With a five-day break in the Vancouver Canucks schedule, Willie Desjardins has cancelled Monday's practice, so we won't get anything new from the team today.
There was talk last season about all the rest days that were required by the new
collective bargaining agreement, but the actual terms really aren't as heavy-handed as I'd thought:
Clubs shall endeavor to schedule no less than four (4) “days off” for Players per month (two at home
and two on the road) during each full calendar month of the NHL Regular Season Schedule. Players
shall be notified prior to the start of each month the days that have been designated as “days off,”
and the Club’s schedule/calendar should not be altered absent compelling circumstances.
The compressed schedules of the lockout year in 2012-13 and last year's Olympic season might have made it tougher to fit in those off-days. Looking at the calendar, the team should have no trouble meeting these standards as the year wears on.
A few days ago, I ran across
this feature article in Maclean's, which offers a closer look at our new coach.
Here's a glimpse of the motivational style he's using to try to turn the Canucks around:
Last week, Desjardins showed the Canucks a video of a pot of water being brought to a boil. By the time the water hit 211° F, it was white-hot. At 212° F, it began to boil and create steam. A single degree made a world of difference, Desjardins explained: Suddenly, that water is strong enough to power a 240-tonne locomotive. It’s that extra degree Desjardins is aiming to get from the Canucks this season.
Off the ice, the Canucks are working hard to enhance the fan experience. I was not at the game on Saturday, so I can't comment first-hand on the game intro, by my spy on the scene gave it a thumbs-up, saying it was "like the Olympics." That's high praise.
It's never the same as being there, but here's the 10 minute video of the proceedings. Some pretty cool use of graphics on the ice.
If you were at the game on Saturday, please let us know what you thought of the experience, and how it has compared to years past.
Canucks.com is reporting attendance of 18,870 for Saturday's game, which is 40 seats below last year's sellout number of 18,910. My guess is that's probably about new seating configurations rather than breaking the "sellout streak." I heard that there were some empty seats on Saturday but, on the whole, the arena was pretty full and the fans seemed engaged during what proved to be an exciting game.
To wrap things up today, a quick look down at the farm. The Utica Comets are 1-0-1 after their first two games of the year, both against the Toronto Marlies. Jacob Markstrom backstopped the Comets to a 2-1 win in the season-opener on Saturday, while Joacim Ericsson took the overtime 3-2 loss on Sunday.
The team's leading scorers so far are Alexandre Grenier with three points and Cal O'Reilly, with two goals. Hunter Shinkaruk tallied his first assist of the year in Game 2. Nicklas Jensen is pointless so far, and a minus-two.
The Canucks should be back on the ice for practice on Tuesday at 11 a.m. I suspect the big storyline this week will be whether or not Bo Horvat is practicing and will be ready to join the lineup for this weekend's games.
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