Some random, unorganised thoughts on why the Vancouver Canucks suck:
ALEXANDER MOGILNY: Five goals? That's three less than Pavel
Bure, but in about 30 more games. Mogilny's always been a tough guy
to motivate, and when you're already making 4 million a season and
your team is closer to the bottom of the conference than to a
playoff spot, not even Anthony Robbins could get this guy to put in
100%. And that's saying something, because Anthony Robbins can do
anything. Why no goals? How about because he's averaging just over
a shot a game! Mogilny almost never gets the puck at full speed
these days, and that's where most of his chances come from. The
Canucks as a whole are getting about 20 shots a game, which brings
me to my next point...
A DOWNRIGHT CRAPPY TRANSITION GAME: This Canuck team just
seems unable to produce chances on the rush. Any even-strength
situation in fact, is an offensive nightmare. Rarely do I see a
Canucks defenceman hitting a forward with a nice, crisp pass out of
their own zone. By getting the puck while standing still, the
Canucks usually: a) Give the puck away at their own blue line, or
b) have no speed through neutral zone and have to dump the puck in,
which becomes repetitive and expected.
DONALD BRASHEAR THINKS HE'S ALL THAT: I don't mind when
players think that they're all that. Markus Naslund for instance,
has every right to believe that he's all that! But Brashear is now
under the impression that dropping the gloves will stop him from
scoring goals. ***NEWS FLASH*** Donald Brashear is not a skill
player. He's a fighter. I'm not asking him to ONLY look to fight,
but the Canucks have appeared unemotional for much of the year, and
that is due partly to the fact that their heavyweight refuses show
some muscle. Come on, Donald, stir something up!
SHOW SOME EMOTION...PLEASE! The Canucks, with the exception
of Naslund, Mogilny and the two senior centres, Messier and Gagner,
can all throw their weight around. They should be tough,
hard-working and persistent. With a group of big forwards, opposing
defencemen should have a tough time getting the puck out of their
own zone. They should know that a hit is coming. Every game from
here on in should be played with the intensity of a playoff game,
because they're fighting for their lives. Missing the playoffs for
the third straight year is inexcusable. They should finish ahead of
Chicago, Calgary, San Jose, Anaheim and Nashville. The only reason
not to is lack of effort, as they clearly have the skill and size.
With some desperation and intensity, there is no excuse.
Now, on the positive side, some reasons why the Canucks have hope:
MARKUS NASLUND: This guy has carried the team on his
shoulders single handedly the past few weeks. In that period, the
Canucks have won once and tied once. In those games, Naslund scored
the winning and tying goals, respectively. He was not even on
Keenan's opening day roster, and yet he now leads the team in goals
and points and is one of a select few who play hard every night at
both ends of the rink.
THE DEFENCE OF THE FUTURE: McCabe, Aucoin, Jovanovski and
Ohlund. These four, if kept together over the next few seasons,
could very well develop into the best defensive core the Canucks
have ever seen. All four hit hard, play solid defence, and have
their moments at the offensive end. Along with Bryan Allen, a
first-rounder who is expected to step in next season, they truly
have unlimited potential.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR? Billy Muckalt leads NHL rookies in
points, and he does so on an offensively inept team. Pat Quinn, who
originally drafted him, says he could have played in the league two
seasons ago. The wait was probably worthwhile, though, as he is
playing with the confidence and poise of a more experienced player.
And, during a recent drubbing to the Rangers, he took Gretzky out
with a solid hit as he fished for the puck. Gretzky was
questionable for the contest with sore ribs, and had to leave the
game. That's a pretty risky move for a young player, but it sent
the rest of the team a message. It's just to bad that a rookie had
to do it.
Saving the best for last:
THE WAYNE AXFORD AWARD FOR SPORTING EXCELLENCE: For the
second consecutive week, this honour is bestowed upon MARKUS
NASLUND. Markus scored four goals and added two assists in the past
six games, and was consistently the best Canuck on the ice. Markus
now leads the Axford Cup standings with 2 victories, while the rest
of the team has combined for 0 victories. Congratulations, Markus.
It should be noted that the Markus Naslund was not only my choice for
the award, but also that of most LCS readers. Markus led the voting
with 524, while Mark Messier finished second with 196. Votes for the
Wayne Axford Award can be sent to me at: canucks_eh@hotmail.com
