Wonder if we see a PP for the Canucks during this game. Our special teams should be a decided edge for us.
The league needs to find some consistency when it comes to calling penalties. There is way too much variation from one crew to the next.
Also, you hear so much idiocy from the media and coaches I wonder if that kind of thinking is part of the ref's penalty calling logic. Stuff like, "the Canucks haven't received a powerplay in two games but in their first meeting the Canucks went 5 for 6 on the man advantage!" Like they got greedy and scored too many PP goals.
What a treat to be able to watch the Canucks against the Red Wings immediately following a tilt against the Hawks. Looking forward to this game a lot!
Given the Wings' road record, you have to think the Canucks have the edge here. The depth of the Canucks will also be a factor. At this point I think it's actually better than that of the Wings. Both teams' top 6 groups are fairly even but I don't think they can match Raymond-Hodgson-Hansen with their 3rd line.
Really hope I'll get to watch this one. Beat one of the great teams in the West, another one coming up.
Hoping for a lot of goals for my pool, but mostly for CoHo (who I just got in the redraft). Yes, I know you're all dying to hear about my pool.
Standard stuff: play 60 minutes, PP needs to wake back up (if the refs ever let us have another one), keep your head up when Kronwall's on the ice, Lu needs a big game, D needs to not suck, etc etc etc.
3-0 Canucks. Sedin, Booth, and...oh, what the hell. Going outside the box and I'll say Ballard pots one. He's overdue.
Really hope I'll get to watch this one. Beat one of the great teams in the West, another one coming up.
Hoping for a lot of goals for my pool, but mostly for CoHo (who I just got in the redraft). Yes, I know you're all dying to hear about my pool.
Standard stuff: play 60 minutes, PP needs to wake back up (if the refs ever let us have another one), keep your head up when Kronwall's on the ice, Lu needs a big game, D needs to not suck, etc etc etc.
3-0 Canucks. Sedin, Booth, and...oh, what the hell. Going outside the box and I'll say Ballard pots one. He's overdue.
I don't know whether Ballard will score, but I'm betting he tunes up Abdelkader.
Like most NHL coaches who grew up in Canada and are working in the U.S., Mike Babcock enjoys the give-and-take with reporters when the Red Wings visit Canadian cities.
After going through a workout with a Detroit trainer that would have left one of his players huffing and puffing, the 48-year-old Saskatoon native held court with reporters on Wednesday.
His assessment of the Canucks
“I really like their top four D. Most people see Hamhuis and Bieksa as their No. 1 pair, but Edler and Salo, for me, are outstanding players.
“They've got their guys everyone talks about, but Hodgson was a top-10 draft pick, Canadian Hockey player of the year, he's a real hockey player to me.
“Lapierre and Malhotra gives them a real solid fourth line.
“Higgins seems to be revived, Raymond can really skate, Burrows really skates. And I haven't even talked about their big three up front.
"Then, one-two in net are outstanding. There's no fall-off."
On his much-maligned goalie at the 2010 Games
"I think anyone who's won an Olympic gold medal, won a world championship … did he win a world junior [Silver in 1999]? Been to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. How old's Roberto? [32] I'd say he's doing all right.
“I don't know, he had a smile on his face when I saw him in the hallway today.
“You know what, only one team gets to win. I've lost in Game 7 twice. It's not a good thing, it's not fun. But I'd take losing in Game 7 over losing in Game 6 and I'd take that over not getting to the final, any day.”
On the recurring references to the Sedins as sisters by the likes of Chicago's Dave Bolland
“I don't know what they were calling them after the [win over the Blackhawks]. I think sometimes you better keep your mouth shut and just appreciate good players.
“The thing I like about 'em, and I was talking to one of our players about this today, is they have decided to be elite. They've gotten better each and every year.
“There's nobody in the league better on the cycle than them and no one better on the power play than them.
“Wasn't one of them the top scorer last year and the other the year before, something like that? I don't know what you want them to do, they look like pretty good players every time we play them.
“To me, they're real special players. They don't have a 'good-enough' metre. They haven't said, 'OK, we've been good enough,' and reflected on their past.
“They want to win. I'm impressed by them. I like their attitude, I like how hard they play.”
On Niklas Kronwall's leaping hit on Ryan Kesler in December
"He's one of those guys that, if you're going to be physical, he can respond or he can initiate.
"The thing I like about it, he's playing against good players, he's playing fair and honest, and if he gets a chance to catch you he's going to catch you."
great coach by Babcock......very classy and respect coach. I wish everyone could be like him......especially going to final is better than nothing. His comments on Luongo was also very nice......too bad some people treat him with no respect by the fans.
Man, Babcock was complimenting so much there, you wonder if he's trying to be nice and over compensate for all the flak the Canucks get. Then again, Mike Babcock has always been a very insightful coach who has lot's to say about everything. He seems to like giving a detailed account of what his thoughts are regarding almost anything he's asked about.
Either way, he seems to really appreciate the Canucks and what they have to give. Refreshing.
man.....I wonder if we had Babcock as a coach...how different would the team be?
Honestly, probably not that much different. I'm not AV's biggest fan but I'll admit he's getting pretty much everything he can get out of the current group. Player development is definitely one of AV's strengths. For all his coaching ability, can we be sure that Babcock would have developed the likes of Kesler, Burrows, Edler, Bieksa, Hodgson, Raymond and even the Sedins to the extent that Vigneault has?
Pretty hard to hate the Red Wings, and this is just another reason why. I can always handle losing to a classy organization.
Classy, yeah. Hard to hate - not a chance. Being from out east, I`ve hated the Wings for years, and I still do. Partly because they`re too good, and partly because I think they get away with murder. Kronwall for example - I don`t know how that guy makes an entire career of jumping at guys and it somehow gets painted in the media as being a style instead of a dirty play.
Last edited by mossey3535: 02-02-2012 at 12:53 AM.
Vigneault and Babcock are extremely similar coaches.
This. AV is very diplomatic and complimentary of other teams; it's only when someone insults his players/says something stupid off the ice (examples - Bolland's remarks about the Twins, Marchand/Julien saying Salo was charging Marchand), when the old "Bam Bam" in him comes out and defends his players, which I am OK with.
It's refreshing to hear an opposing team/team's coach speak so highly of our guys. Most of the other teams on the Canucks' level hate the holy hell out of us, so to hear a coach of an elite team actually give the guys some kudos is refreshing.
Now, let's display all those great things he talked about and proceed to use them against him.
I'm not sure what we're supposed to take from this...?
I think it would be a bit easier for Babcock to go through that - that was his 3rd SCF, and he had just won a Cup the year before. AV was in uncharted waters.
This. AV is very diplomatic and complimentary of other teams; it's only when someone insults his players/says something stupid off the ice (examples - Bolland's remarks about the Twins, Marchand/Julien saying Salo was charging Marchand), when the old "Bam Bam" in him comes out and defends his players, which I am OK with.
It's refreshing to hear an opposing team/team's coach speak so highly of our guys. Most of the other teams on the Canucks' level hate the holy hell out of us, so to hear a coach of an elite team actually give the guys some kudos is refreshing.
Now, let's display all those great things he talked about and proceed to use them against him.
McLellan is always gushing about our team too. It's nice to get some respect from rivals instead of bitterness.
Babcock is great. I guess he's just returning the favour, since Vancouver gave Detroit the biggest compliment there is: modelled the organization after them.
Wings are a completely different team on the road. They always looked disjointed. You'd think they never played together until that game. The road version of the Wings this season isn't even a playoff caliber team. Enjoy what should be a fairly easy win, probably something like 5-2 or 4-1.
