1- Ryan Kesler
The beast has awakened and looks ready to dominate. Kesler is looking more like the player we know he can be. He was billed by a lot of experts as the “X” factor in the series because he “can” be the difference, but we have yet to really see him “be” the difference. When Kesler is on his game there is not a player in the NHL who can stop him. Ryan Kesler looked very close to breaking through last game. My gut tells me he gets in the board in a big way and makes this a series again.
Vancouver’s biggest problem is getting to the net and making life hell for Quick. Getting to the net starts with Kesler and ends with Sedin. Watch for General Kesler to lead the Canucks into battle.
2- Zack Kassian
Up until now, AV has used Kassian sparingly. The man has played roughly 12 minutes combined in the two games so far. AV, wake up man, Kassian is the answer to getting traffic on Quick. The man may be the biggest and strongest player in this series and we have him riding the pine. Vancouver needs traffic and the moment AV realizes that Kassian can provide it the Canucks will be back in this thing.
Right now the only thing Vancouver has lacked is the desire to get to the net. Kassian can do that. Get him out there for 15 minutes and let him stir the pot. Kassian may not score, but he will put the Kings players head on a swivel and get under Quick’s skin.
3- Become the Bully
If there is one thing that I’ve learned rather quickly, it’s that if you want to win in the playoffs you have to become the bully. We saw the Rangers bully the Sens in game one, only to watch the Sens bully the Rangers in game two. We saw Bert go after Weber in Nashville and they won. The winning team is usually the more physical.
While this isn’t really Vancouver’s game, they can stick up for themselves and they will play for each other. The last eight minutes of the game on Friday was the first time that I felt like this team was ready to go. Tonight Vancouver becomes the bully they win.
4- Find Their Heart
In the words of Ryan Kesler, Vancouver needs to “give their balls a tug”. This team can’t continue to be a perimeter team. They need to get to the net. They need to hit Quick as much as possible. They need someone to become Andrew Shaw or Ryan Callahan. They need the D to start hammering guys and not make it so easy to get to the net.
Regardless of who starts today, winning and losing rests on who wants this game more, Vancouver’s D or LA’s forwards. Vancouver’s D will play better and will be led by Alex Edler.
5- Alex Edler
The quiet Swede is about to wake up. Through his first two games, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him play this bad. Sure he’s always had his defensive lapses, but the emotion not being there is my biggest concern with him. Tonight Edler gets mad. Tonight Edler simplifies his game and just worries about cracking heads instead of making plays.
The Swede can be one of the NHL’s most physically imposing blueliners. Tonight he stops worrying about goals and gets back to the basics of defence. If a man is wearing a black sweater, Edler is killing the man who is wearing it.
5 Reasons Vancouver Will Lose
1- Coaching- we need to fix the power-play. God has it been pathetic. Hopefully it won’t cost Vancouver again.
2- Coaching- is AV really going to get out coached by Sutter. Well he is and in a big way so far.
3- Coaching- preparation, man has this team looked lost and uninspired. If you can’t get a team up and ready for the playoffs, what kind of motivator are you?
4- Coaching- Get the guys out there that can fix the problems. Play Kassian more than Raymond It should be Pahlsson VS Richards, Kesler VS Kopitar, Hank VS Stoll and Manny VS the 4th line.
My lines for tonight
Hansen/Kesler/Booth- Speed, Power and Passion
Burrows/Sedin/Ebbett- Smarts and Puck Possession
Kassian/Pahlsson/Higgins- Smarts, Size, and Clutch
Lapierre/Malhotra/Raymond- Speed, Smarts, and Grit
5- Losing Their Heads- Vancouver needs to play whistle-to-whistle. Walk that line but don’t step over it. Be a pain, but don’t go insane.
Random Thoughts
-Andrew Shaw, beast again last night. Complete BS call in my opinion, and it should have been just two minutes. Good on the Hawks for rising above it and winning. You’ve got this Canucks fan in your corner for now (until Vancouver plays them) as long as you got Shaw on your team. I love the way that guy plays.
-Rangers/Sens- Well we have a series folks. A series that I thought was going to be done quick has turned into one of the best so far. Loved seeing the Sens push back. Loved seeing Carkner beat the crap out of Boyle and seeing him turtle. What are the chance we get a “Turtle, Turtle, Turtle” chant in Ottawa when he’s on the ice.
I hated seeing the Haglin headshot and definently think it should be a few games but I’m sure the elbow to the head is a hockey play now. The amount of guys doing that crap this post season is amazing. Guess Shanny declared it open season on heads by not doing anything to Weber.
-Blues/Sharks- How freaking good was TJ Oshie last night? A few months back I left him off my team USA and I was way off. The guy was a big game player last night and was the best player on the ice. If the Blues make it out of this round, Oshie will be the guy leading them.
-Caps/Bruins- a few months back I had Braden Holtby as a dark horse to be in Canada’s net in 2014. The way he has played for the first to games has been nothing short of amazing. The guy is the future of the Caps and one of the reasons I feel the caps will win this series. He is in the Bruins head the same way Thomas was in the Canucks head last year. Stopping 72 of 74 shots will do that.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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