Canucks are done like dinner, 2-1
Awful. A very awful and disappointing way to end a wonderful season, and a good playoff run. I expected more fire, more passion and desperation, a team that wouldn't go down without a fight, but it seems like they've given up as soon as that first offside call on a Naslund/Smolinski 2-on-1, 20 seconds into the game.
They just weren't in it, and if they would have won this game, I wouldn't have thought they deserved it. Roberto Luongo deserved it though, but honestly, the rest of the team didn't. Maybe the fourth liners, as they were the only ones showing any energy out there, and it showed as they earned every bit of that tying goal in the 3rd period.
And you know, that game winning goal was probably the most heart breaking, and as good as Luongo has been that evening, that's probably one goal he should have saved, and he could have, but it was just one mistake, thinking that hit on Hansen was a penalty, and lost sight of the puck. I wouldn't fault him on this one though, he gave the team tons of chances to finish it, and Jan Bulis almost did, but almost doesn't cut it.
Doesn't this seem like what happened with Marty Turco in the previous series? Turco kept his team in the game to win, yet Dallas couldn't score? He put on the most spectacular performance that any team just wants out of their goalie, and they still couldn't win because of the lack of offense. This has been a familiar story for the Canucks all season long, but you know, the effort to score just wasn't there. We were being outshot 37-13 at one point in the game. That's a huge difference in shots for. Overall, Luongo made 56 saves (Sabby made 5), and I don't know, he already did everything to get them the win, the effort from everyone else just wasn't there.
Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund had an okay game, definitely two of the better forwards out there. I wish Vigneault kept their line with Smolinski together, or at least just Naslund and Linden since, as I said, other than the 4th liners those two showed just a bit more determination to probably try to get a win for Lui in this game.
The Sedins were just... bad. Taylor Pyatt was just bad. Their line, whether together or separated just didn't play very well. Not only can they not generate any chances, until the 3rd period anyway, most of the time, they were just stuck in their own zone. Anaheim's checking line looked more like an offensive threat than they did. Separating them did not work, and it really just ruined the chemistry other lines were having to accommodate those two, but I hope they just learn from this and get over it.
Other than that? It was a really disappointing way to lose. From the way the team (minus Luongo) played down to the game winning goal.
I'll try to post a season review when I have the time, and when I'm more calmed down. I don't know what to do with this blog now :P for the offseason. I'll try to get in some draft action, and update when something significant, such as trades or free-agent signings, occurs.
They just weren't in it, and if they would have won this game, I wouldn't have thought they deserved it. Roberto Luongo deserved it though, but honestly, the rest of the team didn't. Maybe the fourth liners, as they were the only ones showing any energy out there, and it showed as they earned every bit of that tying goal in the 3rd period.
And you know, that game winning goal was probably the most heart breaking, and as good as Luongo has been that evening, that's probably one goal he should have saved, and he could have, but it was just one mistake, thinking that hit on Hansen was a penalty, and lost sight of the puck. I wouldn't fault him on this one though, he gave the team tons of chances to finish it, and Jan Bulis almost did, but almost doesn't cut it.
Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund had an okay game, definitely two of the better forwards out there. I wish Vigneault kept their line with Smolinski together, or at least just Naslund and Linden since, as I said, other than the 4th liners those two showed just a bit more determination to probably try to get a win for Lui in this game.
The Sedins were just... bad. Taylor Pyatt was just bad. Their line, whether together or separated just didn't play very well. Not only can they not generate any chances, until the 3rd period anyway, most of the time, they were just stuck in their own zone. Anaheim's checking line looked more like an offensive threat than they did. Separating them did not work, and it really just ruined the chemistry other lines were having to accommodate those two, but I hope they just learn from this and get over it.
Other than that? It was a really disappointing way to lose. From the way the team (minus Luongo) played down to the game winning goal.
I'll try to post a season review when I have the time, and when I'm more calmed down. I don't know what to do with this blog now :P for the offseason. I'll try to get in some draft action, and update when something significant, such as trades or free-agent signings, occurs.
