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Former NHL star and now fitness consultant to players like Steve Stamkos had a few choice words for Canucks GM Mike Gillis, in response to Gillis slagging Cody Hodgson. You can read about it here.
The Canucks have some issues in management that need to be addressed and they can start with Gillis. What's Scotty Bowman up to these days?
GILLIS BLOWS SMOKE
The excuses by Gillis for the early exit by the Canucks from the playoffs amounted to nonsense. He claims he spent more time on Hodgson's issues than the rest of the team combined. But who misdiagnosed Hodgson's back injury? Who refused to give Hodgson ice time and accept that he was a potential goal scorer?
Gillis
The same guy who did not recognize Schneider was outperforming Luongo in goal. The same guy who signed an out-of-shape, over-the-hill Sundin for $5 million for half a season.
Gillis could not recognize a player able to score goals, just as he could not recognize a superior goalie able to stop pucks.
Enough excuses - time for Gillis to return to employment as a player's agent. He can continue spending his time blowing smoke on behalf of underperforming clients.
GILLIS AND VIGNEAULT - SHOULD THEY STAY OR GO?
Should Gillis and Vigneault be held accountable for an early exit from the playoffs? If we were the team owners, we would like a very good explanation why we missed out on millions of dollars in playoff game revenue after being the top NHL team during the regular season. How did the 8th place team knock us out in a 4-1 series?
The answer doesn't look good on Gillis and Vigneault. Gillis traded an up and coming goal scorer in Hodgson for a non-performer in Kassian. In fact, a number of his trades were not tremendous assets including the Booth acquisition. And we won't dwell on the Sundin blunder of a couple years ago. All Gillis had to do was put Sundin on a scale to know he wasn't NHL ready.
As for Vigneault, he is a good skills coach and we like the way his team plays the game. However, the Canucks need more toughness in the Chris Neil style, and that falls once again on Gillis.
What Vigneault is lacking on occasion is judgment. His inability to see that Luongo was no longer the starter for this team came too little too late. Schneider should have taken over towards the end of the series against Boston last year, and Schneider should have started the playoffs against the Kings this year.
This glaring lack of judgment likely cost the Canucks the Stanley Cup, and most certainly contributed to the early exit this year.
If Vigneault stays, somebody with better judgment must be able to step in at critical times and tell Vigneault how it's going to go.
We don't think that's Gillis, a former players agent. Dump Gillis, and keep Vigneault on a short leash.
CANUCKS' SEASON OVER
The Canucks lost to the Kings in overtime, bringing a disappointing end to the season of the Presdent's Cup winners. The Canucks are not alone. The Pittsburgh Penguins were also defeated by a lower ranked team and the New York Rangers are in trouble against the Senators.
Why are lower ranked teams beating the top teams? Teams battling for the last playoff spot are already playing playoff hockey before the playoffs. On the other hand, top teams know weeks before the end of the regular season they are guaranteed a playoff spot and they begin to coast.
The salary cap ensures there is not a huge talent difference between an 8th place team and 1st place team. So a team fighting for a playoff spot is already playing with the intensity necessary to win. Regular season champs like the Canucks play for their paycheques. That means pulling up in the corners and avoiding injuries.
Playoff teams play for the Stanley Cup. That means sacrificing the body and doing whatever it takes to win.
The Canucks need a few more of those guys.
A good example is Chris Neil....go Ottawa Senators!
ONE GAME AT A TIME
The Canucks played for pride last night and showed their fans they are not done. Back to Vancouver for game 5 on Sunday with lots of time to rest and prepare. Never mind winning four straight. It's one game at a time...and let's end the debate about our #1 goalie and who is starting - it's Schneider!
CANUCKS PLAYING FOR PRIDE
Tonight the Canucks are playing for pride...not their multi-million dollar salaries, not their jobs next year, and not even the Stanley Cup. They are the President's Cup champs for two years running, and they risk being blown out in 4 straight games by the 8th place Kings that barely squeaked into the playoffs. Personal pride and team pride are all that matter now. Leave it all on the ice boys!
CANUCKS PLAY WELL IN THIRD LOSS
Despite losing their third playoff game, the Canucks played well. Schneider earned the third star, and should stay in net for the fourth game. In fact, had Schneider started this series, the Canucks would likely have at least one win.
Which brings us to the Canucks future. It's not over until it's over, and the Canucks could win 4 straight as Philly did against Boston a couple of years ago.
However, if they don't and they exit early, both Gillis and Vigneault should be fired. The reason is simple. They have been starting Luongo, the second best goalie on the team. Schneider should have been played against Boston in Boston last year, and he clearly should have started against the Kings.
Instead, Gillis and Vigneault have started Luongo against common sense. In addition, the trade for Kassian in exchange for Hodgson has been a disaster. Hodgson was shaping up to be a solid goal scorer, someone sorely needed with the loss of Daniel Sedin.
To top it off, after this year, it is likely Gillis and Vigneault will trade Schneider and keep Luongo. Gillis and Vigneault should be dumped before their further poor judgment creates more long term damage.
PLAYOFFS BRING HEAD SHOT FREEDOM
The start of playoffs has resulted in some of the nastiest head shots/cheap shots we've seen all season. The reason is the players know the NHL will not deliver significant fines/suspensions during the playoffs.
While the NHL's boss of discipline Brendan Shanahan started the season trying to crack down on the cheap shots and concussions, he has backed off and only proven to be another weak NHL bureaucrat lacking the jam to clean up the game and protect the players from themselves.
RIGHT DECISION TO PLAY SCHNEIDER
The decision to play Schneider in tonight's game was not only the right decision, it was the only decision.
That's not to say Luongo was responsible for the first two losses, but the Canucks had to change things up. Giveaways by Edler, Hamhuis, Bieksa all contributed to the second loss.
That said, it has always been our position that the defence and team play with more confidence when Schneider is in net. We will see tonight. The bottom line is if the Canucks win, then Schneider should replace Luongo as #1 for the playoffs.
PRESIDENT TRUMPS A KING
Anyone seriously following hockey knows the playoffs are a long grind. So there is no reason to panic after the Canucks' first game loss.
In addition, a big thank you goes out to the goof running the twitter feed for the LA Kings. After the first game, the LA Kings posted "To everyone in Canada outside of BC, you're welcome". This will only inspire the Canucks to play hard and prove a point.
They are the President's Cup winners playing a team that barely squeaked into the playoffs. The Canucks will demonstrate tonight why a President trumps a King.
YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?
The recent criticism of SFU buying tickets to Liberal functions is a tempest in a tea pot. If British Columbians and the media are truly concerned about public funds going to political parties, then prevent public sector unions donating millions to the NDP. Of course, if the NDP win the next election, they will be looking after negotiations with those same public sector unions.
Let's crack down on SFU? You're kidding, right?
SCHNEIDER BAILS OUT LUONGO... AGAIN
In 'Nucks vs Ducks last night, Luongo took a beating from the Ducks forwards until Schneider stepped in to shut them down. This allowed the Canucks led by Burrows and LaPierre to battle back and win in the shoot-out. Analaysts like TSN's Bob Mackenzie say Luongo is unfairly tarnished, but Canucks fans follow and know this team better than the boys back east, and we say Schneider has earned the right to start.
CANUCKS COULD USE HODGSON
Coming off a 1-0 victory over the Kings, a win is a win. But the Canucks are suffering a scoring drought right now and without Daniel Sedin in the line-up, everyone is going to have to step it up.
This includes Zack Kassian, the guy we received for Cody Hodgson. Hodgson had a lot of upside as a goal scorer, and was starting to blast in shots like a Steve Stamkos. We could use him right about now.
But that's history and Kassian can make everyone forget, if he gets engaged and makes some hits. He doesn't have to personally put the puck in the net, but he should help someone else get it done.
JURY IS OUT ON HODGSON DEAL
Everyone in the hockey world was caught off guard yesterday by the trade deadline deal of Canucks' Cody Hodgson for Buffalo's Zack Kassian.
Hodgson was shaping up to be a serious contributor, and given his youth, perhaps a future star. But Mike Gillis wanted more grit on the team and decided the 6'3" Kassian fit the bill.
OK, but Buffalo was humiliated this season after the Boston Bruins' Lucic ran Buffalo's goalie and nobody responded. The Canucks, on the other hand, went into Boston's rink and gave them a beat down. So the jury is out on this one. Both guys are young and have potential, but Hodgson more than Kassian.
That said, Kassian may now have more opportunity to shine because the Canucks' quick passing style gives players more room to show their skill side. Time will tell.
We do like the Sami Pahlsson acquisition. Pahlsson was part of Sweden's 2006 Olympic gold-medal winning team, so his experience and skill should be a good fit with the Canucks.
BC GOVT DELIVERS ON TIME ON BUDGET
The BC govt delivered the smartest budget in years yesterday. They boosted the HST rebate on housing to create jobs, offered a reno rebate to voting seniors, and announced putting assets up for sale which are sitting idle. This includes liqour distribution, which is run by the govt for no apparent reason. It could be easily run by the private sector, cost less, and the govt could still generate revenue via taxes. Read Vaughn Pamer's column in the Vancouver Sun.
This budget represents a strong counter move which encourages small business supporters to stick with the Liberals rather than jump ship to the Conservatives. It comes a year away from the election, which may be sufficient time for voters to reassess. It's the right budget, just in time.
But two years of stupidity erased by one stroke of brilliance? Perhaps not, but it's a start that must be followed by more efforts to show small business this govt is credible and unlikely to pull another HST fiasco.
It also makes voters think this type of governance by the Liberals is far preferable to the financial scorched earth policies of the NDP and their union buddies like the BCTF.
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