Sean Larson here, and I’ll be handling the game previews for the 2015-16 season.
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Speed – The Canucks feel they have improved in this area. “I’m not going to try and play anyone else’s game other than mine”. The blue line factors in here, as well. Bob Hartley and Willie Desjardins took it upon themselves to remind you: the Flames and Canucks still hate each other. Bo Horvat is 20. Ben Hutton is not putting up 45 assists. Forsling for Clendenning was an interesting trade, and acquiring Sven Baertschi from Calgary may turn out to be a great move.
NOTES: The Canucks acquired Sutter from Pittsburgh in July in exchange for forward Nick Bonino, defenseman Adam Clendening and a draft pick…. He dug the Canucks second power-play unit out from under six feet of soil and made it unsafe. He ranked third on the team, behind only the Sedins. Remove Vey and add Cracknell and the centre ice position looks drastically different for Game 1 than it did during Day 1 of camp.
That’s not a detriment to the Canucks, but it’s not something that works in their favor. With the departure of Kevin Bieksa, the gritty defenceman is now Luca Sbisa. But he can’t play every shift and that is a big load for one man to carry.
The Canucks announced this morning they have recalled goalie Richard Bachman.
The impressive victory, so unlike their loss to the physical Flames in last year’s playoffs, opened the Canucks’ 45th National Hockey League season. The trade of Eddie Lack angered many in the fanbase, including myself.
The Jake Virtanen era will have to wait, but not for long. D Dougie Hamilton played on Calgary’s top pairing with the team captain, D Mark Giordano, while RW Michael Frolik started the game on a line with C Mikael Backlund and LW Lance Bouma…. Will he be able to succeed with a busier schedule?
RIFLIN’ RADIM: One of the positives for the Canucks last season was Radim Vrbata’s offensive production. Right winger Brandon Sutter had a goal and an assist, while center Henrik Sedin also scored to give Vancouver’s top line six points. When the playoffs started and Burrows was injured, it once again became a rotating role for Vrbata and Hansen to fill.
The goalie suffered an undisclosed injury Tuesday at practice and is out for game one of the regular season. Vancouver took a step in the right direction, returning to the playoffs after a disastrous season under John Tortorella the year before. The only one to stay intact? What happens when Virtanen gets into the lineup?
PUNCHING UP: What to get the team that was tied for fifth overall in fighting majors last season? The power play was 8th and the penalty kill was second.
He must have spent much of Wednesday night rubbing them with satisfaction.
Wins vs. the division – The Canucks finished. “They got goals on our mistakes and they’re a good team and they’re going to do that”. We did a good job coming back (as forwards) and helping our D out, and made it easier for them.
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Canucks fans have been clamoring for change for the past few years and now it seems they are getting their wish.
