TGATD: The game after the trade deadline

... Is the game that the Canucks always lose.

Okay, well, I don't have  statistics to prove it, but I know we lost the first game after the deadline last year. :3

Anyway... I am torn between wanting to murder the Sedins or Joe Sakic or... yeah.

Joe Sakic was all in his clutchy glory, and Canucks fans better hope this will be the last, but knowing Joe, it most likely isn't.

The Sedins has been playing terrible of late, especially defensively. Their offensive game are still okay, they're getting their chances with Naslund, but they (especially Daniel Sedin) has been taken dumb, minor penalties in the defensive zone. It wouldn't even matter that much as long as they balance it out with scoring, but right now, it's not going for them eitherway.

As for the newest Canuck, Matt Pettinger has speeedz. Rinslet likes! He was definitely a threat on the penalty kill because of that speed and he looked good on that line with Kes and Burrows. What I would like to see though is Pettinger, Ryan Shannon and Mason Raymond on the same line so they can maybe try to create offense off the rush?

Speaking of Shannon and Raymond (along with Taylor Pyatt, Alexander Edler and Mike Weaver), that shift leading to Mason Raymond's goal was all sorts of amazing. Even though it was an even strength shift, they were set up as if it was a powerplay, and they totally controlled the puck until Raymond was able to tip Shannon's shot in the net. Man that was great to see. You almost wish the Canucks can do that sort of thing when they are on the powerplay :P.

Anyway, it's a very disappointing loss. One lucky bounce for the Canucks (though I don't think it's "lucky" at all since Alex Burrows really worked his bum off for that goal) leads to a different lucky bounce for the Avalanche.

Very disappointing ending. Should Woulda Coulda. If they cleared it out of the zone, with 15 seconds remaining, they could have won the game. If Vigneault put Linden in as the 2nd shooter instead of 3rd, we might have had the chance to tie the game in the shootout. If the refs freaking called _____________ penalty on _________ (insert Canuck player here) blah blah. Though I'm not really that mad about the bad officiating since the Canucks was just snakebit on the PP all night.

And yeah, the PP tonight. WTF. There was nothing happening. No shots off the point, and they just kept passing around the perimeter until an Avalanche player manages to knock them off the puck. GAH.

Good PK though. :B

Not too worried. We're playing Columbus on Friday, and hopefully we'll see a better game offensively from the Canucks.