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Canucks face killer cap crunch in reset mode

Posted on May 10, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — It’s not a rebuild or a reload for the Vancouver Canucks, it's a reset.

Whatever the term — and reset is kind of a catchy one, don't you think? — general manager Mike Gillis has some work to do in massaging the Canucks’ lineup. And it's going to be all about money.

The Canucks have been a spend-to-the-cap team under Gillis, but that cap is coming down significantly in the 2013-14 season due to the lockout that squandered millions in NHL revenues. Gillis will have to shed at least $6 million in salary to stay within the new $64.3-million limit.

The Canucks currently have 16 players under contract for 2013-14 at a total cost of $63,502,777. This includes out-going netminder Roberto Luongo (we think, finally) and out-of-favour defenceman Keith Ballard, which would remove more than $9.5 million of cap space.

The 16 players are broken down into two goalies, six defencemen and eight forwards, certainly not enough to ice a...

Canucks notebook: Mason Raymond will ‘sit back and wait’

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — If the Vancouver Canucks intend to become more robust up front next season, then slender left winger Mason Raymond likely won't be part of the new look.

General manager Mike Gillis admitted Thursday he wasn't certain – “I'm not sure,” he said – whether Raymond fits into his re-set plan. Raymond's contract is up and he stands to become an unrestricted free agent July 5. He collected 10 goals in 46 regular-season games and added another one in the playoffs.

Raymond, 6-0 and 182 pounds, conceded there have been no talks about an extension.

“No, as of right now, there haven't been any that I'm aware of,” Raymond said as the Canuck players did a final media session before heading to their off-season homes. “Things change and you never know what's going to happen. At the end of the day, you kind of sit back and wait.”

Raymond is a lifelong Canuck. He was drafted by the organization 51st overall...

Canucks star Henrik Sedin sticks up for coach Alain Vigneault, expects changes

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — Canucks captain Henrik Sedin conceded Thursday he expects changes to the team after a second straight quick playoff ouster. But what kind of changes? A new coach? Some new core players?

Henrik proved he can stickhandle through an exit media scrum as well he stickhandles through an opponent's zone coverage.

“I think if things aren't going well for a few years or a few seasons, there are going to be changes,” said the captain, standing in a hallway at Rogers Arena. “I don't know what you mean by big changes but there are going to be some, I'm sure, whatever that is. I know our owners and our management aren't happy being an average team. It's not up to me to make those changes so I can't tell you what they want to do. We'll see what happens.”

The most likely change will be behind the bench where head coach Alain Vigneault is on extremely thin ice after the...

Game Within Game: Words come back to haunt Canucks against Sharks

Posted on May 7, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

THREE STARS

ONE – Joe Thornton, Sharks. Set up series winner. Finished with three assists, four shots and 13-for-23 on faceoffs.

TWO – Joe Pavelski, Sharks. Two goals, nine shots, two blocked shots, 10-for-18 on the draw.

THREE – Alex Burrows, Canucks. One goal, one assist, three shots, plus-1.

PIVOTAL POINT – With the Canucks leading 3-2 in the third period and trying to protect their slim advantage, Kevin Bieksa shoved Tommy Wingels into the boards and drew a cross checking penalty. The Canucks lost the subsequent draw, the Sharks pressured, Cory Schneider coughed up a rebound on Joe Thornton's wrister, Logan Couture poked the loose puck over to Joe Pavelski, who roofed the tying goal with 4:27 left in the third. Patrick Marleau then put the Canucks away for good in overtime as Schneider couldn't handle another Thornton shot.

BY THE NUMBERS – Canuck coach Alain Vigneault's playoff record behind the Canuck bench fell to 33-35 and 2-12 in his last 14...

Canucks captain Henrik Sedin says reeling team still believes in itself, even if no one else does

Posted on May 4, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER – As captain of a sinking Vancouver Canucks' ship, Henrik Sedin attempted to find silver linings Saturday but even he admitted it was difficult after Friday night's devastating 3-2 overtime defeat to the San Jose Sharks.

“Absolutely, it was one of the toughest losses in a while,” Henrik said at Vancouver International Airport before the team flew out to San Jose. “We played a great game and they scored late and again in overtime. Being down 2-0 is a lot tougher than being tied 1-1. But I think you wake up today and you look forward to the game tomorrow.”

Game 3 in the best-of-seven series goes Sunday night at The Shark Tank. The puck drops just after 7 p.m. (TSN, Team 1040).

The odds are greatly against Canucks as teams losing the first two games in a best-of-seven have come back to win just 14 per cent of the time. Not many believe this edition of the Canucks...

Canucks Game Day: Vancouver seeks to square series with Sharks in ‘very important’ game (with video)

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER – In NHL playoff history, the team that has won the first game in a best-of-seven series has continued on to win that series 68.3 per cent of the time. So the Vancouver Canucks are already on the wrong side of the odds heading into Game 2 against the San Jose Sharks.

You can imagine how those odds will lengthen if they take another pratfall tonight.

“Obviously you don't want to go down 2-0 and have all the momentum going to them going back to their home ice,” Canuck defenceman Kevin Bieksa said today, understating matters. “But if you win the second game, it's funny how the momentum swings in the playoffs. All of the sudden, we've got a little momentum going to play them on their home soil. So there is going to be a lot of emphasis on tonight's game.

“I don't like using the phrase 'must-win' but it is a very important game.”

Based on this morning's on-ice...

Canucks seek to square series with Sharks in ‘very important’ game (with video)

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

You can imagine how those odds will lengthen if they take another pratfall tonight.

“I don't like using the phrase 'must-win' but it is a very important game.”

Based on this morning's on-ice...

Canucks seeking to square series with Sharks in ‘very important’ game

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

You can imagine how those odds will lengthen if they take another pratfall tonight.

“I don't like using the phrase 'must-win' but it is a very important game.”

Based on this morning's on-ice...

Canucks to start Roberto Luongo in Game 2 vs. Sharks; lines get a shakeup

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — There was no need Thursday to wait for an announcement on the Vancouver Canucks' starting netminder for Game 2 Friday of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

When Cory Schneider failed to appear for a full team practice, and minor-league goalie Joe Cannata did, it quickly became evident that Roberto Luongo would again be the man for Game 2 against the San Jose Sharks (7 p.m., TSN, Team 1040). The Canucks trail the best-of-seven series 1-0 after dropping Wednesday's curtain-raiser 3-1.

The question now, of course, is whether Schneider will be back at all in the series. It seems apparent he has suffered some sort of his setback to his mysterious “body” injury — is it a groin? — after skating for four days and practising with the team for three.

“You can interpret what you want at this time,” Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault stated cryptically. “Cory is day-to-day.”

Luongo, who is either sworn to secrecy or truly doesn't know, had...

Luongo to start Game 1 as Schneider ‘not healthy enough’ to face Sharks

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER - A routine morning skate for the Vancouver Canucks turned into another circus when Roberto Luongo came off the ice ahead of No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider and revealed he would be starting Game 1 tonight against the San Jose Sharks.

Schneider has been nursing an undisclosed “body injury” but skated on his own Sunday and then practised with the full team both Monday and Tuesday. He was also the first netminder on the ice for today's morning skate.

“Schneids is just not healthy enough right now,” said Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault. “We had an idea Tuesday and we told Louie before he left to be ready. This morning, when we talked to Schneids before practice, it was a pretty easy decision. I don't think for our group that having Roberto in goal is a concern. He's a pretty good goalie. He's been through a lot of battles and played some really solid hockey for us. ”

Joe Cannata,...

Canucks’ farm team’s ‘taxi squad’ rides in for NHL playoffs

Posted on April 30, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — Hey, taxi! The Canucks have summoned 10 players and coach Scott Arniel from the farm to serve as a practice squad as they embark Wednesday on what they hope is a lengthy playoff run.

Three of the 10 — Jordan Schroeder, Nicklas Jensen and Brendan Gaunce — are first-round picks and the group, which also includes previous call-ups Derek Joslin and Joe Cannata, will skate at 8 a.m. each morning.

The remaining players forming the “taxi squad” are Jim Vandermeer, Peter Andersson, Darren Archibald, Andrew Gordon, Kellen Lain, Alexandre Mallet and netminder Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault, the latter a one-time draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Injured goalie Eddie Lack was also called up but, according to Arniel, he’s in Vancouver for medical purposes only. Lack had major hip surgery in late January.

“He’s having his hip looked at,” explained Arniel, who will run the practices along with Dave Babych and Dave Gagner of the Canuck player development department. Goalie coach Rollie...

Canucks draw Andrew Alberts in, drop Keith Ballard out, for Game 1 vs. Sharks

Posted on April 30, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — For 17 consecutive games, Vancouver Canucks defenceman Andrew Alberts had the three most dreaded words in hockey written beside his name: Did Not Dress.

That's the politically correct version, too. There are others less appealing ones like scratched, benched and getting the tap. Being a 'DND' means staying out late after practice to shoot on the backup goalie. It means another workout before the game and then having your shower prior to the puck drop, rather than following the final horn.

“I mean, it's no fun,” Alberts said Tuesday. “It was probably the most frustrating start to the season I've had. To be where I am now, it feels good.”

Alberts is where all players want to be at the start of playoffs, which is in the opening night lineup. Barring a last-second attack of influenza — you know, he opened up the door and in flew enza — Alberts will be on the Canucks' third pairing with rookie Frank...

Alain Vigneault — the good, bad and ugly playoff moments under Coach Vee’s watch

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — This is Alain Vigneault’s seventh season behind the Canucks bench and his sixth in the playoffs. His first five post-season campaigns produced some memorable games, from the good to the bad to the ugly. Here are seven that stick out....

April 11, 2007 — In his first ever playoff game behind the Canucks’ bench, Vigneault was there almost forever as the Canucks and Dallas Stars went deep into the night and then early the next morning before Henrik Sedin, from Daniel and Mattias Ohlund, scored at 18:06 of the fourth overtime period for a 5-4 Canuck win. The Canucks were outshot 76-56. Complicating matters for Vigneault was the loss of two forwards to injury during the game as Matt Cooke left in the second period and Alex Burrows in the first overtime. Also scoring for the Canucks in that game were Daniel, Ohlund, Markus Naslund and Bryan Smolinski. “I’m going to bed,” quipped Naslund in the winners’...

Canucks may (or may not) juggle lines

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER - What you see is usually what you get from Vancouver Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault, unless it's playoffs.

Ask about line combos during the regular season and Regular Season AV is happy to oblige. Now ask the same question during the post-season and you get Playoff AV. He hopes we all understand. The Canucks and San Jose Sharks play Game 1 Wednesday at Rogers Arena.

“As you know,” Vigneault began following practice Monday, “when we get into the playoffs, I don't get into exactly what our lines are.”

Fortunately practice was open to reporters so there was visible evidence. The Sedin twins were with Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler was between Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian while Derek Roy was centring for Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen. Max Lapierre was back on the fourth line with Andrew Ebbett and Dale Weise.

There was no other confirmation.

“I'm not going to get into the specifics of what we're going to do, just like...