Ian Esplen: Canucks/Yotes Game Day, GM Meetings Canucks/Yotes Game Day, GM Meetings

Should be as boring as crap tonight. I hope we don't face them in the playoffs.

Normally I hate the Canucks with a fiery passion but tonight please feel free to win....in regulation.

Should be as boring as crap tonight. I hope we don't face them in the playoffs.
- Marwood

I'm on the fence about facing them

pros- roll them in 4 or 5
- better travel

cons- boring as hell hockey

I'm on the fence about facing them

pros- roll them in 4 or 5
- better travel

cons- boring as hell hockey
- IanEsplen

Agreed but I think we have to not use travel as an excuse.

LOL, have you predicted the Nucks to lose a game yet? or win by less than two?

Agreed but I think we have to not use travel as an excuse.
- Marwood

Didn't mean it as an excuse. More that it's easier to travel 3.5 hours with no time change than to travel 5 with 2 hours difference.

in a perfect world we play Calgary

1 hour flight, easy team, don't cross the boarder, exciting hockey

really no downside

LOL, have you predicted the Nucks to lose a game yet? or win by less than two?
- BerglundsGrundle

Yes, I think I've predicted many an OT or shootout and as well as a few loses. I believe two of the loses have been to the Blues.

I see them struggling again tonight, should be a close game. Luongo continues to fight the puck

I see them struggling again tonight, should be a close game. Luongo continues to fight the puck
- LeftCoaster

Yeah, he's crapped the bed in 3 of his last 4 starts, I don't like this call by AV. Looks like we're down to 1 scoring line tonight, hopefully Kesler doesn't get matched up against the Yotes top line...

Didn't mean it as an excuse. More that it's easier to travel 3.5 hours with no time change than to travel 5 with 2 hours difference.

in a perfect world we play Calgary

1 hour flight, easy team, don't cross the boarder, exciting hockey

really no downside
- IanEsplen

I so hope I get to throw this in your face.

When Gragnani and Tanev are the best D pair you know somethings wrong. I like the D pairing changes.

Hamhuis Tanev
Edler Bieksa
Grags Salo

Yeah, he's crapped the bed in 3 of his last 4 starts, I don't like this call by AV. Looks like we're down to 1 scoring line tonight, hopefully Kesler doesn't get matched up against the Yotes top line...
- 1970vintage

Tippet’s a crafty coach. He’ll match-up his best D/shutdown line against whatever Canucks line looks most dangerous. I can even see him shifting the focus mid-game if he starts them vs the Sedins and Kesler’s line runs riot, sort of like what happened last year against NSH in the playoffs when Kesler ending up facing the Weber/Suter pairing.

I’d really prefer not to play this team in the first round, which can cause us problems. CGY would be my first choice followed by SJ.

The two line pass was taken out to get rid of the trap. The moment they go back to that old rule, GM's of a number of loser teams will be throwing boatloads of money at Jacques Lemaire and his disciples to reinstate the wonderful quality of hockey we saw before the lockout.

While on that note, it appears the NHL has leaked out rumours that the reduction in power plays and fewer calls for hooking and holding is being done to slow the game down and reduce injuries. Yet when you watch, what they're letting go is mostly plays that are or would have lead to scoring chances.

Again, what this really comes back to is 'game management' and using the refs to artificially make the scores closer than they really should be. It's all intended to keep the playoff 'races' exciting. In the long run, they're really just destroying the integrity of their product.

Personally, I also think that saying the NHL is the worst officiated sport is a bit misguided. It may seem like it but, unlike some other leagues, hockey refs (overall) have the capability to do a much better job. Under Bettman's watch, they're just not allowed to.

When Gragnani and Tanev are the best D pair you know somethings wrong. I like the D pairing changes.

Hamhuis Tanev
Edler Bieksa
Grags Salo
- Boinker

I'd like them better if they were:

Hamhuis Bieksa
Edler Tanev
Gragnani Salo

Splitting Hamhuis & Bieksa up is just asking for a circus... Without that chemistry and comfort, I'm not as confident in either of them... Plus I think that Edler & Tanev would make a great pairing.

Is it me or have they chose new photos for Ian's blogs?

Ian Esplen: Canucks/Yotes Game Day, GM Meetings
Canucks/Yotes Game Day, GM Meetings
- IanEsplen

The first one to the 'icing line' has to let up and let the other player play the puck????? Have I misread you or what? That makes no sense whatever. Then you would have 2 players trying to go as slowly as possible toward the puck. Talk about slowing the game down!

I agree, refs in the NHL are -- by far -- the worst of any sport. Not as biased as basketball(except for Auger) but worse.

Ummm not to speculate or to get 90% of you to get boners... but Im hearing that Luongo's off ice problems have intensified. I'm not sure if any of you remember but earlier in the year there were rumors that Luongo cheated on his wife and that their marriage was rocky. They had a mini split but they're back together and apparently she wants him to be close to her but she wont move here. Also there were rumors that the Canucks had preliminary talks with at least two teams on a deal to send him closer to home. Most likely Tampa was one of them. Has anyone else heard this stuff?

seriously yotes win 3 to 1, canucks just dont care. Tehy have been playing terrible for about 2 months. They were getting lucky before. I honestly think a first or second round exit this year in on the table for this team. Next year a cup.

maybe they'll help out the flames for once and win in regulation

Ummm not to speculate or to get 90% of you to get boners... but Im hearing that Luongo's off ice problems have intensified. I'm not sure if any of you remember but earlier in the year there were rumors that Luongo cheated on his wife and that their marriage was rocky. They had a mini split but they're back together and apparently she wants him to be close to her but she wont move here. Also there were rumors that the Canucks had preliminary talks with at least two teams on a deal to send him closer to home. Most likely Tampa was one of them. Has anyone else heard this stuff?
- Boinker

#Boner

Ummm not to speculate or to get 90% of you to get boners... but Im hearing that Luongo's off ice problems have intensified. I'm not sure if any of you remember but earlier in the year there were rumors that Luongo cheated on his wife and that their marriage was rocky. They had a mini split but they're back together and apparently she wants him to be close to her but she wont move here. Also there were rumors that the Canucks had preliminary talks with at least two teams on a deal to send him closer to home. Most likely Tampa was one of them. Has anyone else heard this stuff?
- Boinker

I wasn't even aware that Luongo's wife, who's husband has a 11 yr contract for Vancouver, didn't live in Vancouver. And if players' wives demanded trades for their husbands every time they cheated, half the league would have been traded at the TDL. My girlfriend got a picture with Kesler at the Flying Pig (Yaletown) and she was saying Kes's wife was giving her the look of death. You know darn well he's got a small army of puck bunnies in every port.

Where are you hearing this stuff?

Ummm not to speculate or to get 90% of you to get boners... but Im hearing that Luongo's off ice problems have intensified. I'm not sure if any of you remember but earlier in the year there were rumors that Luongo cheated on his wife and that their marriage was rocky. They had a mini split but they're back together and apparently she wants him to be close to her but she wont move here. Also there were rumors that the Canucks had preliminary talks with at least two teams on a deal to send him closer to home. Most likely Tampa was one of them. Has anyone else heard this stuff?
- Boinker

He will be traded to Florida or Tampa before the draft.

Ummm not to speculate or to get 90% of you to get boners... but Im hearing that Luongo's off ice problems have intensified. I'm not sure if any of you remember but earlier in the year there were rumors that Luongo cheated on his wife and that their marriage was rocky. They had a mini split but they're back together and apparently she wants him to be close to her but she wont move here. Also there were rumors that the Canucks had preliminary talks with at least two teams on a deal to send him closer to home. Most likely Tampa was one of them. Has anyone else heard this stuff?
- Boinker

Cheating on your wife tends to make a marriage a tad rocky, yeah.

The first one to the 'icing line' has to let up and let the other player play the puck????? Have I misread you or what? That makes no sense whatever. Then you would have 2 players trying to go as slowly as possible toward the puck. Talk about slowing the game down!

I agree, refs in the NHL are -- by far -- the worst of any sport. Not as biased as basketball(except for Auger) but worse.
- rdfred

Also probably the toughest sport to officiate, though.