The Vancouver Canucks lead the entire NHL in third period comebacks with 10 this season. 3 of them have come in the 5 games since the Olympic break. Punctuated by Tuesday’s 6-4 win, in which the team trailed twice by 3 goals, everyone is wondering how they’re able to keep doing it. Here are five theories:
1. Now that the players are past the Olympics and the substance testing, the Canucks’ Olympians are taking full advantage, and like BC Bud, BC Sudafed is the most potent stuff you can find.
2. The Canucks are attempting to single handedly reverse the over-referenced stat: “The team that scores the first goal of the game usually wins.”
3. Since the Olympic games, Roberto Luongo has been trying to emulate the thrill he felt in the gold medal game. The following conversation was overheard in the dressing room after Tuesday’s 3 goal comeback:
Henrik Sedin: So is that how the gold medal game felt, Roberto?
Roberto Luongo: Not even close, buddy.
(at the other end of the room Ryan Kesler growls and breaks a hockey stick over his knee)
4. The boys get sh*ts and giggles from seeing Vigneault’s head looking like it’s going to explode, and they keep one upping each other to make it happen. Case in point – the sharp angle goal let in by Luongo from Colorado’s Chris Stewart - he obviously let it in on purpose. Mason Raymond took it too far with the blatant giveaway at his own blueline, though, and he paid for it by only being played for one shift in the entire third period.
5. I went through the Sedins’ contracts and found this interesting tidbit:
“The Player shalt be paid a bonus in the amount of $100 for every point scored in the third period. If thou scores a point in either the first or the second period, nary a bonus shall be paid!”
I also discovered that NHL contracts are written in old Shakespearian English – who knew?
“The decision to play Raycroft was overmanaging, and every major-league coach does it.” – Iain MacIntyre, The Vancouver Sun.
In Thursday’s Vancouver Sun sports section, Iain MacIntyre wrote an article stating that Roberto Luongo should have started all four contests on the Canucks’ recent road trip. If ever there was a case of a reaction based on the score rather than the actual game, this is it. Anyone who watched the Carolina match knows that it was not only Andrew Raycroft who did not show up; rather, it was the entire team that seemed to be moving in slow motion on Saturday morning.
But, MacIntyre asserted: “The Canucks were beaten because they were sloppy and uninspired, as if they thought they’d defeat the National Hockey League’s worst team merely by making the opening faceoff. And why might they think that? Because the best Canuck was given the day off.”
According to him, the reason the Canucks played a sloppy game was because they were sent the wrong message by their coaching staff. Is it not because they had just played back to back games on Wednesday and Thursday night, and then were asked to play at 10:30 a.m. PST on Saturday? And if those 3 games in 3.5 days left them tired, shouldn’t they have the same, if not even more of an adverse affect on the only player who plays the entire game?
If you agree with this, then you understand the coach’s decision to give Luongo a rest on Saturday. Plus, don’t forget that the last time Louie skipped his morning skate and played a Saturday morning game –December 2008 against the Pittsburg Penguins – he injured his groin and was out for a month.
With all this in mind, it makes sense that Luongo was given the day of rest. Had Raycroft played a stellar game and won the contest, the decision would not be second guessed at all, and head coach Alain Vigneault would be lauded. Making decisions about when to rest players and when to play them is the heart of the coach’s job, and the distinction between overachieving and overmanaging is often determined by the players.
MacIntyre is a good writer who analyzes the game very well, but in this instance he is dead wrong. Vigneault made a sound, well-educated decision, and had the team won, we’d never hear a peep about bad goalie selection.
To read MacIntyre's article, click here.
Mikael Samuelsson:
Although registering a minus-3 against Columbus, Sammy looks like he will be a solid addition to the Canucks, and probably an upgrade on the inconsistent efforts of departed Mats Sundin. In each of the team’s three games, Samuelsson has elevated his game with the Canucks down in the third period, adding energy when it has been needed.
Powerplay Pointmen:
Last season, every time Sami Salo went down, which was too often, there appeared to be a lack of true powerplay point patrollers. With the addition of Christian Ehrhoff, an older, more confident Alex Edler, a healthy Salo, and Mathieu Schneider on his way back, the Canucks seem to have no shortage of defensemen who can dictate play as well as threaten PK units with blistering shots.
Mason Raymond:
Raymond has been working his butt off everytime he’s been on the ice, and considering he’s been carrying a line with the flu-ridden Kyle Wellwood, it hasn’t been easy. Against Columbus, he was promoted to the second line after rookie Sergei Shirokov played himself off it, and Raymond looked very comfortable, helping create a few quality scoring chances. One beauty was a pass to Samuelson in the slot, who unfortunately whiffed on the puck. Raymond will probably receive more second line playing time, and he will capitalize on it.
Only One Way To Go:
The Canucks could potentially lose even more games, with the upcoming stretch featuring strong teams in Montreal, Dallas, and Calgary, but one player who can’t possibly get any worse is Luongo. Yes, he is a chronic slow starter, but once he rebounds, we know that Lui will be incredible.
