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Boston’s Giants

I watched a lot of the Boston/Pittsburgh series and I can honestly say the two best players in that series were either 6-feet-tall or less.

As hard as this is to write, the way Brad Marchand took control of that series was pretty impressive. If he wasn’t so far back of Krejci in points, I truly believe we would be looking at the 2013 Conn Smythe winner. In 2011 he took a couple of players off their game. But this year he has taken entire teams off their game and that speaks volumes to me as to how good of a player he is becoming.

And Speaking of Krejci, all this guy does in know how to score when it matters. Currently, the pace this guy is scoring at would have had him finishing three points ahead of Marty St. Louis, if it was averaged out over the entire 48 game season. That stat blows my mind. With all the emphasis in the playoffs being about how much harder it is to score, this guy has out-preformed the regular season scoring leader. Wow, just wow.

So with these two guys the performances over the last month in mind, maybe Vancouver’s objective to become a bigger team this offseason is wrong. Perhaps, maybe Gillis needs to start finding guys that are big where it matters: in the chest.

And the way you find players like that is the same way Boston found theirs; you draft them. Stop the overrating of size and take the kids that want “it” the most. That is what Boston has done and they’re building a dynasty. Why can’t that work in Vancouver?


Gillis’ Biggest Offseason

When asked Michael Stuart yesterday whether Yzerman’s job was on the line if the Lightning were to miss the playoffs again in the 13/14 season, it raised as interesting debate.

The most shocking thing I found out in the debate is how different Lightning fans are to Canucks fans. Lightning fans will stand behind a GM who has a track record of making the playoffs at a 33 per cent clip as long as their farm team is winning AHL championships. Canucks fans on the other hand are a little more fickle. And because of that, this year will be the most scrutinized season during mike Gillis term.

Gillis’ three toughest tasks – take you pick on which one will be the toughest – are to get this team under the cap while still winning, find a coach who can win the Stanley Cup and to move one of his talented netminders.

With those three thoughts in mind, this is Gillis biggest offseason ever. If he makes one wrong decision he may be looking for work before 2014 draft’s first name is called.

See this is where hockey fans in Vancouver differ from most markets around the NHL. We want our coaches, players and GMs to deliver a Cup, not high draft picks and hope of AHL success. If Gillis can’t deliver something close to that this season, I think you’ll see Mr. Aquilini take a very close look at whether he has the right captain running the ship.

No Cup, maybe Gillis is gone. No playoffs, Gillis is diffidently gone.

We don’t settle for Calder Cups in Van City; we want something more here.


Draft links

I recently did some work around the NHL draft for the Calgary Journal. Check out my story on 2013 Draft prospect Jamal Watson of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, ranked 137th by NHL Central Scouting. Feedback is always welcome, so let me know what you think.

I have another two coming soon:
- one on Hunter Shinkaruk
- A Q&A with the Flames Tod Button


Well that's a wrap.

Ian


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