hits: 1802 (7th) SB: 1236 (T-11th) Stat Leaders: G - Vrbata (29), Henrik (21), Kassian (16), Hansen (14), Higgins (13), Daniel, Horvat (12), Bonino (11) A - Henrik (35), Bonino, Daniel (27), Weber (22), Hansen, Higgins (21), Hamhuis (20), Tanev, Vrbata (19) Pts - Henrik (56), Vrbata (48), Daniel (39), Bonino (38), Hansen (35), Higgins (34), Horvat (30), Weber (29), Kassian (25) +/- - Bonino (+15), Stanton, Corrado (+14), Tanev, Burrows (+8), Edler, Hansen, (+7), Henrik (+6) PIM - Kassian (126), Sestito (56), Higgins (39), Hansen (38), Hamhuis, Weber (36), Tanev (31), Bonino, Burrows, Bieksa (28) Shots - Vrbata (246), Weber (193), Daniel (179), Higgins (171), Hamhuis (160), Hansen (158), Henrik (151) Hits - Kassian (239), Hansen (144), Richardson (132), Hamhuis (113), Bonino (89), Tanev (84), Horvat (81) TkA - Tanev (56), Hamhuis (46), Richardson, Bonino, Higgins (31) Corrado (30), Vrbata (27) SB - Tanev (205), Corrado (161), Edler (110), Weber (109), Hamhuis (108), Bonino (61), Stanton (58), Vrbata (56) FO% - Horvat (55.4%), Henrik (53.4%), Bonino (53.2%), Richardson (51.7%) Goalies: Miller - 36-22-5, 9 SO, 1.86 GAA, .938 SvPct, 35.67 GSAA Markstrom - 5-4-1, 1 SO, 2.58 GAA, .916 SvPct, -1.02 GSAA Attached Images

07-24-2023, 11:02 PM	#31
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	April Recap and Season Summary Ryan Miller carried his Canucks to top berth in the Pacific Division. Without much run support, he was a workhorse, playing 63 games while posting top numbers in almost every goaltending statistical category. Vancouver has been strong at home, with a 28-8-5 record there, but on the road they have struggled with a losing record of 17-22-2. Meanwhile, San Jose came on strong after multiple moves around the deadline to bolster their lineup to finish second in the division. They will face Anaheim, who squeaked in by tiebreaker over Edmonton, in the first round in a battle of mediocrity. Neither team would've made the playoffs in the Central. The Kings and Flames both made deadline trades to bolster their lineups for the playoffs, only to see their squads falter down the stretch and miss the postseason entirely. Chicago cruised to a President's Trophy even with Patrick Kane injured for the final stretch. They look like the class of the league at this point and boast a +108 goal differential. Nashville finished with 53 wins and still only placed second in their division. Matt Moulson was a good addition at the deadline for them, and Shea Weber should be returning to the lineup soon. Filip Forsberg finished with 45 goals, tying Ovechkin for second in the NHL. Carter Hutton concluded his surprising campaign with an eye-popping 16 shutouts. How will he fare in the playoffs? They will face off against the Blues in round one - St. Louis had an impressive season as well, led by Backes and Steen up front and solid goaltending from Brian Elliott. The Wild are Vancouver's 'prize' for winning the Pacific. They have nine more points than the Canucks and an impressive +52 goal differential and with Backstrom backstopping them they look to go far in the postseason. The Avs take the final wildcard playoff spot with 101 points, they have potential even though they are missing some firepower up front with Tanguay and MacKinnon out. Detroit just keeps getting better as the season goes on, and by the end of the year they were a legitimate challenger to the Blackhawks for the President's Trophy. Their +95 goal differential is also second to only Chicago. The powerhouse got even stronger at the deadline when they added Keith Yandle from the Coyotes, the second highest scoring defenseman this season (to, you guessed it, Chicago's Duncan Keith). Boston has been strong all year and they earned home ice advantage in their first round series against Tampa. With experienced winners like Bergeron and Marchand, young rising stars like Pastrnak and Hamilton (whose 25 goals led all blueliners this season) and Tuukka Rask manning the net, they are a formidable opponent. Toronto has earned the lowly distinction of finishing last in NHL with a measly 57 points, the only club to fail to win at least 30 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been on fire with Crosby leading the way. His 27 game point streak (he hasn't been held off the scoresheet since February 12th, over two months ago) has vaulted him to the top of the league in goals (with 46 to Ovi's and Forsberg's 45), assists and points, despite having missed six games due to injury early in the year. He's a man on a mission and the Devils will have to find a way to slow him down if they want to come out on top in their first round series. The Islanders have looked good all year and pushed the Penguins. John Tavares finished the season tied for fifth in the NHL in scoring. He is going to have to lead their young forward group against the Flyers in round one, and Jaroslav Halak will need to come up big in net. Philly will be looking to recently extended captain Claude Giroux (29-49-78) to make sure that doesn't happen. Giroux drives their offense, on a line with Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek. With physical defenseman Luke Schenn injured, the Flyers will need everyone to step up physically and be hard to play against. The Capitals get into the final playoff spot with 86 points, five more than the Rangers who made a respectable push, but they will be desperately overmatched against Detroit. Scott Hartnell was a great add for them, and Ovechkin looked rejuvenated with the additional secondary scoring, sandpaper and leadership Hartnell brought, but they will need to pull off an incredible upset if they want to move past the first round. Columbus will look to reload next year after a rough season that saw them lead the league in man games lost and play much of the year without two of their top four defensemen. Even Nate Schmidt, acquired mid-season to step into the injury-vacated roles available, was bitten by the bug and missed the rest of the year after hurting his leg. Next year they could look much better simply by staying healthier. Team Stat Leaders: GF/gm - Chicago (3.06), Detroit (3.04), Boston (2.94), Minnesota (2.88), Pittsburgh (2.84), St. Louis (2.76), NY Islanders (2.73), Nashville, Philadelphia (2.63), Colorado, Tampa Bay (2.57) GA/gm - Chicago (1.77), Detroit (1.94), St. Louis (2.07), Nashville, Vancouver (2.10), Minnesota (2.15), Boston, Pittsburgh (2.16), Colorado (2.18), Tampa Bay (2.23) PP - Chicago (24.0%), Detroit (22.6%), Washington (21.5%), Carolina (21.2%), Pittsburgh (20.0%), Montreal (19.6%), Boston (18.6%), Philadelphia (17.9%), Minnesota (17.6%), Anaheim (17.3%) PK - Detroit (90.0%), Minnesota (89.3%), San Jose (87.9%), Colorado (86.3%), Dallas (86.1%), Columbus (86.0%), Washington (85.6%), Chicago (85.3%), Nashville (85.2%), NY Islanders (85.0%) Goalie Leaders (min 25gp): GAA - Howard (DET) 1.72, Crawford (CHI) 1.76, Miller (VAN) 1.86, Backstrom (MIN) 1.93, Varlamov (COL) 1.96, Elliott (STL) 2.01, Rask (BOS) 2.02, Fleury (PIT) 2.06 Sv Pct - Miller (VAN) .938, Varlamov (COL) .931, Holtby (WSH) .930, Bishop (TBL) .928, Task (BOS), Neuvirth (BUF), Backstrom (MIN) .927 SO - Hutton (NSH) 16, Crawford (CHI) 14, Varlamov (COL) 11, Fleury (PIT), Howard (DET) 10, Bishop (TBL), Miller (VAN) 9, Elliott (STL), Rask (BOS) 8 GSAA - Miller (VAN) 35.67, Varlamov (COL) 25.21, Holtby (WSH) 24.47, Neuvirth (BUF) 18.14, Rask (BOS) 17.98, Bernier (TOR) 16.43, Bishop (TBL) 16.15, Niemi (SJS) 14.31 Defensemen Leaders: Points - Keith (CHI) 15-53-68, Yandle (DET) 17-44-61, Spurgeon (MIN) 9-50-59, Streit (PHI) 19-38-57, Shattenkirk (STL) 18-39-57, Josi (NSH) 10-47-57, Green (WSH) 17-39-56, Hamilton (BOS) 25-29-54, Barrie (COL) 11-43-54, Letang (PIT) 9-43-52 Rookie Leaders: Points - Gaudreau (CGY) 64, Pastrnak (BOS) 54, Klingberg (DAL) 47, Akeson (PHI) 40, Larkin (DET) 39, Trocheck (FLA) 37, Draisatl (EDM) 36 Other Stat Leaders: Takeaways - O'Reilly (COL) 75, Doughty (LAK) 66, Vlasic (SJS) 63, Suter (MIN) 61, Brodin (MIN) 59, Gorges (BUF) 58, Tanev (VAN) 56, Slavin (CAR) 55 Hits - L. Schenn (PHI) 431, Bortuzzo (PIT) 399, Borowiecki (OTT) 347, Bjugstad (FLA) 305, Maroon (ANA) 266, Clifford (LAK) 241, Kassian (VAN) 239, Backes (STL) 233 Blocked Shots - Greene (NJD) 330, Alzner (WSH) 273, Suter (MIN) 227, Gorges (BUF), Schultz (PHI) 222, Beauchemin (ANA) 218, Stuart (NJD) 215, Vlasic (SJS) 211, Brodin (MIN) 210 PIM - Borowiecki (OTT) 264, Bortuzzo (PIT) 250, L. Schenn (PHI) 176, Clarkson (SJS) 156, Clifford (LAK) 149, Bodie (TOR) 142, Maroon (ANA) 127, Kassian (VAN) 126 FO% - J. Staal (CAR) 59.9%, Carter (LAK) 57.7%, Elkins (CBJ), White (PHI) 56.6%, Tavares (NYI) 56.4%, Toews (CHI) 56.3%, Bergeron (BOS) 56.1%, Bellemare (PHI) 56.0% +/- - Saad (CHI), Seabrook (CHI) +42, Toews (CHI) +41, Keith (CHI), Steen (STL) +39, Backes (STL) +36, Eriksson (BOS) +35, Lee (NYI) +34 Injuries: F Corey Perry (ANA) OUT 1-2 months (foot) F Jakob Silfverberg (ANA) OUT 1-2 months (hand) D Justin Faulk (CAR) OUT 1-2 months (hernia) D Brett Pesce (CAR) DTD (shoulder) D Jack Johnson (CBJ) OUT indefinitely (back) D Fedor Tyutin (CBJ) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Nate Schmidt (CBJ) OUT 2-3 months (leg) D Deryk Engelland (CGY) OUT 1-2 months (neck) D Corey Potter (CGY) OUT 3-4 months (leg) F Sven Baertschi (CGY) OUT 1-2 weeks (foot) F Patrick Kane (CHI) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee) F Alex Tanguay (COL) OUT 1-2 weeks F Nathan MacKinnon (COL) OUT 2-3 months (elbow) D Trevor Daley (DAL) OUT 2-3 weeks F Stephen Weiss (DET) DTD (knee) F Scottie Upshall (FLA) OUT 2-3 weeks (back) D Erik Gudbranson (FLA) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Alec Martinez (LAK) OUT 1-2 weeks (shoulder) F Jason Pominville (MIN) OUT 1-2 months (neck) D Shea Weber (NSH) DTD (back) F Craig Smith (NSH) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Seth Jones (NSH) DTD (leg) F Mike Cammalleri (NJD) DTD (eye) F Casey Cizikas (NYI) OUT 2-3 months (back) D John Moore (NYR) OUT indefinitely (head) F Chris Kreider (NYR) DTD (abdomen) D Luke Schenn (PHI) OUT 1-2 months (leg) D Mark Streit (PHI) OUT 2-3 months (ribs) F Maxim Lapierre (STL) DTD (elbow) F Ryan Reaves (STL) OUT 3-4 months (elbow) D Jason Garrison (TBL) DTD (hamstring) D Korbinian Holzer (TOR) OUT 1-2 months (knee) D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) OUT 3-4 months (elbow) F Andrew Ladd (WPG) OUT 2-3 weeks (leg) D Ben Chiarot (WPG) OUT 1-2 weeks (back) Attached Images

07-25-2023, 10:45 AM	#32
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Playoff Series Preview Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs Minnesota Wild (WC1) VERSUS Tale of the Tape: CANUCKS 45-30-7, 97 points, 1st in Pacific GF/gm 2.26 (20th) GA/gm 2.10 (T-4th) PP 14.3% (21st) PK 83.8% (16th) Goals Vrbata (29), Henrik (21), Kassian (16) Assists Henrik (35), Bonino, Daniel (27) Points Henrik (56), Vrbata (48), Daniel (39) Injuries Hansen DTD (upper body), Higgins DTD (upper body) Goalie Ryan Miller (36-22-9, 1.86gaa, .938sv%, 35.67gsaa, 9so) Lineup Daniel - Hank - Kassian Raymond - Richardson - Vrbata Sestito - Bonino - Burrows Kenins - Horvat - Archibald*** Hamhuis - Tanev Edler - Weber Stanton - Corrado With Hansen and Higgins both out and the team moving out bottom six winger depth at the deadline, Archibald gets the call after spending the year in Utica. He is a physical two way winger who found some scoring at the minor league level this season * The Sedins have been reunited lately after coach Dale Hunter played them separately most of the year. They were having late season success next to Jannik Hansen, but with "the Honey Badger" out Zack Kassian will have his chance with them after a breakout year of sixteen goals for him. WILD 47-23-12, 106 points, 4th in Central GF/gm 2.88 (4th) GA/gm 2.15 (6th) PP 17.6% (9th) PK 89.3% (2nd) Goals Niederreiter (38), Parise (22), Pominville (16) Assists Spurgeon (50), Koivu (49), Suter (37) Points Niederreiter (67), Koivu (63), Spurgeon (59) Injuries Pominville OUT 1-2 months (upper body), Fontaine DTD (lower body), Brodin DTD (lower body) Goalie Niklas Backstrom (29-11-7, 1.93gaa, .927sv%, 9.79gsaa, 7so), Darcy Kuemper* (17-11-2, 2.24gaa, .918sv%, -0.39gsaa, 2so) Lineup Parise - Koivu - Brodziak Vanek - Granlund - Mozyakin Niederreiter - Coyle - Cooke Zucker - Jeffrey** - B. Sutter Suter - Spurgeon Scandella - Blum Falk - Dumba * The aging Backstrom has been solid this season but has been sharing the crease a bit more with 24 year old Darcy Kuemper. Backstrom has started 8 of the last 12 games down the stretch, but rumours are that coach Mike Yeo will be giving the game 1 start to the younger Kuemper. Jeffrey's offensive pace has slowed since coming to Minnesota from the Canucks at the deadline, but he has provided reliable two way play and fulfilled his defensive responsibilities on the fourth line admirably. Preview: Between the Pipes Vancouver has the edge in net, with workhorse Ryan Miller nominated for a Vezina after his stellar season. Even down the stretch with the playoffs and division clinched, coach Dale Hunter continued to rely on Miller, not even giving rookie Jacob Markstrom a start in April. Minnesota has had great numbers all year from their tandem of Backstrom and Kuemper. Backstrom has carried a bit more of the load and has better stats and more experience, but Kuemper looks like a rising star and has earned every start he's gotten. Reports are that Kuemper will take the crease for game one, and the question will be whether the flexibility of two capable netminders will be an asset or liability in this postseason for the Wild. Blueline While the Canucks' top pairing of Hamhuis and Tanev has been steady as a rock all season, there are question marks and inexperience after that. Alex Edler, their #3, has a good reputation and has been solid but not great since returning from an injury that kept him out at the start of the year. After him the Canucks have seen surprisingly good seasons from Yannick Weber (offensively) and Frank Corrado (defensively) and Ryan Stanton has steadily been there and been a plus. Minnesota clearly has the better blueline overall, with Spurgeon being one of the best two way defenders in the league. He was third amongst defensemen in the NHL with 59 points. Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin (who is expected to return soon) are two of the premier shutdown defensemen in the NHL. And Jonathan Blum and Matt Dumba both look to be coming into their own as exciting NHL defensemen, while Scandella and Falk provide dependability. Up Front The Sedins are clearly on a decline from their former point per game selves back in the glory days of President's Trophies and Cup Finals runs. Can they find their magic for a series? The Canucks offense is bone dry and if they want to win they'll need to get some pucks by whoever ends up manning the Minnesota crease. Vrbata had a productive season, mostly stapled to Nick Bonino's wing, and with the injuries and lack of depth he will now be relied upon to drive a line without much in terms of complementary talent. Mason Raymond is a shadow of his former self ever since his injury in the Finals in 2011. Rookie Bo Horvat will be the veteran presence on a fourth line between two AHL callups in Kenins and Archibald. This is overall a weak group lacking depth and secondary scoring. But Hansen and Higgins could both return and turn the tide of the series. The Wild have a much stronger and deeper forward group. With Koivu, Granlund and Coyle down the middle they roll three capable lines. Throughout the lineup they play responsible two way hockey. Their 'third' line of Niederreiter, Coyle and Cooke is physically intimidating and offensively dangerous. The Wild have a clear advantage at forward. Summary The Canucks may have home ice advantage due to divisional seeding but make no mistake, the Wild are the better team here. They are a top 10 team in the NHL in goals scored, goals allowed, powerplay and penalty kill efficiency. They may be missing the offensive punch an injured Pominville could add to the lineup, but with Brodin returning to the d-corps any game now they have a solid solid top six and and a top four of Suter, Spurgeon, Brodin and Blum that most teams in the league wish they could have. Vancouver might find lightning in a bottle if Ryan Miller gets hot and continues his excellence but eventually they will have to score some goals and outplay a better team. The Wild take this series in five.**

07-25-2023, 07:07 PM	#33
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	2015 NHL PLAYOFFS Attached Images

07-26-2023, 10:47 PM	#34
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	2015 NHL PLAYOFFS Round 1: Conference Quarterfinals GAME 1 Colorado 3 @ Chicago 4 (CHI leads series 1-0) Goals: Duchene 1 (Talbot), Mitchell 1 (Barrie, Carey), Duchene 2 (Wilson, E. Johnson) Goals: Saad 1 (Toews), Hossa 1 (Boyes, Richards), Bickell 1 (Hartman, Polak), Sharp 1 (Brennan, Versteeg) Goalies: Varlamov (L, 35 saves on 39 shots), Crawford (W, 39 saves on 42 shots) St. Louis 1 @ Nashville 2 (NSH leads series 1-0) Goals: Shattenkirk 1 (Stastny, Tarasenko) Goals: Neal 1 (Ribeiro), Fisher 1 (Ekholm, Moulson), Ekholm 1 (Ellis), Neal (2) 2 (Forsberg, Ribeiro) Goalies: Elliott (L, 22 saves on 26 shots), Hutton (W, 33 saves on 34 shots) Minnesota 7 @ Vancouver 2 (MIN leads series 1-0) Goals: Suter (1), Granlund 2 (2), Dumba (1), Vanek (1), Scandella (1), Koivu (1) Assists: Koivu 2 (2), Vanek (1), Mozyakin (1), Zucker (1), Jeffrey (1), Scandella (1), Blum 2 (2), Parise (1), Granlund (1), Brodziak (1), Spurgeon (1) Goals: Archibald (1), Henrik (1) Assists: Horvat (1), Kassian (1), Hamhuis (1) Goalies: Kuemper (W, 23 saves on 25 shots), Miller (L, 24 saves on 31 shots) Anaheim 0 @ San Jose 2 (SJS leads series 1-0) Goals: Matthias 1 (Couture, Pavelski), Marleau 1 (Couture) Goalies: Andersen (L, 30 saves on 32 shots), Niemi (W, 23 save shutout) Washington 1 @ Detroit 5 (DET leads series 1-0) Goals: Johansson 1 (Backstrom, Volpatti) Goals: Helm 1 (Zetterberg, Datsyuk), Andersson 1 (Franzen, Yandle), Helm (2) 2 (Franzen, Andersson), Quincey 1 (Zetterberg, Tatar), Glendening 1 (Abdelkader) Goalies: Holtby (L, 33 saves on 38 shots), Howard (W, 17 saves on 18 shots) Tampa Bay 2 @ Boston 3 OT (BOS leads series 1-0) Goals: Boyle 1 (Stepan, Stamkos), Filppula 1 (Johnson, Stamkos) Goals: Hamilton 1 (Pastrnak, Krejci), Marchand 1 (Seidenberg, Bergeron), Pastrnak (OT) 1 (Krejci, Bartkowski) Goalies: Bishop (L, 60 saves on 63 shots), Rask (W, 15 saves on 17 shots) New Jersey 1 @ Pittsburgh 4 (PIT leads series 1-0) Goals: Cammalleri 1 (Jagr) Goals: Crosby 1 (Wheeler, Spaling), Br. Sutter 1 (Malkin, Hornqvist), Br. Sutter (2) 2 (Bennett, Downie), Scuderi 1 (Spaling, Crosby) Goalies: Schneider (L, 44 saves on 47 shots), Fleury (W, 17 saves on 18 shots) Philadelphia 4 @ NY Islanders 6 (NYI leads series 1-0) Goals: Schultz 1 (Gostisbehere, Voracek), B. Schenn 1 (Giroux, Voracek), Couturier 1 (Raffl, Howden), Akeson 1 (Jokinen) Goals: Hamonic 1 (Franson, Tavares), Hamonic (2) 2 (Tavares, Okposo), Lee 1 (Tavares), Strome 1 (Leddy, Bailey), Winnik 1 (Boychuk, Strome), Tavares 1 (Lee, Leddy) Goalies: Mason (L, 23 saves on 29 shots), Halak (W, 17 saves on 21 shots) GAME 2: Colorado 0 @ Chicago 1 (CHI leads series 2-0) Goals: Sharp 2 (unassisted) Goalies: Varlamov (L, 18 saves on 19 shots), Crawford (W, 21 save shutout) St. Louis 4 @ Nashville 0 (Series tied 1-1) Goals: Pietrangelo 1 (Shattenkirk), Backes 1 (Pietrangelo, Steen), Butler 1 (Gragnani, Berglund), Tarasenko 1 (Shattenkirk, Berglund) Goalies: Elliott (W, 30 save shutout), Hutton (L, 32 saves on 36 shots) Minnesota 3 @ Vancouver 2 (MIN leads series 2-0) Goals: Koivu 2 (Blum, Parise), Niederreiter 1 (Coyle, Suter), Parise 1 (Brodziak, Scandella) Goals: Vrbata 1 (Daniel), Vrbata (2) 2 (Tanev, Henrik) Goalies: Kuemper (W, 13 saves on 15 shots), Miller (L, 42 saves on 45 shots) Anaheim 2 @ San Jose 3 2OT (SJS leads series 2-0) Goals: Kesler 1 (Lindholm, Getzlaf), Blacker 1 (Thompson, Palmieri) Goals: Matthias 2 (Vlasic, Desjardins), Pavelski 1 (Demers), Wingels (2OT) 1 (Nieto, Sbisa) Goalies: Anderson (L, 37 saves on 40 shots), Niemi (W, 27 saves on 29 shots) Washington 2 @ Detroit 3 OT (DET leads series 2-0) Goals: Chimera 1 (Backstrom), Letestu 1 (Ovechkin, Green) Goals: Nyquist 1 (Datsyuk), Andersson 2 (Helm, Smith), Glendening (OT) 2 (Datsyuk, Tatar) Goalies: Holtby (L, 44 saves on 47 shots), Howard (W, 38 saves on 40 shots) Tampa Bay 3 @ Boston 2 (Series tied 1-1) Goals: Callahan 1 (Stepan, Boyle), Johnson 1 (Carle, Filppula), Palat 1 (Brewer, Barberio) Goals: Marchand 2 (Bergeron, Krug), Krug 1 (Krejci) Goalies: Bishop (W, 17 saves on 18 shots), Rask (L, 22 saves on 25 shots) New Jersey 3 @ Pittsburgh 4 OT (PIT leads series 2-0) Goals: Zajac 1 (Brunner, Zidlicky), Elias 1 (Larsson, Josefson), Greene 1 (Zajac, Brunner) Goals: Goc 1 (Downie, Harrington), Wheeler 1 (Harrington, Crosby), Hornqvist (Harrington), Kunitz (OT) 1 (Goc, Downie) Goalies: Schneider (L, 32 saves on 36 shots), Fleury (W, 15 saves on 18 shots) Philadelphia 1 @ NY Islanders 2 2OT (NYI leads series 2-0) Goals: Voracek 1 (Lupul, Giroux) Goals: Tavares 2 (Lee), Lee 2 (Winnik, Bailey) Goalies: Mason (L, 39 saves on 41 shots), Halak (W, 56 saves on 57 shots)

07-26-2023, 10:50 PM	#35
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Canucks Imploding Already? After a second straight loss at home to start their postseason there was a lot of visible frustration on the Canucks bench. Veteran goalie Ryan Miller was seen in an angry, animated discussion with Alex Edler, *Dale Hunter* was yelling and frustrated at his bench, rookies Darren Archibald and Ronalds Kenins sat slumped on the bench after the game and captain Henrik Sedin had few answers afterwards in the press conference. "It's unfortunate and it's something where we wanted to have better results in front of our fans. We need to regroup and go win the next game so we're going to prepare for that." Miller was more candid, "You can't win in the playoffs getting outshot like that. We need to pull together as a team and put a full sixty minutes in. That was embarrasing." Vrbata was moved up to play with the Sedins and that did look successful early but the Canucks had no push or offense past that first line and got hemmed into their own end for much of the game. They are hoping for Hansen to return to the lineup soon to give them a spark. Can they steal a game or two in Minnesota to keep their season alive?

07-27-2023, 12:40 PM	#36
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	2015 NHL PLAYOFFS Round 1: Conference Quarterfinals GAME 3 Chicago 4 @ Colorado 0 (CHI leads series 3-0) Goals: Shaw 1 (Seabrook, Bolland), Toews 1 (Oduya, Sharp), Keith 1 (Seabrook, Toews), Saad 2 (Toews, Sharp) Goalies: Crawford (W, 24 save shutout), Varlamov (L, 32 saves on 36 shots) Nashville 4 @ St. Louis 1 (NSH leads series 2-1) Goals: Jarnkrok 1 (Moulson, Fisher), Nystrom 1 (Roy), Ribeiro 1 (Forsberg, Josi), Roy 1 (Ekholm) Goals: Steen 1 (Pietrangelo, Stastny) Goalie: Hutton (W, 40 saves on 41 shots), Elliott (L, 21 saves on 24 shots) Vancouver 1 @ Minnesota 5 (MIN leads series 3-0) Goals: Horvat 1 (Edler) Goals: Granlund 3 (Spurgeon, Vanek), Niederreiter 2 (Vanek, Suter), Cooke 1 (Haula, Spurgeon), Cooke (2) 2 (Spurgeon, Suter), Scandella 2 (Granlund) Goalies: Miller (L, 27 saves on 32 shots), Kuemper (W, 23 saves on 24 shots) San Jose 4 @ Anaheim 3 (SJS leads series 3-0) Goals: Frattin 1 (Sheppard, Desjardins), Wingels 2 (Demers, Couture), Couture 1 (Nieto), Thornton (Couture) Goals: Kesler 2 (Leopold, Thompson), Rakell 1 (Fowler, Vatanen), Lindholm 1 (Kesler, Beleskey) Goalies: Niemi (W, 30 saves on 33 shots), Andersen (L, 23 saves on 27 shots) Detroit 0 @ Washington 1 (DET leads series 2-1) Goals: Hartnell 1 (Kuznetsov, Alzner) Goalies: Howard (L, 23 saves on 24 shots), Holtby (W, 42 save shutout) Boston 4 @ Tampa Bay 0 (BOS leads series 2-1) Goals: Hamilton 2 (Spooner, Bergeron), Lucic 1 (Pastrnak, Hamilton), Bergeron 1 (Eriksson), Pastrnak 2 (McQuaid, R. Smith) Goalies: Rask (W, 24 save shutout), Bishop (L, 34 saves on 38 shots) Pittsburgh 2 @ New Jersey 0 (PIT leads series 3-0) Goals: Malkin 1 (Bennett, Kunitz), Martin 1 (Harrington, Downie) Goalies: Fleury (W, 22 save shutout), Schneider (L, 36 saves on 37 shots) NY Islanders 2 @ Philadelphia 0 (NYI leads series 3-0) Goals: M. Donovan (Bailey, Hamonic), Lee 3 (Okposo, Franson) Goalies: Halak (W, 26 save shutout), Mason (L, 27 saves on 29 shots) GAME 4 Chicago 5 @ Colorado 3 (CHI wins series 4-0) Goals: Versteeg 1 (Kruger, Shaw), Sharp 3 (Saad, Toews), Bickell 2 (Hjalmarsson, Hartman), Polak 1 (Hartman), Brennan 1 (Bolland, Hossa) Goals: Duchene 3 (Loktionov, Barrie), Landeskog 1 (Duchene, Elliott), Landeskog (2) 2 (Iginla, O'Reilly) Goalies: Crawford (W, 24 saves on 27 shots), Varlamov (L, 21 saves on 26 shots) Nashville 3 @ St. Louis 1 (NSH leads series 3-1) Goals: Forsberg 1 (Josi, Ellis), Fisher 2 (Bourque), Neal 3 (Forsberg, Ribeiro) Goals: Backes 2 (Stastny, Pietrangelo) Goalies: Hutton (W, 21 saves in 22 shots), Elliott (L, 27 saves in 30 shots) Vancouver 4 @ Minnesota 3 OT (MIN leads series 3-1) Goals: Burrows 1 (Horvat, Archibald), Bonino 1 (Hansen, Sestito), Vrbata 3 (Stanton, Henrik), Bonino (OT) (2) 2 (Weber) Goals: Niederreiter 3 (Spurgeon, Suter), Niederreiter (2) 4 (Parise, Suter), Dumba 2 (Falk, Vanek) Goalies: Miller (W, 31 saves on 34 shots), Kuemper (L, 33 saves on 37 shots) San Jose 4 @ Anaheim 1 (SJS wins series 4-0) Goals: Burns 1 (Desjardins, Hertl), Hertl 1 (Gustafsson, Burns), Desjardins 1 (Braun), Hertl (2) 2 (Nieto, Sbisa) Goals: W. Karlsson 1 (Leblanc, Leopold) Goalies: Niemi (W, 26 saves on 27 shots), Andersen (L, 24 saves on 27 shots) Detroit 5 @ Washington 1 (DET leads series 3-1) Goals: Andersson 3 (Crombeen, Helm), Tatar 1 (Zetterberg), Zetterberg 1 (Yandle, Datsyuk), Abdelkader 1 (Yandle, Nyquist), Zetterberg (2) 2 (Datsyuk) Goals: Green 1 (Ovechkin, Carlson) Goalies: Howard (W, 13 saves on 14 shots), Holtby (L, 43 saves on 48 shots) Boston 2 @ Tampa Bay 3 (Series tied 2-2) Goals: Marchand 3 (Krug), Soderberg 1 (Lucic, Krejci) Goals: Johnson 2 (Marchessault), Connolly 1 (Kucherov), Marchessault 1 (Johnson) Goalies: Rask (L, 15 saves on 18 shots), Bishop (W, 34 saves on 36 shots) Pittsburgh 0 @ New Jersey 1 (PIT leads series 3-1) Goals: Hrabarenka 1 (Harrold, Cammalleri) Goalies: Fleury (L, 18 saves on 19 shots), Schneider (W, 41 save shutout) NY Islanders 1 @ Philadelphia 3 (NYI leads series 3-1) Goals: Tavares 3 (Okposo) Goals: Giroux 1 (Bellemare, Schultz), Giroux (2) 2 (Schultz, Voracek), Giroux (3) 3 (B. Schenn, Schultz) Goalies: Halak (L, 32 saves on 35 shots), Mason (W, 19 saves on 20 shots)

07-27-2023, 12:42 PM	#37
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Tom Sestito crosses a line, earns demotion Tom Sestito was back in the big leagues, finding his way back onto the Canucks after trade deadline day left their forward depth depleted. Injuries left the door open for him to play a regular role in the postseason as well, not that he has performed well, going -4 in four games with one assist. He squandered all that yesterday, however, going on a profanity laden tirade about European players in a radio interview. It would seem he was inebriated at the time, and issued an apology, but bridges with a lot of key Canucks personnel have been burned and Trevor Linden immediately sent him packing back to Utica. "That sort of conduct is not only unprofessional, it is unacceptable in our organization. We will not be re-signing Tom this offseason and we apologize to any who were offended by his recent comments. He does not speak for the Vancouver Canucks organization," commented Trevor in a press conference. Vancouver is on the ropes in their series with Minnesota, and head home to Rogers Arena for a must win game to stay alive.

07-27-2023, 06:49 PM	#38
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	2015 NHL PLAYOFFS Round 1: Conference Quarterfinals GAME 5 St. Louis 6 @ Nashville 2 (NSH leads series 3-2) Goals: Shattenkirk 2 (Porter, Oshie), Schwartz 1 (Shattenkirk, Tarasenko), Steen 2 (Butler, Stastny), Shattenkirk (2) 3 (Lapierre), Tarasenko 2 (Shattenkirk), Berglund 1 (Shattenkirk, Alfredsson) Goals: Ribeiro 2 (Forsberg, Neal), Neal 4 (Moulson, Bourque) Goalies: Elliott (W, 20 saves on 22 shots), Hutton (L, 36 saves on 42 shots), Rinne (5 saves on 5 shots) Minnesota 1 @ Vancouver 5 (MIN leads series 3-2) Goals: Parise 2 (Mozyakin, Granlund) Goals: Hansen 1 (Edler), Raymond 1 (Hamhuis), Raymond (2) 2 (Tanev, Hansen), Vrbata 4 (Hamhuis, Weber), Richardson 1 (Stantons, Vrbata) Goalies: Kuemper (L, 30 saves on 35 shots), Miller (W, 24 saves on 25 shots) Washington 4 @ Detroit 2 (DET leads series 3-2) Goals: Ovechkin 1 (Backstrom, Green), Chimera 2 (Ovechkin, Backstrom), Ovechkin (2) 2 (Backstrom, Hillen), Carlson 1 (Ovechkin, Chimera) Goals: Nyquist 2 (Yandle, Tatar), Glendening 3 (Quincey, Nyquist) Goalies: Holtby (W, 27 saves on 29 shots), Howard (L, 10 saves on 13 shots) Tampa Bay 2 @ Boston 5 (BOS leads series 3-2) Goals: Callahan 2 (Stepan, Hedman), Kucherov 1 (Sustr) Goals: Bergeron 2 (Marchand), Bergeron (2) 3 (McQuaid, Chara), Krug 2 (Bergeron, Eriksson), R. Smith 1 (Chara, Krejci), Krug (2) 3 (Krejci, R. Smith) Goalies: Bishop (L, 36 saves on 41 shots), Rask (W, 18 saves on 20 shots) New Jersey 0 @ Pittsburgh 2 (PIT wins series 4-1) Goals: Comeau 1 (Sill, Ehrhoff), Wheeler 2 (Letang, Malkin) Goalies: Schneider (L, 26 saves on 28 shots), Fleury (W, 28 save shutout) Philadelphia 2 @ NY Islanders 1 OT (NYI leads series 3-2) Goals: Voracek 2 (Gostisbehere, Giroux), Simmonds (OT) 1 (Raffl, Coburn) Goals: Leddy 1 (Tavares, Winnik) Goalies: Mason (W, 41 saves on 42 shots), Halak (L, 30 saves on 32 shots) GAME 6 Nashville 3 @ St. Louis 1 (NSH wins series 4-2) Goals: Forsberg 2 (Neal, Josi), Moulson 1 (Fisher, Jarnkrok), Fisher 3 (Ellis, Ribeiro) Goals: Pietrangelo 2 (Schwartz, Berglund) Goalies: Rinne (W, 13 saves on 14 shots), Elliott (L, 26 saves on 29 shots) Vancouver 1 @ Minnesota 3 (MIN wins series 4-2) Goals: Daniel 1 (Henrik, Vrbata) Goals: Vanek 2 (Suter), Niederreiter 5 (Blum), Brodin 1 (Blum) Goalies: Miller (L, 28 saves on 31 shots), Kuemper (W, 21 saves on 22 shots) Detroit 2 @ Washington 0 (DET wins series 4-2) Goals: Yandle 1 (Abdelkader, Nyquist), Yandle (2) 2 (Abdelkader, Nyquist) Goalies: Howard (W, 10 save shutout), Holtby (L, 39 saves on 41 shots) Boston 3 @ Tampa Bay 4 (Series tied 3-3) Goals: Fraser 1 (Krejci, Lucic), Lucic 2 (Krug, Hamilton), Bergeron 4 (Marchand, Hamilton) Goals: Connolly 2 (Kucherov, Boyle), Hedman 1 (Namestnikov, Kucherov), Stralman 1 (Hedman, Garrison), Callahan 3 (Hedman) Goalies: Rask (L, 38 saves on 42 shots), Bishop (W, 48 saves on 51 shots) NY Islanders 1 @ Philadelphia 4 (Series tied 3-3) Goals: Donovan 2 (Clutterbuck, Kulemin) Goals: White 1 (Akeson), Lupul 1 (Voracek, Giroux), Voracek 3 (Gostisbehere, Giroux), Lupul (2) 2 (Del Zotto, Bellemare) Goalies: Halak (L, 17 saves on 21 shots), Mason (W, 23 saves on 24 shots) GAME 7 Tampa Bay 3 @ Boston 2 (TBL wins series 4-3) Goals: Stepan 1 (Killorn), Emmerton 1 (Garrison), Connolly 3 (Stralman, Namestnikov) Goals: Kelly 1 (Bartkowski, Paille), Krug 4 (Bergeron, Eriksson) Goalies: Bishop (W, 32 saves on 34 shots), Rask (L, 17 saves on 20 shots) Philadelphia 2 @ NY Islanders 3 OT (NYI wins series 4-3) Goals: Colaiacovo 1 (Simmonds, Bellemare), B. Schenn 2 (Coburn, Giroux) Goals: Tavares 4 (Hamonic, Bailey), Hickey 1 (Lee, Boychuk), Lee (OT) 4 (Conacher, Hamonic) Goalies: Mason (L, 44 saves on 47 shots), Halak (W, 16 saves on 18 shots)

07-27-2023, 06:52 PM	#39
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Canucks eliminated in six games After going down by three games in their series against Minnesota Vancouver found some push back and won the next two, with stellar play from Ryan Miller, an injection of energy from Jannik Hansen, steady offense from Radim Vrbata and a two goal game four performance from Nick Bonino that was capped off with his overtime winner. In Game Six they just didn't have enough and looked overwhelmed by a better team. Yannick Weber went down with a lower body injury and the team played a chunk of the game with five defensemen. There was no real offensive push aside from the Sedins and Vrbata. Ryan Miller was good but not great, and they needed him to steal this one to have a chance. *Dale Hunter* sounded discouraged in his Press Conference post game, "it's frustrating, you know, we were close, I feel like we could've had something here. We lost some good depth guys at the deadline, those were tough. It stings a lot right now, I feel like we had a better chance. I don't want to talk about it a whole lot right now guys." Linden has taken some criticism after trading away valuable roster players mid-season, only to see them contribute in the postseason for other teams (Matthias and Sbisa for San Jose) or even have success in a series against Vancouver (Dustin Jeffrey) while the Canucks languish for a lack of depth scoring and NHL level bottom six wingers. In his presser Linden said, "we have a lot of evaluating and discussing to do. This loss hurts for all of us, and what we want to do is take some time and make intelligent decisions about our future and direction. We will be conducting our exit interviews next week and then our staff will be working together on our vision for the offseason. Our goal is to get better as an organization, to set ourselves up for consistent playoff success, and we are going to keep moving towards that goal."

07-27-2023, 07:00 PM	#40
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	2015 NHL PLAYOFFS Round 1 Summary In the West, Chicago cleanly swept Colorado. The Avs put up a solid resistance in game two but lost in overtime and could never find any momentum against the best team in the regular season. Chicago will move on to face Nashville in round 2 as the Preds handled a strong Blues squad that gave them some trouble, especially dynamic offensive defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk who had eight points, in six games. Nashville ran with Carter Hutton, as they have almost all year (and been rewarded with sixteen regular season shutouts), until he allowed five goals in game five and the Blues were within striking distance. Rinne came in in relief that game and then started and won game six. Who will have the crease in round two against the vaunted Blackhawks offense that has Patrick Kane returning to the lineup? Minnesota looks to have an easy route assigned it by fortune, going through the easier Pacific Division due to the Wild Card playoff arrangement. They took Vancouver out in six games, going with the less experienced but equally skilled Darcy Kuemper in net over veteran Nicklas Backstrom. *Yeo* was criticized at the outset of the series for the decision but he has been vindicated. In the 'battle of mediocrity' San Jose swept Anaheim, who barely put up a fight. At times Ryan Kesler looked like the only Duck who was trying. The Sharks will face the Wild in round two, and though they have home ice advantage because of the format, the Wild had 19 more regular season points than them. Minnesota should waltz to a conference finals date with the other clear favourite in the West, Chicago. Detroit was the most dominant team in the East, but they struggled a bit against eighth seed Washington. In the end Detroit's depth and scoring was apparent as they defeated the Capitals in six games. Alex Ovechkin was not a huge factor, taking until game five to score his first of the series. Deadline acquisition Keith Yandle came as advertised, providing two goals and four assists in the series. Boston was arguably the third best team in the conference for most of the year, but they were upset in a fairly even series with Tampa Bay. Boston boasted more firepower and had great performances from Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci and Krug but Tampa played a great team game and hung in there in the back and forth series, eventually taking the decisive game seven on the road 3-2, with youngster Brett Connolly scoring the winner (his third goal of the series). The Lightning will have an even tougher test ahead of them with Detroit, but if Ben Bishop can keep them alive in net and they pull off another upset it would be quite the underdog story. Pittsburgh had little trouble with the Devils, dispatching them in five games. Jagr's run was ended by his old team, and Pittsburgh comes into round two as a strong favourite to move ahead to the conference finals. They will face an Islanders club that barely staved off a Flyers comeback from down 3-0 in their series. John Tavares carries the Islanders to any success they have offensively and Jaroslav Halak can have some big games, but don't think they're going to be any match for a loaded Penguins team that hasn't even been challenged yet.