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Cam Cole: Daniel Sedin’s penalty cruel and unusual punishment

Posted on May 8, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Out in the hallway, where the Vancouver Canucks brought Henrik Sedin to be interviewed because the tiny visitors’ locker room at HP Pavilion couldn’t have handled the crush, reporters crowded around the captain and ... how to put this? He said a bad word.

It rhymed with woolspit.

Coming from this thoroughly decent gentleman, it was as out of character as ... well, as his brother Daniel earning a post-game, game misconduct penalty for abusive language, for telling referee Kelly Sutherland what he thought of the boarding penalty in overtime that cost the Canucks a 4-3, season-ending decision Tuesday night at the hands of the San Jose Sharks.

No matter how you feel about the Canucks, the idea that their season, and almost inarguably their era of excellence, should end on an undeserved penalty to one of the most decent human beings in the game is damned poor symbolism.

In the hall, Henrik stood up for Daniel, just as...

Cam Cole: Canucks show they still have it — but just not enough

Posted on May 7, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE, Calif. — And there it was, Vancouver Canuck fans: evidence that it was still there.

Buried deep, perhaps.

Too late, of course.

Unavailable when it was really needed, a lot of the time.

But in there, somewhere, was the Canuck team that will put up a fight, make you pay for a penalty, dazzle you with Sedinery, and annoy the heck out of you with the sneakily-skillful play of Alex Burrows.

In there was a defence corps that will jump into the play and make things happen, speedy wingers who will win races and even a few puck battles. A goaltender who, even on a night when he doesn’t have anything like his best stuff, will beat the puck to death in hand-to-hand combat and make enough big saves to still have a chance.

Alas, also in there is the team that can’t hold a lead.

• PHOTOS: Canucks fall to Sharks in overtime

The team that will take the bad...

Cam Cole: Who, really, to blame for fall of the Canucks?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Mike Gillis wasn’t around to be interviewed Monday, probably because he sensed the media’s eagerness for a post-mortem on his Vancouver Canucks, and it’s bad form to perform an autopsy on a corpse that’s still twitching.

But who’s kidding whom?

This series, and this season, and this Canuck era are all over.

For a lot of reasons — not the least of which is the coming realignment that will no longer allow them an exalted playoff seeding by virtue of sitting atop the weakest division in hockey — it is time to start getting used to how the other half lives.

Yes, Vancouver. Again.

There is only one way for an organization to remain strong while its core ages gracefully, a la the Detroit Red Wings, and that is with a constant replenishment of NHL-level talent that can grow into bigger roles as the stars begin to fade.

That will not happen with the Canucks, not soon enough, because the...

Who, really, to blame for fall of the Canucks?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Mike Gillis wasn’t around to be interviewed Monday, probably because he sensed the media’s eagerness for a post-mortem on his Vancouver Canucks, and it’s bad form to perform an autopsy on a corpse that’s still twitching.

But who’s kidding whom?

This series, and this season, and this Canuck era are all over.

Yes, Vancouver. Again.

That will not happen with the Canucks, not soon enough, because the...

Cam Cole: Canucks’ biggest issue not Cory Schneider or Roberto Luongo in wake of Game 3 loss

Posted on May 5, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Cory Schneider’s “body injury” has healed. His other wounds, apparently not.

And worst of all, his goal-scoring drought continues.

Schneider, re-inserted as the starting goalie for Game 3 by coach Alain Vigneault for no other reason than because he thought it was the right thing to do, was lit up for three early third-period goals -- two of them by the amazing Logan Couture -- to seal the Vancouver Canucks’ fate, both for the evening and for another abbreviated Stanley Cup playoff run.

Perhaps “run” isn’t the right word.

CANUCKS-SHARKS GAME PHOTOS

Because, of course, they are done now. Down 3-0 in the series, with Game 4 here at HP Pavilion on Tuesday, they don’t look remotely able -- certainly not mentally -- to handle what the San Jose Sharks are throwing at them.

The Sharks poured three quick ones past Schneider in the first five minutes of the third period to take a 5-1 lead, bringing Roberto Luongo...

Cam Cole: Canucks’ biggest issue not Cory Schneider or Roberto Luongo

Posted on May 5, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE — Cory Schneider’s “body injury” has healed. One of these days, maybe, he’s even going to live down cramping up in Game 6 of the Chicago series, two springtimes ago. The past doesn’t seem to want to let go.

What he did in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings last April, three terrific games in goal despite negligible run support from the offence, evidently was not sufficient.

Taking the starting job from Roberto Luongo and leaving no doubt whatsoever, by this regular season’s end, as to his ability to be the Vancouver Canucks’ future in goal, apparently hasn’t yet wiped the slate clean.

Hence a question asked of him in the Canucks’ room after Sunday’s game-day skate -- when he was declared fit to start Game 3 against the San Jose Sharks -- about nebulous suggestions that he might not have the proper mental makeup to play the biggest games.

How’s that for a kick to the solar...

Cam Cole: Coach Alain Vigneault wears the target

Posted on May 4, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — It is open season now, for a couple of days at least, on Alain Vigneault, because of course he couldn’t coach more goals.

Two wasn’t enough, they should have got three.

He also couldn’t stop Alex Edler from shooting that puck into Brent Burns’ shin-pads that led to the San Jose Sharks’ winning goal by Raffi Torres in overtime, totally against the tilt of the ice.

And he ought to have been able to teach Roberto Luongo not to let that Patrick Marleau shot squeeze through his five-hole late in regulation time, spoiling what would have been an inspired Vancouver Canucks win.

The coach -- always the easiest of targets and sure to represent the path of least resistance if the owner gets an itchy trigger finger or the general manager has to do the dirty deed out of self-preservation -- finds his hockey club teetering on the brink of another early playoff exit.

The Canucks, down 0-2 in this...

Cam Cole: Do Canucks have the will? If not, is there any way?

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — Thursday at Rogers Arena, Twitter version:

Vancouver Canucks: “We’ve got to be better.”

San Jose Sharks: “We know they’re going to be better, so we’ll have to be better, too.”

That’s it, with seven characters to spare.

Anything else there was to glean from the day-after Game 1, day-before Game 2 practices of this Stanley Cup playoff series had to be pried from between clenched Canuck teeth and sealed Shark lips.

Even a startling statistic like this — 37 hits by the Canucks in the first two periods of the series opener, only three in the third — failed to get a rise out of the combatants.

“I think in the third period, for both teams, there weren’t a lot of chances, weren’t a lot of shots, weren’t a lot of opportunities to get pucks in areas where you could finish a hit,” said coach Alain Vigneault.

“There was a lot of chip-ins, where they were able to get it right out. We...

Cam Cole: Accidental Canuck Roberto Luongo gave team a chance to win, but Sharks bite down in playoff opener

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — It was a perfectly Vancouveresque end of one season and the logical beginning of another.

If it had happened on April Fools’ Day, about the time a normal regular season ends, no one would have batted an eye.

But for symbolism purposes, May Day would do just as well.

Mayday, the international distress signal — derived from the French “venez m’aider” or come help me — was heard clearly, in both languages, by Roberto Luongo on Wednesday morning, when the Vancouver Canucks made the final determination that their No. 1 goalie, Cory Schneider, would be unable to play Game 1 of the post-season against the San Jose Sharks.

So the gold medal-winning Canadian Olympic team ’keeper had to fill in. How would the Canucks cope with this, uh, disaster?

Well, he was the only reason they weren’t behind 3-0 or worse in the first period, and the home side even led 1-0 on an own-goal by ex-Canuck Raffi Torres (credited to...

A Roberto Luongo start vs. Sharks? Throw one more log on Canucks’ goaltending fire

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — It was a perfectly Vancouveresque end of one season and the logical beginning of another.

If it had happened on April Fools’ Day, about the time a normal regular season ends, no one would have batted an eye.

But for symbolism purposes, May Day would do just as well.

So the gold medal-winning Canadian Olympic team ‘keeper had to fill in. How would the Canucks ever cope with this disaster?

If you’ve been following the season-long circus, you will not be the least bit shocked. In fact, it was practically guaranteed to happen the minute Luongo found himself still Vancouver property...

Canucks core near tipping point, know time to win it all is now

Posted on April 30, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — It is window season again in Vancouver.

If the Canucks’ marketing department were on its toes, it would have a major sponsorship deal with Jeld-Wen, or Pella. Surely Bill Gates would do Windows commercials on the big scoreboard, maybe even own the team. He could probably afford it.

Window season is every spring for the last two or three — that time of year when the Vancouver Canucks’ core group is reminded of its advancing years and advised to win the Stanley Cup now, before the prime of Henrik and Daniel Sedin has expired and the good times follow these magical twins over the far side of the hill and the window of opportunity slams shut on everyone’s fingers.

There are those in the room who would rather not discuss it.

Kevin Bieksa, for one, like some recalcitrant janitor, says, in effect: “I don’t do windows.”

For one thing, it’s too far in the future, he said Tuesday, when what really needs...

Cam Cole: Canucks core near tipping point, know time to win it all is now

Posted on April 30, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — It is window season again in Vancouver.

There are those in the room who would rather not discuss it.

Kevin Bieksa, for one, like some recalcitrant janitor, says, in effect: “I don’t do windows.”

For one thing, it’s too far in the future, he said Tuesday, when what really needs...

Cam Cole: Canucks’ ‘All About Cory?’ Actually, much to-do about Lou

Posted on April 30, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks’ No. 1 goaltender and MVP had to edge past the outskirts of a vast scrum of reporters surrounding Roberto Luongo to get to his locker Monday.

Cory Schneider understood, illogical as it was, that the story of the day wasn’t his return to practice, or whether he would be healthy enough to play Game 1 of the playoffs Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks (7:30 p.m., TSN, Team 1040), but rather how Luongo was feeling ... you know, psychologically.

Schneider hadn’t been on the ice with his teammates — other than to walk on in a suit to accept the team’s MVP award last Thursday — since a week ago when he was mysteriously hurt (the now-famous “body injury”) in a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

He had been a rock down the stretch for a team bent on winning yet another Northwest Division title. And in the two games Luongo played at the end...

Canucks’ ‘All About Cory?’ Actually, much to-do about Lou

Posted on April 29, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks’ No. 1 goaltender and MVP had to edge past the outskirts of a vast scrum of reporters surrounding Roberto Luongo to get to his locker Monday.

He had been a rock down the stretch for a team bent on winning yet another Northwest Division title. And in the two games Luongo played at the end...