Tag Archives: Alain Vigneault

Canucks: Questionable goalie calls might have cost the season

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

What Vancouver GM Mike Gillis essentially said in his post-mortem with the media is announce the end of the Mason Raymond era.

Small, supposedly skilled players are out. Big, supposedly tough players are in vogue. That, Gillis said, is what it will take to win the Stanley Cup. Goodness knows what he’ll say if the Chicago Blackhawks win it all again.

The Canucks’ core is likely to stay the same. There are just too many no-trade agreements. That means this reset will look a lot like that last reset five years ago.

Maybe they’ll even bring back the coach for kicks. Though someone will have to call him to tell him, because for the second year in a row, Alain Vigneault fled the scene of the crime, choosing not to man up for his season-ending session to answer questions.

Some will see it as bush league, and they would be right.

Roberto Luongo, however, manned up in Vancouver for what he hopes is...

Gallagher: 2012-13 a bridge too far for Vigneault

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

When Mike Gillis said all those good things about Alain Vigneault at his Thursday press conference, there is absolutely no question he meant every one of them, and when the coach is fired, it won’t mean there’s been any change to those feelings — it just means it’s time for a change.

In fact, it’s long, long overdue, and the only reason Vigneault coached here and not in Montreal this season is because Gillis felt strongly he should continue.

There have been reports he refused to sign his own contract extension unless the organization was going to renew Vigneault at the same time, though Gillis denied that Thursday. But ownership has been sour on the coach now for some time, so when the move is made, nobody should feel the coach is being maligned or put upon.

It turns out the ownership was right, and among mistakes Gillis has made, this is one he’s almost certain never to repeat — wait...

Willes: Four games in which the Canucks got old before our very eyes

Posted on May 8, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

You see it in the fight game sometimes.

A veteran headliner draws someone who lacks his pedigree and the presumption is, based on history, he’ll handle the pretender easily. He has a name. He has a resume. The other guy? Sorry, not in the same class.

But when the bout starts, it’s clear something is wrong. The veteran looks slow and his punches lack their customary snap and power. The other guy looks faster and is completely unconcerned by what his more illustrious opponent is offering. At first the vet looks confused. Then he looks panicked. You see a few glimpses of what he once was but, over the duration of the fight, they are few and far between and when it’s all over, everyone says the same thing: “He was a great fighter but he got old in one night.”

So tell me: Is that what happened to the Vancouver Canucks against the San Jose Sharks?

Here’s a tougher question.

Did O.J....

Gallagher: Vigneault a tough sell to bring back after his team’s effort in the last two playoffs

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

SAN JOSE — When Mike Gillis took over as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks and interviewed Alain Vigneault to see whether he should remain as the team’s head coach, they found common ground in the type of players they valued.

But there has always been a slight difference in where the emphasis should be on the agreed-upon system, with Vigneault always defaulting to his roots of trying to win games with the emphasis on defending — when in fact Gillis was essentially getting him players better suited to the emphasis being on offence.

We stress the word emphasis here because every team needs to play solid defence. You have no chance otherwise in this league, it’s a given. It’s like when Dan Bylsma came into Pittsburgh mid-season in 2009 to replace Vigneault clone Michel Therrien. He kept the same system, changed the emphasis, and the Pens went on to to win the Cup with their stars playing a more...

Canucks: Raymond not alone in the crosshairs

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE — When approached before the Stanley Cup playoffs for perspective on his post-season struggles, Mason Raymond initially recoiled.

He believed the reporter only sought out the Vancouver Canucks winger when there was indifference in his play or uncertainty about his future.

In the past, queries were directed at Raymond’s career-threatening back injury, a playoff goal drought that has reached seven goals in 54 career games — the last one coming May 18, 2011 — and his playing future as an unrestricted free agent.

Outside of regaining his health, other concerns remain relevant as the Canucks attempt tonight to avoid being swept by the Sharks in the first-round playoff series.

San Jose leads 3-0.

Raymond gets targeted because he has blazing speed and an underrated wrist shot, but hasn’t scored in 11 games and has but one goal in the last 17.

He’s not alone.

Everybody is in the crosshairs and you’d need a shotgun blast to spread enough shrapnel to hit the...

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...

Fighting feelings of rejection, Ballard looks to Luongo for inspiration

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

Keith Ballard was asked before a playoff game against the San Jose Sharks if he thought his coach had confidence in him.

Raw and honest, he admitted he had no clue.

That was two years ago. On the surface, not much has changed.

However, it doesn’t take much scratching to see Ballard is different and in significant ways.

First of all, he cracked up when reminded his situation is the same as it ever was. At this point, what else can he do?

"I’ve had some practice at this," he said, laughing at the prospect of another healthy scratch.

He’s on the outside looking in, as another green rookie passes him on the depth chart. Two years ago it was Chris Tanev. For Game 1 against San Jose, it will be Frank Corrado who is set to play on a pairing with Andrew Alberts, pushing Ballard and his $4.2 million salary to the press box. Again.

Ballard, too eager to beat himself up, has always...

Iain MacIntyre: Alain Vigneault needs to conjure up some post-season magic

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

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks’ regular season was three months of improvisation.

Wingers played centre, sometimes two of them in the same game. Defencemen played forward. The blue-line ran out of right-handers. Ryan Kesler, the engine of the team, logged 17 games. And with Roberto Luongo wearing a ball cap instead of a goalie mask most nights, $5.33 million of salary-cap space was parked at the end of the bench instead of utilized for centres or right-shot defencemen or any other skaters who could help the team.

And still the Canucks won their division for the fifth straight year — the next longest pennant streak in the National Hockey League is one — and finished with a 26-15-7 record that pro-rates to 101 points in an 82-game season. And since many of you are already pointing out the Northwest Division is a pushover, the Canucks’ record against the tough Central Division was better than their record within the Northwest.

This was arguably...

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’...

Legion of Doom II? Canucks to ice dreaded Henrik-Pinizzotto-Weise line in finale against Oilers

Posted on April 27, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

EDMONTON - There are two explanations for the lineup Alain Vigneault chose to play in the last game of the Vancouver Canucks' regular season.

One, the Canucks battled hard all season and, by clinching the Northwest Division title, earned the right to rest some of their key regulars before the start of the playoffs.

Two, Vigneault has a whacky sense of humour.

“(Henrik Sedin) is going to start with Dale Weise and Steve Pinizzotto,” Vigneault said at the morning skate as the Canucks prepared to meet the Edmonton Oilers.

He was asked if that line has a nickname yet.

“I'll let you guys figure that out,” Vigneault answered.

Actually, the scribes in attendance were doing a lot of figuring as they contemplated the Canucks' team that will meet the Oilers. Henrik Sedin started as the fourth-line center, presumably to keep his iron-man streak alive, but that was hardly the only change for the Canucks. His brother Daniel and regular linemate Alex Burrows drew press-box...

Ed Willes: Hawks are still pick of the litter, but Canucks’ glimmer brightening

Posted on April 23, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

This season there's one fundamental question in the Western Conference: Can anyone beat the Chicago Blackhawks?

And here's the fundamental answer to that fundamental question: If anyone can, they've done a crummy job of proving it to the rest of the league.

The Hawks, of course, are having a better 2013 than the stock market. Seventy-three points in 45 games. Twenty-four and, until recently, 11-game unbeaten streaks. Six frickin' regulation losses to date. If you extrapolate their record over 82 games its 133 points which is just stupid. As it is, their only problem these days might be finding a reason to play even if a Canucks-Hawks matchup generally provides it's own motivation.

“Blackhawks, Canucks,” said Alain Vigneault. “That's all you've got to say.”

Well, after Monday night, you can say a few more things.

While it's hard to know how much weight to attach to the Canucks' performance against the NHL's best team, what they did offer in their 3-1 win was...

24 things for Ryan Kesler to remember, now that he’s a winger again

Posted on April 22, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

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Twenty-four things for Ryan Kesler to remember, now that hes a winger again

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Ryan Kesler and Derek Roy will be back on the same line again Monday versus the Chicago Blackhawks, but there are a few changes to the Canucks’ second line nonetheless. First of all, Chris Higgins returns to the lineup, and he’ll replace Jannik Hansen on the other wing. Second, Ryan Kesler and Derek Roy will trade spots, meaning that, unless Alain Vigneault has an eleventh hour change of heart (like he did last time), Roy will be the centre. Kesler will be reprising his long dormant role as a right-winger.

As if Kesler didn’t have enough things to worry about, what with the problematic current state of his penis:

@ryan_kesler sorry about your penis…….

—Strombone (@strombone1) April 22, 2013

But now he has to try to remember what it’s like to play the wing, a position he hasn’t played since 2009. That’s a long...

Vigneault, Henrik are milestone men in win over Flames

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

The Vancouver Canucks don't reveal their private dinner plans with reporters so there is no way of knowing whether Alain Vigneault or Henrik Sedin headed to Milestones on a team day off Sunday.

Seemed like a Grade A quality idea, though. The coach and the captain both achieved personal milestones Saturday night as the Canucks knocked off the Calgary Flames 5-2 before another soldout house at Rogers Arena.

Vigneault coached his 530th regular-season game, surpassing Marc Crawford for the all-time franchise lead, while Henrik collected his 600th assist – and later 601st – in the victory.

Vigneault already held team records for most regular-season wins, most playoff wins, most playoff games coached and best winning percentage. During his tenure, which began with the 2006-07 season, he has helmed the Canucks two Presidents Trophies, five Northwest Division titles and six playoff-round victories. He won the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year in 2007 and was a finalist again...

Canucks make coach Vigneault’s milestone game a winning one

Posted on April 6, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER – Alain Vigneault holds many franchise coaching records for the Vancouver Canucks and he added another to his collection Saturday night when he surpassed Marc Crawford for most regular-season games behind the bench at 530.

The one he enjoys the most, however, is wins. And who wouldn't? Vigneault has 308 of those, the latest coming when his skaters took out the reeling Calgary Flames 5-2 before another sold-out house at Rogers Arena.

“The wins are definitely the most important thing,” Vigneault said. “I want wins and we got a win tonight. They say never critique a win but tonight our best player was our goaltender. He made some unreal saves. Calgary came to play and they came to play really hard but Schneids (Cory Schneider) shut the door and we were able to jump on a few of their mistakes.”

The Flames, who played and lost Friday night in San Jose, outshot the Canucks 15-8 in the first period, 14-4...